20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  “What are you doing here?” Samantha gazed at the small clock on the digital recorder. “It’s one o’clock in the morning.”

  Barry sat in the chair next to her. “After pretending to romance another one of my mother’s setups, I wanted to be with the woman I love.”

  Her jaw dropped with that declaration. Things just got a lot more complicated. She didn’t do complicated well. She never did.

  “You’re just infatuated with me.” Samantha flicked her wrist as to brush his statement away. Although, she couldn’t figure out why he would be attracted to someone her age. It was something she had struggled with since he picked her up at the bar. His mother was right to introduce him to an assortment of younger women.

  Barry rubbed his forehead, just over his right brow. “Well, then, I guess I’ve had the infliction my whole life. Don’t be mad at me because I want to spend time with you. I dropped my date off and was too restless to sleep. My wolf needed to run and I had to see you. No one saw me enter and no one will see me leave.”

  It all seemed so easy to him. He wasn’t considering how either his pack or her pride council would react if their secret romance became public. They could be thrown out of the community. Gone would be the support of other shifters in a world where their identities could never be revealed to humans.

  “I think —”

  “You think too much,” he said, interrupting her. “You need to feel for a change.”

  Barry rose from the chair, never breaking eye contact with her. He immediately came down on his knees before her. His hands were on her knees and worked up her thighs, pushing back her shorts. His touch was gentle, her body tingled.

  When he reached her hips, he grabbed the ends of her shirt and pulled it over her head. The rough material rubbed against her already hardened nipples. Her ultra-tender flesh was not normally bothered by the heavy cotton jersey.

  His nostrils flared. “You are already wet; I can smell your arousal. I want to taste your pussy.”

  He never talked in this fashion before and it turned her on. Her earlier annoyance was all but forgotten. She wanted him inside her, filling her emptiness.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Take me upstairs.”

  Barry swept her into his arms. A man had never carried her anywhere. She was flying high, metaphysically. Although she didn’t want to admit it, he had become her world.

  When he reached the top of the stairs, she whispered in his ear, “To the left.”

  She was Scarlett O’Hara to his Rhett Butler. Cleopatra to his Antony. It didn’t matter neither couple had a happily ever after, she wasn’t expecting one. For once in her life, she was living for today.

  He placed her on the bed and removed her shorts. When he stared at her naked body, she felt beautiful. A female cougar in her prime. Their age difference didn’t enter her mind.

  Samantha licked her lips when her eyes moved from his face to his fully engorged cock. She let out a long, cleansing breath, imagining what they would do to each other. They had no barriers, nothing to hold them back. There was a freedom in not having a tomorrow.

  She watched as his knees hit the mattress and he prowled toward her. His eyes focused on the juncture between her legs. Her long limbs parted farther to allow him a better look.

  When his tongue ran along her silken slit, she let out a moan of pleasure. A moment later, it twirled around her clit. Samantha screamed out in triumph, not trying to hold back her cries. He licked up the evidence of her desire like a cat.

  His talented tongue continued to lap up her juices. Waves of sensations pulsed through her as his tongue increased its ruthless pace. She was helpless to do anything but writhe on the bed. There was a beautiful agony to how she felt before she fractured.

  Samantha had barely recovered when he entered her with a single thrust. Her muscles contracted around him and she was rewarded with a low moan. She moved her pelvis to meet his rhythm, each time he plunged into her.

  Barry watched her as he continued to love her. A small knowing smile crossed his face. With his next entry, he was slow and deliberate. The nerve endings in her vaginal passage brought her pleasure she didn’t know was possible. He was finding ways to bring her to another orgasm no other man had attempted. It was always about their release, but not with Barry.

  Her climax was sudden and powerful. She screamed, unable to hold back. As he came within her, his cries married with hers.

  He collapsed on top of her body, totally spent. Samantha liked the feel of his weight on her naked flesh. Her fingers ran along the back of his neck where his wet hair met his sweat covered skin.

  “Did you learn that in medical school?” Samantha struggled to say between breaths.

  “In theory, not in practice,” Barry replied. “You weren’t there. I’ve never wanted to be with anyone but you. Any female I slept with was just a rehearsal until I could be with my true mate.”

  Samantha stared at his face. He was absolutely serious. She could have argued with him, but her cougar knew his words rang true. Perhaps she felt it all along, but was afraid to admit it. He was much braver than her.

  “What are we going to do?” She didn’t have a clue.

  For once, she was going to put her future in another being’s hands. She just couldn’t continue to go about her boring daily routine knowing what was possible. It seemed like an impossible dream. They both had so much to lose, regardless of how things worked out.

  Samantha couldn’t sleep. Barry was unconscious next to her. She couldn’t blame her sleeplessness on his snoring, since he didn’t. Her mind wouldn’t shut off.

  It was four o’clock. She should wake him and have him head home before the early birds headed to work and papers were delivered. But she procrastinated in waking him. She was so comfortable lying in his arms.

  Tomorrow night they would be together, unless he planned another late night sojourn to her home. It was dangerous to be together in town. Although her home was remote, there was still a chance his wolf could be spotted. Shifters were larger than ordinary gray wolves. The community would know a wolf shifter was entering her home. A home of a cougar.

