Hard Case Read online

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Hard Case

  ISBN 9781419922862

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Hard Case Copyright © 2009 J. Hali Steele

  Edited by Sue-Ellen Gower

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book Publication June 2009

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Hard Case

  J. Hali Steele

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Wild Turkey: Austin, Nichols & Company, Inc.

  Chapter One

  “Her hair is green, for crying out loud.” Case couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His new manager had neon green hair.

  “I hand-picked her myself.” Alek smiled.

  “I’m sure you did. Remember, I know you well. Hand-picked means you had your filthy tiger’s paws all over her sweet little ass.”

  “Tres isn’t like that, man. And I don’t know why I have to explain myself to a damned voyeur. You needed help and I found it for you. She’s perfect for the job and will keep a sharp eye on the place.” Alek took a sip of his Turkey. “You’ve spent too much time in Europe. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy, or should I say Malibu, where your million-dollar house hangs over the beach. This is the desert. You’re going to have a rough crowd and Tres knows how to handle that type.”

  Case Tangara watched the young woman who was the topic of conversation stand at the bar of his most recent acquisition and talk to a hostess. Who the fuck had green hair? His clubs were Establishment. They weren’t back-alley peep shows for the masses. He catered to upscale clientele. They wanted their secrets kept. Hell, they wouldn’t show up at a place if the manager had green hair and dressed in leather.

  “She’s got green hair.” Case eyed his friend warily. “This one of your tricks? Tell me it’s one of your tricks.”

  “Relax, dude. Get past the hair already. Give her a chance. Tres is good at her job.”

  “A snow leopard shifter? I can smell her over here.”

  “Maybe Tres won’t like the smell of your raggedy old lion’s ass either.”

  “Why do I put up with your shit?”

  “Cause you love me, bro. Trust me on this one, you’ll thank me in no time.”

  Case peered at Alek with one brow cocked. They went way back and had fought together often as cats. He thought his friend knew him better than this. He should know he’d want more proof of how good this new manager would be. He still expected his friend to tell him this was some kind of joke.

  “Did they get the two-way mirrors installed in the private party room?” Case asked.

  “Last week. She handled the workers with ease. And they’re a hard bunch of cats to deal with. Your peep show is doing good business already.”

  He still wasn’t sure about this. Case decided to hang around for a while to see how things went.

  “Does she know who I am?”

  “You just got here. I didn’t even know you were in town.” Alek leaned back in his chair. “It’s unlikely. Even you would have to dig long and hard through lots of paper to come up with your name in connection with any of your clubs. I made sure you’re anonymous.”

  “Good, I don’t want her to know.”

  “What the hell are you up to, Case?”

  “I’m up to making sure my place is run efficiently and making money.”

  “This won’t be like Miami, will it? I can’t find good help only for you to scare them off like some lunatic. Protection’s my business, I do it well. My people are good.”

  “Yeah, well I have my doubts right now. Since when do you hire shifters? You know my preference for hiring Kind.” Case’s Kind brethren were a phenomenon created by vampyres who disassociated themselves from shifters and maintained a comfortable distance from their bloodsucking cousins. His people still thought of themselves as cats, only assuming the human-appearing form of the vampyre when absolutely necessary.

  “Shit’s changed, man.” Alek pierced him with a glare. “You wouldn’t have trouble in your places if you stuck to names that worked. Names like those we’ve always used let the night creatures know who runs the joint. Who the hell calls a place The Looking Glass?

  “My clients like those kinds of names. Gives the place an air of respectability. Should I call it the Lion’s Cave? Maybe the Tiger’s Paw? Would you be happy then?”

  “Your clients watch other people get it on, and some join in. Not quite sure how respectable they are. Our names work well for clubs. You’ve lived a long time as a vampyre but you are one of us. And though you’d like to, you can’t shake the smell of lion.”

  That made Case, a white lion from the Kind species—big cats infected with blood of the undead—think about what he was.

  Thousands of years ago vampyres invaded dens in the Balkan Mountains his ancestor’s pride wintered in. They used the cave lions’ blood as sustenance and contaminated them with their deadly curse. The lions spread the disease to other cats.

  The Kind council of Elders forbade “taking of blood” from humans unless you were Sovereign Kind, one of the warriors known as Reign.

  Alek now led the Reign. It was his responsibility to enforce the laws which kept their kind safe from discovery by the masses. Hell, a bunch of cats on the loose with the ability to turn into vamps needed to be controlled. If the rules were broken, it would “Reign” all over the ass of the offender.

  As warriors, they had served together long before Alek became the leader. It’s a good thing he still liked the tiger who sat across from him. Right now he envisioned his canines ripping into his hind end leaving a very visible bite mark.

  “In your dreams, dude.”

