“I couldn’t help noticing you,” the young man said. “You’re new here. You’ve never been to one of these parties, have you?”
“No, this is my first time.”
She looked him up and down. She couldn’t help it. His body was entirely hairless. He had clearly shaved his pubic hair off and maybe a lot more than that. His cock was semi-turgid, and his balls were shorn and tight from the slight chill in the wind.
He held out his hand as though they were both fully dressed and meeting for the first time at a normal party. “I’m Teddy.”
She took it. “I’m Kate.”
“Are you a shifter?”
“No. I’m human.”
Teddy grinned. “I could tell. It’s the way you carry yourself, not that it’s a bad thing.”
“Oh? How do I come across?” She felt socially awkward again.
“Like you don’t belong here. All the shifter women slink in like they own the place, though they obviously don’t. My father does.”
She almost gasped out loud but stopped herself in time. “You’re Teddy Mitchell?”
“The one and only.” He swept his arm around. “So how do you like my place?”
“It’s . . . grand.”
“I know. I saw you come in with Rust O’Brien.”
“You know him?”
“I know of him. He’s hard to miss, and he’s quite the talk of town these days.” He grinned at her. “Are you mated to him?”
“I’m his girlfriend, yes.”
“That’s not the same thing. In human terms, mating is like marriage, only the bond is stronger. It’s hard to break a mating the way you can easily do a marriage.”
“OK, then I’m not mated to him.” Not yet anyway, she told herself.
“You’re fully human, aren’t you?”
And you’re awfully curious and chatty, she wanted to say. But he was the son of her host and she had to be polite.
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, he can’t take a human mate,” Teddy said. “He’s a tiger shifter and he can only take another tiger. Genetics and breeding and all.”
“Thanks for telling me what I already know,” she said wryly.
Teddy put his hand on her arm.
“Just so you’d know,” he said, smiling, “I’m available.”
His manipulativeness made her recoil in disgust.
“No, thanks, but I’m taken,” she said, moving away. What was it about her that attracted wayward shifters in the worse way possible?
Teddy’s face changed color.
“You know,” he spluttered, “you’re not that pretty. And you’re kind of fat.”
“But you still wanted me, Teddy, pretty or not,” she said, walking away before he could say anything more to sting her. She tried not to reel from the blow.
But oh, all her insecurities were welling up now. What was she doing here, displaying herself when she clearly had inferior goods to display? She suddenly felt cold and ugly, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked longingly back in the direction of the parking lot. Was Hector still there? Would he take her back to the hotel?
She wondered if Rust would be annoyed if he came back and found her missing.
Just as she was moving away, Rust reappeared, Shamilar in tow. Kate tried not to look for signs of sexual play – blades of grass sticking to their bodies, Shamilar’s marvelous hair in disarray.
“Kate?” Rust came up to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she lied.
“Something’s wrong. Tell me.”
“Nothing. I-I don’t think I want to be here, Rust. I’m sorry. Can Hector take me home?”
His expression mirrored his concern. “Hey,” he put his arms around her. “I didn’t fuck her, if that’s what you’re worried about. We just talked about the past. You don’t have anything to be worried about. I’m here with you, and that’s all that matters.”
“It’s not that. It’s something else.” Her frightened eyes strayed to Teddy, who was now talking to a group of nubile young women.
Rust caught her glance.
“Did he speak to you?” he demanded. “Said something to hurt you?”
She trembled. He was incredibly perceptive. Then she remembered he was both a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and a damned good one. But she didn’t want Rust to create a scene.
So she lied. “No.”
A gong somewhere clanged. The guests all looked up and chattered excitedly.
“Come,” Rust said, “it’s time for the Ceilidh, where the last shreds of our inhibitions are cast away and we can choose to be anything and anyone we wish to be.”