by Anna Lowe
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Lure of the Fox
Book 6
by
Anna Lowe
Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart
Lure of the Fox
Copyright © 2018 by Anna Lowe
[email protected]
Editing by Lisa A. Hollett
Proofreading by Donna Hokanson
Cover art by Kim Killion
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.
Many thanks to the members of my amazing plot wizards group for your incredible support and ideas! An equally big thank you goes to star beta readers Colleen, Beth, Jen, Cindy, Renee, Linda, Kaila, and Sherry who all contributed to making this story the best it could be. Thank you so much for your time!
Other books in this series
Aloha Shifters - Jewels of the Heart
Lure of the Dragon (Book 1)
Lure of the Wolf (Book 2)
Lure of the Bear (Book 3)
Lure of the Tiger (Book 4)
Love of the Dragon (Book 5)
Lure of the Fox (Book 6)
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Desert Wolf: Friend or Foe (Book 1.1 in the Twin Moon Ranch series)
Off the Charts (the prequel to the Serendipity Adventure series)
Perfection (the prequel to the Blue Moon Saloon series)
Contents
Other books in this series
Lure of the Fox
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Sneak Peek: Aloha Shifters: Pearls of Desire
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Lure of the Fox
Destiny only puts events into motion. The rest is up to you.
Desert fox shifter Ella Kitt has no problem risking her life — but never, ever her heart. Not that she expects to do either when she flies to Maui to help her Special Forces comrades with an easy security job. Or maybe not so easy, because she’s forced to work — and live — in close quarters with smoking hot army hero, Jake McBride. Jake isn’t just the one-night stand who makes her scarred heart flutter and her fox’s tail wag — he’s also a human, totally off-limits to shifters of her kind.
Head over heels in love? Not Jake McBride. It’s just that he can’t shake Ella out of his mind — or his dreams. But when destiny reunites him with his kick-ass lover, he can’t deny the attraction any more. There’s something powerful and alluring about Ella — plus a hidden, sensual side he longs to set free.
At the same time, mystery surrounds Ella and Jake’s new employers at Koa Point. How exactly can a group of Special Forces vets afford to live on an exclusive oceanfront estate? What deadly enemy is closing in on their sun-kissed corner of paradise? And is that enemy targeting someone at the estate — or targeting Jake?
Chapter One
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* * *
Jake raised his fist and knocked on the massive gate at the end of the private drive. Then he stepped back and crossed his arms to wait, studying the swirly design carved into the wood. At first, he thought it was a toothy lizard, but then he spotted the wings.
He shaded his eyes from the tropical sun and checked again. A dragon?
He’d heard rumors about the guys of Special Forces OD-X unit — rumors that their amazing feats and incredible power came from some not-quite-human side. He’d never believed that nonsense, because he knew firsthand what the human body could do when a man went into survival mode.
He stared into the eyes of the carved dragon. Heroes, he could believe in. But supernatural heroes? He’d never believed that bullshit.
But for a flicker of an instant, he wasn’t so sure. Of course, these days, it was hard to be sure about anything. His eyes darted over the thick foliage surrounding the quiet lane, and his hands reached for the weapon he no longer carried. Then he cursed and rolled his shoulders a few times. Damn it, he’d been stateside for nearly two months. This wasn’t a war zone. So why were his nerves always on high alert?
Possibly because the massive wooden gate screamed Private! Danger! and Keep out! Or possibly because he was more used to breaching walls and scaling fences than waiting to be let in.
He banged three more times and called out. “Hello?”
Nothing. No reaction. Crickets.
Then the bushes rustled, and a calico kitten tiptoed along the top of the gate, purring at him. Jake chuckled. So much for rumors of men who vanished, leaving ferocious wild animals in their place.
“Hey, little guy.” He held out a hand.
The kitten sniffed the air and flicked its tricolor tail.
“Let me guess. You’re head of security,” Jake quipped. “No wonder they need help.”
The fur ball gave a plaintive meow, prompting Jake to pet it. It had thick, healthy fur, unlike some of the sorry strays Jake used to throw scraps to in various war-torn parts of the world.
“You reckon I’m in the right place?” he asked.
The kitten closed its eyes and purred under Jake’s touch as he squinted at the gate. There wasn’t actually a plaque labeled Koa Point Estate, but the place matched the description provided by his friend, Boone Hawthorne. Of course, it was hard to tell when Boone was joking and when the guy was serious. Maybe Boone had been bullshitting about living on an oceanfront estate.
