by Zoe Chant
Amber stared at him, golden eyes bright in the sunrise.
Tony gathered her unresisting hand into his own. “Marry me?”
The tears that appeared in Amber's eyes made Tony fear he'd done something terribly wrong until the amazed smile bloomed on her face.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Oh, yes.”
Tony surged up to take her into his arms, and kissed her passionately, fingers twining into her loose hair. She kissed him back, twining her tongue with his and wrapping her strong arms around his shoulders.
“I love you,” Tony said, when he could breath again. “I will love you forever.”
“I love you,” she replied. “Forever.”
They kissed again, slower, and deeper, and Tony knew that forever wasn't just an empty word between them, but a promise, like the sun rising over the jungle.
“I'm going to miss this place,” Amber told Tony, leaning into his side with her arm wrapped around him.
“Huh,” Tony said with surprise. “I am, too.” He had a feeling that Shifting Sands was going to stay under his skin for longer than there was sand in his shoes... and that was probably going to be a very long time indeed.
“Pura vida,” he said. Pure life.
***
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. I'd also love to know if you'd like to see more of the characters at Shifting Sands. Email me at [email protected] and let me know whose story you'd like next!
Please consider reviewing Tropical Tiger Spy, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
Please keep paging down to read a special sneak preview of Dancing Bearfoot!
Cover art © Can Stock Photo, design by Ellen Million
***
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
Firefighter Dragon. A curvy archaeologist with the find of a lifetime + a firefighter dragon shifter battling his instincts + a priceless artifact coveted by a ruthless rival = one blazing hot adventure!
Lawman Lion. A sexy lion shifter sheriff + an independent BBW who runs a diner + trouble with a local gang = one red-hot romance that will leave you breathless!
Bodyguard Bear. (Protection, Inc. # 1). A BBW witness to a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!
Defender Dragon. (Protection, Inc. # 2). A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!
Protector Panther. (Protection, Inc. # 3). A curvy paramedic who doesn’t know the meaning of fear + a mysterious panther shifter bodyguard with the power to inflict terror + sinister experiments and desperate passion = one heart-pounding romance!
Sheriff Bear. (Bears of Pinerock County # 1). A small-town sheriff + a wrongly accused BBW on the run + deadly enemies and dangerous passions = a sizzling forbidden love!
Bad Boy Bear. (Bears of Pinerock County # 2). Biker bear on the open road + BBW runaway-bride hitchhiker + evil motorcycle gang = an unforgettable red-hot road trip!
Alpha Rancher Bear. (Bears of Pinerock County # 3). A take-charge alpha with commitment issues + a midwife who's not about to give up control of her well-ordered life + a roadside winter disaster = an explosive romance that's about to blow up everything they both thought they wanted!
The Saber Tooth Tiger's Mate. A BBW recovering from a bad break-up + a sexy saber tooth tiger shifter + a sinister stalker and a deadly duel = one heart-pounding romance!
The Billionaire Dragon Shifter's Baby. A curvy social worker in need of a break + a carefree dragon shifter + a baby dragon who needs her father = one hot and heartwarming romance!
Dancing Bearfoot. A single dad from the city + his daughter's BBW teacher + a surprise snow storm = a steamy story that will melt your heart.
Alpha Lion. A frightened but determined BBW + a sexy lion shifter martial artist + a dangerous enemy = one unforgettable romance!
Hero Bear. A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!
And many more!
If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books
Laura’s Wolf, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.
Prisoner, by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.
The Right Bear's Arms, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending? A full-length novel.
Handcuffed to the Bear, by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pasts, and their pursuers, catch up with them?
***
Keep reading for a special sneak preview!
If you loved Tropical Tiger Spy…
You’ll also love Dancing Bearfoot!
A single dad from the city + his daughter's BBW teacher + a surprise snow storm = a steamy story that will melt your heart.
Patricia works hard to keep her small-town preschool afloat, and the last thing she needs is trouble from the arrogant single father of her newest student. But when the stunningly handsome man captures her heart with a single look, trouble is what's in store.
Big city billionaire bear shifter Lee doesn't believe in soulmates. He's loved and lost before, and he's sure that there's no such thing as a perfect mate ... until he meets the golden goddess who teaches his daughter.
When a sudden snowstorm traps them in his mansion, the spark between them catches fire. Lee has to balance his past and present, and somehow tell her his secret--a secret that he never even shared with the wife he lost. With Patricia's help, can his heart learn to dance again?
