Chapter One
Charlie Aquino glided his car slowly to the curb, cut the engine and headlights, and rolled down his window. It was quiet in this little cul-de-sac where Derek and the rest of his group—er, pack—lived. He scanned the house he drove by every night on his way home, after a long shift for the sheriff’s department. Just looking at the place, hoping for a glimpse of her, calmed him. Soothed all those frayed and jangled nerves.
Sometimes a light would be on. Other times, like now, the little cottage would be completely dark.
Was she outside, running? Alone or with her “friends”? He closed his eyes, and Liana Cosa’s face swam before his eyes. High cheekbones, amber eyes, and a silken waterfall of ash-blonde hair. When she smiled at him, the bottom fell out of his heart.
Jesus, Aquino. You’ve really lost your mind.
But a year had made a lot of difference in his life. Twelve months ago, he and Jesse Farrell had been working the gang task force for the sheriff. The most exotic things in their lives were the devious gang leaders who always lay in wait. And he’d never heard of a shape-shifter. Now, his partner was married to one, and he, for his sins, was falling helplessly in love with another one.
The group of cottages lining the cul-de-sac were where Liana and her friends lived. Her pack, for they were all shifters like Liana. Alexa Farrell, Jesse’s wife, had worked out a deal with a developer she did real estate research for. Derek and his group would provide security at the developer’s construction sites in return for nominal pay and free rent at cottages he hadn’t been able to sell anyway.
At first, the shifter thing had really freaked him out, but now, a year later, it had become part of his life. Especially after he met Liana. And how weird was that, falling for a wolf? But, like Alexa, Liana had an exotic quality about her that pulled at him and made his cock so hard every time he looked at her he was afraid it would break off.
From the moment he met her at Jesse and Alexa’s place, he wanted her more than any other woman he’d ever met. He made it a point to run into her whenever he could. Buy her coffee. A drink, if he could coax her into it. Twice, he’d actually talked her into dinner.
But she was wary of him, and he could understand why. Humans were suspect. Jesse and Alexa had worked out fine, but Alexa had landed in Florida because of a disastrous experience with her previous human love. Charlie was sure Liana always had that in the back of her mind.
Sometimes when he drove by, she’d be outside in the warmth of a Florida evening, sitting on her porch swing. He’d stop, make his way to the porch, and coax her into offering him a cold drink. Sitting next to her, the scent of her teasing his nostrils, her thigh so soft next to his, the fabric of her T-shirt outlining her full breasts, he had all he could do to keep from throwing her to the porch floor and taking her there.
But Charlie Aquino had more class than that, he reminded himself. Except that lust was steadily winning out over class. He only knew if he didn’t get to fuck her pretty soon, he’d self-destruct.
If the house was dark, like tonight, he always waited a while, staring at the copse of trees behind the houses, hoping for a glimpse of her in wolf form. The first time he saw her it took his breath away—gorgeous, magnificent, silver coat shimmering. And the more he saw her as a wolf, the more he fell in love with her. Go figure.
He slouched against the back of the seat, wondering where she’d gone to tonight. Was she out with one of the males in the pack? Shit. He never thought he’d be jealous of a wolf. Unconsciously, he fingered the condom he’d been carrying in his pocket for weeks. Hoping for a chance—not just for sex because he’d come to realize that what he felt for her was a lot more than that. He wanted the chance to explore those feelings.
Then he saw her, right at the edge of her
Charlie Aquino glided his car slowly to the curb, cut the engine and headlights, and rolled down his window. It was quiet in this little cul-de-sac where Derek and the rest of his group—er, pack—lived. He scanned the house he drove by every night on his way home, after a long shift for the sheriff’s department. Just looking at the place, hoping for a glimpse of her, calmed him. Soothed all those frayed and jangled nerves.
Sometimes a light would be on. Other times, like now, the little cottage would be completely dark.
Was she outside, running? Alone or with her “friends”? He closed his eyes, and Liana Cosa’s face swam before his eyes. High cheekbones, amber eyes, and a silken waterfall of ash-blonde hair. When she smiled at him, the bottom fell out of his heart.
Jesus, Aquino. You’ve really lost your mind.
But a year had made a lot of difference in his life. Twelve months ago, he and Jesse Farrell had been working the gang task force for the sheriff. The most exotic things in their lives were the devious gang leaders who always lay in wait. And he’d never heard of a shape-shifter. Now, his partner was married to one, and he, for his sins, was falling helplessly in love with another one.
The group of cottages lining the cul-de-sac were where Liana and her friends lived. Her pack, for they were all shifters like Liana. Alexa Farrell, Jesse’s wife, had worked out a deal with a developer she did real estate research for. Derek and his group would provide security at the developer’s construction sites in return for nominal pay and free rent at cottages he hadn’t been able to sell anyway.
At first, the shifter thing had really freaked him out, but now, a year later, it had become part of his life. Especially after he met Liana. And how weird was that, falling for a wolf? But, like Alexa, Liana had an exotic quality about her that pulled at him and made his cock so hard every time he looked at her he was afraid it would break off.
From the moment he met her at Jesse and Alexa’s place, he wanted her more than any other woman he’d ever met. He made it a point to run into her whenever he could. Buy her coffee. A drink, if he could coax her into it. Twice, he’d actually talked her into dinner.
But she was wary of him, and he could understand why. Humans were suspect. Jesse and Alexa had worked out fine, but Alexa had landed in Florida because of a disastrous experience with her previous human love. Charlie was sure Liana always had that in the back of her mind.
Sometimes when he drove by, she’d be outside in the warmth of a Florida evening, sitting on her porch swing. He’d stop, make his way to the porch, and coax her into offering him a cold drink. Sitting next to her, the scent of her teasing his nostrils, her thigh so soft next to his, the fabric of her T-shirt outlining her full breasts, he had all he could do to keep from throwing her to the porch floor and taking her there.
But Charlie Aquino had more class than that, he reminded himself. Except that lust was steadily winning out over class. He only knew if he didn’t get to fuck her pretty soon, he’d self-destruct.
If the house was dark, like tonight, he always waited a while, staring at the copse of trees behind the houses, hoping for a glimpse of her in wolf form. The first time he saw her it took his breath away—gorgeous, magnificent, silver coat shimmering. And the more he saw her as a wolf, the more he fell in love with her. Go figure.
He slouched against the back of the seat, wondering where she’d gone to tonight. Was she out with one of the males in the pack? Shit. He never thought he’d be jealous of a wolf. Unconsciously, he fingered the condom he’d been carrying in his pocket for weeks. Hoping for a chance—not just for sex because he’d come to realize that what he felt for her was a lot more than that. He wanted the chance to explore those feelings.
Then he saw her, right at the edge of her
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