“Or she might keep the information with her,” he said. “She carries a briefcase. It’s either with her or it’s locked somewhere safe. I’m guessing she’ll have any important information there.”
Devon shrugged. “Your call but from what you’ve said and what I saw on her computer, I think we’re heading the wrong direction.”
Nick stared at his brother. He trusted Devon’s instincts. “While I keep working on her, let’s try to find out as much as we can about the guys who’ve hired us.”
“Sure.”
Devon nodded but didn’t move.
“What?” Nick finally demanded.
“Want to explain what you were doing in a target’s house at two a.m. when you left with her eight hours earlier in her boyfriend’s form?”
Nick knew there was no way he was getting out of this discussion. Devon would keep pushing.
“I slept with her.”
Devon waited but Nick wasn’t going to fill in the silence. “As…” Devon finally prompted. He knew the answer but wasn’t going to give up until Nick admitted to it.
“As her boyfriend.”
“Damn it, Nick, are you crazy?!” Devon’s shout shattered against the window. He slapped his open palm onto the desk. “The first rule of shifting is no intimate contact with a target while in another person’s form. You know that.”
“Of course I know that.”
The door swung open. “What’s all the commotion?”
Nick glared at Devon, warning him not to say anything to their sister and brother who stepped curiously into his office. It only took him a moment to realize they’d been waiting outside for a chance to burst in. They’d obviously known something was up. There were no secrets in this family.
“Nick slept with a target while he was in her boyfriend’s form,” Devon announced.
“What?” Caitlin laughed. Her wide eyes locked on Nick. “But the first rule is no—”
“I know the blasted rules. I wrote them and yes, I know it was wrong.”
“Then why did you do it?” The logical question came from Jameson, the youngest in their family.
Nick faced the wide-eyed stares of his brothers and sister and wasn’t sure he could explain. Hell, he couldn’t explain but maybe he could come up with a plausible excuse. “I hadn’t planned on it but there she was and she was so sexy and her boyfriend’s such an asshole. He’s fucking his secretary and Tally doesn’t even know it. And from her reactions, he’s lousy in bed and—”
“And you thought you’d show her what she was missing?” Caitlin asked. The smirk on her face inspired Nick to glare right back.
“I think it was better than what she’s been getting.”
“Did you manage to hold your form?” Devon asked. Nick didn’t respond for a moment. He wanted to tell them it was none of their business but it was. If he screwed up, they could all be exposed. Finally, Nick shook his head. “Damn it,” Devon threw himself out of the chair. “And now we have to—”
“Wait. I don’t understand.” Jameson had only recently begun shifting and didn’t grasp all the nuances or hazards.
Devon sent another disapproving glare to Nick before turning back to Jameson. “The problem with having sex with someone while you’re in another form—besides the tacky moral complications,” Another glare at Nick. “is it’s difficult to maintain the form you’ve chosen. All those endorphins running through your body make it difficult to hold a complex shape. Especially another human.”
Jameson looked confused but nodded. “But if you lost your form, what did the lady say?”
“She didn’t notice.”
Caitlin coughed as if his answer choked her. “How could she not notice something like that?”
Nick felt his cheeks heat up and waited, hoping that someone would change the subject. Or that aliens would land on the roof and distract his family. Nope. Nothing.
All three siblings stared at him, eagerly awaiting his answer. Finally he sighed.
“I was behind her at the time.”
Caitlin held up her hand. “More information than I needed to know.”
“And more than I wanted to share but you were so damn curious.” He waved his hand, indicating he was done with this conversation. “Let’s forget it happened and move on. Devon checked out her office computer last night and found nothing. I searched her home office and there was nothing. I sent Jameson some information last night from her home computer.” Nick looked up and raised his eyebrows.
“Still working on it. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.”
“Keep on it. She carries a briefcase. I need to see the inside of it. Might have what we’re looking for.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Go back into her house.”
“How?” Caitlin rested her hip against the desk and smiled innocently. “The boyfriend?”
“No. He’s out of town,” Nick answered, ignoring her attitude. “I could fudge it for one day but I can’t risk it another. I thought I’d have her ‘boyfriend’ send her a present while he was gone. A little something to remember him by. It will get me inside and then I’ll be able to search as she’s sleeping.”
He looked at his family. They nodded and shrugged in agreement but he could see a mixture of concern—and in the case of his sister, amusement—at his situation.
“What are you going in as? Flowers?” Devon said with enough mockery to show he didn’t approve of Nick’s plan.
Nick shook his head. “Too complicated. Too many separate pieces.”
“A box of candy?” Jameson offered.
“She might eat me—don’t say it,” he said to Caitlin, knowing the words were on her lips.
Caitlin snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. A vibrator.”
All three men stared at her and Nick knew his brothers had the same stunned look on their faces.
“What?” he asked.
“A vibrator. It’s all one piece. She’s going to take it out of the package because no woman—particularly not after a night of really wild sex, which I’m assuming is what you had but I really don’t want any more details—is going to be able to resist. Even if she doesn’t use it, she’ll open it up.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “It’s a sexy gift from her guy when he’s out of town.”