  Alek’s statement jarred him. His friend read minds now.

  Case’s people didn’t come into the ability of mind reading until they were much older. He took a better look at the man across from him. There was only one other way to achieve this power so early—taking the blood of humans on a regular basis. But then Alek was Reign and he had another advantage. He fed from the pure royal bloodline. Alek had direct access to the vein of the Kind prince.

  “You’re a mind reader now? I’ll have to use better shields. Anyway, you’ve used my private rooms. Don’t get all high and mighty with my ass.”

  “Fuck you. If you spent less time in your own clubs, you wouldn’t always be aroused. You might be able to get rid of the wood you carry between your legs, Hard Case. Now, how do you want me to introduce you? Or can you handle it yourself?”


  “Listen to you, the big man on compound. I would say that’s the cock calling the penis a dick. I’ll handle it. She’ll know we’re acquaintances, friends. Nothing else. I don’t want her to know about me. Okay? You still got the guest bungalow behind your place?”

  “Sure, it’s yours for as long as you need it.” Alek’s voice dropped low, “I like Tres, man. Don’t mess with her.”

  “Don’t you have to go to work and train cubs to be good little protectors? I’ll see you around.”

  * * * * *

  Tres Moran stole glances toward Alek’s table and wondered about the guy who sat with him. Her hostess caught her.

  “Interested in big cats now, are you?”

  She and Holly had worked clubs like this together as a team for a lot of years now. They’d been together long enough to know each other’s likes and dislikes. The only difference—Hol thrived on the performance. Tres was a watcher. This job would be a piece of cake. Tres hoped to settle down this time. This close to Big Bear and Arrowhead, she could let her leopard enjoy the snow. Hot weather for long periods didn’t suit her.

  “Big is not bad at all, but he’s a warm cat. He likes the heat, and he probably has fleas. Plus, I can smell the vamp in his ass from here. And you can’t trust those Kind cats. They’re deadly mothers.”

  “You like Alek just fine.”

  “He’s one of the good guys, keeps his paws to himself, and tigers like snowy, cold climates.” Tres knew her friend wanted to get it on with the tiger. “Anyway, we’re friends, there’s no attraction there. You know that, Hol. Wish things could be different because he sure is good to look at.”

  “Well, the one your eyes are glued to is no slouch. The phrase ‘eye candy’ certainly pops into my mind. A real sweet piece of candy.”

  Tres agreed with her assessment. The guy was huge, way over six feet. Those green eyes could drag you to hell and back. And you wouldn’t mind the trip. His mouth held her mesmerized. Lips looked so soft, yet they were held in a tight line of control. Ash-blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that grazed his shoulders. The hair color indicated a difference from other lions. This cat would be white when he changed. Something she’d never seen before. Tres wouldn’t mind a peek under the designer suit he wore. Shit, wouldn’t mind a quick ride either. Okay, down girl, back to work. Tres faced her hostess.

  “Did the shipment of Chilean merlot come in?” she asked.

  “Yes, twelve cases of good vintage.”

  “Nice. Make sure it gets put up in the cellar. I don’t want it to sit at this temperature long.”

  “Taken care of already,” Holly said.

  Tres dripped. A state of moist heat settled between her thighs while she watched the guy talk with Alek. He turned her on. If he became a regular customer, her desk drawer would need to be filled with a change of clean, dry underwear. Not her typical reaction to lions. Warm climate cats never turned her on. This one would be trouble. Thank God she had a strict policy about customers. Maybe he’s visiting.

  Things had been really slow in her life lately. Over the last five years she’d chosen her partners wisely. The minute Tres felt more than a slight attraction, she ran. By no means would she consider herself promiscuous, but lately the word “celibate” came to mind. If Tres didn’t get some soon, her maidenhead would grow back. Her leopard was even starting to complain. It was bad when a lion turned her on this much.

  She stopped at the door of one of the private booths and thought, what the hell? A peek that’s all. The pile of paperwork on her desk could wait to be handled. Tres promised herself it would be next.

  * * * * *

  Case couldn’t believe his ears. Fleas. A shifter sporting neon fucking green hair thought he had fleas! Ready to introduce himself, he thought better of it. He needed to calm down first.

  He’d lived in Europe for such a long period it was hard to readjust. Cats here were comfortable in their fur. Something Case wasn’t used to anymore. An Elder now, he’d existed in both forms longer than most. Feeding on humans had honed his vampyre abilities to a master. His people called it “taking the blood”. Sooner or later the cats would have to stop being so damned finicky. They needed sustenance to live. No matter how they said it—they drank blood.

  Case’s brethren needed to come to grips with their bloodthirsty half to survive in the world today. Some had begun to move out of the safety of the enclosed compounds they called home and into society and, as he had, they usually ended up in Europe. There the various creatures of the night at least pretended to tolerate each other and the Kind had earned a grudging respect. Some of the vamp clans even accepted the cats without prejudice.

