Excerpt from A Billionaire’s Roar
Vella Day with Michelle Fox
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Celebrating her thirtieth birthday in Sin City, Elise Daniels is ready to let loose and have fun—but she has no idea how crazy it's going to get. Agreeing to undergo hypnosis during a magician's show, Elise believes she is living out her fantasy with a mysterious, handsome stranger—a fantasy that seems all too real—as he fulfills more than just her dreams.
Billionaire weretiger, Maxim Tendor, knows that Elise is his destined mate the second he sees her. But once in his embrace, he knows that he can never let her go. One mistake scratch catapults her life in a direction she never saw coming. Can Maxim convince the small town girl that there is a wild and different world waiting for her, or will she run the second she hears the Billionaire's Roar?
***
Birthday girl, Elise Daniels, fingered her ticket to the male review show in Las Vegas and shifted her weight from side to side as she edged closer to the auditorium entrance, excitement sizzling in her veins. Glancing around for her two friends, who’d somehow gotten ahead of her, she spotted them entering—or least two women who looked like her friends.
No one was behind her, and she hoped she wasn’t late. When she finally reached the man taking the tickets, he smiled, ripped it in half and handed it back to her.
“The leopard will show you to your seat,” he said.
A leopard, how cute was that? A young woman, dressed in a cat outfit, guided her into the dark auditorium and marched her to the third row from the stage. “It’s the fifth seat in.”
Because the show was about to begin, the lights had already dimmed, and Elise needed a moment for her eyes to adjust. When she found her seat, she let out a breath and turned to her left, expecting to have her friends, Regina and Samantha, chastise her for being slow. Only neither of them was there. That was odd, but perhaps Regina hadn’t been able to buy all three seats together. It didn’t matter. After the show, they could compare notes.
The music began and Elise settled in for a great time. When the curtain rose, a handsome man in a cape was standing next to a box big enough to house a human, and two beautiful women dressed in tiger outfits stood next to him. What the heck? Where were her hot men? Only then did she see the sign above the man stating he was Nikolai, the Royal Master of Magic.
Well, damn. She’d landed at the wrong show. No wonder her friends weren’t sitting next to her. Elise pulled out her ticket to check what was written on the front, but it was too dark to see. The concierge must have given Regina the wrong ticket because the attendant at this show didn’t even blink when she handed it to him. If she left now, though, there would be no guarantee there’d be any seats left at the male revue. Besides, her ticket was torn in half. Well, happy birthday to me. Not.
Elise sank back against her seat and decided she might as well enjoy herself. After fifteen minutes of seemingly impossible magic tricks, she had to admit Nikolai was pretty fantastic. He’d levitated a woman, cut another one in half before putting her back together again, and changed a man into a tiger. Now that was spectacular.
“For my next act,” Nikolai said, “I’m going to hypnotize one lucky lady from the audience. She’ll believe she’s living out her fantasy, when in reality I will be teaching her how to do the Argentine Tango. Do I have any volunteers?”
Spotlights crisscrossed the crowd and Elise looked behind her to see if there were any waving hands. Nope. Not a one. They better pick someone fairly young since the Tango was no easy dance. She’d tried it once and failed miserably. She had two left feet, which might be why she would rather watch a show like Dancing With The Stars, than dance.
When a bright light flashed on her face, she blinked, and shielded her eyes. The older lady next to her placed a hand on her arm. “They picked you, dear, go on up.”
No way in hell. She’d make a fool of herself. One, she didn’t believe in hypnosis and two, she’d look like a damn idiot doing the Tango.
The same girl in the leopard outfit who’d escorted her to her seat, stood at the end of the aisle. “Come this way, please.”
When the four people to her right stood and everyone began clapping, Elise had little choice but to go. Thank goodness the light was dim or else they’d see her red face. When this was over, she was going to kill Regina and Samantha for losing her in the crowd.
The leopard lady ushered her up to the stage where a chair materialized out of thin air. Thankfully, it faced the magician and not the crowd. To help gain some control, Elise sat down then rubbed her sweaty palms on her skirt. Given the man’s immense talent, he could probably tell that her heart was about to burst out of her chest. If she’d been put in a space capsule and sent to the moon, she wouldn’t have been further out of her comfort zone than now.
