License to Shift by Kathy Lyons Read Free Book Online Page A

your death of cold out here,” she said. She stood in the doorway, electrical light framing her lush figure. He remained in the shadows, trying to force himself to keep watching the grounds and not spoil his night vision by looking toward her. But he couldn’t stop himself, so he turned and smiled.
    “I’m pretty hardy.”
    “You’re crazy,” she said, staring at the deluge outside. “Nothing dangerous is going to attack me in this.”
    Except him. God, she smelled so good, he was already rock hard. Even with the wet in the air, he could smell her musk. Maybe even more so. Musk and something almost as good: hot coffee.
    “I know you think I’m crazy,” he said, “and, frankly, you’re probably right. But I can’t leave you unprotected.” Not after knowing there was something so wrong out in the world. Something that had been inside the cabin.
    She sighed as she joined him in the shadows, holding out the mug of coffee. “It’s just my dad’s cheap shit coffee, but at least it’s hot.”
    He took it gratefully, sipping the brew fast enough that it burned his tongue. His earlier java hit was wearing off, and he appreciated the brain boost. Sitting here scanning the world made him engage too many of his grizzly senses. Caffeine would help keep him on the human straight and narrow. Especially since she’d doctored the drink perfectly.
    “Milk and sugar,” he said. “You know how to tempt a man, don’t you?”
    She sighed when he’d expected her to chuckle. He turned to study her face. Sure, his joke had been feeble, but it hadn’t warranted that frown on her face.
    “You do know I’m a paralegal, right? And I’ve worked on criminal cases.”
    He had no clue what she was getting at, so he didn’t respond. Eventually, she would start talking again. It took longer than he expected, but in time, she leaned against the siding and spoke.
    “This wouldn’t be the first time a man has created a situation just to get a girl to trust him.” Then she twisted her gaze back toward the den. “Though it certainly is the weirdest. And risking pneumonia is new.”
    “I rarely get sick,” he said. He heard a rustle to his right and shifted to hear better. A possum hunting for trash. They never cared about rain. He relaxed again, though he kept his gaze on the darkness. “You should go back inside. Thanks for the coffee.”
    “What if I’m attacked through the back door? What are you going to do then?”
    “I set a couple traps in the back. I’ll hear it before you’re in any danger. Plus, I do a perimeter check periodically.”
    He heard her sharp intake of breath. “You put traps in the backyard?”
    “Just at the edge of your property line.”
    “And what if I decide to go for a walk?”
    “I’ll hear that, too, and join you. They’re not lethal traps, anyway.”
    “Do you even hear yourself? Just how long do you plan to hang around?”
    “Until you leave in the morning. Then I’ll set up a security system before your dad gets back.”
    “A security system? My dad will never pay for it.”
    That was true. Her father was the original penny-pincher, though not for the usual reasons. He just never wanted the hassle of people invading his space for any reason. Pave the driveway? Why bother? Watch for intruders? He didn’t have anything anybody would steal. Except, of course, he did. He had no idea how valuable his research was to a feral like him.
    He heard her shift uncomfortably behind him, and he cursed himself for getting lost in his senses again. It was yet another sign that the animal was too close to the surface. He routinely forgot the ebbs and flows of human interactions.
    “Look, it’s no trouble,” he said. “I’ve got plenty of money. And if I can keep you and your father safe, then it’s well worth it.”
    “Safe from what?” she huffed, thereby taking the conversation full circle. She thought he was nuts. He was nuts, but not that way.
    “I’m not abandoning you again,” he