Free By the Tail by Marie Harte

“Aren’t you mad that I got the better of you?”
    “Honey, you can take me down any time you want. You have the sweetest pussy and tits I’ve ever tasted.”
    “Tits?”
    He flushed. “I, er, I mean breasts. Melons. Mounds?”
    She laughed at him.
    “So if you’re done having your wicked way with me, can you remove the ties at my wrists?” He rolled onto his side.
    “Hmm. I don’t know… Say, ‘Joy is great’.”
    “Are you kidding me?”
    “Say it.” She just looked at him.
    “Joy is great.”
    She hummed with happiness as she untied him.
    Then he added, because he was Quince, “At fucking. Joy is great. At making me lose my mind. Joy is great. At sucking my—”
    She punched him in the belly and took comfort in his
oomph
.
    “Neanderthal.”
    He sat up rubbing his wrists, a glint of humor in his eyes. Before she could blink, he tackled her to the ground, their positions now reversed. He leaned over her, caging her wrists together, holding her down with one hand.
    “Now, kitty. Maybe we should try this my way. Say, ‘Quince is great’. No, wait. Say, ‘Quince is my master. The great and mightiest man ever to lie between my golden thighs’.”
    She laughed out loud, then couldn’t stop when he started tickling her. He released her wrists and put her hands on each of his shoulders.
    She clutched him tight, falling for this Quince, the man with the incredible body, happiness in his face and a sense of humor.
    “Yeah. That’s my favorite part of you,” he said with satisfaction.
    “What?”
    He kissed her tenderly, and her cat rolled over and purred like crazy. “That. That sparkle of joy in my Joy.”
    Her heart raced. He sounded possessive, and she surprised herself by liking that. “You’re such a comedian.”
    “I try. Let me say it again. Joy is great. At being a huge pain in my ass.” He narrowed his gaze. “And speaking of ass, have you ever let anyone take you there?”
    She blushed. Stupid, because they lay naked together, and she’d just blown him, but still. “Um, not yet.”
    His gleaming pleasure stole her breath away. “Good answer.” Then he stood and pulled her to her feet. “What do you say we hunt for a late night snack, then head back to the House so you can use and abuse me some more?” He ran a hand over her ass. “And maybe I can tempt you into something…different.”
    She wanted to say something obnoxious, to dare him to catch her, but when she met his gaze, her mind blanked.
    “Joy?” He smiled.
    She fell hard. The scent between them intensified, and to her dismay, she couldn’t fault
him
for it this time. She wanted him for more than sex. For more than a dare. Joy Bermin wanted Quince Castille to mate. Horrified, she pulled back, but she feared he’d caught an inkling of what her cat really wanted.
    Quince’s eyes narrowed and he inhaled deeply, then chuckled. “Oh yeah, we’re definitely going to hit different.” He stepped back and shifted into a jet-black panther.
“But if you don’t want Alissa to get a crack at this fine body, you’d better catch me first. This time I won’t make it so easy.”
He laughed at her before darting away.
    She sputtered as she turned and raced after him.
“Easy, my ass. Nothing easy about you, you big pussy!”
    She followed his laughter all the way back, feeling as if she’d just found something new and beautiful. Something she was determined to keep.

Chapter Six
    Miles Bermin ran a weary hand through his hair. Damn, he was tired. Tired of flying to New York because Jerome Stanton couldn’t understand what condensed distribution meant after three times of explaining it to him. Tired of darting to Cougar Falls every five seconds because Stacey needed financial help, and God forbid she explain herself in person. Though to be fair, expanding their line on the West Coast and in Montana did need a bit of finessing. But Stacey acting so demanding annoyed him to no end. As did his future brother-in-law.
    Especially