One Bite

by Jennifer Blackstream

  Memories of all her past failures screeched at her from her mind and she bit her lip to muffle a whimper of frustration. She couldn’t keep doing this. If this spell didn’t work . . . Blast you, Mrs. Downing, please, for the love of Perun, hurry!

  The bells over the door to the shop jingled and Ana closed her eyes. Was getting her herbs without being exposed to a hundred people really so much to ask? In Haines, Alaska? Yes, yes it is, she answered herself.

  For what had to be the millionth time in just the past month, Ana rued the fact that while the population of Haines was what allowed her to have such a wonderfully isolated home, it was also the reason that her weekly venture into town for supplies was akin to attending a family dinner. Which is to say, everyone felt obligated to greet her and inquire into her personal life while simultaneously sharing unwanted tidbits from their own. Humans are so nosey. It’s no wonder they can’t go a decade without a war.

  Vowing once again to move to a big city where no one knew her name, Ana opened her eyes to see what fresh hell was going to engage her in conversation now.

  She froze.

  Possibly the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen had just stepped into the shop. Six foot six if he was an inch, with eyes so dark they could only be called black, and a shock of dark hair that just begged her to run her fingers through it. He wore a pair of stiff blue jeans and a fur-lined brown leather coat. She caught a glimpse of a soft green cotton shirt under the leather. He kicked the snow off his heavy boots, the dull thuds of the hard rubber soles against the floor sounding unnaturally loud in the silent shop.

  By the time she dragged her gaze away from its perusal of his clothing, he’d noticed her stare. She kicked herself as she found him looking straight into her eyes, a bemused smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. She didn’t know what annoyed her more, the fact that she’d been staring at him like a starving fox watches a limping rabbit, or the fact that he seemed amused by it.

  “Hello,” he said with a smile, sauntering over to her and reaching out a hand. “I’m Brec.”

  Cursing Mrs. Downing and her wounded turtle-like speed, Ana dropped her gaze as she accepted his handshake. “Ana.”

  His hand engulfed hers, her pale slender fingers looking more feminine and delicate against his tanned skin. He didn’t seem dark enough to be a full blood Native, but he looked as if someone in his family tree was. The warmth of his hand soothed Ana’s senses, reminding her of how long it’d been since she had any real contact with another person. Even a simple handshake felt . . . personal. Her heart beat a little faster and she mentally shook herself. She didn’t have time for this. She had too much to do, too much at stake. She pulled her hand away, opening her mouth to excuse herself. As his hand left hers, Ana’s downcast eyes spotted something that made her heart skip a beat and all other thoughts come crashing to a halt.

  Webbed fingers. She tore her gaze away, not wanting him to catch her staring at the little pieces of skin connecting his fingers at the base. Her mind raced with growing excitement. Webbed fingers.

  “Pleased to meet you, Ana.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” she murmured back. She glanced at his eyes again. Black as the deepest depths of the ocean. She could almost imagine the whites fading away completely, leaving only that round blackness. The eyes of his other form. A seal’s eyes.

  “That’s very nice eye contact you have there,” he said, his voice deadpan. “Are you by any chance reading my soul?”

  His tone was joking, but the slight tension in his body and the steady gaze boring into her eyes suggested he’d interpreted her attentions as attraction—and he was interested. Confidence filled Ana’s spirit, building on her excitement. Like a professional fisherman working his line, Ana drew herself up to her full five foot nine. She fixed him with her most seductive smile and tossed her silvery blonde hair over her shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare,” she purred. “It’s just, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were living proof that the old folks’ stories of the selkies are true.”

  Brec’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, a mixture of surprise and something else flashing in his eyes. “The seal people?”

  He chuckled and she had to give him credit for not tensing at her mention of his race. He played as if he were surprised, but not uncomfortable. If it weren’t for the webbed fingers and watery black eyes, she’d have doubted her guess.

  “The seal people,” she repeated softly, stepping a little closer. “If you’ve been around here long at all, you’ve heard the stories. Devastatingly handsome men coming out of the water, shedding their seal furs so that they can take human lovers?”

  His eyes widened, seeming intrigued by her forwardness. “I’ve lived here all my life.” He grinned. “And I am very familiar with the stories.”

  I’ll bet you are. And like all the selkies in the stories, I’ll bet you hid your precious skin on the shore.

  His gaze darted toward the back of the shop, but he made no move to turn away from her. “Have you seen Mrs. Downing?”

  Afraid we’ll be interrupted? She resisted the urge to smirk at what she interpreted as a child’s paranoia of getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

  “She’s in the back getting my order.” Reminded of the fact that she was still waiting, Ana scowled at the curtain covering the doorway that led to the back of the shop. As convenient as Mrs. Downing’s absence had turned out to be, she still despised being kept waiting. “She assured me it wouldn’t be, but a moment.”

