“Not used to being around our kind?”
She looked to the ground and shook her head. “I’m sorry.” Apologizing for her awkwardness, she hoped she didn’t offend him. She couldn’t afford to lose her new job.
“ I’m not going to eat you for lunch,” he said with a smile, hoping to break the ice.
She nodded. She tried to find her voice, but it was lost. She simply nodded and whispered, “Good day,” after he signed.
“ Wait,” he called out after her.
Ingrid froze. He stood and walked over to where she was. Goose bumps ran up her arm, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood. He was powerful and large.
“ You’re safe here,” he assured her. “Did you know most fear is based out of ignorance?” He circled the girl, now frozen in place, her feet glued to the ground. “Knowledge is powerful,” he finished. Reaching toward the door, he opened it for her.
She didn’t want to notice his muscle flexing against his white lab coat, but it could barely contain him. She forced her feet forward. Getting to her car, she gripped the steering wheel and caught her breath. What exactly was she afraid of? Did she fear for her life? Or that her fascination would lead her down a road she didn’t need to travel. He was raw and sexy. She didn’t expect that.
The doctor wisped through her mind throughout the rest of the day. She resented that his power and strength intrigued her. She hated that she wanted to reach out and touch his muscled arm in the safety of her imagination. It felt dirty.
Her father warned her about the dangerous half-breeds. And yet…the way her body responded when he circled her. The adrenaline of the fear mixed with attraction was some weird aphrodisiac that left her sweating and breathless in bed as she reached down to touch herself under the covers. She’d never fantasized about shifters before. It felt taboo, naughty, and wicked. And yet, the delicious orgasm she gave herself that night in bed left her longing for more.
Chapter 4
Jagger left the research facility later than usual. Another round of testing came to a dead end. He waved to Kai and Matt Stryker as they passed by patrolling the town. What he needed was a solid, mind-numbing run. He thought he was ‘this close’ and again his answers were in vain. He’d have to backtrack even further now. Why? What was different? What god damn pollution in their water was causing his serums to break down before they could work effectively?
As his stride picked up, his thoughts whirred. And what had once bothered him faded for the time being. One leg in front of the other, his thighs eager to move him harder than his human body could carry him. He let himself slide into bear form and pushed himself, now lunging forward, letting out a grunt, his legs powerful and free. Nothing existed in his mind, simply the pure joy of running hard, his body taking over.
When he’d exerted his energy and was ready to return to his thoughts, he headed home. He’d stopped driving into work long ago, and found his time was better spent running or biking in. Running was always his first choice. It cleared his mind like nothing else could.
Sweaty and worn, satisfied with the exertion, Jagger headed to the shower to clean off, now back in his human form. Relaxed after his shower, he settled in with some food and journals and dropped onto the sofa. If he could go back through his notes, maybe he’d find something he missed.
Only focus quickly flitted away, and what snuck into its place was a full-figured courier by the name of Ingrid. Her soft, round hips, the curve of her lip, her full cheeks, and the way her eyes darted away from him…it all came rushing back to him. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t find her child-bearing hips and large, round breasts attractive. There was something about her shyness, her natural caution that brought out a protective nature in him. He liked the way she was feminine. Each thought fed the next. He tucked