“What is your first name, dear?”
“Elise.”
“Well, Elise, you have nothing to be afraid of. I just need you to relax.”
He might as well have asked her to do the Tango, because that might have been easier. She inhaled deeply. “I’ll try.”
“In order to make sure you aren’t distracted, we’re going to blindfold you. Is that okay? You aren’t claustrophobic, are you?”
Fortunately, she didn’t have issues with that. Nothing was going to happen while she was on a stage in a room with hundreds of people. “No. I’m good.”
The leopard tied a scarf around her eyes and to her surprise, her pulse slowed.
“I want you to picture your safe spot. On a count of three, you will only hear my voice and then the fantasy will begin. Nod if you understand.” Elise nodded, though she doubted she could be put under. “Wonderful. I’d like you to look down and tell me what kind of shoes you are wearing.”
That was an odd request, especially since she was blindfolded, but she would answer anyway. “Sandals.”
Wait a minute. She’d walked in wearing her black pumps, yet somehow she pictured herself wearing something more casual.
“Excellent. And where are you?”
Elise let her imagination take over. He wanted to know her fantasy and she’d give it to him. “I’m at the beach, reclining on a lounge chair with the sun beating down on my face.” She loved the warm weather and her toes in the sand.
“Very good.”
The man’s voice was low and soothing and soon Elise became so relaxed, it was as if the floor had opened up below her, and she was floating on a wave. Her breathing slowed and her arms and legs didn’t seem to be part of her body anymore. Air kissed her face, and except for the lack of squawking seagulls and the waves lapping on the shore, she could almost be convinced she truly was on some sandy beach.
Strong arms lifted her from her mythical lounge chair. “Come with me.” The silky smooth voice was deep and sensual, and she could almost picture dark hair kissing his shoulders. He’d be bare except for a loincloth.
Her head lolled against his hard chest and she let out a sigh. If she’d been able to command her hand to move, she would have touched him. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t real; this was her fantasy and she wanted to enjoy the next few minutes to the fullest. His feet pounded on a hard surface instead of the soft sand, and a second later, she was placed on something very comfortable.
“Keep the blindfold on for another minute, okay?” he asked though it sounded more like a command.
Despite her curiosity, Elise wanted to obey him. “Okay.”
A door closed and she pushed up on her elbows, trying to focus on her surroundings, listening for Nikolai’s voice or some whispers from the audience, but her mind zeroed in on some unidentifiable tune that surrounded her. Okay, she definitely wasn’t on her fantasy island anymore. Perhaps Nikolai had put on background music while he readied them for her dance. Given she had to wait, she might as well relish these moments of pure bliss.
“You can take the blindfold off now.” Her mystery man’s voice came out muffled as if he was behind a closed door.
Excited, she did as he asked. Whoa. She wasn’t on the stage any longer or on a sandy beach but rather in an incredibly lavish suite. A large mural of lions and tigers filled one wall while vines, waterfalls, and monkeys were painted on another. Had Nikolai surrounded her with portable walls to get her in the mood to dance? His choice of décor hardly matched her idea of Argentina.
Elise pinched herself to see if she was still dreaming, and a sharp ache tripped up her arm, hitching her heart. Sure, Nikolai said her fantasy would seem real, but this was almost creepy in its level of reality.
The door on the other side of the room opened and her heart nearly stopped. An orange and black striped tiger entered, and Elise scooted back on the bed and clutched the blanket. Holy crap! Yes, she loved cats and always fantasized about snuggling up with a tiger or a lion, but the intensity in this tiger’s eyes jacked up her heartbeat to near bursting.
She held up a hand. “Just stop right there.”
No surprise, the tiger didn’t listen. He kept easing toward her, acting as if he wanted to eat her—or else he was grinning at her. Reason intruded. Las Vegas had a ton of circus animals and one had probably become loose—that or this animal themed casino had a pet tiger. Her muscles relaxed a little at that thought.
