Nightshift

by Kate Douglas

  Arching an eyebrow, Kira looked down her nose at the other woman. “Taking a bullet for you is part of my job. Suck it up.”

  Rhiannon huffed. “Fine. Be that way.”

  “I will.” Then she hugged her friend tight and ignored the fact that her father would be horrified at the familiarity with her employer. So what? If she was going to put her life on the line for the woman, it was better that it was someone she actually liked. She realized just how much she’d fallen back into the pattern of her father’s mind-set when she’d returned to San Amaro. As much as she’d adored the man, she didn’t agree with him. She was as good as anyone else. It wasn’t about who was destined to be servant and who was destined to be master. If she wanted to quit, she could. She made those decisions for herself, not fate. But she loved what she did. It fulfilled her, and it was important to her to make a difference for her people. It was important to her to keep those she cared for safe. Even if it meant she’d take another bullet for one of them. That was the kind of person she was—regardless of anyone’s social class—and she was content with that.

  “We’re going to get our transport in order.” Elan put his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get back home.”

  “More than ready.” Kira pulled herself up onto the side of the bed while everyone disappeared.

  They were all letting Max have some alone time with her, which was nice, but if he hadn’t trampled everyone on his way to see her, that really only meant one thing. She could smell him nearby, could practically feel his guilt wafting toward her. A sigh spilled past her lips. She knew the shooting would bring up some terrible memories for him. It was the hardest part of all this. She knew him. She understood him. She understood what made him who he was, but that also meant she knew why he needed to stop punishing himself for things he couldn’t change.

  I know you’re there, Max. Come in or leave.

  Which do you want me to do?

  She closed her eyes. It hurt that he had to ask, that he didn’t know. Her mental voice was terser than she intended when she replied. Come here.

  His scent drew closer, and then his big body filled the doorway, blocking the light beyond. “The shooter’s dead. I killed him.”

  “Good.” She spoke bluntly, and that seemed to ease some of the tension vibrating through him. “Who was he?”

  “We don’t know yet. Barrett has our people looking into it, dealing with local authorities, figuring out how the hell a human got on our property.” He sighed, his expression haggard and wary.

  “You look like hell.”

  She expected a sarcastic reply, but instead his throat worked for a long moment, he swallowed hard, and it almost looked as if he might cry. “You look beautiful.”

  Damn. She had to glance away or she was going to start tearing up. But she held her hand out, and his warm fingers immediately engulfed hers. He set his free hand beside her hip and buried his face in the crook of her neck. The naked need in that gesture staggered her. Moisture burned her eyes as she wrapped her arms tight around him. She dragged in a steadying breath. “I’m all right.”

  “You were right beside me ... and then you were gone.” The ragged edge to his voice, the echo of words he’d spoken about Michelle, made pain shaft inside her.

  She ran her palm up and down his back. “I’m not her. I’m Between. I survived.”

  He nodded and squeezed her tight, all but lifting her off the bed. “Logically, I know that.”

  “But it brought everything with Michelle back.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry.” Was his upset really for her, or was it just that she’d dredged up old memories? They were friends and colleagues and he’d be upset for those reasons alone, but that wasn’t enough for her. Not anymore.

  His embrace loosened and he braced his hands on either side of her hips. His gaze met hers, open and honest. No masks to hide behind. “I don’t know how I can do this, Kira.”

  Her chest tightened until she couldn’t draw breath. A harsh laugh spilled out of her. Well, that took care of that, didn’t it? Did it really matter what she wanted or how she felt if he walked away? She pushed out of his arms and stood, heading for the bathroom door before what was left of her dignity completely deserted her. “I’m going to grab a shower before we leave for San Amaro.” She paused and glanced back. “Look, I get it. You don’t have to pretend you wanted more than sex. We were friends before and that’s what we’re back to. It’s fine.”

