What's New, Pussycat? (Bombshell Investigations #1)

By Tielle St. Clare

Fate is a fickle bitch.
After years hoping to find their mate, cat-shifters Matthias and Joshua can’t believe fate has finally dropped her right in their laps—busty and beautiful, they know Bambi is the perfect woman for them...until she opens her mouth! Surely fate doesn’t intend them to spend their lives with a brainless bimbo?

Lions and tigers...oh my!
Private Investigator Bambi has a job to do. Maintaining a ditzy personality makes men underestimate her and she uses that to her advantage. Her only challenge with this case is not falling for the two delicious men she was sent to investigate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tielle St. Clare
• Release date: Oct 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311600707

Book preview

What’s New, Pussycat?

by Tielle St. Clare

Copyright © 2014 T. L. Green

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill / EDHGraphics

All rights are reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or redistributed in any format.

To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at www.tiellestclare.com

Author’s Note

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination.  Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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What’s New, Pussycat?

(Bombshell Investigations #1)

by Tielle St. Clare

Fate is a fickle bitch.

After years hoping to find their mate, cat-shifters Matthias and Joshua can’t believe fate has finally dropped her right in their laps—busty and beautiful, they know Bambi is the perfect woman for them...until she opens her mouth! Surely fate doesn’t intend them to spend their lives with a brainless bimbo? 

Lions and tigers...oh my!

Private Investigator Bambi has a job to do. Maintaining a ditzy personality makes men underestimate her and she uses that to her advantage.  Her only challenge with this case is not falling for the two delicious men she was sent to investigate.

Prologue

Matthias crossed his arms and raised his chin, glaring across the roaring fire at the pride of lions relaxing in the heat. Damn lazy lions. Everyone knew they weren’t good for anything.

Your attention please. Roman’s voice carried through the open air with little effort on his part.

The tiger inside Matthias reared up, reacting to the leader of their Streak.

The Lion King stood beside Roman, silently signaling to his pride to pay attention. Most of the lions turned their heads toward Roman but none of them got up. Except one. One of the younger members of the pride stood up and inched closer to the fire. Not so much in response to his leader’s call but more curiosity.

Roman glanced to his left. The Independents, the cats that didn’t form stable family units, skulked just beyond the light of the fire.

The fighting must end, Roman announced. The Lion King puffed out his chest and peered at his pride as if reinforcing Roman’s words. It’s bad enough when the humans trap and kill us. We can’t continue to war between ourselves. The cost is too great. Our numbers—Streak, Pride and Independents—have fallen off in the past decade because of the petty battles between us.

The Lion King nodded. Growls rumbled across the desert but Roman silenced his Streak with one look. The lion king did the same to his Pride and then both powerful cats turned their attention on the Independents.

The cats remained in the shadows but Matthias could hear the whimpers and purrs.

Tonight we will end that.

And how are you going to do that? Matthias’s father called out to Roman. The question was bold, but not disrespectful. Though tigers didn’t remain in groups after they reached adulthood, Roman was clearly their leader.

Roman nodded as if he accepted the query. Tonight, we will bind together cats from opposing factions—Streak to Pride to Independent. The rumble of discontent and confusion rippled through the crowd. Once bound, the connection cannot be broken. Tigers, if you kill a member of the Pride, you will be destroying your own family. He glanced toward the Independents. Same goes for you. We will not destroy our kind by petty in-fighting.

Roman snapped his head to the right and drilled his stare into Matthias’s gaze.

You’re first.

The center of Matthias’s stomach fell away as he stepped forward. In the distance, he heard his father’s voice, protesting, but Matthias couldn’t ignore the command in Roman’s voice or stare.

As he reached the edge of the fire, he sensed a presence to his right. The young curious lion. He raised chin in greeting as he joined Matthias in front of their elders.

Matthias and Joshua, tonight you will become bond-mates, your futures intertwined, your lives forever entangled together.

Behind him, Matthias heard his father shouting his protest. His father had been one of the most vocal and violent against the nearby Pride. No doubt that was why Matthias had been selected first.

Do you agree? Roman demanded. The spiritual force behind his words compelled Matthias’s response.

Yes sir.

And you? Roman asked of the lion standing beside Matthias.

In theory, sure, but, what about a female? Joshua asked. Matthias raised his eyes and looked at the young lion. I mean, you’re cute and all, but we still get a mate, right? Joshua looked at Matthias and then up at the Elder.

The edge of Roman’s mouth pulled up into a slight smile.

Yes, being as you two will be bound together, the Fates will choose one mate that will satisfy the animals inside of both of you.

Joshua’s shoulder pulled up in a half-shrug. Okay, sure. I’m game. He looked over at Matthias. But I hope you’re not looking for some skinny bitch because I like my women with a little meat on their bones.

