The Shifter's Catch

by T. S. Ryder

  “I’m sorry,” he said. He didn’t sound sorry and his eyes roamed her body. “You’ve become such a beauty. I can’t seem to reconcile you with that tomboy I knew.”

  She wished he wouldn’t. Her cheeks flamed at his praise. She didn’t know why, maybe because she tingled when he looked at her, but she wanted him to find her attractive.

  Of course, he’d never be interested in her. She was young, inexperienced. She’d never thought that not being with anyone sexually made her somehow deficient, before now. Of course, a man like him would want someone who knew how to be a lover.

  Her cheeks burned, probably turning her face an uncomplimentary shade of red, at the turn her thoughts had taken. She scrubbed absently at the Formica tabletop with her napkin as Christmas music flowed from the speakers “So, tell me how you are, Trevor. How’s business?”

  “It’s business. Could be better, could be worse. We’re doing okay now, but losing your dad was a huge loss.”

  “For me, too.” She put a hand over his and a thrum of electricity shot through her.

  “So what are you doing? You should be just about finished with your undergrad degree, shouldn’t you?”

  “I work. And work some more. I’m saving for school right now, not attending.”

  He turned his hand over to squeeze hers. “But your dad saved all his life for your schooling.”

  “Tell my stepmother that.” Laken sighed. “You know what, it doesn’t matter. Let’s talk about happier things.”

  “You can’t be making much here.”

  “I get by.” She sat up straighter in her chair. She wanted him to see her as a woman who took care of herself.

  Not that it mattered. She’d never actually fall for anyone, much less someone the same age her father would be now. When you loved people, you just ended up losing them. It was a hard lesson, but she’d learned it.

  “At least come work for the company. We can get you a secretarial job. It would pay better, and you wouldn’t have to work two jobs.” He let go of her hand, as though he’d just realized they’d been clasped together for the longest time. “I insist. Let me help you out that much. Your dad would want me to.”

  She looked around Coffee Hut, and thought what it would be like to not be on her feet for sixteen hours a day? Just then, Kevin came out, a murderous expression on his face. The time had come. He was going to have to fire one of them. Maybe if she left on her own, Jen could keep her job.

  “Yes. I am all about working at my dad’s company. I’d love that.”

  “Great. Come in tomorrow. I’ll have HR get you set up with someone right away.”

  He took a last chug of his coffee, got up and walked out.

  Laken crossed behind the counter and tugged Kevin back into the hallway. “I know you have to get rid of one of us. Let me save you the trouble—I quit.”

  Kevin ran a hand through red hair that badly needed a trim. “I hate that it’s come to this.”

  “Me, too. But Jen can’t afford to be without work and a great opportunity just came my way. Two birds, one stone, right?”

  Laken took off her apron, handed it to Kevin, and walked out to give Jen a hug. “Call me later, I’ll explain everything.”

  And just like that, Laken walked out of Coffee Hut and into, hopefully, a brand new life.

  Chapter Two

  Laken woke up the next day excited for her fresh start. Taking particular time on her appearance, she carefully applied her makeup to make her look like a woman. She stared into her closet and went through her clothes, discarding most of them.

  When you worked in a diner or coffeehouse, tee shirts and jeans were acceptable, even encouraged. But, in an office? She needed something snazzier.

  She finally settled on a white, lacy blouse and a thin, black pencil skirt. It showed off her shapely calves, one of her best features. She brushed and curled her hair, then decided it made her look too young wearing it down. She pulled it up into a full bun on top of her head and pulled some random curls down to float around her face.

  Humming to a song on the radio, she tried to ignore that she wanted to impress Trevor. She just couldn’t help it—his handsome face came to her mind unbidden. She wanted to make him notice her. Just a little. Okay, a lot, if she were being honest with herself. It didn’t matter. Nothing would come of it.

  She’d had so little to get excited about in the years since her dad’s death. Her boyfriend at the time had deemed her “too depressing,” and left with barely a goodbye. She hadn’t been in love with him, so it was no great loss. She’d never been in love with anyone, which was exactly why she was still a virgin. No one had ever swept her off her feet, made her forget everything. Until that happened, she’d stay squarely in the no-experience category.

  She rode the bus to her dad’s old office, a security firm. He and Trevor had started it a couple of years after she was born with their own savings. Her dad had always had a head for business. It would make her heart ache to be there without him, but she thought he’d be happy for her. At least this would get her off her feet, maybe let her put a little more into her measly savings account.

  She climbed off the bus at her stop and walked the rest of the way. Once there, she went straight to Trevor’s office, instead of reporting to HR. She just wanted to say hi before she started.

  He looked up at her knock on the door jamb. He’d been engrossed in print-outs on his desk. “Oh, Laken. Look at you.” He stood up and took his time perusing her. By the time he brought his gaze back to hers, it was as though all the oxygen in the room had been eaten up. She struggled to just breathe like a normal person.

  “Hi.” She smiled at him, shyness overcoming her all at once. “It’s so strange being here without my dad.”

  “To be honest, I feel the same way sometimes.”

  Laken did a half turn back to the empty desk outside his office. “Where’s your secretary?”

