TALL, DARK & PANTHER

PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

MILLY TAIDEN

EXCERPTS AND MORE!

http://eepurl.com/pt9q1

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be

construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Published By

Latin Goddess Press

New York, NY 10456

http://millytaiden.com

Tall, Dark & Panther

Edited by Dee Carell

Cover by Willsin Rowe

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except

in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Property of Milly Taiden April 2015

ACCLAIM FOR MILLY TAIDEN

FOR

Curves ‘Em Right

“Gerri is excellent at knowing how to get her clients exactly what they want even if they are fighting it and have been fighting it for
years. There is passion, the creepy dude, the catty women, and two hot shifters for our heroine to fall for...”

—Theresa Esterline, I Heart Books

“Are you looking for a quick read that will have your blood boiling then grab this one up quickly! Trust me these two men definitely
know how to once you meet them. This novel is part of a series but each is each own enticing own story with hot sexy shifters and
scenes that will have your e reader smoking! Kane (alpha) and Blake (omega) are a package deal and are looking for their one to make
a perfect triad.”

—Sue-Ellen Robertson, Girly Girl Reviews

“Milly Taiden is the Smut Queen for a reason! She never fails to bring you a deliciously hot book with yummy men that you just want to
sink your teeth into. Sometimes like in this book we get lucky and get to fantasize about two hot and dominant men! I absolutely loved
this book. Geri is her witty and devious self as always. A confident curvy woman who is tired of dealing with men's bs over her weight
and two stubborn, pigheaded, dirty talking shifters who make you want the forbidden! If you love a steamy menage then this is definitely
the book for you. I definitely recommend reading!”

—Samantha Woods, LSK Sweetheart Reviews

“I loved this book! It was a fun, sexy read that I didn’t want to put down until I finished the last page. It was well written and flowed
perfectly. The characters were so real that I fell in love with each of them!”

—Fran Owen, Twin Sisters’ Rockin’ Reviews

—For My Girls

Dee and Robyn. I couldn’t ask for a better set of supporting friends. You’re amazing.

Love you!

ONE

Noah Wright watched his daily temptation through the blinds in his dark office. Like

clockwork, his neighbor shoved her apartment door open, flung her keys on her leather sofa, and

began to strip. Oh, she had no idea he was watching. In fact, she probably didn’t realize her blinds

were see-through. Had the lights in her apartment been off, he wouldn’t have seen a thing. But they

weren’t. They were on. Tempting him. Taunting him.

He gripped the pen in his hand, watching her remove her clothes with a natural efficiency and

speed that managed to appear sexy. Then she was in her underwear and running for her bathroom.

Amaya Zara. He’d met her when she’d moved in some months back. He’d ignored the instant hunger

her scent awaked in his panther. Down boy. The beast didn’t care for his attempt at self-control. The

animal wanted her. He’d been fighting the instinct to take the curvy goddess, strip her bare, and lick

his way down her luscious body.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. Maya had a boyfriend—some dickhead he’d seen

eyeing every female passing them by. Still, Noah didn’t poach. He respected relationships, even if

she was his mate. He’d have to wait until the time was right. Chivalry did not mean he had to stop

watching Maya’s see-through blinds. The U shape of the building allowed him to see into her

apartment directly across from him.

The sound of music coming from her place caught his attention. Humans might not be able to

hear it, but he had sensitive hearing so he could hear the music clearly. She was notorious for loud

music and singing along out of tune, not that he minded. He was endeared by her lack of inhibition.

Sure enough, a moment later, she popped into the living room clad in a pair of booty shorts

and a tank top. She loved wearing tank tops. He loved watching her wear them. She moved out of

sight and into the kitchen. Then she returned with a bottle of water. At first she took a sip, but once

she closed it, he realized she had other plans for the water bottle.

She lifted it to her lips like a mic and started singing along and wiggling her hips to the sound

of the music. He grinned. She was so damn cute. Her long, dark hair flew from side to side with every

shake of her head. He bit his bottom lip, watching her breasts strain against the tank top as she

danced. He wanted the offensive material off her body. Ideally, torn by his claws. He’d yet to see her

fully naked. Dreams didn’t count. He’d had enough of those. Kissing her. Fucking her. Doing things to

her that were probably illegal in some states.

She stopped dancing suddenly and rushed toward her bedroom. He glanced down at his hard-

on with disgust. Another fucking night of jerking off to the image of his curvy goddess. Fucking

awesome.

She darted back to the living room and opened her door, holding a wallet in one hand and

rummaging for bills. A pizza guy standing on the other side handed her a box, took the money, and left.

She slammed the door shut, placed the box on the table, and grinned. His cell phone rang. A quick

scan of the caller ID showed it was his godmother, Gerri Wilder.

He ignored the phone and glanced back at Maya. She had taken off the robe she’d put on to

open the door and was dancing again, all the while eating a slice of pizza. It looked like she was

singing to the pizza.

His cell phone rang again. He growled and picked it up.

“Hello, Gerri.” He tried not to sound like a jerk. She was the only person who gave a fuck

about him.

“Noah. I know you hate anyone bothering you, but it’s time for our monthly dinner. Or did you

forget?”

He glanced at his calendar and let his head drop. “I forgot.”

“I knew you had, which is why I took the liberty of making a reservation at my favorite

restaurant.” He could hear the smile in her voice.

“I appreciate that. We can always go another night,” he said, glancing up to Maya’s window.

She was nowhere in sight.

“Nonsense! I’m dying to see you.”

Of course she was. She was dying to get him to sign up for her dating service. The last thing

he wanted now that he knew Maya was his mate was for Gerri to go trying to match him to anybody.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you, too.” It wasn’t a lie. He loved her like a mother. She’d

helped him when he’d been a young kid getting into trouble. She’d made it her mission to ensure he

got an education and a job. He’d created his own business.

He stood and stared longingly at the window. Maya was out of his view. He didn’t want to

leave. He preferred to stay home and work while glancing at her window from time to time. If he

didn’t have sex soon, he’d end up in an even worse mood. There would be no sex for him unless it

was with her. And until she got rid of the dickhead boyfriend, he didn’t know how that was going to

happen.

* * *

Noah picked up his whiskey and sucked the drink down in a single gulp.

“You know,” Gerri said. “I can tell there’s something bothering you. You are never this

uptight.”

She was right. He was horny as hell, and the woman he wanted wasn’t around. Worse, she

didn’t even know he existed. Great. Just great.

“I have a lot of work.”

She raised her brows and lifted her wine glass to her lips. After a momentary pause to drink

some of her dessert port, she sighed. “I know you, Noah. You’re like a son to me. No…,” she raised a

hand. “I don’t need to be reminded that we’re different species. I know this. But I love you just the

same.” She pursed her lips. “Now stop being stupid and talk to me.”

Yeah. That’s the Gerri he knew and loved: straight to the point. “Nothing.”

She motioned for the check. “You should know better than to use a woman’s word with me.”

He frowned, glancing down at the piece of cake he’d taken only a single bite of. Usually, his

appetite was something to be afraid of, but now that all he had was Maya on his mind, he didn’t want

food. He wanted her. He wanted sex. “A woman’s word?”

“’Nothing’ is always in women’s vocabulary. Stop telling me that you aren’t annoyed.”

“I’m not annoyed,” he muttered, shoving the plate of cake away.

“Oh, so what are you, then?”

“Frustrated,” he admitted. “There’s a difference.”

“Why? What’s wrong? Tell me and let me help you,” she demanded. It was so like Gerri. She

didn’t offer help. She demanded to be allowed to fix whatever was wrong for him. She was so

overprotective.

“You can’t fix everything, Gerri.” He snatched the check from the table before she tried to pay

again. She always did, like he was still a kid that was broke and living in the streets. It wasn’t like

that anymore. Now he owned his damn apartment building. Hell, he owned a lot of property. He lived

in this particular one, instead of a house, because that building represented his success, his ability to

get out of the gutter and be the man Gerri believed him to be. The one nobody else thought he could

be. It had been the first piece of real estate he’d bought, and living there meant more to him than any

mansion.

She raised a brow. A light of determination shone in her eyes. “I can try. And seeing my

favorite godchild this frustrated is upsetting me.”

He barked a laugh. “You don’t look upset.” Her delicate brows lowered into a frown. “More

like you want to get me to do something I don’t want to, but certainly not upset.”

Her eyes flashed with the power of her wolf. “You might be a big, bad panther, but I can and

will whoop your ass if I need to.”

He didn’t dare answer back. This was Gerri, the only woman he’d ever allowed himself to

care for. No way in hell was he going to piss her off. After the waitress handed him back his card, he

jumped to his feet and helped Gerri stand. “Come on, beautiful. You don’t really want to be angry

with me.”

She blinked and laughed. “Ah, the charm. You’re using a powerful weapon. Those eyes and

that smile could get any other woman to forget being angry with you. Not me. I’m immune.”

He sighed. “At least I tried.”

They walked across the street to his building. He was walking in with Gerri when Maya came

rushing out. He glanced at her. She smiled and said hello before continuing on her way out. She was

dressed to go out, which surprised him. The scent of her shampoo and light spritz of perfume drifted

around him even after she’d gone. From the pizza and singing, he’s thought she was in for the night.

But it was a Friday night, and she was probably meeting the dickhead.

“Noah. She’s really pretty,” Gerri said, snapping him out of his trance.

He met Gerri’s too-knowing gaze and tried to shrug whatever she’d noticed off. “Yeah. She’s

got a boyfriend.”

Gerri’s shoulders drooped. “You can’t live like this. So isolated and alone. Let me set you up.

One time. That’s all I ask.”

“No.”

“I won’t take no for an answer. I only want you to go on one date. If you’re not even remotely

attracted to whoever I match you with, you won’t ever have to do this again.”

He followed her into the elevator and turned to face her. He read the sincerity in her eyes.

“One date?”

She nodded. “Just one. It will make me feel better that I have tried to help you somehow. And

if you don’t want anything else after that, I’ll shut my mouth and let you be.”

Gerri had never shut her mouth and let anyone be. If she felt the need to involve herself in

something, she did. That’s who she was: a total alpha matchmaker.

One date would be a pain in the ass, but it would stop him from having to avoid his

godmother. He loved Gerri, and the last thing he wanted was for her to think he didn’t want to be

around her. “Fine. One date.”

She smiled, her eyes twinkling with delight. “Perfect,” she said as the elevator doors opened

on his floor. “Come on. I’ll let you make me some coffee for once.”

He shook his head and followed her inside his door. He’d taken the entire right side of his

floor in the U-shaped building and turned it into a massive apartment.

He veered off to the kitchen to make coffee while Gerri continued to the living room. He

glanced at her as he filled the coffee maker with water. She took a seat in her usual chair and pulled

out a notebook from her bag. She glanced at him with a grin. “Now, let’s talk about what you want in

a woman.”

It was going to be a really long night.

TWO

That was it! Maya Zara gritted her teeth and kicked the side of her brand new Toyota Prius.

She growled when all she did was hurt her own foot. She glared at the car as if it had become her

worst enemy. She should not listen to her co-workers any longer. She should have just ignored the

idea of going on a date with some friend of a friend and instead followed her instinct. Did she? No.

Her damn pizza was better company than Hank. Much like her ex, Bud, Hank had been a total

idiot. Thinking of her ex, she shook her head in frustration. Bud. Who the hell named their kid Bud?

Probably someone who really liked beer. She slammed the glass door leading into her apartment

building’s lobby and searched her handbag for her keys. She was so frustrated that she almost

snapped at the doorman who’d been rushing to get the door for her, but she caught herself in time to

smile. The search for the keys was going to drive her insane. Why was it that no matter how much shit

she got rid of, she could never find her damn keys? They were always at the bottom of her bag in

some corner that she bypassed a few times.

She should have stayed home and eaten her pizza like she had planned. Instead, she’d listened

to Erica and gone off to meet Hank for coffee. Why? Because she was sick and tired of avoiding her

ex like the plague and not going anywhere. She hated that he knew where she liked to hang out and

made a point of showing up just to annoy her. He didn’t understand that they were broken up, that she

didn’t want him anymore. So he followed her around to the point it started to creep her the fuck out.

Stopping by the elevator banks, she sat her handbag on a table. She put her cell phone down

and continued searching until she finally found her keys. The elevator pinged at that moment, and she

rushed inside.

The ride to her floor felt like an eternity. She slipped out of her heels before the doors opened

and hurried to her door. She loved the building she lived in. It was modern and quiet. Her side of the

floor had two other apartments, but she never heard from her neighbors. They traveled a lot. She

couldn’t be happier that her grandparents had left her their old apartment in their will. Her mother and

one of her sisters lived out in a farm. So when she’d inherited the condo, Maya had been ecstatic to

have her own place in the city. Her job as a receptionist didn’t give her the kind of money needed to

live in such an expensive building. The building had recently changed owners and some rich guy had

bought out all the apartments that weren’t owned by residents. Thankfully, she didn’t need to worry

about rent.

She had just walked into the apartment when her intercom started ringing. It was the lobby.

“Hello?”

“Good evening, Ms. Zara. We found your cell phone on a table near the elevator. Would you

like us to bring it up?”

Shit. She forgot it on the table when she’d been looking for her keys. “No. Don’t even worry.

I’ll come get it.”

Shoeless and ticked off, she darted to the elevator once again. The sound of the ping made her

haul ass so she wouldn’t miss it.

“Hold the elevator!” she screamed, running down the hall. She saw someone move inside, and

the door that had been ready to close slid open. She managed to make it in before the doors closed on

her again. “Thank you.”

The person who held the door for her smiled wide. “You’re welcome. I’m Gerri Wilder.”

She grinned. The older woman had an infectious smile. “Hi, Gerri. I’m Amaya Zara, but

everyone calls me Maya.”

“Oh, what a beautiful name! Where does it come from?”

“I think the origin is Arabic,” she laughed. “Which is strange since my parents are Latinos.

But it means night rain, and I think that’s seen as good luck so I’ll take it.”

“Night rain. I like that.” Gerri glanced at her bare feet and laughed. “Busy night?”

She leaned back on the elevator and sighed. “You have no idea. Don’t ever let your co-

workers set you up with anyone. Trust me here, you always end up with a loser who has mommy

issues.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Yes. Every. Single. Time. You wouldn’t believe what just happened to me

tonight.”

“Try me,” Gerri said, folding her arms in front of her, which was weird because she wore an

expensive-looking dress.

“Okay, you asked for it. Let’s see. My co-worker, Erica, tells me she has a friend I need to

meet who’s in town for just one night. Hank. Sounds easy enough.” She headed out of the elevator

next to Gerri. Why was she telling her about her horrible date? Who knows? Maybe because she

needed to share it with someone to believe it really happened. “We agreed to meet at this coffee shop,

because I’m kind of paranoid about dating since my last boyfriend. He doesn’t seem to get the picture

that we’re done.”

The doorman met her by the security desk and handed her the cell phone. She thanked him and

strolled to one of the seating areas. There were tables and chairs, and she headed straight for one with

Gerri by her side.

“Go on.”

“I get to the place; the guy isn’t there. No big deal. He’s lost so I give him directions. I sit

there waiting, and when he finally shows up, I know it’s him because Erica had described him to me.

What she didn’t tell me was that he was short.”

“Is that a problem?” Gerri frowned.

“Oh, not really. I’m five-two, so I’m already short. Except, Hank is not short. Not really. He’s

a little person.”

Gerri’s eyes widened. “So he is more than just short.”

She nodded. “I’m open-minded, really. I mean, I was willing to give him a chance. His being

short isn’t a big deal, but when coupled with what came next, I was sitting there horrified. The entire

time, he is talking about how big his penis is, and how he has a prince albert and I need to see it. Do

you know what a prince albert is? A penis piercing!”

“Oh, my.”

“Wait. There’s more. When I’m getting ready to leave, he slaps my ass and asks when he can

get the chance to ‘hit that.’”

Gerri gasped. “He didn’t!”

“He did. He most certainly did. And for the kicker, he was drenched in sweat from either

nerves or just being someone who sweats a lot. He kept wanting to touch my hand with his hot,

sweaty one. It was really gross.” She folded her arms on top of the table and let her head drop on

them, with her forehead pressed on her forearms. “I should just go live in a convent. Sister can’t get a

good man sounds like the perfect title. My dating life sucks balls. Not just balls. Hairy, stinky, sweaty

balls.”

