Marisa Chenery - To Lovea Cougar

“Is everything all right in there?” a salesgirl asked.

Harley jumped, the spell of lust that had come over her breaking in an instant. “Yes, we’re fine.”

“Then I’m going to have to ask you to leave the changing area. We don’t allow men and women in there together.”

“I’m coming out now.”

Harley gave Blaise one last wistful look before she slipped through the curtain, trying not to reveal too much of him to the salesgirl as she did so. She smiled at the other woman as she yanked the drape closed behind her.

The saleswoman gave Harley a knowing smile and leaned in closer to say quietly so only the two of them could hear, “If I had one of those, I’d be right in there with him as well. The only problem is if my manager realized I knew about it and didn’t say anything, I’d be in trouble. I do have to say, though, you’re a lucky lady.” She gave Harley a wink and walked away.

In less than a minute, Blaise yanked open the curtain and stepped out of the changing area. His gorgeous body once again clothed. For the first time, Harley noticed the gold cougar head pendant he wore around his neck. Its ruby eyes flashed in the store’s bright lights as he stepped closer.

“Do you need me to try on anything else?”

Blaise asked, his deep voice rolling over her and making her shiver inside.

“No, I think I found my gag gift.” She went over to the table of thongs, picked up a thong with the metallic gold hearts a size smaller, then walked back over to him. She held out her other hand. “I’ll pay for that now.”

Blaise handed over the thong he held. It was still warm from his body. Harley turned, then headed for the counter where the till was. He followed behind her. The same salesgirl who had spoken to her was behind it.

She smiled at Harley, her gaze flitting to Blaise briefly. “Did you find everything you wanted?”

Harley nodded. “Yes.”

She paid for her purchases before both she and Blaise headed for the store’s entrance. He walked at her side and took her hand in his, linking their fingers. Harley looked at him.

Blaise bent his head closer to hers. “Well, since I belong to you, I’d better act like it.”

Harley smiled. “Very true.” She was surprised Blaise had heard what the saleswoman said to her. She’d barely spoken above a whisper and he’d been in the changing area at the time.

They strode out into the mall and walked a few stores down before Blaise pulled Harley to a stop off to the side out of the way of other shoppers. Still holding her hand, he turned to face her.

“You’ve seen me in nothing but underwear. Is there a chance I can see you like that as well?”

“I think so. Are you going to ask me out on a date first?”

“Of course. I have a family dinner to go to this evening, so how about tomorrow evening?”

“Or we could go to the food court here right now and grab something to eat. I’m not busy.”

Blaise smiled. “Sure. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s the company I’m with who matters.”

“Then it’s a date.”

He stepped to her side again and got them moving in the direction of the escalator. The mall had five levels and the food court was on the very top one. They were now on the third.

As they walked onto the first escalator, Harley looked at Blaise. This trip to the mall had turned out a lot better than she’d hoped when she’d set out for it, thinking to help pass the hours on a Saturday. She now had a date with a hot hunk, and she’d already seen him in nothing but a thong.

Blaise looked at Harley out of the corner of his eye as they rode the first escalator up to the food court level. He couldn’t believe his luck. The first human female who caught his interest, and she’d accepted a date with him.

Much to his pleasure, he found it to be a lot less stressful than approaching a female of his kind. There was always the added pressure she’d place on him, hoping he would be her mate. Most were raised to think that was their biggest ambition in life, to set off the magic in a male’s cougar head pendant, and that they wouldn’t be complete until they had.

Since Harley was human, she had no clue about his pendant. She could still set the magic off in it, as he’d learned from Aspen setting off Taylor’s, but it wasn’t something she’d be hoping for. No pressure for it to happen.

“So do you always let strange women talk you into trying on underwear for them?” Harley asked with a smile.

Blaise shook his head and laughed as they stepped off the escalator and headed for the next one. “No. You’re the first.”

“I guess I should take that as a compliment then. What made me so special?”

He shrugged. “I can’t say it was just one thing. You caught my eye so I was more than willing to play along. It seemed like the best way to get you to agree to go out with me.”

Harley smiled. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.

I would have gone out with you anyway without you modeling for me. And since we’re being so honest here, I didn’t think up the gag gift idea until I saw you.”

“What would you have done if I’d said no?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t. And I will pay you for the thong.”

“No you won’t. Think of it as compensation for making you go through all that.” She winked.

“Plus, maybe you’ll feel as if you have to wear it for me again since I did buy it for you.”

“That would mean a second date so I can’t see that being a problem.”

They finally arrived at the upper level where the food court was located. Since it was a little on the early side for lunch, they had a lot of tables to pick from. Blaise let go of Harley’s hand and followed behind her as she wove her way through them until she settled on one sort of off by itself.

Once they were seated across from each other, Blaise looked at all the different places offering food. “What do you feel like eating?” he asked.

Harley looked around as well. “I’m thinking of getting a slice of pizza.”

“Sounds good. I could go for one myself.

Why don’t you tell me what kind you want and I’ll go get it. While I do that you can stay here and save the table. My treat since this is supposed to be a date.”

Harley chuckled. “I don’t think we have to worry about that, but fine. I want a slice of pepperoni and a can of cola to go with it.”

“Will do.”

Blaise stood, then went to the pizza place.

There ended up only being one person in line ahead of him. Once it was his turn, he ordered the slice Harley wanted and a meat lover’s for himself. Tray in hand with food and drinks on it, he worked his way back to the table.

They ate for a bit before Blaise started up a conversation. “Do you spend a lot of Saturdays at the mall?”

Harley smiled. “More than I’d like to admit.

And it’s not because I like to shop. Wandering around the mall gives me something to do to pass the time. How about you?”

“Very rarely do I come here. Today I thought I’d switch up my daily routine.”

“If you can come to the mall and have this free time as part of your normal routine, it sounds as if you don’t have a job.”

Blaise smiled. “I don’t, and it’s not because I’m unemployed. My family has a very lucrative corporation that’s in the business of computer software. I worked there for a while, and have taken a bit of a leave of absence, with pay.”

“What’s it called?” Blaise said the name of his family’s corporation, and Harley’s eyes widened.

“Holy shit. You must be stinking rich. Everyone knows that software company. My future brother-

in-law has dreamed of working for you guys. He’s a computer programmer.”