“Nice kitty.”
The cat placed a huge paw on the bed and tilted his head to the side but didn’t jump up. Okay, this dream wasn’t fun anymore.
Think of another fantasy!
She wanted that strong man who’d carried her in here again. Then she wanted that same tall, virile man to make mad, passionate love with her. She gobbled up romance novels like they were candy and yearned to feel the heat between her thighs and have him push her over that climactic edge so fast and hard that time stood still. Was that too much to ask?
With his head still cocked to the side, the tiger closed his eyes. Not wanting to anger the beast, Elise eased off the bed away from the animal. Her gazed darted around the room looking for a place to hide. Aha. A door on the far side of the room had to lead somewhere—a bathroom, a closet, or perhaps a hallway. If she could close the door, she should be safe. A tiger couldn’t turn a door handle.
Faster than she’d ever moved before, she darted to her place of safety, pulled open the door, and jumped inside. The moment the latch clicked close, she sagged against something soft, but her heart still pounded wildly.
“Elise, why did you run?” said her fantasy man.
Was he kidding? Why did I run? Because a wild animal had been just about ready to have me for a snack.
Wait a minute; that voice was human, and once that registered, her blood pressure returned closer to normal.
“Is he gone?” She wasn’t sure how that was possible in the three seconds since she’d locked herself in the closet, but maybe the big cat had been a figment of her imagination.
“I’m the only one here.”
Because the man sounded like the one who’d carried her in here, Elise twisted the doorknob and pushed it open an inch. What she saw made her heart stop.
“Ah, you’re naked,” Elise said. Even though she averted her gaze upward, heat raced up her face.
“I am. Isn’t that what you wanted? This is your fantasy.”
Don’t tell me he can read my mind? Of course he could read her mind. This was her dream, created in her head, but it damn sure felt real. She let out a huge breath and stepped into the room.
As long as she was directing this fantasy, she might as well do what she wanted. “It is. I have to say, you’re better than I ever pictured you.” Sure he had broad shoulders and ripped abs, but his face was like that of a god—green eyes with dark brown hair that had enough of a wave to make her want to wrap her finger around each curl and inhale his scent. In the past, she’d always been drawn to men with deep, chocolate brown eyes, and thick, dark hair, but not anymore.
Apparently he was pleased with her comment, because her mystery man stood taller and his cock jutted out large and proud. Oh, my.
“Do you want to touch me?” he asked.
He could see into her head. “Yes.”
Elise kept telling herself this wasn’t real, but her feet hurt and her stomach was fluttering uncontrollably. She sure could use those comfy sandals she’d imagined earlier right about now. Elise inched her way toward him, her gaze returning to his erection every few seconds.
Erection! That was it. She’d been thinking about the male revue show and this was her way of compensating. Wouldn’t Samantha and Regina be jealous when she told them how she had been able to explore one of the men—more or less? Only which one was he?
“What’s your name?”
“Max.”
“Is that short for Maximum?”
He chuckled. “How about I let you decide?”
“I think I’d like to get to know you first.”
What was she doing? Max wasn’t real. Hell, once Nikolai snapped his fingers, or whatever hypnotists did to break a person out of a spell, he’d no longer exist, so why waste her precious time asking about him? Because I can’t help myself.
Elise stepped closer to her dream man and her vision blurred—or else her eyesight was failing her. She could have sworn his hair turned a lighter shade of brown, actually bordering on orange, and thick hair had popped out on his chest. That was some cool magic trick.
Max must have lost his patience because he closed the gap between them and cupped her shoulders. Warmth immediately streaked down her shoulders. “Don’t be afraid of me,” he said. “I’m here to fulfill your every wish.”
His words couldn’t have been more perfect. Emboldened by his positive comments, she ran her fingers down his chest, loving the softness of his hair that covered his pecs of steel. “You have a nice body.”
Smooth Elise, real smooth.
“So do you.” His fingers undid her blouse buttons with little effort. The odd thing was that she had no desire to stop him—that is, until he exposed her bra.
