Shifter Romance Box Set

by Unknown

  He couldn't help but smile despite himself. She was so sure of herself. So sassy. It was driving him mad, both mentally and physically. He followed her to the elevator keeping his eyes glued to the movement of her ass under the skirt as she walked.

  She had to give him credit, he was really trying to make an impression. The funny thing about the Anthony that stood with her waiting on the elevator, and the Anthony who she was with as Simone was the expectation and tension.

  With Simone, he was all fine dining, and business.

  With Selene he became more real. It wasn't Anthony the successful businessman, but Anthony the man who was looking for "the one." While she was infatuated with business Anthony, she was falling fast for the softer, more real Anthony. She could only hope he found the "real" her, interesting enough to want more than a fling with.

  * * * *

  He leaned one hip against the wall of the foyer, crossing his legs as he watched her search the closet for her overcoat. "So what is it you said you did for a living?" He tried to be nonchalant about it, but it was simply driving him crazy. Her previous explanation of being an investor seemed too vague to him.

  Rummaging for another moment, she finally found what she was looking for. Her mid length black overcoat. She smiled, as she brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "Investing," she replied simply as she slipped into the jacket.

  "You must be good."

  "I do ok," she replied turning back to the elevator and pressing the down button.

  She hoped he didn't prod her much more on the topic, she hadn't quite ironed out the details of her story yet. "You never did tell me where we are going tonight."

  "Well I was thinking a walk," he paused looking her up and down approvingly, "however considering what you are wearing, I have another idea that would be a little more suitable."

  She cocked her head to the side, looking at him questioningly.

  He gave her a mischievous grin, "You'll see when we get there."

  * * * *

  Selene knew that surprised must have been written all over her face when they entered the club and began to make their way down the metal stairs to the dance floor. She descended the stairs behind Anthony, her hand clasped tightly in his as she surveyed the room.

  The club was relatively small, the dance floor perhaps holding a few hundred people. There was a bar at each of the four walls of the room, along with tables circling the dance floor. People were on the floor were bumping and grinding to the soft sultry sounds of a live salsa band.

  This was her first time at a salsa club, but she already liked the atmosphere.

  As she and Anthony reached the bottom of the stairs the tempo picked up and the dancers began to dance their own interpretations of the salsa. Some of the dancers were dancing as couples, some as groups, but in either case, Selene couldn't help but admire the way they moved to the music.

  The club had such a good feel to it. It had personality.

  Anthony didn't speak or look back, but simply tugged on her hand leading her further into the club, towards the back.

  She began to panic for a brief moment. It occurred to her that she had no idea how to salsa, it actually shocked her that Anthony could. She grinned to herself, he was quite a man of mystery if she’d ever met one. Full of surprises, Mr. Winchester.

  Finally, at the back and away from the crowds Anthony turned to her. "Can you salsa?"

  She raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I look like someone who knows how to salsa?"

  He laughed, "Well then you're going to learn."

  "So are you going to be my teacher for the evening?" she asked as she stepped up closer to him. Selene reached out and fingered the collar of his white button down shirt. She moaned softly when he reached his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could feel the heat beginning to rise up within her. It took all of her energy to restrain herself from moving closer still so she could kiss the side of his neck and chest.

  She could feel his face in her hair, his lips on her ear. The warmth of his breath on her ear sent chills through her. She moaned as the fire began to burn between her legs.

  "I think I may be able to teach you a thing or two," he whispered.

  She had no doubt about that in the least.

  "We'll see," she gave him a wink.

  His eyes sparkled with amusement as they looked into hers. "Come on then." He took hold of her hand and led her to the dance floor. Lucky for them the club still hadn't reached its peak time, so there was a small section free.

  To her amazement, Anthony took to the dance floor like a seasoned pro, his hips and feet moving with perfect time to the beat, leaving her to look at him in stunned shock. When he noticed she was still hesitant he crooked his finger at her, motioning for her to come to him. She didn't think she could have found him to be any sexier than she had already, but that was before she saw him here. With a nervous smile she stepped into his arms.

  He pulled her to him, leaned down to her, his mouth brushing her ear. "Let the music guide you." He placed his hands on either side of her waist and drew her close to him. "Just move with me."

  She felt awkward at first, but after a couple of songs, she started to feel the atmosphere and the groove of the others around her. Between watching the couples around her and following Anthony's lead, she started to get the hang of it.

  And it was amazing. Two hours seemed to fly. She was certain she had never laughed, smiled, or felt so much pure joy in her life.

  Anthony took hold of her hand and turned her so her back was to him. He came up behind her, his hands clasped firmly on her hips, as he guided her. His chest was heaving as he pulled her up against him. Her hips began to move in sync with his, matching his speed and movement perfectly.

  Selene reached down and locked her fingers with his, as the other hand reached behind her to the back of his head. She looked up, to gaze into his grey eyes; they were watching her with heated, raw desire.

  His mouth came down, meeting hers. She nipped at his lower lip.

  "Selene." He moaned.