A whirring sound came from overhead, and Jake snapped his head up and crouched, arms out, fists balled, ready for action. The kitten skittered into the bushes, spooked.
“Damn it.” That was just a security camera, not a band of hidden insurgents turning their weapons on him. No reason at all for his heart rate to spike and sweat to break out over his brow.
“Hello?” a gritty voice growled. “Who is it?”
Jake glared at the intercom hidden behind huge leaves. “McBride, reporting for duty.”
The growl turned into a friendly cackle that could only belong to Boone Hawthorne. “Jake! You found us.”
“Sure did.”
“Well, come in already.” A click sounded, and the gate slowly slid to one side. “I’ll meet you on the way down.”
Jake readjusted his backpack and stepped forward, wondering what to expect. The kitten reappeared and wound between his legs, slowing him down.
“You live here too?” Jake asked. A second later, he stepped past the thick hedge and whistled. “Wow. Lucky kitty.”
The cat blinked up at him, wide-eyed, innocent, and blissfully unaware of how most of the world’s population lived.
A stand of trees gave way to a manicured, putting-green lawn dotted with beds of exotic flowers. The smooth driveway curved around stands of old-growth forest where leaves whispered in the sea breeze. None of it resembled anything like what he’d grown up with in Colorado, and definitely not like anything he’d seen on four successive tours of duty that had taken him to so many forgotten corners of the globe.
“Jake!” A sandy-haired man strode into view — barefoot, bare-chested, clad in nothing but a colorful sarong.
Yep, that was definitely Boone Hawthorne. Jake had only ever seen the guy in fatigues, but even then, Boone’s sunny surfer side had shone through. But what the hell was he doing on a ritzy estate like this?
“Holy shit, Boone. Did you inherit a couple of million or rob a bank?”
Boone grinned and pulled Jake into a back-smacking man-hug. “No inheritance, no heists. Me and the guys just happened to land the sweetest caretaking deal in the islands.”
For once, Boone wasn’t kidding. The garage Jake spotted around the next turn had space for at least a dozen cars, and a shiny red Ferrari stood parked outside one of the bays.
When the kitten swiped at the trailing edge of Boone’s sarong, Boone scooped it up and nuzzled it with his chin. “I see Keiki has already introduced herself.” Then he stopped and smacked Jake on the shoulder again. “I can’t believe you’re here. So good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you too.” Jake grinned.
It had been nearly eighteen months since he’d last seen Boone, sometime after the three missions their units had cooperated on. But right away, it felt like old times. Most of all, it felt good to see someone he wouldn’t have to explain anything to. Like why a mess kit had to be kept clean or why he kept his gear packed in such tight, neat folds. Why he sometimes woke up in a cold sweat.
“The guys will be glad to see you too,” Boone said.
“Your whole unit is here?”
“Yep. Me, Hunter, and Cruz — when he’s not off somewhere with his mate—” Boone stuttered a little, then went on. “Housemate. I mean, his girlfriend. Kai and Silas are here too.”
Jake followed him, trying to process it all. Swaying palm trees. A strip of aquamarine water off what seemed to be a private beach. Boone hadn’t been kidding when he said sweet. And wow, the whole unit was still together. Jake was still in touch with his buddies, but they’d all gone separate ways. Which would have been fine if he knew they were all off pursuing their own definitions of happiness — but, no. Junger had been killed in a climbing accident, and Chalsmith died in a car crash, both within the last few weeks. It pained Jake to think about all the risks they’d taken in war zones, only to die when they got home. Hoover, another member of his unit, had even muttered something about reenlisting to live a safer life.
Jake, on the other hand, had put the army firmly behind him once his honorable discharge had gone through. He’d headed home, given his mom his Distinguished Service Cross, and put out feelers for jobs. And of all people, Boone Hawthorne — a guy who might have been named most likely to turn into a beach bum — had been the first to write back.
“Sorry to hear about your guys,” Boone murmured as if he’d picked up on Jake’s thoughts.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Jake cleared his throat. “And thanks for writing about the job.”
“Your timing was perfect.” Boone gestured around. “We were looking for a couple of extra security guards when you wrote, and everyone agreed you’d be perfect. We figured Maui would appeal too.”
Maui had sounded great, and security guard was fine with him, especially since he hadn’t been able to turn off the hypervigilant part of his mind. Maybe a few months in this job would help him settle down. And who knew? It might even help him forget the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.
You’re meant for each other, a little voice in the back of his mind said. She is your destiny.
He kicked the grass path. That had been nearly eighteen months back, but his mind insisted on replaying the memories over and over again.
