Copyright © Lovy Books Ltd, 2015
Summer Cooper has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
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Desired by the Tigers
Menage Shifter Romance
Summer Cooper
About the book
Gail Winters just wanted a nice birthday with her mates. A strange attack and a bleeding wound put an end to that. To make matters weirder, the wound has healed the next day. Then Jeremy Stonebridge shows up and turns her life upside down. Rude, arrogant, a real non-charmer, he leaves her with more questions than answers. Has her life really turned upside down, is she something completely different now, does Jeremy truly have to be her guardian?
Over the coming weeks, more women are attacked and Jeremy and Gail grow closer as she teaches him a thing or two about appreciation. Then the Creator shows up, the man with a plan, the man who wants to build an army of weretigers so he can take over the world and destroy the Committee. Crossing into strange countries, places that Gail has never been before, Jeremy tries to keep her safe. At the same time, Gail breaks down Jeremy’s barriers, allowing him a chance to learn that not everyone is a gold digger, and sometimes you really do need people. Gail and Jeremy must fight for what they want to protect, and for each other, using their wits to build a life together or face loneliness, perhaps even death.
Chapter One
Gail stared into the mirror, the drink she’d already consumed making her eyes a little blurry. For a moment she saw a beautiful model; black hair creating a fringe that highlighted the depths of her brown eyes, those same dark-brown eyes were framed beautifully with smoky eye makeup that gave her a sultry look. In that moment, her six-foot height didn’t make her look like a freak compared to her friends; she wasn’t the giant that stood over all of her dainty tiny friends. Then her vision cleared, and while she remained beautiful, she saw a girl with a jawbone that was a little too strong, and shoulders that were just a smidge too broad. Sighing she turned from the mirror and went to stand against the wall until her friends came out of their own stalls. Reality sucked, hard, and she closed her eyes for a moment, her head swimming from the drink and her thoughts.
Her sad smile disappeared the moment Allison walked out of her stall, the perky, always smiling, blonde’s current grin infecting Gail with a happiness she never quite understood, but went with despite herself. If it wasn’t for Allison, Gail would probably always be gloomy. Watching her friend wash her hands, Gail wondered what it must be like to be normal, her thoughts turning gloomy again, but she brushed the thought aside.
“Where are we heading now?” Gail asked Allison, as their friend Petra came out of her stall.
“We’re going where the boys are,” Petra roared in her usual boisterous manner, throwing her arms in the air as her voice rose, and her skirt went with it. Petra hardly ever wore long skirts, only tiny things that barely covered her bum. “I need a man tonight and by God, I’m going to have one. We’re in Manchester; surely we can find a man in this place?”
Gail looked at Petra, doubting Petra would be awake for too many more hours, much less capable of having sex with anyone. She’d keep an eye on her anyway. That was Gail’s usual role, caretaker and nanny, though none of the other girls seemed to realise it. Gail ran off the stubborn men who didn’t want to take no for an answer, the ones that simply couldn’t take a hint, and the sleazy ones that thought they had a chance with her, at least. She’d had her own affairs, but she was usually too busy keeping these two out of trouble to bother.
Stumbling out the doors of the club as she kept her friends upright, Gail wondered if she should just steer them back to their rooms. Petra stumbled again, her stiletto heel caught in the pavement, and she landed on her knees. Gail bent to inspect her friend on the edge of the sidewalk, as Petra fell. She heard a motorbike but didn’t look around as the noise came closer, more concerned with Petra. Just as it passed her, she felt something scratch her neck, a tearing sensation that made her cry out and reach her hand up to the now bleeding wound.
“What the hell?” She screamed as she turned in the direction of the bike. She couldn’t see anything now but the taillights of the vehicle as it disappeared into the dark.
“What’s up duck?” Allison asked, rushing over to Gail.
“That ass just swiped me with something! Is it bad?” Gail asked, angry at the assault, but moving her hair out of the way so Allison could inspect the wound.
“Well, I believe we need to clean it up, at least. Let’s go back to our rooms, see what they might have to clean it with. Or do you want to go to emergency?”
“I think we should have it looked at, you never know what people might be playing at, doing things like this.” Petra said as she took her own look at it.
“Oh, they’ll just treat me as another drunk in A & E, clogging up their emergency room at this time of night. I can’t handle the snarky attitudes, or the wait, at the moment. Let’s just go back and see what it looks like. If it’s bad, we’ll go though. Have either of you got any clean tissues?” Gail placed the clean paper cloths Petra handed over on her neck, and they walked back to their rooms.
In the light, Allison gently cleaned the wound, revealing several scratches, the one in the middle being the deepest. It looked like an animal had scratched her but none of the wounds needed stitches. She placed some antibiotic salve on the scratches, then taped some gauze over the wounds to keep them clean.
