“So was Adele,” Mila pointed out. “She has just as much of a right to be here as I do.”

“Bah,” scoffed Valentina. “She is too weak to be pallas cat. Sweet. Delicate. Needy. Eager to please. Your kind are fierce and strong. She is like lost puppy.”

In some ways, yeah, she was. Mila’s cat thought of the other female as weak too. But. “She’s Joel’s choice.”

“Then he is stupid and does not deserve my girl.” Eyes shiny, Valentina turned away and shut a drawer so hard the cutlery rattled.

As her mother worked to close the crooked drawer that seemed determined to remain open, Mila said, “Watch that drawer, Mom. It’s stuck and—” But it shut easily for her mother, as if it didn’t dare risk her wrath.

“Mila, your client’s here!” Archie, the senior barber and manager, yelled from the shop floor.

Standing, Mila straightened her shirt, relieved to escape the break room and the conversation. “I have to go now. My break’s over, and it’s Archie’s turn to take his.”

“We are not done, Mila. You will come have dinner with me and your father tonight so that we can talk more,” Valentina declared. “I will make Chocolate Spartak Cake.”

Mila’s mouth curved slightly. “I’ll be there.”

With a gentle smile, James squeezed Mila’s hand. “See you later, sweetheart. Love you.”

“Love ya too.” Walking out of the break room and into the barbershop, she gave her parents one last wave as they left.

Archie stood at the counter operating the antique brass cash register as his freshly groomed client chatted away to him. The other barber, Evander—who was Archie’s son—was getting shaving products together while his client relaxed in a chair with a steaming cloth over his face.

The individual stations each featured a padded swivel chair, a large framed mirror, and a small shelf on which lay combs, shears, scissors, and other tools. Additional glass shelves were stacked with shaving creams, rolled-up towels, gels, waxes, and other products. Framed vintage photos of old barbershops hung on the brick walls, along with a “Don’t worry, it’ll grow back eventually” sign. At the center of the back wall, just above the door that led to the break room, was a black decal of the business logo.

Mila crossed to her station and caught the eye of the male in the waiting area. He was sitting on the black leather couch with a little boy on his lap. The bobcat shifter, Dean, and his nephew, Finley, were fairly new clients of hers. “Hi,” she greeted simply.

Dean stood with a smile. “Hey,” he said. “Finley needs another trim, as you can see.”

Mila looked at the little boy. “Ready?”

As usual, Finley wrapped his arms around Dean’s leg. The kid never liked getting his hair cut.

“I saved some strawberry lollipops for you,” said Mila. Finley’s head snapped up, eyes wide with interest, and she smiled.

CHAPTER THREE

Standing outside the barbershop, Dominic watched through the large glass window as Mila settled a little boy at her station. Thanks to Harley, he’d learned where the pallas cat worked. He’d planned to give it a few days before paying her a surprise visit, but the conversation he’d had earlier with Emmet Pierson had pissed him off. Not just because Rosemary had told so many lies or because her father refused to consider that he was wrong, but because Dominic prided himself on being good at reading people. He hadn’t seen that streak of crazy in Rosemary. Or was it cunning? He wasn’t sure.

He couldn’t quite shake off the anger. He needed a distraction. Needed to let all that shit just fall away. And he had the feeling that a little banter with this particular feline might just lift his mood.

He recognized the other two barbers as members of her pride. Both Archie and Evander had been present not only at the battle on Mercury Pack territory but also at Madisyn and Bracken’s mating ceremony. The two male pallas cats had briefly mentioned the barbershop to him, but they hadn’t spoken of Mila.

Dominic pushed open the front door and stepped inside. The oak flooring creaked slightly beneath his feet. With the subtle scents of citrus, leather, and spice, the place smelled clean and masculine.

When Mila met his gaze and he felt her attention settle over him, a savage sexual need twisted his stomach. It was all he could do not to close the distance between them and indulge in a thorough taste of her. His wolf perked up, intrigued by this feline.

Evander looked up from where he was shaving a client and tipped his chin at Dominic. “Hey, Lothario. How are things?”

Mouth twitching, Dominic said, “Good. Very, very good.” Planting his feet, he smiled at Mila. “Hello again.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Something I can do for you?”

Shit, that smoky voice was like a ghostly finger trailing down his cock. “Sorry to bug you, Mila—I’m lost. Can you give me directions to your place?”

She rolled her eyes while the others chuckled.

Dominic took a step toward her. “I was driving past here, and it occurred to me that it’s been a while since I had a haircut. Imagine my surprise when I saw that you work here.”

“Surprise,” she echoed, her voice heavy with skepticism. “Right.”

“So can you fit me in? I just need a trim.”

Her eyes flicked to the waiting area. “Sure. Take a seat.”

Well, that surprised him. He’d expected her to claim to be too busy or to send him to either Evander or Archie. Apparently, Mila was made of sterner stuff.

Sinking into the leather sofa, Dominic plucked a newspaper off the table. He didn’t read it, though. Didn’t even look at it. His attention was on Mila as she talked with the boy in her chair while she worked. Those slender, capable hands were deft yet precise. She moved with efficiency and confidence, and he could tell that she’d been doing this job for some time. He could just imagine those hands touching him, stroking him, and wrapping around his cock.

While not bubbly or animated, she radiated positive energy. The flow of it was subtle yet constant, and it made her exude a sense of calm that put people at ease—just as it did the boy in her chair. Even with that air of mystery she carried, there was just something very steady about her, especially with that touch of unflappable cool—like a jungle animal that knew it had no natural predators.

He noticed that the male with the little kid watched her just as closely, but there was no lust in his eyes. No fascination or curiosity. But there was a glint of . . . something. Nothing sexual, though, which meant Dominic didn’t have to warn him off or—

The boy’s toy car fell to the hardwood floor. As Mila gracefully bent to pick it up, Dominic’s cock jerked at the sight of her heart-shaped ass encased in those flattering black pants. And when she stood upright, flicking that riot of curls out of her face, he damn near crossed to her and sank his hands into them.

Mila figured she should have known better than to think he’d back off. Guys like GQ didn’t take rejection well, did they? Still, she’d never have expected him to seek her out. Try his luck again at the club maybe, but not turn up here.

She didn’t like that he’d come. And yet she did. While she didn’t have time for the kind of games that such guys liked to play, it nonetheless felt good to have a diversion from the other shit going on in her life. And he was a very pretty diversion.