by Erin Havoc
“Do you think so?” Natalie’s grin seems stuck to her face, and it’s clear that this app is her love child. “It’s because of you it came to be. I watched an interview you did some time ago, saying that shifters had to come out because it was difficult to find your mates.” She shrugs. “So I thought I could help with it.”
“Indeed! It’s a first-rate idea.” Just a little closer, my panther tells me. I shift an inch. Deep breaths, Magnus. Deep breaths.
“Yours should be ready soon,” Natalie goes on. “Let’s hope your mate’s on the app.”
“Sure.” I lift a shoulder in a shrug, dismissing it. Because I don’t need the app to tell me who’s my mate. She’s already sitting next to me. Turning, I catch her watching me, and I need to hear her voice. “So, Karen. Natalie said you’re her right-hand woman.”
She blushes and the color’s exquisite on her cheeks. My mind takes me to other situations she might flush, and I’m running out of breath again. Putting a strand of hair behind her ear, Karen shifts to face me.
“Right-hand woman is such an exaggeration, and she knows that,” she says with a slight smile.
“It’s not!” Natalie gasps, pressing herself against her mate. “I could never do social media like you, and you support me and help me brainstorm. You are my right-hand woman.”
“If you say so,” Karen’s voice drops lower and she shrugs. She looks away, not meeting my eyes. Her fingers twist together on her lap. Is she feeling the same I do? The pull? The ridiculous tug to scoot our chairs closer until we’re touching?
The waiter waltzes in to write down our orders. I take my chance to move another inch closer to her. How bad would it look if I leaned in and smelled her hair?
Bad. No, that would be bad. Stop.
Karen looks over her shoulder at me while Natalie places her order. “Have you had trouble getting here?”
Oh, I was late! She can’t think I don’t respect appointments. Fuck, what a day to get late. “I’m so sorry you had to wait for me. Traffic was atrocious. It won’t happen again. Ever.”
She blinks several times but opens a sweet, sweet smile. “It’s all right. It’s not your fault. We also got stuck in traffic.”
“But you were not late,” I offer. Another inch closer. She won’t even notice.
“That’s because,” she leans, cupping her hand next to her mouth, “Nat forced us to leave an hour earlier, just to be sure. She’s been super excited about this meeting.”
I grin back at her, and my gaze drops to her lips. They look so soft. Full, designed to be kissed. I want to kiss her so badly. Dig my hands into her hair, turn her head sideways, and explore every inch of her mouth.
When our eyes meet again, hers glint with unmistakable, blessed lust, and I know she’s feeling the same.
Silence rings in my ears and I turn to find the others staring at us with barely suppressed smiles. I clear my throat and sit back, adjusting my cuffs again. “Have I mentioned Jason found his match on the app?”
Jason jerks from where he stands and glares down at me. Sorry, pal, need the distraction.
Natalie whirls to face him, her eyes wide. “Indeed! How awesome is that? I’ve been hoping to catch testimonials of matches, you know? Build a page for that on the website.”
My plan works and Natalie goes on about her future goals. Dean watches her with adoration, and Jason’s attention flicks to the restaurant. Soon enough, Natalie’s plans involve me and I am obliged to pay attention.
Even if all I want is to throw Karen over my shoulder and carry her off somewhere else. Somewhere no one can interrupt us. I would kiss her, every inch of her, while she tells me the complete story of her life, with every minute detail she can add. Now that would be incredible.
For dessert, I want Karen’s lips. To devour. To savor.
Kiss her until she’s marked as mine.
5
KAREN
Dear Lord who art in Heaven. Help me.
From the moment Senator Magnus Callahan walked in, I was mesmerized. He’s so much more handsome in the flesh. His ebony skin looks like black marble, smooth and perfectly shiny as it catches the light. His smile makes me swoon and his golden eyes... They make me feel something else entirely.
They’re deep as if he’s trying to tell me a secret. As if his gaze holds much more than he lets know.
