Secrets of the Jaguar (Crimson Romance) by Jaye Shields Read Free Book Online Page A

if you weren’t here, I can hold down the fort — jungle cat, remember? I can scratch a face to shreds, no problem.” She smiled at him as she pushed past him through the doorway and began her ascent upstairs to her apartment. “Um … I should have you know, it’s a little messy.”
    With the advisory, Duncan shifted from a menacing protector to the teasing boy she was starting to really like. He was full of surprises.
    “I promise not to judge. After all, what can be more shocking than meeting a shape shifter?”
    Turning the key, Michelle leaned against the door, pushing it open with all her might. She squeezed through the narrow opening. “Yeah, there are a couple boxes I haven’t unpacked behind the door.”
    When Duncan realized there was no way he could “squeeze” his muscular frame through the narrow opening, he misted into the room. His jaw promptly dropped when he took in the tiny studio apartment that looked like it had been ravaged by a tornado. Clothes and other random items were spilled across the room along with big boxes here and there, most of them overflowing with items as if someone started to unpack and then decided against it. In her kitchen, some of the boxes had stacks of dishes on them, as if set there to dry. The tiny sink with no accompanying counter was also piled with dishes. To keep with the trend, pots and pans covered the stovetop completely.
    Warmth crept into her cheeks.
    “Wow” was his only response.
    “Hey! You said you wouldn’t judge.”
    “I am at a loss for words.” He smiled and reached over to Michelle and hugged her to his side. “Now I truly know your darkest secret. You, Michelle, are a slob.”
    From the cradle of his arm, she looked up and saw his eyes held a teasing smile. She wrestled out of his hug so she didn’t seem too comfortable. “No more making fun of me until we are better acquainted, or maybe I won’t share any more secrets.”
    “Awww, don’t be a party pooper. We are already closer than kin. We are the only people that know each other’s secrets.”
    “Maybe I don’t want to be friends with a blood sucker.”
    With that one comment, Michelle sucked in a breath, her sentiment coming out completely wrong. She meant to tease him back, but clearly she had crossed a line because his eyes became dark and still, hurt and angry. And then he dissolved into a mist and disappeared completely.
    Her heart ached. “I’m sorry. Are you there? I’m sorry!” Michelle fought tears, ashamed she had driven away her only friend. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” she repeated, this time almost a whisper. Sure he drank blood, but her heart soared when she was in Duncan‘s company. The way he teased her made her feel adored. And the way he touched her comfortably, despite the fact they just met, made her feel desired.
    “You called me a slob; I was just getting you back.” Desperate with sadness, Michelle realized that once again, she was alone.

Chapter Nine
    Duncan manifested to his house by the beach. It was still early and the estuary beyond his front yard was full of life. Just as he’d felt the past couple hours. But now he sat back in his big leather chair and let himself sink into melancholy. He had been alone for a long time, but never lonely. Not until now when he found someone so divine, making the world beautiful once more. He could be himself around her, didn’t have to worry about the façade he held in place.
    Being plain and unnoticeable was necessary for any vampire to exist in one location for a time. That’s why most vampires usually only went out at night, he figured. But Duncan loved to go out and about, travel, observe people, and sketch all the incredible things he saw. With Michelle, he had gotten to be a part of something for a brief moment instead of just observing.
    But she had let him know just what she thought about their morning. She thought of him as a blood sucker, not a human — and why should she? She wasn’t