Must Love Fangs

“Can I help you boys?” Ryder asked with a slow, sweet drawl. “You dropping by the agency to see me, or were you wanting a date?”

“Always dropping by to see you, of course,” Josh said lazily, giving me that sleepy, sexy look.

I ignored him.

Austin leaned back in his chair and yawned, lacing his fingers behind his head as if he was bored. He fixed his gaze on Josh, who hadn’t moved from where he was parked across from my desk. “We saw the car out front and figured you were in here setting up another date. Since you’re making other plans, Everett wanted to know if that hot little number from the dance was up for grabs.”

Josh shrugged, his gaze on me. “Don’t know. You up for grabs, Marie?”

“Very funny.”

“I’m serious,” he said.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“The hot one,” Everett emphasized. “Were-lynx. With the dress.”

“The blonde?” Ellis asked. “With the rack?”

Austin shook his head. “The redhead. The one with the freckles and the . . . ” He coughed, getting flustered at Ryder’s direct stare. “Uh, sports car.”

“For the record, I went to the dance with Jayde Sommers,” Josh said. “And we’re not seeing each other anymore.”

Oh, I was sure that hot-tempered Jayde loved that. She wasn’t one of my favorite clients. “Gee, that’s a shame,” I said in a voice that implied that I didn’t think it was a shame at all. “I’m crushed you two didn’t work out.”

Josh shrugged.

I pulled my keyboard close. “Well, since you’re here, who did you want to be fixed up with, since you’re no longer seeing Jayde?”

“I was never seeing Jayde,” he pointed out. “She was just a date once or twice. And I’m not here to get set up with anyone.”

“It was the were-tigress,” Ellis announced after a minute. “The tall one. Looks like a supermodel.”

Everett snapped his fingers. “That’s the one.”

“Rebecca,” Josh said with a grin. “Nice girl.”

“Not too nice, I hope,” Everett said with a frown. “I like ’em wild.”

“Nope, not too nice,” Josh said amiably. “Nicer than Marie here, though.”

“Marie would be a lot nicer if you would go away,” I said sweetly. “And if I get you Rebecca’s number, can we make that happen?”

“We can,” Everett said with a grin. “You get me her number and I’m buying everyone in this room wings and beer.”

“How do you know she’ll want to date you? Maybe your brother made her swear off were-cougars forever.”

Everett gave me a smug look. “I can be persuasive, though I’m not as smooth as Josh here.”

I gave him the number and all the men left, laughing and teasing each other.

When Josh looked back and gave me a wink, Ryder grinned and returned to her computer. “Boys will be boys.”

“Those weren’t boys. Those were men in need of a hobby.”

“Or a girlfriend,” Ryder said lightly.

I glanced at the clock. Twenty minutes before my date. I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. “I’m going. Cover for me!”

“Yay, more Red Bull,” Ryder said, twirling her finger in the air.

“I’ll be back soon,” I told her. “Wish me luck.”

• • •

A half hour after my date’s scheduled time, I had to accept the fact that I’d been stood up. I’d sat at a table for two in the small, dark, popular little Greek restaurant, drumming my fingers on the tabletop and waiting.

Calice.

Why was it so hard to find a damn vampire to date me? I was young. I was single. I was O freaking positive. I’d sent a suggestive picture as Minnie. I was making myself available. What was I doing wrong?

Desperation made me feel suddenly exhausted, and I rubbed my eyes. I hadn’t slept in three days, and it was wearing on me. I wanted a nice, long nap, but that was useless. As soon as I lay down and closed my eyes, I was unable to sleep.

Sleep was torture. I’d lie in bed, exhausted and aching, but sleep never came. It was the most frustrating thing in the world—to know that most people could just turn over and go to sleep while I’d stare at the ceiling for hours, wishing I knew how to shut my brain off so I could get in a few hours of rest.

But I had to keep going. Find a vampire somehow. I got up from the table and dropped a few dollars for the soda I’d downed, ignoring the pitying looks of the waitstaff. I made my way out of the sea of closely crowded tables, pushing through the front door. The parking lot was busy despite the late hour, so I cut around to the back alley. I didn’t want anyone to see me leaving, in case a client spotted me and mentioned it to someone at the agency.

Damn, this stung. Was I truly so unappealing? My pride was starting to feel wounded. More than that, my anxiety was skyrocketing. What if I couldn’t find a vampire to turn me? What if I died before I could accomplish my goal?

My stomach churning, I ducked my head and walked faster. A text buzzed on my phone and I paused, my heart flipping over with hope. Maybe the vampire was just late? Maybe he’d been held up?

It was Ryder. Is everything okay? Text me back.

Sigh. I’m fine, I sent back. He was a no-show. Heading back now.

I repocketed my phone and glanced up just in time to see the hindquarters of a large beast slink into the shadows of the alley. I froze. I’d definitely seen a tail, and I was pretty sure I’d seen a paw, but it had been so quick that I doubted my own eyes. Was I crazy?

I wasn’t scared, since I worked with shapeshifters, but I was annoyed that I was about to be caught in the act. I studied the alley for a long moment. Run away and assume that the shifter wouldn’t report me back? Or be brave and take my lumps? I thought for a moment longer, then sighed, gut-checked myself, and strode forward.

I turned the corner into the dark alley—and ran smack into a naked Joshua. I yelped in surprise, stumbling backward a step even as he reached out to catch me.

“You okay?” His big hand moved to my waist, as if to anchor me against him.

“Fine,” I said sharply, pushing away from him and averting my gaze. The glimpse I’d seen of him was . . . well, it was making me feel flushed. I hadn’t expected him to be quite so . . . impressive . . . naked. His shoulders were broad and thick with muscle, his stomach flat and delicious, so tight that I’d seen a very nice six pack. I cast my gaze to the ground, and that wasn’t any better, because I had a shadowy view of well-muscled thigh and one long, bare foot. I turned and stared at a wall, hating how red my face felt. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m working. Checking out a few scent trails in the area for a client who is convinced he’s being stalked by someone. He’s not, of course, but that doesn’t mean I don’t check things out anyhow. What are you doing here, Marie?”

“Red Bull run,” I told him, falling back on our story line. “Ryder asked for some.”

“Really,” he said in an amused voice. “Then why is it that your hair smells like olives and feta?”

I looked over at him, startled, and touched my dark curls. “What?”

“Olives. Feta. Greek.” He touched his nose and grinned at me, looking tousled and like he’d just gotten out of bed. He gestured back down the front alley. “Were you at the restaurant?”

“No,” I said defensively, clutching my purse to my chest. I kept my gaze on his handsome face, not daring to look any lower, since his arms were crossed over his chest and that meant the rest of him was, well . . . open for business. “Of course not. I’m just on break.”

“Then why are you slinking away down a dark alley so no one can see you?”