Panther's Cage

TYLER

“Miss Toronto yet, little brother?” Jason yelled above the noise at the bar.

“Nah. New York has been great so far. We’ll see how I feel in a couple months.”

I slapped him on the back, then turned my attention to my best friend. “Why this bar?” I asked, looking around at the sea of people bumping into us as we tried to maneuver our way to a quieter corner.

Ben grinned. “There’s always hot chicks in here.”

My brother and I shook our heads at him while glancing around at the women in the room. I wasn’t in the mood to pick anyone up that night. I had too much unpacking to do, and I still needed to fill my fridge.

Countless girls walked up to us, flirty and drunk, but none exciting enough to make me change my mind.

“For old time’s sake?” Ben asked.

Jason looked back and forth between the two of us with a raised brow.

I groaned. “Fine, but I need some shots first.”

“Alright,” my brother said, frustrated. “What’re you guys talking about?”

Ben and I explained our game. We would each look around the bar to find the girl we thought would be the hardest to pick up. It usually took us a good thirty minutes to pick out someone who would be suitable for the game.

Ben and I were both really good at reading women’s body language and expressions; and typically, we picked those who would turn us down without a thought. Then we’d laugh and throw back a shot.

Jason, who, of course, couldn’t wait to see how the game would play out, took it upon himself to choose the girls for Ben and me to go after.

He picked out a few we definitely weren’t interested in and then moved on to the bar, bringing back shots and a few beers.

After he returned, a commotion could be heard around the bar, and the bartender announced a patron had just bought shots for everyone. We cheered along with the crowd, waiting for the shots to be brought around.

“That one.” Jason pointed to a woman in the corner of the bar who was older than our mom and definitely a tourist. Her cream-colored shorts and navy seashell button-down shirt gave it away pretty quickly.

“No,” I replied. “Just no. Dude, she’s older than Mom.”

“You complain too much.”

Our typical banter of twin brothers went on for a few minutes before he picked a better choice. “Right there.” He pointed to the bar at a group of four women sitting together, laughing.

“They won’t be easy,” I told them. “They’re together and laughing a lot. They’re probably catching up; they aren’t looking to be bothered by guys.”

Ben nodded in agreement. “Really hot, though.”

To that, I smiled. They were good-looking, especially the one at the end. I didn’t tell them that, for if they’d known which one I was really attracted to, they would’ve asked me to go for a different one. Just to be dicks.

She was a brunette, and I loved brunettes. Her hair was long and elegantly fell down her back.

She sat with perfect posture on the bar stool, her shirt pulled tighter around her breasts. She was well-endowed, with a petite frame. And I was hooked.

“I want the little curvy one,” Ben said. The one he was referring to was cute, and I could see his interest in her.

Jason laughed. “And I’ll bet money my brother wants the brunette with the legs.” I flipped him off; he knew he was right. Jason and I were always in sync with each other.

“Too bad, bro. She looks a little too sophisticated for you.”

Ben agreed with him. “Yeah. She seems kind of good girl. And you’re… you.”

They laughed, but they didn’t realize they were only fueling my fire further. I wanted her more and more once they told me I wouldn’t be able to get her.

“Fuck you,” I said, already walking away from them.

I wasn’t going to interrupt this girl and her friends; I’d stand by the bar, pretend to wait for the bartender, and listen in.

It was the safest plan, and I also needed to make sure she didn’t have a ring on her finger. Nothing was more of a turn-off than taken women flirting with others.

I stood directly beside her at the bar, making sure not to let our shoulders touch. I wasn’t ready to make my move yet.

Being closer to her, I realized my brother and best friend were right; she was sophisticated. The way she spoke was eloquent and smart.

She definitely wasn’t a slutty college girl; she was a ridiculously hot woman.

My eyes widened a bit at the size of the diamond in her ear, but it could’ve been fake.

Her shirt hung low, giving me a glimpse of her collarbone, which, for whatever reason, was really sexy to look at. She lifted a ringless hand and moved it through her hair, exposing her neck.

I groaned as quietly as possible. There was something about that girl that excited me. Mainly the fact that I shouldn’t be able to land her.

I continued listening to her soft voice but fixed my gaze back on the bartender so her friends wouldn’t notice me staring.

I glanced back at the guys who were shaking their heads, still implying there was no way I could get her.

I didn’t hear what conversation led up to her statement, but she said to her friends, “I don’t have time for men.”

Of course, now I was even more interested in her. What the fuck is wrong with me?

The curvy friend Ben had his eye on made solid eye contact with me. Her lips curved into a smile; it was pretty obvious she had seen me listening in.

I could have walked away quickly before anything happened, but I wasn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, I lived for them.

“Don’t have time?” the cute, curvy girl yelled. “How can Kate the Great not have time for men? Spending too much time with Henry?”

This was my chance. I wanted to step in before she explained why she didn’t have time for men like me. The friend still watched, a wide grin finally forming on her face.

I had one shot to speak and catch the hot, sophisticated one by surprise.

“Well, now you have me curious. How does one get the nickname Kate the Great? And who could Henry possibly be?” I asked.

She spun around on her stool quicker than I expected. I thought she was beautiful from afar, but I had no idea how beautiful. That dark hair glowed with a golden tone, reminding me of the sun.

Her dark blue eyes contrasted with her porcelain skin. I was in trouble.

She appeared nervous to see me standing there, her voice wavering when she finally spoke. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. “I…” she started. “I don’t know how I got that nickname.”

I was liking the friend more and more as she kept smiling at me. She wanted me to talk to Kate the Great. She leaned forward, readying herself to answer my question.