Also, how this man isn’t the top one hottest man on the planet, I do not know. In fact, as soon as I get home, I’m starting a petition for that to happen. He has broad shoulders but a lean frame, and he’s tall but not towering. I like it I don’t have to tilt my head all the way back to look into his eyes.
The suit fits him impeccably, hugging muscular arms and fitting around his chest. Suits like this one shouldn’t be legal. They’re lingerie for women. Even his voice is sultry.
And the moment he shook my hand?
My crush skyrocketed, going through the roof. Heat coursed through my body, lighting every cell in me on fire. I am not myself when I lean to joke with him about Natalie. Not myself when I scoot an inch closer so our arms brush when we eat.
I feel the strangest urge to smell him. A woody scent wafts its way to me every time he shifts, and I want to bend and touch my nose to the back of his ear.
If I’m looking desperate, it’s because I am. My legs pressed together, I keep reminding myself why we’re here and with whom. Natalie goes on about her plans while we eat, offering suggestions Callie, Magnus’ PR manager, proposed. But my favorite moment is when he nods her on, then turns to me and asks for my insight.
“Yes, I like that part. But it must happen organically,” I say after sipping from my water. “Forcing an ad never works. People hate it. Which is why the fake date idea is not that bad.” Yes, I admit I was wrong. Seeing him in the flesh is so worth it.
Natalie grins with victory. “Right? If people see you together, he can say he’s met you on the app. Easy peasy.” She offers me her glass and I clink mine to hers.
“Organic is the way to go.” I chuckle as I drink a bit more. There’s no other way to keep my focus from the scorching hot man next to me.
He presses his arm to mine. “So we should do something after this. Maybe grab a coffee somewhere else.” I turn to meet his shimmering eyes. “You know, to improve the chances for other people seeing us.”
My stomach drops. The hype I have been feeling, that adrenaline in my veins for having caught his eye, washes off. He’s just focused on the task at hand. Just like Nat.
Just like I should have expected, but didn’t. It’s a fake date, and he’s too worried about helping the shifter cause to find a girlfriend. Worse — a girlfriend like me. He’s only going to worry about this when the app tells him about his match. Which won’t be me either way.
My smile trembles and I grind my jaw to keep it in place. “I know a place.”
“Fantastic.” He grins, pulling back. “So, you were saying.” He nods Natalie on, and the two talk about ideas to improve the shifter subscription to the app. Dean gives his insight, speaking for the first time, and Jason, Magnus’ bodyguard, adds a couple of things too. Magnus tells us about how a steakhouse isn’t every shifter’s favorite place for lunch, and I watch Natalie take notes, wide eyes on her face. As she always does when she’s having one of these meetings.
My eagerness for the thing dwindles, even if we’re both touching at all times. Silly me thought there was something real going on between us.
After the bill is taken care of, we rise to leave. Magnus stands first and pulls my chair back — for the fake date thing, surely. I thank him and adjust my dress before walking out of the restaurant.
After giving Jason the name of the coffee shop I have in mind (so he can send another bodyguard ahead to check its safety), I turn to Natalie. She’s under Dean’s arm and he whispers something into her ear. She grins, and her eyes snap to meet mine.
“I should be back in an hour,” I tell her as Dean pulls back. We usually work on Saturdays too, and
today’s not different.
She shakes her head. “Nonsense. Take the rest of the day off. We’ll talk later.”
“Wait, Nat. There’s no need to—”
“Nice meeting you, senator,” she sing-songs, shaking Magnus’s hand so quickly I barely see it. She turns on her heels and strides off, pulling Dean along. “Goodbye!”
She leaves me standing on the sidewalk, my jaw slacks as I watch her sprinting away from me. What in the world is she doing? This is only a fake date, she doesn’t need to act like we want the privacy.
Jason steps to a car as it approaches and opens the door for us. He shoots Magnus a strange smile and motions us in. I slide in first, then Magnus follows. He sits so close our arms brush together again.
I don’t see a need since no one can see us inside the car but I don’t mind it. At all. In such an enclosed space, I can smell him even better. The fragrant scent makes me groan a little.