Dancing Bearfoot is a sweet and sexy short standalone BBW bear shifter second-chance romance. No cliffhangers!
Lee lay awake for a long moment without opening his eyes, not ready to be awake, and not sure why he was.
"Someone is watching us," his bear supplied, wary and grouchy.
Lee opened his eyes at last, and found the cause of his uneasy feeling staring at him across the empty spread of bed. Blue eyes that matched his own were framed with white-blonde curls that were nothing like his own dark locks.
"I start preschool today," Clara told him, matter-of-factly. "I dressed myself. But I couldn't tie my shoes." The offending shoes, a worn pair of sneakers with pink cartoon bears, were laying on the bed between them. The knotted laces showed her efforts.
Lee groaned, and looked at the clock on the bedside table. "It's five in the morning," he explained.
"I don't want to be late."
Lee refrained from trying to explain details about time to a four-year-old, and resigned himself to getting up. He snagged a pair of pants from a moving box and padded barefoot across the thick carpet to sweep Clara up and toss her effortlessly onto the wide bed while he got dressed.
She giggled and tumbled, then sat up se
riously. "Will my new teacher like me?" she asked anxiously.
"You don't need to worry about that, cub!" Lee was quick to assure her. "You're going to have a great time. Aunt Bella says it's the best school in the whole town."
Like the concept of time, it was pointless to add that the entire town was only thirteen hundred people strong, and there had not been a choice at all. If the preschool did not work out, he could pack them back up and move them to another town, but Lee was weary of moving, and tired of cities. He already loved the house they had found, and the quaint little town of Green Valley. His bear loved the wilderness that was only a short wander out his backdoor. If the preschool didn't work out, maybe he would just hire another nanny and keep Clara home. He was suddenly hopeful that his daughter wouldn't get along with the teacher.
"Would you like a special breakfast?" he offered, to distract her. "You can help me wash dishes, afterward."
Clara's face lit up. "Yes! Pancakes! With blueberries! Can I make the bubbles for the dishes?"
Lee helped Clara off the bed and took her little hand in his own. "Pancakes it is. And you can make all the bubbles, because it's your first day of preschool." He wondered when she would grow up enough to realize that washing dishes wasn't really the treat he made it out to be.
He was still looking for a reason not to like the preschool as he drove the beater company truck he had borrowed from his construction company up to the quaint little house. Despite his efforts, and Clara's insanely early wake-up, they were still running late. It had started to snow, and he didn't want to push the truck too fast on the slushy streets. It had also, somehow, taken twenty minutes to get Clara into her winter coat and out the door, despite her eagerness to go.
He unstrapped Clara from her carseat and followed her with growing reluctance up the snowy steps. He wondered if he should have insisted she wear her winter boots, rather than the pink bear tennis shoes, but she scampered up and was pushing open the door before the snow had a chance to stick to her legs.
The door opened to a tiny Arctic entryway. Clara would have pushed further on, but Lee noticed the rack of coats and stopped her. "Here, honey, let's take off your coat."
She squirmed and fussed while he unzipped her and hung her coat on an empty hook.
It was warm, noisy chaos behind the second door. Children laughed and played at activity stations around the room, and someone was playing a cheerful song on a slightly tinny upright piano. As the musician, unseen, ended with a flourish, some of the children clapped in delight.
He wasn't ready. He'd been a fool to think he could do this–to leave Clara with some stranger for so many hours? He would just tell the old woman that he'd made a mistake, that Clara would be too anxious, that... he cast about in his mind for some excuse. That he'd forgotten her lunch? He settled a scowl on his face; that was often enough to send weak-willed people running, and maybe she wouldn't ask why he was withdrawing Clara from her class.
But Clara, not at all bothered by the noise, was trotting forward, her lunch clutched in one hand and the other pulling him reluctantly forward. "Her name is Miss Patricia," she said enthusiastically. "Aunt Bella said so."
Then "Miss Patricia" was bouncing out from behind the piano, and Lee's excuses died on his lips.
The gray bun and glasses he had imagined were nowhere to be seen. The tiny, ancient woman he had envisioned bore no resemblance to the blonde goddess who was smiling down at his daughter. She was tall and curvy, with big, brown eyes and straw-blonde hair loose to her shoulders. Energy radiated from her, and Lee felt like the floor had fallen away.
"You must be Clara," she was saying. Her voice sounded very far away–the sounds of the room had tunneled away in the shock of seeing her.
"I am," Clara said confidently. "I'm four. I brought my lunch."