“First, Henry’s her vibrator.” I gulped, but worked real hard to keep my cool. “Second, she got that name because she was the ultimate in college.

“She had men wrap themselves around her pretty manicured fingers, and then she’d walk away. This girl’s a heartbreaker, right here in the flesh.”

I had no doubt she was a heartbreaker. I’d bet my money she didn’t even know she drove guys crazy. The blush on her cheeks told me I was right.

She tried to deny it, but my thoughts moved to the sexual part of the conversation.

“But you don’t deny that Henry is who they say he is?” I asked, putting on my sexiest smirk for her.

She turned away from me to face her friends, then right back around. “No. I don’t deny that.”

I laughed along with her friends, but really, it was only to cover up my uncomfortable hard-on. “I’m Tyler.”

Her delicate hand met mine. “Kate.” I held onto her for a few seconds longer than one would normally hold someone’s hand. She blushed again, definitely feeling the attraction I felt.

“You know, Kate, the way I see it is that you’ve clearly been with the wrong kind of guy if you devote more time to Henry than to a real man.”

“Or maybe there are no real men left in the world,” she challenged.

I leaned in, keeping my lips half an inch from her ear. “Or maybe there’s one standing right in front of you.”

I signaled for another beer, then made sure to touch Kate’s fingers with mine. I didn’t move it until I had my drink, then made my signature move, hoping like hell she’d go for it.

If she didn’t, I’d be forever pissed. I wanted that girl.

“Well, Kate, I hope you have an incredible night.”

I walked away from her and back over to my best friend and brother. “Well, you’ve returned without a girl on your arm,” Jason said, laughing.

I explained to them the conversation I’d had at the bar, then told them, “I did the ‘have a good night,’ and walked away.”

As I turned to face the bar, her eyes met mine, and I winked. What an idiot. Hopefully, she thought I was hot enough to pull off that idiotic wink.

“Anytime you’ve done that, they follow you immediately,” Ben pointed out.

I shrugged like it was no big deal. It really wasn’t a big deal, but I did want to sleep with her though. She wasn’t my typical “type.”

I usually went for the easy ones, but not because I liked them. They just threw themselves at me, allowing me to put in zero effort to get laid.

It wasn’t often that I had to start a conversation with a girl; they tended to fall into my lap, quite literally.

And the not-easy-looking ones never looked like Kate. She was sexy, really sexy, and I still doubted she realized the effect she had on me and probably every other man around.

Two of her friends jumped off their bar stools and made their way to some suit-clad men who had just walked into the bar. Young suits, though. Probably stock market assholes.

“Those chicks keep staring at you,” Jason said, nodding to a group of six women. They really were staring, but I wasn’t interested. I smiled politely and then looked back in Kate’s direction.

I caught her watching me too and grinned like a fool.

A minute later, Kate and her friend stood up from their bar stools. Don’t leave. Not headed toward the door, they were moving in our direction.

Part of me couldn’t believe that my signature line had worked on a girl like her. The other part of me reminded myself that I was good at that game.

Her hips moved as she pushed through the crowd to get to me. Her walk was confident, and her blue eyes were full of want. It was obvious.

I was going to say something clever when she stepped a foot in front of me, but before I could, she placed her arms around my neck, pressing her lips against mine.

The kiss was forceful and full of want; I responded immediately. I wrapped my own arms around her waist, letting her rest her body against mine.

Just when I was about to lift her up in my arms, she pulled away slowly, pulling my bottom lip with her teeth.

I wasn’t done, there was no way that was it. No female had ever done that. Ever. I wasn’t letting her go just yet. I pulled her body back against mine and she smiled.

“Well, Tyler, I hope you have an incredible night.” Using my own line on me, she walked away.

I shook my head as she exited the bar, the smile at her bravado refusing to leave my face. Once she was outside, I looked at her friend who was seductively leaning into Ben.

“Fuck,” I murmured.

“I’m Piper, by the way. And she’s a difficult one,” she said, pointing in Kate’s direction. “But no guy ever regrets her.”

She looked up at Ben again who was a trillion feet tall, making her look even smaller than she really was, and typed her number into his phone. She walked away thereafter without another word.

“Goddamn,” Ben said, watching the movement of her full butt.

“Dude,” Jason yelled. “Kissing Kate just played you.”

“She’s got balls,” Ben added.

I shook my head. “No,” I said. “Text that chick now and get Kate’s number for me.”

Ben whipped out his phone, texting Piper as we rushed out of the bar. Jason hailed a cab for us to share back home.

As Ben turned his phone to me, I saw three dots appear, indicating Piper was typing, but nothing was sent. I wondered if she was debating giving away Kate’s number.

She really seemed into the idea of me talking to Kate though, almost encouraging it.

I climbed out of the cab first and said goodbye to the guys. My new doorman called the elevator for me. I rode up in silence until my phone beeped.

He then sent her number.

I sat at the edge of my bed, wondering what I was going to do with her phone number. I wanted to sleep with her, obviously. Who wouldn’t? But Piper’s words had me thinking. No guy ever regrets her.

Maybe she was the perfect woman, but her friends did say she was a heartbreaker. I wouldn’t have guessed it by looking at her, though looks can be deceiving.

What if I slept with her and then couldn’t get enough? Hell, I was too busy to have anything other than a one-night stand.

The more I let my thoughts float around in my head, the more I knew I shouldn’t contact her.

A gut feeling told me it would only cause trouble, and if there was one thing in the world I didn’t have time for at that point, it was trouble.