consumed by Sandra Sookoo Read Free Book Online Page A

thought about slapping up a hand to cover the telltale flush, but what would be the point? Nothing escaped Jamison’s sharp-eyed gaze. He really was an annoying vampire, and frankly, Sam couldn’t wait for the bloodsucker to fall under a female’s spell. “I do not think what ails me is love. Call it interest or curiosity, perhaps. She talks of things I have no explanation for or even knowledge of, and she’s a wolf-shifter—well, a latent one, which would be a sure sign of why she was drawn—or led—to the town.”
    “Call it whatever you feel you need to. I know that look, my friend.” His partner’s grin showed off his half-lengthened fangs. “Many broken shifters and other paranormals have found their way here. Some of them you have never met, and not one of them has spent an evening in your company.”
    “Your point, Jamison?” The game wore on Sam’s nerves.
    “How do you feel about her as a potential mate?”
    “I never thought about it before.” Except that was an enormous lie. Part of why he felt so anxious about dying could be thrown at the doorstep of regret. He’d never found a woman relatable enough, special enough, that he would actually consider mating with or even reproducing with.
    Of course, such a thing brought a whole host of new problems. Yet, entering that equation with Ava as the answer, suddenly the problem didn’t seem so dire.
    “If I were you, Sam, I would stop thinking. She is a woman, not a financial conundrum. Go out and find her.” Jamison grinned as he moved to the doorway. “Steal her away from wherever she’s gone. Spend the rest of your time in the perfumed arms of the time traveler. Who knows, maybe she’s here for you, and if she is, enjoy it. Most folk generally are not afforded a second chance.” As always, Jamison pushed for risk while Sam weighed in on the side of conservative performance.
    What if taking the risk was the right thing to do now? The wealth he’d accumulated and properties he owned had been gained because of his steady hand in business. Never one to throw dollars at shaky schemes, he’d always contented himself with waiting. In the case of his romantic life, had he waited long enough?
    Sam barely noticed his friend leave the room. While he wasn’t naïve enough to believe one hundred percent in Jamison’s theory, a tiny thread of hope wiggled through his insides. Perhaps, given the right circumstances, his aging member would meet with a miracle and he could lose himself in a few short minutes of pleasure. With Ava, the woman who possessed multiple shades of blonde in her hair, the woman who he’d connected with from that first moment of seeing her from the bank window.
    Shooting out of his chair so fast it crashed against the back wall, he ran out of his office and into the lobby. “Jamison, if you should have need of me, send word to the house. I am taking a holiday!” He dashed across the stately tiled floor, grabbed his hat and gloves from the entry table, and left the bank.
    It was time to resume the life he’d put on hold for much too long.
    Ten minutes later, he rapped on Mrs. Altier’s door, resisting the urge to pace the length of the wraparound porch. Hay bales and dried cornstalks rested in the area, with a few pumpkins and baskets of apples placed about for decoration as much as for storage. When he thought his knock would go unanswered, the door slowly swung inward and the gray-haired matron stood in the doorway, her customary frown in place.
    “Did you need something, Mr. Tremaine? It is quite unorthodox to call so early.” In spite of the morning hour, the woman was fully dressed as if she frequently entertained for breakfast, albeit gray crepe wasn’t all that cheery.
    “I am aware of that, Mrs. Altier. However, time is of the essence at the moment.” He slapped his gloves against his thigh. “If Miss Lesarris is available, I wish to see her. I promise not to keep her away from home for more than an hour. Simply