My gaze landed on a table in the back corner, near the bar. Three large men sat on stools, drinking beer and talking, but only one drew my complete focus. Every single thing about him, from his countenance to his broad stature, radiated power. His imposing presence was heady, and my panther purred in admiration while I squeezed my legs together for a moment, trying to quell the rush of desire that throbbed there.

He was the cause of the heat flushing my body. His potent stare felt like a caress, everywhere and all at once. Would he surround me as completely if we were naked in bed? Mmmhmm. My guess is yes. As soon as the thought popped into my head, his stare intensified, making me wonder if he knew, somehow, what I’d been thinking. Odd. Then again, I hadn’t made an effort to hide my interest in him.

My steps slowed, and my gaze traveled over him from head to toe. Even seated, I could tell he was at least six and a half feet tall and would tower over my five-foot-nine height. He wore a white, short-sleeved T-shirt that showed off huge biceps and strong, veiny forearms—one of which was marred with claw marks. The scars were old, but for them to still be visible despite his rapid healing, they had to have been very deep. Every one of his sculpted muscles rippled when he moved, and I clenched my thighs again, barely restraining myself from licking my lips. From what I could see, the rest of his body fit the same description.

Big, hard, and sexy as hell.

He wore a trimmed, full beard over a firm, square jaw, and had light brown-blond hair that was long enough for a man-bun high on the back of his head. I didn’t normally like long hair on guys, but on this man…

He was fucking hot.

H.O.T. Hot.

And he lit up my body like the Fourth of July. I desperately wanted to know if his facial hair was as silky as it appeared and if it would leave burn marks between my thighs.

Dirty scenarios filled my mind, creating a porn montage. When the hell did I become such a nympho?

I’d experienced overwhelming desire before as well as unbelievably hot, toe-curling sex, but none of that compared to the pull from this man’s gaze. As I passed his table, I felt as if I were on the verge of an orgasm even from a few feet away.

My cat urged me to make a beeline for the cause of our explosive libido. She didn’t understand the complexities of human behavior. As an animal, her comprehension of the situation was simple—feel desire, act on that desire, walk away satisfied.

I wasn’t wholly opposed to her view, but I still had a job to do, so I tried to ignore my rapidly deepening hunger for this man.