Excerpt: (18+)

Who the hell let that dirty beast into the house? Mind you, the vagrant had cleaned up since she’d met him. No longer did the beast sport a bristly jaw, wild ruffled hair, and bloodshot eyes. Actually, he was downright gorgeous, something she noticed begrudgingly. I never noticed last night just how startling blue his eyes were, and thick, ebony hair, made for yanking.

He looked like a bad boy poster come to life in hip-hugging blue jeans, an open neck black button-down shirt and black boots. In other words, superhot … except for the sneer on his face. Funny how that expression seemed to follow her wherever she went.

His lip curled back and he drawled, “Well, if it isn’t the bitch. Oops, did I slip, I meant to say witch.”

Hmm, it seemed his flirtation of the night before no longer applied. Now sober and fully cognizant of the events leading up to his ignoble besting by a mere woman, he didn’t seem so attracted. For some reason, this irritated her. “Oh look, a talking animal. Has hell frozen over? I’ll have to get my skates sharpened.”

“I’d invest instead in a few cases of WD-40 or a blowtorch because you’re going to need lots of help prying those thighs apart when you get there, that is if you can find a demon stupid enough to risk your sharp tongue.”

Evangeline’s nails dug into her palms as she struggled to hold on to her boiling temper. He might be good-looking, but he’s an asshole even sober. If he weren’t a shifter, he’d be so dead right now. She really should start carrying around her ritual dagger for moments like these when only an actual stabbing would do. Then again, she was wearing stilettos…

She took a step toward him, but he backed away with a shake of his head. “Fool me once,” he said with a tsking sound and shake of his finger, “shame on me. But it won’t happen twice. You might have caught me by surprise last night at the bar, but I’m completely sober now and wise to your tricks. Unless you just can’t keep your hands to yourself because we both know I’m irresistible, in which case have at it,” he said, spreading his arms wide and inviting her to touch.

A surge of lust almost took her breath away even as her vision turned red. Evangeline rarely lost control of her temper, but something about the shifter drove her absolutely nuts. As if possessed, she found herself stepping forward, her hand swinging to slap the smug grin off his face.

A calloused hand moved lightning quick and caught hers before she made contact, the touch of his bare skin sending an electrical tingle throughout her body. It also made her magical glamor waver as his nullifying effect on magic made its presence known. She saw his face register shock as her actual petite, curvy form became visible. Stupid shifter disrupting my spell.

“You,” he whispered disbelievingly.

Evangeline didn’t understand the look he gave her, one that registered recognition. No one but close family knew her true face.

“Yes me. Who else would I be?” She tugged at the wrist he held manacled in one big hand, but he refused to release her.

“You wear a disguise?”

“I prefer to think of it as business attire,” she replied with a toss of her hair. It probably didn’t have the desired effect given it sprang from her head in a wild mane of unruly curls.

“I can see why. This is much too tempting.”

Tempting? Did he speak of her short and curvy frame? Had his mother dropped him on his head one too many times as a child?

Her confusion over his reaction made her miss his free hand coming to rest on her waist, but she felt it even through her clothes. Like a molten hot brand, the touch of his hand made her knees go weak, and he pulled her unresistingly up against the hardness of his body. And she meant hard.

Evangeline’s eyes widened at the evidence of his arousal pressing against her. This doesn’t make sense. Men do not become aroused at the sight of my plump and freckled self. As she puzzled over this surprise, he threw her another as he pulled her up to meet his lips and for once, she didn’t protest, too caught up in the erotic spell he’d cast over her.

Their lips touched and a disturbing sense of rightness clamored through her, one that screamed, “Mine!” A foolish thought that she quickly forgot as she lost herself in the sensation of his lips. They rubbed firmly against hers and stoked the fire that burned between her legs. He drew her closer into him, his strong grasp lifting her so she didn’t need to crane to taste the sweetness of his mouth. Her body molded against his, the stiffness of his erection pressed against her, and she mewled, frustrated at the layers that separated their skin.

A high-pitched voice startled her from the embrace. “Excellent. I see you already know each other,” said Mr. Rumpelstiltskin as he entered his office.

Evangeline pushed away from man who’d bespelled her and rubbed her lips even as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. What came over her? How could she let him manhandle her like that? And why did I enjoy it?Angry at her loss of control, she couldn’t stop her hand, which rose lightning quick and cracked across the shifter’s face. “Pig!”

The well-placed blow didn’t budge his thick head, a testament to his solidity. “Funny, a second ago you weren’t complaining about my heritage, and it’s feline by the way, not porcine.”

“Cat, pig, or dog, you’re still an animal.”

“An animal you obviously want to fuck. Or are you going to tell me you tongue all the beasts you kiss?”

“I did not slip you the tongue.”

“No, I did that, but again, I didn’t see you arguing.”

“Because you were gagging me.”

“That’s not gagging. If you were, we’d both be wearing less clothes and you’d be on your knees.”

Second Edition (2013) Editor: Brieanna Roberston
Original Edition (2010)Editor: Victoria Miller
Cover Artist: Amanda Kelsey – www.razzdazzdesign.com/