by Tigris Eden
Table of Contents
Title Page
Praise for the Shadow Unit Series
Praise for Arctic Bound
Praise for Diamond
Copyright
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Quotes
A SLOW BURN
A Slow Burn: Chapter 1
A Slow Burn: Chapter 2
A Slow Burn: Chapter 3
A Slow Burn: Chapter 4
A Slow Burn: Chapter 5
GIVE AND TAKE
Give and Take: Chapter 1
Give and Take: Chapter 2
Give and Take: Chapter 3
Give and Take: Chapter 4
Give and Take: Chapter 5
Give and Take: Chapter 6
Give and Take: Chapter 7
Give and Take: Chapter 8
Give and Take: Chapter 9
Give and Take: Chapter 10
Give and Take: Chapter 11
Give and Take: Chapter 12
Give and Take: Chapter 13
Give and Take: Chapter 14
Give and Take: Chapter 15
Give and Take: Chapter 16
Give and Take: Chapter 17
Give and Take: Chapter 18
Give and Take: Chapter 19
UNTIL HER
Until Her: Chapter 1
Until Her: Chapter 2
Until Her: Chapter 3
Until Her: Chapter 4
Until Her: Chapter 5
Until Her: Chapter 6
Until Her: Chapter 7
Until Her: Chapter 8
Until Her: Chapter 9
Until Her: Chapter 10
Until Her: Chapter 11
Until Her: Chapter 12
Until Her: Chapter 13
Until Her: Chapter 14
Until Her: Chapter 15
Until Her: Chapter 16
Until Her: Chapter 17
Until Her: Chapter 18
Until Her: Chapter 19
Until Her: Chapter 20
Until Her: Chapter 21
Until Her: Chapter 22
Until Her: Chapter 23
Until Her: Chapter 24
Until Her: Chapter 25
Until Her: Chapter 26
Until Her: Chapter 27
Until Her: Epilogue
Other Titles by the Author:
About The Author
STORIES FROM BEAUVILLE BOXED SET
Anna and Jackson
A Slow Burn
Give and Take
Until Her
by
Praise for the Shadow Unit Series
“The Shadow Unit Series is an edge of your seat thrill ride full of steamy romance, conspiracy and best of all, hot shifters. A great series for any lover of the genre.” -Author S. Cu’Anam Policar.
“This was one of the best 2nd in a series books I think I have ever read. I have been waiting to see what happened with Jes and Draven, the hotness that is Royce and Ronin. Great Follow up. Great writing, can’t wait till the others come out!” –Tka3nme.
“Just when you think happily ever after there is another twist in the story that keeps you turning the page.” –1safelady.
“The Shadow Unit Series is intense, gritty and HOT HOT HOT!!!” –Viki Sloboda.
“Intrigue, love and action make an irresistible read.” –Vondetta Carter
“Once you start reading them you can’t put them down until you’re finished. Then you are anxiously waiting for the next.” –Barb A.
“Shadow Unit Series is an emotional, raw, sexy, action packed paranormal fabulousness that sucks you in from page one. You will cry, laugh, and blush throughout the series and burn for more.” –Indy Book Fairy
“Hunky men, steamy scenes, romance and a touch of the paranormal. What more can you ask for? It’s all here in the Shadow Unit.” –Jennifer Ballam.
“The Shadow Unit series is an edge of your seat mix of adventure and romance that will leave the readers wanting more!” –Ty Langston, Author of Decadent Dreams
Praise for Arctic Bound
“Arctic Bound is meltingly passionate and explosively sexy! Ms. Eden brings us an amazing story. Arctic Bound kept me guessing! Doesn’t happen often but I was stunned speechless a few times with plot twists I never saw coming.” –Bitten by Love Reviews
“I enjoyed Arctic Bound because of the heroine, she was no one’s push over. She was a fighter. There was passion, mystery and all kinds of paranormal creatures.” –Debra Crosby
“Do you want dark and brooding? Check. Do you want a heroine with a troubled past? Check. Do you want the leads to not be physically perfect? Partial check. Do you want your paranormal favorites in one place? Huge Check!” –Jenny
“I love Tigris Eden as an author and here’s why, she puts everything I want in a book without it being too much. I am a huge fan of adding diversity into books and Tigris delivers.” –Reese’s Book reviews
“The well-orchestrated events of this romance keep readers on the edge of their seats and ensure that the readers want to know everything. I was completely bewitched by the Arctic Wolves and their fascinating world and I can’t wait to read the next one.”– Evampire
Praise for Diamond
“My first book from this author and most certainly not my last. There are a lot of books available that claim to be dystopian with dark undertones but this book just knocked me for six! I wasn't quite sure what to expect but whatever it was it most certainly wasn't this. I read the synopsis and thought alrighty then futuristic sci fi with a mysterious heroine and the stereo typical alpha male. Can I state here and now that this book seems to have a life of its own and if it's a romance you seek then perhaps you will scream but if you want to get knocked on your (no doubt) shapely behind then this book deserves to be read!” – Marta Cox
“I feel like if I just write WOW! that will cover the review, yet I know I need to provide more than one word.
