Things That Go Bump in the Night IV (12 page)

First he had to deal with Fido and after that, he would hit one of the local bars with the specific purpose of finding some female companionship. The moon was waxing and the need to mate was strong.

Tamping down his overactive libido, Rik headed down Bourbon Street. It was early but he’d arrange for some backup and head over and scope out The Chamber.

* * * * *

Charlene grinned as she thought about the humorous e-mail she’d sent to her college friends, Jill and Beth, several days earlier. It was finally Halloween and she’d sent a joke e-mail about the Top Ten Things to Avoid on Halloween. Number eight was her personal favorite: Don’t date a shapeshifter, as you’ll never know what to wear from one minute to the next.

Her grin turned to a wince as Maribel tugged on her corset strings.

“Easy girl, you’re killing me.”

“Wimp,” Maribel muttered as she tied the corset off. “You’re all laced in.”

Char turned and stared at herself in the full-length mirror. In this outfit, her friends from the New Orleans Public Library wouldn’t recognize her at all. Not to mention her family back in Boise.

Sheesh, if she showed up dressed like this they’d lock the doors and call the police.

“Char…girrrllll, you are going to burn down the house.” Laurance looked up from where she was crouched at Char’s feet. The other woman was lacing up Char’s thigh-high vinyl boots.

“Ya think?” Char tilted her head and studied her appearance.

“There isn’t a man at The Chamber that won’t be panting to take you home,”

Maribel said. “Meow!”

“I’ll second that. I think you’re hot and you’re not even my type.” Raymie, a local drag queen and one of her very best friends, nudged her. “Can I borrow those boots when you’re through? They’ll look fab with my new leopard-print skirt.” He fluttered his impossibly long lashes at her and made a smooching sound.

71

J.C. Wilder

Char laughed and shook her head. She placed her hands over the exposed tops of her breasts. “I don’t know. I think this outfit might be a little risqué for me.”

“Honey, this is risqué for half of N’Awlins.” Laurance rose. “You’re all laced into your boots.” The slim blonde stretched and looked in the mirror. Her eyes widened and she gave a low whistle. “Me-ow is right, Char.”

Raymie thrust out his skinny stomach then stroked the small bulge. “I think I’m bloated.”

Char elbowed him out of the way then turned to examine her backside. She gulped when she saw the indecent amount of thigh that was exposed by her napkin-sized skirt.

“If I sneeze I’ll flash everyone,” she said.

“And what a bee-you-tiful butt it is.” Raymie patted her on the backside then sashayed toward the bathroom.

“I love the costume, Laurance, but I don’t know if I can wear this out in public. I mean, I really appreciate all the work you put into it but my butt is hanging out.” Char wailed the last few words.

Maribel plunged her hand into her own bodice, plumping them to her best advantage in her tight red dress. “Raymie is right, you do have a lovely bum.” She reached over and tweaked one of Char’s velvet ears that were fastened on top of her head. “You look hot…almost as hot as I do.” She made a kissy face in the mirror.

“Gee, thanks.” Char frowned and tugged on the skirt. “I feel like if I move the wrong way something might fall out or I’ll stop breathing.”

Laurance propped her chin on Char’s bare shoulder. “The trick to a corset is to take slow, shallow breaths.” She ran her hand over Char’s laced-in tummy. “You aren’t laced in too tight so you should be okay. Just take it slow and easy.”

“Raymie, do you have my shoes?” Maribel bellowed from the bottom of Char’s closet.

Raymie’s head popped out of the bathroom. “Who are you kidding? I only wear Italian leather on these stems, not that cheap plastic crap you drag out of dumpsters.”

“This isn’t too tight? I would hate to see what it would feel like if it were any tighter.” Char ran her hand over the narrow strip of belly that was visible between her corset and skirt. “Though I must say the cleavage is pretty impressive this evening.”

“I still think you should’ve gotten your belly button pierced as Laurance had suggested.” Maribel had located her stiletto heels and she was pushing her feet into the lethal-looking shoes. “That would have been really hot.”

“Piercings are very cha cha this year,” Raymie called.

