Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 Tamsin Baker
ISBN: 978-1-77233-241-4
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Jessica Ruth
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To my caveman—another book based around your multiple personalities.
I love you. Thank you for all the inspiration
STALKING THE PHARMACIST
Perfect Pairs, 2
Tamsin Baker
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
“Laura, Brandon and Tyler, you are now bonded for life.”
Jack’s face broke out in a grin and he whooped loudly and clapped his hands. Happiness for the couple before him flowed through his blood like rich wine, giving him a sense of warmth and satisfaction.
Though, was it still a couple if there were three of them? He hadn’t worried about what to call them before, as they didn’t have many ménage à trios relationships in their family yet.
Laura, the bride, lifted her face toward her men. Brandon kissed her first. Then Tyler turned his woman toward him, cupping Laura’s face and kissing her also.
A quiver of pain pierced the happiness within Jack’s chest, like a needle sliding through a balloon. Such a small thing, but oh-so-powerful. The image before him was what he and his brother should have had. A perfect pair mating with their fated woman. It made him ache and swallow hard, trying to dislodge the deep-seated feeling.
He copped an elbow in his side from his twin, Scott, and pain spread through his ribs.
Ouch!
“Don’t you dare go all maudlin on me today.”
Jack scowled and jabbed his brother back with his pointer finger.
“Why the hell would I do that?”
Scott chuckled and lay his arm across the back of Jack’s plastic garden chair.
“Because I know you still think she’s out there. Some perfect woman made just for us.” He huffed out a laugh, though there was no humor there. “But you know that won’t happen now. You and I are pushing fifty, Jack. We’re done.”
Jack turned in his chair and glared at his brother. Scott really did have to get over all the crap his wife had put him through and move forward.
“You might be done, but I’m not.”
He looked back toward the newly bonded family, taking quick breaths through his nose to calm down. His heart was pounding a little heavier with anger now, and he shouldn’t feel that way at a wedding.
They mingled for over an hour, enjoying the lighthearted banter and general good feelings his family gave him. When they stopped to get another drink, he scanned the area and watched as Laura bounced from one relative to another. Poor woman didn’t know what she was in for. His gaze drifted around the crowd until it fell upon a beautiful woman standing by the refreshment tables.
“Who is that…”
Lust burned in his gut as his gaze devoured the woman who had attracted him. She had shoulder length reddish-brown hair and a sad, beautiful face. Her body was curved in all the right places, yet her silver slip dress hid most of that abundant flesh from his sight.
“Who are you staring at?”
Scott turned to stand next to him, shoulder to shoulder, peering in the same direction.
“Are you… The woman…”
Scott let out a small groan and stumbled back into a chair, still facing the woman.
Oh thank you, God! We’ve found her.
“Quick, we need to get to her.” Jack slapped his brother on the knee, and Scott growled at him.
“Calm down, Jack. We can’t just rush over there. She doesn’t seem to have any shifter in her, so she must be from Laura’s side.”
Jack nodded, excitement building in him like a running faucet in a bathtub, filling him up to overflowing, and he couldn’t wait for the moment it happened.
“Okay, so we should talk to Laura first. Ask for an introduction.”
Jack grinned at his brother and pulled Scott to stand again, a feeling flowing between them. A sizzling connection and a joined purpose. He hadn’t felt that with Scott since they were teenagers. Before they’d met their wives and been torn apart.
Scott led the way through the thick crowd, and Jack followed with his breath catching in his throat. He couldn’t stop his gaze from darting over to the woman with the auburn hair.
They finally found the lovely bride collapsed on a garden chair, panting with the stress of being thrown from one set of arms to another.
Jack stepped up in front of her and smiled down at the woman who had made his cousins, Brandon and Tyler, so incredibly happy.
“Laura, you look absolutely beautiful.”
And she did. Her hair was swept up in a fashion that was both feminine and suited to her face. He could see the twin bite marks on her exposed shoulders and suppressed the rumble that passed through him at the sight. One day he and Scott would mark their mate like that too.
Laura looked up and smiled at them. “Wow, you two look amazing.”
Jack grinned and inclined his head. His gaze strayed over to where the woman in silver stood eating one of the pastries that adorned the table. He forced his attention back to Laura. It was a struggle, though. The other woman’s pull on him was magnetic and he clenched his jaw to stop himself from turning back.
Laura sat up straighter and glanced in the same direction, a puzzled look on her face.
“What are you two staring at?”
She put out a hand and Jack lifted her up off the chair, steadying her as she wobbled.
“Oh, that’s better.” She adjusted her white dress, which looked like it had some sort of corset thing underneath. It gave her a lovely hourglass shape, but Jack wasn’t sure how comfortable it would be.
“Laura, who is that woman in the silver dress?”