“My, that’s an image,” Gerri choked. “Don’t be down, Maya. Why are you meeting all these

strange men?”

She lifted her head and shrugged. “I want to meet the man that’s right for me. Someone who

will love me unconditionally. It’s hard to find someone like that when you’re as big as me.”

She wasn’t under any delusions. She was a big girl. Well, more like real big. She was super

curvy with a side of extra curves, and she was fine with that. Okay, she was more than fine with it.

She enjoyed living in the body she had and didn’t see herself doing anything drastic to change it. It

wasn’t like she had unhealthy habits. She was just big.

“What’s wrong with your size?” Gerri asked.

Maya stared at her for a moment, unsure if she was joking or what. “Bud, the ex, is one of the

reasons I’m annoyed with men in general. I’m a big girl, and I have yet to meet a guy who doesn’t try

to get me to lose weight. Or who won’t cheat on me with someone slimmer. Or who likes my curves.

Most of them are not okay with my body.” She ran her fingers through her long hair, twisting the

strands. “I don’t want a guy who tells me ‘you have a pretty face’ as the sexiest compliment. I want

someone who worships my body. A man who will be as turned on with me as I am with him. Do you

know what Bud said to me?”

Gerri shook her head, but said nothing.

“He said that I was fat, and it was okay. That he could accept that because he wasn’t with me

for beauty. He said that I was ‘safe’ because he didn’t see other guys stealing me away from him.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You know, because I’m so fat. Nobody else could possibly want me.”

Gerri opened her hand bag and pulled out a card. “I can help you, Maya. I own a matchmaking

service. Trust me, I would never pair you with a man who says anything like that.”

She stared at the card Gerri had placed on the table in front of her. With a pair of golden eyes

in the background, it said: Paranormal Dating Service. Wait. What?

“You own a paranormal dating service?”

“Yes. My male clients are strictly shifters. The big, sexy kind that can handle girls like you. In

fact, they prefer big girls. According to my nephew, it’s best to have more to hold onto when you’re

having sex.”

Maya widened her eyes. Holy shit. She had no idea her venting session was going to turn into

a matchmaking session with a possible shifter. Shifters for crying out loud. She’d heard of them but

had yet to meet one. The whole idea was crazy. Maybe Gerri was crazy. Or Maya for even

considering it. But she wasn’t having any luck with the human slugs. Maybe shifters had something

that made them special. If she went for it. Should she go for it?

“Your clients don’t mind that you have human females too?”

Gerri leaned back on her seat, her smile wide and filled with excitement. “No. I have gotten

some shifter females that are requesting my services, but most of my female clients are humans. It

doesn’t really matter what species you are. A shifter knows his mate.”

“So if I use your service, how will I know you’re not matching me with a taller version of

Bud?”

Gerri’s eyes flashed gold. “I would never match a client with a poor excuse for a male.

Granted, I can’t guarantee he’ll be perfect, but anatomically speaking, he’ll be more than acceptable.”

She giggled. “You sound so funny.” She sighed and glanced down at the card. Curiosity

pushed her to agree. She wanted to know more about these shifter men. “Do your services come with

a must-have-large-penis warranty or I get my money back?”

Gerri’s lips quirked. “No. You get what you get, and trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”

“Your smile makes me want to say yes.” She pouted for a moment, thinking the whole idea

through.

“My smile?”

“Yeah. It’s like you know something I don’t. Now I want to know whatever it is you know.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Gerri said.

“Thankfully, I’m not a cat.”

Gerri laughed. “No you’re not. Speaking of pussies, what do you think of them? Can you see

yourself ever stroking one?”

She didn’t know where the conversation had turned weird. “I... What?”

“Feline shifters.” Gerri’s grin widened. “It’s really quite fun to mess with you.”

Yeah. A real riot. “I have nothing against any shifter. Bring on the pussy.”

Gerri gave a sharp nod. “I love an adventurous woman.”

Screw it. For most of her life, she’d lived in a quiet hell of boredom she’d been dying to get

out of. This was her chance. And maybe, just maybe, she might get someone as sexy as her neighbor

on the other side of the building. Those gorgeous blue eyes got her every time. Never mind the fact

that he didn’t smile. Ever. He just stared at her in a brooding way that was sexy as hell. He managed

to make her ability to speak coherently disappear with a single look. She’d love to see someone like

him in the shifter dating directory.

She once rode up the elevator with him and stared at his arm muscles shifting from holding

some boxes. She had to stop herself from taking her panties off and handing them to him. Twice. The

worst part was that she didn’t even know his name. All she knew was that he was one of those guys

you’d tie to your bed so you could stare at his naked body and he couldn’t leave. Okay, that right there

was kind of creepy, but he was hot.

Gerri cleared her throat, and she snapped out of her bondage daydreams and returned to the

conversation.

“Sign me up, Gerri. I don’t care who you match me with. It can’t be worse than what I’ve

already had.”

“Have faith, Maya. It will work out better than you imagine.”

THREE

Maya sang along to a popular song. She was ready for her date. Ms. Wilder had been adamant

that the date happen at a charity ball. Maya couldn’t care less. She was tired from a sucky day at

work. It was a long weekend, and she could think of nothing better than to dress up and go meet

candidate number one, especially after the messages she’d gotten from her ex. The man still didn’t get

it. Even after she’d changed her voicemail message to say that she wasn’t going to take him back so

stop calling.

The ball was being held in a mansion outside of town. She knew the place well. It wasn’t

exactly on her way to work, but she’d been by there a time or two. The mansion was massive,

surrounded by iron gates and dense forest.

She pulled the curling iron off her last curl and shifted her head to and fro in front of the

mirror. This guy better be worth her shaving her legs, not to mention the two hours straightening her

hair, only to curl it into big, fluffy curls after. People didn’t realize how much work it took her to

make her hair look so nicely curled. If she left it natural, she would scare a man half to death. The tiny

corkscrew curls tended to rise into a giant cloud of hair that used to frighten her as a kid. Now,

though, she knew what to do to control it. Straighten it to death.

The dress she’d gotten for the ball was another story. She’d chosen a golden yellow that made

her brown skin appear vibrant and healthy. The strapless dress fell in a soft line down her body,

hugging her curves. It wasn’t tight. It was loose, flowy, and comfortable. She’d gotten gold, heeled

sandals to match. Though she didn’t normally wear heels to events, not that she ever went to balls, she

hoped to look pretty while sitting and limit her walking so her feet wouldn’t hurt. It was a good plan.

Unless her date was a dancer. Crap. If he liked dancing, she might have to lie and say she hurt her foot

or something. Or they’d really end up with her hurting herself in those neck-breakers.

* * *

The gala was in full swing by the time she arrived. Limos lined the long driveway, dropping

off guests. Butterflies flapped their wings in her chest, adding to the tension in her muscles. Her belly

trembled, and for a second she thought she might be sick. The combination of excitement and fear of

the unknown had her almost shaking in her heels.

She walked into the ball, and a man appeared by her side to take her to Ms. Wilder, one of the

hosts. Apparently, Gerri liked to host charitable functions for orphaned or disadvantaged youth.

It took a few minutes to reach the other side of the ballroom where Gerri stood, surrounded by

men. Maya had the urge to turn on her heel and walk out the door. Those guys weren’t just good

looking; they were model material. Or wet-dream material.

She cleared her throat, and the mountain of men parted so they could all look at her. Gerri

smiled and glanced at Maya’s dress, nodding approvingly. “You look amazing, Maya.”

She gave a small, nervous smile. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Maya, what a lovely name,” one of the gorgeous shifters said. She knew he was a shifter. He

had the golden circle around his eyes she’d come to realize distinguished them from regular old

humans. “I’m Slade. Would you like to dance?”

“No. She’s only dancing with me.”

The anger that rose at a man telling her she’d only dance with him fizzed to a sudden death

when she turned to face the person who’d spoken.

She turned to see her neighbor: God of every dirty dream in the world. Her throat turned drier

than sandpaper while she stared at him. She didn’t even know his name, but her body knew his better

than he could imagine. Too many erotic dreams did that to a girl. She’d started to think of him as her

fantasy man. Though she’d only seen him sporadically in the building, in her dreams he was more than

just some man. He did things to her no man could ever match.

He wore a tux like nobody’s business. He was taller than any man she’d ever dated, and she

had to lift her head to look into his eyes. His jaw was clenched tight, and his short blonde hair had

been freshly cut into spikes.

“Noah, darling. You’re going to scare Maya,” Gerri growled. “Stop acting like a

Neanderthal.”

“Um...” She knew his name now. Noah. It fit him. He didn’t glance away from her. Instead, he

leaned closer, lowering his head toward hers.

“You’re here for me.”

She blinked. She had no idea what he meant by that. But if he wanted to arrange something

with her, she’d be glad to once she got her date out of the way.

“What?” Geez her voice had never sounded that husky. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, we

haven’t really met before.” Not in person, but in her dreams, he was fucking her nightly. “I’m Maya.”

She offered him a hand to shake. He curled his larger hand around hers, sending electricity

shooting down her back. The quirk of his lips told her he’d noticed the effect his touch had on her. He

lifted her hand to his lips and brushed his lips slowly, erotically over the back of her hand. “I know

who you are.”

Wow. The guy was deadly when he turned on the possessive charm. He gave her a panty-

melting look and proceeded to act like he knew her body better than she did. At that moment, she

couldn’t even remember her last name.

A slow shiver caressed her back. Potent. All-consuming. Like a drug she’d been deprived

of…and he hadn’t even kissed her. Yet. Something told her that was coming. Soon.

“Noah, behave.” Gerri chuckled behind her.

“You’re mine,” he said, his voice a low growl.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Gerri grinning from ear to ear. She knew there was

something there. “Gerri, about my...um...”

She had a hard time even saying the words. If Noah was really her date, she was going to be

in such trouble. There was no way her brain cells could fight her attraction for him. She’d been living

with it since she’d first seen him. And back then she’d had her ex up her ass like a damn enema. Bud

didn’t know how to leave her alone. His belief that because she was big, she had no life, drove her

bananas. It was his constant clinginess and need for attention that drove her away. That and his lack of

effort in the romance department. Hell, even in sex, he’d taken the easy way out and stopped once he

was done, like her needs didn’t matter. Not that she couldn’t take care of her own needs, but it was

time to find a man who wanted to do that for her.

“Sorry, Maya,” Gerri said. “Let me formally introduce you. Noah Wright, meet your date for

the evening, Maya Zara. Maya, Noah will be your date, and hopefully, you two will hit it off.”

If they hit it off more than they already had, they’d be naked and having sex in the middle of

the ballroom. At the moment, that didn’t sound like a bad idea. Maya wanted so badly to watch Noah

strip off that tux.

“Thank you, Gerri. It’s nice to meet you, Noah.”

“Noah, why don’t you take her to dance.” Gerri grinned.

Sending them to dance was not a good idea. There was a slow song playing, and all Maya

could think of was his body pressed up to hers.

Noah grabbed her hand again, gently guiding her to the dance floor. A slow song played. He

pulled her close, so close to him, their bodies flush even with the gauzy fabric of her dress in the way.

The heat of his body lulled her into him. She glanced up, meeting his golden gaze, and scanned

his facial features. Up close, he was even more devastatingly handsome. A short, scruffy beard

covered his jaw.

“Tell me about you, Maya.”

That she wanted to bite his jaw and dry hump him was probably not a good thing to say on a

first date, or ever. “I work at a bank. I’m a receptionist.”

He nodded. “You’re single?”

There was a flash of confusion in his eyes. “Yeah. I don’t normally have anyone set me up

while in a relationship.”

His entire demeanor changed then. He pierced her with his gaze, staring so deep into her eyes

it frightened her a little. What could he see? Hopefully he couldn’t read minds, or he’d know they

were fucking every which way in her brain.

“Good to know. How is it a beautiful woman like you is single? I’d bet you have a few

boyfriends in your back pocket.”

He lifted both her hands to hold onto his neck. The move allowed him to slide his hands down

her back, stopping at the curve of her ass. Her pulse pounded hard in her ears. She wanted to say

something witty, but arousal had made her stupid. Stupid plus horny didn’t make witty. “No

boyfriends. How is it a sexy man like you is still single?”

Good work, Sherlock. Giving him his own question back was not dumb at all. Idiot. She only

hoped his answer would help her zap her brain into working again.

“There’s only one woman for me,” he said, lowering his head to speak by her ear.

Goosebumps broke out over her flesh. “She is the only one I want in my bed. Legs spread open and

me filling her.”

The image of him doing just that to her took center stage in her mind. She realized after a

moment that she was breathing hard. “Why is it just the one...woman?”

“I’m a shifter. A panther. There’s only one mate for me and my animal. Only one woman

whose body I want to take for the rest of my life. Only one pair of lips I want to taste,” he said, his

voice growing rougher. “She is it. She’s everything.”

He pressed her closer to him, letting her feel his hard-on. Oh lord, she was in trouble, big

trouble of the tempting kind. She clearly hadn’t had good sex in so long she was ready to drag the big

shifter off to a corner and have her way with him.

“I love that smell,” he rumbled. “My words turn you on. We can do better than that, Maya. I

can take you home, eat your pussy until you come on my face.” He licked her earlobe, and her pussy

throbbed, aching to be filled. “Then, I’ll fuck you. I’ll fuck that sweet pussy of yours until you come

so hard you don’t even know your name.”

Yes! A million times yes! That’s what she wanted more than anything right now. A man who

wanted to do those erotic things to her. But was he speaking just to speak, or did he find himself

attracted to her curves?

“I’m a big girl,” she breathed and waited for his reply.

“Your body isn’t big. It’s got the right amount of cushion for me not to worry about how hard I

take you.” He pulled back, staring into her eyes. “And I will take you. Hard. Rough. I’ll make you

scream. I’ll make you beg. I’ll make it so fucking good you’ll never want me out of you.”

How in the world did they get into a sexual conversation two minutes after meeting? Who did

that? And why did she want to drag him to her place and demand he fulfill his promises?

The sound of a person on a speaker asking people to sit down for dinner stopped any further

sex talks. Thank god. She might have given in and embraced living on the wild side by having a

quickie with her neighbor. What the hell? She still might.

He offered her his arm and led her to their table. Mrs. Wilder had sat them with the men Maya

had met earlier. No matter where she sat, she’d be surrounded by men. She felt like the female Hugh

Hefner. Hot men all over the place.

Gerri winked at her from across the table. “Isn’t this a lovely ball, Maya?”

She nodded. Her voice didn’t work at that moment—not when Noah had a hand on her leg and

slowly rubbed her thigh back and forth. She should be outraged. Or upset. Something! She barely

knew him. There was zero outrage though. Not even a smidgen showed up to make her feel less easy.

Nope. Instead, she imagined him lifting her skirt and doing even worse things to her already trembling

legs.

People spoke around them, but she couldn’t keep up. All she could manage was a smile here

or there with her mind firmly focused on his hand: the smooth sliding up and down that drugged her

into quiet anticipation.

He leaned forward, his scent all but driving her crazy. That combination of man, wild and

seduction she never knew could turn her on so much. The bodice of her dress felt so tight she had a

hard time catching her breath. His fingers bit into her large thigh, tugging her legs open. Oh good

gracious, things were going to get interesting.

The suit jacket rubbed on her bare arm. He came forward, his head right by her ear. “I like

your body. You’re so sexy.”

She gulped at the dryness in her throat and turned to look into his golden eyes. The hunger she

saw there stopped her from making light of his words. He meant it—he found her desirable. It was so

new. “You do?”

She hadn’t meant to sound so surprised. She didn’t know any men to act this possessive over

her. Her. Bud didn’t count. He was just being a jack-ass. Usually men did that for other women. Maya

wasn’t just a big girl; she was what most men considered to be boring. She didn’t do wild, crazy

things. Most of her life was spent trying to just enjoy peace and quiet.

He lifted his lips in such a wicked grin she had a hard time glancing away, back to his

overpowering gaze. “I do. I find you fascinating.”

At that she laughed. Hard. She shook her head and giggled every time she tried to speak. “Me?

You find me fascinating. You have to be confusing me with someone else. Trust me, Noah. There’s

nothing fascinating about me.”

His hand on her thigh moved up until she swallowed back a moan. He was so close to her

need she couldn’t stop herself from opening her legs wider. She was so easy.

“There’s a lot about you that I find fascinating. You’re so carefree. I don’t recall a time when

I was ever like that.”

