Dating the Panther: A Shifter Dating Agency Romance

by Ruby Forrest

  “I work as a personal assistant,” Raelyn responded after a moment. Blake’s face showed no signs of acknowledgment. He sat across from her, silent, and Raelyn wanted to strangle him. What a waste, she thought, fighting a flush rising to her face. Why did he have to be hot? She thought about ditching her date duty, and she’d been excited that he was her date. Every word between them was making things worse, though. But maybe she should have expected it.

  ***

  Boring was the first thing that came to Blake’s mind. He felt like drinking something stronger than wine. He could feel his feline side pulling at him—some part of his mind was pacing back and forth, still pulled to the surface by Lucy’s smell. He hoped it was just some sort of perfume, but his mind warned him he was wrong. This was different, and this was bad.

  “How…unique,” Blake finally said. He could tell that annoyed Lucy, and some part of him was triumphant. Another part was aggravated—at himself, he realized with shock. Some part of him was angry that he was driving her away.

  Blake almost wished he could pull the two sides of himself apart and set them straight. It was one thing to have a pull toward a random woman at the bar—that was fine; there was no shame or harm in indulging his tastes with subpar partners in his spare time. It was another matter entirely for half of his body to be compelled toward a woman who looked like she didn’t know her way around a soup spoon, much less a luxurious bed.

  “I’m glad you think so. It’s so nice to find someone that cares,” Lucy replied. Blake almost laughed. He would have thought she was giving him sass, but he doubted she could dig that hard. She wasn’t the type to frequent circles where words were knives, he thought. If Lucy were dropped into a circle of his ex-lovers, even her circus dress wouldn’t be able to save her from the scratches.

  She’s not my type, he thought, so why am I still looking? He hated the control he was losing to her, so Blake decided to speak again. Maybe this time, she’d give him something worth his time. “So, what have I dragged you from that you were so late?”

  “Cats,” Lucy said instantly.

  “Cats?” Blake was so shocked he couldn’t do much more than repeat her words. Part of him thought he’d heard wrong, but that was impossible. His hearing was perfect—more than perfect, actually—and his senses never lied. He didn’t have to be shifted to know what she’d said.

  Lucy smiled. “Cats. I have two—Michel and Gio. They were making a ruckus, but I couldn’t bring myself to be angry with them. They’re my darlings.”

  Blake did laugh this time, but it was short and disbelieving. You’ve got to be kidding me, he thought. He wanted to look around and find Lila, as if she were hiding somewhere and watching him. It had to be a practical joke, right? It made no sense to be set up with a frumpy cat lady if it wasn’t a joke. Blake could count on one hand the number of people who knew he was a shifter—a black panther, precisely—and there was no way Lucy’s comment was just coincidence.

  Except Lucy was looking at him with that strange gaze again. “Do you not like cats?”

  “Interesting names,” Blake deflected. He didn’t want to answer her question and he was rapidly losing patience. They had barely eaten the appetizer on the table between them, and something was telling Blake his plan to get Lucy out of her dress to salvage the date wasn’t going to end well.

  “Thank you,” Lucy said, taking a whiff of her wine and sipping it minutely before sliding it back onto the table. Blake clenched his hands under the table. “What about you? Any interesting hobbies?”

  ***

  Raelyn could tell Blake was wearing thin. She suspected the idea of cats repulsed him because of the usual concern—fur. He was probably the type of rich guy that had someone lint-roll him if he came within five feet of an animal. Blake seemed to roll her question around in his mouth like a bitter pill before he answered.

  “I enjoy galleries. I purchased a Gallagher, recently. He’s popular,” Blake added, as if for her benefit.

  I know who he is, Raelyn thought. She was starting to think Lucy had worse taste than she’d originally thought, and Raelyn was also starting to think she was a complete moron for helping Lucy. Lucy and Raelyn might have been twins, but the mistakes that people made were always just that; mistakes. Raelyn had never voluntarily taken Lucy’s date before. This was an entirely new experience, and Raelyn was thinking she’d never do it again.