  She nudged his arm. “Baby, you need to wake.”

  Barry groaned and muttered something she didn’t understand. This time she gave him a stronger punch in his arm. He woke with a startled expression, which quickly changed to a sexy half grin. On anyone else, it would look like a lecherous leer.

  He quickly kissed her lips and then peered over her to look at the time. “I should be going. Sorry, I fell asleep.”

  “Do you need to take a quick shower?”

  “No,” he replied, “there is a small lake on the way home. My wolf can use a nice swim. The pond should eliminate your scent.”

  Samantha propelled herself out of bed, ran to the closet, and wrapped a robe around her nude body. She didn’t want to be a distraction. Barry needed to leave.

  “I’ll meet you at the diner at seven, as planned,” Samantha said.

  “Would you mind if I bring someone with me to dinner?”

  She frowned. What was he thinking? “Who?”

  “The latest girl my mother set me up with,” Barry replied. “Miranda has agreed to be my accomplice. Her father recently died and she’s not ready for a serious relationship. Our pretending to date gets my parents off my back and a great cover for the two of us. She loves to paint and there are some beautiful vistas around that little town. I may be able to stay a couple of days, if you can clear your calendar.”

  It sounded like a terrible idea. Adding another co-conspirator would only increase the chance of being caught. She didn’t always want to be the one punching holes into their plans.

  “I’ll check my schedule and get back with you,” she replied. If she was lucky, he would negate the plan before he had a chance to execute it.

  They walked hand-in-hand down the stairs, like an old married couple. She was so comfortable in his presence. He was like a well worn pair of shoes.
It was a ridiculous analogy, but she’d one day be forced to throw him away like the shoes.

  Samantha unlocked the lanai door and opened the swinging wood exit on the far side of the deck. He shifted and came up to her, smelling her crotch. Wolf shifters and dogs weren’t too different. She laughed and batted him in the butt with her hand.

  “Be safe,” she told him. “I’ll keep the cat door unlocked and will replace the key in the same hiding place.”

  He took off running and was quickly out of sight. She sat on one of the cushioned lounge chairs and closed her eyes.

  How could she be the happiest she’d ever been and so miserable? There was absolutely no one she could confide in. In particular, her best friend.

  Her schedule was clear for the rest of the week. She had cancelled all her appointments until Barry returned to Denver. The only engagements she had were with prospective clients. All her other customer projects were ahead of schedule or completed.

  Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Barry. Her memories of him as a small pup were replaced with the man he had become. She always knew he would grow to be impressive, but he far exceeded expectations. Ironically, she had more ambitions for him than his own parents.

  The inclusion of a third person into their secret affair was troubling. But she had to trust Barry’s instincts. She hadn’t even bothered to ask the girl’s name. It was quite an oversight, considering the power the girl would soon have over them.

  She was still restless. After throwing her robe on the chaise lounge, she shifted. Her cat knew the small pond Barry had mentioned. It was a favorite spot to cool down on a hot summer day.

  His scent was easy to follow. He took the same route she planned to take. She increased her pace, hoping to catch up with him before he entered the water.

  She exited the forest to find him on the banks of the pond. He had sensed her presence and waited. His timber wolf was quiet as she approached.

  The wolf licked the side of her face. Her cat purred at the contact. They were natural enemies; two species never meant to fall in love.

  Their closeness disturbed her cat. She nudged his head with her own and then took off running. His howl broke the silence of the night around them. Both animals knew they could only be together in their human forms.

  Chapter 10

  Samantha sat alone at her table. The diner was packed full of tourists and townspeople. Her heart stopped each time the door opened and strangers entered. Where were Barry and the mysterious woman?

  She had arrived early and ordered a glass of wine to calm her frayed nerves. She cringed when she took her first sip. The Chardonnay was ultra-dry and undrinkable.

  Coming here had been a mistake. She pulled her phone out of her purse’s outer pocket. Since she didn’t wear a watch, her phone was her only means to determine the time. Three minutes to seven. Barry wasn’t late. As far as she was concerned, it felt like an eternity since she arrived at the diner.

  She felt exposed sitting alone in the booth. It felt like every person who passed scrutinized her. She was being paranoid.

  The next time her gaze passed the front door, Barry walked in with a breathtaking woman beside him. As the couple walked toward her, heads turned in reaction to the attractive couple. Nancy had found her son an incredible possible mate.

  Maybe all the doubts she had were preparing her for when Barry broke things off between them in favor of the woman who slid in the booth beside him. A genuine welcoming smile was on the girl’s face.

  “Samantha, this is Miranda,” Barry said.

  It was clear she was a white wolf. Although she knew little about wolf shifters, she understood the rare breed was revered among the species. Barry had been given a rare gift, but his eyes were glued to her face.

  Samantha answered Miranda’s smile with one of her own. “Hello. I understand you are new to the area.”

  As opening statements went, it was passible. What did you say to a woman two families wanted to mate with your lover? As competition went, the girl was unsurpassable.

  Miranda’s eyes fell to her folded hands placed on the table. “We’ve been in Eclipse for six months, but I am now just wandering out and meeting people.”