She struggled a breath into her lungs. “I’m boring. That’s what carefree translates to in my

world. Boring. There’s nothing special going on in my life.”

He shook his head, the light glinting off his shiny, blond strands made her want to slide her

fingers through his hair.

“You’re interesting. A life of drama does not make a person interesting. Living quietly doesn’t

mean you’re boring. It just means you know what you like and don’t like.”

She sighed. The bodice of her strapless dress felt tight against her aching nipples. She wanted

to tear the gown off and get Noah naked. He continued to stare at her with his probing gaze, making

her feel flustered and hot.

“What, um, what do you do?” She cleared her throat. “For a living, that is.”

“Noah is a video game designer,” Gerri said from across the table.

Maya glanced at the older woman, noticing her wide grin and the quick wink Gerri sent her

way. If she wasn’t aware Gerri was a shifter, she’d have asked how the hell she’d heard her question.

Maya had barely heard the words come out of her own mouth.

“Really?” she asked with awe. “What kind of games do you design?”

“He does the ‘Soldier’ shoot-em-up series,” Gerri interjected a second time. “They’re super

popular.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “Everyone knows those games. I have a nephew who asks for them the

minute they’re available for pre-order. You made those?”

She knew she sounded like a gushing fan, but from the way her nephew described the games

and what she’d seen of him playing them, Noah had some serious talent. Now it made sense why the

guy in the games could go from man to panther and back. She thought that had been a clever way to

disguise the hit man in the games.

Noah glared at Gerri, which only had the old woman laughing. “Stop being so shy and accept

a compliment, Noah. She likes your work.”

“I’m sorry.” Maya winced. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m just shocked.

That’s a very popular series.”

“He still doesn’t understand his success. He lives the life of a recluse.” Gerri laughed. “What

you said is probably the biggest shock of his life.” She lifted a wine glass. “I told you those games are

sold to people all over the world, including our own backyard, Noah.”

FOUR

Noah couldn’t glance away from Maya. She looked dazzling in the golden dress. Her brown

skin appeared to glow under the soft lights of the giant ballroom. He wanted so badly to rub his nose

on the curve of her neck and take one long whiff of her scent, hold it in and memorize it forever. His

panther had much dirtier ideas in mind, like getting her naked and fucked.

“You must be the most popular guy amongst your friends.” Maya laughed, lifting a wine glass

to her full lips and taking a sip. “I bet everyone wants to know what game you’re working on next.”

If she only knew he had no friends. Hell, aside from Gerri, he had no family. He had nothing,

not that it bothered him. Panthers were loners by nature. He liked to lead a solitary life, and until he

met her, he hadn’t wanted to be with any one woman long term. Sex had been a simple act to get rid of

the basic urges. Now all he thought about was Maya. Her body. Her voice. Her smile. It all drove him

to distraction on a daily basis. He should have had his latest game done by now, but the moment she

got home, he forgot all about work to focus on her blinds.

“He’s shy,” Gerri said.

He needed to get Maya out of there, before Gerri told her his full life story. Maya didn’t need

to hear that he’d been abandoned as a kid only to be raised by Gerri and her husband. Even though

they’d been a different species, they’d given him the care he needed. It didn’t change the fact that

Noah was quiet and kept to himself.

He slid his hand up and down Maya’s thigh, loving the way it shook under his fingers. He

loved the scent of her arousal, wanted more of it. But he didn’t want to make her more turned on when

so many others were near. The panther in him wanted her to himself. Neither he nor his animal liked

to share.

Their dinners were sitting on the table; neither was eating. He wanted her alone, away from

the group.

Leaning into her shoulder, he whispered by her ear. “Want to take a breather?”

She turned her face slowly to his. Need sparked bright in her eyes, pushing the animal in him

to act. He stood, pushing his chair back, and grabbed her hand.

“Go on. I’m sure you’ll have something better to eat...later.” Gerri grinned.

Maya nodded and let him lead her out of the large hall. He led her through open French doors

into the giant garden maze outside. His control on the panther slipped when she squeezed his hand.

“This is so beautiful. I had no idea Gerri owned this place.”

He gulped back the uncontrollable urge to roar. To take. To possess. Her. Instead, he marched

into the darkened maze, letting the cool air wash over him, taming the animal inside.

“Gerri has been a big benefactor for many who don’t have families,” he said as form of

conversation. He let go of her hand once they reached the center of the maze. He was familiar with it.

He’d grown up in that place. Running around that maze had been the only time he’d ever felt like he

was having fun.

She frowned at her hand, the one he’d let go of, but said nothing. He hated that he didn’t know

how to be the smooth talker other men were. He wasn’t into lying to women to get them into his bed.

He said what he felt. Most of the time, the words weren’t soft or sweet. That hadn’t been a problem,

until now. Now he wanted to say nice things to make Maya see him in a different light than what he

was. A loner. A wild animal that couldn’t be tamed.

She moved closer to him, stopping some feet from the fountain, and glanced around in a circle.

“Gerri is very nice. Have you known her long?”

“You could say that.”

He watched her fold her hands in front of her, twining her fingers in a show of nerves. “Why

did you break up with your boyfriend?”

She stopped and glanced at his face, eyebrows raised high. “I’m sorry?”

“You had a boyfriend. I remember him when you first moved in. Why did you break up?”

Her facial features turned stony. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

He moved forward, his animal roaring for a taste of her. “Anything that has to do with you is

my business.”

The small hitch in her breath made him grin. “You can be as sexy as you want, but don’t give

me any of that macho crap. I’m not your business. I just met you. In case you didn’t know, saying shit

like that can freak a woman out. I’m not into men who think they’ll tell me what to do.”

He stopped a foot away from her, loving the way her eyes flashed with anger. She was damn

sexy, even more when this side of her came out: when that self-assurance she normally didn’t show

made an appearance.

“You are my business. Everything about you is.” He could tell that’s not what she wanted to

hear.

She glared, curling her hands into fists at her sides. “Does that normally work for you?”

He grinned. “I don’t need lines.”

“Wow. What happened to the shy guy Gerri mentioned back there?” she asked with a lift of a

beautiful dark brow.

“I’m still that guy, but when it comes to you, I won’t relent. You’re my business.” He stepped

closer, almost lost in the scent of her need. “From the top of your beautiful dark hair, to every single

curve down your body.”

She inhaled sharply and swiped her pretty pink tongue over her luscious bottom lip. His cock

hardened in his dress pants, making it obvious how much he wanted her.

“You’re kind of full of yourself, aren’t you?”

He lifted his left hand, cupping her neck and tugging her into him. Then he curled his right

hand around her waist and held her flush against his. He waited, mostly to see if she’d object. She

probably didn’t even realize that she leaned forward, bringing her face closer for him to kiss.

There was no hesitation. He brought his lips down over hers and kissed her. An unexpected

spark fizzed in his blood, turning his already hungry panther desperate for more of his mate. She

moaned. The small sound opened a path of dark need he’d never felt for another woman before.

Noah had kissed his fair share of women in the past, but there had never been this instant

desire for more of her. For all of her. He’d never had to fight his animal until he thought he’d lose all

control of his panther. All for a kiss, for a single taste of her lips and the hint of wine still on her

tongue.

The kiss turned wilder, his touch rougher. He sucked on her tongue, nibbled on her mouth, and

drank in every moan and whimper. She twined her hands behind his neck, pressing her chest on his.

Need grew inside his animal, demanding more. He slid his hands down the whisper-soft fabric,

caressing the curves beneath the dress, until he reached her ass. He grabbed handfuls of her cheeks

and pressed her into his erection. The cushiony feel of her body on his much harder one was heaven.

Perfect.

He led her back, almost lifting her into his arms. Once they reached a stone bench, he helped

her until she was sitting down and he was crouched between her legs.

FIVE

Maya couldn’t breathe. Not even if her life depended on it. There was no way when a hot-as-

hell panther shifter was crouched between her legs, pushing the gauzy fabric of her dress up her

thighs.

“I need to taste you.”

She shouldn’t be shocked by his words, but…but they were at a massive event not more than a

few yards from the main house. It was wrong to let him even say the words, wasn’t it? She placed her

hands flat on the stone bench, lifting her ass and moving it to the edge of the seat. Screw wrong.

“We could get caught out here,” she mumbled, not for a second stopping him from lifting the

skirt up to her waist and spreading her legs open.

“We could,” he said in a low groan, staring at the tiny panties covering her mound. “You

know, you’re so wet I can tell your panties are drenched.”

Her pussy throbbed with the way his voice sounded. Rough. Low. Like he was having a hard

time stopping himself from tearing the material covering her into bits.

“Noah,” she whimpered.

“That’s it. Say my name like that,” he rumbled. “Just like that. It sounds so fucking sexy.

Sounds like you can’t wait for me to fuck you. To drive my cock into you and feel your pussy clamp

around it.” He glanced up from staring at her crotch to meet her gaze. His eyes had gone into a blazing

gold. “Let me taste you. Let me shove my tongue into your pussy and lick you.”

Whoa! The visual those words gave her left her breathless. “I don’t think—”

“You’re right.” He grazed his finger up her inner thigh, sending need blazing up her spine.

“Don’t think. Don’t do anything but watch. And moan.”

The sound of soft tearing filled the air for a heartbeat, and then he was tugging on the remnants

of her panties.

Cool air washed over her exposed pussy. She wanted to free her chest from the confining

dress, to cup her breasts and pinch her own nipples. Better yet, she wanted him to do it.

His head lowered between her legs, and she waited with baited breath. He blew on her clit.

Her belly quivered with every gasp and moan rolling out of her. She glanced up at the night sky, her

body thrumming with need, her legs tense with expectation. She stared at each tiny diamond star,

making the wish that this moment last forever.

He pressed his lips on her pussy, going all in. This wasn’t a soft lick or small nibble. He

covered her pussy with his mouth, flattening his tongue over her clit. A loud moan pushed out of her.

She widened her legs and scraped her nails on the stone bench. She wished she could grasp his hair

in her hands, pressing him closer to her folds. A loud purr sounded. Holy shit! That was so sexy

coming out of him. It was a combination of purr and growl, and she wanted to hear it again.

“Please...do it again,” she gasped.

He did. The sound sent vibrations from her clit to her nipples. She must look a sight. Her legs

spread open, back arched, and pussy on display, but she couldn’t care less. All she wanted was more

of his licks on her sex, more of his groans as he lapped at her like a starved man.

He rolled his tongue over her pussy. Up and down. Faster. Faster. Every slide pressed at her

clit. Every lick pushed her that much closer to her breaking point.

“Oh, god!”

Tension curled in the pit of her belly like a restless animal, wanting to be let loose. She

wiggled, pushing closer to his mouth with each rocking of her hips. She’d never felt this way. Men

didn’t push her body to limits. They didn’t concern themselves with her pleasure, with ensuring she

went over the edge and experienced things that made her toes curl. Noah’s lips on her folds, his

fingers biting into her thighs, and his groans tugged her toward that cliff she had never known existed.

He sucked her clit between his teeth, grazing them in a soft nibble that jerked a choked scream

from her chest.

“Oh!”

The tension winding inside her snapped, unfurling at a mesmerizing rate. Pleasure flowed

over her like a wave of cooling bliss. She blinked, spots combined with the stars in the sky to fill her

vision with bright diamonds. Wetness flowed from her channel, but Noah continued licking every

single drop from her body. Her hips continued their jerky rocking on his face. Even though he wasn’t

inside her, her pussy gripped at nothing, as if readying for him to fuck her.

She glanced down, sucking in shaky breaths. His clean-shaven face shone with her climax. He

looked so fucking hot licking her body’s essence off his lips, like he’d been eating dessert. She leaned

forward, pressed her mouth to his, and tasted herself on him. A loud rumble sounded in his chest. She

tugged him closer, crawling a hand between his crouched legs and grasping his erection. Lord. Good

lord he was hard. So hard and big. Her pussy clenched just thinking about him inside her.

Tearing her lips from his, she nibbled on his jaw, licking her orgasm off his face and

mumbling, “Take me, Noah. Fuck me. Here. Now. Do it.”

But instead of pulling his cock out of his pants and filling her with his hardness, he stood up

and yanked her to her feet.

“What the hell?”

“Shh. Someone’s coming.”

She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled. Thankfully, he wrapped an arm around her waist and

helped her stay on her feet. The last thing she needed was for anyone to happen by and her to fall on

her face from shaky-orgasmic-leg syndrome.

Moments later, the sound of giggles neared them, and a couple appeared out of one of the

entrances to the center of the maze.

“Oops!” A woman smiled at the man beside her. “Looks like they had the same idea. It’s kind

of stuffy in the ballroom.”

Maya nodded, unsure what to say. She then realized that she had no panties on. Her eyes went

wide, and she glanced at the spot she’d been sitting on at the stone bench, but they weren’t there.

“We’ll leave you to enjoy the area,” Noah said, tugging her to the secondary entrance back

toward the mansion.

She waved at the couple and glanced around the ground, trying to see if she saw her

underwear. The last thing she needed was for the couple to find her panties. Or worse, she checked

her heels to make sure she wasn’t dragging them like a piece of toilet paper.

They were a few rows away when she whispered, “My panties. Where are they?”

Noah glanced at her, his lips lifting in a feral grin. “They’re mine now.”

“Oh, please,” she mumbled. “Don’t tell me you have a thing for underwear.”

He barked a laugh and hugged her to his side. “And if I do?”

“Sexy men don’t have underwear fetishes. You’re too good-looking for that.”

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.” He laughed again.

“What do I know? I’ve never had my panties torn off me.” She tried to stand on her own, but

damned if her legs didn’t still feel like jelly. What kind of witchcraft had he done with his mouth to

make her bones melt? And more importantly, how could she get him to do it again?

Once they reached the French doors he’d guided her through, he stopped and turned to face

her, cupping her cheek with his hand. His mouth crashed down over hers, and she forgot all about

everything, including important things like breathing and thinking. A second later, he pulled away.

Bastard. She was so turned on she couldn’t see straight.

“Let me take you home Maya.” He nuzzled her lips, giving her butterfly kisses as he spoke. “I

want you on my bed. Naked. Wet. Coming for me.”

Yes times a billion! But now that her brain had decided to remind her she barely knew him,

she hesitated. Maya wasn’t an adventurous woman. The craziest thing she’d ever done had just

happened. With him. She didn’t do spontaneous.

“I don’t know...”

He frowned, searching her face with his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure you understand the type of person I am. I don’t do…” She lifted a hand and made

a circle to her surroundings. “…this.”

“I’m not asking you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

She took a step back and sighed. “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t have one-night stands.

I’ve never had sex outside of a relationship.”

Boy did she sound like a 1950s housewife. Better he know the truth now than to expect her to

put out later and think she was a tease.

He narrowed his eyes, and the smile that had been flirting on his lips disappeared. “I’m not

asking for a one-night stand.” He slid his fingers into her hair, gripping the strands and holding her

head in place. “It’s going to take more than a single night for me to lick you from head to toe. To show

you that your body is fucking gorgeous as is.” He pressed a hard kiss on her lips and moved back

before she got a chance to enjoy it. “It’s going to take more than one night to fuck you every way

possible and make you come repeatedly. More than one night, Maya. For me to own you with my

cock.”

Oh, good god. Her throat dried to sandpaper. Anticipation curled in her belly as if his words

were caresses on her body.

“More than one night?”

“Yes, beautiful. More than one night for me to stamp myself all over you. For you to

understand this isn’t going to go away. I’m not going away. Nothing, no one can make me.”

She gulped. She didn’t know what to say. Her brain had frozen at the mention of more than one

night. Did he truly mean that? A man with his sex appeal could be out there having threesomes on a

jet. That sounded a lot more exciting than going to her place.

“Stop questioning this. Me. Us. I want you. I’ve wanted you.”

She frowned. “What?”

SIX

“I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you,” he said. She saw the honesty in his gaze.

He didn’t add anything to that line. There was nothing else needed. How could he have wanted her

since then?

“B-but... Really?”

His shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. “I’d say yes, but I have a feeling you need to see things

for yourself.”

“Maya, there you are,” Gerri said, walking toward them. She stopped and pointedly stared at

Noah’s hands holding Maya. “Is Noah taking you home?”

She shook her head. Instinct had kicked in, and all she wanted was time to think about what

he’d said. What he’d done. “No. I’m going to get going now.”