“That should do you, princess. I see Petra’s passed out already. I guess we won’t be going out again tonight then. I’ll sleep in here, if you want, and you can have the room with the single bed. Or do you want me to come in with you for a little while?”
“I’ll be fine; I think I’ll just get to sleep myself. What a screwed-up night. I’d report it if I actually thought anything would be done, but I doubt anything will be. Disgusting.” Gail shook her head, and just walked down to her room.
“What the hell is wrong with people, now?” She wondered aloud, putting her hand to her neck.
Letting herself into the room, she found some mirrors and contorted like a pretzel until she could see the wound. Oddly, it looked like it was healing already, the skin looking pink and smooth in spots, not like the ragged one in the middle, red and still weeping bloo
d slightly. Snapping her compact shut she moved the mirrors, changed her clothes, and got back into bed, thinking she’d check it again tomorrow. The scratch being on her neck was worrisome, but she really didn’t want to go to A & E, it was just too frustrating. Closing her eyes she drifted off to sleep, wondering what possessed some people, because obviously something did.
Her dreams were filled with hazel eyes, fire, and the body of a really fit man. A very tall man, taller even than Gail herself. His body was covered in well-defined muscles giving hints of the power and precision the man possessed. She tried to see his face, following him, putting her nose to the ground to keep track of his scent, a scent that filled her head with colours and sounds. She hunted him down a dark alley in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the man, but every time she caught up, pulling him to face her; he’d disappear, reappearing just steps ahead of her. She chased the dark-headed man, as the alley turned into a dense jungle before her very eyes, and still the man evaded her, every single time Gail would get close. She cried out, frustration making her ball up her fist, and finally she woke up, her own frustration driving her out of the comfort of the bed.
Reaching a hand up to her neck, she felt some soreness but no stinging pain or heat that would signal infection. Taking her mirrors back out, she looked at the wound again only to find it gone, even the deep one from the middle was nothing more than a scar now. Shaking, she ran into Petra and Allison’s room to wake them.
“It’s gone; it’s healed, wake up, look! You’re not going to believe this!”
“OH, Gail! Ouch! Why do you have to be so loud so early? Hush woman!” Petra moaned miserably, pulling her pillow back over her head. “What are you on about anyway? What happened last night?”
Rolling her eyes at Petra, Gail turned to Allison who’d sat up and was inspecting Gail’s neck.
“Do you see? It’s completely healed!” Gail shivered as Allison ran her finger over the scars, the light touch on her neck not uncomfortable or painful, but still somehow a weird sensation. Turning to Allison she looked questioningly at her friend.
“How is this possible?” Gail asked her.
“How should I know? I’m not a doctor or medic! It is well strange though!” Allison looked back at her friend with confusion.
“What are you two blathering on about now?” Petra stuck her head out from under her pillow, her curiosity bringing her around to the land of the living.
“Gail was attacked last night, don’t you remember?” Allison prompted the other woman.
“No, not a thing. Lemme see.” Petra clambered out from under her duvet, naked but for her underclothes, and tromped over to Gail.
“I don’t see anything just an old scratch.” Petra said, her doubt about her friends’ sanity evident in her voice.
“Exactly, this was bloody and open last night, look, here’s the cloth we used to clean it!” Allison ran to the en-suite, pulling the damp face cloth out from a pile on the floor. The cloth was still wet and covered in Gail’s blood.
“Oh it couldn’t have been too bad if it’s gone already. Come on, let’s get packed and go home. You two are worrying over nothing and I have to be at work tomorrow. Let’s get going before the day is gone. Come on, stop lolling about, get moving!” Petra made shooing motions, trying to get the other two ladies moving, dismissing the event already.
Allison and Gail looked at each other, both doubting what Petra said about it not being that bad. They both knew what they’d seen.
Gail breathed deep, let the breath out slowly, and decided to let it go for now. She needed to get home as well, and mysterious attacks and healing scratches would have to be dealt with later.
*** ***
Gail opened the door to her one bedroom flat, barely more than a closet on an estate, the bathroom the only private room in the entire place. The open floor plan left the bedroom, living room, and kitchen open to public view but Gail had hung curtains between the areas that she’d turned into a bedroom. Deep-red velvet curtains that matched her duvet. She’d found the items at a clearance sale one of the charity shops had going last month. They were a bit expensive looking for the area Gail lived in, but they’d caught Gail’s imagination and she hadn’t been able to put them down. They were the kind of things she wished she could afford, and for once she could. She’d handed over the money quickly and practically ran home with her purchases, almost fearful someone in the shop would run after her, telling her they’d made a mistake. She hadn’t gone back to the shop for two weeks after that, afraid she’d be caught out and they’d demand the curtains back. Silly, yes, but she loved the material, the richness of the colour, and how they made the room look.
