Lion In Wait (A Paranormal Alpha Lion Romance) Read Online Free

leave me alone?” Cass asked. “Or are you going to stand there while I get ready to go?”
    The leer on Lyle’s face made her stomach wrench just as much as his unexpected appearance had.
    “Yeah, I’m leavin’. If that lion ain’t back, I’m sending two guys to hunt him. I can’t have some stupid cat getting me sued for lettin’ him go.”
    If her stomach was churning at Lyle existing, the idea that he’d gleefully murder Lex just to save himself some trouble made her wish she really did have that gun she kept telling herself she’d buy. For a moment, the two of them just stared at one another, and then, Cass’s hangover got the best of her.
    “What do you want from me? Making me dance like last night, threatening Lex? What can I do to get you to leave me the fuck alone?”
    Her short, angry, curt question put Lyle aback. Although, a moment later, he cracked a smile. “You want the truth?”
    Cass just stared at him, cold-eyed and wishing she could sleep for another four hours or so.
    “It isn’t what I want from you,” he cracked a greasy, moist-lipped smile. “It’s that I want you .”
    With that, Lyle wiped at his face again, turned on his heel, and shambled down the steps. He froze again, as though something just occurred to him. “You got one more chance to keep that lion under control, kid, and this is only because I like you. I can’t have the show getting the reputation of letting animals escape and terrorize the population. So you got one shot. Next time? I get the lion, and you’re gonna go back to being my full time dancer. Get it? Only way you’re gonna change my mind after that... well...”
    His disgusting demand was very clear. Her stomach turned, but she didn’t make a move one way or another. Silence seemed like the best option just then.
    “Don’t disappoint me,” Lyle grumbled, with his back still facing Cass. “Or do. I win either way.”
    Chewing her lip, Cass watched her lumpy, toady, wretched boss-cum-master shuffle off down the dirt path to another trailer, where he banged on the door and leaned his forehead on the doorjamb while he waited.
    She folded her arms across her chest as a dust devil kicked up, swirled for a moment and disappeared into memory. This wasn’t the first time Lyle had made threats like that one. Not anywhere near. Every time though, they never came to much more than just some passive aggressive whining and a few harsh words.
    Of course, the sweaty old letch hadn’t ever come right out and almost licked Cass, either, so maybe things around the old Bertram & Martin show were changing. Maybe the desperation, the chronic almost-going-broke, and the string of workers who just up and ran instead of sticking around—even in the wretched deserts they worked—were getting to him.
    Maybe he’s starting to go crazy. All this time out here in the dirt and the sand and the loneliness sure as shit would have broken me if it weren’t for Lex. Maybe that’s what’s going on.
    On the other hand, Cass was well aware that she may have just been telling herself that so she could avoid the horrible possibility that Lyle had been serious with his lecherous request. It’s one thing to avoid leers and gropes from a bunch of drunk carnies, but it’s something completely different to try to avoid those things from a guy with a key to your house. Hell, he’s the guy who owns the house.
    She turned back into her trailer, running her hand through her mussed up, early-morning-tragic hair and stopped. Dead silent, full stop.
    “Lex?”
    He greeted her with a slow purr that would have been a southern drawl if he were speaking. Cass squinted her eyes, rubbed them with her balled up fists, and expected him to be gone when she opened them again.
    Instead, the huge golden lion let out that noise she could only describe as chuckling. “Where the hell did you go? And how,” she shook her head, “actually you know what? It doesn’t even matter. I’m just glad you’re