Noah let go of her. A wave of emptiness crashed over her. For the time she’d been in his arms

she’d felt secure, wanted, desired. All the things she’d never felt before.

Gerri curled an arm around Maya’s and started leading her away. “Come on, I’ll walk you to

your car.”

Maya glanced over her shoulder. Noah’s bright gaze didn’t desert her until they turned a

corner.

“Maya,” Gerri said. “I just want you to know that Noah is like a son to me. You can trust

him.” She patted Maya’s hand.

“I don’t know...”

“Forget what I’m saying,” Gerri sighed and smiled. “Trust your instincts. They will never

guide you wrong. In time, you will see for yourself what a wonderful man Noah is. I don’t need to sell

him to you. Just keep an open mind.”

Maya nodded. “I will.”

She would too. She drove home in a silent daze, her mind rolling over the events of the night.

Noah. He was what every female from the age of eighteen to sixty-five would want in a man: tall and

broad with a powerful body. She could tell he wasn’t one of those overly bulky men that lifted a ton

of weights, but he had enough muscle to make her tongue attach to the roof of her mouth. He had those

piercing blue eyes that made her want to fan herself when they were staring deep into hers.

She got out of her car in front of the building and motioned one of the security men to park it

for her. She was too tired and didn’t feel like walking in from the garage. As she stepped out of her

car, she noticed a person in the shadows across the street. It was a man in a trench coat. She squinted,

trying to see him better in the darkness. Then she realized who it was. Her ex, Bud.

The security guy walked out and stopped next to her. “Is he bothering you, Ms. Zara?”

She shook her head. “No. I think he still doesn’t understand the meaning of the word no,

though.”

“Some men are stupid like that,” the guy said, taking her car keys.

She hurried inside and ignored Bud across the street and up to her apartment. Whatever he

wanted, she wasn’t interested.

Dropping her keys on a side table, she headed for her bedroom to remove the ball gown. Her

cell phone rang.

She sighed and answered.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

“Hello?”

Lots of heavy breathing. Then the line went dead.

She dialed the number back and waited for the line to get picked up.

“Hello, Maya,” Bud said.

“Listen to me, you moron, stop calling me.”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t called you,” he said.

“Oh yeah? Prank calls only work if my caller ID doesn’t show your name, dumbass!”

She hung up the phone and threw it on her sofa. What an idiot. Of all the men she’d ever dated,

Bud had to be her biggest mistake. What man in his right mind thought that men got a period? He

actually argued with her about it.

She shrugged out of the dress and rushed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. She was so

thirsty. The last thing she wanted was to wake up with dry mouth. Her cell phone rang again. She

ignored it. Bud needed a life. Instead of arguing with him about how she knew he’d been the one who

tried to prank call her, she went back to the bathroom to set up a bath.

After a long, hot soak, she got out of the tub and ordered her favorite pizza. Once she put on

her robe, she was feeling better about everything in her life. Why couldn’t Noah want her? She was a

big girl, but she was sexy in her own way. Maybe not the out-there, tiny-clothes sexy, but her body

was full, and she didn’t see anything wrong with it. The sound of knocking at her door had her rushing

to throw on a robe. The pizza guy was never that fast.

She ran down the hall, holding the neckline of the robe closed and her wallet in her other

hand. She opened the door and gaped. It was Noah. Noah in only a pair of dress pants and no shirt.

Her gaze roamed from his face down his slightly hairy chest, to his washboard abs, and his unbuckled

belt.

Her gaze shot north, and she blinked. He inhaled deep and marched inside, crowding her with

his large body. He pushed the door closed behind him and didn’t say anything else. She opened her

mouth to ask him what he was doing there, but didn’t get a chance to speak.

In a swift move, he took her lips in a blazing kiss. There was no work up, just unbridled

desire. She lifted her hands, digging her nails into the back of his head. He groaned into the kiss, his

tongue darting in and out of her mouth, pushing hers into submission. Hunger exploded inside her. She

wanted more. Now. Though she’d been unsure before, that time had passed. She couldn’t fight her

body’s need for him. It was unlike anything she’d experienced. So why reject it? Why not allow

herself to feel whatever he wanted to give her? She should allow her mind to bask in the erotic bliss

he offered.

He jerked the robe open, one hand moving straight down between her legs to probe at her

folds. The other hand cupped her breast, filling with her tit and tweaking her nipple. She took a breath

and let it out slowly, gasping at the fingers massaging her clit, then sliding into her channel.

He placed kisses on the corner of her mouth, gliding his mouth over her cheek and nibbling on

her ear.

“Fuck, Maya. I knew you’d feel fucking perfect in my arms.”

She moaned, leaning her head back on the wall. She scraped her nails down to his shoulders,

pulling him closer. He tugged on her nipple, twisting the little point to add friction.

She whimpered. Pleasure warmed her blood, thickening it and slowing down the flow in her

veins. Dizziness assailed her, robbing her of her ability to stand on her own two feet.

His lips trailed down her chest, licking circles on her heated flesh. She glanced down,

watching him suck her nipple into his mouth and nibble on her tiny point. Her pussy throbbed, and

wetness skated down her legs. He groaned on her tit, sucking hard. Her pussy grasped at his fingers,

releasing more wetness. He let go of her nipple with a resounding pop.

“You’re so fucking wet, beautiful.”

She met his gaze, enjoying the way he said the words, as if she were being a naughty girl. She

skimmed her hands down to the edge of his pants. The already-open clip meant all she had to do was

slide that zipper down and push his pants down. There was no underwear. She didn’t know if she

should be shocked or aroused that he went commando. Another new one for her. Eager, she curled a

hand around his shaft, pumping him from root to tip.

“Ah, baby,” he groaned, giving her bites between her breasts. “Your hands on my cock feel

amazing.”

He felt so hard and hot. When she reached the slit at the head of his cock, a bead of moisture

sat at the top. She used a thumb and rubbed it on his length, going back to pumping him with her fist.

“You’re so big,” she said breathlessly.

He stood to his full height, towering over her five-foot-three-inch frame. “I’m exactly the right

size for your body.”

She took shallow breaths and lifted a leg up to his waist. “Do it, Noah. Fuck me.”

There was no hesitation. He grabbed her by her ass and lifted, anchoring her on the wall and

bringing her hips down on his dick. His cock pressed at the entrance to her pussy, spreading her wide

with his thickness.

He met her gaze as he entered her slowly. Then he met her lips in a kiss and pushed forward,

filling her with his cock. She squealed into the kiss, her body adjusting to his size. She felt filled by

him. Her pussy throbbed.

He pulled back and pressed forward, driving into her hard. He licked up her jaw to her ear.

“That’s it. Take my cock deep. You’re fucking tight, sexy as hell.”

She choked on a breath, her body humming with each drive. She couldn’t do more than cling

to him as he plunged his cock into her, pushing her hard against the wall. “Noah,” she gasped.

“More.”

“I’ll give you more, baby,” he drove deep, rocked his hips, and propelled back. “Your

pussy’s mine. Your lush body’s mine.”

She whimpered, her muscles tensing with each angry drive. Sweet pleasure expanded in her

core, twisting into knots around her heart. Another drive and a new sensation flowed through her.

Vulnerability tugged at her emotions. It wasn’t the time for that. Not when he was fucking her into next

week. She jerked his head down, needing a kiss to stop her from thinking too much. Expectant energy

gathered in her chest, growing with every slide of his tongue over hers.

Thrust after thrust, he pinned her against the wall and took her body like he owned her. She’d

given him that power, and she wasn’t sorry. Every glide of his cock into her body was a push closer

to pleasure’s edge.

He pulled back, his hips working his dick in and out of her body. “So wet. So hot. Tell me you

like my cock inside you.”

“Like it? I love it,” she moaned. “Don’t you dare slow down. I’m so close.”

He grumbled a laugh into her neck and licked her again. “You’re sweaty, and that’s fucking

delicious.”

“Of course it is.”

“Fuck, baby. I love how your pussy grips my dick so tight,” he groaned. “I can’t stop thinking

of coming inside you. I want to feel my cum being sucked in by your pussy. I want to fill you up with

my seed.”

She gulped. That all sounded good. “Go ahead. I’m on the pill. Come inside me.”

He nibbled on her neck. “Your birth control won’t stop me from getting you pregnant.” He

took a breath and let it out in slow bursts. “You. Pregnant.”

“Me pregnant, what?” She asked in a breathless murmur.

“I like that idea.” He drove deep and pulled back. Then did it again. And again. Each time his

thrusts growing faster. Rougher. His cock felt bigger inside her. “I. want. You. Pregnant.”

He was insane. But she couldn’t have cared less at that moment. “Oh, god, Noah!”

The tightness in her core turned into a flurry of unravelling sensations. She dug her nails deep

into his neck, scratching him as her orgasm took hold. Then she flew. Pleasure flowed over her,

taking her with the tide.

His hold on her ass cheeks turned painful. His drives increased in speed until she thought she

was burning from the inside, until she swore his cock was a piece of steel branding her as his. She

gasped for air, and he stiffened. He groaned, his lips hovering over her neck. His cock pulsed in her

channel, filling her with his seed.

They stayed there, just like that: with him inside her and pressing her against the wall, his

cock firmly entrenched in her. She tried to catch her breath, running her nails into his soft hair. He

raised his head from her neck and met her gaze.

Words weren’t needed. He carried her as they were to her bedroom, depositing her on the bed

and immediately laying next to her. She thought that would be the end of it, but he tugged her into his

arms, her body half over his.

“Why did you come here tonight?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

He speared his fingers into her hair and turned her face up to look at him. “I couldn’t stay

away from you.”

SEVEN

“I don’t understand how this works, Noah. I’ve never experienced anything like it.” She

glanced down at his chest and ran her nails over his abs, watching his muscles shift under her

fingertips. “You mentioned wanting me from the first time.”

He pressed a kiss into her hair. “Shifters have an instant attraction we feel for our mates.”

“Mates…like the person you want to be with?” she choked out. “Forever?”

“Yes. I knew you were it for me. Even though you were with someone else.”

She heard the irritation in his voice. “You wanted me while I was with my ex?”

“I knew you were mine, Maya. I just had to wait until he was out of the picture.”

She snorted. “That didn’t take long. He was a jerk.”

“He didn’t know how special you are.”

She lay in his arms, no weird after-sex feelings. In fact, she felt more at ease with him than she

ever had with Bud. “Explain how this mate business works.”

“Are you familiar with shifters?”

She loved hearing his voice. It had that roughness that made her skin tingle. “I am. I don’t think

there’s a person that isn’t, but I haven’t ever gone out with one.”

She had nothing against them. Shifters were very dominant and possessive, but mainly they

were hot. And until Noah, she’d never met one that didn’t make her nervous.

“There are different kinds of shifters that mate in different ways. Usually a mate means they’re

committed to that one person for life.”

“Oh, like married?” She flipped on her stomach to better look at him. “Is this marriage in the

shifter world?”

“You can say that. It’s a really deep connection between two beings. There’s no cheating. No

divorce. Just each other.”

Goosebumps broke over her skin. He said that with so much passion. Like he was the one

about to get mated. “So why haven’t you mated?”

He grinned, his lips made her girly parts all slick and warm. “I hadn’t found the right woman

that could tame the panther and the man.”

She blew a raspberry. “I don’t know how. You’re one hot tamale. I bet you’ve had a ton of

women throwing clean and dirty underwear your way.”

He laughed, his stomach muscles contracting and lifting her with each chuckle. “Clean and

dirty?”

“Well yeah. I bet in the shifter world you’re, like, super rocker status, huh?”

He shook his head, the slow smile still on his lips. “Nope. I’m pretty quiet. I don’t go out like

that, unless Gerri harasses me to death. Usually I stay home and work.”

“You mean there’s no orgies going on in the other side of this floor?” She pouted. “Here I

thought you were one of those playboys living it up.”

“Why did you think that?” He slipped a hand up and down her back, stopping at one of her ass

cheeks and grabbing a handful before moving up again.

“Because you’re good looking. Wow.” She shook her head. “That sounds so superficial when

I say it. It’s like men who think that pretty women have to be bitches because they’re hot. I’m sorry.”

His eyes twinkled with mirth. “Don’t give it a second thought. I haven’t ever been called hot,

if that makes you feel better.”

“What!”

He twirled a long curl around his fingers. “I don’t date much. And when I went out, it was for

specific purposes.”

She blinked, and waited. “Like?”

“Sex.”

“Oh.”

“What is it you’re looking for in a mate?” His question caught her off guard.

“I think one of my biggest annoyances is that men seem to think that because I’m a big girl I’ll

just take whatever I can get.”

“Is that how you treat yourself?” he asked, his gaze probing and deep.

“No.” Did she? She hadn’t dated decent guys most of her life, but that just meant they were the

jerks, right? She inhaled slowly, trying to tamp down the panic rising. Had she been the cause of her

own bad love life? She might have. Having a slim mother and sister meant she was the one who

always felt like she was not part of the group. As a teen, seeing her sister dating many of the best

looking guys in school had really kicked her self-esteem to the curb. Nobody asked Maya out. Ever.

She had a great male friend who was just as big as her, and he was her constant companion.

“Then I guess your time hadn’t come,” he said, bringing her back to the present.

She lifted to a sitting position, suddenly wanting to think more about how she chose men to get

into relationships with. “I think I’m going to take a shower.”

He hopped out of the bed much faster than she would have expected and rushed around to her

side. Watching him dart toward her with those powerful legs of his and that strong body that she’d

never seen this bare was like being doused in gasoline and set on fire. She gasped when he stopped in

front of her, his erection staring her in the face. “Come, I’ll join you.”

Glancing up at his rolled-out-of-bed hair and morning-after beard, she became more aroused

by the second. “I hadn’t thought about having company, but now that you offer, I’d appreciate

someone to wash my back.”

“Baby, I’ll wash your back, lick it, suck it, and bite it under the spray of the warm water.”

She let him lead her to the shower with the promise of more naughtiness to come.

EIGHT

Maya drove her car up a dirt road she knew all too well. Her family lived in a large lot

spread over several acres. After her father died serving the country, her mother and sister had taken

over the family farm and turned it into an organic vegetable production.

She parked by the front of the main house and glanced down at her feet. Her mother, though

running a farm and spending hours in dirt and grass, would have something to say about Maya’s lack

of heels and makeup.

The front door opened and her mother, Luisa, stepped out with a smile. As usual, Luisa had on

a print dress any 1950s housewife would be proud of. Pressed to perfection, she looked ready for a

house-and-garden photo shoot.

“Maya, hija, how are you?” Luisa asked.

“Hey, mom. I’m good. What’s going on? I got your voicemail and couldn’t really understand

it.” She marched up the driveway to the house.

“I wanted to make sure you were available for dinner.”

“Oh. Yes. It just sounded like there was something going on, but I couldn’t make it out in the

message.” She entered the house, taking in the scent of chicken roasting and pie baking. Her mother

was in a mood to cook. Then again, when wasn’t she?

“Good. Linda is at the back getting some tomatoes for the salad.”

Speaking of salad. Maya’s favorite was what her mother called the “Russian Salad” with

beets, potatoes, carrots, and eggs all diced up and mixed with mayo.

“You making any of your Russian salad?”

Her mother laughed, entered the kitchen, and pointed at a glass serving bowl full of the stuff.

“I know it’s your favorite.”

“Thanks! So what’s up with dinner? Why are we getting all this food done?”

Luisa grinned and shrugged. “No reason. You know you don’t come here often, mi hija. I love

it when you do. Linda misses you.”

She and her sister were not as close as Maya would have liked. Most of her life was spent

with Linda telling her what to do to lose weight. She’d tried it all, from hours in the gym to unhealthy

diets. Her body just didn’t give her a break. She was a big girl, and that was that. Along with healthy

eating, she did tons of walking, but that didn’t seem to make any kind of impact on her weight. She’d

grown accustomed to the curves and didn’t really think there was anything wrong with her body as it

was. Of course, Linda wouldn’t see it that way.

“Hey, Maya,” her sister greeted her, coming in through the kitchen entrance with a bowl full of

ripe, red tomatoes. She deposited the bowl in the sink and opened the faucet to clean the tomatoes off.

“There’s a new body cleanse you should try.”

Maya took a drink from the iced tea her mother handed her and ignored her sister’s words.

“How are you doing, Linda? How’s Kevin?”

