The Shifter's Fake Fiancé

by Jasmine Wylder

  Valerie’s brow furrowed. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Don’t know. Maybe because you’re the only one I can tell it to. Who’d believe you?”

  “What about your lawyer?”

  “He’s not interested in the truth.”

  Valerie snorted. That summed up Caleb pretty well. She leaned back in her chair as she tapped one of her nails against her desk. Kavan was being oddly introspective about all this. She considered for a moment, then asked, “You were sent to kill Lizzie Hendrix, then. By Carl Lancaster?”

  “I never said it was Lancaster.”

  “Who else?”

  Kavan shrugged.

  “Then why didn’t you kill her?”

  Kavan flinched here. He drew in a sharp breath before speaking slowly. “All my life, there have been boundaries. Things I refused to do. Killing innocents was at the top of that list. Hurting children, same thing. I was lucky that I never was ordered to do anything that would hurt innocent people, until then. Lizzie had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Philip was handling the situation, but that wasn’t good enough for… certain people. So, I got the order. The Family is all I’ve known; I don’t know what I am without them. I—”

  He cut off suddenly. His eyes widened fractionally but that was all Valerie needed to pick up on that subtle slip of his. I don’t know what I am without them.

  “They kicked you out.”

  Kavan flinched again.

  That was why she was the only person that he could talk to. Why he was confessing all this to her. Her hands tightened as she stared into his dark, soulful eyes. She opened her mouth, about to give him an offer to go against Lancaster, to bring him down, but it caught in her throat. He had been given plenty of offers during his first trial. Not to mention, if she brought down Lancaster, he’d bring her down with him. He had to have evidence that she had accepted his bribe tucked away somewhere.

  Why had she been so stupid to accept it in the first place?

  Because Dad was dying and we had no money for the bills, she reminded herself, forcing aside her guilt. That money had saved her father’s life and kept the farm. She was not going to regret that. Even if she did regret where it had come from and the cloud that continued to hang over her head…

  “So. Kavan. What is this all about? You apologize to me and then tell me all this. Why?”

  “I guess I just wanted to apologize and to let you know what was going on from my end… For the record, I don’t like what this is doing to your career. You’re one of the few judges that I’d say is on the shifter’s side. I can only imagine someone really hates you, to let me back on the street just to bring you down.”

  Valerie kept her expression blank. It wasn’t about hate at all. It was about putting her into her place. “Maybe you should just confess again and speak to the media in my defense, then.”

  Kavan smirked and it made his whole face look different. A mischievous streak that made her mouth go dry again. “My conscience isn’t that strong, Val. Not that strong by a long shot.”

  ***

  The bar was a little upscale for his tastes, but Kavan still found a nice corner booth where he could keep an eye on everything and settled in to wait.

  It had taken him a bit of time to figure out that this was where he wanted to be and a little more time after that to convince himself that he was actually doing this. There had been something that was triggered inside of him when he went to that restaurant the day before to find Valerie as his blind date. It was the first time he had seen her out of her judges’ robes, and he’d been blown away by her figure to begin with. All curves. A little on the thin side for his tastes, but he could also see that she had lost a lot of weight since his original trial.

  Then, when she had been so angry with him for being there, something else hit him. She had been vulnerable. Not just because of the situation but it was clear to him that she had been seriously disappointed to find out that her blind date was him. Because she was afraid that he had somehow done it on purpose to come after her.

  She hadn’t needed to say it. Kavan was good enough at reading people to see it in her eyes.

  Then at her office. She had accepted what he said. She hadn’t accused him of lying. She was suspicious, sure, but she had listened, and she hadn’t thought he was lying. How many people could he honestly say would have listened to what he had to say without either thinking he was lying for his own benefit or judging him for the confession—that he might have, in different circumstances, killed an innocent woman?

  It was the first time I let myself think about it, he reminded himself. And she knows I’m not part of the Family anymore.

  He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he nursed his beer and nachos. The bar was one that Valerie frequently went to after a long day. He’d found that out by asking around, and he also learned that she rarely, if ever, actually drank. The nachos were so good that he understood why she came here. And he was hoping that she would come here again tonight.

  He wanted to talk to her.

  It had been so long since he’d been able to talk to someone who treated him like the person he was. Not making him into a martyr or a monster. He liked that. He liked being seen for who he was. No excuses made for his crimes but also not condemning him, either… True, Valerie wanted him in jail, but he understood that completely. It was about protecting other people, not punishing him, in her eyes.

  At least, that’s what he thought. He wanted to know for sure. And he knew that it was ridiculous for him to put so much onto Valerie when she was a judge and he was a criminal, but he couldn’t stop himself.

  He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost missed Valerie coming into the bar. She wore designer jeans and a tailored top that was a rich blue and complimented her creamy skin. Her PA, Camille, was with her, and Kavan ducked his head, trying to avoid attention for now. He didn’t want Camille to be part of this conversation… Luckily, when he looked up again, she was headed out the door.

  Kavan straightened. As Valerie started to look around for a place to sit, her eyes lit on him. They widened and her jaw dropped.

  He gave her his most charming smile and waved at her to come to join him.