The shimmer of the velvet, the softness of the material, added warmth to the room, sensuality, and the curtain provided Gail with a sense of privacy that she hadn’t had previously. She didn’t want them to show off in the windows, she wanted them for her own enjoyment and every time she came home now, that’s exactly what happened. She felt a sense of deep pleasure and satisfaction when she looked at those curtains, and she’d not regretted buying them once.
She put her things away, putting the clothing she’d worn while she was gone into the washing machine, and dug through her post, seeing she’d had a card from her mother. It was a birthday card and her mother asked to see her again. Gail threw the card down. She and her mates had gone to Manchester to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday, though it was actually today, and the first part had been great. The last part, not so much.
Flicking her eyes at the card again, she picked up her phone, then put it back down. Her mother was an alcoholic who often took money off of Gail. Fiona promised to pay it back but never did, and this had put Gail in a bind many times. Gail had left her mother behind after she was evicted because of her mother’s drunken rantings that saw her standing in the streets two or three times a week shrieking at the neighbours. She did not need her mother in her life again, not if she wasn’t clean.
Hearing the doorbell ring, she hoped her mother hadn’t planned some kind of surprise and peeked out the window from behind a curtain. Seeing a rather tall man there, she walked over to the door and opened it, wondering who he could be, hoping it wasn’t more bother. She just wanted peace and quiet for the rest of the day before she had to head back to her job as a barista at a local café in the morning. She had to be in by 5 am, so he’d best make it quick, whatever he wanted, because she had things to get done today.
*** ***
Gail opened the door and stood there gawping at the man. WAGs everywhere would pull out their own fingernails for a chance at this man. A devilish grin revealed straight white teeth, surrounded by full sensual lips. Gleaming hazel eyes stared at her, a hunger there she could not define, quickly masked behind a blank stare, and the rest of him; the chiselled cheekbones, the strong chin, the straight flawless nose that was perfect for his face, were all familiar to her and a name breathed past her lips.
“Jeremy.” She stood there, shocked into immobility, certain she’d just called this man the wrong name.
“That’s right, Jeremy Stonebridge at your service. May I come in? Thank you, lovely to meet you, though you are a good deal taller than I expected.” The man rudely pushed past Gail, walking into her home to stare around, a look of distaste on his face.
“Right, well, I’m here as your guardian, no need to beat around the bush is there? The Committee sent me, after much deliberation, apparently, or none at all I’d wager. I think they just thought it time I did my part besides donating money to the cause. What questions do you have for me?” He looked at Gail expectantly before sitting down on the couch, a couch he brushed off she noted, before sitting down.
Gail’s eyes narrowed at his gestures, but his words confused her. She was going to change her middle name to confused if this kept up, Gail thought.
“You’re out of your box, what are you on about?” Gail asked.
“I’m your guardian. G-U-A-R-D-I-A-N. Sent by the Commit
tee, you’re one of the were-people now, aren’t you? You’ll need a guardian until you figure all of this out and can manage on your own. Although, from the looks of you, you look like you may be able to manage on your own just fine. How tall are you anyway?” Jeremy asked, not the least bit shy about his curiosity.
“I’m six foot,” came the automatic response, “more if I wear heels obviously.”
“You are a tall girl, with big strong shoulders too. You hardly need a babysitter. I had hoped they were sending me to a male, but I see they chose a female for my first time. You aren’t going to turn all tearful and girly on me are you? I simply cannot abide weepy females.” Noting the look of anger growing on Gail’s face, Jeremy soon changed directions. “Um, look, there’s no need for violence either. Just calm your tits, and let me get you a drink. There has to be something in here worth drinking.” Jeremy’s voice tapered off as he looked around the room, trying to find some kind of alcohol to give the woman before him.
Spying a bottle of bourbon he poured some into two clean glasses he found in the kitchen and came back to sit down.
By this time, Gail was certain the man, though beautiful, was absolutely insane and that he’d escaped from a mental health facility somewhere. She was trying to decide how best to get him out of her home when he started to speak again.
“So you were recently attacked were you? That’s how you became infected, you know? Did the Committee tell you? No? Oh, well, that’s how it happened anyway.”
“Excuse me, may I ask again, what you are on about? I was attacked last night, yes, but it was only a scratch, and it has healed now. No big deal.” Gail finally responded.
“Last night you say? Well, yes, that would explain your confusion then. I suppose you haven’t been contacted by anyone yet. Right then, to clear this up, let me demonstrate.” Jeremy stood up, and his clothes fell down to the floor as he quickly shifted into tiger form, and then back again.
Gail climbed deeper into her chair, pulling her legs up in front of her as Jeremy shifted. A scream started to build in her throat, fear filling her body with adrenaline as he shifted back into human form. Gail stared at the now naked man, and watched as he picked up his suit and tie and started to put the items back on.
Bisexual: Desired by the Tigers: Bisexual Menage Romantic Suspense (Menage, Shifters, Tiger, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Short Story) Page 1
