by Milly Taiden
“Since when is someone’s file classified?” he growled.
Uh-oh. Someone had his tail in a knot. “I can’t help you if you want to talk about Donovan, Ramirez.”
He growled again, and she heard something break. “This is crazy. How is it that she has no family history? Nothing. How the hell am I supposed to find her?”
“Ramirez, I’m sorry. I can’t tell you where Donovan is.” She smiled at Brock’s lifting of his brows. “But I can tell you that if you happen to be looking for her, the information on where to find it is right in that ‘fake’ file.”
Silence. Then. “Shit! I didn’t even think of it. Thank you, Boss.” Ramirez’s voice returned to humorous. She kind of enjoyed that side of the shifter. It made their job not so…harsh. A bit of humor wouldn’t hurt. “There’s one more thing,” he said as she was about to hang up.
“What’s that, Ramirez?”
“Brock. He’s different now.”
“Oh?” She watched Brock across from her, his gaze piercing and hot.
“He isn’t withdrawn or looking like he’s missing half of himself anymore,” Ramirez said, the sound of things being tossed in the background. “I can see he’s happy. You did that. I just wanted to say thank you. I like this version of him better.”
She didn’t realize how much of an impact she’d had on Brock’s life. “That’s really nice to hear, Ramirez.”
“It’s cool. Thanks for the advice on Jane,” he said and hung up.
He shouldn’t thank her yet. He still had to deal with Donovan and whatever mood he found her in. That would be interesting. Very interesting to hear about.
“Want to go for lunch?” Brock asked.
She nodded and stood. “Is this my employee asking, or my fiancé?”
“I do not mix business with pleasure. It’s the fiancé asking. Though the employee has the hots for you too.”
She laughed and grabbed his hand to follow him out of the office. Who said you could run from love? She must have been deluded to think she’d be able to stay away from him. Or that he’d let her. It took her ten years to finally realize: If you run from love, you’re asking for a chase.
THE END
UNWANTED PROTECTOR
FEDERAL PARANORMAL UNIT
BOOK THREE
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
MILLY TAIDEN
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Jane Donovan has been living a lie. Every day for the past ten years, she's run from reality and the temptation that Tony Ramirez represents. But this year, Jane’s getaway is filled with more than just relaxation; there’s a dead man on her kitchen floor. Suddenly, keeping Tony away is the last thing Jane can do.
Tony Ramirez has wanted Jane for ten years. While she may not be his mate, the attraction is undeniable. When he can’t shake the feeling he needs to check on her, he decides to crash her vacation to ensure her safety. When he gets to her cabin, Jane is gone and nobody knows where she could be.
Finding out who the dead man is may be the least of their troubles when a pint-sized, pink-haired little girl who needs help suddenly makes an appearance. Unfortunately for Jane, the trouble with a small lie is that it grows with time. The truth may come to light before she’s ready. Now they have a murder, a child, a mystery, and the unwavering attraction to deal with.
—For my Federal Paranormal Unit Fans
You’ve all emailed, texted and continued asking for Jane and Tony’s story and I am finally able to give it to you. I’m sorry that it took this long but better late than never. I love you all!!!
PROLOGUE
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10 years ago
Jane glanced around the restaurant’s table covered in a white tablecloth. Of the six chairs, only one was vacant. Back home, she wasn’t very social, so needless to say, she was uncomfortable at this group gathering. She should’ve stayed in her hotel but that would’ve meant starting things off on the wrong foot with her new co-workers. She hadn’t been here long enough to acquire a taste for most of Earth’s food. Unfortunately, pizza, french fries, and Twix candy bars were not on the fancy menu. That’s the only stuff she’d liked so far.
The older human male, Thomas Wheeler, cleared his throat. “Again, I want to thank you all for coming tonight. I speak for everyone at the Bureau when I say we’re excited to see what this new department can do. We’re honored that you’ve accepted a position with FPU.”
FPU. Jane had to think what that stood for. Federal Paranormal Unit. She’d never get used to the human’s usage of letters for everything: FBI, CIA, LOL, LMFAO—she hadn’t figured out what that meant yet. She hoped this new job and new planet was the right decision. She had no choice but to leave her planet. No matter what her parents said, she had to go.
She couldn’t take the consequences had she stayed. It was hard enough knowing that her mother and father were communicating with her every hour on the hour, checking up on her and wanting to make sure she was okay. What they really wanted was for her to go home. She couldn’t. Home was now Earth. It would take time but she’d get used to it.
Wheeler was still talking. “Now that we’ve all met, except for Antonio Ramirez who’s having relocation problems, I expect to see everyone at eight in the morning, ready to start the case load.” He turned to her new boss. “Brock, anything you want to say to your team?”
Brock smiled all around, a distinct glow flashing in his eyes. Red. That was unusual. She was probably the only one who noticed it due to her exceptional abilities. “Just that I’m glad you’re all here and to remember the discretion needed when it comes to what your job is and who you work with.”