Linda’s boyfriend, Kevin, was a trainer at the local gym, as well as a realtor nearby. He

loved offering his training services to Maya whenever they were in the same room.

“He’s great,” Linda gushed while washing tomatoes. “He’s moved up in the company, and

we’re looking to move in together.”

Luisa rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t think Kevin will ever be ready for

commitment, Linda. You need to come to that realization.”

“Mami, we’ve already discussed it. He says he loves me and will start saving for us to get

married one day.” Linda smiled. “He wants me to have the wedding I’ve always dreamed of. He’s

even working out with me so I look perfect for him.”

Maya frowned. “Excuse me? Did you say perfect for him?”

Her mother stopped pouring her own glass of tea and raised her brows at Linda. “Has he

actually said he wants you to be perfect for him?”

Linda laughed softly. “Well, you know, he’s a guy, and he wants to show me off.”

“Um, excuse me for being dense,” Maya said, sitting on a stool on the other side of the

breakfast bar area, “but Kevin sounds like an asshole.”

Linda turned off the faucet, lifted the rinsed bowl of tomatoes out of the sink, and faced Maya.

“What do you know? You don’t even want to settle down. You’re too unhappy with your fat self to

stay in a stable relationship.”

Maya reeled back from the venom in her sister’s voice. It was true they didn’t get along, but

she didn’t expect Linda to come out at her like that.

“Linda!” Luisa snapped. “We do not make Maya feel bad for her weight. One of these days

she’ll be able to try something that will help her lose it all.”

“Mother!” Maya gasped. “I don’t need to try anything. I’m happy the way I am.”

“No, you’re not!” Linda spat. “If you were, you would stop living like a hermit and finally

find yourself a man to settle down with. Why is it that every relationship you have, guys never stick

around?”

“Uh, because they’re assholes, and the minute I realize it I get rid of them. That’s why.”

Linda rolled her eyes and started cutting potatoes. “Look, Maya, I think you need to figure

yourself out already. You’re not getting any younger.”

“So now I’m old?” She couldn’t believe the nerve of Linda telling her all that.

Her mother winced and came around to hug her. “You’re not old, cariño. The problem is that

you do not seem happy.”

She tried to tamp down the disappointment she felt from listening to her family say those

things. As swiftly as she’d grown angry, she let it go. She wasn’t the kind of person to stay upset over

anything. She didn’t like hanging on to other people’s bullshit. But she wasn’t going to stay quiet

either.

“I’ve learned a lot. Some things you guys don’t seem to get. I don’t need to be skinny to be

happy,” Maya stated. “Some men appreciate that not every woman will be super slim and able to

bend herself into a pretzel for sex.”

Her mother frowned. “Who the hell would want to do that?”

She stared at her sister pointedly. “Linda. She likes twisting into positions so strange they

make my body hurt just hearing her describe it.”

Linda laughed. “It’s flexibility, hermana.”

“Hey, whatever tickles your cheese.” She helped her mother set the table and noticed there

was a fourth setting. “Mom, who else is coming to dinner?”

Luisa turned away and continued placing the food on the dining room table. “We were just

expecting a friend, but aren’t sure if he’ll turn up.”

They’d just sat down to eat when someone knocked on the door.

“I’ll get it!” Luisa jumped to her feet.

A few moments later Maya put her fork down and frowned at the voice she heard speaking to

her mother.

“Thanks for inviting me tonight, Luisa,” Bud said.

Maya pushed her plate away and stood as they entered into the dining room. “What the hell

are you doing here?”

Luisa frowned. “He’s here for you, niña. He’s been calling me nonstop asking to come over

when you’re here.”

“What are you doing here, Bud?” Maya snapped.

“Maya, let me explain.”

Maya shook her head. “Save it, Bud. I don’t know why you’re here, but there’s nothing here

for you.”

“Geez, Maya, let the guy talk,” Linda said.

“Shut up, Linda,” Maya glared at her sister, her temper rising with every breath, her cheeks

heating from annoyance. “You honestly thought that because I was a big girl who lived a quiet life I

had to settle for anything you gave me.”

“Maya—”

“Bud…” She grabbed her handbag from the sofa and pushed past him. “Enjoy the food. It’s

really good. But stop this. There’s no chance for me and you. None.”

She marched out of the house and got into her car, ignoring her mother and sister’s calls at her

back. Fuck that. The last time she’d listened to Bud, he’d kicked her emotions with his words. She

wasn’t giving him another chance.

NINE

Noah sat at his computer, his panther hungry for a sight of Maya. He’d give anything to touch

her again. Fucking hell, he had problems. He’d been with her one night, and she’d crawled under his

skin, pushing emotions he tried never to deal with to the surface.

His gaze strayed to her shades. She still wasn’t home. He needed to focus on his work and

stop staring at her apartment like a love-struck idiot.

The light in her apartment turned on and objects went flying. He shot to his feet, wondering

what could have upset her to the point she was throwing things. He shouldn’t feel so tempted to go

calm her, but the panther urged him to go to her, to make it all better.

Before he had a chance to rethink things, he was knocking at her door. He heard her growl,

and she jerked the door open.

She blinked, huffing and puffing out angry breaths, her face flushed with color. “Hi.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She pasted a smile on her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. “I thought you had work to

do?”

He nodded and moved forward, pushing his way into her house. He glanced around and found

the notebooks she’d thrown against the wall. He marched to them and picked them up off the floor,

turning to hand them back to her. “These must have been terrible to you for them to get thrown across

the room.”

She frowned, glancing at her closed blinds and then back at him. “How do you know...? You

know what, never mind. Listen, I’m not really in the mood for company right now.”

The hurt in her voice stabbed his gut. “I can help. Just talk to me.”

She shook her head and glanced upward, letting out her breaths slowly. “You can’t make

stupid people smart.”

He took another step toward her, and she took one back.

“I can’t make stupid people smart, but maybe setting a panther loose on them could be

entertaining.”

She lifted her lips into a soft smile that tugged at his heart. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He stopped by the door, not leaving, but not making moves to get near her. “Got any vodka?”

She widened her eyes and smiled. “Yes. I do. Have a seat. I’ll make you my famous coconut

mojitos.”

He didn’t know what the hell a coconut mojito was, but her disposition had gone from angry

and hurt to excited in a heartbeat.

She rushed off to the kitchen and pulled out a blender and started rummaging through her

fridge. “Come sit by the kitchen. You can talk to me while I make us drinks.”

He glanced down at his hard-on. He’d need to figure out how to make it go away. It appeared

this was going to be one of those nights the female wanted to talk. He’d read about it. Apparently they

liked to speak out their frustrations. Noah liked to run as a panther and hunt to get rid of frustration.

Or when it came to the worries in the form of too many thoughts of Maya, he had to take cold

showers. Masturbation only went so far.

He sat across the kitchen counter and watched her take out a plastic bowl with shaved

coconut. Then she took out a plastic bag with mint leaves and coconut milk. To his surprise, there was

a bottle of vodka big enough to worry him on her counter.

“How often do you make these mojitos?”

She glanced up from her work with a grin. “That’s a big bottle of vodka, huh?”

“I’m just wondering if I should expect to see you sucking these down often.”

She laughed and winked. “You can relax. My co-workers all chipped in to get this to me for

my birthday a few days ago. Apparently, I was supposed to open it at work and let them all drink their

share of it but I forgot.” She threw coconut milk, vodka, and vanilla in the blender and mixed.

“You seem to have all the ingredients to put the stuff together so quickly.”

She blinked and shook her head. “My friend was supposed to come over, but then changed her

mind. We make a habit of having girls night and drinking these once a week.”

He already knew that. Not because he was stalking her through her window or anything. Okay,

maybe because of that. She was too interesting to ignore.

She poured the mixed concoction into tall glasses and handed him one.

“Oh, wait!” she opened a drawer and pulled out two straws. “I know guys don’t normally like

drinking stuff out of straws, but my teeth are sensitive to the cold and I wasn’t sure if you did too.” He

shoved the straw into his cup. “There you go. Drink and let me know what you think.”

He took a sip, wondering what the hell he was getting into and how he would politely tell her

he loved it if he didn’t. Thankfully, it didn’t come down to that. The combination of vodka, coconut,

and milk created a smooth texture that went down great. “This is really good.”

She laughed and picked up her own glass. “I can tell. You already downed most of it in a

single sip.”

He glanced down at the glass, and sure enough, there was about an inch of the drink left after

only one gulp.

“Come on, let’s sit in the living room.” He glanced at the remainder of the mojito. “Don’t

worry, I’ll bring the jar with us.”

She poured the rest of the liquid into a glass jar and carried it to the coffee table.

“What upset you earlier?” he asked, wanting to know more about the underlying distress he

sensed in her.

“My family. They honestly think I can’t handle getting a man on my own,” she said and took a

sip of her drink. “What the hell makes them think they’re experts? My sister is dating a real loser. The

guy wants her to be at his ideal weight so they can get married. The crazy part is, I know he won’t

marry her even then.”

He sucked in a breath. “What do you mean ideal weight? Is she not happy with her body?”

She rolled her eyes. “To be honest, I don’t know what she is. She doesn’t really talk to me

much. I love her to death, but she can be so easily influenced by men.”

“You don’t seem to have that problem,” he mused.

She raised her glass to salute. “I’m too stubborn. I like myself the way I am. If a man’s gonna

love me, then he’s gonna have to love every round bit about me. I don’t pretend to be perfect, and I’m

never going to be. I’m me.”

He put his glass on the napkin on the table. “You look pretty perfect to me.”

“Hah!” She shook her head. “Cut it out. We both know I’m not. Hell, nobody’s perfect. But

I’m okay with that. I’m happy being the big girl in the family. I just wish people didn’t act like

because I’m big I have to lower my expectations in life and men.”

“In what sense?” He liked this. Talking to her. Listening to her and having her open herself up

to him. He might not realize how much he’d been needing it, but he had. Her soft, husky voice held

him captive. Her words drew him in, and for a long moment he had no idea if he was just fascinated

because she was his mate, or because she was really interesting.

“Men. Men think that I have to put up with things I dislike because I’m the fat girl.” She

frowned. “Screw that. I might be the fat girl, but I have priorities and expectations too. I don’t

deserve any less than what I want in life or relationships.”

“What happened with your ex?”

Her shoulders dropped. “He turned out to be a dick. Plain and simple. He wasn’t a horrible

guy, just thought that he could do whatever and I’d put up with it. Not.”

He leaned closer, close enough to grasp her hands in his and lift them to his lips. “You’re an

amazing woman, Maya. It’s not just because of how gorgeous you are, but because you have such

inner strength. You know what you want, and you’re not going to settle for less. Too many times in

life, we settle when we shouldn’t.”

TEN

Maya gulped. The vodka in her drink made her babble. She tended to talk too much when she

was nervous or tipsy. One drink definitely did it for her.

“Thanks. Why did you come over?”

He put her hand down gently, his finger grazing the pulse at her wrists, making her heart trip.

“I just wanted to see you. I sensed you were back, and I wanted to talk.”

She raised her brows in surprise. “Just talk?”

A slow, hungry grin spread over his lips. “Just talk. Whatever happens from here on is your

choice, beautiful. I don’t want you to ever feel like I’m pushing you into anything.”

Well, fuck. She’d been counting on him pressuring her for more amazing sex. It’d definitely

help get her over all the stressing about Bud and her family.

“I...appreciate that.”

Her cell phone buzzed. She glanced around¸ trying to find it. It was on the floor, not that she

remembered how it got there. She picked it up and stared at the screen.

I miss you. Come back to me.

Taking a slow, deep breath, she pressed the side of the phone and turned the device off. She

was starting to hate electronics. She raised her head to face Noah. “Sometimes people don’t get that

no means no.”

He nodded. “This is true.”

She licked her bottom lip and sauntered over to him. Desire flowered to life in her chest. He

must have seen something in her face, because he stood and met her halfway. Passion thickened in the

room. She raised a shaky hand up to his face, tracing the line of his jaw with her finger. “I don’t like

mistakes.”

“I don’t either.”

She continued rubbing her finger lightly down the spikes of his beard to his neck. “I prefer to

make decisions I can live with.” He said nothing. The animal lit golden in his eyes. Knowing that he

was ready to do magical things to her only served to heighten her arousal. “Kiss me.”

There was no taking a breath. No waiting for a response. It was pure animal hunger that drove

him. He swept his tongue over her lips before pressing his mouth harshly over hers. There was no

sweetness there—only the basic need for more dominated them both. She gripped his shirt in her

hands, holding tight to the material and wishing she could make it disappear. Her heart pounded hard

in her ears, and she struggled to get air into her lungs. Need exploded at her core. The taste of him did

something she’d never experienced before. It created a thirst for more that intensified with each

caress.

He cupped her face in his hands, not letting go, holding her still. His to take. His to touch. She

moaned into the kiss. The raging hormones inside her pushed and pulled to get their way. She wanted

him, wanted more than a kiss. No matter how amazing that kiss was, she’d still want more. More of

him. More of them.

She pushed forward, until he was back on the sofa. She met his gaze. There. The animal shone

bright. He wanted more than that kiss too. She dropped down to her knees between his legs. His eyes

appeared to go darker with desire.

“Maya,” he breathed, his chest rising and falling as if he couldn’t get enough oxygen either.

She lifted her lips in a smile and raked her nails down his abs, over his shirt. Lord, he was

sexy. He had a lean build that spoke of power. Agility. The cat inside him was stealthy and deadly.

Knowing that only made her want him more.

She glided her hands down, loving the soft tremble of his abs. There was no hesitation, only

need. Pure lust ran rampant in her blood. Her vision went hazy, and all she saw was him. His eyes.

That glowing desire for her. A desire she’d never seen in any other man and one she might never see

again. It didn’t matter, because seeing it on this man meant the world to her. He was the one she

wanted.

She unbuttoned his fly, her smile widening at the low hiss he let out. He grabbed her wrist,

stopping her the moment her finger started to lower his zipper.

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

Nerves flew out of her body and were replaced with a seductive drive. “Yes. I’m doing what

I want.”

He released her hand and gripped the purple cushions at his sides. “If this is what you want,

then do it. I’m all yours.”

The zipper now lowered, she slid her hand down to squeeze his legs over his jeans. Mother of

all things sexy. He had such muscular legs. It shouldn’t surprise her. He had a panther inside him. The

animal loved to run. But it was the way he held himself tense, almost afraid to move as she touched

him. She curled her hands on the denim and motioned for him to lift his ass. The jeans came down to

his knees in a swift yank. She didn’t stop staring into his eyes, watching his reaction. With his legs

now bare, she pushed the denim farther until it pooled at his feet.

She crawled her fingers up his legs, enjoying the warmth of his flesh and the hairs on his

thighs. Her gaze finally left his face to get a good look at his cock. Have mercy! He was much bigger

than she remembered. His cock stood hard, proud, and waiting. His body trembled with tension.

She lowered her face to his shaft, circling the head with her tongue and picking up the bead of

liquid at the top of it. It was salty, earthy. The taste of him sank deep into her, opening up a door to a

desire she had already pushed back the last time he’d come into her place.

“Ah, babe. Your mouth is going to kill me,” he groaned, squeezing the cushions hard enough to

tear through them.

She curled a hand around his dick, sliding it up and enjoying how hot and hard he felt. He was

smooth as velvet and warm. She didn’t want to stop caressing his penis. She circled and glanced

down at his cock, watching the vein on the underside thicken with blood. Pure lust pushed her to

move down and lick her way up the vein. Once she got to the top, she engulfed his length with her

mouth, taking him deep.

“Jesus!” he roared, coiling strands of her hair around his fingers and pushing them out of the

way so he could watch. “That’s it. Suck me.”

She pulled back slowly, letting saliva trail down his hardness. She sucked him back into her

mouth, the taste of him building, filling her senses. She sucked him hard with her mouth and fondled

his balls with one hand. His deep rumbles sounded like a combination of a purr and groan. It was

beyond erotic. Listening to him do that, showing her how much she was in control, pushed her need to

the stratosphere.

She had never been much of an oral sex fan, but watching his reaction to her lips on him, she

had a feeling she was doing pretty good. He leaned back on the sofa. His cock felt bigger in her

mouth, thicker. Like he’d grown with every suck.

“You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth, Maya. I could watch you do that forever.”

