Eye of the Tiger: Paranormal Dating Agency

by ML Guida

  No time like the present. He’d drunk enough beer that he had the courage to contact Gerri. He sent Gerri an email and asked her to call him.

  His gut cramped up into a ball of knives. Ignoring the pain, he closed his eyes and thought of Cora. The phone buzzed and he jumped nearly ten feet off the recliner. He picked up the phone. Oh, God, it was Gerri Wilder.

  “Hello?” He winced. His small voice made him sound like a frightened kitten rather than a fierce tiger.

  “Is this Seth Reese?” a strong female voice asked.

  “Yes.” He cleared his throat and sat straighter on the recliner. His laptop was still open on Facebook, and he stared at Cora who seemed to be smiling at him, calming his strung-out nerves.

  “This is Gerri Wilder from the Paranormal Dating Agency.”

  “You sure don’t waste any time.” His voice was stronger. He sounded like himself.

  “No, I don’t. Now I assume you’re looking for a mate?”

  “Not just any mate. I’m not sure you do this, but I want a specific woman.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  His heart sank at her disappointing tone. “Do you do this sort of thing?”

  “Depends on who the woman is. Who did you have in mind?”

  “Her name is Cora Amici. She’s a librarian and works in Frisco.”

  “Do you have any of her contact information?”

  His cheeks turned hot. “No.”

  “Mmmm, so you don’t see her on a regular basis?”

  He growled. “I haven’t seen her since high school, but I know she’s the one.”

  “Keep your pants on tiger-boy. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you. But there’s a few things you have to promise before I’ll agree to get you your mate.”

  “You mean you’ll help me get Cora?”

  “You must promise to agree with whatever I decide.”

  “Yes,” he said slowly. “As long as it’s Cora.”

  “That’s not what I asked you. You must agree to whatever it is I ask. Do you agree or not?”

  Nothing else had worked. He paced back and forth. “Yes, damn it. As long as I’m not smearing peanut butter all over myself and running down the street naked.”

  She didn’t laugh.

  He put his forearm on the wall and rested his forehead on it. “All right, I swear to do whatever you ask.” At least he hoped he got to pick the peanut butter. Why did he feel like he’d just signed another contract without reading the fine print?

  “Good, I’ll be in touch. By the way, keep next weekend open.”

  He leaped to attention as if a predator had cornered him in his lair. “Why?”

  “Mr. Reese, do you remember my stipulation?” Her low voice was crispier than fried chicken.

  The air on the back of his neck bristled. He bit back his male ego and blurted, “Fine. I won’t make any plans for next weekend.” He headed for the fridge for another beer.

  “Good, get something that brings out your eyes.”

  He stopped mid stride. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.”

  “That’s another order?”

  “Yes, it is.” Her superior drill-sergeant tone tempted him to almost back out of this delusional deal.

  Almost.

  But damn it, he wanted Cora.

  “Okay, I’ll find something.” God, he hoped she meant clothes and not eye make-up.

  “Good-bye, Mr. Reese. We’ll see each other soon. Very soon.”

  He hung up the phone. Why did he feel like Gerri had just stamped chump across his forehead?

  Chapter 3

  A week after she’d contacted the Paranormal Dating Agency, Cora pushed the button to the elevator that would take her to Gerri Wilder’s floor. She wiped her sweaty palms on her black crop pants and her thighs twitched uncontrollably. Gerri had made her promise to do whatever she asked. She’d agreed, not realizing that the shifter was devious and insisted Cora come to her house for a dinner party.

  Gerri said to wear something comfortable, so Cora chose crop pants and a sleeveless sweater. She hoped she wasn’t underdressed or overdressed. It had taken her over an hour to figure out what to wear. Her bedroom was littered with outfits – pants, shirts, dresses, and skirts. Nothing had pleased her, but she’d finally decided on her conservative outfit. She fingered the silver cross that hung around her neck, hoping she wasn’t making another mistake and ending up with another shifty shifter.