Her eyes narrowed. This male was different, not totally human. She felt immense restrained power from him. Then it clicked. She knew exactly what he was and knowing brought a smile to her face. The first rule was not to discuss the special abilities that put them in the paranormal category. Maybe after a while, they would build enough comradery to get to know each other. But right now, she wanted to get out of here, back to her apartment. Hell, a hot bath and some of those terrible reality TV shows sounded damn good.
Brock knew who she really was and where she came from, but he’d keep any comments to himself. Interestingly enough, he didn’t look at her in any strange way, but she guessed with his own differences from the humans, he was probably used to it. Still, she was glad he could be trusted to keep his mouth shut. That was part of the deal she and her brother had worked out for her to come here and help. Nobody was to ever know anything about Jane. Ever.
After the human ritual of saying goodbye to everyone, she escaped to look for a place to buy pizza. She’d gotten a whiff of the stuff on her first day there and now she couldn’t stop eating it. She wondered what the hell they put in it. Something bad or she wouldn’t be so addicted. Except her senses didn’t find anything other than a great combination of flavors that made her want to take a nap after eating it.
She wasn’t a slim person by any means, but on her planet, society didn’t have expectations of women other than to have babies. Lots of babies. It surprised her how many advertisements she saw geared toward women’s physical appearance on Earth. She guessed because on her planet her people chose partners based on pheromones, they didn’t really have time to worry about anything so insignificant as a woman’s weight or body size.
Her fancy meal at the group dinner, what she ate of it, left her hungry. Fortunately, a bar half a block from her apartment had wonderful ‘snack’ foods. She pulled open the door and hurried toward the bar.
The bartender smiled at her. “The usual?”
“Yes, please. Thank you.” She paid and took a seat at a two-chair table to wait. Funny how she’d been coming in for only a
few days and already had what the barkeep called her “usual.” A commotion on the other side of the bar caught her attention. A male stumbled through the crowd, headed her way. Her heart fluttered a beat. He was the most beautiful human she had ever seen. Dark hair, large body. An immediate connection to him clicked into place. The connection grew more powerful with each step he took toward her. It was…alarming, and so erotic she squirmed in her seat.
The male’s gaze was focused on her. His eyes glowed a goldish amber. His shoulders seemed to widen, stretching his shirt across his defined chest. Oh my. His chin lifted, sniffing the air, but his eyes never wavered from hers.
Heat flushed her face and lower stomach. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her; she’d never felt like this before. Sweat broke out on her forehead and palms. Panic stole her breath. What was this man doing to her? Was he somehow controlling her with his mind? Did she have a human disease her body couldn’t fight? The medical team on her planet warned her about STDs and other human plights that could potentially kill her. She hadn’t cared at the time. Was this an…STD?
The man reached out to her and she jumped from her chair toward him, full blown terror in control. “Who are you? What are you doing to me?”
His hands wrapped around her arms, his gaze piercing her with the intensity of a thousand suns. “You feel it, too. You’re my mate, bella.”
Mate? Humans didn’t use that word. Her studies of cultures and traditions said they “marry.” She wasn’t married to him, so he must be using slang she didn’t know. Just as bad as all the abbreviations. Like LOL.
Her brain struggled to find a plausible alternate meaning. Friend or buddy—no, he was a stranger. A pair brought together to breed—oh. She pulled away from him. “You want sex?”
He growled and stumbled over his own feet. “Yes. Mate. Now. I need to taste you, preciosa.” She wasn’t impressed with his vocabulary. But her body couldn’t care less about words. Her body had never craved anyone like this—probably the reason she’d never had relations with anyone on her planet.
This man’s scent flipped a switch inside her. He’d turned on a desire so powerful, it scared her. She’d never wanted another man like this. Ever. She barely recognized her name called out and turned to the barkeep, grabbed her pizza box, and let the male hurry her out the door. Whatever was going on, it controlled her willpower over her own body.
They got to his house in record time, him holding the pizza with one hand and her arm with the other, as if afraid she’d run off. With an agility that shocked her, he tossed the pizza box on top of a table and turned to her, pushing her against the back of the door.
“I don’t know what it is about you,” he muttered with a low growl that made her pussy slick, “but you’re making me lose control.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but his lips crashed down over hers.
An inferno of need exploded at her core. They tore at each other’s clothes, fumbling and ripping pieces off like they were in a race. In no time, she was fully naked while he was from the waist up.
He kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and groaning whenever she returned every move he made. She hadn’t done this before, but pure animal instinct drove her. She was shocked at her lack of embarrassment or concerns over what they were about to do. She didn’t come to Earth for this, but her body didn’t give a shit about anything other than this man and how she felt when he touched her. How her blood sang when he kissed her. How his fingers traced the curve of her breasts and made her belly quiver with intense need.
Their kisses turned wilder, more desperate. She raked her short nails down his chest, feeling his silky smooth skin contract under her fingertips. He wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her. Her legs automatically went around his hips. She rubbed her sex over his hard shaft. She had no idea why she did that, but her body told her to bring herself closer, that he, and only he, could soothe the ache inside her.
He carried her somewhere and if she could think, she’d ask him where. The one fleeting thought that came to mind was how impressed she was that he could carry her without losing his breath. That was sexy. Oh, so sexy, considering she was a curvy woman. She landed on her back on his bed and watched him dispose of the last piece of clothing remaining on him, his jeans.