Nick tapped his fingers against the desktop and considered the idea. The objections rose fast and furious in his head. One, he hated the thought of “Richard” sending Tally anything remotely sexual. He didn’t want to end up making Tally like the guy even more. Plus, inanimate object shifts muffled the senses and bound the shifter into the form. Nick wouldn’t be able to bring himself out of the shape. He would have to wait until the form released him. Something that small would probably be about four hours. Physically, he could do it. It had been years since he’d attempted anything this complicated. Images of Tally, stretched out on her bed, rubbing a vibrator up the insides of her thighs, slipping it into her pussy. He could almost feel the heat enveloping his body. He knew just how hot and wet her pussy could be.
“What if she doesn’t open the box?” Jameson asked, interrupting Nick’s fantasy. “Some women aren’t into sex toys or might feel shy about using it. What if he comes out of the form, she hasn’t opened it—he bursts out of the box and scares the shit out of her?”
Caitlin swallowed and Nick could swear she was trying to hold back her laughter. “Trust me. She’ll open it. If she’s not into sex toys, she’ll leave it downstairs and you’ll have free reign of the house.”
“I’m going to pop out of the form about four hours after I’m put into it.” Larger shapes didn’t blind the senses quite as much, making them a little easier to control.
“We’ll deliver it at bedtime.”
“What about in the morning? How am I going to get out of her house? I’ll be naked and she might—”
“You’re just stalling because you don’t think women should play with sex toys,” Caitlin huffed dramatically.
“I don’t believe that. Hell, I love to watch—” Caitlin held up her hand. “Why am I suddenly discussing my sex preferences with my sister?”
“I don’t know but it’s creeping me out. I’ve given you a viable option. You’re the only one in the family who could possibly do this.”
Nick nodded. It was true. He had an affinity for shapes—any shape, any size. None of his siblings could shrink their bodies into tiny forms. They were stuck with almost equal-sized objects and even then, Jameson hadn’t mastered being inanimate.
But turning into a vibrator? It seemed a little tawdry, he thought righteously, but no other option came to mind and that image of Tally sliding a thick cock into her pussy dug itself into his mind and wouldn’t let go.
“I guess—”
“Great,” Caitlin interrupted before he could finish his thought. “Now, you just have to go buy one.”
“What?”
“Well, you’ve got to have something to sample, unless you’ve turned into a vibrator at some point in your life, which I’m assuming not. And you need something to leave behind when you disappear tomorrow morning.”
Damn, she was right. To turn into an object, he needed to touch it, copy its shape and energy into his body.
“So you go pick it out.”
Caitlin’s lips squished together as she considered her brother. “Okay.”
Trepidation filled Nick’s chest as she walked away. That had been way too easy.
The concern was still weighing on his mind when he walked into the coffee shop thirty minutes later. Being a Saturday morning, it was crowded with the weekend late breakfast crowd but he immediately found Tally sitting in the corner. She stared out the window. He watched for a moment, trying to gauge her mood. The relaxed, sexually satisfied woman he’d left a few hours ago had disappeared. This one had a deep thought crinkle building in her forehead.
As if she sensed his stare, she turned and looked toward him. The grim set of her mouth disappeared and she smiled, though some hesitancy lingered in her eyes. He worked his way through the tables and sat down across from her.
“Good morning.”
“Morning,” he replied.
The low sexy greeting sank into her core and a warm shiver slid down Tally’s spine. It would be so easy to imagine him rolling over in bed, greeting her in that bedroom voice and then making slow lazy love on a Saturday morning.
“Hellooo, Tally.” She snapped to attention and smiled at Nick. “I lost you there for a moment.”
“Oh, sorry. I have a lot running around my head this morning.” She pushed the second paper cup toward him. “I got you a coffee. The line was getting long.”
He smiled his thanks. “Great.” She watched his lips as he carried the cup to his mouth and took a sip. Her pussy fluttered with a strange combination of memory and anticipation. Trying to ease the ache, she rocked forward in her chair. The subtle motion only made it worse. Damn, you would think I’d be immune after last night but it seems great sex makes me crave more.
Richard. Remember Richard. It was sex with Richard that made you feel this way. She looked at Nick, trying to remember what Richard looked like. The memories from the night before washed over her but instead of Richard’s body, Richard’s voice, it was Nick. Over her, inside her, his mouth tasting her pussy. The hungry growl as he pumped inside her.
“Tally? Are you okay?”
She flinched and felt her cheeks burn. “Sorry.”
“You keep wandering off. Something you want to talk about?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
Nick leaned back in his chair. “Come on. You can tell me anything.” There was no smile in his eyes. Something seemed to be weighing on his mind. Maybe her minor problems—having great sex shouldn’t be a problem, right?—would take his mind off whatever was bothering him.
And it would help to have a second opinion. “Okay, so I had a date with…” My boyfriend? No. That didn’t sound right. She wasn’t planning to continue the relationship, was she? One night of hot sex couldn’t make up for the months boredom. Or maybe it could. “With Richard—this guy I’ve been seeing.” Nick’s lips tightened at the corners and she almost stopped but she needed to talk to someone. “And well, it was great. We had a wonderful time. Or I did. I’m assuming he did.”
