not. Trust between us is essential or the relationship won’t work for you and you’ll just be wasting your money. If you don’t even trust me enough to tell me how you earn a living, well, I’m not terribly hopeful.”
He turned the chair around so he faced her and spread his hands. “How about if you pull up a chair?” His face looked earnest, not threatening. She saw pleading in the depths of his eyes.
“Okay.” Something with nasty claws walked up her back. Was it paranoia, or a genuine warning? For once, her cat was silent. Kate sensed it within her, watchful and waiting.
She reached out with her magic and settled a chair across from him. Not too close. She was edgy, ready to fight for her life if she had to. She was surprised her lust hadn’t abated. Not one whit. Her body craved him. It didn’t care if he was out to get her.
“Let’s start with this.” She locked gazes with him. “About a week ago, you followed me when I walked to work. Why?” Before he could answer, she hurried on. “And I’ll be a blue monkey if you showing up at the café where I eat lunch every day was accidental.”
His jaw set in a hard line. A muscle danced beneath one eye. “Guess I need to tell you. You’ll find out soon enough once my clothes are off and you see the duty tattoos. I’m a cop. Just started working for the city, but I’ve been a cop for a long time. I’m part of the task force that’s supposed to hunt down shif—, er, people like you.”
She leaped to her feet and backed away, intent on putting as much distance as she could between her and Devon Heartshorn.
“No.” He was on his feet, too. “Please don’t run away. I told my captain he was wrong about you.”
She cocked her head to one side. He’d told her the truth. The words pinged clean against her magic. “Why would you do that? You said on my form, you’d only been here three months. Usually new hires want to make a good impression.”
Color rose from the open neck of his shirt and stained his coppery skin, giving it a rosy tint. “Because I think you’re beautiful. I couldn’t stand the thought of you not being free.”
“It’s more than not being free. It’s being dead.” She squared her shoulders and tossed her hair over them. “Surely you must know they’re killing us before they book us into prison.” She laughed bitterly. “Really cuts down on the overhead if they don’t have to feed us.”
His eyes widened. “No. I didn’t know that. What about the Human Rights Commission?”
“Haven’t you heard? Shifters aren’t classified as human anymore.” She slammed a fist into her open palm. No matter how much she wanted to fuck him, he really needed to leave. “Look—”
“Please.” He extended a hand toward her. “My mother was a shifter, half anyway. She died in prison. I—I’ve never felt so confused in my life.” He turned away. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Shouldn’t have told you that. It’s not your problem.”
Compassion battled briefly with apprehension and won. “You work for the people who killed your kin. Christ, Devon, no wonder you’re conflicted. Do you really have sexual problems, or did you just want to see me?”
He didn’t say anything. Kate made a snap decision. He hadn’t entered any of the data he’d typed. She crossed the room, leaned over the computer, and pushed cancel .
“It’s more than wanted to see you,” he said, voice low and thrumming with emotion. “I haven’t been able to think about anything but you since I followed you that day. You’re in my dreams when I sleep and in my head when I’m awake.” He closed the distance between them and spun her to face him, keeping his hands on her shoulders. The intensity in his gaze burned all the way into her soul. “I even hired a hooker, but when I was inside her, all I saw was you.”
A well-protected place deep within Kate melted. She wound her arms around his waist and met his gaze with a ferocity born of denied
He turned the chair around so he faced her and spread his hands. “How about if you pull up a chair?” His face looked earnest, not threatening. She saw pleading in the depths of his eyes.
“Okay.” Something with nasty claws walked up her back. Was it paranoia, or a genuine warning? For once, her cat was silent. Kate sensed it within her, watchful and waiting.
She reached out with her magic and settled a chair across from him. Not too close. She was edgy, ready to fight for her life if she had to. She was surprised her lust hadn’t abated. Not one whit. Her body craved him. It didn’t care if he was out to get her.
“Let’s start with this.” She locked gazes with him. “About a week ago, you followed me when I walked to work. Why?” Before he could answer, she hurried on. “And I’ll be a blue monkey if you showing up at the café where I eat lunch every day was accidental.”
His jaw set in a hard line. A muscle danced beneath one eye. “Guess I need to tell you. You’ll find out soon enough once my clothes are off and you see the duty tattoos. I’m a cop. Just started working for the city, but I’ve been a cop for a long time. I’m part of the task force that’s supposed to hunt down shif—, er, people like you.”
She leaped to her feet and backed away, intent on putting as much distance as she could between her and Devon Heartshorn.
“No.” He was on his feet, too. “Please don’t run away. I told my captain he was wrong about you.”
She cocked her head to one side. He’d told her the truth. The words pinged clean against her magic. “Why would you do that? You said on my form, you’d only been here three months. Usually new hires want to make a good impression.”
Color rose from the open neck of his shirt and stained his coppery skin, giving it a rosy tint. “Because I think you’re beautiful. I couldn’t stand the thought of you not being free.”
“It’s more than not being free. It’s being dead.” She squared her shoulders and tossed her hair over them. “Surely you must know they’re killing us before they book us into prison.” She laughed bitterly. “Really cuts down on the overhead if they don’t have to feed us.”
His eyes widened. “No. I didn’t know that. What about the Human Rights Commission?”
“Haven’t you heard? Shifters aren’t classified as human anymore.” She slammed a fist into her open palm. No matter how much she wanted to fuck him, he really needed to leave. “Look—”
“Please.” He extended a hand toward her. “My mother was a shifter, half anyway. She died in prison. I—I’ve never felt so confused in my life.” He turned away. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Shouldn’t have told you that. It’s not your problem.”
Compassion battled briefly with apprehension and won. “You work for the people who killed your kin. Christ, Devon, no wonder you’re conflicted. Do you really have sexual problems, or did you just want to see me?”
He didn’t say anything. Kate made a snap decision. He hadn’t entered any of the data he’d typed. She crossed the room, leaned over the computer, and pushed cancel .
“It’s more than wanted to see you,” he said, voice low and thrumming with emotion. “I haven’t been able to think about anything but you since I followed you that day. You’re in my dreams when I sleep and in my head when I’m awake.” He closed the distance between them and spun her to face him, keeping his hands on her shoulders. The intensity in his gaze burned all the way into her soul. “I even hired a hooker, but when I was inside her, all I saw was you.”
A well-protected place deep within Kate melted. She wound her arms around his waist and met his gaze with a ferocity born of denied
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