  “Mrs. Downing does like to take her time, doesn’t she?”

  Forcing her attention away from her impatience, Ana focused on the selkie.

  “You sound like you’ve experienced Mrs. Downing’s efficiency before.”

  He nodded. “I come in fairly frequently.”

  “You live in town?”

  “Just outside town you might say.”

  Like in the sea just off the shore not a hundred yards away? Is it possible that you left your skin within walking distance?

  “Was your trip into town solely to visit Mrs. Downing’s lovely establishment or will you be making a whole day of shopping?” She tried to keep her voice light and only politely inquisitive. For the first time in her life, she was grateful for the nosey nature of Haines’ inhabitants. Brec wouldn’t be the least bit suspicious of her questions. She could probably inquire as to the color of his underwear without making him flinch.

  Brec rolled his eyes. “I’m afraid my brother will have some say in that. I have no doubt he’ll drag me to a wide variety of shops before he’ll be ready to head back home.” He leaned in somewhat conspiringly. “I only need to shop here. After that I could do whatever I wanted while I waited for my brother to finish. I’m a sort of doctor, you might say, so I need to come here for—”

  “Here you are, Ana,” Mrs. Downing announced, coming through the doorway from the back of the shop. “All set.”

  “Thank you so much, Mrs. Downing.” Ana snatched the bag of herbs from the old woman’s hands. The selkie would be shopping with his brother for awhile. If she hurried, she could make it to the shore and be on her way home before he finished. Guilt rolled through her stomach, tightening into a hard knot. Clenching her teeth, she desperately shoved it away. She had to try. She couldn’t last much longer. “Put it all on my tab!” she called to Mrs. Downing. She dashed toward the door, willing herself not to look back.

  Read more of UNDER HIS SKIN

  About the Author

  Jennifer Blackstream is a psychology enthusiast with both a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology. Her fascination with the human mind is most appeased through the study of mythology and folklore as well as the novels of Terry Pratchett.

  Jennifer enjoys listening to Alice Cooper, trying new recipes (to which she will add garlic whether it calls for it or not), watching television with her family, and playing with her woefully intelligent three year old son.

  Jennifer spends most of her t
ime drinking coffee from her X-Men mug and desperately trying to get all her ideas written down before her toddler can find that all magical button on her laptop to make all her work vanish.

  To learn more about Jennifer Blackstream and her novels, visit her website at http://www.jenniferblackstream.com/. In addition to information about J.B. and her books, you will find bonus content such as deleted scenes, early versions of cover art, and book trailers. Check it out.

  Did you find a typo?

  I hate typos. I do my best to rid my manuscripts of them before I send them to my editor, and then she does her best to find any stragglers that I missed. Still, sometimes the little buggers get by both of us and leap off the page to torment you, my loyal readers!

  So here’s the deal. If you found any typos, go to www.jenniferblackstream.com and click on “The Typo Challenge.” Then use the contact form to report it (or “them” >gasp!<). Every month I will put the names of everyone who reported a typo into a hat and pick one out. That person will then be offered her (or his) choice of a Barnes & Noble or Amazon $25 gift certificate.

  That’s right . . . you can win a gift certificate just for reporting a typo.

  And thank you for helping me improve the reading experience for later readers.

  - Jennifer Blackstream

  Ahoy, Ebook Pirates!

  As much as I dream of the day when I can live off my writing income, I understand that some people (for whatever reason) find my books on pirating sites and download them for free. I can't stop that. I'm an author with stories to tell and a three year old boy to dote on, I don't have time to track down pirates.

  So here's my proposition:

  If you have downloaded one of my books for free (for whatever reason) please leave a donation. Whatever you can afford to part with in exchange for what I hope will be the hours and hours of enjoyment you get from my books, drop it in my little cyber tip jar. Your donations will help me keep putting out the books that I hope bring you entertainment and pleasure.

  If you can't afford a financial tip of the hat, leaving a review would be a nice gesture as well.

  Thank you for taking the time to hear my spiel.

  Happy Reading,

  Jenny

  Copyright

  One Bite

  Smashwords Edition

  ©Copyright Jennifer Blackstream 2013

  Skeleton Key Publishing

  Cover Art Elaina of For the Muse Designs © Copyright June 2013

  This is a work fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Skeleton Key Publishing, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in the context of reviews.

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  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Skeleton Key Publishing. Unauthorized or restricted use in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patent Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2013 by Skeleton Key Publishing, Norton, Ohio, United States of America