"Let me show you where to put that," Miss Patricia said, and as she straightened, she met Lee's eyes.
Lee had never believed in soulmates; he thought the whole idea of a destined mate was ridiculous, made up for people who need comforting fiction to get through their lives. But the teacher's eyes, infinite pools of brown warmth, were the first place he had ever felt truly home. The bear in him rumbled in delight.
"You must be Mr. Montgomery," she said, and her voice was as rich as her eyes, with the subtle Midwestern accent that he hadn't known he adored.
Lee realized she was holding out her hand, and had no idea how long it had been there. "Lee," he said swiftly, reaching out too fast to shake it. Touching her skin was like being struck by lightning, and he had to make himself let go after a handshake that was too long and trailed away into simply holding onto her. He had never wanted so badly to kiss a complete stranger.
"Lee," she said, with amusement. "It's nice to meet you."
Then Clara was slipping out of his other hand and following the golden woman away. She moved like a dancer, all grace and efficiency of motion. If she filled out her flowered country shirt nicely, she filled out her simple jeans even better, and Lee was mesmerized to watch her bend over to show Clara where to put her lunch. Down at their level, she suddenly became a magnet to the children, and was swiftly swarmed by small people demanding her attention.
More attractive than her curves and soft hair–which were enough by themselves to send Lee into a stupor of desire–was an air of gentle affection that glowed around her. Her sweet smile and careful handling of the childrens' attention was enchanting to watch. She knew just which ones needed a little playful redirection of their energy, and which ones needed a gentle nudge to boost their confidence. Her movements were never sharp or angry. Her attention flowed between them seamlessly, and the entire room was warmed by her simple presence.
Lee did not realize that he was standing there, staring stupidly, until Clara trotted back to him and pulled on his hand. "Papa, you're supposed to leave now."
Lee felt his cheeks heat unexpectedly– he couldn't remember the last time he had blushed–and knelt to give Clara a swift hug. "Have a fun day, cub," he told her, and then he turned and fled in a rush of confusion.
***
Patricia knew that the first day of preschool after any break–even just Christmas–was always as much about the parents as it was the children. Few of them were really ready to say goodbye, and they dealt poorly with the children who were clingy. But so far, only one child that morning needed any serious distraction, and she was enchanted with the class rabbit in short order.
Harriette Ambler, as expected, was the worst of the mothers, a perfect storm of condescending and demanding. Her son, Trevor, was a meek little angel, but to hear Harriette talk–right in front of the poor boy!–he was a perfect devil, and she clearly doubted that Patricia was up to the challenge for a second semester. She elbowed a little girl out of the way in order to get Patricia's attention, and detailed the contents of his lunch (which were also written on the outside of his lunch bag), and insisted that he was not to participate in rough play or, from the sounds of it, anything fun. Patricia managed to catch Trevor's eye while his mother was turned away, and rolled her eyes at him with an exaggerated shrug. She was rewarded with a shy half-smile, swiftly hidden as Harriette scolded him for slouching.
"I'm sure we'll manage, Harriette," Patricia assured her buoyantly. "We'll see you at two!" Then she was able to herd Trevor off to a painting station and walk away to the piano. Left without an audience, the infuriating woman finally left, and Patricia launched into a cheerful song to celebrate.
The last parent on Patricia's list and the only one that she didn't already know was Leland Montgomery. In some ways, he was exactly as she expected–and in some ways nothing at all as she'd envisioned.
His sister, Bella, had explained that he was a single father, and Patricia braced herself for a spoiled or neglected child and a harried father who couldn't even be bothered to arrange his own child's education. She was unsurprised that he was running late, and came out from around the piano braced for excuses and unpleasant conflict–he w
ould either be the kind of single father who hated women for hurting him, or the overprotective sort who would never believe their child had flaws. Either way, being late would already put him on the defensive.
The first shock was his size. He made the schoolhouse feel small with his great bulk. He played football in high school, she guessed, with those fabulous shoulders. He probably worked construction now. A glance out of the window confirmed that guess– a battered company truck was parked in front of the school.
But he didn't look like a blue-collar worker, despite the worn plaid shirt and the big hands. He looked like a model playing at being a lumberjack, with fine cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. A mop of thick dark hair above glowering eyebrows looked as artful and deliberate as the stubble across his chiseled jaw. It was the kind of face and build that made Patricia's knees feel weak, and she had to focus on the daughter––or embarrass herself by drooling, or possibly fainting dramatically at his feet.
Click here to keep reading Dancing Bearfoot.