Unfrickin' believable! Lainie stormed through the sheriff's department, her hands clinched into tight fists. She didn't need Rance's charm or assistance. She didn't need him anywhere near her, no matter how much her panther panted in his direction. Besides, his entire story reeked of bullshit. She wasn't sure what game he played, but he definitely worked some angle, and until she knew what it was, she would keep him as far away from her as possible.She rapped on the doorframe of Chet's office before barging inside. "Did this idiot give you a laptop?"Chet glanced up at her from underneath his gray bangs, a grin pushing up his cheeks. "Nice to see you're playing well with others." He reached out to the top of his desk and tapped the plastic bag perched there. "I think this is what you want."She reached out, taking the evidence bag, and stared at the laptop. "Have you looked at it yet?" Noise from behind her caught her attention, but she didn't turn around. She knew it was Rance. The m

Lainie watched as Rance pulled his shirt over his head, his muscles rippling, his abs pulled taut. She forced herself to look away before her panther urged her to take the man where he stood. She did not need these feelings right now, not with a killer still on the loose. To be honest, she didn't need her panther's stirrings, period, having made her peace with a celibate life. However, as Rance started to unbutton his pants and she heard the zipper sliding downward, she couldn't stop herself from turning back around to watch as he slid his pants down his powerful legs, the material slipping over his ass as he faced away from her, his ass firm, full. Bite-able. Her breath caught in her throat as she jerked her gaze back around, away from where the detective stripped, ready to shift and track the assailant.Oh god, it's my turn. While shifters were quite comfortable being naked in front of others—it was part of their natural world after all—Lainie struggled to be naked in front of Rance

Gracie's Diner was a small hole in the wall attached to the only gas station between Melbourne and St. Cloud. Travelers could stop in for lunch, fill their car up with gas, and grab a bag of chips and a drink for the rest of their journey. The building was concrete with faded white paint and walls that needed pressure-washing just to be able to see the bottom layer of dirt. The parking lot was chipped asphalt and pot holes surrounded by weeds that had choked out the grass decades ago, and the sad part was, the exterior of the building looked better than the interior. The tables were a fake-wood Formica, and what wasn't chipped was stained with no one knew what. However, it was probably the same dark liquid that stained the cheap linoleum floor. The chairs were a hideous burnt orange that seemed leftover from the seventies and had as many tears with exposed stuffing as fabric. The building even smelled old, like one of those antique shops back in Downtown Melbourne, musty with the aroma

Two days passed and Lainie was afraid that Rance's stunt scared off the Serpent gang members, making them actually leave town, since there had been no attack upon her for her access to the evidence locker. She sat in a rocker on her front porch, a cup of English breakfast tea warming her hands, dressed only in a flimsy tank and some silky pajama shorts as she stared out at the woods surrounding her cabin. While she had forgiven the detective for his little stunt in the woods when he attacked the one who threatened her, she still wanted to throttle him for the way he may have screwed things up. If he had left well enough alone, they could have returned to their clothes and called for backup, lying in wait for the men to admit to the murder again.Lainie stopped rocking, following that trail of thought. Why can't we still do that? They don't need to know we were in our animal forms when we heard them talk about Roger's murder. She shook her head. It wouldn't work. If they had heard it th

Rance watched as Lainie walked out the door, fighting the urge to follow her. He needed that video, true, but he also needed her to see that he was serious about everything he told her. She needed to do this her way if he was going to get her to trust him and believe in them. True, he ran the risk of the district attorney he worked for getting pissed off for the delay, but Lainie was worth it. More than worth it.After pouring himself a cup of coffee from the brewer he found under her kitchen sink, he took a quick scan around the interior of the cabin. He missed his opportunity to really see the place earlier before she dragged him back to her bedroom. Of course, he didn't complain. Nor would he ever. Now that his wolf had made his desires known, Rance had a hard time understanding how he had ever done without Lainie in his life before. Too many things, he suddenly, realized he had been missing without even knowing it, things like the soft contours of her curves and the way she fit per