Authors: Brittany White
Chapter Three
Cassie checked everything in her bag. She had her recorder for longer interviews, her notebook, a couple of pens, and her camera. She stepped into her strappy sandals and hung her press badge around her neck. She didn’t want any of the shifters to get any ideas.
“Why are you taking the badge?” her friend asked with a mouth full of ice cream. In her third trimester, Sara was usually found munching on something.
“Because I’m writing an article,” Cassie said as she rolled her eyes.
“But you’re single,” Sara said.
“Uh huh.”
“And you haven’t gotten laid in over a year.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes. “Your point?”
“My point is that there are going to be many hunky men at that party. So ditch the press badge and relax. Even if you don’t find Mr. Right, you can still enjoy Mr. Incredible One Night Stand.”
“I didn’t pick the assignment, Sara. You did,” Cassie pointed out.
Her friend and editor smiled. “You were the one who said dating agencies set women back to an age where looks and profits were all that mattered in a marriage. I’m just trying to save your column. But more than that, I also wanted you to see how wrong you are. Dale and I met through a dating agency. Just because you’re not getting any doesn’t mean you have to hate on the people that are.”
“I’m not hating on you. I’m hating on the agencies that profit from people’s ridiculous desire to find love. What are you doing in my house anyways?” Cassie said irritably.
“I wanted cookies and cream, and you always have at least two gallons in your freezer. And I also wanted to make sure you didn’t leave this house dressed in armor.” She pointed to Cassie’s outfit. “Ditch the blazer.”
“It’s work, Sara. It’s work for you. Shouldn’t you want me to keep it professional?”
“You’re my friend as well as my reporter. Besides, how can you truly get the feel for the party if you’re only there as an observer? Go undercover. Find out what the men and women are really like.”
Cassie snorted. “Nice try. The badge and the blazer stay. Don’t eat all my ice cream,” she said as she shouldered her bag.
“Cassie!’ The warning tone in Sara’s voice made Cassie wince. “I’ve known you for a long time. You have to let someone in at some point,” she said softly.
Cassie closed her eyes as she thought back to her past relationships. Men cheated, lied, and abused the power of having a woman’s heart. Cassie wasn’t single because she worked too much or because she couldn’t find men who were attracted to her. She was single because it was just easier.
“Lock up when you leave,” she said without turning around. She could feel the disappointment in Sara without facing her.
When Cassie joined the newspaper, she and Sara were instant friends. That was nearly fifteen years ago. Now Sara was an editor, and Cassie wrote a successful column. They both had achieved what they wanted, but Sara was moving on with her life. She had a husband and a baby on the way. Cassie was still struggling with what to do now that she’d achieved her career goals.
Safely away from Sara’s pointed observations, Cassie sighed and started the car. She didn’t need a man to be happy. She just wasn’t the one to melt after a single touch or get drawn into long romantic stares. She was happy being single.
As the backed the car down the driveway, she swallowed hard.
The lie was exhausting even when she was simply saying it to her reflection.
Chapter Four
Everything was in full swing by the time she got to the party. She stood in the corner for a moment to observe and doodle some notes. Some of the women were dressed in animal print, and Cassie cocked her head. Wasn’t that just tacky?
She could feel the tension in the room. It was clear that some of the shifters were very much in tuned to their animal side, and everyone was silently fighting for dominance. The women seemed to lap it up, but it made Cassie uneasy.
“There you are!”
Cassie turned to see Lydia making her way over to her. The stunningly beautiful woman was dressed in a sleek black dress and four inch stilettos. Cassie took a moment to appreciate the affect the shoes had on the woman’s legs. “What do you think so far?”
“It’s classy,” Cassie admitted. She’d thought there’d be awkward music, prom balloons, and glittery streamers, but instead quiet upbeat tempo music was coming out of the speakers, and the decorations were at a minimum. Food and drinks were plenty, and while some couples were dancing, others opted to sit at the tables and get to know each other.
“Thanks! It was tough in the beginning to come up with a party that shifters of all shapes and sizes might like. We’ve got groups that prefer water, others that prefer land, and some that are odd about concrete and hardwood floors. The key is variety. I try to have a little bit of space for everyone,” she said beaming.
“How do you keep the alphas from fighting? I can see the uneasiness in some of the men.”
“There are very strict rules at these parties for the shifters. No fighting is at the very top. I have lavender scented sprays in the corners to help calm everyone, but just in case, there are several undercover operatives with tranquilizer guns. In all the years that I’ve been doing this, we’ve never needed to use them, but safety is the number on priority.”
Cassie jotted the quote in her notebook. “Why shifters? Aren’t they destined to be with just one person? How can do you have such a high success rate when the odds are stacked against you?”
