Nothing fazed Arik. He was known as unflappable.
He was also wily. There were other ways to hunt a hiding mouse. Of course, before he could track her down via electronic methods, first he had to run the gauntlet at his office.
Did anyone dare say a word when he entered in his costly, Armani three-piece suit sporting a ball cap he bought from a street vendor, he who never wore a hat of any kind?
Curious gazes might have followed his path, but not a titter followed him. No one had big enough balls.
Except for Hayder, his second-in-command-the smartass-who trailed him into his office.
"Dude, what is up with the hat? When did you suddenly become a baseball fan?"
"I'd rather not discuss it," Arik said through tight lips and gritted teeth as his fingers tapped away, logging onto Facebook and doing a search on Dominic. Surely if the man had an account, it would be linked to his family members, including one feisty woman he needed to find.
To eat.
No. Angry or not, one didn't eat their enemy. It was uncivilized. And, yes, he intentionally misinterpreted his lion. He didn't even want to start thinking about the certain eating his other side had in mind.
There would be no cream lapping for her.
Or him.
Meowr. Such a disappointed sound.
A throat cleared. "Earth to Arik. Come in, boss."
With brows drawn, Arik glared at his beta. "What?"
"I was asking what had your boxers in a knot."
"You know I go commando."
"Usually, but something obviously has your panties in a twist. Spill."
Oh, he spilled all right. Arik yanked off the hat and flung it against the wall and then swiveled his chair to get it over with.
Indrawn breath. A snicker. A full-on guffaw.
Arik swirled again and tossed deadly visual daggers at his second. "I fail to see the humor in my butchered mane."
"Dude. Have you seen it? It is bad. What did you do to piss Dominic off? Seduce one of his daughters?"
"Actually one of his granddaughters did this to me!" He couldn't help the incredulous note. The effrontery of the act still got to him.
A thump and a shake of the wall as Hayder hit it, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "A girl did that to you?" His beta convulsed with mirth, not at all daunted by Arik's glower and tapping fingers.
"This is not amusing."
"Oh, come on, dude. Of all the people to have a hair mishap, you are the worst."
"I look like an idiot."
"Only because you didn't let her finish hacking the rest off."
His fingers froze as he took his gaze off the screen for a moment to address the travesty. "Cut off my mane?" Was his beta delusional?
"Well, yeah. You know, to even it out so it doesn't show."
A growl rumbled forth, more beast than man, his lion not at all on board with any more trimming.
"Okay, if you're not keen on that, then what about a hair weave? Maybe we could get you a platinum one, or pink for contrast since you're being such a prissy princess about it."
That did it. A lion could take only so much. Arik dove over his desk and tackled his beta. Over they went with a thump and a tangle of limbs.
As he was slamming Hayder's head off the floor, snarling, "Take it back!" to his beta's chortled, "We'll get your nails done while they're weaving," Leo strode in.
A giant of a man, he didn't even have to strain as he grabbed them each by a shoulder and yanked them apart. But he didn't stop there. He slammed their heads together before shoving them down.
Arik and Hayder sat on the carpeted floor, nursing robin's eggs, united in their glare for the pride's omega, also known as the peacemaker. Of course, Leo's version of peace wasn't always gentle, which was why he was perfect for the pride.
The behemoth with the mellow outlook on life took a seat in a chair, which groaned ominously. "You do know that the staff two floors down can hear the pair of you acting like ill-behaved cubs."
"He started it!" Arik stabbed a finger at his beta. He had no problem assigning blame. Delegation was something an alpha did well.
Hayder didn't even deny his guilt. "I did. But can you blame me? He was pissing and moaning about this precious mane. All I did was offer a solution, and he took offense."
"I assume we're talking about the missing chunk of hair on our esteemed leader's head?" Leo shook his neatly trimmed dark crown. "I keep telling you that vanity is your weakness."
"And chocolate chip ice cream is yours. We all have our vices," Arik grumbled as he heaved himself off the floor and into his leather-padded seat-with built-in heating pad and massager because a man in his position did enjoy his luxuries.
"My vice is beautiful women," Hayder announced with a grin, adopting a lounging pose on the floor. Felines were king when it came to acting as if embarrassing positions weren't accidental at all.
"Don't talk to me about women right now. I'm still angry at the one who did this."
"I think I'm missing a key point," Leo stated.
It didn't take long to bring Leo up to speed. To his credit, the pride omega didn't laugh-long. "What are you planning to do?" Leo asked in a deep rumble.
"Do?" Good question. Arik couldn't beat the hairdresser. She was, after all, a girl. He couldn't eat her-she'd enjoy it too much-and he doubted he could get her to eat him-even if he would enjoy it very much. But, on the topic of eating, he could make her swallow her words … Wouldn't that be an awesome revenge?
"Uh-oh. Judging by the smile on his face, he just came up with a devious plan," Hayder announced. "Count me in if you need help."
Indeed, Arik had devised a perfect plan for revenge. In the game of cat and mouse, he was about to even the score.
Chapter Four
"Good morning, mouse."
The husky words just about had her wetting her pants. Leaving the key in the barbershop lock, Kira whirled around, so fast her coffee cup sloshed. Hot liquid splashed over her hand, and she yelped.
"Ouch!" She used the excuse of her burn to keep her attention focused on her hand instead of her unexpected visitor. A very tall visitor who'd obviously lain in wait for her.
Not good. Especially since, at this early hour, the sidewalks were still pretty bare.
Masculine fingers plucked the cup from her hand and tossed it at a nearby garbage bin. Before she could react, her injured appendage was raised, and he pressed his lips against her burning skin.
At the touch, her hand wasn't the only thing heating up.
Oh my god. She wanted to blame fear at the way her heartrate sped up, and for the slight tremor of her limbs, but she was old enough and experienced enough to recognize attraction.
"What are you doing?"
"Kissing it better." Except, he didn't stop at a simple kiss.
Kira tossed Arik a startled glance as he let the tip of his tongue lap at her coffee-burned skin, the touch raspier than expected. Nice. Too nice. She couldn't help but imagine that frictioning stroke against a more sensitive part of her body.
What the hell is wrong with me? Sanity reasserted itself, and she yanked her hand free.
"I don't need you making it better, especially since you're the reason I burned myself in the first place."
"Did I startle you, mouse?"
Her expression clearly said, duh, what do you think. He didn't seem repentant at all, judging by the smile curving his lips.
Ack. Look away. He was much too cute when he did that-and distracting. She tried to veer things back onto a less alluring footing. "What are you doing here?" As she asked, she cast a glance around for eye witnesses, anyone who might come to her aid should he decide to murder her for her faux pas of the day before.
Then again, perhaps she overreacted. He didn't seem angry today. On the contrary, his eyes smoldered with something, but if she wasn't mistaken, it was more like flirtation than ire.
Given his extreme reaction, and her recollection of his arrogance, she didn't trust it.
"It occurred to me after our little mishap yesterday that perhaps I might have come off too strong."
"You mean you behaved like an ass." She deliberately insulted him, more to regain her sense of equilibrium than anything.
"I admit some of my words might have been ill chosen. I apologize for that."
He did what? She could feel her eyes widen at his unexpected apology. "Um, thanks. I guess I should probably say sorry for massacring your hair."
He couldn't quite hide his wince at the reminder, and it was then that she took note of the fedora he wore. It matched the dove gray of his tailored suit, but still … She bit her lip lest she snicker. While a nice looking hat, it just didn't suit him.