chapter 2

Talia flashed a grin, clinking her glass against Nita’s before taking a sip of her drink. “Thanks, but being ‘original’ hasn’t exactly been a magnet for good things in my life.”

“It will be,” Nita said with confidence. “Just go talk to Mrs. Wilder. Tell her you need help for once. It’s not a crime to admit you could use a guy in your corner.”

Talia laughed softly. “I don’t need a man, Nita. I just need a date to survive this hellish wedding week.”

Nita shrugged, signaling the waitress for the check. “Maybe Gerri will set you up with someone perfect.” Her eyes widened with sudden excitement. “Oh my gosh, Tally! What if she pairs you with one of those drop-dead gorgeous shifters who’s always at her place?”

“Now that would be worth celebrating,” Talia said, giggling. “She’s told me about them bears, wolves, big cats, you name it.”

“Wow.” Nita let out a dreamy sigh. “Bears and big cats. I used to have a best friend who was a bear shifter.”

“Really? When was this?” Talia asked, leaning forward.

Nita pursed her lips, her gaze distant. “Back when we lived near the mountains for Dad’s job with the fish and wildlife service.”

“Before you moved back here?”

Nita nodded. “Yeah, we were sophomores in high school. He was adorable glasses, this innocent vibe. I told him everything.”

“What happened to him?”

“We moved back here,” Nita said softly. “I was thrilled to return after all those years bouncing around, but it meant leaving my bear friend behind. We just… lost touch.”

Talia rummaged through her purse and pulled out one of the many business cards Mrs. Wilder had pressed into her hand during their visits. “Here,” she said, sliding it across the table. “Why don’t you give her a call? See what she can do for you.”

Nita stared at the sleek, transparent card in awe. “You think she could really match me with one of her shifters?”

“Read the fine print,” Talia said, adjusting her glasses as she recited from memory. “She’s made me read it a dozen times. Says she’ll find you the right man, whoever that may be. And honestly? I haven’t seen a single unattractive guy at her place yet.”

“You have to do it, Tally,” Nita urged, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “I need to know what she’s all about. You need a date this is perfect.”

Talia sighed. “At least you’re not pushing those awful dating sites that claim to find your ‘soulmate.’”

Nita blinked, then burst into laughter. “Oh, I’m sorry it’s not funny after that last disaster.”

Talia’s jaw tightened. She still couldn’t believe her mother had signed her up for a dating site that promised to find her “perfect match.” Every guy they sent her way was a walking red flag like the forty-five-year-old with seven kids, no teeth, and a part-time job, still living in his mom’s basement. Her soulmate? Hardly.

****

Talia wandered toward her apartment building, her mind stuck on her predicament. She needed a date for her cousin’s wedding to avoid looking like a total failure in front of her ex. Why did it matter so much this time? Maybe because her family except for Nita and her grandmother had always sided with Paul, the jerk who’d somehow charmed them while dismissing her. She wanted to prove she was thriving, not just surviving. Childish? Sure. Did she care? Not one bit.

Her building, a charming relic from the 1920s, stood proudly in the heart of the city. It was well-kept, complete with a doorman, Tom, whose toothy grin always seemed a bit too wide.

“Good evening, Ms. Barca,” Tom said as she approached, his voice smooth.

She forced a smile, still distracted by thoughts of her infuriating family. “Hey, Tom. Night.”

He sniffed the air a shifter habit she’d grown used to. Tom’s keen nose had saved her from bad perfume choices more than once, so she let it slide without comment.

She dug through her handbag for her keys as the elevator doors ahead began to slide open. Hating to wait, she hurried forward, slipping inside just in time. She hit the button for the top floor, where she and Mrs. Wilder were the only residents. As the doors started to close, a large hand shot out, stopping them.

“Almost missed it,” a deep, gravelly voice rumbled. The speaker was a towering, muscular man with shoulder-length hair, dressed in a black tee, ripped jeans, and a biker jacket. Well, damn.

“Sorry about that,” came a smoother voice from behind him. If the first guy had her staring, this one left her speechless. Nearly as tall, he looked like he’d stepped out of a fashion ad crisp white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, tailored black slacks, and a dimpled smile that made his blue eyes gleam.

“That’s… fine,” Talia managed, her voice barely audible.

She tried to focus on breathing as the elevator doors closed. Alone, the cab felt spacious, but with these two giants, it was downright claustrophobic. Their body heat seemed to wrap around her, and she wasn’t complaining.

Avoiding their gazes was impossible with the mirrored walls reflecting their images everywhere she looked. Her eyes trailed up the biker’s frame from his tattered jeans to the impressive bulge at his crotch. Oh, wow. Her gaze continued up his broad chest, past the tattoos snaking around his neck, to his lips, which curved into a wicked grin. When she met his eyes, they glowed a molten gold.

“Hi, I’m Theron,” he said, his voice like a low purr.

Am I dreaming? She swallowed hard. “I’m Tally.”

Her attention shifted to the blond Adonis. A soft growl rumbled from his chest, and she blinked behind her glasses. Holy hell. It hit her then these weren’t just men. They were shifters. Dangerous, gorgeous shifters.

“I’m Connor,” the second man said, his blue eyes locked on hers.

I’m screwed. “Hi,” she squeaked, cringing at how small her voice sounded.

Despite her curvy figure, she felt tiny next to these two. Delicate, even. Which was absurd she wasn’t delicate. What was wrong with her?

The elevator dinged at her floor, and she bolted out, not daring to look back. Her cheeks burned as she fumbled with her keys and locked herself in her apartment. Safe at last.

Those guys probably thought she was a skittish idiot, but she didn’t care. Another second in that elevator, and she might’ve said something wildly inappropriate. Nita was right she desperately needed to get laid. Because fantasizing about two men at once? That was new.

And the images racing through her mind of her, the biker, the businessman, and every naughty possibility were enough to make her want to throw caution to the wind and beg them to make it reality.