  “Let me finish. Please.” Two strides and he caught her elbow. “I don’t know how I could live if I lost you now, but it’d be a lot worse to watch you find someone with the guts to hold on to you.” He swallowed hard. “I love you.”

  All the blood drained out of her face, and she swayed. “Wh-What?”

  “I love you. I’ve always loved you. As a friend when we were kids, and now as a lot more. I’ve wanted you for years, which I was pretty open about, but ... that’s not everything.” His grip tightened and he met her gaze dead on. “I love you. As in, the kind of love that means marriage and kids and whatever you want. I’m in, I’m yours. If that’s what you want, too.”

  “I ... I honestly never expected you to. I thought ... Hell, I don’t know what I thought.” Her legs gave out and she slumped against the bathroom door frame. “Oh, my God.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Is this a no?”

  “No! Are you insane?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Sometimes it feels that way when I’m around you.”

  “Are you sure?” Her heart thudded against her ribs, the shock still thrumming through her. Love was one thing, even staying together, but marriage? To Max? She hadn’t even let herself go there in her mind. Hell, not even in her wildest dreams. Not really. She realized that was part of her father’s training, thinking she wasn’t good enough for a prince to actually marry. Time to put that kind of logic away. That wasn’t her. She wanted a different life than her father had planned for her. She stared up at Max. “I mean, are you sure this is what you want? Because if you change your mind ...”

  “I’m sure.” He took her face in his hands and let her see everything he felt. “Marry me, Kira. Look, I know you’d hate the princess part of this, but I’ll do anything I can to make it easy on you. I know I’ve got a lot of shit to sort out in my head about my dad and my last girlfriend and, hell, everything, but I promise I will. All of this is probably a raw deal for you, but no matter how badly I screw up, I’ll always keep trying until I get it right, and I’ll try to keep you laughing enough that you don’t notice you could have done better.”

  As if she could do better than her own prince charming. “Okay.”

  He chuckled, pulled her to him for a quick kiss. “Okay, you’ll marry me ... because you love me?”

  “Yeah. Because I’m crazy in love with you.” She twined her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. “Kiss me again.”

  He kissed her, hot and hard. His tongue filled her mouth, his hands sliding over her until he cupped her ass and drew her up on tiptoe. Passion bloomed within her, heating her from the inside out. She twisted against him, the soft material of her sweatshirt rubbing over her nipples and making them tighten to stiff points. His hard body, hard arms, hard cock overwhelmed her, made her wet. She could feel everything and nothing. Their clothes kept her from stroking her wolf the way she wanted.

  The tension soon became unbearable. Her sex was soaked, clenching on emptiness. Her skin burned with the need for his touch. She’d become addicted to it in the last weeks. When she jerked away from the kiss, it made him growl and he nipped at her exposed throat. She choked on a laugh. “I still want that shower.”

  His fangs scraped the tender spot where neck and shoulder met. “I’ll join you.”

  “Yesss.” She all but purred the word.

  “Mmm, you sound like a cat, my fox.” He flicked his tongue over the flesh he’d just bitten.

  She sh
uddered and pulled back, yanking at the bottom edge of her sweatshirt. Tossing it aside, she shoved down her pants and watched Max whip into a whirlwind of light and energy. His clothes fell to the floor and he reformed in his human shape, naked, hard, and ready. His cock curved to just below his navel, the head glistening with a single bead of pre-cum that trailed down the long shaft. The rough spiral pattern that marked him as Between gleamed silver on the muscular slab of his lower abdomen.

  She turned and walked into the shower stall, flipping on the water. He came up behind her, his finger stroking down the line of her spine, swirling into the small of her back to trace her Between mark. “I’ve always loved that this was here.”

  Glancing back, her heart tripped at the soft smile that kicked up the corners of his lips. God, she adored him. Clearing her suddenly tight throat, she grinned back. “Yeah, it was so kind of Mother Nature to land me with a permanent tramp stamp. Bitch.”