She suctioned her lips tight around his dick, feeling every ridge and line in her cheeks. Her

moves turned faster; she bobbed her head over him in quick up-and-down glides. His grip on her hair

tightened until fire took hold of her scalp. She glanced up and saw the beast in his eyes. His skin

pulled tight on his face. He was so close to losing control. His breathing came in harsh pants. For a

second, she thought he might be ready to shift, but instead his eyes glowed a gorgeous amber.

“Stop!” He rumbled.

She let him out of her mouth slowly, enjoying how hot and hard he was. Her spit dribbled

down his dick and her chin.

“That,” he said, staring at the saliva on his cock, “is fucking sexy as hell.”

He grabbed his cock and pumped himself, making it grow even bigger. “Take those clothes

off. I want you naked.”

She stood up, stripping out of her top and shorts and watching his eyes burn her body with

need.

“Like what you see?”

He licked his lips, his gaze moving from her tits, to her pussy, and then her eyes. “Let me

show you.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. She straddled him, her slick pussy folds

gliding open for penetration. With each knee to either side of his legs, she pressed down, impaling

herself on his cock.

“Oh...” She bit her lip, gasping back a second moan rolling up her throat.

He cupped her breasts, sucking on one of her nipples. Desire rocked through her. He laved her

flesh with kisses, nips and sucks. Every suck coupled with a groan from him made goose bumps break

over her arms. She pushed forward and then pressed back down, rocking in tiny waves on his dick.

“Ah, sweetheart. You feel so fucking perfect, so tight around my cock.”

He slid his hands down and around her waist to grab her large ass cheeks and squeeze them

apart. As she moved, he guided her to rock harder on him. Faster. Pushing himself deeper.

It went that way: with her rocking back and forth on him, pressing down with each slide, and

him licking and sucking on her chest, up to her neck, and finally to her lips.

His gaze bore into hers. “You are by far the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.”

She had to smile at that. He said it as if she were some kind of goddess. That’s how he made

her feel—like she was a wonder. She slid her hands up, cupped his face, and pressed their lips

together at the same time she did a double dip down and up on his cock. Up. Down. Wiggle and

repeat. Her muscles tensed, and soon she was holding on by a thread. Her body screamed for the

chance to have its release.

He nibbled on her jaw, sucking his way to her earlobe. “You’re so tight. So fucking hot and

tight. I can’t get over how much I love your body.”

“You’re...crazy.”

His grip on her ass became almost painful. “Yes, I am. For you. For your curves and how

good being inside you feels.”

That was it. She couldn’t control her body a second longer. The tension inside her snapped,

sending her flying.

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” She pushed down on him, her body trembling with the force of her orgasm.

He held her hips hard, grunting at her chest. Then a low groan that sounded a lot like a purr

rumbled in his chest. He stiffened beneath her, his cock growing hotter inside. She swore he branded

her as he spurted his release into her channel. For long breathless moments they stayed there, panting

and gasping, his cock still deep inside her, pulsing every few seconds to shoot another squirt of cum

into her.

“My...god!” She cleared her throat and glanced down at his face. “That was...”

“Fucking amazing.”

She couldn’t have said it better herself. “I need to—”

“Stay right where you are. I’m not done with you.”

Well, okay then.

ELEVEN

Maya picked up her mail on her way out to work. She’d forgotten all about it, having spent her

weekend wrapped up in Noah’s arms. As much as she didn’t like the idea of moving too fast, she

couldn’t stop herself with him. She sat in the car for a few minutes before she had to go in to her

office and went through the stack of mail.

She tore at an envelope absently and pulled out a letter. Words had been cut out of a magazine

to create a letter.

Maya

You are so beautiful. I wish you knew just how much I love seeing your face.

There was no signature. She picked up her cell phone, fury dancing in her veins, and dialed

Bud.

“Maya, what a surprise.”

“Stop it, Bud,” she snapped. “I told you there was not going to be anything else between us.

Why do you continue sending me shit?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She ground her teeth, gripping her cell phone with all her might. Thank god she didn’t have the

strength of a shifter, or she might have broken it. “You moron! Your return address is on the

envelope!”

Silence. Then, no line. He’d hung up on her. She might have laughed if she weren’t so sick and

tired of his stupid stalking.

It was so ironic that in the time they’d been together, he had made it clear she had to settle for

whatever he was willing to give her. Now that she was no longer interested, all of a sudden he found

himself unable to live without her. What a fricking joke.

She slipped out of her car and slammed her door shut with more force than necessary, the

metal booming loudly. She’d turned to face her office building when her cell phone beeped. She might

need to get a new line. Glancing down at the screen, she noticed it was Gerri Wilder. She’d been

messaging, wanting to meet up for lunch with Maya. It was just that Maya had been so busy with Noah

that she’d ignored everyone for the weekend, including her mother’s invitation to a family dinner.

She stopped and messaged Gerri, promising to meet with her after work. Another buzz

showed Gerri sending Maya her home address for her to come visit.

* * *

Knock

Gerri grinned at the fresh baked cookies and pulled the apron off her waist. The frilly black

apron had been a gift from her friend Teracia. Teracia was a tatted former client in her forties that

had met the love of her life thanks to Gerri. She was Gerri’s first attempt at matchmaking.

“Coming,” she said, striding to the door.

She already knew it was Maya. She scented her long before Maya knocked on the door. She

pulled the heavy wooden door open and let her satisfaction show on her face. Maya’s bright smile

spoke volumes.

“Hello, dear,” Gerri said, pulling Maya in for a hug.

“Hi, Gerri!”

She led Maya inside and ushered her toward the living room. “Please, come join me for some

tea and cookies.”

“I wasn’t really hungry,” Maya mumbled, but stared at the large plate of chocolate chip

cookies, still warm from baking. “I guess I can have one.”

Gerri bit back a laugh. One. Nobody ever had a single cookie. It was impossible. “So,” she

said, sitting down and pouring herself a cup of tea. “How are things going with Noah?”

Maya sighed, picking up a cookie, placing it on a small plate, then moving the plate on to her

lap. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Dammit. Something was wrong. Gerri hated when she thought a couple was perfect

for each other and things got in the way. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not him. It’s just that the boyfriend I told you about keeps calling and won’t leave me

alone. I don’t know how to focus on Noah when I’m annoyed with Bud.”

“Oh.” Gerri dumped a teaspoon of sugar in her cup and stirred until she didn’t see any

granules. “Have you told Noah?”

She shook her head. “I have to deal with him myself. What kind of person would I be to be

asking some new guy to get rid of my ex?”

“A smart one?” Gerri asked, her brows rising. “Darling, Noah is a shifter. A strong one at

that. He is used to getting rid of problems for people.”

“Um, what does that mean?”

Gerri waved the spoon in the air. “It means he used to be an enforcer to my nephew’s pack a

while back.”

“Wait. Didn’t you say you come from wolves?”

“Yes.”

“So you had a panther as an enforcer to a wolf pack?” she asked, sounding confused.

“Yes. But that’s normal between our people. Besides, Noah is like a son to me. Much like

Connor is.” Gerri put the spoon down, the metal clinking on the porcelain. “You should just tell Noah.

It’s what couples do. Men like to feel useful.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do that. Besides, we’re not a couple. We just started seeing each

other. I can’t go off and ask him to take care of that. And Bud is an idiot. He’s not smart enough to do

anything dangerous to me. It’s just annoying.”

“So you’re saying you prefer to deal with a moron ex than to let a strong man with a

commanding presence help you?”

“It’s not that I don’t want him to help me. I can handle Bud. I just wish Bud would listen to my

words about us never getting together again.”

“Well, you know what they say, men are only as smart as their penises.”

Maya choked on her tea, sputtering the liquid out as she coughed. “Excuse me?”

“It’s either that or men are just stupid, but I prefer to think it’s the penis thing. It seems to me

they never think with their real brains.”

Maya grinned, her eyes watery from coughing. “Don’t hold back, Gerri. Tell me what you

really think.”

“Darling, please. I’ve lived long enough to know that most men will fuck up at some point in

their lives. It’s usually because they don’t listen to common sense.” Gerri picked up her tea cup and

took a sip.

“I have some questions about Noah.”

Gerri sensed Maya’s indecision. She wanted to calm whatever fears the girl had, but she

knew humans were different than shifters, not to mention most women had a hard time believing a hot

man would be ready to drop to his knees upon meeting a women he felt was the one for him. “Sure

thing. What do you need to know?”

“He mentioned mating. Can you explain that a little?”

Gerri’s smile widened. There it was. She knew he was ready to promise eternal love. “In this

day and age, I bet you have a hard time believing that he’d fall for you so quickly, huh?”

Maya glanced down at her lap, her dark skin coloring with embarrassment. “Maybe.” She met

Gerri’s gaze. “It’s not that I don’t feel I deserve a man who goes crazy for me and wants to love me

and all that. It’s just...well, not really what I’m used to.”

“I can understand that.” Gerri sipped her tea again before placing the cup down and sitting

back on her chair. “Noah is not crazy. I’m sure that might have run through your mind at some point.

He’s a shifter. Shifters are decisive. They know what they want. In this case, he knows who he wants:

You. He also knows that the animal inside him helps dictate his desire for a female.”

“That’s the part I am having trouble with. How could he know if I’m right for him?”

“Think of it this way. His animal is like a more primitive version of the man. The animal is

not led by societal rules or any of that nonsense. He knows what he wants based on scent. You have

the right pheromones for him. And that won’t change.”

“So both the man and the panther want a mate?”

“They’re one. Noah wants you not just physically, Maya. He wants you every way possible.”

Gerri met her gaze with a serious one. “He will do anything to make you happy. So when you’re

debating giving him a chance, think about that. Here’s a man that appreciates curves, isn’t trying to put

your ass on the air diet, has an amazing sex drive, because they all do, and will love unconditionally.”

“Wow. That’s. Wow.”

Gerri lifted her cup again to take another drink. “I’m not telling you to tear your clothes off

and tell him to come and get it, but I think you should have an open mind. At least I didn’t set you up

with two.”

Maya stopped the cookie she was bringing to her mouth mid-way to her face. “What? Two

what?”

“Men, dear. Don’t stare at me like that, child. Some women like to get their freak on with two

males. In fact, some packs require a mate be shared between the Alpha and the Omega.”

“I...yeah. Okay, so back to my petty problems with a single one of them. Noah is a lot more

than I ever thought I’d find after my bad luck with men. I’m happy but nervous this is going to blow up

in my face somehow.”

Gerri nodded. “I understand. It’s hard to believe what you’re seeing, but that is who he is. In

our world, a mate is cherished and protected. A mate is for life.”

“I have so much to think about,” she mumbled.

“Why not introduce him into your life? I don’t mean move him in, so stop looking at me like I

grew a second head! I mean, take him to a family dinner. That could be the beginning of a way to see

him around your people.”

Maya snorted. “My people? Let me tell you something. My family is as dysfunctional as you

get.”

Gerri sighed. “Noah didn’t grow up with a normal family. He had me and my husband, but he

always held back. He wasn’t a talkative kid. He knew he’d been abandoned and held his emotions in.

I ached for him a lot. I wanted him to open up to me, but he never did. Maybe now he can open up to

you.”

TWELVE

Noah decided to pick up some flowers for Maya. She’d been quiet for the past few days, not

even dancing in the living room while she cleaned like he was used to. Something was wrong, but

when he asked, she said she was fine. Instead of bringing the flowers to her himself, he chose to have

them delivered to her job. He strolled from the flower shop down the street when he noticed a car

parked outside the building.

The guy inside the car had on a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap, but Noah recognized

him immediately. It was Maya’s ex, Bud. He marched up to the car to confront the guy. Bud saw him

approaching and jumped out of the driver’s side with a bat in his hand.

“You! It’s your fault she won’t come back to me,” Bud yelled.

Noah stopped a few feet away from the car, shoving his hands in his pockets. “She doesn’t

want you. Do you know the meaning of the word no?”

“She wanted me,” Bud spat. “Until you came along, she had nothing better in her life than me.

She would have married me eventually.”

Noah’s panther roared inside. The thought of Maya with this dickhead didn’t sit well. “She’ll

never be yours now. She’s mine. And what’s mine, I keep.”

Bud bared his teeth like a rabid dog. “I hate you! She was supposed to be the woman that took

care of me and forgave me for making mistakes from time to time.”

Noah yanked his hands out of his pockets, curling them into fists. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“I’m not crazy. She was mine. You had no right to interfere!” Bud came closer, swinging the

bat too far away to hit Noah, but close enough to slam it against one of his tail lights. The sound of the

glass breaking crunched around them.

“Put the bat down,” Noah urged. “You’re going to get hurt.”

“Fuck you! Maya is mine,” he persisted. “You need to go find your own woman.”

Bud swung the bat again, and Noah grabbed it mid-swing. He tugged hard, bringing Bud close

enough that he could grab him by the shirt and toss him on the car, hitting the bumper with the impact.

“She’s not yours. She’s never been yours, and she never will be,” Noah hissed. The panther

pushed at the skin, ready for a fight.

Bud groaned and slid off the bumper, his gaze meeting Noah’s. “You... You’re one of those

animals, aren’t you?”

The panther roared. “You could say that.”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Bud screeched. A couple coming out of the building stopped to watch.

“You can be whatever, but you’re not taking her from me.”

Noah rushed him then. He picked Bud up by the neck and stared into his eyes. “That’s where

you’re wrong. You lost her a long time ago, and I’m not giving her back. She’s not some woman to be

used. She’s mine. Get used to it.”

He tossed Bud on the wooden walkway by the car. Noah didn’t sense any danger from the

man. He was all talk. In fact, Noah could tell he was more scared than angry. Probably frustrated that

he wasn’t getting his way when it came to Maya. Too fucking bad.

* * *

Noah stared at the darkened apartment across his window with a frown. She hadn’t shown up

yet. She wasn’t picking up her cell phone either. Something didn’t sit right with him. When his

doorbell rang, he jumped to his feet to fling the door open.

“Hello, darling,” Gerri greeted.

“Hi, Gerri.”

He turned around and returned to his desk, ignoring her and the work he’d been staring at all

day without doing any of it. He had a deadline for a new game and was pretty close to being done, but

instead of doing that, he was watching Maya’s apartment like her stalker ex.

“What’s going on over there?” Gerri asked, coming to stand beside him.

“Nothing. That’s the problem. She’s been gone all day, and I haven’t spoken to her since. I

don’t know what to think. She usually answers my calls. And she’s never this late.”

Gerri’s brows rose. “You sound a little paranoid there, dear. What’s going on with you two?”

“She’s been acting distant.” He hated to admit it, but it was true. He wasn’t sure what he’d

said or done to push her away. It was driving him crazy to think that she might not be interested in

seeing where things went with them.

“Well, of course she is. That idiot ex of hers doesn’t leave her alone,” Gerri said, point blank.

He turned to face Gerri, his attention going from the window to the woman who raised him.

“What does he have to do with anything? I haven’t seen him around here.”

Gerri rolled her eyes. “I was right. Men don’t use their brains. Darling, he’s been harassing

her via her cell phone and every way possible. She’s annoyed by it, because she’d prefer to see

where things are going with you.”

Fucking hell. That was not what he wanted to hear. “She’s pushing me away because of her

ex?”

Gerri shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Ask her. Would it kill you people to communicate once

in a while?” She inhaled and let it out slowly. “It’s like talking to toddlers.”

“What else did she say?” he asked with interest.

“What are we, in high school? She asked about you and being a shifter and mating. I told her

the truth on all accounts. Now stop stressing, and when she gets home, draw the woman a warm bath.

She’ll probably be exhausted.”

“Why are you here?” he asked, suddenly realizing she hadn’t called like she normally did.

“So you finally noticed, huh? I came by to bring you some cookies. I wanted to drop some off

for Maya, but since she’s not home I’ll leave them here with you.”

Thunder boomed outside the window, and a quick peek showed the rain coming down in thick

sheets.

“I’m going to go before it gets worse. My driver is waiting, and I hate to leave the poor guy

sitting there.”

He walked her to the door. “Isn’t he used to you doing that?”

She nodded and turned to face him at the door. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t rude. Now

give me a kiss and remember what I said. Let the girl breathe.”

He kissed Gerri on the forehead and watched her go. Restlessness took hold of him. The

panther wanted out. The sound of the rain drew him to the outdoors. His panther wanted to shift and

run. It was one of the things he loved to do on a dark stormy night.