He turns to me, and I’m afraid he’s caught me. But his eyes shift with languid heat, and he sends my heartbeat off once more.
“Tell me more about you, Karen.” His voice lowers as he studies my face. “Books. What do you like to read?”
I tell him those, but soon enough the conversation turns in a different direction, and he prods me for more info on my family and friends. When I hesitate, he turns and smiles.
“You know, talking to other shifters, I noticed how lucky I was. My upbringing was wonderful. I had every opportunity my parents could give me, and they always showered me with love. Being an only child does that to you, I guess.” He laughs, and it affects me. My curiosity piqued, I let it come up. Since we have to talk about something, I’ll make use of it.
“How is it? To be a kid and a shifter?”
“In fact, absolutely the same as being a human,” he says with a smirk and a cocked brow. “Of course, we are told about being shifters and we’re taught about it, as a rule of thumb. But we only shift around puberty.”
“It must be hard. Going through puberty and shifting at the same time.”
“It is a bit overwhelming for some. Shifting not always comes as natural for everybody, so you have to focus on not changing in the middle of class or something.”
“Is that a possibility?” I have never heard of a kid changing mid-class. Pretty sure that would have been all over the news.
“Very slim. Because you feel your animal inside you from the get-go, you learn to control him. Never heard of such a case.”
“I see. That makes sense.” My gaze roams down his handsome, well-drawn features, his dark skin, and bright eyes. “So what are you?”
He opens a smile, and his features change again... To something darker. Voracious.
It shouldn’t make me wet. But it does.
“Guess.” His voice comes out low, and I notice we’re so much closer than before. His breath caresses my cheek, a sound akin to a purr on the back of his throat. My nerves stand on end and I press my thighs together again, praying he won’t smell my arousal.
The smile he gives me as he studies my features, the way his finger now traces along my wrist... He’s a predator. Not something cute and soft like a bunny. But I can’t see a bear in him.
His pupils enlarge as he locks his gaze on my lips.
“Some large cat,” I reply in a trembling voice. Not out of fear. There’s not a drop of fear in me as he leans, his fingers touching mine. “A black panther.”
He smirks so wide I know I got it. For a second, I’m mesmerized, hypnotized by his heated eyes. He holds me there, frozen in place, unable to do anything but gaze into his orbs. My entire focus is pinpointed to the place his digit touches my wrist. He leaves a trail of fire as he brushes along the purple stripes of my veins, flashing a smile at me that declares he plans to devour me.
The car stops and I’m snapped back to reality. Jason opens the door a second later. “We’re here,” he says without looking at us.
Clearing my throat, I pull my hand from his and run my fingers through my hair. I’m a mess. I feel like a mess, crumpled, and breathless. An exposed wire beneath his gaze.
Magnus slides out first, then offers his hand so I can exit too. I grip his fingers, anchoring myself to his warmth before I remember he knows he’s being watched. He’s a public person, and he wants them to see him. To see him with me, a girl he met on the app.
I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Several feelings clash inside me. Envy, for I wanted this to be real. Disappointment and hope. I feel silly but I let him hold my hand as we walk into the coffee shop. Some necks crane in our direction and I know it’s not because of my uncanny beauty. Magnus doesn’t seem to notice, and I believe he’s all but used to the attention.
His hand never leaves mine as he pulls a chair back and offers it for me. I sit, cross my legs, and finally meet his golden eyes. They’re still gleaming, a cat with a secret as he curves the corners of his mouth.
This is going to be so hard. He’s too handsome for me to ignore. Too sexy for me to dislike. Even if he were an annoying person, I know I’d have problems hating his sexy ass. And he knows that. Which makes him a smart politician.
Born for that job, I guess.
“You were telling me about your parents,” he starts as Jason positions himself behind him. The bodyguard turns his neck slowly, checking the vicinity. I notice another guard at the very back of the establishment, his back pressed to the wall. He’s built like a bear, his black hair pulled back. For a moment, I let myself wonder... Would I be able to date someone like Magnus? Surrounded by guards, fearing an attack?
