“Holy shit, you found Shania.” Stacey sauntered close, and JF noticed how the woman shrank toward him, tucking into his frame for protection.

It caused Stacey to growl.

Interesting, did she see Shania as a threat? The woman looked rather unimposing he felt. She couldn’t shift. She was slim, but not in any great physical shape. What did Stacey see that he didn’t?

“I didn’t exactly find her,” Francois stated. “She just came wandering around the side of the building.” Took him by surprise, given he was still kind of muddled on what had happened that afternoon.

I lost hours. From a supposed fall. Except that didn’t seem right.

What happened? Last thing he remembered were eyes alit with malevolence racing at him from the jungle then weaving on the bench of the truck. Jan holding him against the cab so he didn’t fall over.

The fuzzy spot in his mind meant he wasn’t thinking clearly when Shania stepped into view.

“Where have you been?” Stacey asked, a hand on her hip and sounding quite demanding.

Yet it drew results.

Shania straightened. “What do you mean where? I’ve been on the resort.”

“No you haven’t. People have been looking for you.”

“I was in the woods. Going for a walk.” Shania tossed her head, her confidence returning fast.

“Pretty long freaking walk,” Stacey stated.

“Why do people care if I went for a stroll? And how did anyone even miss me? I don’t usually come out of my room until midafternoon.”

JF noted the confusion and jumped in. “Ms. Korgunsen, do you realize you’ve been considered missing for more than three days?”

“No way. Stop screwing with me. So what if I went out last night and met a guy in the woods. I’ve hardly been gone days.”

“Don’t tell me you’re believing the amnesia shtick,” interjected Stacey with a snort. “She knows where she was. Don’t even kid yourself. Look at her.”

He did, noting the things that had bothered him but only now truly registered. Shania looked entirely too fresh and healthy. She’d obviously not wandered around in the jungle for days, or been kidnapped and abused by some psycho.

“So you admit to meeting a guy? Who was it? Someone on the resort?” Stacey hammered.

“I—” Shania’s forehead knit into a frown. “I’m not sure of anything right now. My head is so fuzzy. The last thing I recall was running through the woods, enacting some fantasy the guy I was meeting had. But then there was a lion. Except he wasn’t a lion.”

“Was he a shifter?”

“You know about those?” Shania’s eyes widened.

Given the woman was nose blind, he couldn’t exactly condemn the fact that she didn’t recognize what they were. He took on the role of good cop. Let Stacey do the bad cop. It was kind of hot when she got commanding.

Her jealousy was also cute, which was why he poked it. He put an arm around Shania. “You’re safe talking with us. We know you’re a dormant shifter. So you can tell us anything.”

Stacey’s eyes narrowed. “Was the person who took you a shifter?”

A roll of Shania’s shoulders joined her admission. “He said he was a lion, but I can’t really recognize someone by their scent.”

“And scent may no longer apply,” he muttered under his breath. Something about Shania’s scent, more like the lack of one, bothered him. Shania smelled of soap and regular body odor. Nothing else.

No one else.

How did that happen if she’d spent a few days with him?

“Who was the man you were meeting?” Stacey asked.

“I shouldn’t say. He works for the resort, and I don’t want him getting in trouble.”

“Even though he might have done something to you?” Stacey’s voice pitched. “What the hell is wrong with you? We just finished telling you that you were missing for three days. Three fucking days.” Stacey held up her fingers. “And you’re worried about him getting fired? What part of he needs to be fired and arrested if he kidnapped you do you not get?”

“I wasn’t kidnapped.”

“Then say it,” Stacey insisted. “Say, I was spending three days in bed with…” Stacey rolled a hand at Shania, encouraging her to say it.

Shania shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I want to talk to you. ” She put a hand to her head. “Everything is so cloudy.”

“Ms. Korgunsen.” Jan shouted her name sharply as she came marching down the cultured path. “Thank goodness you’re back.” Someone had obviously been watching the security cameras scattered around the resort to have remarked it so quickly. “We were ever so worried about you.”

“I think I’m going to gag if she gets any sweeter,” Stacey murmured.

“Have I really been gone for days?” Shania asked. “I can’t remember anything.”

“Someone had too much fun,” teased Jan, wrapping an arm around Shania. “Why don’t we go and get you something to eat. Maybe a bit of food and drink will help you recall your adventure.”

“She needs to see a doctor,” Stacey stated.

“We’ll have her checked out. Never fear. Our resort doctor is the best.”

“Maybe I should come along. For moral support,” Stacey offered.

Francois almost snickered as Stacey poured on the fake sincerity.

“You want to show support for a woman you barely know?” Jan blinked at Stacey, who smiled.

