Hidden Passions by Emma Holly Read Free Book Online Page A

goodbye.
    Thanks for last night. Sorry I had to rush out early .
    "Fuck," Tony cursed.
    He'd definitely heard Chris mention a next time. Maybe the cat had thought better of it, or realized the sex wasn't spectacular after all. Tony planted his forearms on the island's black countertop. He could find Chris's number. He was a detective. No one had to know he had it either. Not Evina and not those macho ass-hat tigers. So what if Tony's nature wasn't dominant? He was more than his wolf. He could make the next move if he wanted to.
    He made a fist, thumping the counter for emphasis. "The sex was spectacular, damn it."
    Of course, it might only have been great for him. Maybe Chris's next time was like other guys' I'll call you .
    Tony had uttered that phrase a time or two.
    "Karma's a bitch," he said. The flare of humor lightened his mood a smidge. He'd try to call Chris. Once. Discreetly. To prove he wasn't a crazed ex-virgin stalker boy. Then he'd see what happened. If Chris could forget their night together, so could Tony.
    "We are done," announced a melodious voice. "Would you like to unload us?"
    Tony's heart lurched into his throat. Shit . The voice came from the dishwashers. Nate must have programmed them to remind him.
    "I'd love to unload you," he assured, though they probably couldn't hear. The Brownies' soap was magic. The dishwashers were just pricey machinery.
    He began to empty them, oddly soothed by the simple task. Whether he saw Chris again or not, he'd finally popped his gay cherry. The experience had been good, probably better than most people's. That, he decided, was reason enough to feel all right.
    ~
    Eight days later, Tony was catching up on paperwork in the spell-warded basement of the downtown precinct. The wards protected the squad room from magical sneak attacks, a consideration in a town like theirs. He and Carmine had the space to themselves. No more than once every ten minutes, Tony checked the untraceable burner phone he'd stashed in his desk's locked drawer. Despite his vigilance, the cell refused to give him new info.
    No calls. No texts. No fricking two-word voicemails.
    He'd called Chris four days ago. Just a: How are you, man? I've got that thing you were looking for. Get in touch if you still want it .
    The message was the soul of discretion. He'd used no names and no lovey-dovey stuff. Chris could claim it was a wrong number if he wanted. Despite the consideration, Chris hadn't responded.
    Could the fireman have forgotten what Tony sounded like?
    No, no, no , Tony ordered when his restless hand reached for the drawer again. He'd sworn he'd call Chris once . Shifters didn't forget voices. If the tiger wasn't getting back in contact, he wasn't that into him.
    Across the detective squad room, Carmine hung up his phone.
    "Hey," he called in Tony's direction. "You free to ride with me to Elfyunk? I need to interview a shop owner."
    Carmine was Tony's older cousin, a married wolf with two boys in high school. He outranked Tony but not by much. He had to ask the junior man to do things; straight out orders wouldn't work. Carmine's ride-withs tended to be boring. Important cases rarely fell to him. Carmine was as solid as a fireplug but not brilliant.
    "I'll buy coffee," he said when Tony hesitated.
    Tony relented. Carmine was a good guy, and Tony had lots of reasons to respect him. "Coffee's on me. As long as you tell a story from the old days."
    "Oh I've got stories," Carmine promised. "Your IQ will go up ten points before I'm done with you." The older wolf rose and hitched up his pants. He didn't really have a belly. That wasn't a shifter thing. Sometimes, though, he used the mannerisms of a fat man.
    Like it was nothing, Tony shut and locked the drawer with the burner phone.
    "Ready," he said. He pushed up from his swiveling chair, grabbing his jacket along the way. A touch of his hand verified that his gun was secure in its side holster.
    When he was close enough, Carmine slung his arm around