Chapter One

River Thomas

“I’m done,” I say exasperated at the entire situation.

“What do you mean, you’re done?” Kevin asks with a frown.

His big ass is lounging on my soft caramel leather couch in front of the TV.

Do you know that moment when you realize you have been wasting your time? That nothing you do is ever going to fix or change the situation and you just have to cut your losses? Yeah, this is that moment.

“I mean,” I say slowly trying to make sure he takes in every word that comes out of my mouth. “I am done with this relationship.”

I am brutally aware that this is a shitty time of year to do this. It’s only eight days before Christmas and I am ending our relationship and kicking him out of my apartment. And maybe if I could stand his smug face for a minute longer, I would wait until after the new year.

He laughs, never looking away from the screen. “Babe, be serious.”

This is the attitude that makes me not care about the time of the year or anything else. I simply want this over.

“I am serious.” I glare, trying to keep a grip on the last bit of my control.

“So, you are just going to throw away the last eighteen months? I thought you were happy.” He looks skeptical, finally facing me.

I growl lowly in the back of my throat. “You’re an idiot.”

“River, listen,” he starts in a patronizing tone, but I cut him off.

“No! It’s time for you to listen to me.” I pace the length of the lounge taking deep breaths to steady myself.

I always get like this in these situations. Like a caged tiger, my mother used to say. He isn’t listening to a word I have been saying for the last hour, only hearing what he wants, and it is driving my temper to its peak.

Taking a deep breath, I try again.

“I’m not happy. I haven’t been for a while now, but I kept trying to fix us. I was sure we could be happy if I just put in more effort, but it’s not working. I am tired of being the only person in this failing relationship that is doing anything.”

“What are you saying?”

He has a grin spread across his lips, the same one he has used to get out of fights before. He is trying to seduce me, but it won’t work this time. My temper snaps and the words leave me before I consider the consequences.

“Get the fuck out!” I roar.

A split-second later, Kevin has me pressed against the front door. His claws are already extended, the black bear beneath already pushing to the surface. The pressure on my throat is harsh and I can’t draw in a breath.

“You really don’t want to piss me off, River. Remember who and what I am.”

The tips of his sharp claws dig into my skin before releasing. The coppery smell of blood quickly permeates the air around us.

Yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t date outside your species and all that, but I simply couldn’t resist him. The man is massive, built like a mountain. Long black hair, black eyes, thick thighs, and massive hands. The first time I saw him live on stage playing his bass guitar, my ovaries basically exploded.

So yes, I let my pussy lead my decisions.

Obviously, it wasn’t the best choice.

Sadly, Kevin is not what I thought he would turn out to be. He is lazy and indecisive. I’ve been taking care of him, our rent, and everything else for the bigger part of our eighteen-month relationship.

And don’t even get me started on the sex. Urgh. The man is selfish with a capital S. As long as he is getting what he wants, he doesn’t give a shit. I have been responsible for my own orgasms for the past six months.

For the millionth time, I wonder how the hell we ended up here. Things were great at the beginning and I can’t figure out where we went wrong, but that doesn’t matter now, all I want is to get it over with.

“I’m going to work, Kevin. You know the thing that only I do.” I verbally jab at him as I grab my purse. “This isn’t a discussion. We are done. When I get back, don’t be here.”

“And if I am?” he challenges.

I’m not stupid. I may be a big, beautiful beast when I shift, and I can cause some serious destruction, but a black bear is going to fuck me up. I won’t be threatening violence because I know it won’t work. There is only one thing that can put a wannabe alpha idiot on his ass.

“I’ll call your mother.”

I don’t wait for him to respond as I stride out of my apartment and slam the door behind me.

“Good for you,” Mrs. Williams from 208 says, and smiles as I make my way down the stairs. “I never liked that one.”

“Sorry for the noise.” I blush.

My neighbors have been forced to put up with our escalating arguments and I feel terrible about it. At least now that will also come to an end, and I can finally face them again.

