Page 23 of Taken by Moonlight

7

After the stagehand led me backstage, into the largest Champagne Room, my nervousness returned. The stage hand fished through a closet and handed me a white satin robe. Then he left, closing the door behindhim.

Soft lighting from lamps set about the room showed what looked like abedroom.

I’d been back here a couple of times to check the residual psi energy before clients used the rooms for sex. Shifters are sensitive and if there’s been rough sex in a room with a willing partner, sometimes it triggered a shifter’s wildside.

I’d never been in this lavishsuite.

A king-sized bed covered in red satin dominated the room. Soft ecru and red accented the walls, and the Cherrywood bureau and dresser were bare. A built in bar with a mirrored wall sat off in the corner, glass shelves lined with wine and liquor. Crystal glasses hung overhead, sparkling in the quartz lights accenting the bararea.

It looked like a bedroom, not a suite forsex.

Until I looked up and saw my own reflection. Mirroredceiling.

Trying to contain my nervousness, I opened an adjacent door. Bathroom. Shower large enough for two, or three, with double shower heads. Lined in marble, the fixtures gold. I felt as if I’d walked into some billionaire’s partymansion.

Maybe I should help myself to another drink. Then again, was I allowed? I had been purchased by Dante for the night. What if he didn’t want me drinking and one drink made him demand arefund?

What if I turned out to be colder than the stainless steel mini fridge by the wetbar?

Which reminded me…the lube the good doctor had givenme.

Fumbling in the robe’s pocket, I realized it wasn’t there. Oh dear. It was in the pocket of the robe Rodney the bear shifter had ripped off me. I imagined it lying on stage, lights glinting off the sleek blacktube.

I buried my face into my hands. What if I was too nervous and scared for Dante to arouse me? Would he beangry?

Somehow I didn’t think so. Dante was a powerful alpha, tough and commanding, but he’d never beeninconsiderate.

No, that was left up to the horny bear shifter who wanted to see my barebreasts.

The door opened and Alex walked in. I belted the robe tighter around mywaist.

“Hi.” I gave a lame wave. “Here to keep me company while Dante pays thebill?”

Gabriel came on his heels, closed the door. “We’re here to make sure you’re okay, hon. That was a close call with that goddamnedbear.”

Concern clouded Alex’s dark gaze behind his glasses. He cupped my shoulders and stared into. “Are you certain you’re all right,Peyton?”

He was so sweet. I gave a nervous laugh. “Fine. You don’t need to worry about me. Teflon Peytonhere.”

He brushed a lock of hair away from my face. “Those bears have claws that rip and shred. When bears get excited, they can unintentionally hurt theirpartners.”

“Or intentionally.” Gabriel paced, looking more agitated than I’d ever seen him. “We need to check and make sure Rodney didn’t hurtyou.”

“May we?” Alexasked.

At my nod, Alex slipped the robe off my shoulders. Gabriel walked behind me, lifting my hair, running his fingers over the bare skin of myneck.

Alex’s hands gently caressed my face and then he touched myneck.

“Bears can leave marks. Sometimes it’s intentional. They mark women they intend to claim later in bed,” hemurmured.

Behind me Gabriel snorted. “And they mark prey they intend to laterkill.”

A shiver raced down my spine. “I’ll skip both, thank you verymuch.”

Gabriel’s big hands skimmed down my upper back and I heard him mutter under hisbreath.