03 - You Only Live Nine Times by E A Price Read Free Book Online Page A

tiger – had wandered into a meter maids’ convention.
    Isis gazed around the room, and there was a collective intake of breath as every guy in the room sucked in their guts.  Her lips quivered as she held back a smirk.  “Raf,” she cooed as she held out a hand for him.  “Pleasant night?”
    He stood up and eagerly grasped her hand, surprised at both the strength of her grip and the warmth of her skin.  Not to mention the thrill he got out of touching her.  Ugh, he was starting to sound like a pervert.   There was a thin line between jerking off thinking of a hot woman, and hanging around her trying to get a sniff of her hair or a touch of her skin.  Or god forbid, a pair of her panties .  He’d never actually been dirty enough to masturbate with a woman’s panties, but if any woman could push him over the edge…
    He cleared his throat.  “Isis, nice to see you again.  It was great, if you enjoy spending your night arguing with eighty-two-year-old mole shifters.”
    Her eyes twinkled.  “That seems like an odd hobby to have, but then I used to date someone who collected stamps, so what do I know?”
    He grinned, ignoring the interested looks from everyone around him.  However, he didn’t like all the attention she was garnering.  He could understand it, but he didn’t like the sleazy eyes of his colleagues dirtying up his tigress.  Hey, he saw her first, and unlike some of the men in that room he could actually be a gentleman… when the occasion called for it.  He wasn’t naïve enough to think that a creature like her would be interested in a human, but he could dream while making sure other perverts stayed the crap away from her.
    Isis stared at Ethan, pointedly.  He gaped at her in return, unsure how to react.  After a few moments, she rolled her eyes.  “Go away,” she said boldly.  Stunned into silence, Ethan actually did.  Raf was a little stunned himself – too stunned to even let loose the guffaw at the look on Ethan’s face.  The bossiest, most argumentative detective in the precinct had just been stumped by two little words from a woman.  Admittedly a woman who could turn into a man-eating tiger, but… he really had no point to make there.  She oozed devilish predator on every level, and a part of him wouldn’t mind being her prey.  Not one bit .
    Isis perched her pert rear end on his desk as he sank down into his chair.  “I’d tell you that I’m not usually this rude, but I don’t like to lie so early on in a relationship.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, usually I prefer to give it a week or two and then start weaving an intricate web of lies that is un-unravelable.”
    “Un-unravelable?”
    “Un-unravelable.”  She gave him a preening smile before noticing that everyone was still staring at them.  “Shouldn’t you be working?” she barked, allowing a throaty growl into her voice.  Everyone jumped and with matching red cheeks looked everywhere but at Raf and Isis.  Idly, she picked up a letter opener and toyed with it.  “So, any further along with the case?”
    Raf tapped his watch.  “It’s only 9.15.”
    “Ummm hmmm, shall I just take the case files and go now?  Or would you like to indulge in some more small talk?”  Isis grinned, showcasing an alarming amount of teeth.  Yep, he had no trouble believing that she could sink those chompers into a zebra.  Damn, why did that turn him on?
    He leaned back in his seat, artfully crossing his legs to make sure his erection wasn’t too prominent.  “I wouldn’t be too hasty if I were you.”
    “Oh?”
    Raf tried not to look too smug, but it was really hard.  Honestly, if Isis hadn’t showed up at the crime scene he probably wouldn’t have fought so hard to keep the case.  Yeah, it always rankled when cases were taken away from him, but he was hardly invested in this one.  And stealing dead bodies?  While both sick and wrong, it was hardly as pressing as murder or assault cases.  However, Isis