  Her face twisted into a scowl as she headed over to where he sat. She slid into the booth across from him and folded her hands on the table. Her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes flashed. Kavan almost smirked at her; she looked so ticked off. It was adorable.

  “What, are you stalking me now?” she complained as a server headed their way. “Or did you just happen to end up in the same bar that I like to go to every so often?”

  “It’s no coincidence,” he assured her, then winked. “I think you’re kind of happy that it’s not, aren’t you?”

  Valerie snorted. “Really? You think that I want a criminal dogging my steps and stalking me?”

  Kavan’s wolf snorted angrily at that word choice. Even though it was dangerously close to what he was doing, it didn’t like the connotations. He wasn’t out to hurt her, after all. Stalking implied hunting. And even if she slapped him across the face and told him he was nothing but shit on her shoe, he wasn’t going to hurt her.

  “I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said, sobering quickly. “I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.”

  Valerie glared at him a moment before she turned to the server. “I’ll take the wings and a slice of pepperoni pizza.”

  “Anything to drink?”

  “Just water.”

  The server nodded, jotted down a note and moved away.

  Valerie turned back to him. “What are you doing here, Kavan? You spoke with me in my officer earlier. Was there something else you wanted to say?”

  Suspicion bloomed on her face. Her hand moved about her purse and he wondered if she was turning it on to record their conversation. It wasn’t exactly hurtful, but it did mean that it was going to be more difficult to get her to actually listen to what he had to say. What di
d he have to say, anyway? He peeled a bite of nachos clean from the plate and popped it into his mouth, then offered her some.

  She shook her head. “You came to my favorite bar and waved me down. I want answers, McBride. Not nachos.”

  “Is there a reason why we can’t eat and talk at the same time?”

  “I’m not eating your nachos.”

  “We never got our date last night,” Kavan blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “I know it wasn’t what either of us was expecting, but I had been looking forward to it.” Okay, maybe that was a lie, but it wasn’t a complete lie. When he arrived at the restaurant, he started to get excited about the possibility of having another date after so very long. “My account on that dating agency has been frozen. I’m assuming that it’s due to your complaints, and I don’t feel like going through all the trouble of picking up someone at a bar.”

  Valerie snorted.

  “Let me buy you a drink at least.”

  “Please. I have way more money than you. I should be buying your drink.”

  “Alright, you can buy me a drink, then.” He grinned at her as she jumped, startled. “What’s good here?”

  Valerie glared at him, then rolled her eyes. “I’m getting a Pina Colada. Get whatever you want.”

  “I like Pina Coladas.” He wanted to point out that she had just ordered nothing but water but held back.

  His wolf was grunting in approval of the situation, although why it was suddenly so invested in keeping Valerie around, he wasn’t entirely sure. It had never really reacted to her before now. Maybe it was because of those delicious curves? He suddenly imagined her in white lingerie and had to take a swig from his beer to cover up his reaction.

  He was definitely going to need something stronger.

  The server came back shortly and they both put in their drink orders. Valerie snagged a chip from his plate and popped it into her mouth. Her shoulders relaxed as she chewed, and she leaned back in the booth.

  “That tastes good,” she said.

  “Thought you didn’t want my nachos.”

  “Hey, I’m hungry.”

  Kavan grinned and pushed the plate toward her. “I’ll trade you some of these for some of your wings.”

  “Deal.”

  The food and drinks arrived shortly. They didn’t speak, concentrating on eating. Kavan watched Valerie just as she watched him. There was a strange sort of tension between them. Not a sexual tension but not the same sort of tension that had been between them in the office earlier, either. This was almost… competitive. Kavan narrowed his eyes as Valerie cleaned off a chicken wing—and snatched the one he had been reaching for.

  “Is that how this is going to be?” he asked, his eyes glinting. His wolf wagged its tail as he grabbed his beer. “Guess we’ll just have to do it this way, won’t we?”

  “Do what?” Valerie asked innocently.

  Kavan didn’t answer; he was already downing his beer, then tackled the Pina Colada; by the time he was done, he had some brain freeze going on but ordered another one with another round of wings triumphantly. Valerie grinned, though she clearly fought it, and downed hers as well.

  After four such drinks, they were both getting buzzed. Kavan’s stomach felt like it was ready to burst, and he patted his waist. “Ahhh… that was too much.”

  “Agreed,” Valerie nodded, then snarled at him, “Why the fuck did you have to be my blind date?”

  Kavan barked out a laugh. “What?”

  “You heard me. It’s been forever since I’ve had a proper date. I thought maybe this agency would mean I’d get a decent guy for once. Not someone who tries to pressure me into sleeping with him or calls me a slut for sleeping with him, or cheats on me or turns out is cheating on someone else with me.”

  Kavan pointed a chicken bone at her. “Sounds to me like you’ve dated a bunch of dicks.”

  “You don’t need to tell me that.”

  “I know that.” Kavan frowned at his half-finished bowl of spicy shrimp. “It’s just one of those things, hey? People aren’t always what you think they are. Like the first time I had sex with a girl. I didn’t even like her, and she didn’t like me. We only did it because we were told we should want to because she was attractive, and I was pretty hot when I was younger.”

