Leopard 05 - Savage Nature

wait for him. She took his mouth, her lips brushing gently across his, her tongue teasing the seam of his so that he opened his mouth immediately to her. The world dropped away. The anger. The tension. There was only the pouring of love from her mouth to his. He took her passion—her unspoken commitment to him—straight to his heart and locked it up tight.
    “Saria! How very unseemly of you.” The female voice hissed with displeasure.
    Saria didn’t startle or pull away from him. She finished kissing him as though no one had interrupted them, her mouth loving his. When she lifted her head, she looked only at him—straight into his eyes. “Better?”
    “Much. Thank you.” He took her hand and kissed her knuckles before turning to face the woman who had spoken.
    Drake thought he was beyond all shock. He had traveled the world and seen a lot of sights, but Iris Lafont-Mercier was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever laid eyes on. It was the last thing he expected. She looked young enough to be Charisse’s sister. He knew leopard women often aged gracefully and even if Charisse was in her early twenties, Iris had to be fifty or more. Her skin was perfection, without a single wrinkle. Her hair was a thick mass of spun gold and if there was gray, it looked like threads of silver among the gold. She had a beautiful figure, looking as if she’d never had a child in her life.
    She was waiting for his reaction. She was used to the admiration of men and counted him as no exception. There was no doubt in his mind that Iris manipulated every single man in her life without mercy. Drake kept his expression absolutely blank, nor did he allow his eyes to flick over her with any interest.
    “You must be Mrs. Mercier,” he said deliberately.
    Saria’s fingers dug into his palm, but he only brought her hand to his chest, pressing it right over his heart in reassurance. Had she trembled? Could Saria be a little afraid of Iris Mercier’s sharp tongue?
    “It’s Iris Lafont -Mercier, actually,” Iris replied in a slightly superior tone. “Pauline is my sister. Our family can be traced back hundreds of years.”
    “Drake Donovan, ma’am,” he said. “Miss Pauline has mentioned you.”
    “I came to see you,” Iris stated firmly. “We can go into the parlor and speak in private.”
    “Saria and I are engaged, Mrs. Mercier . . . Lafont-Mercier. You know as well as I do, leopards don’t have secrets from their mates. Privacy is unnecessary.”
    For a moment those cool blue eyes blazed a deep turquoise, but Iris’s perfectly painted mouth curved into a bright smile. “If you insist. This is lair business and I understand you defeated old Amos.”
    She made it sound as if Amos Jeanmard had been well past his prime and Drake hd taken undue advantage. He pressed Saria’s hand to keep her from defending him.
    “If it is lair business, all the more reason for Saria to be there.”
    Iris’s eyes narrowed. Clearly it hadn’t occurred to her that if Drake married Saria, she would be the alpha female.
    “That’s just preposterous. Saria Boudreaux is little more than a child. She’s certainly not equipped to help you run a lair.” The bite to Iris’s voice was well-practiced and effective.
    Drake tightened his hold on Saria’s hand when he felt her tremble. He bared his teeth at Iris, his look anything but a smile.
    “Fortunately for everyone, Saria is wise beyond her years and knows more about the people and the swamp itself than most in the lair. I am very lucky she is my mate.” He gestured toward the living room where he knew her children and Pauline waited. “We’ll talk in there. My men are tired and need to eat before they retire. I don’t want to disturb them.”
    Iris went ramrod stiff and turned her back to him, sweeping from the room, her hips an enticement in spite of her obvious anger. She used her sexuality without even being aware of it anymore, it came so natural to her.
    Charisse’s beauty seemed to pale in comparison to her mother’s. She looked washed out in the vibrant colors she wore and her hair was pulled back in too severe of a style. Drake hadn’t remembered her that way, but she sat quietly subdued, hands folded in her lap, looking straight ahead. She glanced up at Saria and sent a small smile of welcome, glanced at her mother’s set face and quickly looked down again.
    “Where are you manners, Charisse?” Iris demanded. “Is it too much to ask that you greet the leader of