by Jessica Sims
“I’m meeting Beau for dinner,” she said and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. “Date night.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I said and gave her an exaggerated wink.
“But you—” Hugh began.
“Hssst!” I said, turning to glare at him. He was going to ruin my carefully crafted persona of office flirt if he blurted out that I was a virgin.
Hugh raised an eyebrow at me but went silent.
I turned back to Bath and gave her a cheery wave. “Like I was saying, have a good one.”
“You, too,” she said. “Call me if you or Everett need anything.”
“Will do. Though I am sure I can help Everett with everything he needs.” I wiggled my eyebrows at the handsome were-cougar at the desk across the room. “He just needs to ask.”
“You flirting with me, Ryder?” Everett grinned at me.
“You know it.”
I heard a low growl in Hugh’s throat, and I stomped on his foot under my desk.
Everett gave us a curious look, leaning back in his office chair. “So, man,” he said, turning to Hugh. “Where you from?”
“He’s from Alaska,” I said quickly, thinking fast. “You know how they say that there’s only one woman for every eight men there? The town he grew up in was more like thirty to one, so he’s not familiar with how to talk to girls. Which is why I’m helping him out.”
Everett scratched his jaw, regarding us. “Okaaaay,” he said, drawling the word. “And what kind of shifter did you say you were again?”
“He’s a—” I started.
“Primordial,” Hugh finished. “Long-tooth.”
I scowled at Hugh.
“Huh? What the hell is that?” Everett looked confused.
“It’s an Alaskan name for tiger,” I said quickly, then turned to glare at Hugh. “Isn’t that right?”
Hugh stared back at me.
“Why don’t you go and get the stool out of the storeroom so you don’t have to hover over me any longer?” I fixed Hugh with my sweetest smile. “And I’m going to make myself some coffee.”
He considered me for a long moment, then glanced at Everett. “I will return.”
“You do that,” I said and headed to the coffeepot.
As soon as Hugh left the room, Everett got up from his chair and sprinted to my side. He touched my elbow—which made me glad I was wearing a daisy yellow long-sleeved cardigan over my floral white-and-yellow sundress—and leaned close. “Hey, Ryder?”
“Hmm?” I pulled out the bag of coffee grounds, noticing that we had a new coffeepot. Sweet.
“How well do you know that guy?”
I sniffed the bag of coffee, enjoying the scent. God, I loved coffee. “Why?”
“There aren’t any shifter clans in Alaska. At least, not voluntarily.” Everett frowned and leaned closer to me. “And I’ve never heard of a long-tooth. I just don’t—”
A big hand shoved Everett backward. Hugh stepped between us, a low, angry rumble in his throat. “Do not stand so close to Ryder.”
Everett raised his hands. “Chill, man. I was just talking to her—”
“You were standing too close,” Hugh reiterated.
“It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand on Hugh’s clothed arm and patting his sleeve. “Everett was just looking out for me. Everything’s fine. Isn’t that right, Everett?”
But Everett was scowling at both of us. Crap. I looked from the snarly were-saber-tooth at my side to the bristling were-cougar a few feet away. I needed to defuse this situation or there was going to be a catfight. Literally. I quickly scooped coffee into the basket and shoved it back in place, then hit the button to start the pot. “So, Everett, where’s that tall, dark, and handsome twin brother of yours?”
Everett eyed us a moment longer, then returned to his desk. “Ellis? He’s Lily-sitting.”
“Ah,” I said. Lily was the feral human girl who had been rescued from the crazy vampire at the same time as Marie. Problem was, Marie had been turned into a shifter, so she was considered “safe” and one of the team. Lily was human and completely messed up from her captivity, so everyone was afraid to release her for fear that she’d spill the Alliance’s secrets. Last I’d heard, Lily had tried to escape twice now, so someone was constantly with her. Today, it seemed, it was Ellis. “Well, tell him I said hello and I miss him.”