  “Interesting,” Raelyn replied, keeping her smile cheery and light. She could tell Blake thought she was a hopeless shut-in. The game of pretending to be dumb was entertaining, but it wore on Raelyn. All she could think about was her ex and his wandering eyes. The way he’d openly started staring at other women, when Raelyn was just comfortable or tired and didn’t dress to the nines when they went out. Christian had proven his true colors and Raelyn had told herself she was lucky to get away from him, even if she felt the loss of their relationship down to her core.

  “So—” Raelyn started, moving as if to lean in and ask a question, and then Blake leaned away. She would have been hurt by the action if it didn’t make her so angry. Their food arrived then, and Raelyn dug her nails into her leg, pretending nothing had happened. She’d be damned if she let some rich guy think he had power over her just because she was wearing glasses and a shitty dress.

  Chapter Three

  Blake felt her scent hit him when she leaned forward. It seemed to come in waves as her hair slipped over her shoulder, gold and soft. Blake wanted to reach out and touch her hair, maybe to tangle his fingers and pull her neck to his mouth. The suddenness and intensity of his feelings were almost frightening. Blake reeled backward despite himself. He watched Lucy freeze, a flash of anger in her gaze, but then she moved away, and their food arrived.

  Thankfully, the food helped with the lingering scent. Blake focused on the smells wafting from their plates, trying to block Lucy out. He didn’t like that he felt so influenced by her mere presence and smell. This was not someone he would ever consider. Lucy might have smelled indescribable, but everything about her was indescribable in a less appetizing way. She had two cats, thick glasses, terrible fashion sense—aside from the shoes—and she was single, probably for those reasons.

  Blake wanted to say he couldn’t imagine bringing Lucy to bed, but the terrible thing was that he could. Just the smell of her was driving him crazy. He didn’t want to be aroused or attracted, but she was reaching him in ways even his best catches never had. Blake irritatedly ate, thankful for the newfound silence between them. That is, until Lucy started to talk again.

  “I enjoy baking in my free time,” Lucy said softly, pausing with her fork midway to her mouth.

  How do I even answer that? Blake bit back a sigh. “Quaint.”

  “Isn’t it? I do like the routine of it,” Lucy admitted with an almost dreamy tone.

  Blake was counting down the minutes until dessert. His patience for both Lucy and his own lack of control was nearly gone.

  “Routine,” Blake echoed. “Routine is a slow death.”

  He’d given up, even as he stared back at her. Lucy had eyes that looked violet, even past her glasses. Blake imagined they looked good in dim lighting, and part of him desperately wanted to find out. He wanted to take the ridiculous trash bag off her and see for himself just how good her legs were and whether her eyes could turn on him with anything other than passive interest.

  Blake wasn’t interested in women that didn’t know their sensuality—or at least, he had thought he was, until his shift had threatened in the middle of the crowded restaurant when Lucy walked in. Blake wasn’t in the market for women that hid themselves or rejected their beauty. It was a waste and annoying in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Blake didn’t understand hiding, especially when someone like himself would be so ready to appreciate what was shown.

  Lucy wasn’t worth the time he’d taken to set up the date. Even if she smelled like heaven and seemed to be hiding a body worth chasing. Blake wasn’t
about to give in to half of his instincts. He was in control, no matter how much his brother liked to pretend there was some sort of half-and-half agreement with shifting. Blake was one conscious person, and his true form was no different than the man sitting at the table across from a disappointing date.

  “Well, here’s to a slow death,” Lucy teased, laughing as she lifted her wine glass. Blake watched her down the rest and tried not to sneer. He wasn’t sure he succeeded, and he didn’t care. Even his classy demeanor didn’t matter when he was faced with such a train wreck—and he wasn’t planning on seeing Lucy again. He’d have some choice words with Lila, later.

  “Enjoy that,” Blake grumbled. He didn’t even wait for the table to be cleared before standing. He didn’t want to waste one more second in the restaurant. “And have a good night.”

  Blake excused himself, making sure to tell the valet at the front to send Lucy home in a good car, and slammed his car door shut before driving away. Her faint goodbye rang in her ears the same way her smell seemed to cling to his jacket. He felt unnaturally angry and on edge. I’ll just have to find entertainment elsewhere, he thought, even as images of Lucy without the dress flashed through his mind. He hoped he never saw her again. Whatever had happened at the restaurant, it was a mistake—in more ways than one.

