20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

  The elevator took her to the parking level and she waved to the attendant before she walked to her SUV. She’d always preferred to drive herself, even after she could afford a driver. One man had called her a control freak and maybe that was true. But now driving was one of the few things she could still control in her life.

  In minutes she was at her apartment parking lot. She parked in her spot and shut off the engine but couldn’t bring herself to get out. Her arms and legs weighed tons and her head ached. A hot bath sounded perfect but getting out of the SUV and going up to the apartment seemed like a lot of effort.

  “This is not good. You’re getting weaker, Helen. Isn’t that what Dad would say? You’re weak?” As always, the voice of her father drove her into action. She would get through this. She had two weeks. And a plan. She got out of the vehicle and made her way to the lobby. No way was she letting go of everything she’d achieved. She’d get caught up at work and then she’d use the excuse of checking out the mountain Aidan owned for possible development to get away. That would take care of this month’s change.

  Her step faltered. And next month? She lifted her head and strode on toward the elevator. Before next month, she’d find those damn Gypsies. She had to.

  “Package for you, Miss Mathews,” the apartment doorman called out to her.

  Helen detoured to the main desk and forced a smile. “Thanks, Ed. I wasn’t expecting anything.”

  The doorman shrugged and offered her package about a foot square in size, wrapped in brown paper and covered in stamps. She took it, thanked him, and headed for the elevator again. The box was light but then everything seemed to be these days. She couldn’t quite get used to the change in her strength, although it was nice to be able to handle things with ease that she might have struggled with a few months ago.

  She fished the keys from her purse and walked from the elevator to her apartment, one of the two penthouses. She put the box on the side table and headed straight for the bar. Wine didn’t do much for her anymore but she still enjoyed the taste, maybe more so now. Every flavor was enhanced and she enjoyed the minor notes of the wine as well as any connoisseur. If land development didn’t work out, she could go into business as a taster. She poured a glass of red and chuckled at the thought. What would her father think if she spent every day tasting luscious wines owned by rich men and women?

  He’d be furious, that’s for sure. He’d say that she was wasting her life. She lost her amusement. Work was always more important than enjoyment; power preferable to pleasure.

  She looked around her apartment. Everything was perfect. And empty. She’d fallen right in with his plans for her, always wanting to please him. And when he was gone, she’d kept going, his voice still in her mind, still pushing. She really didn’t know anything else.

  On Monday, it was like the dam had broken in the office. She stood in front of the espresso machine in the coffee room and listened to the buzz. Everyone had waited for her to reveal what she had been doing over the last few months, jetting away from work without a word to anyone. Now the waiting had stopped and since she hadn’t been forthcoming, the questions had begun. She had her excuses ready; her cover story about investigating David Sherman’s propositions from different vantage points prepared in detail. Some people accepted it and moved on. After all, everyone knew she was work centric.

  Sherry and Taryn clearly didn’t buy her story. The looks they gave her were doubtful at best. But they didn’t push and for that she was grateful. On the other hand, she wasn’t totally prepared after all, when her boss arrived at her office door and leaned against the frame, sporting the same skeptical look.

  “Look, Helen, I think you know what I’m here to say. If you’re getting ready to move on, if you’re researching other firms or deals that won’t involve Multoma, I need you to be clear about it up front. Word is getting around and it doesn’t look good for us or you.”

  Helen stood. “Mr. Winfield, I’m not planning on moving on. I like my position here very much. I’ve simply been investigating —”

  “Don’t give me that, Helen. Sherman’s proposals don’t require trips out of state. Yes, I know you left the state. I know a lot about what goes on around here.” He straightened up and stepped inside her office. “If it’s something else, if you need someone to talk to… Things haven’t been right since the award night. Is it about the hospital deal? Is there something that happened it wasn’t legal? The way that woman pursued us legally and then just let things go…”

  “No.” Helen came around her desk, her heart pounding. “No. Everything I did was perfectly legal. We bought the rights to that land and we gave it a use that will help all the people in the city. The Gypsies dropped the case because they didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

  “Gypsies—so the lawyer who caused all the fuss was part of that group. That old woman, she was the lawyer.”

  Winfield was too sharp. His mind was clicking along making connections she couldn’t afford him to think on too long. Her claims aside, he’d soon be sure she was doing something the company wouldn’t want to be involved with. She would not lose this job. She’d fought too hard to get it. She ground her teeth together.

  Winfield took a step back. He was staring at her. Goddammit! Was it her eyes again? This was so not good. She turned away. “Look, Mr. Winfield, I’ve worked hard for this company, hard for you. I’m not about to jeopardize what I’ve achieved here—what we’ve achieved here. I’ve got some things going on but it’ll all be sorted out soon.” It had to be.

  “Maybe you should take some time off. Get things sorted out sooner rather than later.”

  She turned back to him. “Maybe I should. I’ve got some work to do but then I’ll take my leave for a few weeks. I’ll get the Sherman deal closed first.”

  Winfield took another step back. He was already past the threshold. “Take all the time you need.” He quietly shut the door.

  She stood there and stared at the enameled wood panel for several minutes. If she didn’t stop the change from happening soon, she could kiss her life goodbye.