  Gerri swung open the door. Her white and black streaked hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and matched her white and black top perfectly. Her belt buckle sparkled in the porch light.

  Cora groaned. Gerri had on jeans. Shit, she should have worn jeans.

  Gerri stuck out her hand. “I’m Gerri Wilder.” Her grip was firm and strong.

  “Cora Amici.”

  Gerri motioned with her arm. “Please come in, my dear. You look lovely, by the way.”

  “Thank you.” Cora released a shaky breath.

  She was expecting a small party, but there were two men and a woman talking and sipping drinks. The men were hot and extremely tall. One had short blond hair with piercing blue eyes while the other had tattoos on his neck, shoulder length hair, and a leather jacket. He reminded her of Seth, but he didn’t have Seth’s beautiful golden eyes. She inhaled the smell of roasting meats and vegetables.

  “It smells good.”

  “I like to cook.” Gerri gestured toward the set table. “So, I invited my nephews and their mate. I made barbecued ribs, roasted corn, German potato salad, and homemade rolls.”

  Cora cleared her throat, sizing up the two men who were very affectionate to the woman. Her stomach twisted into a pretzel. Neither one of them even glanced in her direction. God, this was prom all over again. She leaned closer to Gerri then lowered her voice. “Are one of those men my date?”

  “No dear.” She linked her arm through Cora’s. “Tally is mated to both men, who happen to be my nephews. Let me introduce you to them.”

  Gerri patted her arm. “Theron, Tally, and Connor, this is Cora Amici.”

  Theron flashed his eyes over her. “You’re a sweet-looking one.”

  Cora’s face turned hot and she glanced nervously at Gerri.

  “Hey.” Tally elbowed him in the ribs.

  He laughed and nuzzled Tally’s neck. “I love to make you jealous.”

  Cora had never had a man who looked at her the way the two gazed at Tally. She’d heard that shifters prized their mates above everything else, but thought it had only been a rumor.

  Until now.

  The blonde stretched out his hand. “I’m Connor.”

  “Cora Amici.”

  Connor tilted his head toward the other man. “Don’t mind Theron, he just likes to tease our mate.”

  The doorbell rang.

  Gerri winked at Cora. “Your date is here.”

  Cora’s heartbeat quickened and she shifted from foot to foot. What if he didn’t like her? What if he turned around and left her here like Miles had at prom?

  Gerri opened the door.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” a husky voice said.

  “Actually, you got here quicker than I expected.” Gerri gestured with her arm. “Come on in.”

  Cora’s jaw dropped to the floor. OhshitOhshitOhshit. Seth Reese entered the room. He was even better looking than his Facebook profile, but all she could think about was prom and how he’d stared at her with pity after Miles had literally left her on the dance floor. Her cheeks burned hot and her palms turned ice cold.

  He gave her a big grin. “Hello, Cora. Long time no see.”

  She finally found her voice. “Hi, Seth.” She stared at Gerri, who had a smug look on her face. This was who she’d decided was right for her? Seth Reese!

  “You look great,” he said. “You haven’t changed a bit since high school.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  He, however, looked better than he had in high school
. When he shed his leather jacket, his muscles rippled beneath his black T-shirt. The single gold stripe on his shirt brought out his haunting eyes. She pulled on the collar of her shirt, wishing she’d worn something lighter.

  “Hey, Tiger.” Connor offered his hand. “Connor.” He tilted his head at Theron and Tally. “This is Theron and our mate, Tally.”

  Theron immediately stood in front of Tally as if claiming her.

  Seth shrugged. “Nice to meet you both.”

  “Can I can get either of you a drink?” Gerri headed toward the kitchen. “I have beer, wine, vodka–”

  “Vodka tonic,” Cora blurted. “Make it a double.”

  Seth raised his eyebrow, but didn’t comment. “I’ll have a beer.”

  “Coming right up,” Gerri said cheerfully, as if it were everyday she turned a girl’s dream into a living nightmare.

  “Let’s get you guys a refill,” Connor said as he maneuvered both Tally and Theron away from them.