He ran down the stairs, all the way to the lobby, before passing security. The guys waved at

him, used to his running out barefoot when he needed to let the panther roam.

Rain flowed from the sky in warm droplets that soaked him in seconds. He ran across the

street to the woods. He ran as a human at first, until he found a spot to take off his clothes and shift.

The panther pushed at his skin. Bones popped, and dark fur coated his body. He dropped down to all

fours and ran. He took off into the woods, unsure where he was going but letting the panther lead.

This was the animal’s chance to control things. Like everything in nature, living as a shifter was about

balance. He had to give the panther space to breathe, and the animal would follow his control.

It took a few minutes before he realized he was running down a path that led to Maya’s

workplace. He should have known his restlessness wouldn’t settle from a simple run. Tension flowed

through him, pushing the panther.

His paws sank into the earth as he ran. The scent of nature, rain, and earth mingled to make the

panther purr. He enjoyed being out in the woods.

“Fucking hell!”

Maya’s voice in the distance stopped him in his tracks. He lifted his head up, searching for

her scent to know which way to go. There. A slight breeze brought the taste of her frustration down

his nose.

He darted off, going farther down the path until he came face to face with a soaked Maya

carrying her shoes in her hands. Her clothes clung to her, delineating her body in a way that left

nothing to the imagination.

THIRTEEN

Maya blinked through the pouring rain at the giant black cat that suddenly showed up out of

nowhere. Her heart hammered hard in her chest, almost tripping from fear.

“Uh, nice kitty?” she said softly.

She was dead. Big dead. The panther opened his jaw wide, his golden eyes gleaming in the

darkness. Yeah, dead. There’d be no coming out of that one for her.

The rain poured harder. Thunder and lightning shook the earth and made her tremble. She

glanced over her shoulder, but she could barely make out the path. Should she run for it?

A loud growl sounded from the panther. Fuck this shit. She took off into the woods, running

for dear life. Branches poked and prodded, slapping her arms and face as she went. She gasped,

trying not to fall on her ass in the slippery mud, but it was almost impossible. Her foot slipped on a

rock, and she went down. She landed on her back, the rain falling hard on her soaked body.

The panther came around her. She stayed motionless, hoping he couldn’t see her if she did.

Then she sighed. Like the animal couldn’t see or smell her. She needed a fucking drink if this was her

plan for survival.

He brought his dark head down over hers, muzzle right to her cheek…and licked her. She

gasped at the feel of the rough tongue touching her face. He did it again, and while she squinted at the

rain falling in her eyes, the panther changed from a scary beast into Noah. Naked Noah.

She glanced down at his human form, taking in his slick, wet body and the muscles that shaped

him into an amazing beast.

“Noah?”

“Why are you walking this way, getting wet?”

She gulped back the moan from his finger caressing her face. “It was an awful day.”

He helped her up to her feet and proceeded to pick her up in his arms, not giving her a chance

to struggle. “Let me carry you. You’re not used to walking barefoot outdoors.”

She curled her arms around his neck and allowed him to carry her. “When I left my office, I

had two flat tires, and my phone had died.”

“Why didn’t you just go back upstairs?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to sit around waiting for a tow.”

She didn’t want to admit she’d been dying to go home and spend time with him. He was the

reason she’d ignored common sense and done something she never did.

“So then why were you walking through the woods?”

“At first, I decided to walk up the main street waiting for a taxi, but none showed up. Then a

big group of guys left a bar and were really loud and kind of scary, so I dashed into the woods so they

wouldn’t see me.” She pushed the strands of hair sticking to her face back so she could see better. “I

figured I could walk the rest of the way since I know this path leads right by the building.”

He held her tight to his chest, his warmth keeping her from growing cold from her wet clothes.

“I worried when I called and you didn’t answer.”

“I’m sorry. I think there’s something wrong with my phone. The battery drains too fast.”

When they arrived at the building, she was surprised to see that neither of the guards batted an

eye at his nakedness. Was this a normal occurrence? And where the hell was she when he did it?

He helped her to her feet in the elevator and then led her to her door, taking the keys out of her

shaky hands and opening it for her. Shudders racked her body. She started to feel really cold all of a

sudden.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll draw you a hot bath, and you can lay in the warm water while I get

you a drink.”

He set the tub for her and left her in the bathroom to remove the wet clothes stuck to her body.

The pile of wet clothes lay at the foot of the tub. She got into the water and sighed. Heat rose,

warming her.

She sat there, thinking about the horrible day she’d had. Bud had called again. This time he’d

been smart enough to have his line blocked, but she knew it was him. The stupid man didn’t seem to

get it through his thick skull that she wanted nothing to do with him. It was as if his brain had stopped

working when it came to her. The crazy part was what he’d said on the ‘anonymous’ call. He’d said

she was supposed to be his. Right. Because her unhappiness with him spoke of forever to his

dumbass.

A few minutes later, after her limbs had stopped shaking, a knock sounded at her bathroom

door.

“Come in.”

Noah entered the bathroom with a pair of boxer shorts and a glass filled with amber liquid.

“Here, drink this. It will help warm you from the inside.”

She sniffed the drink, making a face when she didn’t like how strong it was.

He laughed and pushed her hand up to her lips. “It’s not poison. It will help.”

“I’m not a whiskey drinker.”

“Try it. A few sips.”

She did. Once the burning sensation stopped in the middle of her chest, she found herself

mellowing out. She lifted the tumbler back to her lips and downed the rest. “That’s not too bad.”

“Yeah. I think that’s enough of that.” He grinned, pulling the glass out of her hands.

“What made you go out that way?” she asked, leaning back in the tub, not caring that she was

naked. His gaze strayed from her face to her chest. Her nipples peeked above the water line, stiff and

aching.

“I like to let the panther run when I’m feeling restless. I was worried about you, and running

was the best way to relax. The animal took me that way. He must have sensed you in the area and

decided to go find you.”

She smiled. “Your panther likes me?”

“That’s one way to put it. He considers you his.” He placed the glass on the sink and grabbed

his knees. “I wanted to ask you something.”

She bit her lip, wondering what in the world he could have to say to her. “Okay?”

“I have this event coming up. It’s to reveal a new game I designed. It’s...special. I’d like to

ask if you could possibly attend with me. As my guest.”

She tried to push down the instant joy bubbling in her chest. “I’d love to. Is this something you

worked on recently?”

He shook his head. “I met a boy not long ago, and he inspired the game. I wanted to do

something special for him.”

Wow. He was such a nice guy. Creating a game based on a kid he’d met. “I’d be honored to

attend as your guest. There’s something I wanted to ask you,” she said with a smile. “I have a family

dinner to attend this weekend. Would you...like to come with me?”

She realized a family dinner was a big commitment, but decided to ask him anyway. It wasn’t

like she had a normal family. She worried that he would realize there was more than a little wrong

with the other members of her family and decide it was too much crazy to handle.

“Yes. I’ll go with you, if that’s what you want.” His lips lifted into a ghost of a smile.

“Thank you.”

He glanced back at her chest and then looked away. “I’m going to go. I’m happy you’re safe

now, and I know you’re going to need rest.”

She wanted him to stay and talk to her some more. Touch her. Make love to her. Love? Wait a

second. “Yes, okay. You have a good night.”

He nodded and shut the bathroom door on his way out.

What the hell? Love? She had been seeing him for all of a week. Why would she think herself

in love? Because you are. Dear god, she was in trouble. Love was one emotion she’d been trying to

keep at bay when it came to Noah. She’d learned with every other ex, including Bud, that talking

about love only turned things to shit if a man wasn’t ready.

Her heart flipped at the reminder of Noah holding her in his arms, carrying her through the

rain so she wouldn’t hurt her feet. Trying to push that out of the emotional side of her brain was

impossible. Noah’s smile made her belly feel all kinds of warm and squishy. She couldn’t lie to

herself. She was falling for him. Hard. That didn’t mean she had to tell him. The time they spent

together helped her see he was the kind of man that would offer her his all, the kind of man she’d

always wanted but had never found. Until now.

The thought that she was finally with the right man both excited and scared her. She wanted

him to be in love with her too. She knew so little of how shifters did things. Did mating mean he was

in love with her? Physical attraction was one thing. Emotions were another. When she spoke to Gerri,

there had been no mention of emotions. Now she wished Gerri were on her speed dial so she could

ask all kinds of things popping into her mind.

FOURTEEN

Maya sucked her bottom lip into her mouth—a bad habit she’d yet to break. She was nervous,

and there was no way to stop it. The number of people in the ballroom was staggering. Media and big

names from the video gaming industry were all dressed to the nines. She glanced up to Noah’s serious

face and smiled.

“You look so happy to be here,” she joked.

“I hate crowds,” he said, guiding her toward an opening between the people and a man

standing by the stage.

“Noah!” The short, bald man slapped a hand to his chest. “I swear to god if you do that shit to

me again, I’ll stop being your agent. What’s wrong with you? Telling me you weren’t coming. Do you

know how many Tums I had to take to calm down the ulcer I got from worrying over your too-sexy

ass?”

Maya’s brows rose, and she couldn’t help but smile. The smaller man waved a hand over his

face like a fan. She bit back a giggle and cleared her throat.

“Stop the drama, Claude. This is Maya. She’s your priority while I’m on stage. Do you

understand?” he asked, his tone soft and deadly.

Maya slowly glanced up to look at Noah’s face, expecting him to smile to take the harshness

out of his words.

“Aye, aye, captain.” Claude grinned, offering Maya his hand to shake. “Hello, darling. Aren’t

you just so cute?”

Alrighty then. She shook his hand and glanced around. “I’m guessing tonight is a big deal?”

Claude’s eyes went saucer-wide. “Oh, honey. He’s the big deal. Noah.”

“Shut it, Claude.”

“Let me tell you…,” Claude went on as if Noah hadn’t spoken. “He is a master designer.

Comes up with the most amazing concepts. This one we’re unveiling today?” Claude brought his hand

to his mouth and made a kiss noise. “A pure masterpiece. Wait and see.”

She glanced at Noah, noticing the flush across his cheeks. He was embarrassed over Claude

talking him up.

“He exaggerates.”

“Not even a little.” Claude sighed. “Noah, go on up on stage. They’ve got to set you up with

what you need to do. I’ll watch your precious.”

Noah brought his head down to Maya’s cheek and kissed her at the same time, whispering

softly, “I’ll be back soon.”

She nodded and watched him walk away, her heart filling with more love for him. She’d

decided she wanted him to wear a tux forever. It was one of those things she realized made him look

fricking delicious.

“So, you’re the first woman he’s ever brought to one of these,” Claude said, ushering her to

one of the front tables straight across from the stage. “He usually just brings Gerri, but she was out of

town today.”

She sat down, her gaze searching for Noah on the stage. He was ruffling through papers with a

deep frown. “Gerri couldn’t make it?”

“I’m sure she would have changed her plans to come if he had mentioned it to her, but he

refused. Said he wasn’t coming today. I almost had a mild heart attack thinking about how I would

explain that the man everyone was here for…wasn’t here.”

“What’s so special about this game?” she asked, taking the champagne flute he grabbed from a

passing waiter.

“This game is amazing. It’s really one of a kind. He has given people with disabilities a way

to feel like they’re inside the game, living it.”

“Like virtual reality?”

He nodded excitedly. “Not just virtual reality. He created a regular video game for them to

play. He’s given them something just for them. I am amazed with the outcome.”

The lights flashed a few times, and everyone started taking their seats. Moments later, the

place sat in expectant silence as the lights dimmed.

“Watch this,” Claude gushed excitedly.

A giant screen beside Noah turned on, and the previews for the new game came on. At first,

since it was a first-person game, she couldn’t tell much, and it was hard to get a grasp of what was

happening. But pretty soon it became evident. The video turned into a split-screen showing the game

being played by a boy in a wheelchair. She gasped. The teenager handled the main character in the

game through motion sensors and a head piece that appeared to transmit his thoughts into motions and

action. The video changed to show the same boy using a regular controller to play the game with his

hands.

The video feed stopped, and a light shone at the podium. The crowd stood, clapping excitedly

for Noah. He gave a brief smile, his gaze scanning the crowd until he found Maya. Then, his smile

turned wider, and her heart melted for him.

“Thank you for coming this evening. I only have a few things I want to say. I met Josh Lewis a

year ago. In the time I’ve known him, he’s taught me that your choices determine the kind of person

you are. Josh inspired this new gaming system. He is Forsaken Warrior.”

A second round of applause, much louder and with some whistles thrown in, shook the room.

“Thank you for being here to debut Forsaken Warrior. And thank you for spreading the word

about it. And now, I’d like to introduce to you all: Josh Lewis.”

The boy in the video rolled onto the stage in is wheelchair. He stopped next to Noah and

smiled at him, his face bright with excitement.

They left the stage to applause and cheers. She had no idea this kind of stuff happened with

video games, but she was so proud and happy for him. The smile on her face grew wider by the

second. Not to mention the flutters in her chest for such a wonderful man. He’d gone and done

something no other human she knew ever had. He’d focused on someone besides himself.

When he returned to the table, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.

“Damn, Noah. I’m supposed to be the one the chicks go crazy for, dude,” said Josh. “I hope

she’s got a sister.”

Maya pressed a second kiss on Noah’s lips and pulled back, her laughter untamable. “I do

have a sister, but I don’t think she’d be anyone’s type.”

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

“If you like women who sport a stick up their behind, she’s all yours.”

Josh stared at her with wide eyes before breaking into loud laughter. “Dude! Your girl is

hilarious.”

Noah smiled at her. “She’s amazing.”

Her chest constricted from happiness. Goodness, she loved this man more than she could have

imagined. He was kind, sweet, and caring. If that wasn’t enough, he was genuine in his concern for

others, and he was fucking amazing in bed. Ah-mazing.

They sat down to dinner. She took the time to watch Noah interact with Josh. It was like night

and day. He’d lost the serious face and turned into a listener and a talker with the boy. He encouraged

the kid to create his own games and said he’d happily help Josh market them.

“Claude is really good at getting people to buy my stuff.”

Claude snorted and picked up his champagne. “It’s pretty simple when you have such an

amazing product. Just wait until they see the one you’ve got coming.”

She leaned into Noah’s chest, enjoying just being there, cradled by his arm.

“Have you seen the new game, Maya?” Josh asked, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

“I haven’t. What’s it about?”

“Oh, it is amazing,” Josh gushed. “It’s called Shifter Warrior.”

She nodded, glancing at Noah from the corner of her eye. “Let me guess. Does the warrior

change into animals?”

“A panther!” Josh exclaimed. “How frickin’ cool is that?”

“That’s pretty amazing.” She smiled. “I bet it’s going to sell like hotcakes.”

Claude lifted his glass up and smiled. “Let’s all salute Forsaken Warrior and Noah for his

amazing imagination.”

She clinked her champagne glass with his and drank, the entire time staring deep into his eyes.

Later, when she got him naked, she’d show him just how special he truly was.

FIFTEEN

Noah waved goodbye to Claude and Josh as he got into the limo with Maya. He was glad

she’d had a good time. Plus, he’d felt good having her by his side during this launch. Usually, he

didn’t care so much, but this game and system had been targeted toward people with disabilities. It

was a risk he’d taken to develop something new.

“How did you meet Josh?” Maya asked, leaning into his side and laying her head on his

shoulder.

“I signed up to be a mentor at the local hospital.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with awe and admiration. “Really? That’s...amazing.

You are such an incredible man.”

He barked a laugh. “I’m not special. I wanted to give someone else the hope Gerri and her

husband gave me when I didn’t have it.”

“So you met Josh at the hospital?”

“Yeah. He’d been in a car accident. His older brother had been driving, and he died on

impact. Josh survived but has problems walking. He’ll need more surgery, but it’s not a guarantee.”

He let out a breath and pulled her closer into his arms. She pressed her curves into his side. He loved

it, loved having her near him, filling his lungs with her scent. Even his panther relaxed knowing she

was fine and with him.

“That’s so sad.”

“His parents were at a loss. They didn’t know how to reach him. He had withdrawn. His

brother was his best friend. So they signed him up to be mentored, hoping that in time, he’d find

happiness in life again.”

“I can see you’ve done miracles.” She kissed his chin and laid her head on his shoulder again.

“No. All I did was talk to him. Sometimes parents are too caught up in their own problems

and issues that they don’t listen to their kids. Josh only wanted to be heard. He wanted to grieve for

his brother, but his parents were being reminded of their lost son. It created a cold void between them

and Josh.”