“I’m sure he misses seeing your pretty face, too,” Everett teased back.
Hugh scowled at me, crossing his arms, as if he disapproved of this entire conversation.
I ignored Hugh, hovering by the coffeepot until the first cup was brewed. I took it for myself and doctored it with massive amounts of cream and sugar. Then I blew on it, humming as if this had been a normal day and a massive Ice Age shifter hadn’t been hovering a step behind me. “Hey, Everett, I’m leaving shortly for the speed dating session. You going to be okay without me?”
“Lonely,” Everett teased. “But okay.”
Hugh said nothing, but his brows were low on his face. He was clearly not happy.
“Well, you have my number if you need me,” I said to Everett. “I’m taking Hugh with me.”
“And you have my number if you need anything, right?” I couldn’t miss the stress in Everett’s voice. It was so cute that he was being so protective.
“I do,” I said with a sunny smile, and ignored Hugh’s snarl.
Chapter Seven
We drove to Konstantine’s, and Hugh scowled at me the entire time from the passenger seat.
“What is it?” I finally asked.
“How familiar are you with that shifter?”
I glanced over at him, juggling my coffee cup with the steering wheel. “Who, Everett? He’s a friend and a real sweetie.”
Hugh’s eyes narrowed. “Your words to him were provocative.”
“Of course they were. We have fun flirting. It’s harmless.”
“It is not harmless. He is interested in you.”
“No, he’s not,” I told him, shaking my head. “Everett’s a were-cougar and he thinks I’m human, so I’m off-limits.” I frowned, though. Bathsheba was human, and she was married to Beau. Marie was human—once—and she was with Josh. And recently the alphas had gotten together to create a more lenient set of rules for dating humans. So theoretically, I wasn’t off-limits to Everett anymore.
But Hugh had it all wrong. Everett was just a friend. Even as I told myself that, my scheming mind started to wonder . . . could I get Everett to have sex with me? If I told him my problem? He’d be more understanding than most.
I’d consider it. I wasn’t ready to pounce on Everett just yet. He was nice, but he didn’t drive me crazy. And I knew he definitely wasn’t my True Love, so he was more or less just a buddy.
“You say provocative things to me as well,” Hugh said, interrupting my thoughts. “Are these harmless, too?”
“Of course.” My voice was smooth. “I’m destined for breeding, remember? How could I possibly say anything in a serious manner to you? And you have a primordial mate waiting.”
“I remember.”
“You’ve flirted back with me,” I pointed out, thinking of our banter in my bedroom. “Were you serious?”
Hugh said nothing.
Now . . . that was interesting. I pondered this as we turned into the parking lot of Konstantine’s. I parked the car, chugged the last of my coffee, and turned to Hugh. “We should talk about tonight.”
“What about tonight?”
“Well, for starters, I’m running this group that we call Speed Dating. Or Speed Mating. It’s for supernaturals to meet other supernaturals, and there are going to be a lot of shifters here tonight, and some vampires.” I waited for his reaction. Some of the shifters didn’t like vampires, and Konstantine’s was a notorious vampire hangout.
But Hugh didn’t react, so I continued. “We have a lot of male clients, and I flirt with all of them. That’s kind of who I am. So I don’t want you to be surprised or getting all up in anyone’s grill if they come and chat with me, understand?”
He gave me a narrow-eyed look but said nothing.
“Also. Since you’re supposed to be a client, I signed you up for the speed mating.” I gave him my most angelic smile. “It was kind of last-minute, but it’s perfect. This way you can be at my side without seeming like a creeper.”
“What is a creeper?”
I waved that off. “Never mind that. You should be asking about the speed mating.”
“I am not here to mate with other females, Ryder. I am here to ensure that you remain safe—”
“Yadda, yadda, I know. But this is part of your cover. You have to do this.”
“So I am to do this while you laugh and say things to other men to entice them?”
“You’re not familiar with the concept of flirting, are you? It’s just harmless words. Men and women do it all the time.”