Laura’s eyes widened as Scott asked the question. She turned and scanned the area while Jack held his breath.
“Oh, she came!” Laura clapped her hands and took a step in that direction.
Despite Jack being the athlete, it was his brother that moved first from where he’d stood next to him. Scott’s hand shot out around her arm as quickly as a rattlesnake and stopped her in her tracks.
“Is she a friend of yours, Laura?”
Scott’s voice was even deeper than usual now, bordering on raspy. Jack had never heard it sound like that before. Scott had always put up a very strong front when it came to the subject of their fated mate. He’d been adamant that he wouldn’t even want her if she finally did show up, but that really was all it was. A front.
Yes, Brother. We’ve found her. I haven’t even touched her, yet I can feel her drawing me in. You can too and I know you’re probably terrified, but please don’t be!
“She’s my cousin from up north. I invited her to the other wedding but she couldn’t come, so I told her about today and extended the time a little so she’d miss the ceremony itself. Though…” She tapped her foot a little and pulled her arm out of Scott’s grip.
“I won’t be upset if she knows that I’m mated to both Tyler and Brandon. My family will work it out eventually.”
Ah, he’d forgotten about that complication. Non-shifters didn’t understand the bond between th
ree people like they did.
His stomach flickered and he ground his teeth. Back to their issue.
“Can you introduce us to her?” Jack asked, needing to touch Laura’s cousin to confirm whether she really was their woman or not.
“Sure…” She walked through the throng of people and made her way to the woman’s side. Jack and Scott followed in her wake. The excitement rose within his belly and suddenly he was reminded of the year he’d turned fourteen and went on his first date.
“You came!” Laura cried and threw her arms around the woman in silver, who laughed and hugged her back.
Come on, come on.
Laura pulled back and stared at her cousin.
“You look like shit, Ash.”
Jack frowned at Laura. That wasn’t a nice thing to say to her cousin, let alone a woman that beautiful. Jack’s balls tightened as he took in her voluptuous figure. He usually dated ultra fit women who trained hard to minimize their body fat.
He was instantly converted to women with fuller figures. Such incredible breasts and lush hips should be admired, not exercised into nonexistence.
He’d never look at a woman’s body the same way again.
The woman Laura had called Ash, sighed. “Thanks, sweetie, I know. Whereas you look bloody fantastic.”
Laura did a twirl and stuck her hip out at an angle. Cheeky woman.
“Why thank you, darling. The love of a good man…and all that.”
Ash quirked an eyebrow at Laura. “Or men, perhaps?”
Laura blushed and stared at her cousin, her mouth tugging down. “Yeah…well…”
Ash, who Jack was dying to touch, smiled at Laura with genuine warmth and love. “As long as you’re happy, honey.” Next to him, Scott shifted from foot to foot, just as impatient as Jack himself. Laura whirled around, seemingly just remembering that they were standing there waiting.
“Oh, Ash, let me introduce you to Brandon and Tyler’s cousins. It’s common in their family for men to be born into nonidentical twin sets. This is Scott and Jack. Guys, this is my cousin Ashleigh.”
Jack jumped and stepped forward with his brother, their backs ramrod straight as they stared at the woman in front of them.
Ashleigh’s face turned cold, her mouth pulling down on both sides.
“Nice to meet you gentlemen.”
Her tone was like ice, yet Jack wasn’t deterred. Whatever her baggage, they could cope. God knew they had enough of their own.
He stuck out his hand at the same time as Scott. He would have laughed if the moment hadn’t been so serious. This was it. With this first touch they would know if Ashleigh was the woman they’d waited twenty-five years for.
She looked at their hands as though they were the lowest form of life, but neither of them dropped their arms away.
No fucking way, beautiful. Pick one. Touch us.
Finally, Ashleigh sighed and reached up to shake Scott’s hand.
Watching it happen rather than being the first one to experience it hit Jack in the gut with disappointment, but he didn’t even blink, in case he missed something.
As her hand connected with Scott’s, Ashleigh gasped and her face reddened. Her knees obviously weakened as she began to crumple and sink closer to the ground.
Jack jumped forward to catch her and electricity shot straight through his arms and into his core, making his body want to meet the dirt himself. He groaned in time with Ashleigh, and she dropped Scott’s hand to cling to him.
Jack forced all of his strength into his legs and locked his knees while pure pleasure replaced the electrical pain. Like a cleansing white light, it slid through his chest and down his arms and legs.
She’s ours.
Ash stared up at him, blue eyes wide, looking shocked and vulnerable. Her lips parted as she took a breath, and Jack fought off the need to kiss her. His heart was thumping in his chest, and his cock stirred in his suit pants.
Ashleigh began to struggle in his arms, her eyebrows lowering as her mouth took on an angry tilt. Jack reluctantly let go of her solid warmth as soon as he was sure she could stand, and she staggered toward Laura. His arms were still tingling like he’d lifted weights for too long, yet he yearned to have her back and pressed against him.