“All women should stand together in times of need.” Folding her hands over her belly, Stacey attempted to appear benign.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure we take good care of Shania and figure out what happened. Those pesky jungle bugs can do all kinds of things to a body.” Spoken with a giggle as Jan led Shania off.

“Jungle bug my ass,” Stacey muttered as she took a few steps to follow.

JF grabbed her by the arm to halt her. “Where are you going?”

“After them.” She tugged at his grip. “I have more questions.”

“They’re not going to let you in there to speak with Shania. You’re a guest, remember?” he muttered.

“Maybe it’s time I tell them I’m here under Arik’s authority.”

“You’ll blow our cover.” As if she’d not already done that on the patio. Either people would clue in or really wonder at their relationship.

“If I don’t go, then how else do you suggest I question Shania?”

“Forget her for now. Question her later when she’s released. I have a better plan.”

“And you want me included in on it?” She sounded so surprised.

“I need you—”

Say it. Say you can’t stop thinking of her. If you don’t sink balls deep inside, your balls will probably fall off.

Instead, he ignored his more passionate beast to say, “—to come with me and visit that volcano. Tonight.”

She didn’t exclaim in excitement. Rather her nose wrinkled. “Why would we go mucking around a dead volcano at night when we have a comfortable bed here?”

Oh, the things that made him imagine…

“You’d take sleeping in a bed over adventure? Who are you, and what did you do with my crazy princess?” Wasn’t she the one craving adventure all the time?

“It’s because I am a princess that I’m suggesting we get naked in a bed instead of tromping around in a jungle at night. Do you have any idea how many insects there are out there?”

“I’ll offer up my body instead to them.”

“Is this your way of saying you’re sweeter tasting than me?”

“I doubt anything tastes sweeter than you.” The words escaped him, and he wished someone would punch him.

What the fuck was that garbage I just driveled?

The truth.

“You say something panty wetting like that and you wonder why I think we should hit the bed.”

“I can’t believe you’d ditch our mission for sex.” Then again, he kind of felt the same way. He wanted to ditch a whole bunch of other stuff, like responsibility and his pants.

“Not just any sex. Good sex. And what mission are you talking about?”

Did she really already forget? “The one that just walked off.”

“You mean the woman who probably spent the last few days giving her lungs and pussy a workout?”

“You’re assuming she went on a tryst. She doesn’t remember anything.”

“So she claims. Or maybe she doesn’t want to say.”

“I don’t think she’s lying,” he said as he led the way upstairs to their rooms.

“Neither do I, but anything else makes no sense. Explain how Shania can disappear for days and return not recalling anything, except a vague recollection of running through the woods.”

“I can’t.”

“Because it’s impossible unless she was taken by aliens.” She whirled around, her eyes wide.

“Don’t even say it,” he cautioned.

“But—”

He held up his finger to shush her. “Aliens did not kidnap her.”

She deflated. “Spoilsport. It would have been a cool explanation.”

“I’d rather a correct explanation. Maybe Shania will get a medical examination and they’ll find something.”

“Like what? From what I saw, the woman bore no signs of bruising or scratches. No evidence of malnutrition. She’s returned, it seems, in the same condition she left but with no memories.”

“Could be a drug.” Perhaps the same one that caused him to forget a swath of time that afternoon.

“A drug to make her forget fabulous nookie? Now you’re talking crazy, sweetcheeks.”

“Maybe the sex wasn’t memorable,” he noted.

“Which obviously rules you out as a suspect.” She winked at him. “I doubt there’s any forgetting you.”

“Why would you even think of me as a suspect? I arrived at this island with you.”

“Or did you come here vacationing, a few days at a time, kidnap women for wild sex, then ditch them with no memories, saving them from the trauma of never riding your big dick again?”

“You look like a lady.” He eyed her up and down, the silken wrap tied sarong style around her body. Her bare shoulders elegant and inviting. “Sometimes even talk like a lady. And then you say the most filthy things.”

“Only filthy because of how I look. I bet there’s some of my biatches that you wouldn’t even bat an eye at if they said it.”

“Are you suggesting I spend time with another woman to see if your theory is true?” He baited her jealous side.

She reacted by straightening. Her gaze narrowed. “I see what you’re doing, sweetcheeks. Trying to get me off track. But here’s the thing. A lioness can always multitask. Say like Luna, a few years ago, was in a drinking contest in some bar down in Texas and some dude tried to grab her boob as she was doing shots. She broke his hand and still managed to win that bet. I lost a precious pair of cowboy boots that day, but I learned a lesson.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but he asked, “What lesson?”