  Chapter 5

  What the hell was he doing? Sitting outside her apartment like a stalker. People got arrested for crap like this. He had to be out of his mind. He fingered the fork in his jacket pocket, the one he brought with him everywhere the one Helen had warped and twisted with the simple clenching of her fist. Nope, he wasn’t crazy. At least not for thinking they were something really wrong going on. For getting involved? For that, he might be crazy. He should just move on work with another developer, but Multoma was the best and he couldn’t quite bring himself to request a different representative—that would ruin her career. And what if he was wrong?

  He spotted her car pulling in. He waited a couple of minutes then got out of his car and walked into the lobby. The doorman looked at him, clearly about to question his appearance when Helen stepped out of the parking elevator. “Helen,” he called to her. “I’ve been waiting for you.” He walked closer. He had to keep this normal, friendly, or she’d have the doorman call the cops.

  Her eyebrows lifted as she recognized him, but she kept her poise. “What are you doing here, Mr. Sherman? This is quite inappropriate.”

  He took her by the elbow and whispered, “We need to talk.” She tried to shake him off but he held on. “I don’t think you really want to make a scene, do you?”

  She glared at him but it was definitely time to find out what was going on—what she was doing, maybe what she was, no matter how crazy that sounded. Finally she nodded and waved off the doorman. He followed her into the second elevator that ran to the apartments. As soon as the doors closed she yanked her elbow from his grip.

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I will not be manhandled.”

  He stepped up close to her, getting in her face. “I want to know what’s going on. And you’re going to tell me.”

  She snarled and gave him a shove, dead in the center of his chest. He stumbled
backward. She was a lot stronger than she looked, but then, he knew that. He hadn’t expected her to be so aggressive. His heart leaped in his chest and he smiled. It was damn exciting. She looked amazing, just a little bit angry and seriously sexy.

  “You don’t really want to know.” Her chest heaved, and her lips trembled.

  “I’ve got to know. My business is my life and I can’t get involved without knowing what the hell is going on with you.” He took a step closer.

  “You wouldn’t believe me.” Her voice held the slightest quaver. She was on the edge of telling him; he could see it in her eyes—those beautiful golden eyes.

  The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. She glanced at the doors but didn’t move. He reached out and touched her shoulder gently. “You can trust me.” Maybe it was the whole thing about seeing a woman in trouble, but whatever she had to say he was going to listen and he was going to help her.

  Mutely, Helen walked out of the elevator and approached one of the apartment doors. It was a short corridor with only four apartment doorways. Hers was the first on the left. She frowned at the obviously new addition—a handprint scanner as part of a security system—and his pulse quickened. She’d added security recently, and wasn’t happy about it. She laid her palm on the scanner and when it beeped admission, pulled out a key and unlocked the door. Inside, there was a chain lock and two bolts, one high up on the door. Far more security than you would need in this part of town.

  Not a good sign.

  She walked to a small bar, laid her purse down, and dropped her briefcase. Her hands shook slightly as she poured two fingers of brandy into an uncut glass. She took a long drink.

  “Mind if I have a drink?” She seemed to have forgotten he was there and startled at his voice.

  She pulled back her shoulders, straightening. Maybe she was going to change her mind about talking to him. But she poured him a drink and handed it to him before pouring herself another.

  “Have a seat.” She gestured to the small seating area near the windows overlooking the city. She walked to the chair nearest the window and dropped onto the cushion.

  “I don’t know what you want me to tell you or what you think is happening. Yes, I’ve been out of town recently. I’ve been to see family and I’ve been away checking on different projects. And none of it is your business.”

  So, she was going to try to put him off again. He took a sip of the brandy. It was the good stuff, rich with deep tones. It heated his throat while he thought about what to say next. How he handled the next few minutes could make or break their partnership and would either get him the truth or get him thrown out.

  “I can’t begin a partnership with lies, Helen. And you are lying. We both know it. Your secretary’s been covering for you, but she doesn’t know where you’ve been.” He toyed with his glass. Maybe another angle here. “She cares about you. So does your receptionist and both of them are worried.”

  She frowned but he cut her off before she could say anything. “No, they didn’t tell me. Your staff is loyal. But I read people very well, Helen. I can tell when they’re lying, just like I can tell you’re lying. So what are you hiding?”

  “I… I’m thinking of leaving the company.” She shifted slightly in the chair and crossed her legs. Damn, she had hot legs.

  “Also a lie.”

  The corners of her mouth tipped down slightly. She’d lost most of her lipstick and her eyes looked tired, but she’d lost none of her appeal. He pulled the fork from his pocket. He toyed with it with one hand, and watched her while he took a sip of brandy. He didn’t miss the way her eyes widened at the appearance of the twisted utensil. She jumped to her feet and paced back to the bar where she tossed back her drink.

  “I think you should go. If you don’t want to work with me, that’s fine. I’ll assign another developer, unless you want to give up on Multoma.” She turned back to him. Her mouth held a grimace. “They are the best, though. You aren’t likely to get a better deal or have a better person manage it.”