Lydia gave her sly smile. “That, my dear, is a trade secret.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Cassie saw some people moving quickly. Curious, she followed the movement and saw that the crowd was parting for one man. Her jaw dropped.
“Damn,” she whispered. He was gorgeous. Thick blonde hair framed his square face and amber eyes. She watched his smooth jaw clench, and immediately, she wanted to run her fingers down those high cheekbones and over those lips. He was tall and built with muscles that rippled under the tight shirt.
“See something you like?” Lydia asked softly.
Cassie blinked and blushed. “You have some gorgeous men here,” she muttered.
“That’s Maxwell Torrent. He’s the alpha for the local lion shifter pride. I guarantee at least half of the women here would kill for just one night in that man’s bed.”
She felt the pull of sexual attraction and waved it off. She was not here to pick up men. She was here to work.
As she tried to focus and ask Lydia a few more question, she found herself getting aroused. Looking up, she saw the lion staring at her.
“My, my,” Lydia purred. “He seems to be interested in you. Why don’t you go talk to him?”
Cassie tried to shrug nonchalantly. “In a minute. It will be interesting to get the perspective of an alpha shifter at a scene like this. I just have a few more questions before I start talking to the crowd.”
She looked up from her notebook and saw the irritated look on Lydia’s face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s fine,” the woman said hurriedly. “You know, we can always talk tomorrow after the party. Why don’t you get a feel for the crowd before they get too entangled with each other?” She pointed to the corner where one shifter and a woman were getting a quick taste of each other. “Some of them will be looking for more private places soon.”
Watching the two touch other stoked a fire inside Cassie. She’d never thought of herself as a voyeur, but with the lion still staring at her, she realized she’d never been so turned on in her life. Her skin ached to be touched, and moisture was gathering between her legs. She stood quickly and snapped the notebook shut. She needed to finish this so she could leave. “That’s a good idea. I’ll call you tomorrow if I don’t see you before I leave,” she said quickly.
“Good luck,” Lydia said with a strange smile.
She got up quickly and moved across the room, trying to put as much distance between herself and the lion shifter as possible.
Max ignored all the women. Many of them walked by, several were daring enough to reach out and touch him, and a couple stopped to talk, but he ignored them. He was so removed from the party that he forgot he was even there.
She was stunning. Tall with long dark raven black hair and a sun-kissed glow, she’d been the center of his focus all night. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he’d heart beat increased. He stirred, but it was more than just sexual attraction. She was completely covered from head to two in a pants suit and a blazer, but he could see the outline of her heavy breasts and that large ass that was just made to fit the palms of his hands.
The longer he stared at her, the more he yearned to taste her. Every now and then, her dark eyes flitted in his direction, but she seemed to be purposely moving away from him. His predator instincts kicked in, but he forced himself to relax. If she was meant to be his, she would make his way to her. Nobody could deny the pull of a mate.
He watched her talk to some of the people and doodle in that notebook of hers. He wanted nothing more than to rip it out of her hands, shove her against the wall, and bury himself in her.
She was wet. He could smell her from here, and he knew she’d be warm and welcoming. Would she scream? Would she gasp or cry out? Would she whimper or make a breathy little sigh?
God, he wanted her in his hands when he made her come. He wanted to feel her skin shiver and feel those legs tightening around him.
She was getting close. Only a few people separated them, and he watched as she tried to focus on the person she was speaking with. Instead, she kept sneaking peeks at him. He could see the nervous habits. She tucked her hair behind her ear too frequently. She tapped her pen at the table.
She bit her lip. He wanted to bite her lip.
Finally, she was finished. She turned to him, and as soon as they locked eyes, her mouth snapped shut. She spun on her heels and quickly walked away.
What?
He pushed himself from the wall and began to follow her, but a cute little blonde stepped into this path. “I’ve been looking at you all night,” she whispered. She trailed a finger down his chest. “Take me home, and I’ll ride you all night.”
“Not interested,” he growled as he tried to step around her.
The woman was tenacious. She pushed her body against him and wiggled suggestively. “God, you’re already hard,” she moaned. “Let me take care of that for you baby,” she said as she reached down to grab him.
“Christ,” he hissed. “No sex on the grounds, remember?”
“I’ll fuck you in the car,” she said as she squeezed him. “I’ll do anything to get this cock inside me.”
He grabbed her hands and deliberately placed them above her head. He could see her shiver with excitement. “Sweetheart, you are delicious and tempting. And if this were any other moment, I’d have you bent over so fast it would make your head spin, but I don’t think you’re going to satisfy me tonight. Find someone else.”