“Don’t get in a drinking match with Luna.”

Arriving at her door, as she held her arm up to let them in, he made sure to slide in front of her to enter first.

“If they wanted me, they would have struck this afternoon while you gone,” she noted, shoving past him into the room. “And I highly doubt whoever took and released Shania would grab someone else so soon.”

“Was that logic I heard, princess?”

She smirked at him. “I’m not all just good looks, sweetcheeks.”

“So use those smarts and tell me what you think happened to Shania.”

“I’d say this is a case of Occam’s Razor.”

“And what do you think the most plausible explanation is?”

“I say she’s lying. For all we know, she spent a couple of days with a married man who doesn’t want his wife to know.”

“Is this speculation based on any sort of fact?” He snapped his fingers. “Did you perhaps crack her phone?”

“What phone?”

“The one you filched from her room.”

“Yeah, about that.” Stacey stepped out of her sandals as she paused. “That phone was kind of stolen from my room the first night we went to dinner.”

His face hardened. “What do you mean it’s gone? Someone entered your room and stole something and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“Telling you means I would have gotten a lecture. And it wasn’t as if I could tell management that the phone I borrowed was stolen.”

He crossed his arms, scowled, but managed to not tap his foot. “These are things I need to know, princess.”

“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”

He glared.

It did not make her repent at all.

Stacey slid off her robe and hit the bathroom to run the shower. He would have left, but she kept talking to him.

“We need to talk about Shania and the married guy who drugged her for sex,” she shouted, having left the door open.

“Again, you don’t know for sure what happened to her.”

She popped back out, her body exposed in her tiny bikini. “I gave you a very plausible theory. What’s yours? I can tell you what she wasn’t. She wasn’t sold to the black market. ” Stacey ticked off fingers. “Wasn’t beaten or abused. No body parts appeared missing. Why kidnap her at all?”

“That’s what we need to find out, and I think we’ll find those answers at the volcano.” Find out what happened to him during his blackout.

“What makes you think a volcano has any kind of answers? Did you find something?” The adventurer in her perked up “Ancient temple? Graveyard of bones?”

“Gum wrapper.”

She blinked. “Are you trying to tell me that, on the basis of some litter, you want to go trekking around in the dark? Did something bite you in the woods today?”

For some reason, his hand went to his neck. “They breed them big out here.”

“Exactly, and yet you want to send my succulent body into their lair when the mosquitoes are most active.” She shook her head. “You do realize the bar is serving fish-bowl-sized margaritas tonight. I could use a few, especially since you”—pointed stare—“refuse to give me any.”

He wanted to give it to her all too much. That was the real problem.

He veered his mind away from that dangerous corner. “There was more than just the wrapper out there. Something is going on around that volcano. You should have smelled it.”

“How could you smell anything over Jan’s perfume?”

A good point given Jan’s aroma irritated the membrane in his nose and chafed on his last nerve.

“This isn’t about Jan. Ignore her.”

“Why should I since you didn’t?”

“Are you seriously going to have a jealous fit now?” Because it was totally sexy when she did it.

He shouldn’t like it. Seriously. The last thing he needed was a jealous lioness fucking shit up.

But when Stacey did it…

“This is not jealousy.” Her lower lip pouted.

It totally was.

For some reason, it made him admit, “I have no interest in Jan.”

“Yet you come back smelling of her. The stench of it is offensive.” She sniffed and tossed her head, sending her hair rippling.

“Would you stop whining if I said I’d rather wear your scent?”

The words took a moment to filter. When they did, she smiled. Sunshine of fucking epic proportions emerged that slayed him where he stood.

“Actually, I would feel better if you wore my scent. Thanks for offering.” Then she launched herself at him.

More than instinct, but a need to hold her meant he caught her, held her with ease.

“Are you seriously doing that?” he asked as she rubbed her cheek against his.

“I am. You said I could mark you with my scent. So shut up for a second while I finish.”

“This is why I don’t get involved with cats or other pets,” he growled.

“Admit it, you are totally dying to stroke me and make me purr.”

“Lions don’t purr.”

“Are you sure about that? Maybe you should give it a try.”

He wanted to. “We don’t have time for this, princess.”

With a sigh, she unwound herself from him, and the smug smile announced how happy she was that she’d won again.

He wore her scent. At her sudden frown, he made the mistake of asking, “What’s wrong?”

“It occurs to me that you’ve not stripped us both naked and rubbed your essence all over me.”

“If a woman is mine, she doesn’t need my smell to know.” He turned from her and headed for the partition leading to his room.

“Must we go to the volcano tonight?”