  He stood and walked to her, leaned closer while he set the glass on the counter. “I know.” He took her glass from her and she let him, though he could see the tension in her jaw. He set her glass beside his. “You are the best. And I want you.” He meant it in so many ways and tried to tell her a few of them with his tone.

  She closed her eyes for a second, seemed to take the time to make up her mind. Then she opened those beautiful golden eyes. “I want you, too.”

  He reached out and touched her hair. She tensed, but let him cup the back of her skull. He pulled her closer, smelled the floral scent of her light perfume. Her long black hair slid over his hands like silk. Most women in business wore their hair up but she never did, something he appreciated. He pulled her gently toward him and she took the step that he needed to know that this time she told the truth.

  She wanted him.

  What was she doing? Why was she letting him in? She couldn’t tell him the truth except about how he affected her. And was that part of the change too? Would she have acted this way a few months ago? Was the desire she felt, the need, all a part of her curse?

  What would happen if she let him…? No, not if she let him take her, what she felt was stronger than that. What if she took him? A part of her, a growing part, wanted to grab hold of him and roll them onto the floor right now. To growl and bite…

  And then he was kissing her, his lips firm and warm against hers. She opened her mouth and tasted him. He tasted like he smelled, of brandy and man, and she wanted more, so much more.

  He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her close. She melted against the onslaught of his hands, his lips... It felt so good to be held, be desired. It had been too long and maybe it was worth it, the risk of it, to have his embrace for a little while. She kissed him back and he must have felt the change in her because he gripped her tighter, pressing her tight to his body so she could feel the heat of him everywhere.

  She ran her hands over the strong muscles of his arms and back. They were tense, as if he were poised for action. Did he want her that much or did he already know that this was a bad idea? Did he have any clue about the danger he was in simply by being near her? She pulled her lips from his but didn’t let him go. For a moment the only sound was their breathing. After a moment, he let her go and stepped away. She let him, although it was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

  Stopping was the right thing to do. While it would be fun and a huge relief of tension, sex meant intimacies she wasn’t able to share anymore. And even if she could get things sorted out on a personal level, they were going to be business partners. Business and pleasure never mixed well.

  He turned back to her. “So, you aren’t even going to tell the truth about this. There’s a pull between us that could make things really, really good. You know it.”

  He’d stiffened, his shoulders rigid, and the corner of his mouth tilted down. He was right—she was lying. But how could she tell him the truth? In another week the change would become too difficult to control and she’d have to leave. Next month maybe, after she found the Rom and made them take their curse away, she’d be able to tell him something. He’d never believe what was happening to her now.

  Hell, sometimes she didn’t believe it.

  She tried to clear things up. “We’re going to be working together—”

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” he practically growled.

  His frustration and desire heated the room and his scent had changed, growing sharper with frustration. His aggressive stance made her heart pound as much as his kiss had earlier and her bra suddenly seemed too tight. Her hands tingled and she glanced down. Her fingernails were darkening, sharpening. Oh, God.

  “You have to go. I need you to go.”

  He took a step toward her. “Just tell me what is happening. What are you involved in? Are you in trouble? I can help—”

  Tears threatened to fall and it was all she could do to hold them back. “You can’
t help.” What could he do but complicate things further? She could fix this on her own, once she found those Goddamn Gypsies. She pulled back her shoulders and lifted her chin, then walked to the door. She opened it and waited. After a moment he walked out but hesitated at the threshold.

  “When you’re ready to tell me the truth, I’ll be ready to help you. Until then, I think business can wait.” He walked to the elevator without looking back and she quietly shut the door.

  She’d lost the deal for Multoma. No way would he work with them now on either project and it was all because of her. Promotion or not, she’d likely lose her job, her career. Everything she’d ever worked for would be gone and because of what? Because she’d done her job and some Gypsies got in the way.

  Well, they were going to pay for it. After this change, she was going hunting. And before she exiled herself this time, she was going to discover just where her hunting territory would extend. She wiped away the tear that had managed to escape and picked up her briefcase. At least her claws had become nails again once David had left. The alpha strength of him had made her appreciate what that strength could do for her sexually, and that had brought on the beginning of her change as much as his aggression had. And wouldn’t that be the end of any sexual adventure. Sorry, David, you don’t mind a little fur in the bed, do you? Care for a bite?

  She snorted, and then took a deep breath. At least she could still see a little humor in it all. Dark humor, to be sure, but what the hell, better than crying. She strode to her desk in her home office and unpacked her weapons—a powerful laptop and a top-of-the-line cell phone.

  She’d begun the search for the Rom immediately after her first change, but this time she wouldn’t be distracted by anything. Whatever they had done to her had to stop. Maybe it was magic…what the hell else could it be? So, she’d have to search that, too.

  Hours ticked by until she forced herself to stop. Her stomach growled fiercely the moment she stood. She walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Not much inside had any appeal but she made herself cook up a quick omelet and eat. There was a ridiculous amount of garbage on the internet about magic, but most of it had to be trash. She considered her options as she got ready for bed. There was no way she would ever find a cure herself. The Rom had done this to her and they would have to fix her. But at least she had an idea of where to find them.