She gulped back the moan riding her throat. Her gaze glued to the hands unbuckling his belt and then lowering his zipper. She bit her lip, swiped her tongue over it and glanced up to catch the hungry look in his eyes.
She should say something. Tell him she’d never done this before, but her hormones and brain were on autopilot. She’d always wondered what her mother meant when she said that once she found the right man, there would be no stopping the need to be with him. She’d said there would be no fear in wanting a man, only desperate need. Now she understood all too well. Her body ached from him being just steps from her.
“I sense your desperation,” he said in that churned gravelly voice that made her nipples tight. “You want me.” A slow, wicked grin spread over his damn sexy lips. “That’s good. Because I want you, too, cariño. I want my face in your pussy, licking at that sweet honey I see glistening between your legs.”
She glanced down at her body. The body without the restraints of clothing was a natural thing in her planet. Nakedness was not something she was ashamed of and she liked her body, every single curve made her unique and special. But she’d read how human males put a strong amount of emphasis on a female’s body. It might have worried her had she not sensed how much this male liked what he saw. A lot.
For a woman who’d never been sexual in any way, this was like walking into an alternate universe. Her body had taken on a mind of its own. She lay on her back, displaying her goods, thighs wide, showing off her pussy. She wanted to tempt him, to drive him crazy with need. Hopefully to make him as desperate as she felt.
“There’s something―” she started but was caught off guard when his pants dropped to the floor. Her vision shot down to his very erect cock. Good god, what the hell was that thing? It was so…big. She should have studied mating rituals but the reality was she never once imagined she’d meet someone she’d want in her life, much less in her bed. Now she had no idea what the hell was going on. She only had her instincts to guide her. And as far as that went, her instincts kept telling her to let him do whatever he wanted and enjoy the ride.
“Don’t be scared, bebé.” He crawled between her legs on the bed, until his face was level with her pussy. He inhaled and licked his lips again. “You smell so fucking good. So tasty.”
She took harsh breaths through her mouth. “I don’t think―”
“No, bella. Don’t think.”
His face pressed into her folds and her eyes closed involuntarily, her back arching off the bed. She widened her legs, pushing her hips down and onto his face.
“Oh!” she gasped, her muscles growing stiff and then lax. It went on with every lick of his tongue on her folds. With every groan that made her pussy quiver and tremble. Her channel slickened, releasing liquid heat to meet his tongue.
“That’s it, mi amor. Let your sweet taste fill my mouth and coat my tongue.” He growled and her nipples turned harder. She hadn’t expected the need to touch herself, but it was unavoidable. She reached up and cupped her breasts, tugging at her nipples and gasping at the electrifying sensation that shot to her clit.
She opened her eyes, glancing at the turning ceiling fan and caught their reflection on the perfectly polished chrome of the lamp. It was incredibly sensual and turned her on even more.
She licked her lips and listened to her buzzing body. The tension she’d become aware of grew inside her. It wrapped around her lungs, choking her breaths, almost stopping her ability to breathe. She’d never experienced this before. It scared her but at the same time, she knew she needed him to keep going, that something big was coming.
He sucked on her pussy, licking and fondling her with his tongue, taking nips with his teeth. Ev
ery so often she’d whimper at how good everything he did felt. She gripped his hair with one hand while tweaking her nipple with the other. He rubbed his face on her sex, but it wasn’t enough. She tightened her grasp on his hair and pushed his face into her pussy.
“Please,” she finally groaned. She didn’t know what she was asking for, but he had to know.
He pushed her legs wider and spread her pussy lips open to focus his tongue on her clit. The previous soft movements stopped and a fast, rumbling vibration started. She gasped, trying to stop the curling at her midsection. His growling, almost like a loud purr, increased and then his tongue flicked faster and faster. It was utterly amazing and strange. She wanted to push him away and pull him closer. It hurt but it felt good. She sensed a hole filling inside her, to near bursting.
Suddenly his teeth grazed her super sensitive clit. He sucked on the aching nub, curling his tongue around it, and took a nibble that cracked the wall holding the tsunami of emotions back.
A loud, husky cry sounded from her. Her tense body shook as a wave of pleasure and release roared through her. Her legs trembled, her was voice gone, and stars danced in her eyes. She gulped at the sand in her throat, amazed at the continued electric currents sending shockwaves to her pussy. It went on for what felt like forever, her body twitching and shaking, her orgasm free flowing, never seeming to end.
“Bella, your face just now,” he rumbled in a voice so thick it was almost unintelligible, “made my heart fill with joy.” She glanced down at him with not just shock, but a need that reached to the depths of her heart and scared her more than anything ever had.
“My―” she gasped out.
He shook his head and licked his lips. Holy fuck, he was licking her scent off his lips and the face he made was priceless. Like he had been having one of the ice cream sundaes she’d tried at a local restaurant as a meal instead of their usual entrees. She’d fallen in lust with the sundaes and right now, the man in front of her appeared to have enjoyed her taste just as much.