  She could feel his body tense and his cock harden against her back as they continued to move and sway together. She deepened their kiss, her tongue gaining entry into his mouth, seeking out his. She gasped as she felt the warmth of his hand as it found its way under her shirt and rested just below her breasts.

  He broke off the kiss despite her protest. "We should go," his voice was strained as he spoke in her ear.

  She nodded. As much as she was enjoying their night at the salsa club, her body was demanding that they find a more secluded place. Selene was greedy. She didn't feel like sharing him with anyone at the present moment.

  * * * *

  It took all of Anthony's willpower to step away from Selene. Every inch of his body cried out for him to continue touching her, but with increased intimacy. Needless to say, it wasn't going to happen in a room full of people.

  As Anthony took her hand and began to guide her to the exit, he noticed a couple in the far left hand corner. They didn't seem to have the issues he had when it came to displaying intimacy in a public place.

  Taking a brief look back at Selene he had a feeling she wouldn't have an issue with making a public display either. A soft grin spread on his lips. Selene had a strong, confident air about her, and he loved it since he had a feeling that deep down much of it was simply a brave front.

  As they came closer to the exit, Selene used her free hand to slip a finger through one of his belt loops, pulling herself closer to avoid being lost in the sea of people pouring in. It was only 11pm, so the club was becoming more crowded by the second. She imagined that given another ten minutes or so there would hardly be room to stand let alone dance.

  As they finally exited the club, Selene took in a deep breath of the cool night air. Her skin tingled as the wind tickled her bare skin which was covered in a fine layer of sweat from several hours of dancing.

  She had to give Anthony credit, he sure knew how to sho
w a girl a good time.

  She looked up at him as they walked hand in hand, heading in the direction of his car. He was in the process of unbuttoning the top couple of buttons of his white shirt. He caught her watching him and smiled. The smile he gave made her breath catch in her throat and made her heart do that little flutter it had done a number of times recently while she was with him.

  "Need to cool down," he commented raking his free hand through his dark, ruffled hair.

  "Ya," she agreed with a smile, as she noticed the faint flushed look on his face. She hoped that meant that perhaps he was feeling the emotions toward her that she was towards him. "So where did you learn to dance like that?"

  He laughed. "Well as a rule the vast majority of North American men learn to dance ballroom for one of two reasons."

  Selene nodded.

  "Either they got engaged and their future wife demanded they learn ballroom for the wedding or their parents were instructors and forced them to learn."

  "So which one are you?" She arched a brow up at him.

  "My parents are former national ballroom champions. They opened a school when I was six. Dance was like a religion to them, which in turn made it a religion for me as well."

  "Well. Well. Aren't you just full of surprises?"

  He stopped in mid stride, and before she even realized what was happening he propelled her into a twirl, then taking a step in, gracefully led her into a dip. Selene squealed with surprise and delight.

  As she lay there in his arms, her eyes locked onto his. Neither spoke, they simply stared deep into each other's eyes. The world around her seemed to vanish. The sounds of the city streets and the people passing by seemed to disappear. All that remained was the faint sounds of salsa music and the drumming of her heartbeat.

  She wasn't sure how long she remained there suspended above the sidewalk in the warmth of his strong arms, but she felt the need to keep the contact between them. As he pulled her up, she fell into his arms.

  Anthony placed a finger under her chin to tilt her face up so that her eyes met his. She placed her palms against his chest; she could feel the thumping of his heart under her hands, beating with rapid force.

  Selene was quite certain that she had never felt such an intense connection before with anyone. No words had been spoken, but mountains of words and emotions were transferred simply by the look. The look they exchanged spoke of commitment, affection, need, yearning, lust and perhaps even had a glimmer of love. The seed was there, she could feel it. It was a feeling she had never had the privilege of knowing before, but now that she did, it was undeniable and unmistakable.

  His hand slid from his chin to lose itself in her mass of silky, black hair. Lowering his head his lips grazed hers, kissing her so lightly she couldn't say for sure it even happened. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his body, so hard and yet so soft pressed against her. His arms wrapped protectively around her, his breath mingling and synchronizing with hers.

  While her body cried out to feel more of him, her heart and soul cried out to know more of him.

  The emotions were so intense, that she felt the familiar weakness in her knees. She found herself thankful that his arms were supporting her. If they hadn't been she surely would have collapsed to the ground.

  "Intense," she breathed

  "Intense," he agreed softly.

  Then it came. The kiss that sealed her heart to his.

  His lips touched down on hers once more. Light and teasing. Her hands worked their way up from his chest to around his neck; she laced her fingers behind his head. He kissed her deeper, more urgently, as she clung to him. Time seemed to stand still.

  He finally pulled away leaving her breathless, and anxious to feel the warmth of his embrace once more. It continued to baffle her as to why he had such an effect on her. Why him? Why now?

  * * * *

  Anthony watched her settle herself on his sofa as he mixed them drinks. He was still somewhat in a daze from the incident with her outside the club. He'd never been so deeply affected just being near someone before. It amazed him that he had only been on a couple of dates with her so far. She seemed to know him quite well, and he her.

