by Tamsin Baker
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Tamsin Baker
ISBN: 978-1-77233-040-3
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Lisa Petrocelli
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To my man… I’d have to write a book with six men and one woman to get all your personality traits into one book… but this is a start.
Thanks for the inspiration, my love.
PROWLING THE VET
Perfect Pairs, 1
Tamsin Baker
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
There were no attractive women. Again.
Tyler swung around to face the mirrored wall behind the bar and slumped on the stool. His twin brother was off in some corner with a blonde who wore too much makeup and clothes she must have painted on before she left home. He shuddered. Gross.
“What’s up with you?”
Renee. Great, just what I need.
Tyler forced his hunched posture to reverse, straightening his spine, and rolling back his sagging shoulders. “Nothing, sis. What’s up with you?”
He turned his head to look at Renee and reached for his beer, trying his best not to look like his world was a desolate place to live.
His gorgeous sister stared back at him, her mouth turned down in a frown. She completed their trifecta of hair color. Tyler got their father’s dark brown, Brandon was blond like their mother, which of course left Renee an amazing redhead.
“You look depressed and I’m sick of seeing it. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Renee crossed her arms and glared at him, making him flinch and take a long drink of his frothy, cold beer.
He hated having to deal with Renee when he felt like he did tonight. She was too hard to ignore, yet how could he tell her the truth?
“I’ve just had a rough week with work, sis. Nothing more.”
Renee punched him, hard, knocking him off balance. He grabbed onto the bar to steady himself as pain exploded across his upper right chest and he rocked on his barstool.
“Ow!” He glared at her and rubbed the sore spot with his free hand. She really could pack a punch, this woman. He was kinda’ proud. He and Brandon had taught her to fight from a young age. No one had ever taken her for granted.
“Hey sis! You’re not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you. We taught you to fight so you could punch out other guys, not us.”
“Tell me the truth!” she demanded, stomping her foot and placing both hands on her hips. What a bloody princess!
Tyler rolled his eyes and inhaled sharply through his nose.
“I’m lonely, okay? Work’s great, the family’s fine, and I’m fucking sick of chasing random tail!”
Renee’s hands dropped to her sides and she slid onto the stool next to him.
“Whiskey neat.” She called to the bartender and placed her hand on his leg.
“You’ll find her soon, I know you will.”
Tyler took up his beer again. He had no doubt he’d find her one day, but when? He was losing patience.
“Yeah, but when? I’m bloody sick of waiting. Dad tells us that we have no control over our destiny, and that fate will take care of it, but seriously? I’m fucking thirty-two. I want a family.”
He clenched his hand into a fist until pain shot up his finger and through his palm.
“Hey, Ty. I’m heading back to the house. You comin’?”
Brandon, his completely un-identical twin thumped him on the back and Tyler grimaced. What, play third wheel to his brother and whatever stray bitch he’d come across this week?
“No thanks. Nae will give me a lift.” He unwound his throbbing fingers and inspected the white and red flesh.
Their sister nodded in agreement beside him and Brandon took off.
Renee sighed and downed her whiskey with a quick flick of her wrist and a practiced swallow. “It doesn’t look like big brother is going to be lonely tonight.”
Tyler shook his head and called for another drink.
“Nope, though at the rate he’s going, we’re gonna’ have to move towns so that he’ll get fresh meat to play with.”
Renee laughed and elbowed him in the side.
“Hey, glass houses brother of mine. It wasn’t that long ago you were dragging some skank home every other night, too.”
Tyler stared blankly at his drink and rolled his empty glass slowly between his hands. It was true. He’d practiced the art of wooing and screwing. Why wouldn’t he when he was young and told that he had to wait until fate deemed it time to send women his way. But it’d been almost fifteen years since his first girlfriend and he was tired of waiting. He wanted to find his forever now. The woman he was meant to love, who was made to be with him.
“What if you have to wait until Brandon’s ready, too?”
Tyler groaned and reached for the newly poured beer. That was his worst fear—that fate would wait until both of them were ready to settle down.
“Then I’m fucked!”
His family were shifters, mountain lion shape-shifters to be exact. They lived in a medium-sized town at the base of the Canadian Rockies. His dad had pulled them aside when they were about ten, to explain about the birds and the bees. The only difference to the speech they got came at the end when their dad explained about their future.
“You two are a perfect pair. Perfect compliments to each other in physical appearance and personality.”
They had nodded and waited for the signal to go back to play. That’s when he’d hit them with the line that would change Tyler’s life forever.
“And that means that when the time comes, you will mate with a single female. Together.”
“What!” The boys had glared at each other and pouted. Though twins, they rarely shared anything. If they fought over a bike, how would they share a mate?