“Yes. Because the gum wrapper and smell thing aren’t the only things wonky about that place. I lost time.” He admitted it to her, knowing it would distract her from the heat sizzling between them.

Except she misunderstood. “Yeah, you lost time going on that stupid trip. Instead of hanging around here helping me find out who might know something about Shania’s disappearance.”

“No, I mean I lost time, as in one minute I was facing down a charging boar—”

“Did you bring some back to share? Wild game is the best.”

“No, because I passed out.”

She blinked. “Excuse me. Did you say passed out? Was it that big and scary?”

“No. I passed out because something bit me.”

“I knew those jungle bugs were vicious.”

“I don’t think it was a bug. Something got me here.” He pointed to his neck. “And here.” He pointed to his ass.

She leaned closer to take a look at the skin. “I don’t see anything on your neck. Drop your pants and bend over so I can peek at your butt.”

Brazen command that he would not obey. “There’s nothing to see. Anything that pricked me would have healed by now.”

“What was it do you think? Spider? Mosquito? Alien sporting a needle-like appendage?”

“Dart.”

“Hold on a second. You think someone darted you? And you passed out?” She sounded incredulous.

“Yeah. I’m not too impressed either. It must have been something new on the market because I’m usually more resistant to shit.”

She shook her head. “Is this how you’re going to excuse whatever you did with Jan this afternoon? Adopt Shania’s lame story and use it as your cover instead of telling me the truth?”

Exactly how had her mind veered back to Jan? “This is the truth.”

“According to you. Why should I believe a word you say?”

“Why would I lie?”

“I don’t know. You seem to think I might be yanking your chain because some chick a long time ago screwed you over.”

“She tried to kill me.”

“Cry me a river. Do you know how many people have tried to kill me? It’s not easy being this beautiful.” She flicked her hair.

His lip twitched. “I see what you’re doing.” He did. She was trying to prove that they could only take each other at face value.

“What? Showing you what a moron you are? Gee, that wasn’t too hard. The fact is, sweetcheeks, you got a bum rap from a crazy broad. I can see you might be gun-shy, but at one point, you know, I know you know, that not all of us, hell, not even most of us, are psychopathic killers.”

“I don’t know. I’ve met the pride ladies, and more than a few are a few crayons short of a full box.”

“It’s part of our charm, but it doesn’t make us untrustworthy. You gotta let go of your fear.”

“I am not scared.” He couldn’t help but straighten with pique.

“Aren’t you?” She took a step closer. His body quivered, slightly leaning back. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“What if I’m concerned about the hurt going the other way?” Stacey was a force of nature. Get too close and he risked getting swept away.

“You think you could hurt me?” She laughed. “That’s cute, sweetcheeks.”

“You don’t understand what lurks within me. The monster I hide.” The beast that pulsed and begged for another taste.

“You’re no more a monster than I am. You should see me when I’m PMS-ing and someone eats my last piece of chocolate.”

He gave her a stern stare.

Clearly she had been the recipient of many a stern stare in her life, as it had no effect.

“This is not a joking matter,” he grumbled.

“You are much too serious. Lighten up. Not everything is doom and gloom.”

“You’re impossible to talk to. And we’ve gotten way off track. Are you in or out with the volcano?” In or out. In or out. Fuck, he wanted in and out.

“Totally in, if you promise to squish any bugs we come across.”

“I’ll kill them.” Anything that threatened her. “And what will you do for me?”

“Look pretty while you do it?” She grinned.

JF shook his head and sighed. “I’m a fucking moron for even contemplating bringing you along.”

“Why are you? Why didn’t you just go without telling me?” She cocked her head, waiting for a reply.

“Because you might come across as a flake, but I know you’re good in a fight.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I’ve seen the lionesses in battle.”

“I’m better than them,” she confided. “Just so you know.”

Much better or he would have never taken notice of her. “We’ll have to wait until nightfall so we’re harder to see.”

“Oh dear, whatever shall we do in the meantime?” She fluttered her lashes.

He knew that look.

Wanted to explore it. Being stupidly stubborn, he turned away, saying, “I’ll collect us some things we might need and order in some room service.”

He wasn’t expecting the shoe she whipped at his head. He froze but didn’t turn around, so she tossed her other sandal and hit him in the ass.

That got his attention.

Whipping around, he didn’t say a word, just strode back to her, grabbing her by the upper arms and snapping, “Why must you keep antagonizing me?”

“Because.”

“Because is not an answer,” he roared. “Why must you vex me?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“Maybe for you. But you’re driving me insane.” He huffed, every inch of him taut with tension.

The beast inside pulsed.

Take her. Claim her.

He fought back against the beast.

She poked it.