by Ellie Pond
“Oh, god, Naomi. I’m sorry. I should have warned you. I’ve done that like ten times this week already. And Daniel has done it twice as many. He’s gonna wring my neck if he does it again.”
Naomi held her hand over the bump that was forming on her forehead. She sat on the edge of the bed, and Zach crouched down in front of her.
“What’s going on?” Daniel barked.
Zach’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit, this isn’t anything, Daniel. I was giving the tour, and she banged her head, like you do.”
Aggression scent permeated the air.
Naomi held her hair away from her forehead for Daniel to admire the welt.
“I’ll go. See you around, Naomi.” Zach waved, and the door clicked shut.
“I missed seeing you.” Naomi rotated towards Daniel, still sitting on his bed. Her lynx liked it here.
He pushed her hair away from the bump on her forehead and frowned. He opened their fridge—which had an actual freezer—and pulled out an ice tray. He dumped three slices of bread from the top of the bridge onto a paper plate and filled the empty bag with ice.
“You’re prepared.”
“I’ve done that a few times this week.”
“Zach said. He sure likes the room.”
“It’s not bad. It’s nice having two chairs.” Naomi glanced. She had missed that there were two desks.
“Where’s your armoire and drawers?” Edvard’s room was like hers, only a little bigger. This one was vastly different in good and bad ways.
“Zach didn’t show it to you. He must not have gotten to finish the tour.”
Naomi shrugged. “I tried to knock myself out.”
“He started with the tub, where he jumped in it.” Daniel did an exaggerated immersion of Zach, flopping his hair from side to side. She laughed.
“Next he told you about the beam, and how I want to kill him if I hit my head again.” She smiled. “Then he insisted you come stare out the portal.”
“And then I hit my head. Guess I missed the rest of the tour.”
“Next he would have pointed out that we have two desks, two chairs.”
She nodded.
“Then he would have asked you ‘So where do you think we keep our clothes?’” Daniel used a funny voice.
“I don’t know. Where do you keep your clothes, imposter Zach?”
“Why in the closet of course!” He pulled the door across from the bathroom open. The door that Naomi had assumed led to the next room. But next door was the kitchen.
“You have an actual closet.”
“It’s not a closet so much as a second room.”
She cocked her head at him.
“Okay, a tiny second room.”
Naomi held the ice to her head and went to the closet. Tiny room indeed. They had two full built-in dressers and lots of hanging room. She stood in the crook of his arm as he held the door open.
“Wow,” she said and turned her head. They were close. She cupped the side of his face and tilted her head as he leaned in, his arms pinning and surrounding her. Their lips met, and stars erupted. His kiss claimed her until she moaned, soft and wet in his arms.
He pulled away.
Her eyes searched his. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. Are you willing to have this be more than an arrangement?”
Her heart stopped. Her lynx nipped at her. She wanted Daniel. But no, she couldn’t betray Braxton. “I can’t.”
He stepped back. A chill passed through her with the absence of his warmth.
“I need more.” His eyes pleaded.
“I can’t.” She opened the door and ran.
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The Doctor thought she was immune to hot shifter pheromones, but she’d never met her fated mate before…
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Tad Larsen took his brilliance to the city and made billions. Now his mother has ordered him home, she’s a real witch like that. A secret witch, and when she asks you to do something, you do it. That’s how he ended up babysitting his adult cousins on a cruise ship for shifters; That’s where his bound magic is let loose. Now he’s no longer just a wolf shifter but a mutt. But does the mutt need a mate?
* * *
Dr. Elizabeth Cottage doesn’t need a guy, her research and patients consume her precious hours. But she never expected to find a fated mate. Now what will she do? Give up her beloved ship and follow him, or give up on the love she didn’t realize she wanted?
* * *
Can Elizabeth and Tad get out of their own heads long enough to see what their hearts really want?
* * *
Brilliant Heart is the second book in the magical world of Dark Wing paranormal romance series. If you like fated mates, undeniable attraction, and magical intrigue, you’ll love Ellie’s entertaining Happily Ever After romance.
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