Tempting Tabitha
By
Tianna Xander
Science Fiction Romance
Tempting Tabitha: The Worlds of Magic, New Mexico #48
Zolon Warriors Book 4
Copyright © 2017 Tianna Xander
First E-Book Published June 2019
Cover Design by Melody Simmons
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.
All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations are strictly coincidental.
The Author of this Book has been granted permission by S.E. Smith to use the copyrighted characters and/or worlds created by S.E. Smith in this Book; all copyright protection to the characters and/or worlds of Magic, New Mexico are retained by S.E. Smith.
Dedication:
To all the dreamers in world. Without dreamers we would have nothing. Remember, everything is created twice. First in our minds and dreams, and then in the physical.
The Zolon warriors are back in another humorous and sexy tale! Meet Charly’s sister in this thrilling continuation in the Zolon Warriors Magic, New Mexico Series.
She was purrfectly content until he came into her life.
Tabitha Campbell has lived most of her life as a cat. For the last few years, she’s been posing as her long-lost sister’s pet. She is perfectly content being her sister’s protector and avoiding having to deal with the headaches of being a human. Life was going well until he showed up and ruined everything.
He was having the time of his life, tomcatting around until she came into his life.
Deno Brewerigeron, formerly of the faraway planet Zolon, has always been the happy-go-lucky twin. He was certain he would always be a raider since he loves women—all kinds of women—he never once thought about settling down with just one and evolving into a shapeshifting warrior until he met her.
Tabitha is at her wit’s end. Her identity has been revealed, and she has a sexy alien shapeshifter from outer space, who is trying to convince her that being normal is highly overrated. What’s a girl to do when life suddenly no longer makes sense?
Dear Reader,
We first met Tabby in Charming Charly, where saw very little interaction between Deno and her.
Tempting Tabitha is intended to be a stand-alone story. However, some references have been made to previous stories in the series. I would encourage you to read those other books to get the most out of this one. Thank you for reading Tempting Tabitha. Please don’t forget to return to your place of purchase to leave a review.
Tianna
Chapter One
Tabitha paced her room with a frown. Wiping her damp palms on the legs of her worn jeans, she practiced what she would say to her little sister when she finally stopped hanging on her new boyfriend and decided to visit her.
“I didn’t tell you who I was because being a cat was easier.” She shook her head. “No. She’d probably hate me for that one.” She twisted her fingers together and tried again. “I know you’re probably wondering why I—”
The door chime sounded, and her time for rehearsal was up. Closing her eyes, she said a quick prayer for her sister’s forgiveness before she headed for the door.
With trembling fingers, she touched the control pad, and the door panel slid aside.
“Oh. It’s you.” She glared up at the huge alien who stared down at her with an unreadable expression in his gorgeous eyes, which were the exact color of amber. The truth of the matter was, he seemed gorgeous all over, though she’d be hard pressed to admit that to him.
As far as she was concerned, the conceited bastard could go piss up a rope. She had no idea what that meant, but it sounded difficult, and she’d truly like to see him try—mostly because it sounded messy.
She wasn’t sure she even wanted to see Deno. If it weren’t for him and his horny twin, she and her sister would be in their apartment binge-watching something on TV. Instead, they were here, in a big spaceship hurtling across the galaxy eating god only knew what from the craft’s replicator. She fought the urge to shudder. What if they were eating the aliens they’d defeated just a few days before?
Blech!
“Yes. It’s me. We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t.” She crossed her arms and turned away. “I’d appreciate it if you’d shut the door on your way out.”
Tabitha wasn’t ready to face him. Not yet. Her cheeks burned at the thought of how she’d just jumped into his arms the first time she’d seen him.
Smelled him is more like it.
It didn’t matter that she’d been a cat at the time. Given a chance to think about it, it could have been worse. What did it mean that her animal side trusted Deno when she didn’t even know him?
For some reason, she hadn’t been able to control herself around Deno. She wanted to scoff at the inner voice that hadn’t left her alone since she’d first laid eyes on the man, but she couldn’t. The first time she’d drawn breath into her lungs with him near, she’d gotten hooked on his unique scent. She couldn’t seem to shake it, no matter how hard she tried.
Just one whiff of his damned pheromones, or whatever it was that drew her to the man, made her stomach clench and set her girly parts on fire... literally. Hell, Tabitha had even taken her temperature, and it was what it should be while she was in her cat form, not the lower human temperature.
Could I be in heat? Did shifters even go into heat? How would she know? She hadn’t had her parents around to answer such questions since she was twelve. She fought the urge to wiggle her ass as she walked further into her apartment.
Dammit! What in the world was wrong with her?
Tabitha hated what his scent did to her. Put simply, the gorgeous alien made her hot, and she didn’t like it.
“I’m not leaving.” He closed the door and moved up behind her. Heat radiated off him in waves. “I want to know what you are.”