Matthias blinked and stared at the lion they had selected as his bond-mate. He hesitated, took a breath...and nodded. That works for me.

Chapter One

Matthias flipped through the reservation book and groaned.

Another Girl’s Night Out.

Not that he wasn’t pleased with the business and hell, the women usually made for some excellent eye-candy. But the appeal of flirting with scantily clad party girls had waned in the past year.

Damn it! He wanted his mate.

His gaze automatically fell to the blond man tending bar.

Their mate, he corrected. The one female who would satisfy the fundamental craving in both of them. The tiger that shared Matthias’s existence growled his agreement.

Behind the bar, Joshua flipped a bottle casually in his hand before pouring the liquid into the shaker.

Mitch, the other bartender on shift, walked to Joshua’s side, leaning into him, pressing his long body against Joshua’s broader, bulkier form. Mitch bent down to whisper something in Joshua’s ear.

The animal inside Matthias’s head growled its discontent. His tiger didn’t like seeing his bond-mate touched in such a familiar way. Bound together by the Shaman of Matthias’s streak when they were sixteen, Matthias and Joshua had grown up together, gone to college together and when Matthias had decided to purchase a share in the Spirit Lounge, it only made sense for Joshua to come along.

Joshua didn’t have the money or the interest in being an owner. He enjoyed heading up the bartending staff and flirting with the patrons.

Joshua seemed to sense his perusal and looked up, meeting Matthias’s intense stare. Joshua’s lips cocked up in a half smile, but he made no move away from Mitch, even arching his back and rubbing his ass against Mitch’s hip.

A low growl rumbled from Matthias’s throat. He didn’t think for a moment that Joshua was interested in Mitch. But it clearly didn’t bother Joshua to have the other male pressed against him.

Damn lazy lion.

Matthias lifted his chin and raised his eyebrows. The smirk on Joshua’s mouth got deeper, but he nudged his elbow into Mitch’s gut, prompting the man to look up. When he met Matthias’s gaze, fear flooded his eyes.

Mitch knew better. Everyone on the staff knew better. Joshua belonged to Matthias. They all knew that.

The muscles in Mitch’s throat convulsed in a tight swallow and he backed away, heading to the other end of the bar.

Matthias kept his stare trained on Joshua. The other man grinned and turned back to mixing the drink in his hand. He added the glass on the tray and smiled at Rhian as she slipped a lime slice onto the rim. She bent her knees to pick up the cluttered tray and started back toward her section, rolling her eyes as she passed Matthias as if she could read his thoughts.

He’d have to give her a heads-up about the party coming through. They hadn’t specifically reserved a place in the bar but they wanted two tables set aside. Normally, purchasing a table involved a bottle service—the cheapest of which was about three hundred and fifty dollars.

But it was a Wednesday night and the crowd was light. Come Friday, the high rollers and those in town for the big fight would be showing up. He’d make his money back then. Tonight, he could let the group of women have a couple of the outside tables.

Matthias strolled through the indoor section of the lounge and out onto the balcony. The Spirit Lounge was on the thirty-second floor of a trendy hotel just off the Vegas Strip. This early in the evening, hotel guests still lingered, admiring the view.

Slow night, Rhian said as she walked by.

He tipped his head to the side. It’s going to get busier. We’ve got a group of ladies coming in.

Ah, Girl’s Night Out. She smiled. I’m glad I didn’t wear my short, short skirt. You look too skanky and women don’t tip.

Matthias nodded at that bit of waitressing wisdom. Save that outfit for Friday night, he suggested.

Already on it, boss.

She spun away, heading back toward the bar. She was one of his best workers. Rumor had it she’d started dating an Alpha werewolf. If that was true, she wouldn’t be working for Matthias much longer. He’d hate to lose her.

Pushing the thought aside for later, he walked a slow circuit of the balcony. The Spirit Lounge was famous for its view of the Strip and for the celebrities who stopped by. Matthias wouldn’t let anything damage the ultra-posh reputation the bar had. He scooped up an empty glass and replaced the bottle menu in the middle of a low table, making sure everything remained precisely in place.

Joshua called him anal.

Matthias considered it being good at his job.

And he wasn’t going to apologize for it. The club ran smoothly and made money because he was so exacting. Profits had dropped a bit in the past six months. They seemed as busy as ever but they just weren’t making the same money. Matthias needed to audit the books and talk to the other owners but he’d been so busy he hadn’t taken the time.

And it didn’t look like he’d have time tonight. The elevator door opened and a dozen or so giggling women in short skirts and low-cut tops exited, eyes scanning the room to see who was watching.

Matthias put on his arrogant yet flirty smile and stepped