“Whole countries?” She shrugged. “Well, there’s Korea.”
“North or South?”
“Both.”
Brendon put his spoon down. “Both?”
“Yeah. And then we were banned from Japan, but they lifted that. Peru and Morocco also temporary. Now Belgium did say never to return, but that still doesn’t seem fair. For once it was not our fault. And Germany…well, let’s just say that whole thing about the Autobahn having no speed limit—not entirely accurate.”
The “recommended speed” on portions of the Autobahn was eighty miles an hour. Other than that, most of it was pretty freewheeling. Brendon and his sister, after making several million, had vacationed over there, rented Ferraris, and hit the Autobahn. They raced each other for hours, but locals still passed them.
“And those cops are mean,” she added.
“You got pulled over on the Autobahn?”
Ronnie shrugged again. “Eventually. When they caught us.”
Brendon leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed in front of him. “You’re never driving my car.”
Confused, Ronnie asked, “Why not?” Then her eyes brightened. “What kinda car ya got?”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re not driving it. Ever.”
Brendon had more than one car. His Mercedes got him around the city. But he had a sweet Jag he would never put into the hands of this female. She could take care of his kids but never his car.
She pouted for about two seconds, then she looked panicked and tried to duck down.
“What?” Christ, he hoped it wasn’t some ex-boyfriend. Something told him he’d be meeting a few of those over time. They probably had some “Ronnie Anonymous” association to help them get over the addictive nature of this woman.
“Well hey, y’all.”
Brendon looked up into the face of a She-wolf. She looked familiar. He probably saw her with the Smith Pack.
“You don’t mind if we join you?”
Ronnie sat up straight. “As a matter of fact—”
Too late. She’d pulled out a chair and plunked herself down at their table. Another female stepped up. A human. A human Brendon recognized.
He smiled. “Detective MacDermot.”
“Shaw.” She glanced at Ronnie and shrugged. “I tried to make her keep going, but she insisted.”
“Now, now. Ronnie loves me.” The She-wolf motioned to a chair. “Sit, Dez. Sit.” She placed her elbows on the table, interlaced her fingers, and rested her chin on top of her hands. Big, innocent, brown eyes turned to him, and she smiled. “Now tell us, Brendon Shaw. Are you having a good time with my friend here?”
If Brendon were a lesser man, he would have run for his life.
Ronnie sighed and looked at Dez.
“Sorry,” Dez muttered. “I really did try and stop her.”
“I’m having a great time,” Shaw answered, a warm smile on his face. “The best time I’ve had in a long while.”
Sissy sat up straight and grinned at Ronnie. “Good. Very good.”
Shaw pointed at Sissy’s face. “What happened to your eye?”
Ronnie scratched her nose to stop the smile. “Yeah. Tell him how you got that black eye, Sissy.”
Glaring, “Walked into a door.”
Ronnie glanced over at Dez only to find her staring at what was left of their dessert.
“Want some?”
“It looks really decadent.”
“Cause it is, darlin’. Here.” Ronnie reached over to an empty table beside them and grabbed a spoon. She handed it to Dez and pushed the enormous bowl toward her.
Dez, with an unholy gleam in her eye only other chocolate lovers could truly understand, dug her spoon into the dessert. Halfway to her mouth, she stopped when she realized Shaw was staring at her.
“What?”
Dez wasn’t exactly a subtle gal, but that could explain why they all liked her so much. Before they met her, they figured she’d be more like a cat with Mace being a lion and all. But she was way more doglike.
“I wanted to thank you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “For?”
Shaw gave a small frown. “For saving my life.”
“Oh. That. Yeah. You’re welcome.” She motioned to the bowl in front of her. “Think I can eat now without you staring at me?”
Yup. Subtle.
“Y’all should come out with us tonight,” Sissy offered, ignoring Ronnie’s pointed glare. “We’re meeting the Pack and Mace at a club on the East Side.”
“Forget it,” Ronnie snarled before Shaw could say a word.
“Why? You ashamed of your new boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“I’m not?”
Shocked, Ronnie turned to a pouting Shaw. “What?”
“Oh my God! This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Ignoring Dez’s orgasmic reaction to their dessert, Ronnie leaned forward. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m hurt. I got the marriage license for nothing.”
“The marriage—Have you lost your mind?”
“I already added you to my will. And, of course, our future snaggle-toothed children. All ten of them.”
Sissy laughed so hard she cried, and Dez banged her free hand on the table. “Freakin’ amazing. This chocolate has to be imported.”
Shaw motioned to the waiter for the check. “Why don’t we go back to the hotel and talk about this and start the breeding process immediately. No more pills for you, and the condoms can go too.”
“Not on your damn life, cat!” One gold eyebrow perked up at the slightly hysterical sound to her voice, and Ronnie cleared her throat. “We’re going to the club with the Pack. Remember?”
“Oh?” The pout returned. “I guess. If you really want to.”
Damn tricky cats!
“And ya know, this cake,” Dez continued, completely oblivious, “it’s completely flourless. Amazingly dense. And rich.”
“I guess if you’re insisting.” Shaw grinned, acting like he won something. “We’ll go hang with your Pack.”
“I’ll get you for this.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “Tonight.”
Dez pointed her spoon at the bowl. “The candy…I think it’s imported dark chocolate. I’m betting 72 percent cacao. You do know this is evidence of God?”
Shaw let out a sigh of satisfaction. “You know, Detective, I have to say I’m going to enjoy you being part of the Llewellyn family.”
Chapter Eleven
“He likes you so much,” Sissy enthused, ignoring yet another one of Ronnie’s sighs. “Aren’t I right, Daria? He can’t keep his damn hands off her.”
“Yup,” Daria agreed. “He’s always touchin’ her. Flirtin’ with her. I didn’t know cats could be so friendly.”
“Me either. I think he’s sweet as hell. Don’t be stupid, Rhonda Lee. You gotta keep this one.”
“But he’s a cat,” Marty added. “The Reed boys ain’t gonna like that none.”
“It don’t matter if he’s cat or wolf. Reed boys won’t like any male getting too close to their baby sister. And that’s a fact.”
“Can we talk about this some other time?” Ronnie growled.
“Lord, girl. What are you doin’ in there?”
Yelling through the bathroom stall door while she hovered over a toilet no amount of money or protective sheets of paper would ever allow her to sit on, “I am tryin’ to pee!”
“Well hurry up. We need to analyze this.”
“I don’t want to analyze anything. And move away from the goddamn door.”
They did, allowing Ronnie to finally pee in peace. Once done, she stormed out of the stall and over to the sinks. She washed her hands and Sissy sat on the counter.