Let’s begin with the official stuff, I was provided a copy of Diamond in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. the cover drew me in; I mean seriously; this has to be one of the best covers I’ve seen in a long time. Once I read the book, it ultimately NAILED the female protagonist, Nadya.
I have been drawn to post-apocalyptic stories for a while and read so many. This is a world where every breath is a fight, water is scarce, and food… Well, what do people do when food runs low? It’s savage, raw, and depicts a nightmare world. The imagery was brutal yet so realistic; I was thankful for my fresh glass of water.” –Boundless Book Reviews
Copyright © 2016 Tigris Eden
Cover Design: Rachel Rivera Parajunkee Designs
Editor: Chelle Olson & Sheryl Policar
Proofed: Paige Prince
Published by: Kats Kreative Ideas
All Rights Reserved
ISBN-13: 978-1-68418-708-9
[email protected]
Houston, Texas
www.authortigriseden.com
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the work o
f the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
Acknowledgements
To you, the READER… THANK YOU for reading my words and enjoying my stories. It means the world to me that you welcome me into your reading device on a regular basis.
As always, a big thank you to God. Without him nothing is possible.
Dedication
To you, from me. Thank you.
“Just like the moon holds the light, you hold my heart.”
~Jackson Storme
You ever kiss a man that kissed so well you forgot your own name? Me neither.
~ Annabelle Macon
A SLOW BURN
by Tigris Eden
A Slow Burn: Chapter 1
“Everything is going to be alright, Annabelle.”
That was easy for Joey to say, she was married to Treat Cavanaugh, of the multi-millionaire Cavanaugh’s, who practically owned the quiet little town of Beauville, just twenty miles outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. How my mother talked me into coming back was a miracle. Okay, it wasn’t a miracle, I was excited to get back; and although I wasn’t going to say or think his name out loud, there was someone that I was more than eager to see. It was Fourth of July weekend, and because I’d lost my job in New York, there was nowhere left to go but home. I’d had a choice of course, but this one seemed like the path of least resistance and it had nothing to do with the possibility of seeing Jackson Storme. Not really.
“Just help me pick something out for the festival.” I pleaded. Living in the big city had changed my fashion sense, and I’d been unsuccessful in figuring out what to wear. The town made a big-to-do out of Independence Day. It was their excuse to get rip-roaring drunk, watch the fireworks, and taste the best food that our town patrons had to offer. It was a day of days for the good citizens of Beauville.
“This one,” Joey said, holding up a white gauzy summer dress with thin spaghetti straps. It was perfect. The dress had been a necessity with the humidity in New York, but here in Beauville there’d be a slight breeze coming from the river, giving me the circulation needed for my skin to breathe. I didn’t get that in New York, there, I was only privy to the incessant heat and the sun glaring down on my skin, burning up all my beauty and trying to replace it with wrinkles and sun spots. My mother always told me the humid weather down south was what kept her looking so young.
“You sure?” I asked again.
“Yeah, girl, next to me, you’ll look mighty-fine, mighty-fine,” Joey said, giggling as she bounced over to my dresser to find accessories. She whistled as she dug through my jewelry box, inspecting each piece. New York and Louisiana were as different as night and day. In the city, it was a fast pace, long work hours, and a race to beat the traffic. Here in Beauville it was the opposite, a slow crawl, lazy days, and boudin balls over at Marivaux’s Crawfish Shack.
“Ooh, can I wear this?” Joey asked holding up a pair of gold leaf earrings.
“Yeah, honey, knock yourself out.”
Joey Cavanaugh was a petite woman with black hair and emerald green eyes. Her husband, Treat was a tall drink of hotness with a Southern drawl that would make even an old woman swoon. I was happy when Joey and Treat finally married. The town’s beauty queen matched to a Cavanaugh had everyone jumping for joy. Hell, I was even jumping when I got the call. I hadn’t been able to make the wedding like I wanted, but I did send them a gift.
When I finished putting on my dress, I slid into a pair of jelly flips-flops and secured my hair on top of my head in a messy ponytail. Trying to do anything else with my hair was pointless.
“I wish I had your coloring, Annabelle. You look like a bronzed goddess with all those sexy curves.” Joey said as her eyes scanned my body with a smile.
“I’ll take you to tan anytime you want, honey,” I said, winking at her.
Joey sticks her tongue out at me before saying, “Whatever, you’re all natural. I love your skin, its blemish free.