  Cora wanted to scratch his eyes out for leaving her alone with Seth who was studying her. He stepped closer and her mouth ran dry.

  “I bet you didn’t expect to see me, did you?”

  She fiddled with the hem of her sweater as if she were back in high school. “No, I didn’t.”

  He gestured toward the couch. “Do you want to sit down?”

  “Sure.” She made a bee-line for the recliner. Her insides shook harder than a bowl of jelly.

  He sat on the edge of the couch. “Relax. I won’t bite.”

  “Sorry. I guess I’m just really nervous.” Not sure why she blurted that out, she pushed her hair behind her ears with trembling hands.

  He winked. “I’ll tell you a secret. So am I.”

  She smiled. The butterflies lessened in her stomach. “You are?” She lowered her voice. “Did you know that Gerri was fixing you up with me?”

  He nodded. “Of course. In fact, I asked her to.”

  Her eyes widened. “You did?” Her breath hitched in her throat.

  “So I hear you moved up to the mountains?”

  She nodded, trying to remain calm, but her heart was fluttering a million beats a minute. “Frisco. I love it up there.”

  Gerri headed over with their drinks. “Here you go.”

  Cora clasped hers and took a long drink. The vodka hit her like a baseball bat. Her muscles relaxed, but her heart refused to calm down.

  “Thirsty?” Gerri cast her a knowing smile.

  Cora nodded. “Parched.”

  Seth sipped his beer slowly.

  Gerri shook her head. “I’ll refill it, dearie.”

  “Thank you.”

  Seth stretched out his arms and sat back on the couch. His shirt fit like a second skin, showing off his bulging muscles. “I’m making you nervous because of prom.”

  “I guess so,” she admitted. Why lie? It was the truth and in less than a month, she’d have to face her class. Why the hell had she let Lara talk her into helping her with the prom? Frisco definitely wasn’t far enough. She needed to move to Mars.

  “Miles was an ass,” he said.

  She blinked surprised at the bitterness in his voice.

  “I thought he was your best friend. You were a member of the Streaks. What did you guys always say–Don’t look, Ethel.”

  “Yup. Mile’s secret code. We used to be close, but friends don’t stab you in the back.”

  She’d been so wrapped up in her own misery that she’d hadn’t thought of what Miles may have done to someone else. “I’m sorry. What happened?”

  “First of all, he stole you from me.”

  She frowned. “I don’t understand.” Maybe the vodka had pickled her brain.

  “Here’s your refresher.” Gerri handed her the vodka tonic.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled.

  Gerri winked. “Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Sure,” Cora answered absently, still trying to determine if Seth was being serious.

  “He never told you that I was working up the courage to ask you to prom, did he?”

  She stared at his eyes, trying to figure out whether he was jerking her around or whether he was serious. She looked for the slightest glint to the side or blink that would suggest he was hiding something. Whenever Miles had lied to her, he would shift his eyes to the left or blink. However, Seth’s gaze never wavered. If he was lying, he was a damn good liar. “No, he didn’t.”

  “He’s such a fucker. At one point, he was bugging me to ask you out, then in a split second, he pulled a Benedict Arnold and asked you out.” He shook his head. “I never saw that coming.”

  “I never thought you noticed me.” She sipped her drink. This time, she wasn’t going to gulp it as if she were dying in the desert.

  “I’ve always noticed you. Ever since I saw you for the first time.”

  His husky voice sent shivers down her spine. “Really? When was that?”

  “I had gotten into trouble in science class and was down in Mr. Hindergart’s office. You walked in wearing some hip-hugging jeans and a black T-shirt. Your hair was windblown. Your locker was stuck and you had to get your notebook out for history class. You were so frantic, because your paper was in your other notebook and you were going to be late.”

  “You remember all that?”

  “The minute you walked into the office, I wanted you.”

  Her skin tingled at his soft words. She put her hand on her chest. “You did? Then why didn’t you ask me out?”