  Her perfume was like fresh peaches. He loved it, and it seemed so familiar. Even the way she sat on the sofa, her legs crossed, leaning back against the corner of the seat with such a confident grace. It was all too familiar to him.

  He watched her, amused as she attempted to stifle a yawn. He glanced over at the wall clock. It was 1am. He had to admit, he was somewhat tired himself. It had been a long day and an energy-consuming evening.

  Finishing with the drinks he made his way to Selene. He stopped to turn on some music. The soft, sexy sounds of R&B filled the room.

  Setting the drinks down on the glass coffee table, he settled himself on the overstuffed leather sofa, at the opposite end to which she was sitting. Grey eyes locked onto blue ones. Neither one said a word, simply shared the silence.

  Finally, he beckoned her over with his hand, giving her a mischievous smile as he did.

  Selene watched him for a moment. Reclining back into the sofa she patted the spot next to her. She subconsciously licked her lips as she waited for his counter offer.

  He shook his head slowly, becoming more relaxed at his end. He draped an arm along the back of the sofa and waited.

  She loved how easygoing he was currently. There didn't seem much not to love about him really when she gave it some thought. There was a big difference in him since her first meeting with him, that first night that he hired her as Simone.

  Giving into him, she slid over, stretching herself against him. With a satisfied sigh she lay her head against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart as her arms wrapped around his torso, clinging to him.

  She could almost hear herself purring in his arms as she felt him watching her, running his hands through her hair. It was then that she realized just how tired she was. As much as she wanted to feel his bare flesh under the shirt, the peace and silence of the moment, coupled with the rhythmic beat of his heart, overpowered her. A serenity that she had never felt before came over her as she drifted off to sleep, luxuriating in his affectionate touches.

  * * * *

  Such an exciting date, she falls to sleep on me, Anthony mused with a smile as he continued to hold the sleeping Selene. Even her delicate snores amused him. She was the essence of self-control and elegance.

  He liked to consider himself an intelligent man who had great instincts. His mind screamed to him that she was an exceptional catch. However, his instincts kept telling him he needed to dig. Something wasn't quite right about her. She appeared to be what she was, but on the other hand, there was something eerily familiar about her.

  His instinct just refused to let it go.

  Some of the things she said, some of the things she did reminded him of someone. She didn't look remotely like anyone he'd ever met in person before. However, her looks did remind him somewhat of Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction." He gently brushed the hair from her face and pushed back to really examine her features. Her features were shockingly similar to Uma's, even the blue of her eyes he knew to be the same shade. He had just watched that movie, yet again, the other day so it was still fresh in his mind.

  Perhaps that's what he found so familiar about her. Perhaps it was the movie that was throwing him off, making him think he knew her. The problem was that a movie couldn't make the way she touched him, the way she kissed him, feel familiar.

  He shook his head at himself, still looking down at her soft, sleeping features. In the grand scheme of things it didn't really matter. Didn't they say - "they" meaning all the great love songs and all the memorable love stories – that true romance starts with that love at first sight feeling? That sense of familiarity that only comes from meeting the one who was destined to be your soulmate?

  Running a hand through his hair, he laughed at himself. I must be tired myself. He had never been one to believe
in that stuff before, crazy to believe in it now. He was a rational man, always had been.

  "Look at what being rational got me last time," he grumbled to no one in particular. His ex popped into his mind. She was supposed to be the one. The satellite radio that had been playing in the background switched to a new song. Usher was replaced by Marvin Gaye.

  Anthony considered slipping out from under her and perhaps finding a pillow and blanket for her. However, each time he attempted to slide out from beneath her, she would stir and clutch tighter to him. "Alright, you win," he whispered. He was certain that he saw the hint of a satisfied smile touch her lips at the admission of his surrender.

  He arranged a black and ivory, plush throw pillow behind him. As he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep he came to the conclusion that she would always manage to get her way with him. He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that.

  Chapter 7

  Selene awoke with the sensation of being watched.

  It only took her a moment to remember that she had fallen asleep in Anthony's embrace. She opened her eyes and looked up into his chocolate ones.

  "You do realize you snore," his eyes gleamed as he spoke, clearly amused.

  She took a moment to stretch; her body from her toes to her fingertips writhed on him. She didn't miss his sharp intake of breath at her movement, nor could she ignore the feeling of his cock rising to attention under her.

  "I highly doubt that," she replied, stretching once more for good measure. She smirked to herself when she heard his groan. She leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his neck.

  "Like a chainsaw; I could barely sleep a wink," he returned the kiss with one on her forehead before worming his way out from under her.

  "Again, highly unlikely," she rolled over on her back, watching him as he stood, adjusting his wrinkled shirt.

  "Next time, I'll record it. Good thing it's Saturday, with the lack of sleep I was subjected to last night I would have been falling asleep at my desk today," his face looked stern, serious, but his eyes gave him away.