Free Freakn' Cougar by Eve Langlais Page A

want to?”
    “You have to. As I said, there’s a camera along this hall.”
    “Manned by guards who don’t give a shit. You and I both know hanky-panky goes on all the time.”
    “We’re here to do a job, not screw around like horny teenagers.”
    “I’m hurt. Comparing me to an unschooled boy … I’ll have you know I have more finesse than that. Give me a try and you’ll see.”
    “Or let’s try and think with a head not south of our belt buckle and do what we came to do. Solve a crime. Or have you forgotten what tonight is?”
    How could any shifter not know? The rising full moon tugged at him. It called to his inner beast and asked him to join it for a wild, night-time run. Usually he would heed the invitation, but given his present circumstances, he tamped down the urge. His panther grumbled. It chafed at their current lifestyle. “I know what day it is. Tonight is the night we find out if our killer has selected its next target.” Because it seemed most of the deaths occurred on full moons. Was it because shifters and their odd traits were more noticeable, or was there another reason?
    “I’m on the night shift for the next couple of nights. It’s all been arranged. I’ll be walking your floor at regular intervals to keep an eye.”
    “The killer won’t strike while there are two of us in the cell.”
    “I know. Which is why Stu is going to have a medical emergency that requires me taking him to the infirmary. He should be safe there. Once he’s out of the way, I’m going to swing by the cells of the other two shifters in this place. One should be okay. He’s got a human roommate. But the other, he’s kind of secluded in his wing.”
    “What about me? I’ll be all alone.” With a bed, a hard-on, and too many fantasies.
    She pretended not to catch his hint. “Boo-freakn’-hoo. And here I took you for a guy who could protect himself.”
    The barb made him laugh. “I can. But it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like my hand held, among other things.”
    Oh, she caught the innuendo that time, and the temperature between them rose a notch. “Don’t start. You need to focus on the job.”
    “I am well aware of the stakes and what I have to do, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore you. Fight it all you want, bebé . It’s only a matter of time before we end up together.” A straight shooter in real life, he didn’t pull any punches when it came to dealing with Patricia.
    “No we’re not.”
    “You are living in denial. Face facts. No matter what you say, or pretend, we both know in the end, I will have you. Naked. Sweating. Panting. And creaming hard. I promise you’ll be purring by the time I’m done.” Ricky didn’t play coy. He’d already had a glimpse of her passion. The main event was sure to prove explosive.
    She didn’t appreciate his frankness. “How romantic. Perhaps you’d like to throw in a few more caveman statements like, ‘My cock stopped breathing when you walked in the room. Wanna give it some mouth-to-mouth?’ or how about ‘I’m gonna crawl between your legs and eat my way straight to your heart.’?”
    “Hey, I never said anything that corny.”
    “But you keep implying it. Just so you know, there is nothing less attractive than a man who thinks a woman’s place is on her knees or her back servicing him. You should also take note that, not only do I not go for the macho type, but I also hate to cook and clean.”
    “You wound me. I am a modern man. I am more than happy to be a stay-at-home husband while you work and bring home the bacon. And steak. Preferably a T-bone.”
    “You just don’t give up, do you?”
    “When it comes to things I am passionate about, I am tenacious.”
    “I don’t get it. You barely know me, and yet you’re so willing to tie yourself to me, to imagine a future together. What if I’m the biggest bitch on the face of this earth? What if I snore? Or belch in public? What if I like to sing show tunes, out of key, on