“Nothing to apologize for, dear. I’m just glad you finally kicked his butt to the curb.” She is wearing one of the ugliest Christmas sweaters I have ever seen, with a blinking, red Rudolph nose.

I laugh at her sentiment and her sweater. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. “Want me to bring you something from the store on the way home, Mrs. A?”

“Nothing today, dear, but we need to have dinner after Christmas. I have a craving for your meat lover’s lasagna.”

“Definitely.” I smile and wave as I leave. I need my coffee fix and then to get to the office. As it is I’m cutting it pretty close. Luckily, my favorite coffee shop is on the way to the office.

“What’s up, Buttercup?” Devon, the barista at Xpresso Coffee Shop, calls as I walk in.

“I need a macchiato, stat. I’m going to be late for work.”

“Gotcha.”

He moves fluidly behind the counter. He is super-efficient, and he will have my order ready in less than no time. Sometimes I wonder if there is something a little supernatural about him, but I can’t just come right out and ask, you know? It’s a big no-no for a supernatural creature of any kind to out ourselves to any human. People tend to eradicate anything they don’t understand, and people definitely won’t understand the existence of the supernatural.

I take in the beautiful Christmas decorations in Xpresso Coffee Shop. It’s a smaller chain of coffee shops that have been opening across the country. The Christmas tree is massive with all kinds of gold and red trinkets hanging on its branches. Fairy lights flash in various colors and Christmas jingles play through the overhead speakers. I love this time of year. Even now that both my parents have passed, I still feel like a little kid when it comes to Christmas.

“Tell me before you leave,” he says drawing my attention back to him but holding the lifesaving caffeine just out of reach. “What has you glowing this morning? You finally get some good D?”

Did I mention I overshare? A lot. But then again, so does Devon. We have become gossip friendly over the counter while I wait on my daily order. He knows about me and Kevin and how unhappy I have been. He has been there with friendly advice but never says anything that may be held against him if I decided to stay with Kevin.

“I kicked him out.” I can’t stop smiling.

“Finally!” He does a little happy dance behind the counter before handing over my drink. “So?”

“So what?” I take a sip and hum in satisfaction. Coffee is life!

“Are you on the prowl now?”

I burst out laughing. “I’m not a cougar, you know.” It slips out before I can stop it.

“Of course.” He looks offended that I would say such a thing. “You’re too young for that.”

I breathe a sigh of relief that he took it as a slang term and not literally.

“But…” he grins widely, “we do need to get you some big dick energy. The kind that knows what they are doing.”

“Oh. My. God!” I gasp and look around to see who may have heard but the coffee shop is unusually empty at this time of the morning.

“Don’t look so scandalized. We both know you need it.” He disappears beneath the counter, and I can hear him rummaging around. “My bestie swears this company is the reason why he walks funny.” Devon grins as he hands over a business card.

I read the card out loud. “Love n Shenanigans. A dating site? Really?” I ask with no amount of disbelief in my voice.

“Couldn’t hurt,” Devon says and shrugs.

“I’ll think about it,” I say over my shoulder. I head out the door, but I know the moment I have some spare time I will be signing up. As Devon pointed out, I need to get laid. Properly.

“See you tomorrow!” Devon calls but I am already out the door and walking as fast as these deep blue stilettos will carry me. Time to get to work.

****

Carter Lawson

Sitting behind the large mahogany desk in my office on the top floor of Titan Industries, I flip through my emails, my mood sour. I haven’t had sex in three months and the lack of decent orgasms tends to make me moody. And my hand in the privacy of my shower hasn’t been cutting it since the first week.

The last woman I had in my bed wanted me to marry her a month later. Fucking gold digger. Came over claiming to be pregnant with my child but I knew that wasn’t possible.

You see, tiger shifters have a beautiful safety feature built into our DNA. I can only procreate with someone who has the same genetic markers I do. That keeps us from crossbreeding and creating God knows what. Isn’t nature wonderful?