Their father had smiled and touched them both on the face. “It’ll be fine.”
Unfortunately, it was not fine. Tyler was thirty-two years old and ready for his woman. If he had to share her with Brandon, then so be it. But where was she?
“I can’t imagine finding a woman that we both like. Brandon’s always gone for the tall blondes.”
“And you’ve always gone for the short brunettes, we know, Ty,” his sister finished for him.
Tyler’s head had begun to spin and he sculled the rest of his drink, embracing the wooziness. It was a nice reprieve to the cold feeling in his gut.
“I think I’ll walk home, Nae.”
Renee jumped up next to him and touched his arm gently. “No, I’ll drive you.”
Tyler groaned and shook his head.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. It’s only half an hour. That gives Brandon a chance to get to finish with the blonde piece of tail.”
Renee chuckled and squeezed his arm tight, the same way she had when his first dog had been hit by a car.
“Good-night bro.”
Tyler stumbled forward and pulled his sister into him for a one-armed hug. She was the best, she really was.
“Night sis.”
Tyler stumbled out into the cold air and took a deep breath. His lion wanted to run, but the last time he’d done that drunk, he’d woken up locked in a zoo. His mum’d kill him i
f that ever happened again.
He shook his head and began the long walk back to the house he shared with his twin.
****
Laura was going to kill her stupid sister if it was the last thing she ever did. She dialed Belle’s number for the fifth time and grumbled into the phone.
“Where the hell are you?”
Belle’s phone picked up and Laura heard familiar giggling down the line.
“H’lo?”
Oh, thank God!
“Belle! Where are you?”
Belle giggled again and Laura rolled her eyes heavenward.
A little help please!
“Belle, you have to be at that University Open Day tomorrow or you won’t be accepted.”
Belle laughed as though that was the greatest joke ever heard, and slurred into the phone.
“I wasss…at the lit’le pub on the corner and now I’m goin’ home with Brandon…”
Laura grabbed her keys and headed out the front door.
Calm. She needed to stay calm.
“That’s great hon. Can you ask him his address and I’ll come pick you up in a little while?” She made her voice as light and friendly as possible, hoping to convince her horny little sister to come home early.
“It’s 210 The Avenue, Newbank,” came the husky reply through the phone, his voice like salted caramel over vanilla ice cream. So smooth and decadent, Laura’s knees almost buckled beneath her.
Who the hell is that?
She shook herself as she walked down the path, wrenched open her car door, and jumped in. Newbank was only twenty minutes away.
“Don’t move. I’ll be there soon.”
Laura put her car into gear and pulled out into the empty street. This was the last thing she wanted to be doing on a Friday night, but hey, what else was there to do? Wasn’t like she had a life or anything…
Twenty-two minutes later, she pulled up outside a beautiful double-story house on a country-sized block.
“Wow.” She stepped out of her car and looked up at the magnificence of the Rocky Mountains. What a place to live!
“Can I help you?”
Laura spun around and fell back against her car, a force that she didn’t even recognize almost knocking her off her feet.
There was a man standing in front of her and his face looked like it’d been carved by angels. Dark eyes that even at a distance burned with heat, short dark hair that was styled, and his body looking strong and wiry.
Laura swallowed against the lump that had risen in her throat and felt an intense pull in her lower belly as her primitive side responded to the sexual attraction of this exceptionally hot male.
“Uh, yes.” She cleared her throat and staggered forward on legs that were shaking. She must have looked drunk.
“You all right?” The man stepped forward, grabbing her naked elbow. She gasped, sparks flying up her arm and tingling all the way to her core. Her heart sped up and she bit back a groan. She’d never felt anything like it before.
“Fuck!” He growled, letting go. He backed up so quickly Laura almost fell forward onto the front hedges.
He continued to growl weird, panting noises. His eyes flickered from their dark brown to a strange tawny yellow. Was there something wrong with him, or was it just the light?
She looked and saw it again. What the hell was this guy on?
“I’m fine, what’s wrong with you?”
Laura straightened up and glared. This man was a stranger and she was here to get her sister away. Get your head back on the plan.
She flicked her head and straightened her spine. “I’m here to pick up Belle. She told me she’d be here.”
The man nodded with jerky motions, still breathing like he’d run a marathon, and gestured for her to follow.
“She’s probably inside…with my…brother.”
His voice had dropped a couple of octaves and as he bounced up the steps to the house and unlocked the front door, Laura got a great view of his tight ass.
Stop it stupid! When has a man like that ever looked at you?
Laura pulled her pink short-sleeved cardigan tighter around her overabundant breasts and rolls of flubber. Now she wished she’d worn a woolen coat, despite the summer heat.
“In here.”