Not that an attack is likely. Magnus was very dismissive about the entire thing.
“I think you will tire of my family history,” I tease with a side-smile, turning to eye the menu. No need to do that, of course. I come here so often I know it by heart. “There’s not much I can tell.”
“But it’s kind of fascinating,” he says, leaning across the table. “History is what makes us us, right? Learning your story helps me piece you together.” He sits back with a soft smile, and I... I hate it. I hate that he’s smiling at me, and flirting with me when we’re nothing. When we’ll never be anything more than fake.
Clearing my throat, I slam the menu down with a bit too much force. “What would you like? I’m going to order.”
He shakes his head, waving a hand. “Let me be a gentleman. My mom would hate to know I let you place your order on our first date.”
“It’s not a real date though,” I say with a sigh, looking sideways. Magnus seems to pause for a second as he pulls one side of his suit to fish for his wallet. His phone comes along and he leaves it on the table. “I’d like a caramel mocha with no sugar, please.”
He nods, his smile now tilted, and gets to his feet, striding to the counter. The girl behind it grins at him and they go on chatting and chatting about, I bet, not the coffee. My cheeks flare as Jason dogs him, and I glare at Magnus’s back as the girl leans for a freaking selfie.
My stomach twists and turns and I don’t think I can drink the coffee. Yes, I know Magnus’s kind of famous right now, and he’s damn gorgeous, and... And I know we’re not an authentic pair. But everything collides, and it makes me so uncomfortable.
His phone buzzes, the screen flickering on. Jason shoots a glance in my direction, but he does nothing. My foot taps the floor by itself, my hands curling in my lap. I wonder if he’s already sent the DNA-compatibility test samples back. If he’s being tested right now.
Wonder how long it will take before he doesn’t need to fake date me because he’ll have a mate out there to find.
Magnus strides back with my mocha and a cup of espresso. He places both between us, sitting back with a sigh.
“Your phone was buzzing,” I tell him after I try to swallow the bitterness in my voice. To no success.
“Oh, it happens all the time.” He laughs, swiping at the screen to check on it. “Nothing important. I can deal with it later.” He picks the coffee mug with elegant
fingers and sips from the steaming liquid. I hug my mocha close, inhaling the scent and willing myself to forget how Magnus smells like. “I’ve been anxious about my test results. Do they take long to come back?”
“Oh, no, not long. A week at the most. We already have quite the hold of the process, you know? So it’s working faster than in the beginning.”
“Did I tell you I had no idea Jason found his mate this way?” He juts a thumb over his shoulder to his bodyguard. “He never mentioned. I could’ve been in the app by now.”
I shrug. “But you’re already kind of famous. You must have a lot of girls hitting on you.” My gaze snaps to the barista without my noticing.
Magnus’s smile widens, his eyes shifting. “I don’t care about that. All I want is my mate.” He tilts his head in the barista’s direction. “Though I have to give everyone the same attention. I’m known to be a man who never denies a selfie. To Jason’s despair.”
Jason grunts in agreement. I chuckle against my better judgment, but my body warms as I lock eyes with Magnus. Looking away, I answer his questions about the app as I gulp my coffee, watching the shop’s movement. My gaze lands, moments later, in the back, where the extra security guard had been standing. He’s not there any longer. Bathroom pause, maybe.
Magnus’s leg brushes against mine, and shivers run up my limbs, making me shudder. Swallowing, I meet his gaze as he leans forward, those golden eyes whispering caresses I’m dying to feel.
“You hate this fake date thing, right?” He calls, his voice gentle.
I press my lips together. “Kind of. I’m not the dating type, and it’s harder when you know you’re not going to be with the person.”
His hand shoots across the table and he finds my fingers with his, brushing our fingertips together. Electricity dances between my skin, making every hair on my body stand on end. My body feels on fire and my breath rushes out of me. From one touch.