  Valerie’s cheeks turned red and she giggled.

  “But yeah. Neither of us really wanted to, we just did it because it seemed like the thing to do. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, either… Let me tell you, that was a hell of a way to lose my virginity. If I could change one thing in my past, that’d be it. I’d have waited for someone I actually cared for.”

  Valerie leaned her elbows on the table. Somewhere in the midst of their competition, she had scooted around the booth and was sitting much closer to him. She leaned her head into her hand, sighed and slapped her palm against the table.

  “That is so shitty. Shitty, I tell you! We have media pushing this culture of sexuality as peak human nature on us while at the same time we have this huge purity culture and it’s just… there is way too much built up around sex. On both sides. Honestly! It’s not that big a deal.”

  Kavan shrugged. “It is with the right person.”

  “But it doesn’t have to be the right person to be fun. And what’s wrong with having a bit of fun?”

  “Nothing.”

  “That’s right.” Valerie smirked as though she had just won an argument. Kavan wasn’t sure they had even been disagreeing. “There is nothing wrong with a little bit of fun. But you know what? If I get the chance, I am going to put your ass back in jail. That hot, hot ass of yours. Honestly, it’s top shelf. You could be an underwear model.”

  Kavan blinked in surprise. Was she more drunk than he realized? But as he opened his mouth to ask, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips.

  Chapter Four

  Kavan tugged Valerie’s coat off, tossing it to the floor next to her purse. He greedily ran his hands over her figure. Her skin was so soft, so sensuous, that it made him swell with desire. The satin of her blouse was nothing compared to the creamy sensation of her skin under his fingers. The initial kiss at the bar seemed like a lifetime ago. Now, their kisses came easily, quickly, one blending into the next.

  The buzz of alcohol was pleasant in his brain as Kavan walked her backward until they came to the couch. He slid one of his hands under her shirt, finding the outline of her satin bra with his fingers. He toyed with the edge, feeling along her skin to the clasps on the back. Once there, he pulled back slightly, looking Valerie in the eye.

  “Are you drunk?” he asked her.

  She thought a moment and shrugged. “Buzzed. Maybe a little drunker than I intended on being tonight. But not so drunk that you’d be taking advantage. And what about you?” she continued pragmatically. “Are you drunk?”

  “Not as drunk as you.”

  Valerie nodded with satisfaction. “There we have it, then. Neither of us is too drunk to go forward with this. You’re in my house now, so let’s do this.”

  She kissed him again. Fireworks exploded in his brain, and Kavan quickly unclasped her bra. While he did that, her fingers flew along the front of her blouse; she pulled it off and Kavan pulled the bra off her. He gazed down at her, swiping his thumbs over her nipples while holding her breasts in his hands. Lust swelled in his loins, and his wolf growled with delight.

  “You are beautiful,” Kavan said as he plumped her breasts together. “Beautiful. Can I suck on them?”

  “Yes,” Valerie replied her voice low and husky.

  Kavan bent over, pulling one nipple into his mouth. He sucked gently until it was a hard little point, then moved to the other one. She tasted like strawberries. A sigh escaped her mouth, and he caught her once more in a kiss. His hands roamed over her body, down to her jeans. He flicked open the button and pushed them to her knees, revealing lace panties that matched the color of her discarded bra.

  “Take off your shirt,” Valerie ordered as
she pulled her jeans off the rest of the way.

  He was only too happy to obey. He pulled off the shirt quickly and removed his jeans as she tugged her panties off.

  Valerie eyed him with an approving look. “Do you always go commando?”

  “Not always. Only when I haven’t done laundry in a week.”

  Valerie giggled as she tossed her panties to one side. “Same here. Sometimes, I’m not wearing any clothes other than a bra under my robes. It gets awfully hot in those.”

  “I did like to imagine you naked during my trial,” Kavan said.

  Valerie tapped his shoulder with her fist. “After everything I’ve done to make sure that I’m respected as a judge. Guess I can’t change dirty minds no matter what I wear.”

  Kavan picked her up and laid her down on the couch. The heat of her body seeped into his, and he let out a throaty groan. Her naked body pressed to his made him feel like he was about to rip apart. His skin was too tight, and his cock pressed hard against her thigh. He delved into her neck, grinning when she shivered and cried out in pleasure.

  “Wait,” Valerie pressed both her hands to his chest. “Wait a moment here.”

  Kavan braced himself above her. His legs trapped hers between them, and her thick thighs felt so heavenly he wanted to thrust between them and see how tight she could clasp him without even entering her.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked instead.

  “We need condoms. I have some in my bedroom. And we should also talk about what’s off limits for this and—”

  Kavan pulled back. A look of hurt and disappointment flashed over Valerie’s face and he had to laugh. “Go get those condoms, then.”

  He took himself in his hand as she continued to stare at him, as though she forgot what she had just said. She watched him tug himself a few times before, with a moan, she got to her feet. She all but raced to the bedroom, and Kavan groaned as he watched her ass. It was so perfectly heart shaped. He licked his lips as he stroked himself, not sure which fantasy he wanted to indulge with her first.