“Just words.”
“Yep. Just words. Doesn’t mean anything.”
“What if they touch you while they say it?”
“Well, then that means something different.”
“I see.” Hugh considered this, then glanced over at me. “The were-cougar was going to touch you.”
I frowned. I didn’t remember that. Had Hugh misinterpreted the signals? “I won’t let anyone touch me, I promise.” I didn’t want them to, anyhow.
To my surprise, he extended his pinky. “Swear it.”
I grinned and linked my pinky with his. “Sworn.” Just that bare touch of our skin made a shiver go up and down my body, though, and I recoiled away, trying to recover before we went into the restaurant. “Just . . . give me a minute.”
“This swearing is not good for you,” Hugh observed.
I chuckled despite the pangs wracking my body. “You started it.”
“So I did,” he said thoughtfully.
Speed dating? Unmitigated disaster.
I sat Hugh down and explained the concept to him. He would sit at a numbered table, where he would be given a small card. Every five minutes, I’d ring a bell and the men would sit down at a new table with a new woman. The concept was to get to know each other for a few minutes. Simple enough. At the end of the evening, everyone would write down the assigned numbers of the people they thought they would be compatible with. If there was a match, I’d set them up later in the system.
In the meantime, I made Hugh promise he couldn’t talk about primordials, fae, the primordial realm, Finian, his vow, changelings, or anything along those lines. Just smile and be friendly, I assured him. And then I hurried away to explain the details of the speed mating game to the others in attendance. Hugh glared at me as I left his side; for a moment I thought he’d follow, but he didn’t.
As I met one shifter, I was surprised to see he was wearing sunglasses indoors. “Hi, my name is Ryder,” I told him. I gave a cheerful wave to avoid doing a handshake, but he stuck his hand out anyhow. Ah, shoot. Blind.
“I’m Brad,” he said, smiling, his hand still extended. “Michigo.”
Dang it. I hated handshakes. There was something inherently intimate about putting your hand in someone else’s, and the closer I got to my birthday, the more the small touches bothered me. I winced and put my hand in his, shaking it as quickly as possible. Just like that, my beast reared, and I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood. When I was calm, I said, “Pleased to meet you, Brad. Do you have any questions about the speed dating tonight?”
“Just one. Are you one of the dates?” He grinned.
“You big flirt,” I teased, shaking my hands out and flexing them to will my monster away. “I’m just the organizer.”
“But you have such a lovely voice,” he told me, that smile still on his face. “I’m sure the rest of you matches.”
“I’m sure it does,” I said coyly. “But I’m human and not on the menu.”
“Some of us have educated palates and aren’t afraid to try a little something new,” Brad said. “But I have to say, I’m disappointed.”
I chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting our lovely ladies here tonight.”
“You’ll keep me in mind if you ever decide you want to date a shifter?” He continued to smile in my direction, pulling out his white cane. “I would tell you that you have a lovely smell, but most humans don’t appreciate that.”
“I’ve been around enough shifters to know a compliment when I hear one,” I flirted. “But I’ll be glad to help you if you’d like assistance from table to table.”
“I’d say no, but then that would deprive me of your presence, and I can’t resist,” Brad said with a grin. “So I’ll accept.”
“Perfect,” I said, linking my arm through his but making sure to touch just his coat sleeve. I still had ripples of muscle jerking along my back, but I kept my fists clenched in the hopes that it’d die down. After a few moments, it did, and I exhaled a sigh of relief. One hurdle down.
I rang the bell, clicked on my stopwatch, and the speed dating started.
I knew it was going to be a problem the minute Hugh sat down at the first table. He scowled at everyone, for starters, and then proceeded to snarl at his poor date, who trembled with fear. I bit my lip, watching. Should I intervene? I hesitated.
Then Hugh turned and gave me a foul look, as if this was all my fault.
I decided to let him suffer through the entire speed date cycle after that.