  Barry had told her about the girl’s tragic loss. It was a shifter’s worse nightmare. A family couldn’t bury their loved one. When a shapeshifter was killed in their animal form, they remained that way. They would be some poacher’s trophy or destroyed by the county. It was one of the reasons many shifter communities were hesitant to let outsiders enter the perimeter of their lands.

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” Samantha stated. The look on the girl’s face was heartbreaking. She needed to change the subject. “Barry tells me you paint.”

  The conversation continued to focus on Miranda. Samantha relaxed as she got to know the girl. She was thrilled to share her favorite spots around Eclipse for Miranda to explore and paint. Barry leaned back and watched her as they chatted.

  Although they looked striking as a couple, she didn’t pick up on any chemistry between Barry and Miranda. He leaned against the wall and Miranda was wedged on the outside of the booth’s seat. Her earlier concerns were unfounded. Barry was still hers.

  Sometime during the discussion, the waitress stopped by and took their orders. She decided on a burger and iced tea. The waitress took away the wine, promising not to charge her.

  They filled the time between ordering and their meals arriving with informing Miranda about the other sights she needed to check out. The discussion gave her an opportunity to learn what Barry’s favorite spots were. It was a productive way to get to know her mate.

  She had just taken another bite of her dinner when a shriek penetrated her ears, causing her to jump. “Samantha! What are you doing here?”

  She looked up and stared into Elle Thomas’s dark brown eyes. Her worse fears of being discovered had just been realized. At least she wasn’t alone with Barry.

  Samantha blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Thank goodness, her mind didn’t freeze. “I had an appointment and decided to grab a bite before returning to Eclipse. Barry and Miranda were waiting for a table, so I invited them to join me.”

  Elle examined the couple across from her, visibly sniffing to assure they were fellow shifters. She wasn’t sure if Elle knew Barry was Nancy’s son and didn’t volunteer the information. Her gaze quickly returned to Samantha’s face.

  “Tommy is meeting a possible mate,” Elle whispered in her direction. “He’s only seventeen and I didn’t want him driving the mountainous roads at night. Besides, I wanted to have a look at the girl. Carolyn will graduate high school near the top of her class. She’s no beauty, but the girl has a sweet face and disposition.”

  Her friend tilted her head to the right, indicating the teenage couple two tables away. The boy strongly resembled his mother. Since the girl had her back to Samantha, she couldn’t make out any specifics about her.

  Hoping to keep the focus away from the couple at her own table, she asked, “What do you think about your son’s pairing?”

  Rather than remain standing, Elle sat beside Samantha, forcing her closer to the wall. “Her parents are here. I’m prepared to take the girl in if Joey likes her. The house is too quiet with Benedict and Tamara away at school. Joey is content helping out at the restaurant and isn’t interested in going to college. He wants a mate and start a family.”

  It seemed like a dramatic step to take a stranger into her home if her son had only spent a couple of hours with the girl. A terrifying thought entered her mind. “Are you spending the night here?” She almost choked on the words.

  “Of course,” Elle quickly replied. “There is a lovely inn. We are spending a couple of days here so the kids can get to know each other. I think I told you Beverly Franklin is subbing for me at Friday’s bridge game.”

  Samantha nodded, her mind recalling Elle had said something about Beverly playing for her. Since meeting Barry Saturday night, the rest of he
r world had focused on him. The idea of sitting across from Nancy playing bridge made her uneasy.

  “With you being unavailable and everything Beverly is going through with the divorce, maybe we should cancel Friday’s game,” Samantha suggested.

  Elle shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. Beverly needs all the distractions she can get.” Her friend looked across the table. “It was nice meeting you kids. I should go back and join Carolyn’s parents. Cross your fingers the kids hit it off.”

  She let out a loud sigh after Elle left. Her shaking fingers massaged her temple, she could feel a headache coming on. It had been a close call, but the damage was done. Their night together had been ruined. She pushed away her half-eaten dinner. Her appetite fled with her plans for the evening.

  “I’ll ask for a check and we’ll head for the inn,” Barry said.

  He’d been so quiet, his voice pulled her out of her lamenting thoughts. They couldn’t possibly spend the night together in the same hotel where Elle and her son were. Why couldn’t he see that?

  Samantha’s face continued to pale. When Elle Thomas approached the table, he thought she was going to lose it. Fortunately, the woman didn’t recognize him and by some miracle, Samantha hadn’t panicked. Elle was so wrapped up in what was happening with her son, she didn’t notice her friend’s stricken face and shaking hands.

  “We can’t possibly stay at the inn.” Samantha continued to rub her forehead. “You must see that.”

  She was overreacting. It had been painful sitting across from her and not being able to touch her. He should have left Miranda in Eclipse and they should have gone straight to the hotel.

  Samantha slid across the vinyl upholstery and stood. “I have to get out of here. Wait at least ten minutes before you leave.”

  With Miranda sitting on the outside of the bench, he was helpless as Samantha hurried out of the diner. He couldn’t just let her leave like this. Their relationship would eventually be uncovered and they wouldn’t have to pretend any longer.