“What the fuck was that?” Ash spat at them.
Jack bristled and lifted his hand in a sign that everything was okay when he heard several male cousins around them growl in warning.
Jack shared a look with his brother, then stared back at Ashleigh. What was the next step now?
“Ash, how long are you here for?” Laura asked, forcing Ash to stop staring at them like they’d committed some sort of crime.
“A week or so. I took some leave.”
Hell yes! They had time to convince her that she had to stay.
“Brilliant. We’re going away for the weekend, but have honeymoon plans for the summer. Will you stay with us next week when we come home again?”
Ash glanced at Scott and Jack for a moment, her brilliant blue eyes troubled. She looked back at Laura, nodding slowly.
“Yeah, sure. I’d love to catch up properly with you.”
Jack cleared his throat and held out his hand to Ash once again. He may as well start the ball rolling. They had the weekend to woo her, and he didn’t want to waste a single moment.
“Would you like a tour of the property?”
Ash glared at him with impressive strength. If she’d been a mountain lion, her fur coat would have been bristling and standing on end.
“No bloody way, and keep your hands to yourself.”
Ash turned tail in a flurry of silver silk and beautiful brown hair. Her back was straight as she stomped her way up the steps and into the house.
She’s got spunk. He had to admit, he was already proud to call her theirs.
Laura giggled, drawing their attention.
“You two are going to have your hands full with Ash if she’s yours.”
“She’s ours,” they said in unison. Jack’s voice sounded deep and gravelly to his own ears, yet his twin’s tone was more of a pained groan.
Brandon and Tyler walked up then and wrapped their hands around their new bride.
“Hey, Scott, Jack.” Brandon’s deep voice pushed into Jack’s head and he forced his gaze away from the house and back to their hosts. Jack nodded mechanically but couldn’t stop his attention from straying to the house again. Beside him, Scott did the same.
“Congratulations to you all. Ah…we…” Scott rambled as they began to edge away. Jack couldn’t speak for Scott, but he was pretty sure his twin didn’t want their long-awaited mate getting too far away either.
“Go, go. You have the weekend with her, then I’ll have her from Monday.”
Jack gave Laura a grateful smile and took off toward the house.
“I can’t believe she’s really…” Scott’s voice drifted off and Jack nodded once, looking at his brother and grinning as they mounted the steps. Pausing on the beautiful back patio, they looked inside the house to see Ashleigh standing with their aunt Rosalie.
“She really is, Scott. Can you believe it? I mean, fucking twenty-five years and we…” He trailed off, a lump rising in his throat when he said the words he never thought he’d utter.
“We finally found her.”
Scott and he had decided when they were young that the prophecy that had been told to them was bullshit, and they’d both gone out of their way to do what they wanted instead. So they’d followed their gonads and married women who didn’t suit them.
Worse than that, they’d bred with bitches who’d tormented them for twenty years.
Two divorces and five children between them, and Jack had been certain the future that awaited them would be no better.
“I…I didn’t think she was real.”
Jack nodded and couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. His heart was pumping, his hands were shaking, and a thin film of sweat now covered his brow.
“I f
eel alive, Scott. For the first time in…forever.”
Scott nodded and wiped his own brow with a handkerchief. Jack laughed, something inside his chest opening up like a bird spreading its wings.
He jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Let’s go.”
“Wait!”
Scott grabbed his arm with a steel like grip, stopping him from moving toward their woman.
Jack ripped his arm from his twin’s grip and glared at him. What the hell was up with him?
“Do you think, ah, we should talk to her one at a time? You know…since she’s not a shifter and won’t understand about perfect pairs.”
Jack frowned and looked through the glass patio door at their aunt, who was still engrossed in conversation with Ashleigh.
“That’s probably a good idea,” he said, turning back to Scott.
They stared at each other, Jack clenching his teeth and putting some heat into the glare. He was the oldest and Scott got to touch her first.
“I’ll go in, and we can tag team if need be.”
Scott’s jaw pulled tight and he huffed through his nostrils, but after a moment he nodded.
“Okay, but get your ass out of there as soon as possible!”
Jack chuckled and turned around, squaring his shoulders as he stared at their woman.
Let the chase begin.
Chapter Two
Ashleigh was struggling, really struggling. She was focusing so hard on the animated woman in front of her, yet all she could think about were the men standing outside watching her. She was trying, God knew she was trying, to forget their presence. But if her eyes had been capable of dividing, one would be staring straight at those men and probably giving them the meanest look she had. Why were they so interested in her? They were gorgeous, older yes, but sexy as hell.
“It must have been hard taking time away from your business like that. Or do you have someone you trust to run it?”
Stalking the Pharmacist Page 1