Memories of the coolest, most collected woman he’d ever met. One with reddish-blond hair, piercing brown-orange eyes, and thin, no-nonsense lips. Petite didn’t suit a woman with that much attitude, and the tattoos etched into her arms only heightened the effect. All the men she’d worked with refrained from saying five-foot-two and called her six-foot-minus-ten instead. Ella rarely let her feminine side show, but when they’d been alone, she’d given him everything for one scorching, unforgettable night.
A black bird with a yellow mask swooped over his head, and poof! Those memories of Ella vanished with that bandit of a bird, leaving him blinking upward.
Boone was gesturing toward the ocean and saying something, but Jake missed most of it. “Over there…private beach…helipad…”
Jake shook his head, telling himself he wasn’t in love. That one torrid night didn’t mean forever. It was probably one of those weird things war had knocked into his head. Now that he was back — a free man, no longer bound to take orders from anyone — he’d get over Ella and go back to living the nice, simple life of a bachelor. Like that line in some poem, he’d be the captain of his own destiny. No complications, no one to tie him down.
“This is our meeting house,” Boone said as they approached a thatch-roofed building with open sides where several men stood. “You remember Hunter, right?”
Jake grasped Hunter’s outstretched hand and shook it heartily. How could he forget the giant, lumberjack type? “Good to see you.”
They shook warmly until something orange flashed between them, making Hunter laugh.
“Whoa there, Keiki,” he murmured to the kitten, who perched happily on his shoulder, purring.
“Got yourself a real tiger there.” Jake chuckled.
“Ha. She wishes,” Boone laughed.
Someone giggled. Hunter raised one bushy eyebrow, and even the kitten seemed to wink.
Jake looked around. What was that about?
“Hi.” A friendly blonde stepped forward with a warm smile. “I’m Nina. So nice to meet you.”
Jake moved his lips, a little lost for words when Boone slid an arm around the woman’s waist — her very full, bulging waist. Apparently, Boone had found himself a nice woman and was the proud father-to-be of a child who couldn’t be too far from being born. More proof that life didn’t stand still, even if it sometimes felt that way in the time he’d been away.
“You’ll get to meet the twins pretty soon.” Boone grinned from ear to ear.
“Congratulations,” Jake managed, still surprised. Boone, of all people…
“You know Kai. And this is Tessa,” Boone continued.
“Hi,” a striking redhead said.
Jake shook hands with her and got a solid shoulder smack from Kai, who grinned. Jake did too. So many familiar faces, all of them obviously doing well. Settled down and happily partnered up, from the look of it.
“So who else do you know? Oh — Cruz.” Boone waved toward a thick stand of trees on the far side of the property. “He’s prowling around somewhere — or surfing with Jody.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up. Cruz was a surly, leave-me-alone kind of guy, and prowling fit perfectly. But surfing? No way.
“Silas and Cassandra will be back from New York in a week,” Boone finished, looking around. “I guess that’s everyone.” Hunter growled — really growled — and Boone hastened to add, “And Dawn! You can meet her tonight.”
Jake found his pulse skipping faster. If all the men of the OD-X unit were here, maybe Ella was too.
But, no. He’d heard Ella was in Arizona, and a good thing too. He was trying to forget her, not to throw oil on a smoldering fire.
“So, what have you been up to?” Boone asked.
Jake’s mind went blank. The past weeks were a dull blur, and his only real desire — driving obsession? — had been to find Ella. Which he wasn’t about to do. They’d agreed to keep it to one night and one night only for lots of good reasons he was tired of explaining to his heart. So he’d been couch-surfing from friend to friend while searching for a decent job. Something like what he’d grown up doing, working on the family ranch in Colorado. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option now that his older brother had inherited the place and rehired all the working hands he needed.
“Not really sure.” Jake looked at his feet.
“Yeah,” Kai murmured. “I remember that.”
And for a minute, every man stared silently into the distance, lost in his own thoughts. It was only when the women quietly stepped closer that each of the men brightened and looked up again.
“The good thing is, it wears off,” Kai said when Tessa touched his shoulder.
Jake shifted from foot to foot, ready to change the subject. He looked around and counted in his mind. These men — and women — were a formidable force in their own right. Why did they need an extra body to keep an eye on the place?
“What can you tell me about the job?”
Boone laughed. “Right to work, huh? We knew you’d be perfect.”
Kai nodded in approval. “It’s a fairly straightforward security job, keeping an eye on this estate and the adjoining property. Almost boring compared to what you’re used to.”
“Boring sounds good,” Jake joked. “Who owns this place?”