Besides, she was a human. Not that I have anything against human s— they just have limitations that shifters don’t. But she is definitely the last human I will be taking to my bed. They are much too fragile and have too many limitations for the things I enjoy.

Women look at me and see a virile man with lots of money and they want part of that for themselves. No one ever looks beyond the thousand-dollar suit or expensive dinners to see the man, or the tiger, beneath. And I am so fucking tired of it.

I want more from life.

I’m thirty-five, for Christ’s sake. I want to find a good woman that wants to settle down and maybe even have a cub or two, but it doesn’t seem like that is in the cards for me. Instead, I’ve settled for the shallow dating pool of shifters here in Hawaii.

Closing my emails, I pull up my profile on Love n Shenanigans and check if there are any matches to suit my criteria. I check my profile every day and find myself disappointed every single time.

A knock sounds at my door and I slam the laptop shut. I don’t know what the hell I am trying to hide or why I would feel guilty for being on a dating site but that is a question for another day.

“What?” I call loudly.

My frustration with everything else in my life is bleeding through to my business.

The door opens and my accounts manager enters. I have no fondness for the overweight, bald man but he is good at his job, so I keep my features neutral.

“How can I help you, Mr. Horton?”

I have never addressed him or any other employee by their first name. It gives a sense that we are equal, and we aren’t. I am his boss.

Yes. I am an asshole.

No. I don’t give a shit about anyone’s opinion of me.

“I’m sorry to bother you with something this trivial,” he starts with the ass-kissing, and I cut him off.

“Get to the point.” I want to get him out of my office as quickly as possible.

“I need a new assistant.”

“What’s wrong with yours?”

This is something he could have easily handled with Human Resources, and I feel my disdain rise at being bothered with this kind of bullshit. He blushes beet red from the collar of his shirt to the shiny bald spot on his head.

“Um…”

“Spit it out. Or keep the assistant,” I bark making him jump.

“She’s too … sexy.”

That has my attention. None of my employees are hired based on their looks but at the end of the day, a bunch of number-crunching accountants are rarely the most attractive people. We all spend inordinate amounts of time sitting in chairs facing screens. And very few do anything to keep active or take care of themselves.

“Does she dress inappropriately for work?” I ask trying to figure out what the problem is.

“No, no. She is dressed professionally. Black suit pants with a jacket. A white button-down shirt and those damn blue heels.”

“I don’t see the problem?”

Although him knowing, in detail, exactly what she is wearing is a little concerning. I am getting frustrated with this endless conversation that doesn’t seem to be heading anywhere and it is conveyed in my tone.

“Because you haven’t seen her.” He sighs wiping sweat from his forehead. “The girl could wear a plastic bag and I would still have the same problem.” He stares at me for a beat before continuing. “I’ll trade you!”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll take Mrs. Browning and you can have Miss Thomas. She is very efficient, never late…”

I hold my hand up to cut him off again. “Will that get you out of my office?” He nods enthusiastically. “Fine.”

I press the button on my desk that signals my assistant. Shortly after, the older Mrs. Browning comes in carrying her notepad. “Sir.”

“Mrs. Browning, you are being transferred to Mr. Horton’s department.”

The stricken look on her face says she is worried it is something she has done. I never took into consideration that this may feel like a demotion to her.

“He requires a more experienced assistant.” I try to placate her.

Mrs. Browning’s frown turns to a smile. She nods before she is turning and leaving my office to gather her things.

“Thank you,” Horton says before scrambling after her.

Usually, I would have just sent the man on his way to Human Resources, but in the past year we have had two sexual harassment cases brought against the company. Horton bringing this to me before he fucked up is something I appreciate and the only reason I handled the situation. After all, how bad can she be?

Re-opening my laptop I try to forget about the dating site and move on with my regular day-to-day, but I don’t get much done before my phone rings.

“Your new assistant is on her way up,” Mrs. Browning says before hanging up.

Time to meet this woman that has my staff all in knots.