For a moment, she looked as though she might cry. Her eyes turned misty and her lush bottom lip quivered. “Oh, Matt. Yes. Yes! I’d love to marry you. You have the best ideas, but are you sure?”
“Very sure. I can’t imagine being with anyone else but you. I don’t want anyone else.” His arms wrapped tight around her, and their lips met in a kiss to affirm their love for each other. Lips slid together, tongues tangled, and all he could think was how lucky he was to have her in his life, to shake him up a little and show him what was important. No, he didn’t have a single doubt. This woman, this minx, who drove him crazy was the only one for him.
A thump on the bedroom door made them both whirl about to stare. He flicked off the water.
“Matt, are you in there?”
“It’s Mum,” Zoe muttered in an appalled tone. “Did you know she was coming over? Oh, boy. I can hear her panicked shrieks of horror now.”
“No.” He stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around his waist. “I didn’t know she was coming. But she’ll just have to get used to us being together. I don’t intend to change my mind.”
“Me neither.” She slapped to her hand to her mouth in consternation. “My clothes are in the bedroom. I’d prefer to break this gently. I don’t want to shock her.”
“I doubt it will make much difference how we tell her.” He shrugged and headed for the door, ignoring the water dripping from his body. He opened it and stepped through before closing it again. “Mum. John. You should have called.”
“Sorry, Matt. We used our key. Do you have someone in there?” his mother asked, a tinge of pink highlighting her cheeks.
“The woman I’m going to marry,” he said.
“Oh, Matt!” His mother beamed. “John, did you hear that? Our son is finally getting married. We’ll have grandchildren.”
Matt glanced at Zoe’s father, his stepfather. He wondered if the small grin would disappear when he realized it was his daughter. The hard lump of apprehension in his belly dissolved as suddenly as it had appeared. The answer was so simple. He loved Zoe. He’d been running for a while, but no longer. Marriage would slow the gossip, and eventually everyone would find someone else to discuss. They had each other. What more did they need?
“Do we know her?” his mother asked.
The bathroom door opened, and Zoe came out dressed in his robe. Her light brown hair lay in damp curls around her face. Her cheeks were pale, but her firm chin indicated determination. “It’s me. Matt is going to marry me.”
“John?” Matt’s mother sounded faint.
Zoe stared at Matt. He crossed the room to stand at her side, smiling in a reassuring manner. His arm slipped around her waist. She swallowed and leaned against him. He hadn’t walked away. He’d said he loved her and more importantly, he cherished her enough to ask her to marry him.
“Hi, Mum. Dad.” Zoe tried to read them. Matt’s mother was easy. Her hands trembled and her face was pale. Shocked, because a relationship between them wasn’t what she’d expected. Her father remained impassive, but he wasn’t shouting. That had to be a good sign.
“But you’re brother and sister. You can’t get married,” their mother said.
“No, that’s not true. We’re not related. There’s no impediment to a marriage between the two of us,” Zoe said, concentrating entirely on Matt.
“That’s right.” Matt smiled, his blue eyes blazing with encouragement and a hundred other emotions. “Zoe has already said yes.”
Zoe swallowed again to disperse the knot in her throat. The need for verbal reassurance shimmered through her. “You really love me?”
“I’ve always loved you, wild child, and this time I’m done running. You’re right. We’re meant to be together.”
“John, do something,” Matt’s mother said, in clear panic. “They can’t get married.”
“They’re not related,” Zoe’s father said. “They’re quite right about that.”
“But…but…I suppose you’re right,” their mother said grudgingly, but it was clear she needed more time to become used to the idea. “I guess as long as you’re not rushing into things.”
“We’re sure. We don’t need to wait,” Matt said, glancing at Zoe with love in his eyes. “We intend to marry very soon. We don’t want a long engagement.”
“That’s right.” Relief soared through Zoe. Everything was going to be okay. Matt loved her and intended to let everyone know. “I love you so much!” And she jumped at him, trusting Matt to catch and keep her safe. Part of her heard her father reassuring Matt’s mother and telling her he’d suspected all along. Matt and Zoe would be fine. They knew what they were doing. Although their mother didn’t seem totally convinced, Zoe suspected it wouldn’t be long until she was muttering about grandchildren again.
Zoe looped her arms around Matt’s neck and rubbed their noses together. Then their lips met, and wild child Zoe Underwood claimed her man in no uncertain terms. They were going to have some wonderful adventures together.
The End
Copyright
Wild Child
Copyright 2013 by Shelley Munro
ISBN: 978-0-473-23979-4
Cover by eBook Indie Covers
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organization is totally coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotes for reviews.