  A chuckle bubbled out of him, just as she’d intended, but he bent forward and slid his tongue around the edge of her mark. His fangs scored her flesh, and she shivered, reflexively arching away from the hot, sharp touch.

  His arm snapped around her waist, reeling her back in. He nipped at the upper curve of her ass. Her breath hissed between her teeth, and heat shimmered through her body, dampening her core even more and pinching her nipples tighter.

  She gasped when he straightened and spun her under the pounding rush of hot water. Backing her up against the slick wall, he lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. They both groaned as every inch of them came into contact. “Kira, I need you. Now.”

  “Take me. Now.” Yes, she wanted him to take. She wanted to give him everything. The last barriers of her upbringing fell away, and she gave in to the life she wanted for herself.

  She tilted her hips in offering, and he plunged his dick hilt-deep in one swift thrust. Crying out, she arched hard, which only drove him deeper. He rode her against the wall, and the water made their bodies slide together. The beads of moisture trailing down her skin just added to the ecstasy streaking through her body. She wouldn’t last long. Already, she could feel orgasm building within her, the muscles in her pussy clenching and releasing in time with his stroking cock.

  Her claws dug into his shoulders, and she closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck, drinking in his scent as he fucked her hard. Hot water pounded over her flesh, sent her hair streaming into her face. Too many sensations demanded her attention. Her breath sobbed out, and her body slapped against the slick wall behind her. The water glued their fronts together, increasing the wet friction, and her thighs burned with the strain of moving faster and faster. Gravity would have kept him inside her, but she couldn’t wait. Lust and love spurred her onward.

  Orgasm broke within her, and stars burst behind her eyelids. The stunning force of it left her gasping. She should be used to how powerful sex was with him, but she wasn’t. It would always be better with him than it could be with anyone else. She loved him. And he loved her. Her prince. Her Max.

  Her pussy clamped tight on his cock, milking his shaft in rhythmic waves. Still he ground himself into her, and every time he entered her, another wave of climax crashed through her.

  She threw her head back against the wall, her mouth opening in a silent scream, her fangs punching through her gums. Max! Max, please!

  A helpless groan echoed in the room, and he drove deep one last time before his come flooded her pussy. “I love you, Kira.”

  “I love you, Max.”

  Shuddering, he dropped his head to kiss the side of her neck. His arms tightened around her and compressed her ribs, squeezing the breath out of her. “God, how I love you.”

  And that was all she needed. They brought out the best in each other, and she’d never known anyone who accepted her, valued her, just as she was. Except Max. She knew what had happened in the last day would continue to affect them, but it wouldn’t conquer them. They wouldn’t let it. No matter what happened, they were strong enough to face it.

  Together.

  THE RIGHT NUMBER

  LYNN LAFLEUR

  1

  Jamieson Edward Millington liked things orderly. He insisted on his house being neat, his vehicles clean, and his desk uncluttered.

  Today, his desk looked as if an office supply warehouse had exploded on top of it.

  Jay threw his pen on top of a tall stack of papers and blew out a sharp puff of breath. His cousin—the vice president of development at JEMATAR—had gone on vacation ten days ago and left Jay with several possibilities for investment property acquisitions. Jay trusted his cousin’s instincts implicitly. If Troy recommended something to purchase, it would be profitable in the long run.

  With all the work he already had to do on the upcoming release of JEMATAR’s latest computer and new operating system, Jay had no room to add anything else to his list. He wished Troy had had the time to finish his investigations before he left for vacation. It hadn’t been the best of times, business-wise, for Troy to leave, but he’d made his vacation plans months ago. He couldn’t change them without paying penalties and extra fees. Besides, there wasn’t ever a good time for Troy to leave. If there were forty-eight hours in the day, both Jay and Troy would stay busy constantly.

  Shaking his head, Jay tried to marshal his thoughts back to the ream of paper on his desk. He knew he had only a short amount of time to act before the San Francisco properties were snatched up by someone else. Picking up his pen once more, he tackled the next pile of spreadsheets and copies of website pages on his desk.