She immediately stepped back and pulled one side over the other. “No, I don’t.” At least Brent had said she didn’t.
His smile lightened his eyes. He was truly a beautiful man. “Let me be the judge. I think you are perfect.”
Now she knew this was a dream. “Then thank you.”
Elise kicked off her shoes and the relief was palatable. After slipping the shirt from her shoulders, she let her top float to the floor, and his eyes widened. When he licked his lips, Elise glanced down at her bra. Damn. It was white—a plain old boring one.
“You have beautiful breasts.”
Her subconscious sure was doing a good job of bolstering her ego. “Thank you.”
Max was naked, so it only made sense that she should be too. It went without saying that he would love her body because this was her show. All she had to do was let her subconscious rule and she’d be flying higher than any rocket ever could.
The music changed to a slower, more sensual beat, and the lights dimmed. Good job, Elise. She must have conjured up this seduction so many times that her mind knew what she liked to hear.
Her skirt was stretchy and slipped easily over her hips.
Max whistled. “Sweet. Do you need help with your panties?”
Last night, her friends had given her a few pairs of sexy underwear as a birthday present. Thankfully, Elise had picked one with an animal print to wear tonight. How appropriate was that? “Sure.”
Max dropped to his knees in front of her and inhaled. “I can’t get your scent out of my head.”
She laughed. He looked up at her and tilted his head, looking a lot like that tiger that had come out of the bathroom. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Max reached up and caressed the waistband of her panties. When he dragged his fingers across her ample belly, his eyes lit up even more. What she wouldn’t give if all men appreciated her shape.
“Did I see a tiger in here, or was that my imagination?”
“It’s your dream. He was here if you wanted him to be.”
She guessed that answered her question. She’d wanted something warm and furry to hug and a tiger had appeared. Perhaps she could conjure him up later—much later, after she made love with Max.
His fingers fiddled with the elastic, but tentative men weren’t her style—at least when he came from her imagination. “Take me.”
One brow cocked. “How about if I want to love you slowly and with passion—like you deserve?”
Just hearing those words made her body flush with heat. Yes. Her man was perfect. “I’m good with that too.”
In a flash, her new animal print undies were down at her ankles, forcing her to step out of them or chance tripping. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t embarrassed about her appearance because Max wasn’t real.
Clasping a firm hand on her thighs, he opened her legs. “What you do to me. I’ll have to use all of my willpower not to hurry. I want you so much.”
God help her. “Far be it from me to stop you.”
Quickly, he stood and scooped her up in his arms again. “I can’t help myself. My inner beast is clawing to get out.”
He sure did know how to go with a theme—or rather she was the one who was good at keeping with the whole animal motif. Elise wrapped her arms around his neck and marveled at her ideal man.
Max placed her on the bed and crawled on top of her, his gaze never leaving her face. “I’m the luckiest man alive to have found you. You have opened my heart for the first time in my life.”
She was about to say he knew nothing about her, but then realized he did since he was an extension of her, merely residing in a different part of her brain. Elise feared that at any moment Nikolai would take her out of her fantasy and she’d be back on stage with the audience clapping at her amazing duet with the flamboyant magician. Wouldn’t it be a shame if they didn’t have time to consummate their relationship?
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
“My pleasure,” he said. When Max’s lips slightly parted, she noticed that his teeth were rather sharp. Given how much she loved big furry animals, it made sense she had conjured him up that way. He was the combination of both of her desires.
Supporting himself on his elbows, he cupped her face and stroked her cheeks while nibbling on her lips. But Elise wanted more. She opened her mouth and teased open his luscious lips. Her heart pounded hard because this seemed so real, and she prayed he wouldn’t reject her like Brent had.
The moment she slipped her tongue inside his mouth, all of those negative thoughts evaporated. A low growl escaped from his chest and he seemed to come alive, the wild animal inside him letting go. As their tongues entwined, her breath whooshed out. To keep her head from spinning, she clasped his muscular shoulders, loving how he made her feel so tiny and cherished.