  He leaned back on his desk, his hands resting on the flat surface. He looked scrumptious in a black suit and red tie. “Here’s the thing. My secretary went on maternity leave, and she just let me know yesterday evening that she doesn’t plan to come back. If you’re uncomfortable working with me, since we know each other, I’ll understand and have someone transferred. But, if you’d like, you can work with me.” He gave a little shrug. “For me.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She’d very much enjoy seeing him every day. It was just a harmless crush and she’d get over it eventually. It’s not like he was going to feel the same way in a million years. “That’s perfect. I’d love that.”

  Was she too eager? She felt her cheeks warming up, betraying her with a blush. “What I mean is,” she went on, “I already quit my other two jobs, and I’d be happy working with you. Happier than working with someone I don’t know. Promise you’ll be gentle while I learn the ropes?”

  His eyes flashed, dark and intense. “I can’t promise anything. I’ll do my best, how about that?”

  Had she made him angry? She went out to her new desk, put her purse away, and started going through the large pile of paperwork on his secretary’s desk. On her new desk.

  ***

  Trevor shut the door firmly behind Laken and wandered back to his desk. He could ignore the now beautiful young woman working for him with the door shut. He’d lied to her, and he hated himself for it.

  He had specifically asked that a more experienced secretary not be transferred to work for him. He was the boss. Of course, he wouldn’t get the secretary fresh off the street, without any training. Judy in HR would never make a mistake like that.

  Still, he’d asked and she’d accepted. Nothing wrong in that, was there?

  But there was, because as he sat down behind his desk and put his feet up, it occurred to him for the hundredth time since yesterday that Laken was a beautiful young woman.

  She was his best friend’s daughter, and he wanted her with a fire that could burn down buildings. So much had changed since Frank had died,
and in that time, Laken had become a woman.

  Since his wife’s death, Trevor had taken lovers. He was a widow, and there was no guilt in that. But his old partner’s daughter, who was half his age? That was madness.

  Laken was probably a fine young woman, and he didn’t deserve her. Didn’t deserve to indulge, to let himself want her in a way that had him sitting in his goddamn office, his cock hard as a concrete slab.

  He would never fall in love again because he’d quite literally broken his wife’s heart. She’d died the same night he’d asked her for a divorce. No one knew that. They’d assumed he was a grief-stricken widower, but he’d been more hurt when Laken’s father died. The man had been his best friend.

  He had a responsibility to make sure nothing happened to Laken and he was the wolf at the door. Maybe he should talk to HR and have her transferred. “Laken!” he called out.

  Laken walked in and he noticed how she filled out her slim skirt with curves, the luscious shape of her calves that begged for his tongue to explore. “I’ve rethought this. Maybe us working together isn’t the best idea.”

  Her face fell, and she looked stricken. “Sure, whatever you want.”

  He picked up the phone and dialed Judy’s extension, his entire HR department. “Judy,” he said when she answered, putting her on speaker. “I’ve thought it over some more. Why don’t you transfer Laken Singleton to someone else?”

  “There is no one else.”

  “I’m sorry?” He sat up in his chair and jabbed a finger at the phone. “You said Gary in accounting needed a secretary just this morning.”

  “I did. But I’ve already hired someone. They’ve completed their HR packet, which Ms. Singleton hasn’t done yet. It wouldn’t be right to fire her.”

  “Can’t you switch them?”

  Judy sighed. “This girl is in college to be an accountant. She could be a real asset to Gary. I just feel like the placement works as is. But,” she said, her voice belabored, “you’re the boss.”

  “No. Leave her with Gary.” He slapped the speaker button and cut the phone off. He tried to think of something else, but he couldn’t put Laken on one of the security teams. She had no training. “I don’t know about this, Laken.”

  “Oh, God.” Laken crossed to one of the chairs in front of his desk and collapsed. “I’ve already quit both my jobs. I know I don’t have a lot of training in this area, but I’m smart. I can figure it out, no matter how hard it is. I had straight A’s in school. And when I was in high school, I took keyboarding and office studies.”

  Well, hell. He couldn’t kick the poor girl out in the street, especially when he’d been the one to suggest she come to work for him. “Don’t worry. Your job is safe. We’ll make it work.”

  “Thank you,” she gushed and left his office before he could change his mind.

  What on Earth was he going to do with her when all he wanted to do was swipe everything off his desk, pin her beneath him, and take her?

  ***

  Laken had been working for him for over a week, and he was nearly out of his mind with lust. And worse than that, she was whip-smart. She’d taken no time to sort through the mess on her desk and take care of all the work.

  Unfortunately for him, he found smart women sexy as hell. He was in a slow-burn of torture as she leaned over the desk to look at his computer screen.

  “See,” she gestured at the company site on the screen, leaning on her elbows, ass sticking out right beside of him. “It’s out of date compared to your competitors. If you hired someone to update and blog about security—ways to avoid scams, making sure their homes are secure—you’d give yourself more credibility as an expert on security work.”

  “Anything to get profits up, I'm willing to try.” Trevor leaned back, not missing her tantalizing backside, and forced himself to focus on the screen. “You’re brilliant. Your dad always had a knack for these kind of things, too.”