Please remember that ebooks are not transferable. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
www.ShelleyMunro.com
An Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Ain’t Misbehaving. Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed, so if you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Even a few lines would be a big help!
Would you like to repeat your virtual visit to New Zealand? I have several contemporary series, which are also set in my home country. Fancy Free is a successful series featuring a heroine who inherits a condom company. My Love and Friendship series features a group of girlfriends and the ups and downs in their lives while Clare Chronicles is a newer offshoot of the Love and Friendship series.
To receive the latest news about my upcoming releases and to keep up-to-date with contests and other promotions, please sign up for my newsletter here.
I’m a big fan of feline shifters and followed my interest into this arena by writing my own shapeshifter tales. I’ve included an excerpt from Captured & Seduced, the first book in my House of the Cat series. Turn the page for a glimpse of this book and a list of my other releases.
Happy reading,
Shelley xx
About Shelley Munro
Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.
Shelley is also a writer blessed with a VERY vivid imagination and lives with her own hero and a rambunctious puppy in New Zealand. She writes erotic romance in the contemporary, paranormal and historical genres and has several self-published titles. You can learn more about Shelley and her books at her website, or keep up to date by joining her newsletter. You might even find her lurking at Facebook or Twitter.
Visit Shelley at her website.
Visit Shelley’s blog.
Join Shelley’s newsletter.
Visit Shelley’s Facebook author page.
Follow Shelley at Pinterest.
Join her on Twitter.
Visit Shelley at Goodreads.
Excerpt – Captured & Seduced
Copyright 2014 Shelley
Munro
The crew moved in, silent signals passing between them until they stood in position. Yep and Kaya converged from opposite sides, springing and disabling the man in well-practiced synchronicity. Kaya pulled the special cloth impregnated with a potion the seer had made from her pocket and pressed it to his nose. The man went limp, and Yep slung the bulky figure over his shoulder before striding in the direction of the tender. Kaya darted up to the shelter and shoved Ry’s note under the door before joining Yep.
Ry followed, loping along the muddy track. In a burst of speed, he passed his crew, trying to outrun the returning desire for a woman. It came out of nowhere, unbidden.
Unwanted, the need gripped him with such powerful intensity he stopped in his tracks. Damn, he’d thought he’d manage for a few more weeks.
Ry tried to ignore the craving writhing through his veins. The out-of-control sensation had intensified during the past few months, affecting his sleep. The constant desire for a woman made his temper uncertain, although so far he’d managed to hold things together. Ry knew his need was escalating to dangerous levels. His attempts to manage what he presumed were feline traits and part of his heritage brought a bark of ironic laughter.
The seer saw his turmoil. The others would realize the tenuous hold he had over his feline too if he didn’t do something fast. Of course he’d continue with the search for his people, but meantime he’d have to break down and find a woman to travel with them during their voyage to take the edge off his sexual needs. Hopefully the woman’s presence would slow the downward spiral into the mysterious world of the feline.
The world he didn’t understand because he didn’t know where he came from or who he was.
Ry raced to the tender and shifted smoothly. His naked chest gleamed with moisture and rivulets of mud, his heart thudded hard and erratic. Inside, Ry ignored his shirt and jacket, preferring to sanitize back on the Indy before he redressed.
“Everything okay?” Mogens asked.
“Yeah.” Ry wanted to lash out at the seer’s scrutiny, tired of the constant analysis. He growled, a vicious snarl of impatience. Ry wanted to laugh at Mogens’ undignified scramble to put distance between them but didn’t have it in him. “The crew won’t be long. Mission accomplished.”
The tension inside ratcheted sharply upward. Ry gritted his teeth, wanting to hit someone. Silently, he calculated the length of the flight to the planet Ornum and how quickly he could find a woman. The idea of sinking into the warmth of a female, of licking her fragrant skin and losing himself in the plain rawness of sex brought an uncontrollable surge of arousal. His cock drew painfully tight, and Ry wheezed through the throbbing ache. He wished he knew what ailed him, why the feline refused to settle even with the suppressant Mogens had made for him.
Footsteps thudded on the tender ramp. Kaya and Yep clattered inside with Yep still carrying the man over his shoulder. He dumped him on the nearest chair and strapped him in for safety. The unconscious human slumped forward, face hidden by the head covering. A noxious smell still emanated from him, the stench compounded in the confined quarters of the tender.
“All aboard.” Mogens sealed the entrance. A throaty roar indicated Yep had started up the thrusters, and secs later, they lifted off.