  Vampyres were voracious mind readers. They had no respect for private thoughts. He’d spent so much time among them, he could crawl into someone’s head in a minute. He had been in hers. Aside from the one dark spot he’d been unable to breach, the word “wicked” described pretty well what he found there. He’d give her a ride. Fleas and all. Damn, that still had him pissed. And she was right, the Kind were deadly motherfuckers.

  Vamps, demons, all the night creatures hated Case’s species with a vengeance. He was much stronger than his Balkan cousins. He had all the primal skills of his cat, and when he assumed his form of vampyre, he had their abilities. He could wield fire, enthrall the masses and dematerialize with a thought. And what they feared most—Case could walk in the daylight. In either form he chose.

  His eyes perused his new manager more closely. He wondered what she hid so deep in her mind, not even he could reach it.

  Tres’ head would probably come no higher than his chest. Aside from the green hair, which was cut in a sleek bob and reached just below her dainty earlobes, she was pretty. Her ass, covered in skintight, dark green leather pants, would fit in both his hands perfectly. It’d be easy to take her for a ride. Yellow-flecked blue eyes slanted up at the corners and made her look pixyish. Thick, sooty lashes swept over flushed high cheekbones each time eyelashes fluttered down.

  She had skin the color of honey. An emerald-colored lacy corset top barely covered her breasts. His exceptional vision could see her nipples were hard from across the room. He imagined rubbing a feather under her nose to see if her hard peaks would make an appearance when she sneezed.

  He continued to watch. A stream of video played through his mind of all the titillating things Tres could do to him with her full, cinnamon-painted lips.

  Down, Hard Case, he admonished his cock, which had taken on a life of its own and moved around in his pants. Christ, I’m hard as a walking stick.

  He saw his manager slink away from the hostess and disappear through the entrance leading to the private rooms. According to Alek, they were already doing a brisk business.

  He decided to introduce himself when she came back.

  Chapter Two

  When she didn’t return, Case went to check on her. He traveled silently down the softly lit, thickly carpeted hallway. The soundproof walls were a dark cherry wood. Classic prints of naked bodies hung beside each private viewing room. The tiny red lights above the doors showed business was good.

  Each room contained a comfortable chair and a sumptuous, oversized loveseat in case the patrons desired to invite guests. A refrigerator held beverages, from beer and liquor, to the best wines and champagnes money could buy. The elegantly appointed bathroom stayed stocked with an array of body oils and plush towels.

  There was a two-way mirror in each room. The patrons on the other side of the glass entered from a similar hallway on the opposite side of the building. These were customers who loved to perform. They liked to fuck. They couldn’t see who watched them.

  The watchers, well, they watched. Voyeurs.

  Case smelled her. He knew exactly which room she occupied. When he materialized inside, he masked his scent. In human form, shifters had all the senses of their animal side, but Tres didn’t feel his presence. He was a master at hiding in plain sight, a secret he learned durin
g his time with his Balkan cousins.

  He watched her as she watched the couple who performed. Her wet sex blasted his nostrils from across the room and sent a flash of white-hot desire right between his legs. He wasn’t called Hard Case for nothing. His cock stood rigid and pressed painfully into the zipper of his finely creased designer slacks.

  He preferred this side of the glass, watching, but he had no problem with the other side of the mirror. He’d been there too. He tasted delights in the form of women from around the world. And he wasn’t always particular about the species. His people, because of the vampyre blood, weren’t susceptible to disease.

  But Case never managed to find the one who could make him happy. Someone to give him everything he wanted, and needed. The one to take him away from the looking glass.

  Who was he kidding? Perfect would be the woman who watched with him.

  Case watched the same scene Tres did and grew bigger and harder by the second. He already felt drops of pre-cum form on the head of his shaft as he saw the woman suck the man’s cock. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He silently eased behind Tres and grabbed her hands. He pulled them up and placed them above her, palms flat on the glass. He heard her gasp in surprise as he ground his body against hers and shoved his erection into the small of her back. The only other sound was a soft moan as she pressed her body to his. When he released her hands, they stayed glued to the glass.

  He reached in front of her and found her nipples. He pinched the peaks hard through the material of her top, loving how she slid her ass up and down his thighs. He released her breasts from their confines, massaged and squeezed them, and earned more moans of gratification. He left one hand to minister to a swollen nipple as he moved his other caressingly over her stomach.

  When he reached the top of her pants, he deftly unfastened the button and slipped his hand inside, feeling the heat of her pussy before he reached it. The softness of the moist hair entranced him. He pushed roughly through the wet folds and stroked back and forth over her clit. He stabbed two long fingers into her canal.