Chapter 3

For two weeks, Amira worked in Richard's office. She'd been primed by Stan and Quinn to expect the worst from her temporary boss, but instead of the snarly llama she thought she'd have to deal with, Richard was more like a ghost. She hardly saw him.

All of their business was done over email. She could reach him by the phone intercom system if he was in his office but never when he was out of the office—which seemed to be more often than not. He'd seemed angered when she'd asked for his cell phone number, and he'd refused to give it to her. It was strange, really. The way Quinn had described working for Richard, it had sounded like her boss would be a workaholic.

Well, people change, she supposed. And it was probably good if her boss was turning over a new leaf. She'd heard all the rumors about Richard Anderson, but they hadn't intimidated her. Being thirty and more than ready for fieldwork, she needed this position to prove to everyone she was a tough nut. No one—not even Richard—would crack her! For too many years, everyone considered her the helpless little lamb. Especially after she'd been kidnapped by Zagan's crew.

But she'd proven herself stronger than anyone would have imagined. She recovered from her time in captivity and enrolled in FUCN'A—the Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy, which trained future FUC agents. No one could deny her strength anymore or how right it was for her to become an agent. Zagan had inflicted horrors on her. Had infused her lamb blood with snow owl genes. But she didn't look at herself as a victim. She was a survivor, and she was more powerful now as a hybrid than she'd ever been as just a lamb shifter.

Besides, it wasn't the worst combination in the world. Zagan had boasted that her owl abilities would give her a quiet gait, which would allow her to sneak up on anyone. Her talons would be pretty sharp, too. The only problem was she hadn't ever shifted into anything but a full lamb. If Zagan hadn't admitted to the fact that she was a lamb and owl combination, she wouldn't believe it.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a great demand for lamb shifters in fieldwork. If she could shift into her owl, she'd be a much more desirable asset, but as it was, she'd had a hard time breaking away from desk work.

Which was why she needed the added experience of working for Richard Anderson. Proving she could put up with the man known as "Dick" would show she was ready for whatever might be required on a field mission.

She was excited for the small assignment Stan was giving her. It was a simple security detail, but it was still one more thing she could add to her resume. Even if it was just for Stan's friend, King Gregor, who was leaving Skyros during the annual Shifter Hellenic Island Talks—SHITs, for short. Amira couldn't blame him. The SHITs had been crashed for a few years in a row now, and it made sense the former king would want to get away from it all. Unfortunately, the island BS—Bonafide Security—couldn't spare any extra agents for the former king. Which was where Amira came in.

It was hard to focus on her new job while all she could think of was the security assignment. In her free time, she managed to research locations, including a place called "The Joint" a few towns over. Stan frequented the place and planned to bring King Gregor for a taste of the local flavor.

She bent down to look into a bottom filing cabinet drawer just as Richard walked into the office. She glanced up at him and caught him staring. His eyes grew dark. And did she really just see him licking his lips? She quickly stood up and straightened her blouse, but he stomped away, nearly slamming his office door behind him.

Amira smiled to herself. She didn't dare believe that Richard Anderson could actually be attracted to her, but the idea titillated. She had a crush on him before she'd even interviewed for the job. She'd seen him in the halls before, basically smoldering as he went from one location to the next, and she'd always wondered what it would take to make a man like that moan in pleasure.

Of course, having a crush on your boss was pretty stupid. Who did that? Because seriously? It never worked out—ever—right?

So stop wondering if he has an eight-pack underneath his business suit and stop thinking about unbuttoning that shirt and licking what you find.

She decided to take the opportunity to return to Richard's office and check in with him on a few things.

"Is now a good time?" she asked, popping her head into his office.

"Can this be an email?" he asked. The way his eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of his head made her think that it was not, in fact, a good time.

Too bad, she thought. "Considering today is my last day, I need to pin you down."

"What?" His mouth dropped open, and she wondered if there was any way he was picturing the same dirty thing she was. Something in the way that the gruff man said it made her tingle between her legs. She tried to ignore it and entered the room, sitting in the chair opposite Richard. The chair seemed small. Or perhaps it was just her feeling that way, sitting so close to her new crush.

"I'm trying to finalize the last CRAP. I've sent you requests for the paperwork but haven't received them."

"I must admit to you I'm horrible with paperwork," Richard said, digging through desk drawers to pull out different receipts and invoices. "Quinn always reminded me of that."

As he handed her the papers, their fingers brushed. Electric heat shot like a bottle rocket from her fingertips through her arm and tightened her nipples. She bit the inside of her lip to squelch a moan. Embarrassed by her reaction, she looked through the bundle because she didn't know what else to do. When her gaze finally met his, she saw his eyes darken with desire.