“Thanks for the co-sign, honeybee.”
Joey and I grew up in Beauville and we’d friended one another the first day of Pre-K, she was one of my dearest friends for as long as I could remember. I didn’t have a problem with who I was as a person, I embraced my heritage. My mother raised me to love me for me and to not try and change, except when change made me a better person. So when the other kids at school had shunned me because of my mother and Joey hadn’t, I knew then we were going to be good friends.
It didn’t matter that we were dirt poor and lived on the other side of the proverbial tracks. Beauville was a small town; people were going to talk regardless. I didn’t know my father and rumor had it that it was my mother’s longtime lover, Mayor Roudroux; which would make me a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
I’d left town because I knew there was a huge world outside of Beauville just waiting for me to snap its picture–not because of the rumors about my mother. After I graduated high school, I applied to all of the noteworthy art colleges. When I was accepted into The New York School of Arts on a full scholarship, I crossed the Mississippi River and didn’t look back. My mother encouraged me to spread my wings; she was never one to hold me back.
Joey and I left my room fully dressed, me in my sundress and her in her shorts and a tank top.
“Girl, you look good enough to eat. Woo wee, you sho’ is fine, darlin’.” This came from the Mayor of Beauville Rufus Roudroux; the man my mama had been seeing since I was in diapers. I didn’t look a lick like him, but his son Wood, well, we could have been twins. I never brought it up to my mother and she never said a word to me. We both knew that Mayor Roudroux was married with three kids, with Wood and me being the same age. He, of course, was white, where as I wasn’t white at all. If there was some cream added to my brown sugar, you wouldn’t know it, but Wood and I definitely looked alike, from our dark brown hair, to our light brown eyes, as well as our identical dimples.
So, my mother was carrying on with another woman’s husband, did I think it was bad? Yes; but the entire town knew about their relationship, and Rufus Roudroux had been mayor for more years than I could count. The people here obviously didn’t care. The long-standing rumor was that my mother cleaned their home, and somehow, someway, she bewitched him. This caused a lot of problems growing up, and as much as some of the town tried to blame me for my mother’s wrong doings, I worked really hard at ignoring it all. I don’t think anyone really knows what happened, I just remember him showing up one day when I was very young, and returning weekly from that day forward. He didn’t give me money, but he sure did have a lot of advice.
“Rufus Wilson Roudroux, hush your mouth, don’t be talking to my baby that way!” My mother admonished, slapping him on the leg.
“Pearl baby, don’t no woman come packaged as fine as this one, well, ‘cept you.”
Mayor Roudroux was good to my mama, so I never complained about them carrying on the way they did. They were snuggled on the front porch swing, sipping sweet iced tea while he smoked his cigar. It was a familiar scent, one I openly missed while I was in New York.
“Mama, I’ll be back before midnight,” I said, bending to kiss her ebony cheek. She was a beautiful woman, and at fifty-seven, she could easily pass for forty. Flawless dark skin and black eyes that saw right to the heart of a person, that was my mama, Pearl Macon. She was a proud woman and often said she would take no other life, except the one she had. She also had the prettiest smile I’d ever seen.
“Have fun, shuga, and should you meet a strapping young fella, you bring him round so I can inspect him, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I stepped off the porch, walking towards Joey’s LS400 and waited as she took her sweet ass time unlocking and walking to the car, I slid in just as she waved to my mother.
“Bye, Ms. Macon,” Joey yelled before getting inside the car.
“You girls be careful
.”
“We will.” We both sang.
Dirt sprayed in all directions from the car peeling out of the driveway, hitting the car with a crackling sound.
“I’m so glad you’re home, Annabelle.”
“Don’t get all emotional, it’s just until I can find another job.”
Joey turned serious eyes on me, her mouth turning down in a frown. “You tell your mom why you’re not working at that company anymore?”
No, I hadn’t intended to tell my mother anything. It would only make her worry. My boss, Trevor Dillinger, was a dick who tried coercing me into having sex with him. I declined as politely as I could and he, being the pint-sized dick-less douche bag that he was, fired me. End of story, nothing more to tell.
Joey was the only one that knew how I lost my job, and I didn’t care to repeat that story again. I had a plan and it was a good one. I had enough savings to start my own photography company, doing self-portraits, baby photos, the works. I didn’t need to work for slimy Trevor Dillinger.
“No, and she doesn’t need to know. I told you I have other plans. I’ll be fine.”
Joey placed a hand on my arm, smiling wide, and continued in a serious tone, “Anything you need, Anna, it’s yours.”
God, I loved Joey! She was always real with me.
“Thanks, honeybee, but I have some money put away.”
“Well then, watch out world, because Annabelle Macon is going to make a name for herself!”
We laughed for a long time before I cut on the radio, both of us singing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”