Tabby resisted the urge to lean back and rub her rear against the large bulge behind the zipper of his jeans. “You know what I am. I’m a shapeshifter, like you.”
“You’re more than that.” He moved around her and leaned against the wall facing her, one foot resting up by his knee.
“Wow.” She shook her head with a depreciative laugh. “Were you brought up in a barn? Who puts their feet on walls?” Tabitha moved to the table and sat, lacing her fingers together in her lap. The last thing she wanted was to have him join her on the couch. In her state, she’d probably jump his bones and strip his clothes off. She didn’t want that any more than he obviously did.
Closing her eyes, she counted to ten and tried not to take deep breaths. Every time she inhaled his delicious scent into her lungs, her entire body went into meltdown. She’d be in a gooey puddle at his feet soon if she weren’t careful.
“You’re not like me.” He shook his head slowly. “Not like me at all. You’re some kind of witch or something.” He held up his hands. “Not that that’s a bad thing or anything. Whatever it is, we’ll figure that out when we get back to Magic.”
“Magic, Magic, Magic. I hear so much about that place. It must be wonderful to have a permanent home where people accept your differences and you have a roof over your head every night.” She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but years of loneliness just couldn’t be washed away in an instant. “What’s so great about Magic anyway? It looked like any regular old town to me.” Not that they’d stayed long enough for her to get a good look around.
“You didn’t get a good look around while you were there. From what I saw, you spent most of your time in a pet carrier.” He stared at her, one brow raised.
Tabby scowled at him. Why did she find that arched brow so damned sexy?
“There are people there like us. They shift their shape, and some wield magic. There are vampires, werewolves, trolls, and even a genie. You could lead a relatively normal life there if you’d give it a chance.”
“Yeah, rub it in.” She practically snarled at him. “If it weren’t for your damned brother, I’d be sitting on the couch in Charly’s apartment binge-watching one of her favorite shows with her right about now.”
“And that’s better than actually living your own life?”
What life? She hadn’t had much of a life since her parents died. Most of her existence had been spent searching for her sister.
Living as a cat had been easier than living as a human. At first, she’d stayed a cat to avoid having the state force her into a foster home. She couldn’t allow that when she had a baby sister to locate. After she found Charly, it was just easier to be her sister’s cat and protector. She needed less clothing that way, and clothing was difficult to acquire when one had no money to purchase it.
She’d gotten her current set of clothing from the woman who had taken her in right before she’d found Charly. Unfortunately, her benefactor’s boyfriend had a murderous streak, and poor Gina became his next victim. Tabby took one of the woman’s outfits and ran from the scene. That was the main reason she wanted nothing to do with men. It was also why she worried about her sister, Charly, taking up with Deno’s twin.
Men were as unpredictable as her next meal had been.
“My life consists of sleeping, eating tuna and salmon until I’m sick of it and watching TV while everyone ignores me. I kind of like my life.”
Liar.
She wanted to tell the little voice inside her to shut the hell up. She didn’t need her conscience, or whatever it was, talking to her and messing things up. She also didn’t need a man, and more importantly, she didn’t want a man. What sane woman would give up control of her life to someone else? She sighed at the thought. Her sister would, apparently, along with every other woman on board the ship. How could she protect even one of them from these men who were just as adept at shifting their shape as she?
“Stop lying to me.” Deno frowned. “More importantly, you should stop lying to yourself.” He ran his fingers through his hair, balled his other hand into a fist, and hit his leg. “Look. I don’t like this... this thing between us any more than you do. But whatever it is, we have to figure it out so we can end it.”
A strange pain hit her right in the center of her chest. He didn’t want her. Good. She swallowed past the painful lump in her throat, lifted her chin, and met his gaze. “I-I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
If he thought she had any tender feelings toward him, he could go screw himself. It shouldn’t be too hard for him to figure out how to do it. If the way he acted was any indication, the jerk thought he was god’s gift to women. She wouldn’t doubt it if he also had extensive experience with self-gratification, the horny bastard. It seemed as though, he shared more than his good looks with his brother; he shared the same attitude as well.
“Do you have any idea what’s happening between us?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, drawing her attention to the front of his tight jeans.
Tabby looked away, her face so hot she was sure she’d go up in flames. She refused to meet his gaze, not with her nipples tingling and her body burning with the thought of him throwing her on her bed and making love to her foremost on her mind.
What the hell was the matter with her?
“No.” She clenched her teeth. “I have no clue.” She wished she did. It was disconcerting to have that weird heat clawing at her insides every time he drew near. Whatever it was scorching her innards burned her from the inside out. Never before had she felt anything like it.
Her body trembled and heat pooled between her legs. Worse yet, her nipples tightened to tight points against the not-so-soft cups of her bra. Tabby hoped Deno didn’t notice, but with his track record, she wouldn’t hold her breath.