Ry slumped onto his chair and closed his eyes, battling with the compulsion to grab Kaya, who sat next to him. He took a deep breath. A mistake since he almost drowned in her feminine pheromones. He tipped back his head and growled, the catlike yowl full of fury. Kaya’s eyes widened and she jumped to her feet, staring at Ry with something akin to horror.
“Good girl, watch the man for me,” Mogens said, pretending nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. “I’ll sit there. I want to have a word with Ry.”
Ry stirred uneasily. He’d never done that before. Gripping the edges of his chair, he fought for control, despite the air laden with Kaya’s scent. If anything, her surge of terror and adrenaline intensified the desire filling his body with savage need. Kaya shifted her weight, drawing his attention. Rich female musk filled every inhalation, along with the stink of the horse trainer. His gaze slid from the slumped figure back to Kaya. An intense shiver racked his body, and Ry closed his eyes, struggling to remain seated. The loss of one sense served to intensify the others, and he hurriedly opened his eyes again.
“Seer, do you have more of the slumber drug?” Ry had to force the words out, past jutting canines. They emerged in a growled hiss, almost unintelligible. He tried again. “Slumber drug.” The words were little more than a feral snarl.
Luckily the seer seemed to understand. “I have more.” He frowned, a ribbon of black swirling across his bare arms and face. It combined with the white of his skin to darken his complexion.
Good, Ry thought, panting heavily. His chest rose and fell rapidly, the shallow breaths still dragging in too much in the way of sensory input. Mogens knew, as he’d feared, sensed his desperation.
Heat, so intense it seared his body, brought a torturous shudder. He had to rid himself of the inferno inside. Fukk, he needed the release of sex.
So bad.
Ry blinked, sweat pouring down his face. The dampness plastered his black hair to his head until it hung in wet tendrils.
“Dose me. Now. Don’t want to hurt.” A high-pitched growl erupted, echoing in the tender. He gripped the edges of the seat he sat on even though his fingers had bled to claws. “Kaya.” Fukk, never forgive himself if he hurt one of his crew. They were his friends. Family. They knew his secrets, were loyal to him, to each other. Ry snarled, trembling on the cusp of a shift to feline. “Mogens,” he gritted out.
“I’m not sure how it will react—”
“Do it.” An order.
Mogens stood and strode to his satchel. He rummaged through and drew out another of the impregnated cloths they’d used to subdue the human. The seer returned, his face dark black with worry as he glanced at Ry with compassion. “Are you sure?”
The pity made Ry spit with fury. The solid walls of the tender rattled with his bark of anger. In lieu of a reply, Ry reached up and grabbed the cloth. He pressed it to his nose, gagging at the herbal reek. His instinctive reaction was to remove the pad, but Mogens grasped his hand and held it in place. Gradually the world blurred. His arms and legs refused to support his body. Ry slumped over, his world turning black.
Try Captured & Seduced, a full length novel and the first book in the House of the Cat series, for the bargain price of 99c
Other Works by Shelley Munro
Contemporary
Wanderlust
Playing to Win
Spies, Lies and Sapphires
Stranger Things Happen
Wild Child
Tea for Two
Cat Burglar in Training
One Night of Misbehavior
Blindside
Fringe Benefits
Lovers at Last
Love and Friendship series
The Bottom Line
Past Regrets
Farmer Wants a Wife
Clare Chronicles
Part-Time Lovers
Enemy Lovers
Fancy Free series
Fancy Free
Christmas is Coming
Feeling the Buzz
Paranormal
Price of Love
Lynx to the Pharaoh
Curse of Brandon of Lupinus
Sci-fi/Futuristic
Sex Idol
Fallen Idol
Interplanetary Love
Middlemarch Capture
Snared by Saber
Favored by Felix
House of the Cat series
Captured & Seduced
Claimed & Seduced
Merry & Seduced
Stranded & Seduced
Seized & Seduced
Gayrotica
Fallen Idol
Eye on the Ball
Lone Wolf
Seeking Kokopelli
Stoned
No Defense
>
Historical
Mistress of Merrivale
The Spurned Viscountess
A Discreet Affair
Unforgettable
Copyright
Ain’t Misbehaving
Copyright © 2015 Shelley Munro
ISBN: 978-0-473-31088-2
Editor: Mary Moran
Cover Art by Kim Killion of Killion Group Inc.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
www.ShelleyMunro.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
A Note to Readers
Blurbs
Lovers at Last
Table of Contents
Blurb
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Copyright
One Night of Misbehavior
Table of Contents
Blurb
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
Copyright
Blindside
Table of Contents
Blurb
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Ain't Misbehaving Page 38