  ***

  Raelyn was almost beside herself when Blake left. He had told her good night, barely listened for her response, and then left. Raelyn had been two seconds away from chasing him down and giving him a piece of her mind—and maybe a glimpse of what he’d missed—when the valet had stopped her with the notice that Blake had ensured she’d be taken home. The supposed kindness did nothing for her anger.

  Michel and Gio were waiting for Raelyn when she returned home. They hadn’t caused trouble for her; that had been a convenient lie, and a telling one, by the way Blake had reacted. Raelyn’s cats were respectively grey and white, and she loved them dearly. They’d been there before Christian, and they were still with her after his departure. Raelyn was aware just how sad that fact was, but she was determined not to let it hurt her. If there was one thing Raelyn knew, it was how to move on. Picking up guys wasn’t hard when she was wearing her sleek dresses and a little more makeup. It just wasn’t as fun now, having been cheated on and left by someone she’d trusted not to.

  Raelyn went to bed frustrated and woke up to a message from Lucy. For a minute, Raelyn considered ignoring it, but she knew Lucy was good enough to care to hear her sister’s voice after a night of no contact and a mysterious date. Lucy might have been horrendously undependable, but she had a soft spot for her sister. Still, the spite lingering from the bad date prompted Raelyn to call her sister.

  “Hello?” Lucy answered with a noticeably sleepy voice. Raelyn rolled her eyes, feeling her guilt dissipate. No doubt Lucy had a rough night and she’d barely made it to bed, all for some guy that wasn’t going to last a minute.

  “Luce. So good to hear your voice,” Raelyn said, trying not to sound too bitter. “You texted?”

  “Yeah, texted,” Lucy replied, groaning a little. “I just wanted to know how the date went. He was hot, right?”

  Raelyn didn’t bother to move the phone before sighing heavily. “Sure. But his personality was ugly.”

  “Rae.”

  “Luce,” Raelyn replied, mimicking her sister. “God, I can’t believe you. Were you going to tell me he was a billionaire, or just let me figure that one out when I got there?”

  “I mean, it was a nice surprise, right?” Lucy replied, trying to sound innocent. Raelyn snorted.

  Lucy had a type. Her type, without fail, was the rich and the beautiful. Lucy had spent her early years modeling, and she’d had her taste of good-looking men with money. As an escort, she had kept her expensive taste and used her charm to hop between men like some people hopped couches. Raelyn had never been accustomed to her sister’s exact tastes. There was novelty in twins, but Raelyn hadn’t wanted to intrude on her sister’s career—so Raelyn had spent her time being a personal assistant, hired almost as often for her looks as for her skills. It taught her one thing—that there was an abundance of men who could be sweet and interested, as long as Raelyn was wearing something nice and a little revealing. Christian was supposed to be the exception, and then he’d turned out just the same.

  So, maybe Raelyn was a little bitter, but she felt that she had every right to be. No man had proven her wrong, so she could either keep looking or go Lucy’s way of date hopping. Raelyn didn’t have energy for the latter yet, so she was content with her cats and her job. If someone came along, she’d take her chances—but until then, Raelyn was stuck with the likes of Blake.

  “But he was hot, right? Did you—” Lucy began, clearly interested.

  Raelyn cut her off. “No. And I won’t. He was a jerk, Luce—he didn’t care about what I was saying, and I could tell he wrote me off the minute he saw me.”

  “What? Why?” Lucy sounded indignant, of course—they were twins, and Lucy couldn’t believe someone would write her off. Raelyn didn’t say anything about her trick, suddenly tired. All she wanted was to go back to sleep.

  “Whatever. I’m going to do some work today,” Raelyn said, pulling herself out of bed. “Don’t get into too much trouble.”

  Lucy managed a chirpy reply, but she must have been too tired to press for more about Blake. Raelyn was just glad to hang up and move on with life. The less she thought about Blake, the better.