“Are you okay?” He leaned forward, his brows drawing down. His nostrils flared as though scenting something, but he didn’t say anything. His gaze dropped from her eyes and rested on her chest before traveling back up to her face with a cynical half smile.
If he stepped any closer, she’d either scream in terror or rip his clothes off. The jury was out on which one would happen. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any man, but visions of Gina’s boyfriend beating her to death kept playing through her mind.
Whatever she said, she couldn’t tell him the truth. He’d most likely take advantage of the fact that he was the first man to turn her on in nearly ten years. She didn’t want that. If she made love to any man again, she would do it because she made a conscious decision to do so, not because their body chemistry drew them together against their will.
Once, in what felt like a lifetime ago, she had decided to try life as a human. After becoming an adult, she no longer feared the state forcing her into a foster home. A few months later, she’d mistaken lust for love and put her trust in a man. The jerk had taken her virginity and then dumped her. She vowed then that she would never trust a man again. That was also when she’d decided to live as a cat, at least until she found her sister.
Life as a human was too difficult. Life as a cat was easy. No one expected anything from her other than to sit in their lap and purr while they stroked her fur. It wasn’t an ideal life, but it was pleasant enough and a lot less complicated than living as a human woman. As a human, she’d had to work to support herself. As a cat, however, she’d had the freedom to continue her search for Charly.
Deno rested his hand on her shoulder, and she jumped, spinning in her seat. “Don’t.” She shrugged his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
“Whoa!” He held his hands out in front of him. “There’s no need to get upset. It’s not like I was trying to fondle you, for crying out loud.”
“Yeah, right.” Her gaze shifted to his crotch, and she almost groaned. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about certain parts of his anatomy? “Like I’d trust you with the way you’re always looking at me.” Hell, he’d given her a similar look when she’d been in her cat form. What did that say about him? He was most likely a pervert. Weren’t most men?
“Look.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “Whatever this thing is between us, it’s weird, and I don’t like it.”
Was he upset because he felt something for her while she was in her cat form? The thought almost made her smile. Good. At least she wasn’t the only one who felt like a freak, then.
“Don’t look at me.” She curled her lip. “It’s not as though I set out to... to...” To what? Turn him on? Wave my ass in his face? Oh, god, I didn’t do that, did I? She couldn’t remember. So much had happened since she’d first leaped into his arms while in her cat form, it was crazy. Why couldn’t she remember? She dropped her gaze to the floor and bit her lip. Better to say nothing than accidentally blurt out the fact that she was attracted to him.
“It’s not as though you set out to turn me on?”
He just had to ask her that, didn’t he?
Chapter Two
Deno stared at his brother’s sister-in-law and tried not to think about what it would be like to hold her, to kiss her, to sink into her welcoming heat. He scrubbed his face with his hands and paced to the far side of the room. He had to move away from her. The closer he got, the more her delicious scent drew him to her.
Shit, shit, shit.
He didn’t want this, did he? He loved his bachelor lifestyle. Dating a different woman every few days was something he’d gotten used to doing. His habit of tomcatting around was easy, even a little exciting. Relationships were hard. He hadn’t thought of settling down with one female since he’d seen
what loving one woman had done to his brothers.
His older brother, Reno, had been the strongest of them all. As a raider, he was fierce, fearless, even, because he’d had nothing to lose. As a mated warrior, he seemed a diluted version of his old self. If there was one thing Deno had learned since his brothers fell in love, it was that a warrior was only as strong as his biggest weakness. Their biggest vulnerabilities were their mates, plain and simple.
He wasn’t an idiot. He knew his sisters-in-law were beautiful, inside and out, but they were females and fragile. Females were supposed to be frail compared to males, with less muscle and a little more fat in just the right places.
Once, a few years ago, he’d thought himself the family-man type. He’d even attempted to push Reno into a relationship, which would have left him and his brothers free to search out their mates. He’d been anxious to settle down and have a few young ones of his own. Not anymore. At least one male in his family had to remain strong. He and his brothers were his father’s Achille’s heel. His sisters-in-law were his brothers’ weaknesses. If he fell in love, who would protect his family from those who would harm them? Their younger brothers who were barely out of adolescence? Not on his watch.
Deno rubbed the center of his chest. He’d been doing that a lot since he’d first realized the cat that had so inexplicably drew his attention was a shapeshifting woman—correction—a beautiful, curvy, shapeshifting woman.
Tabitha had put her back to him again. He wasn’t sure why she had such a difficult time meeting his gaze, but he wasn’t about to complain about the view. Her thick, dark hair tumbled down her back in ebony waves falling just shy of her generous, heart-shaped ass.
He wasn’t sure how she and her sister could have such disparate hair colors, but they did. While Charly was a blonde, Tabitha was a brunette with startling violet eyes. The color of their eyes and the shape of their generous bodies were the only things the two sisters had in common.
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