  The more he looked, the less he liked what he saw. Jay wondered if he should check property outside of San Francisco. There were definitely places in the U.S. that would be cheaper than the Bay Area.

  Jay called up his Web browser and began checking real estate sites in the Midwest. He had no idea how much time passed before a property south of Dallas caught his attention. Good location, reasonable price, low taxes. As much as that area was growing, it would be a great investment for the future.

  His attention still focused on his computer screen, Jay picked up the telephone receiver and punched in the number for the real estate company.

  “Hello?” a soft feminine voice said.

  Instant erection. One word from the woman on the other end of the line and his cock hardened. That had never happened to him. The wolf inside him snapped to attention. “Uh, hello. Have I reached Big D Properties?”

  “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.”

  If possible, his cock grew even harder. He tugged on the fly of his pants, trying to give his shaft more room. Her voice sounded so sexy, with a hint of a Texas drawl that made his heartbeat speed up and his inner wolf pace in impatience. It wanted her now. “Isn’t this 972-555-9443?”

  “No, it’s not.”

  He glanced at the phone’s display to verify the number, not remembering until that moment that his telephone had died yesterday. This phone, a substitute until his could be replaced, didn’t have a display window. “Then what number did I dial?”

  She remained silent for several seconds. When she spoke again, he thought he heard amusement in her voice. “My mother always told me never to give out my phone number to someone I don’t know.”

  Jay leaned back in his chair and smiled. He liked this game, despite his aching cock. “Oh, come on. I’m a nice guy, I swear.”

  “Isn’t that what Ted Bundy said?”

  Not only did she have a beautiful voice, she had a sense of humor, too. His wolf panted. “Okay, don’t give me your number. But if this isn’t Big D Properties, who is this?”

  “Uh-uh, that won’t work either.”

  “Are you always this suspicious?”

  “Do you always flirt with strange women on the telephone?”

  Good question, and one he had no problem answering honestly. “Only when they have an incredible voice.”

  “So do you,” she said so
ftly.

  Her compliment sent a shaft of desire straight to his dick. He groaned, his wolf howled. Just listening to this woman’s voice on the telephone made him feel like a randy teenager.

  He couldn’t let her go.

  “If you won’t tell me your name or number, how am I supposed to call you again?”

  “You aren’t. This was a wrong number, remember?”

  “I don’t think so. I think it was very much the right number.”

  She turned silent, but Jay sensed she wanted to keep talking. “Tell me about yourself.”

  “I can’t. I have to go. I have an appointment.”

  He didn’t want to let her go. Jay knew it was crazy, but he didn’t want to sever the connection between them. He had no idea with whom he spoke, only that she was somewhere in the Dallas area, almost two thousand miles away from him. The distance didn’t matter. He’d reached her.

  His mate.

  “I understand the importance of appointments. Please give me your number so I can call you later.”

  “I don’t think so. Good-bye.”

  “No, wait!”

  The soft click over the line told Jay she’d hung up. “Damn it,” he muttered. He clutched the receiver, debating whether or not to press the Redial button. At least the older phone had one of those.

  She said she had an appointment, but perhaps she hadn’t left yet.

  He replaced the receiver in its cradle and tugged on the fly of his pants again. The part of his anatomy with a mind of its own wasn’t relaxing one bit. Nor did he think it would until he found her.

  He had to find her.

  A soft rap on his open office door made Jay look up. Troy sauntered into the room as Jay’s phone rang.

  His cousin’s arrival destroyed his chance to use the Redial button.

  Jay answered his call while Troy crossed the floor. His cousin stood six feet tall with a slim, athletic build. His icy green eyes and dark good looks turned women’s heads and made lust light up their eyes. Today, he looked like hell. His long brown hair lay tousled about his head. His face bore a three-day stubble. A wrinkled white T-shirt and baggy jeans covered his frame.