Impossible. Truly impossible. There was no way this guy wanted her. She was Amira, a thirty-year-old lamb with a little crush on the hottest man on campus. And with the extra cushioning on her curves, and being a botched science experiment, why would Richard want someone like her? He was gorgeous, like a Greek-god-gorgeous kind of gorgeous. He could have anyone he desired. At least, that was her opinion, and she was sticking to it. So why would he bother with making the sexy eyes?

Her breath hitched as he stood from his desk and stepped around to stand next to her. He extended his hand, and when she clasped it, he brought her hand to his lips, all the while never taking his eyes off of her.

"It's been a pleasure to have you here, Amira."

Heat poured over her hand as if he were branding her with his very essence. And fuck, her panties were now drenched. How the fuck was he doing that to her? No man ever had in the past!

"Thank you." The words came out huskier than she'd ever heard in her own voice before. She gave him a half-smile and reluctantly retracted her hand from his grip after his sexy heat proved to be a little too much for her. "I'll get right on this CRAP for you, sir."

Crap was right. She needed to get out of there before the llama's keen sense of smell picked up on her arousal. She turned on her heel and practically ran out the door. Once she was at the comfort of her desk, she dumped the papers there and then headed straight out of the office to the bathroom to splash water on her face.

Amira returned to her desk to work on Richard's CRAP. She had to have it finished and turned in before the end of the day—before her temporary term in the office was finished. She wondered if Richard had found a replacement for her. She hadn't seen him interviewing anyone else. Was he assuming that she'd be back after her mission with Stan? If he was, he hadn't mentioned anything.

I'll bring it up with him before I leave, she thought, just as Richard's office door opened, breaking her train of thought. His brows knitted as he looked at the full container of salad on her desk. She hadn't touched it. She'd gotten so focused on the CRAP report that she"d forgotten to eat.

"Oh!" Amira said, noticing his annoyed look. She closed the open container and shoved it back into her briefcase to keep it out of sight. "Sorry!"

"It didn't look like you ate. And why were you eating at your desk?" His tone was as incredulous as the question.

"Why wouldn't I eat at my desk when I have work to do?" she asked. "I have to get this done for you by end of day, and I need every minute I can spare. Besides, the only other place to eat is the campus cafeteria, and Maudie's Meatless Meatballs aren't on the menu for the day."

"How is the CRAP coming along?"

"Actually, I made good progress," she was pleased to report.

"Great. That means you can spare some minutes and join me for a late lunch."

"Uh…" She looked at her computer. "I made progress, but it's still not complete. I should really stay?—"

Richard cut her off. "I demand it. It's your last day, and I'd like to take you out to thank you for all you've done around here. I'm blown away by how much you managed to do in such a short time."

She blushed at the compliment. "I think the cafeteria is closed now," she pointed out.

"I was going to drive into town," he countered. "And before you try another excuse, just know I'm not taking no for an answer. Everyone needs a good meal."

"Oh, okay." She nodded, realizing that the real reason she was hesitating on going to lunch with him had nothing to do with the report—it had to do with the way her core warmed at his mere presence.

The two headed to the elevator, and both of them pressed the lobby button at the same time. Heat coursed through her again. God, how was she ever going to get through lunch? She gave him what she thought was a half-smile, but the heat in his eyes almost burned her own retinas when she glanced his way.

Once they were inside the elevator car, it felt as if he was crowding her with just his gaze alone. The gaze that now seemed to brand her soul. How can a guy have this much of an effect on me? Especially when I'm supposed to be a bird of prey! He's just a guy!

Maybe it had just been too long since she'd had a relationship. It wasn't easy for her to find a man who was interested. She was curvier than most of the gals she knew, and she had been told she was boring. After a few dates, she was the one to blame for becoming comfortable too quickly.

Who knew guys didn't like a gal who enjoyed staying home and binge-watching all the shows Josh Gates put out? Sure, Josh was her favorite because she got to see all the sights she'd most likely never see in her natural-born shifter life! She'd never see the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, or the Great Wall of China because she couldn't afford to travel much past her hometown without worrying about gas. How could she ever afford thousands of dollars for plane tickets on an assistant's salary?

That was why she wanted the promotion. What was the point of working if you couldn't enjoy yourself every once in a while? She'd been putting all her free time into work, and not any time at all into dating. That might also be because her last relationship had ended badly. How did it seem like she always chose the guy who would cheat? She'd really thought Seth was on a different level—like another planet level. They started finishing each other's sentences by date four. Why he ended up telling her that she just wasn't enough woman for him was beyond her.

But even Seth hadn't stirred her heat like Richard did.

What the hell was she going to do with Richard? How would she last an hour, sitting across from him, and engage in a conversation without making it weird?

He was smiling at her with that heated gaze again. How long does it take for the elevator to hit the lobby, anyway?