I rang the bell soon enough, the five minutes passing like eternity—for myself and Hugh, I imagined—and then I headed over to escort Brad to his next table. “Find someone you like?” I asked him.
“Yes, but she says she doesn’t date shifters,” he flirted back.
What a doll. “I meant at your table.”
“Ah. There’s potential, but her voice wasn’t nearly as lovely as yours,” he told me.
“Maybe this next will do the trick,” I said, steering him with my hand on his sleeve, careful to avoid skin contact. I dropped Brad off before he could flirt more and resumed my position at the head of the room, where I rang the bell again. “Date number two, start!”
Five couples immediately began talking and shaking hands. One couple did not: couple number two—Hugh and a pretty were-something. I should have guessed. She’d extended her hand for him to shake. He’d taken it, examined it for a moment, and then handed it back as if not interested. Poor woman.
As I watched the couples interact, my gaze slid back to Brad. Michigo. I recognized the name—were-otter family. I’d never met Brad before, though. I’d have remembered someone who flirted as blatantly as I did. He’d definitely seemed interested, though, and even though I hated to admit it, his blindness had me intrigued.
If he was blind, he wouldn’t notice me shifting into something else if he touched me. He’d feel I was changing, all right, but there were ways around that. I could handcuff him to the headboard of my bed, for starters. Or get him drunk. Something.
He wasn’t my True Love, but this had potential. I might lose my virginity after all.
I just had to ditch my big shadow.
I hid my bubbling excitement as the speed dating continued. Hugh seemed downright miserable, as did each woman he sat with. That was a shame. Maybe if I could find him someone to date, I could get him off my back long enough to hop into bed with a stranger.
Ugh. I didn’t like the way that sounded, but I was running low on options.
I rang the final bell. “All right, everyone. Final round is over! Please swing by to turn in your cards.” I put on my cheeriest smile. “If there are any matches, I’ll notify you via email later tonight.”
I collected cards as people approached me, and I noticed that a f
ew had started chatting on their own, laughing and talking. That was a good sign. That meant we’d have a few promising matchups. The worst was when everyone filed out without talking. Then I knew the evening had gone badly.
I received eleven cards—Hugh’s was blank and he gave me another obnoxious glare before moving to my side—and I glanced down the row to see that Brad was still in his seat. “Wait here,” I told Hugh and set off for Brad before Hugh could argue with me. I sauntered up and noticed that Brad had turned his head toward me before I even got there, his shifter sense of smell alerting him to my presence. “Decide you couldn’t get enough of this place?” I teased, putting my hand on his sleeve again. “Or just waiting for me?”
He grinned. “Waiting for the perfect opportunity to point out that the laws changed and shifters can now date humans with the approval of their alpha. Considering I’m the alpha of my group, I give myself permission. So what do you say to drinks?”
“Drinks?” I pretended to consider this, even while my heart was skipping madly in my chest. Excitement made my hands curl, and my fingers dug into his sleeve. “Don’t drinks usually lead to more?”
“Only if both parties want it,” he said, getting to his feet. He stood close to me—extremely close. “Why, are you interested in it being more?”
I need sex! I wanted to blurt, but I kept my voice coy. “I might be—”
One massive hand descended on Brad’s chest, and one on my shoulder, and we were forcibly separated. Hugh stepped between us. “This woman is not available for you,” Hugh said in an angry voice. “Do not touch her.”
“Hugh,” I said sweetly, my teeth gritted. “Step off. This is none of your business.”
“It is my business,” Hugh said.
Brad lifted his hands in the air, walking cane tucked under his arm. “I don’t want any trouble. I didn’t realize she was claimed.”
“I’m not,” I protested. “I’m not his mate. And I do want to go out for drinks.”
“No,” Hugh said again and turned back to me. His cat-eyes were fierce. “I have endured this speedy dating because you insisted. Now it is my turn to insist. Ryder, you are to leave with me.”