“He did,” Nick said, moving forward and propping his elbows on the table.
“How do you know?”
He licked his lips like he was thinking through his answer. “Because you exude positive energy and if you’re happy, it’s hard for the people around you not to feel the same way.”
Unexpected tears pricked her eyes. It was so sweet. He knew the right thing to say.
“Thank you.”
Nick nodded. “So you had a good time, what’s the problem?”
“It wasn’t right. This wasn’t Richard. I kept expecting a snobby comment about the pizza place or my house but it never came.” She sank down, feeling her body collapse onto itself. “And the sex.” She remembered who she was talking to and straightened. “Sorry. Shouldn’t have said that.”
He tensed but shook his head. The words sounded a little forced when he said, “No, it’s fine. Think of me as one of your girlfriends. What about the sex?”
Tally laughed. She could barely imagine him as one of her male friends let alone a girlfriend. But he’d asked and he was here.
“It was great. Amazing.”
“And it’s not usually like that?”
“God, no.” She slapped her palm across her mouth, stopping the flood of words. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said it quite like that.”
Nick’s eyes twinkled but it didn’t look like he was laughing at her. More that he was pleased with her outburst.
“It’s just, Richard’s always been very, traditional, I guess is the best way to say it.”
“And last night he wasn’t?”
“Not at all. It was like he was a different man. All night. Not just the sex.” She fiddled with her empty coffee cup. “Now I don’t know what to do. I mean, I was all set to break up with him…”
“Yes.”
“…but now? I don’t know. Last night he was the man I’d always dreamed about and I don’t want to miss the chance with him. And why am I telling you this?” She rubbed her hand across her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s rude, isn’t it, for me to be talking to you about another guy.”
“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I wasn’t willing to listen.”
“I’m done with my wishy-washy stuff.” She looked around the coffee shop, anxious to find a new topic of conversation. “I’ve never seen it so busy here. I’m usually only downtown during the week.”
“Going into your office this afternoon?”
“I was but it’s too nice. Plus, I didn’t ever find my access badge, so I’d have to sign in and it’s not worth it. I keep all my files on a disk so I can work anywhere.”
“You work too much,” he said, reminding her of their conversation yesterday. “You need to have fun once in a while.”
She laughed. Last night had been fun. Lots of fun. She could do with that kind of fun but she wasn’t going to say that to Nick. He’d heard enough of her issues this morning.
Determined to keep her thoughts away from her night with Richard, she asked about Nick’s plans for the weekend and listened as he talked about his house. The sound of his voice was almost hypnotic, holding her attention until she finally jerked back and looked at her watch. It was almost two.
“Eek. I have errands to run,” she said, smiling.
“I should go as well.” They cleared their table and walked to the door. “I doubt I’ll see you tomorrow but Monday? About two?” She quickly agreed but recognized the disappointment in her chest that she wouldn’t see him tomorrow. It had only been a week but she’d become used to seeing him every day. No, it wasn’t right. She had to break up with Richard. Even after last night, she didn’t think she wanted to keep seeing him. The disappointments of the pas
t three months couldn’t be wiped out by one night.
“See you Monday.”
Nick started to turn away and stopped. “Tally, you know, if you ever need anything or you’re in any kind of trouble, you can call me.” He handed her his business card.
She took it, more confused by the verbal message than the card. He sounded like he expected her to be in trouble. “Thanks.”
She tucked the card into her pocket and looked at him. It just seemed natural to lean forward and brush her lips against his cheek. His hands lightly touched her waist, holding her near for a just a moment before releasing her. “See you Monday.”
* * * * *
Nick stormed into the office at five. Guilt continued to circulate through his body but frustration was starting to bubble to the surface. He’d followed Tally as she’d run errands and visited her sister. And every time she climbed into her car, her jeans stretched across her ass and Nick thought he would come in his pants. His only consolation was that never once did she head toward her office. Whatever she was doing, it was being done either during business hours or on that disk in her briefcase. Jameson had picked up her trail a few minutes ago. He’d stay on her for the rest of the night.
Nick walked to his desk and stared at the box sitting on top.
“What the hell is this?”
“Caitlin left that,” Devon said, having appeared from his office again. “That’s your form for the night.”
Nick picked up the box. “It’s a rubber ducky.”
“It’s a vibrator shaped like a rubber ducky,” Devon clarified, amusement dripping from his voice.
“This is what Caitlin picked? She expects me to turn into a rubber ducky vibrator? She couldn’t have picked something a little more…” He scrounged for the word. “I don’t know, penis-like? Macho?”
“Look at it this way,” Devon said, obviously enjoying himself. “Do you really want your girlfriend more impressed by her sex toys than you?”
Nick looked at the smiling duck and shrugged. “You have a point.”
“If she stays true to form, your girl will go for a walk about nine. I’ll place you on the front step so you’ll be there when she gets back. That makes you coming out of form at about one.”
Taking Shape Page 5