Free A Cougar's Claim (Charmed in Vegas Book 7) by Jennifer James, Michelle Fox Page A

stupid like dance costumes or helping your boyfriend start a business.”
    “It’s none of your damn business what I needed the money for.” Rhiannon’s stomach churned and she blinked back tears. Memories of bleeping machines and hollow, sunken cheeks in a once beautiful face crept up, but she forced them back. “I had enough to pay him off, plus interest. Jase was supposed to make the delivery for me. Instead I got a call that he didn’t show up.”
    Lilith dropped her smoke and stamped the burning butt out. “And you were surprised about that? Why? You gave him over a hundred thousand and really thought he’d drop it off for you?”
    “I’m not stupid. I didn’t have a choice, okay?” Rhiannon swiped under her eyes. “I did the best I could at the time.”
    “You know what they say about the road to Hell.” Lilith stood. “For what it’s worth, I hope you find Jase before I do. But you won’t.”
    The strange, magic using woman blinked out of existence. Rhiannon gasped, spun, and studied the other prisoners in the holding cell.
    No one showed any sign that they’d seen the woman she’d spoken to.
    She slid down onto the bench and rested her face in her hands. “I’m so screwed.”

Chapter Seven
    A fter the hotel got through with him, his credit card could have exploded in his wallet. Fisk, the hotel manager had maxed his account out. The weasel would pay for that later. Right now he had to worry about his mate.
    He considered using the clan credit card supplied to him to pay for incidentals while he was in Las Vegas, but it didn’t feel right. He’d had to request a limit increase on his daily ATM withdrawal allowance to cover Rhiannon’s bail.
    Her scent reached him before he heard her voice or saw her gliding down the cement and metal hallway. The barred doors and warded glass windows kept them apart, not unlike all the circumstances and magic intruding on his life and blocking him from her.
    She signed paperwork, glancing at him surreptitiously.
    When she sailed through the inner doors and exited into the waiting area, she stomped past him like he didn’t exist.
    Probably a fair reaction to him loitering there, but he wasn’t in the mood for the silent treatment.
    Swallowing a growl, he stalked her to the sidewalk, pacing behind her close enough for his breath to tease the hair on the back of her neck.
    Rhiannon refused to turn around, but he caught a whiff of arousal emanating from her. Hell yeah. He could work with that.
    “Rhiannon, stop. Talk to me.”
    “Leave me alone Kit.” She tried to shove her fingers through her hair, but got tangled in the salt crusted strands. “I’ll pay you back for the bail. It might take me awhile, but I’ll get you the money.”
    “You’re my mate, you don’t owe me any money.”
    “I’m paying you back.” She came to a stop on the sidewalk and faced him, her cheeks red and one hand on her hip. “Don’t argue with me about it. I don’t want to fight with you about it, so just let me. Okay?”
    Nodding, he withheld the proposition that involved sex acts for payment. His mate might take the flirtation badly with the mood she was in. She’d had a hard day. If paying him back was that important, he had to let her.
    After he had her trust, he’d make the offer to exchange sexual favors instead of money. It’d be a fun game, something he could tease and flirt with her about. A lover’s secret, just for them. A grin tugged at his lips up at the corners.
    Rhiannon bumped her hip into his thigh. Heat flared from the point of contact. They’d fallen into step with each other, his longer stride shortened unconsciously to accommodate her. Another sign she was meant to be his and he hers. “What are you thinking about over there?” “You have the goofiest smile on your face and a—”
    Coughing, she couldn’t hide the way her gaze flicked over to his groin and away again.
    Go ahead and look all you want . Think about my cock inside you and how