“Are they doing any better now?” She glanced up at his face again, her eyes filled with worry

and unease.

“Yes. Once I spoke to them and he was allowed to do something in his brother’s memory,

things got better for the family.”

A joyful smile spread over her lips. “I told you. You are a miracle worker.”

“No way, babe. I just listen. I’m good at that.” Right now, her body told him she was relaxed

and happy, exactly how he wanted her to be. He’d seen her stressed out and distant and was glad she

wasn’t pushing him away any longer.

* * *

It was time to meet her family. Noah didn’t usually give a shit what anyone thought of him, but

this was Maya. He wanted those she loved to get along with him. He’d do his best to make a good

impression.

Their drive out to the farm was quiet. He could tell she was tense. He didn’t know if it was

because she was nervous over him meeting them or them meeting him.

“My family is weird,” she blurted out.

He turned to face her. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white.

“Families usually are.” Not that he had much experience with them, since he had been

abandoned by his own and kept to himself even when Gerri tried to pull him out of his shell. Not that

it was new. Panthers were solitary creatures. Unless he was around Maya, he didn’t really like being

around people. She was different. She calmed the restlessness inside him.

“Not like mine. My mother and sisters are not like normal people. One of my sisters I barely

see since she got married as a teenager. She lives in another state, but her son emails and messages

me a lot.”

“Is that the nephew that likes video games?”

She nodded, a smile softening her features. “He loves them. He’s come to visit me a few

times. I have seen more of him in the past ten years than I have his mother.”

Ouch. That didn’t sound like a nice sibling relationship. “And your other sister?”

“She’s the one who has a boyfriend that swears she needs to look how he wants. And mother?

That’s another story. She thinks I’m unhappy with my body and that’s why I won’t commit to a man.”

“That’s not the case, is it?” He knew it wasn’t. In the past few weeks, one of the things he’d

noticed about Maya was that she was comfortable in her own skin. She dressed for herself, always

wearing what she liked. Whether it was a pair of shorts or a dress, she looked beautiful and radiant

because he saw she felt that way.

“No way! I’ve got curves, and I’m proud of them. Besides, my body has nothing to do with the

fact that I hadn’t found a man worth my time. It seems…,” She gave him a side-eyed glance with a

grin, “…my luck has changed.”

He noticed she said “hadn’t found a man,” which made him wonder if she finally saw him in a

new light, a long-term commitment light.

They got to the farm when the sun started to drop in the sky. A chill from the wind swooshed

around them as they left the car.

She came around and grabbed his hand, her gaze filled with insecurity. “Whatever they tell

you, just know they don’t know me like they think they do.”

Interesting. He squeezed her cold hand and marched up the steps of the house with her.

“Mami?” she called out. “I’m here.”

An older woman with short, curly hair and mocha skin, darker than Maya’s, strolled out of the

kitchen wiping her hands with a towel. “Hi, mi hija.” The woman smiled at Maya and then at Noah

with unfeigned interest. “Hello.”

“Ma, this is Noah. Noah, this is my mother, Luisa.”

“Hello,” he said, offering the woman a hand. Luisa frowned but shook his hand. He noticed a

slight coldness entering her eyes.

“Is this a friend of yours?” Luisa asked Maya.

Maya glanced up at him and grinned. “Noah is an amazing video game designer. You’d be

amazed at the stuff he creates. He’s got quite an imagination.”

He noticed she didn’t answer the friend question, which made him a bit uneasy. Maybe she

hadn’t changed her mind about where their relationship was going.

“Well, hello there,” a second woman greeted him from their right. “Who is this?”

Maya’s smile slipped off her face, and she sighed. “This is Noah. Noah, this is my sister

Linda.”

“Nice to meet you, Linda.” He shook her offered hand.

Her lips tipped up, a hint of flirtation in her smile. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“Maya, come help me in the kitchen,” her mother said. “Linda will watch Noah for a few

minutes.”

He didn’t like how she ordered Maya with that brusque tone, like she was angry at her over

something.

“Let me wash my hands in the ladies room. I’ll be there in a second.” Maya turned to Noah.

“You can sit at the breakfast table in the kitchen if you want to come with us.”

He nodded, happy she’d given him the option to stay close to her. He didn’t like the idea of

being too far apart. His panther certainly didn’t like her mother or sister. They were too cold toward

Maya.

Once she was gone, her mother’s pleasant smile dropped.

“I heard about you,” she said, her voice a soft hiss. “You’re one of those animal people.”

“Is he, mom?” Linda asked, her eyes wide with interest.

“Yes. I don’t want you in my house,” Luisa said. “Get out. Leave my daughter alone. She has

enough of a hard time finding a man without your kind going near her. What kind of reputation do you

think she’s going to get?”

Noah’s panther roared. He wanted to argue with the older woman, but he’d known that some

humans had reservations and even dislike toward shifters. He couldn’t fight that, so he did as she

asked and left. He was a few feet from the car when the front door slammed opened and Maya came

rushing out.

“What are you doing, Maya?” Her mother yelled at her back.

“You are unbelievable, ma!” She ran to stand beside Noah, folding her hand over his. “This is

the first nice man I’ve met in my entire life, and you try run him off?”

Luisa and Linda stood by the entrance to the house, glaring at them. “He is an animal.”

“No, mother, he’s not.” She squeezed his hand, and he sensed her anger and hurt at her

mother’s words. “He’s a shifter. There is a difference. Bud and the assholes I dated before were the

animals.”

He heard the pain in her voice as she spoke. His panther pushed under the skin, wanting out,

but he reined it back. He hated that Maya’s own family was making her feel pain, but he knew his

interference wasn’t needed.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Linda gave a snort of derision. “You still can’t

figure out what makes you happy.”

Maya’s anger pushed outward and almost blindsided him. “I know what I want. To be happy.

To be loved for who I am.” She took a step toward her family but stopped. “Neither one of you has

ever made me feel good about being me. Ever. You think that I should settle for what men want to

give me and not what I deserve. Fuck that.”

“Maya!” Luisa gasped. “Watch your language.”

“No. I won’t be quiet and be made feel like a loser this time. I have always loved both of you

hard. You’re my only family. Do you ever wonder why your other daughter never talks to us, mom? I

do.”

He mother’s features turned tight with fury. “Your sister made her bed. Let her lie in it. She

made the mistake of running off with some loser when she was a teenager, and I won’t tolerate that. I

wasn’t going to allow her back in my house. No way.”

“That’s so sad. She’s your daughter.” Maya shook her head and glanced at Noah, her eyes

filled with pain. “I’m sorry you had to see this.”

“You are apologizing to him?” Luisa gasped. “What about me?”

“I think you’re the one who needs to apologize to us, mom. You disrespected a good man. A

man I love. One I’d give anything to spend the rest of my life with. You pushed me away with years of

insensitivity. Both of you. I’m sorry I ever brought him, not because his species offends you, but

because your inhumanity offends me.”

She turned away from them and headed for the passenger side, handing him the keys. “You

drive.”

Noah helped her into the car and gave her family a final glare when they continued calling out

to Maya. He bared his teeth, showing the fangs, and allowed the panther to rise to the surface long

enough to shut them up.

He drove them away from the farm, not saying a word but quietly enjoying the replay of what

she’d said. Not only did she say she loved him, something he hadn’t expected, but she wanted to

spend the rest of her life with him. And she’d come to his defense. Aside from Gerri, no one had ever

done that. Women liked him for his money or his body. Normally, he didn’t allow any of them to

control his emotions, but this was new. This was different. Maya, with her gorgeous smile and honest

eyes, had opened up doors in his heart he hadn’t thought existed.

For most of his life, he’d been internal about feelings. Lust and need were easy to accept

when passion drove the man or the panther. Love? That was dangerous. Yet, he didn’t feel nervous or

worried about loving Maya. He felt strangely happy. Fulfilled. Like he’d been waiting for her his

entire life. Now that he had her, he felt complete.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said a few minutes into their drive. “I can’t believe they were so rude

back there.”

He glanced at her and then back at the road. “I’m sorry you were hurt, but what you said, it

means a lot to me.”

She placed a hand on his lap, and he found he had to pull over or having it there would

distract him enough that he might get them into an accident.

“I was honest. I didn’t expect to be shouting my love for you at my family.” She gave a sad

laugh. “But I’m not taking it back. You have taught me that by not settling for Bud or other losers, I

finally found someone who was worth my love.”

His chest ached. The hope he saw in her eyes mirrored the one in his heart. He raised a shaky

hand up to her face and cupped her cheek. “I have never spoken much about my feelings, so forgive

me if I don’t get things right the first time.” He gulped back at the knot in his throat. No woman had

ever made him feel so special. “You captivated me when I met you. It was easy to blame desire and

lust. There was that. But shifters have a sense for who they belong with. We can find our life partners

a lot easier than humans can. I found mine in you.” He used his other hand to lift hers to his chest. “I

refused to get into feelings, not because I don’t want to care, but most of my life that is something I

pushed away and locked deep in my heart.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

“Thank you for that, but you broke down those walls. And the emotions I tried to push away

have taken over my heart. I love you, Maya.”

A dazzling smile broke over her lips. “Really?”

He nodded slowly, still coming to terms with it himself. “I do. My panther chose you as our

mate, but I fell in love with the woman that loves to dance in her underwear when she thinks nobody

is watching.” Her eyes widened, and her jaw hung open, making him laugh. “I was watching. You

were so beautiful. So carefree. I loved it.”

SIXTEEN

Maya’s heart thumped so hard she almost couldn’t hear what Noah was saying. She definitely

heard him say he loved her. He. Loved. Her. Jesus H. Christ! This was her biggest fantasy come true.

Noah had brought happiness into her life. He’d never in the entire time they’d been together, mention

her having to lose weight, change her body, or her personality. He’d always talked about how much

he loved who she was.

“I love you, Noah.” The words tore from her throat and exposed her heart to him. She had

never felt this raw and open before.

He captured her lips in a kiss, and the fear and anguish over showing emotions disappeared.

He kissed her hard, punishing, as if he wanted to brand her lips with his own. There was a new

desperation in the way he touched her. She’d swear it was like he couldn’t get enough.

He pulled back, leaving them both breathless, and held her face in his hands. “I love you too,

Maya. I love your sexy body. I love your humor and your good heart.”

She loved his sexy body too. Hell, she loved everything about him. “I’m glad you don’t want

me to change.”

“Never. This is you. I will always want you to be true to yourself. Will you be my mate?”

“I didn’t think you chose your mate?”

“I don’t. You’ve been the only one from the moment I saw you, but I am not going to assume

you will accept just because I said that.”

“You mean you’d have lived with my rejection and stayed alone?” She gasped.

“Yes. If you didn’t want to be my mate, yes. I want you to be with me because you want to

above anything else. Not because my panther and I have fallen for your scent.”

If it was possible, she loved him even more at that moment. “I will be your mate. I’ll be

anything you want.”

He grinned and glanced down at her top. “Can you be naked the moment we get home?”

She laughed and nodded. “For you, anything.”

“I’ll remember that.”

* * *

Maya loved taking strolls with Noah. He’d proved in a short time just how special she was to

him. Though she didn’t talk to her family, she didn’t feel alone, thanks to him.

They were walking toward the building when she caught sight of Bud across the street.

“Oh, no.” She sighed. “It’s been too good to be true. I knew he’d pop up at some point.”

Noah growled and released her hand to run up the street. Bud screamed and dashed into the

woods.

“Noah, what are you doing?” She ran after him.

“Teaching this guy a lesson in survival. Don’t piss off a panther,” he threw the words over his

shoulder.

Then, she gasped, her eyes widening as she watched Noah tear through his clothes. His body

twisted and re-shaped in the middle of a jump, landing on all fours as a giant black cat. She gulped

and ran harder. If he killed Bud, how the hell would she explain that to the cops? Oh yeah, this guy

turns to a giant panther, and he tore him to shreds. They’d take her straight to the psych ward.

Bud fell on the ground, and Noah stopped a few feet away. She watched the stand off between

Bud and the panther.

“Bud, what the hell are you doing here? I told you I wasn’t getting back with you!”

Bud glanced at her, fear bright in his eyes. “I w-wanted to...apologize t-to you.”

She shook her head. “Apologizing isn’t going to change my mind. We’re done.”

He nodded. “I w-wasn’t a-apologizing for you to c-come back. I got a new girlfriend. She’s a

family friend. T-told me that I was a douche to you when I took you to visit my family. Made m-me

see the error of my ways.”

She smiled. Bud never stuttered before. He was really scared. “Noah, come over here,” she

called to the big cat.

The panther glanced at her and then back at Bud but didn’t move.

“I said come.”

Noah hissed at Bud, baring his teeth and giving a low growl as he moved toward her, his tail

swishing with each step.

“Thanks for the apology, Bud. I appreciate it. Now go. You’re lucky he listens to me.”

Bud nodded and stood, running down the path away from them. She turned to face the panther

only to face a naked Noah. “You are so bad!”

He laughed and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her into his body. “You’re

worse, babe. You laughed the minute he left.”

“I can’t help it. Did you see him running? He skips as he runs. It’s damn funny.”

He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. “Let’s go upstairs. There’s something I

want to show you.”

She laughed harder and curled her arms around his neck. “I am very familiar with what you

want to show me.”

“You still want to see it again.”

Dammit, he was right. “I do. Never thought I’d see the day where I’d say I loved pussy. Big

pussy at that.”

He barked a laugh and led her to the building. “You are such a dirty talker.”

She grinned and held his hand on their way home. “Oh, no. You’re the one with the magic

tongue.”

He winked at her. “Come on, I’ll show you some new things I can do with it.”

She sighed and leaned into his hold. She’d never get tired of Noah. He was everything she’d

wanted. Thank goodness Gerri had matched them up. Thinking of Gerri reminded her, she needed to

invite her over for tea. She wondered who Gerri’s next victim would be. Whoever it was, they would

surely end up with their own happy ending.

EPILOGUE

Gerri Wilder stared at the growing list of letters and emails she’d been going through. It was

official. She needed an assistant. Great. Let the search begin. She wrote down a list of what she

needed. Someone young. Preferably tidy. Who knew what needed to be done without her having to

explain herself a million times. And she needed someone who could come work for her as soon as

possible. She sent the list out to her nephew so he could find her a wolf to come assist her. Now to

wait.

THE END

BOUT

THE

UTHOR

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Milly Taiden (AKA April Angel) loves to

write sexy stories. How sexy? So sexy they will surely make your ereader sizzle. Usually paranormal
or contemporary, her stories are a great quick way to satisfy your craving for fun heroines with curves
and sexy alphas with fur.

Milly lives in New York City with her hubby, their boy child and their little dog “Needy Speedy.”

She’s aware she’s bossy and is addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn’t, right?), and
Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

She loves to meet new readers!

SIGN UP FOR MILLY’S NEWSLETTER FOR LATEST NEWS!

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Find out more about Milly Taiden here:

Email: millytaiden@gmail.com

Website:

http://www.millytaiden.com

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden

If you liked this story, you might also enjoy by Milly Taiden:

Sassy Mates Series

Scent of a Mate Sassy Mates Book One

A Mate’s Bite Sassy Mates Book Two

Unexpectedly Mated Sassy Mates Book Three

A Sassy Wedding Short 3.7

The Mate Challenge Sassy Mates Book Four

Sassy in Diapers Short 4.3

Federal Paranormal Unit

Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One

Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two

Black Meadow Pack

Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One

Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two

Paranormal Dating Agency

Twice the Growl Book One

Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two

The Purrfect Match Book Three

Curves ‘Em Right Book Four

Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five

FUR-ocious Lust

Fur-Bidden Book One

Fur-Gotten Book Two

Fur-Given Book Three

Other Works

Wolf Fever

Fate’s Wish

Wynter’s Captive

Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1

Club Duo Boxed Set

Don’t Drink and Hex

Hex Gone Wild

Hex and Kisses

Hex You Up (coming soon)

Hex with an Ex (coming soon)

Alpha Owned

Bitten by Night

Seduced by Days

Mated by Night

Taken by Night

Captured by Night (coming soon)

Match Made in Hell

Hellhound Needs a Mate (coming soon)

If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review, even if it's only a line or two; it

would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

Document Outline

BOOK 5: Tall. Dark & Panther
—For My Girls
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
EPILOGUE
About the Author
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy by Milly Taiden:
Other Works

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