“Yeah, that would be sexy. A puffy red welt with a ring through it.” Char tugged on the hem of the indecent black vinyl skirt again but it didn’t get any longer this time either. She tweaked the cat’s tail that was attached to the waistband. “What about this?

I’ll be poking everyone all night.”

72

Shadow Hunter

“Quit fussing,” Laurance slapped her hand then reached for her tiara on the dresser. “You look perfect, Char. Cat Woman never looked better.”

“I’ll say.” Maribel stepped up behind her and all three women were framed in the mirror. “We look like sex incarnate.”

“What about me?” Raymie, resplendent in a green sequined evening gown and towering black wig, exited the bathroom and joined them. “Am I not too sexy for words?”

Char tilted her head and studied their images. She was dressed from head to toe in black vinyl as Cat Woman while Maribel looked lethal in blood red as a devil, complete with horns on her head. Laurance was dressed as a fairy in a delicate white tutu and puff sleeves that shimmered as she moved, while Raymie looked like Cher, only with an Adam’s apple.

“If we don’t get hit on, hard, then all of the men in New Orleans are blind.”

Laurance picked up her wand and tapped Char on the shoulder. “I think we’re ready to go, ladies.”

“I’m not too sure I want to get hit on,” Char gulped. Her hands were both hot and cold at the same time. “I’m too worried about my butt falling out of this skirt.”

“Oh, but it’s easy to pick up a man.” Raymie slung a miniscule evening bag over his shoulder. “First you find a hot one, then you just wiggle your breasts and flutter those lashes and he’ll be panting for you.”

Maribel tossed an arm around Char’s shoulder. “Weren’t you just saying last week that you were determined to take charge of your life? You tossed that worthless Brad out of your bed over seven months ago and there is no better time than tonight to find a new boy toy. It’s Halloween and the moon is full…”

“And its time to let your inner animal loose,” Laurance chimed in. “Claim your sexuality and your life at the same time.”

“But…” Char laid her hands over her breasts, which bulged from the top of the corset. “I feel so exposed. I still think I need—”

Raymie shook his head. “The twins are fine. They look good snuggled in their corset like two little troopers.” He reached past Laurance and picked up a round compact. “This might help, though.” He dabbed some of the sparkly powder over the exposed tops of Char’s breasts and shoulders.

“Perfect.” Laurance clapped her hands. “You’re a fashion genius, Raymie.”

“Now, let’s go.” He tossed the compact onto the vanity and linked arms with Maribel. “The men of New Orleans await our pleasure.”

Char looked down at her exposed breasts that now gleamed with the shimmery powder. “Yeah, that helped,” she muttered. Picking up her coat, she followed her friends out the door.

73

J.C. Wilder

The Chamber was a popular nightclub that catered to the ever-present tourist crowd. Bondage gear decorated the walls and the bartenders were clad in various forms of leather and chains. Cages were suspended over the dance floor and half-naked women gyrated to the loud music.

When Rik had arrived, he’d done a slow tour of the building and learned where all the exits and possible ambush spots were located. He didn’t like having this forced meeting in such a public place, but since he wasn’t in the driver’s seat he didn’t have any say in the matter.

He leaned against the bar and sipped his cranberry juice, while watching the crowds. There were several other preternaturals close by, mostly young vampires and a few revenants—no one he needed to worry about. Then again, there were very few predators a full-grown were-cat needed to be concerned about.

A jolt of awareness shot across his skin, alerting him to the approach of another were-cat. Marcus entered the main door and moved through the crowds like a machine, his movements easy and economical. Dressed in worn blue jeans and a black leather jacket, he looked deadly capable of handling anything that might come his way, which was why Rik had called him for backup.

“You’re early,” Rik said.

“So are you.” Marcus’ dark eyes moved over the crowd. “I thought I would pop in and check out the action.” He smiled as a petite blonde dressed in dominatrix gear squeezed past them, her ample breasts coming into contact with Marcus’ chest.

“Lively crowd.” He winked at the woman.

Rik’s gaze moved over her curves. “Well, it is Halloween.” While she was well-endowed in the chest, he preferred a little more flesh on his women. It was much easier to hang onto a woman in bed if she had real hips.

“Yes, it is.” Already Marcus’ attention was focused on the woman and he was slowly moving away. “I think I’ll prowl until it’s time to play with the dogs.”