  ***

  Blake was still annoyed. He’d spent the evening with a woman who’d had the tact to leave before he woke, which was all he wanted. Still, his mind wandered, and he’d kept walking mechanically toward the clothes hanging in a dry-cleaning bag. Blake had to force himself to send it out, hoping distance would get rid of the smell and the memories.

  Someone knocked at one o’clock and Blake went to answer his door, hoping for a distraction. What he saw was his brother, leaning against the wall and waiting patiently. Blake almost didn’t answer, but he had a mystifying soft spot for Aaron that he wished would go away. It would make things much easier.

  “You’ve had a night,” Aaron said as soon as the door opened. Blake made to close it, but Aaron caught it with his foot and slid inside. He was stubborn like that. “How was your classy date?”

  Blake snorted. “Not classy. She was an absolute mess.”

  “You like messes,” Aaron said, smirking. Blake aimed a swipe at him and Aaron ducked away, teeth flashing. Blake almost wished they could shift so he could simply tackle and kick his younger brother into silence. Things were easier, that way. Simple.

  But last night had messed with Blake’s head and his instincts. He’d betrayed himself in the worst possible way and he knew Aaron would get the truth far too soon. Blake’s brother was unfortunately wily like that. He was just the same as Blake—a cat that knew how to sneak.

  “She was a sad excuse for a date. A cat lady with a hobby of baking and disgusting glasses,” Blake said, without meaning to. He felt like he’d been tricked into giving something away, even though he knew it was all his fault. Blake glared at Aaron.

  “You like cats,” Aaron pointed out. There was nothing antagonistic about his tone—as usual—but Blake felt it acutely, like a needle to his skin. Aaron had a way of pointing out unfortunate things. Things Blake didn’t want to consider.

  Aaron was the type who thought they both deserved someone who could know their secret. Blake knew better—being a shifter wasn’t like being into some sort of specific fetish. It was different. Dangerous. Blake knew better than to trust another person with his secret—especially after the mistake of driving someone across the country. That had been his one and only error, and it was one he wouldn’t make again. Especially not for a frumpy woman that wouldn’t last a second in Blake’s life.

  “Do you smell anything strange?” Blake asked. The question left him before he could think better of it. He could still smell Lucy’s strange perfum
e, even with his clothes gone. It called out to him even while he tried to ignore it.

  Aaron frowned and turned carefully, tilting his head. He seemed more like a dog than a cat. “No. What do you smell?”

  “Nothing,” Blake said, mood sour once again. He’d hoped it was a mistake—an actual perfume that had some sort of flower in it that made him crazy. Aaron, as usual, wasn’t helpful.

  Aaron didn’t seem to believe his brother, but he didn’t press. Blake was grateful at least for that. Sometimes, Blake questioned their relationship—Aaron didn’t behave like a younger brother and he certainly wasn’t keen on being submissive. Their day-to-day interactions were full of antagonism and teasing, as much as Blake tried to stop his brother. Still, he couldn’t help enjoying the company. It was good to have one other person to share his secret and fight with, even if it was Aaron.

  Blake tried to forget about Lucy for the rest of the morning. He had Aaron to capture his attention, and they had things to do. Even if Blake was itching to shift and go somewhere green and quiet, he’d sacrificed his night for the chance Lucy hadn’t provided him. He would have to wait longer for the peace he wanted.

  ***

  “You should go out,” Emily said. Raelyn nodded instinctually. She didn’t actually want to go out - she hadn’t felt like it since Christian. A dry spell was bad enough without Raelyn’s friends to remind her how boring she was about being single again.

  “Maybe,” Raelyn finally said. Her shitty date had been enough to set her off. She hated how silly she’d looked with her fake glasses and gag gift dress, but she’d hated that she felt bad even more. Raelyn liked her tight dresses and heels, but she was happy to wear sweatpants in her home—and she thought she looked damn sexy in them, too.

  Yet all morning, Raelyn had constantly thought about Blake. He was hot, and she wasn’t immune to that fact, even if she did find his personality abhorrent. She kept wishing he was different, or that it had been a bad first date, but Raelyn knew better. Men like Blake didn’t change, and she’d waste her time trying to get him to see her as she was.