Laura shivered as the voice from the phone rang through the air. His voice was like the richest chocolate—smooth, hot, and melted. Heat seared Laura’s cheeks as she followed behind the dark-haired man who was still looking like he wasn’t comfortable in his skin.
Laura stepped down the hallway and walked into a massive, white kitchen and living space. Parquetry floors and modern, expensive leather furniture in what was a relatively spotless house.
Wow. Two men really live here? Maybe they’re gay and I just made an idiot of myself?
“She’s in the bathroom.”
Laura dragged her eyes away from the view out of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked toward the melted chocolate voice.
Oh my fucking God!
The same force that hit her outside pounded into her chest and sent her stumbling back against the marble-top bench. Her heart raced against her chest as blood flowed through her body at a pounding pace. Sweat broke out along her neckline.
“What the hell is going on here?”
The two men shared a look and some form of communication passed between them. Maybe they really were a couple. Stupid Belle had gone home with a gay guy, or at least a bisexual one!
The dark-haired one turned toward her, his hands gripping the chair next to him so tightly his knuckles glowed white.
“I’m Tyler and this is my twin brother Brandon.”
Oh, thank God they’re not gay. Didn’t think my gaydar was that far out!
Laura looked between the two men who could have easily graced the front cover of a known magazine. “Obviously, you’re not identical.”
The men chuckled and glanced at each other weirdly again. They were almost carbon copies of each other in looks, yet with totally opposite coloring, with Tyler being smaller in build and shorter than Brandon.
“No, we’re not. What’s your name?”
Laura straightened up and folded her arms across her chest.
“Laura.”
Both men repeated her name and made strange purring noises.
“What is with that?”
Tyler looked at his brother and gestured toward Laura.
“Go shake her hand.”
Brandon stared at Tyler dumbly, but moved forward anyway.
“Hi.” He walked within an arms length of her and extended his hand.
Laura stared at the massive palm and that shiver caressed her spine again.
She reached out and their skin connected.
“Holy shit!” Brandon jumped back in a similar way that Tyler had earlier, and heat pooled in Laura’s lower belly.
Heat stole across her cheeks as the heat turned into a deep, arousing throb. She opened her mouth to ask another question when an unusual noise broke through her subconscious.
She cleared her throat. “Is that my sister?” She lifted her chin toward the sound of vomiting.
Brandon nodded and crossed his arms over his massive chest. A few buttons had been popped and Laura got a good view of golden skin and blond, curly chest hair.
Laura inhaled sharply and ignored the strange looks she was getting from the men. She strode forward and felt a deep twinge over her heart when both men moved rapidly out of the way. What? Did she look like she had something contagious?
“Belle?” She called as she pushed open the sliding door and sighed, her shoulders sagging in defeat.
Her beautiful sister was slumped on the bathroom floor, vomit covering her half-exposed tiny, perky breasts.
She whirled around to face the man who’d brought her home.
“Do I have to worry about an after-morning pill? Or didn’t you quite get that far?”
Brandon’s face contorted and turned bright red.
“Are you kidding? You think I’d fuck a vomiting, half-conscious woman?”
He looked truly perturbed by the idea, his face twisting into a grotesque mask.
Laura turned away to hide her smile. The man might swear like a sailor, but she couldn’t fault his morals on this one.
“Excuse me.”
She stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.
For fuck’s sake, Belle!
She let out a sigh that should have belonged to their mother. But both their parents were long gone and buried, so Belle was her responsibility and it was time to get her sister cleaned up. Again.
Yuck. Not a pleasant task, but she’d certainly had to deal with worse. Then she had to get her home again and ready to begin her new life. Belle was not missing out on this opportunity for future study, and Laura would make sure she got everything in life she deserved.
Chapter Two
Brandon’s abs were quivering like he’d just run ten miles. What the hell was wrong with his body? His heart was pounding, his hands were shaking, and he could swear his balls had never felt so tight.
“Who the hell is she?”
Tyler tightened his hold on the kitchen bench top and growled.
“Hey. Stop it!” Brandon stepped away from his brother’s vibrating figure and opened the fridge, pulling out two cold beers. “What’s wrong with you?”
His brother was smaller than he was, in both their human forms and their lions. But fear pricked up his spine. He’s never heard his brother make that noise before.
“I…can’t…” Tyler dropped his head and stretched back, his brown hair beginning to lighten and change into the characteristic golden fur of a Canadian Rockies mountain lion.
Shit!
“No! Ty, pull yourself together.”
Tyler’s head shot up, his eyes already changed to tawny yellow and his nose beginning to disappear into the face of the lion.
It was too late. Tyler’s human body was gone and in the pool of his clothes stood his lion instead.