  She stood up, smoothing out her skirt, and blushed an adorable pink. He wanted to brush his lips over her face—hell, he wanted to put his mouth all over her.

  “Thanks.”

  “I mean it. I made a great decision when I asked you to come work for me. I’d be lost without you.”

  She leaned against his desk, facing him, and he stood up. Just like that, they were face to face and electricity spiked between them.

  Her eyes widened and he knew she felt it, too. Damn him. Knowing that she wanted him, too, he couldn’t resist any longer.

  Before he could stop himself, he took possession of her mouth, sucking on her bottom lip until she opened up to him. He slid his tongue inside, between her hot lips, and she kissed him back. At first, she was tentative, teasing his mouth with small flutters of her tongue, but she became bolder.

  He grabbed her by her hips and pulled her against him. His erection pressed into her stomach until his balls ached with the want. He cupped her ass and trailed kisses down her throat.

  “Laken,” he growled. She sought out his mouth, bringing her arms up around his neck and pulling him closer.

  A noise from outside the office, probably someone from the cleaning crew, had them jerking apart as if burnt by the kiss.

  He smoothed down the jacket of his suit and looked at her rumpled blouse and disheveled hair. If anyone saw her right now, or his raging hard-on for that matter, there would be no doubt what they’d been up to.

  Gently, he brushed a hair out of her face, then took a step back. “I’m so sorry, Laken. I don’t know what came over me.” A lie. A week’s worth of desire had finally bubbled up to the surface.

  She put a hand to her swollen lips and he wondered if she was going to quit on the spot. “Would you still be sorry it happened, if I told you” —she worked her throat— “that I’m not. I mean, I’m not sorry. I’ve wanted to kiss you since you walked into the coffeehouse. Wondered every night what it would be like.”

  “And? What was it like for you, darling?”

  “It was heavenly.” She sighed, cheeks flushed. “And I want to do it again.”

  “You’re playing with fire. You don’t know what you’ve stirred to life in me.” For that matter, he wasn’t even sure what she’d brought alive inside.

  He knew he was wrong to want her, but everything inside of him burned to find out what would happen if he took it further. He wished he knew what he was going to do. “You should go home, Laken.”

  “Oh.” Her gaze was cast to the floor. “All right, then. Good night.”

  “Night,” he called out after her. He ran a hand through his hair. Damn him. Hell, he was damned. He didn’t see any way past this want.

  Chapter Three

  It had been three days since the kiss. She sat at her desk and wondered why he’d sent her away, something she’d done every five minutes since he’d kissed her. She’d never been kissed that way before.

  It had knocked her off balance. She wasn’t getting as much work done as before because all she could think about was the way his lips had taken hers. How much she wanted him to do that with her whole body.

  It was past six, and she should be going home, but there was a torrential downpour outside, and she hadn’t brought an umbrella. She’d be soaked like a kitten in the gutter within seconds.

  Trevor came out of his office, shutting off the lights behind him. “Go home, Laken. You’ve put in a good day’s work.”

  “I can’t.” She frowned. It bothered her to admit she’d had to sell the car her dad had bought her. When her stepmother had kicked her out, she’d needed a deposit for an apartment and money to live on until she started bringing home steady paychecks.

  “Sure you can.” He paused by her desk and gazed at her. When he did that, it was like he was looking straight into her soul. “What’s wrong?”

  He could read her too well. She cleared her throat. “Well, it’s raining, and the bus stop is over a block away.”

  His brow puckered for a moment as he looked at her, then out the window. “You nee
d a ride home.” He said it as a statement—he wasn’t offering. It didn’t surprise her, he’d avoided being alone with her since their kiss. “Why not? I’ll take you home.”

  “Are you certain? I don’t want to be any trouble. I can just wait out the rain. Or call a cab.” The idea killed her—so much precious money gone for one trip home.

  “I’m sure. Let’s go.” He handed her his umbrella while she grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk.

  By the time they reached his car, they were both soaked through from the whipping rain. The wind had carried it up under the umbrella, rendering it useless. He turned the heat up and angled the vents so they blew on her. She shivered, waiting for the car to heat up.

  There was intimacy in being so close to him, like this. She glanced over and he dragged his gaze away from her and back to the road. Water dripped from the ends of his hair and she had to fight the urge to run her fingers through it.

  She directed him to her little bungalow-style house. “Right here.” He pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. The rain had died down some, so it wasn’t an outright downpour any longer. “Come in and at least dry yourself with a towel before you head home. I hate to think of you driving home, freezing and wet,” she said.

  “You’re sure that’s okay?”

  “I’m positive. It’ll be fine.” She climbed out of the car, clutching her purse and ran for her front stoop. She unlocked the door, and by then he’d caught up to her. She let them both in.

  Laken went to the bathroom and came back with towels. They were thin and cheap, so she brought two. “I’m going to get out of these wet clothes. I’ll be right back.”

  She went into her room and stripped down naked. Even her underwear was wet from the rain. Grabbing her lavender terry cloth robe, she slipped it on. It was modest, coming down all the way to her ankles, and she didn’t want to be rude and leave Trevor sitting in her living room while she looked for something to wear.