Free Prey & Prejudice: Cougar Falls, Book 7 by Marie Harte Page A

turned an accusing eye on Miles. “Blink, damn it.”
    “Oh, come on. If my sister wore three black napkins barely covering her girlie bits, you’d be acting the same way. Annoying though Zoe is, she’s a beautiful woman. No getting around that.”
    Quince sighed. “No, unfortunately.” He stood then crossed to meet Joy. He swooped down for a kiss and said something in a low voice to Zoe, who laughed and walked by him. Quince gaped at the back of her, and Miles had a bad feeling about the rest of her “suit”.
    As she walked toward him, two men behind her stopped in their tracks. Another fell into the pool, while his friends ran into each other, spilling plates of food. Two of the females had yet to blink, while another gaped like a fish.
    Whistles and catcalls surrounded the once-friendly pool, and more than one annoyed cat glared and argued with her stupefied partner.
    “You just can’t stay out of trouble,” he complained as she walked past him and laid in the lounger her brother had vacated. It took strength not to look at her mesmerizing ass, but he wasn’t made of iron. Well, not all of him.
    “Sugar, I was born to trouble. Ask my mother.” She leered at him, the naughty expression one that only added to her appeal. “Why don’t you sit back and relax? You are happy to see me, aren’t you?”
    Too happy. It took a few deep breaths but he managed to will his erection mostly away. Enough to appear presentable, so that he could lie back next to her and not look like he had a tent in his swim trunks.
    “Funny, I thought for sure you’d wear something smaller.” Her fingers grazed the end of his trunks, scraping over his thigh.
    He tensed and deliberately moved her hand back to her side, making sure not to touch her more than necessary. How annoying not to have better control over himself. But after licking her to two orgasms last week and not able to stop thinking about it or her, was it any wonder he was a walking hard-on? He’d leered and taunted and annoyed her to keep her away from him. It had worked, because she’d kept her distance while he’d actually gotten work done.
    But he knew he’d have to face her soon enough. He’d expected she’d have paired up with someone by now or made a real problem for him to fix. In both instances, he’d have had an easier time pushing his desire for her away. But she hadn’t, going against type. That intrigued him, to see she had enough control to keep her nose clean. Yet it also alerted him to be cautious. A woman with a grudge, one who looked like Zoe, bore close attention.
    That and the fact that he’d gotten nothing but glowing reports about her made him wary. Zoe made the most stubborn in the pride laugh. She’d helped with the young, giving their parents a much-needed break. And she’d listened to complaints without offering advice, but compassion. The females loved her, or at least, they had until she’d worn that fucking bathing suit.
    “Oh, this is nice,” she said in a soft little moan. “No wonder everyone is out here.” She said nothing more.
    After a few moments, movement around the pool returned to normal. The men and a few females continued to stare at her, but seeing her next to Miles must have put them off from approaching her. Did they think she belonged to him? That she and Miles were dating?
    Though he disliked the thought of committing to a female at this point in his life, a greater part of him appreciated that they left her alone. And he didn’t like the possessive thoughts his cat projected. Ways to seduce and then claim her.
    The minutes passed, and he settled back into a hazy state of sun-worshipping half-consciousness. Chatter resumed. He heard Quince and Joy laughing and splashing. Ellis argued with Willow over something, while the guys wolfing down plates of chicken challenged each other to water volleyball.
    It was with no small amount of satisfaction that Miles realized the others felt safe with him as their leader. He