“Stay alert,” Rik said.

“You too, bro.”

Marcus vanished into the crowd and Rik continued his survey of the room. The music was blistering; the dance floor was a colorful sea of gyrating bodies and, in the center, was a raised platform. That, too, was crowded with dancers. He noted a small group of young male vampires near the platform. He made note of their faces and was thinking about ordering another drink when a flash of black vinyl against pale skin caught his attention.

74

Shadow Hunter

On the edge of the platform near the railing was a curvaceous woman dressed in a skin-tight black vinyl skirt, what little there was of it, and matching thigh-high boots. A wicked-looking corset with miles of laces embraced her ample breasts and little cat ears were perched amid her rumpled, reddish-brown curls. A long black tail was attached to the waistband of her skirt and it swished from side to side as she danced.

While most of the dancers bounced around the dance floor as if they’d drank too much coffee, she moved like a cat, slow and sensual. A soft smile curved her pink lips and her eyes were half-closed. That dreamy smile let him know that she heard the music on a whole other level than those around her.

Cat Woman raised her arms over her head and he held his breath, waiting to see if her abundant breasts would spill from the corset. They didn’t, though he could have sworn he glimpsed the slightest edge of a rosy areola.

He set his empty glass on the bar. There was something about the woman in black vinyl that made him both hungry and aroused. It could be the sensual dancing or the fact she seemed to be completely unaware of the crush around her. She could have been dancing alone in her bedroom for all the attention she paid to anyone else. Even in the midst of hundreds of people there was a sense of serenity and innate sensuality that surrounded her, and it set his senses on full alert.

He pushed away from the bar and started toward her. Lust curled in his belly and the need to mate burned hot. He lifted his head and inhaled. Through the crowd his cougar senses allowed him to discern her scent. Feminine and sweet, it drove a bolt of heat through his gut that threatened to steal his breath.

He wove through the crowd until he stood at the bottom of the steps, just feet away from her. Up close, his Cat Woman was even more exquisite. Her face was heart-shaped, her pink mouth was slick with gloss and her eyes were a deep, emerald green.

A tall woman dressed in red leaned over and said something to his Cat Woman.

She tilted her head back and the musical laughter that poured forth transfixed him. He adored women who laughed, and this one had a full body laugh. She wrapped her arms around her belly and held herself upright, her eyes dancing with amusement.

This was his kind of woman. Lush, curvy, and she knew how to laugh. She had a mouth made for kissing, a body created for sin and he wanted to sample both.

He wondered how she liked to be bedded. Would she be energetic and vocal, or did she expect him to do all the work?

Once he had this unpleasant business out of the way, he’d have to make her acquaintance. They’d laugh, flirt, maybe have a few cocktails and before dawn, he’d have her in his bed.

Already he could imagine taking her, sinking into her slick flesh and feeling her tighten around him as she took her pleasure. His cock hardened. Without speaking to her, he knew it would be good between them. Just watching her dance was making him hard as a pike; he could only imagine how he’d feel once he got her clothing off.

75

J.C. Wilder

A man jostled Rik from his reverie and a slim blond man walked up the steps toward the woman. Rik frowned when the blond caught the long tail that was attached to her skirt. He tugged on it to get the woman’s attention.

She turned and her eyes widened when she saw the person who held her tail. She grabbed the padded vinyl appendage and shook her head but the man didn’t relinquish his grip. She was smiling but it was a forced expression.

Judging from her body language, she didn’t want her tail manhandled by this man.

It looked like Rik would have to make her acquaintance sooner rather than later. He started up the steps.

How he loved a damsel in distress.

* * * * *

“No, really, I’m flattered but I don’t want to dance with you. I’m already dancing with my friend—” Char broke off when she realized Maribel was nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, Cat-babe. I’m the best dancer here.” The man shook his hips in a lewd movement that made her nose wrinkle. “Let’s give it a shot.”

Char retained her grip on the troublesome appendage and rued the day she’d decided to dress as Cat Woman. At the library, most men had a tendency to overlook her, even on her good hair days. Maribel claimed that her clothing choices enabled her to blend in with the woodwork, but that certainly wasn’t the story tonight.