Sexual Shift Read Online Free PDF Page B

me to go away, I’ll do as you wish.”
    “What if I don’t want to have a drink with you?” Her breath caught in her throat, tamping down the sudden urge to say yes to his invitation. He had a strange hold on her she couldn’t shake. A hold she wasn’t sure she wanted to shake.
    “Then I’ll sit in the bakery all day and profess my undying devotion to you as loudly as I can.”
    Was he serious? The twinkle in his eye said he was. Could she call the police and have him hauled away? Or have Meg put a spell on him?
    “Fine. One drink.” Hilly stuck out her hand, ready to seal the deal.
    Tanner took her hand, gently, almost reverently. Then, catching her off-guard yet again, he yanked her forward and kissed her, hard and longingly, making her pulse jump into high gear. After several delicious yet torturous moments, he released her, whirled around and walked away.
     
     
    Tanner ignored the redhead sitting alone at the bar of the Good Eats Restaurant. He didn’t know which cliché bothered him more: the name of the restaurant or the single woman on the prowl. Her come-on glances and even the glide of her tongue over her red lips didn’t draw him in. Instead of accepting her invitation, he shifted in his seat to get a better view of the front door.
    Why was he here, anyway? Cottageville rated a mere dot on his GPS system, but he hadn’t been able to resist the pull he’d felt when he’d approached the highway exit leading to a two-lane road filled with potholes. The instinctual tug had overtaken him, and he always listened to his instincts. After all, great instincts were one of the perks of being what he was.
    He recalled the last time he’d explained his heritage to a human. What humankind didn’t know about the universe and its vast and varied inhabitants could produce enough volumes to fill all the libraries in the world several times over. Yet after vowing never to reveal his true nature again, here he was, ready to spill the beans to another woman.
    He could still picture Mira’s disbelief-turned-horror when he’d revealed his true identity. Even after she’d promised to accept him, she’d trembled under his touch. Still, maybe things would have turned out all right if his mother hadn’t found out about Mira. He hated the all-too-familiar sickening churn of his stomach. Although his mother had denied doing anything to Mira, he couldn’t shake the gut feeling that she’d driven Mira to the edge of despair. Tormented for nights on end, was it any wonder she’d taken her own life?
    He’d never forgive his mother for what she’d done.
    Could he stand it if Hilly reacted as Mira had? Yet Hilly wasn’t any ordinary woman. As a supernatural being, she might find it easier to accept what he was. As for his mother, he’d never let her hurt Hilly the way she’d tortured Mira.
    He took a swig of his drink, hoping to loosen the knot in his stomach. Instead, he concentrated on remembering the way Hilly’s body fit his, the soft sounds she’d made as he’d sucked on her tender bundle of nerves.
    Desire swept over him, stunning him in its intensity. She was gorgeous, no doubt. But it was her eyes, those startling bluer-than-blue eyes that gave him a glimpse into her mind and had him wanting to tell her, to let her know what he really was. If only to prove how special she was.
    Still, he should play it safe. After all, why not just take her like he had all the rest since Mira?
    Because Hilly was the type of woman he could fall for.
    The idea jolted him, and he knocked back his drink as though the smooth liquid would burn away the ridiculous thought. What he was feeling wasn’t love. Just big-time lust. No way should he tell her. Maybe he should revise his plan for the evening.
    Hilly. He smiled at the sound of her name in his head, fingered the rim of his glass, then traded it for the new drink the young waitress quietly set down on the table. She stayed, staring at him in that hungry way women tended to