  He dragged his fingers through his thick hair. “Because I was a poor boy from the other side of the tracks, and Miles was the big rich kid on campus. How could I compete with him? Besides, he was the leader of the Streaks–our alpha.” He raised his beer. “Don’t look, Ethel.”

  She smiled. “I wish you would have. Things might have been different.”

  He stared at her, and she didn’t turn away from his gaze. Butterflies fluttered in her empty tummy. Neither of them spoke as if they were both thinking about what would have happened. But what set her nerves on edge was what could happen–his hands rolling over her, his lips kissing her, and his tongue licking her hot skin.

  She squirmed in her seat and took a sip of her drink that failed miserably in cooling off her heat.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Gerri called from the kitchen.

  Seth stood and walked behind Cora with his hand on her lower back. The sensation of warmth spread through her like wildfire. With the briefest touch of his hand, she thought she’d melt into a pile of lava.

  On the table was a wide spread of barbecued ribs, three full platters, corn on the cob, biscuits, black and green olives, pork and beans, and a huge green salad. Gerri had already taken her seat and Tally, Theron, and Connor theirs. Tally sat in between Theron and Connor. Cora had no doubt it was deliberate, which left the two remaining seats for her and Seth.

  Seth slid her seat out for her, which definitely gave him brownie points. Chivalry wasn’t dead with him. It had died a long time ago with Miles. Since Miles and Caterina had been married, she’d never seen him do anything like that for Caterina. No, he expected her to wait him on hand-and-foot. Cora always thought that attitude had been a shifter trait.

  Until now.

  “Don’t be shy.” Gerri gestured with her hand. “Dig in.”

  She didn’t have to tell Theron and Connor twice, but before they attacked the food, they carefully filled Tally’s plate. These were two big alpha males, but they were definitely humble and stumbled over themselves to please Tally. Tally was a very lucky woman.

  “Cora, what ribs would you like?” Gerri asked. “I have both pork and beef.”

  “I actually like both.”

  Before she could reach to serve herself, Seth placed four ribs on her plate.

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Would you like some beans?”

  “Yes, I would.”

  Tally caught her eye and winked, making Cora blush.

>   After Seth filled her plate, he dished up his own. Cora didn’t know if he was doing this because of what he saw Theron and Connor do, or if it was just him. Miles never did this. In fact, he would whine if Caterina hadn’t picked out the foods he wanted or given him the choicest meats.

  The banter at dinner was easy and made her laugh, but any time Seth would brush up against her with his hands or his leg bumped against hers, it was pure torture. Tingling sensations brushed over her, and she had a difficulty not ogling over him, especially when he licked the butter off his lips after eating corn on the cob. All she wanted to do was feel his tongue on her fiery skin. She reached for her vodka and tonic and took a big gulp, but nothing squelched the fire flaring through her.

  She crossed and uncrossed her legs, trying not to focus on the blood pulsing between her thighs. The alcohol went straight to her brain, and her thoughts were becoming more and more jumbled.

  By the time dinner was over, Gerri had very few leftovers. The ribs and biscuits were completely gone. A tomato, some lettuce, and two cucumbers were left in the salad bowl, and a couple of green and black olives in the other bowls. Cora had forgotten how much shifters ate. When Caterina and Miles attended family events, bowls of pasta and platters of meat were scraped clean. Her mother rarely had leftovers.

  “That was delicious,” Cora said. “I’m completely stuffed.”

  Gerri flicked her hand. “Thank you, my dear. I love to cook and bake. You need to make room for dessert. I have a peach and apple pie in the refrigerator, which I’ll heat up. I also have vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. What would everyone like?”

  Theron held up two fingers. “I’d like both apple and peach pie with ice cream.”

  “I’d like the same as Theron,” Conner said. “But I would like whipped cream on mine.”

  “I’ll have peach pie with whipped cream,” Tally said.

  “I’ll have the same as Theron.” Seth leaned close to Cora. “And what would you like?” He put one hand on her thigh.

  Cora jumped, gulping for air. “Um…” She couldn’t take her eyes off Seth’s.