She then slid her hands through his thick, silky hair and couldn’t help but moan from the glorious sensations coursing through her. Without giving thought to what she was doing, Elise wrapped her legs around his waist. While she was on the pill for her complexion, she always practiced safe sex. It didn’t matter now though. Max was only a figment of her imagination.
He broke the kiss, his eyes swirls of greens and gold, and lifted his head. When he roared, she nearly laughed. Every woman would be so jealous of her for having a big, cuddly animal that was really a human.
“I want to savor this moment, but I can’t control myself any longer.” He bared his teeth and lowered his head. “You are all mine—forever.”
She swooned. Elise lowered her legs and planted her feet on the mattress. “I need you now.”
The power of her command ignited her hormones and sent them flooding throughout her system. Dazed by lust and coupled with the euphoria of this wild experience, the room spun. She imagined hair sprouting on Max’s face and his fingernails extending into claws. She blinked and when he looked away for a few seconds, he appeared to be all man once more. Dreams were so wild and exhilarating.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, and we need to hurry.” She had to experience him before she was transported back to reality.
Max slid his mouth across her throat to the tender part of her neck. He grabbed her shoulders and dragged his hands down her arm, his sharp nails scraping her skin, but she didn’t care. This was wild abandon sex at its best. When he slipped two fingers inside her, heat suffused her body. Clamping down on him, she clutched him closer. The second he curled his fingers and stroked her, her climax built.
Max lifted his head and kissed her hard once more and her orgasm claimed her with an intensity that would rival any fantasy she’d ever had. Heart speeding, she reached between them for his cock.
Before she could touch him, he rolled off her and cast his glance to the side. “I can’t. It isn’t right.”
“You can’t what?”
“Make love to you.”
That was preposterous. “You said you wanted me.”
She felt a bit self conscious talking to herself like this, but she was frustrated, dammit.
“I do. More than you could know.”
He wasn’t making any sense. “Then why did you stop? This is my dream, and I want you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
Was he crazy? She’d made him up.
He reached out and touched her shoulder, as if to give her comfort. Instead, he exerted a lot of pressure. Before she could ask him what the hell was really going on, her vision blackened. What seemed like seconds later, three claps sounded close to her face, followed by thunderous applause. She opened her eyes and immediately crossed her arms over her naked chest—or rather what she thought was naked. When her fingers touched the fabric of her shirt, she dared to lower her gaze.
How was this possible? A second ago, Elise was in bed with the most amazing man in the world and the next she was sitting on the same seat, wearing the same painfully tight high heels as before. Damn. It had been a dream. She let out a huff as her shoulders drooped.
Nikolai stepped in front of her and held out his hands. “Come and take a bow.”
A bow? “Did I really do the Tango in front of all these people?”
“You did and you were magnificent.”
When he led her to the front of the stage, the lights were so bright it was difficult for her to see any of their faces, for which she was grateful. She was tempted to ask Nikolai to hypnotize her again so she could return to her dream world just so she could demand Max make love with her.
The magician held up her arm like a prizefighter who’d won a match. “Elise wants to know how she did?”
The crowd cheered, bolstering her confidence that she hadn’t made a fool of herself. At least something had gone well today. Her fantasy sure had flopped at the end.
“Thank you, everyone,” Nikolai said as a white puff of smoke blocked her view of the audience. “Come with me,” he whispered. “Be quick.”
Nikolai grabbed her hand and they trotted off stage. Unable to come to grips with what had happened, Elise’s head still spun with unanswered questions. “My fantasy was amazing,” she said. Holding her breath, she wanted him to say it hadn’t been her imagination.
“It seemed real, didn’t it?” Nikolai asked.
“More than real. I didn’t know I had such a vivid imagination. I was with this unbelievably amazing man, and I swear I could feel his touch on my skin, even hear his heart beat.”
Nikolai’s brows rose. “We all dream. Hypnosis is a powerful tool to unlock your innermost desires. It’s a way to do what you’ve always yearned for without any consequences.” He brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back. “Milady, you were a wonderful sport. When you exit through that door, it will take you to the main lobby area.”
So that was it. It was done—over. “Thank you for everything.”