Picking her up, he turned and placed her behind him before returning to the brunette. He searched around wildly, but she was already gone.
“Fuck,” he roared as he lunged for the door, He stepped into the parking lot just in time to see her speed away. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Her name is Cassie Branders.” Max turned to see the woman in charge behind him. “She’s a columnist for the Weekly Report.”
“She’s my mate,” he growled.
“Yes. I agree.”
He stared at the woman. “How the hell do you know that?”
She tiled her head. “Why do you think I invited you?”
His mouth dropped open. “I would ask how you knew that we connected, but frankly, I don’t care. If she’s my mate, she’s supposed to find me irresistible. So why the hell is she running in the opposite direction?”
“Just because she’s meant to be yours doesn’t mean she’s going to be happy about it in the beginning. What’s wrong Maxwell? Afraid of a little challenge?”
Max stared at the woman. Of course he wasn’t afraid of a challenge. But once a shifter found a mate, it was supposed to be easy after that. Smooth sailing.
But to make her his? He supposed he was willing to put in a little effort.
Chapter Five
Cassie tossed and turned all night. A ghost of a lover loomed over her with amber eyes, and as she twisted her hands in his hair and urged him to drive her over that peak, he disappeared. Over and over again, he returned to drive her to madness only to dissolve into a mist at the last minute.
There was just something about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. It was more than just the clear signs that he was attracted to her. It was more than just the obvious notion that she was attracted to him. She’d felt an invisible cord reach out and wrap around her. No matter where she was, she knew when he was near. It was impossible, and it had made her run just has as hard and fast as she could in the opposite direction.
Finally, as the sun rose over the horizon, she called it a night. An hour later, she was a pot of coffee in and scribbling furiously on her notepad. If she couldn’t sleep, she’d work.
A knock at the door interrupted and made her jump. “Christ,” she muttered, disgusted with herself. All it had taken was one look from a man to make her absolutely worthless even hours later. What was wrong with her?
She blew out her breath in an effort to get ahold of herself before crossing the kitchen to open the door.
A vase of a dozen long stemmed white roses stood on the porch.
For a second, she just stared. There was no way. There was absolutely no way they were from him. She leaned out the window and scanned her driveway and street. There was no sign of anyone, but she could feel him lingering somehow.
She reached down and picked up the card.
All night long, in my dreams, I reached out to you. I can only hope that somehow, I was able to touch you.
“No. No, no, no, no,” she chanted. “This is not happening.” Heart pounding in her chest, she leaned out the entrance. “If you’re thinking of stalking me, I will call the police!”
Gripping the card, she slammed the door shut.
Of all the nerve. He found out where she lived? Just because she had a reaction to him, a sexual pull, did mean that she was actually interested in him. She didn’t want to be wooed. She didn’t belong to him.
Three minutes later, she opened the door again and snagged the roses.
There was no point in letting them go to waste.
He grinned wickedly as he watched her freak out on her porch. The card had the desired effect.
This was going to be fun.
She was halfway through her tormented series of burpees when the next knock came. Caught off balance, she shrieked and fell to the floor. Her body was screaming for a break, but at least it wasn’t screaming for his touch. She rolled over on her back and gasped for breath.
He wouldn’t be daring enough to try it again. Would he?
Curiosity got the best of her, and she hauled herself up and opened the door again.
This time, they were long stemmed yellow roses.
I dreamed that your skin would be as silky as these petals, and I long to brush my fingers over your most sensitive spots and make you quiver. I long to run my tongue gently over your curves and make you moan.
“Oh yeah?” she yelled. “Well my vagina is going to be as sharp as these thorns if you’re thinking of sticking anything inside!”
She heard a gasp to her left and smirked as she leaned around the corner. Only it wasn’t him. Her elderly neighbor was watering his bushing and she cringed. “Sorry Mr. Caswell. That wasn’t meant for you.”
He gave her a severe look of disapproval, and she sighed, collected, the roses, and moved inside.
Now she would have to do a whole new round of burpees.
Tow hours later, the third knock came. She launched herself from the table where she’d been gorging on a bowl of ice cream and threw open the door.
No beautiful blonde Adonis. The new roses were swirls of orange and yellow.
Your folds will be as wet as the dew on these flowers, and when I finally taste you, you will be as soft and sweet.
She swallowed hard as she imagined him dipping his tongue inside her, and she nearly moaned. Cursing, she stomped down and searched the yard. He had to be here. There was no way he was sending these and not waiting around for a reaction.
“This is harassment,” she announced as she searched under the bushes. “And you are wasting your time. Okay? I have a boyfriend,” she lied. “I have ten boyfriends. And I don’t have room for another.”