A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

to bush out. “I’m sure.”
    “Then I probably won’t see you again until the next book comes out.”
    “Guess not.” He doubted he’d be at her next signing. He could get a book autographed through Roger Claymore. That would be a safer option.
    “Thanks for a terrific evening.” Before he could stop her, she leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. Then she scrambled quickly out of the car, out of his reach, and closed the door.
    His mouth felt branded by hers, and he wanted more, much more.
    Ralph chuckled. “Guess you have something stuck in your throat again.”
    “Listen, Ralph, old buddy. You’d growl, too, if you—”
    “Yeah, I know, Aidan. You get major points for not going up there.”
    “Mmm.” Aidan kept his eye on her window until he saw the light go on. Then his phone rang and he immediately answered. “What?”
    “Just wanted you to know that everything’s fine. Good night, Aidan.”
    “Good night, Emma.” He disconnected the phone and closed his eyes. “Drop me off in the park, Ralph. And step on it.”
    Ralph quickly navigated into traffic. “The park’s risky. Let me take you north to the estate.”
    “No. Can’t afford the time.” Aidan gritted his teeth and fought the shift that was coming whether he wanted it to or not. “I want to make sure the guys are working on that e-mail trace.”
    “You’re the boss.” Ralph wove in and out of traffic.
    As they neared the park, Aidan began pulling off his clothes. “If I run for a while, I should be able to shift back in an hour or so. Wait for me.”
    “Will do.” Ralph drove into Central Park and cruised along slowly. “How’s this?”
    “Good. Not much light. Give me three minutes to finish shifting, and then come around and open the door for me.”
    “All right.” Ralph didn’t sound happy about it, but he would do what Aidan asked.
    In exactly three minutes, the back door of the town car opened. Aidan leaped out and began to run, his paws scattering the remnants of snow left on the ground. He would run until he was exhausted. Maybe then he wouldn’t want Emma with the fierceness only an alpha male could feel toward a woman who’d awakened his instinct to mate.

Chapter 4
    Doug called at eight, waking Emma from a hot dream that involved Aidan and a grassy knoll. Aidan was licking up drops of the coffee martini he’d poured all over her naked body and she was ... delirious.
    She would have loved to find out what happened after that, and now she’d never know. She must have sounded as annoyed as she felt, because Doug immediately became contrite.
    “Bad turnout last night, huh?”
    “No. Why would you think that?”
    His tone changed. “Because you’re in a crappy mood.”
    “You woke me up, Doug. I haven’t had coffee yet.”
    “Woke you up? It’s past eight.”
    Barely. Emma rolled her eyes. Doug kept regular hours and had never quite adjusted to the fact she didn’t. “I slept in.”
    “Did you and your mom stay out late last night, then?”
    “No, Mom had to leave right after the signing, so I went for a drink with one of my fans.” There, she’d said it. She hadn’t exactly told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but she’d thrown out a piece of information that was correct as far as it went.
    “I’ll bet you made her evening, too. See, if I’d gone, you wouldn’t have felt free to do that, and I’m sure you girls had a great time sipping umbrella drinks and talking about sexy werewolves.”
    If Doug had called at nine, after Emma had brewed herself some coffee and consumed a cup or two, she might not have reacted so adversely to that patronizing remark. But he’d called at eight, when she was involved in a most excellent dream of passion and sexual adventure with a man who made her current boyfriend look like a dweeb. She was at least a quart low on caffeine, and come to think of it, her boyfriend was a dweeb.
    “You know what, Doug? I just decided we should take