"Look, this will sound forward and possibly inappropriate, given I'm your boss, but since I'm only that for a half-day longer, I can't hold it in anymore. I'm attracted to you, Amira."

His words had her snapping her eyes up to meet his directly. He drew his index finger up to her cheek and brushed it with the slightest featherlight touch before it grazed down to her jaw. He then gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"You are?" Her words came out as barely more than a whisper.

"Yes, very much attracted to you," he continued. "But if this feeling is one-way, just tell me."

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, allowing his hand to stroke her neck. "It's not one-way," she breathed.

Then his lips were on hers, and his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her in for an embrace that lasted for far too short a time, as the elevator dinged, signifying the doors would open and expose them to the lobby filled with people. He pivoted away from her and, when the doors opened, motioned for her to exit the car first.

She stepped out, wondering if he was checking out her ass.

Did that really happen? The heat that sizzled between them had been shocking, but she couldn't help but wonder if she'd imagined it.

She glanced behind her to see that Richard was, in fact, staring at her ass. I guess it really did happen. Heat scorched her backside as if his gaze was branding her as his. She somehow managed to keep her composure through the lobby, but once she reached the door to exit the building, she couldn't ignore him anymore. She reached for the door handle, but so did he. His palm covered hers, pushing the door open, and she let go, gazing up at him.

"After you," he prompted.

She hadn't realized that she'd come to a standstill. He motioned for her to go through the door, and she did.

"So, where did you want to go for lunch? The pub or the diner? Or we could head to the next town over."

"The diner," she quickly replied. The pub was frequented by cadets and Academy staff, and she didn't want to run into anyone she knew while she was so flustered by her boss-crush.

Richard nodded, and his eyes dropped momentarily to her lips. Then he turned and gestured to the parking lot. "We can take my car."

He led her to a nice black Lexus. He opened the car door for her, and she slid into the buttery-soft palomino-colored seat. She couldn't help but caress the curves just to feel the smoothness on her fingertips. Richard smirked at her as he got in on his side and pulled on his seatbelt.

"It's man-made leather, by the way."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's more eco-friendly than the actual stuff. Plus? Being a shifter, I couldn't fathom…"

His voice trailed as he swallowed hard.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. It's animal cruelty, in a way, and why I always buy cars with a cloth interior. I couldn't afford something like this—too rich for my blood. The exterior color is nice, too."

"Caviar," he said, rolling his eyes. "I think they name the colors for items of expensive taste so you feel better shelling out so much money for something that only gets you from point A to point B."

"That's true."

They were pulling into the parking lot before Amira had even thought of something else to say. She reached for the latch to the door to get out, but he stopped her.

"Let me get the door for you," he said to her as he quickly hopped out of the car. The man was on the passenger's side with an outstretched hand before her foot ever touched the asphalt.

"This isn't necessary, you know. I'm quite capable of getting out of the car on my own."

"I'm sorry. It's just my mother ingrained in me good manners with women. It's second nature to me now. I don't even realize I'm doing it, though I should, if I want people to stop calling me chauvinistic." He grimaced at that.

"I don't think it's chauvinistic," Amira assured him. "I'm just not used to accepting acts of chivalry."

She smiled at him, and he returned it. He placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her inside the restaurant. The heat from his palm branded her skin, and she almost let out a squawk of pleasure.

"So, is that why many women have a problem working for you? They aren't used to your manners?" she asked after they were seated inside. She couldn't help but pry. Perhaps she shouldn't, but why not? It was her last day.

"I keep my employees at an arm's distance," he admitted. "It's second nature to me to be overly protective, and I end up being an ass, so I don't get too close."

She blinked in shock, not having expected him to be so open with her. "Well, I don't mind the overprotectiveness. After my time with Zagan, I had a hard time feeling safe out in the world. It's nice to know people are looking out for me."

"I was thrilled when they collared the guy," Richard muttered. "I heard all about what he did to Quinn and couldn't wait for him to finally be captured."

"You and me both."

"Quinn had a hard time. He'd just lost his parents before Zagan kidnapped him." Richard shook his head sadly.

"Yeah. But things worked out for him. He's engaged to Erika now, and they seem so happy."

Richard lowered his menu to gaze at Amira with knitted brows. "How long were you a prisoner?"

"Two years."

Richard raised an eyebrow, and his gaze fixated on her, and that gave rise to the heat in her cheeks.

"Hi, my name is Lili." A woman appeared before them, interrupting their conversation. "I'll be your server today. Have you had a chance to look over the menu?"

"Today's lunch is on me," Richard said to Amira. "I won't take no for an answer."

She gave him a half-smile before responding, "I guess I don't have a choice then."

"No. You don't."