How to Date a Werewolf (2 page)

Jennifer leaned closer to the window. She was practically panting. “I think he’s moving in. He’s carrying boxes into the office next to us. This could be interesting.” She placed her hands on the window as if reaching out to touch him.

Figuring there was no point in gawking, I’d slipped into the kitchen. As I stuffed an Oreo in my mouth with one hand (the beef jerky I’d munched on for lunch had not been enough), I grabbed a bottle of wine from the small rack above the cabinet with the other, then poured the red liquid into a glass.

Jennifer screeched from the other room, “Wait. What the hell? Is that Lily pacing the sidewalk? Is she...
picketing
you?”

The glass slipped from my grasp and shattered on the hard tile floor.
Damn.

“Wait...what? Did you say Lily is outside? I’m praying I misunderstood. Please tell me I heard incorrectly.”

“You heard me. Lily’s out there. The hot guy is staring at her. She’s waving the sign frantically at him. How embarrassing for you.” Jennifer sounded a little too excited with her play-by-play.

Shards of glass littered the floor. I eased around the broken mess and dashed for the window to witness the debacle with my own eyes.

“She has a friggin’
sign
? This day keeps getting better. Stupid me, I thought the worst was over.” The throbbing in my temples returned.

“Why, may I ask, is Lily marching up and down the sidewalk with a ginormous sign that says ‘
Get a Mate
Is a Fake’ to begin with? What the heck happened? She was singing your praises just last week.” Jennifer turned to me and raised a carefully tweezed eyebrow.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. She blames me because the guy I fixed her up with doesn’t love her. I can’t help it if he likes real lime in his beer.”

Jennifer scrunched both eyebrows. I didn’t feel up to explaining how a lime debate had caused a rift between Lily and her honey. I needed wine. Lots of wine. Then I might move on to something stronger. Whiskey might do the trick. Perhaps a little intravenous therapy of hard liquor was needed. Thankfully, Jennifer didn’t want to hear the lime story. Or if she did, she didn’t push for details.

“How long had they dated?”

“Two weeks.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I wish I were. I feel bad for her. Well, kind of bad, if she wasn’t such a crazy-ass.”

“What’s so special about this Martin guy, anyway?” Jennifer crossed her arms.

“Nothing really.”

“Then why’d you fix them up?”

“They were a good match. That’s all I’m saying.”

“What does Martin do for a living?”

“He’s an accountant. Smart enough guy. Really nice car. Not particularly handsome, but not ugly.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to ignore her, go back into the kitchen, clean up the mess on the floor and pour myself a glass of wine. I want to erase Lily from my memory.” I turned away from the window and headed to the broken disaster. I’d seen enough of Lily for one day.

As I poured my glass of chardonnay and tried to forget my were-soul mate potential lawsuit, the buzzer at the main door of the office blared through the apartment.

“Why’d you install that god-awful bell again?” Jennifer covered her ears.

“I’m a business-savvy kinda gal.” I grinned. “Having a doorbell in the foyer makes it easy if someone needs me for pressing reasons.”

“Yeah, ’cause that happens so often.”

“Okay, granted, I might not appear savvy with Lily protesting me at the moment, but a girl can dream, right?”

“I can’t recall you’ve ever gotten an urgent call after six at night.”

“I don’t feel the need to offer emergency dating assistance.” The buzzer wailed again and I covered my ears. When it finally stopped, I continued, “But the vampires need nighttime appointments, so occasionally they gave me a ring.” I matched up all types of lonely paranormals. My specialty slanted toward fixing up werewolves. Humans too, although they weren’t privy to info about the paranormal folk. “You’re never here to hear it ring.”

“Right, right, right, right.”

Jennifer popped her head around the corner and whispered, “Do you think it’s her?” As if being quiet would make the buzzer mysteriously cease.

“Most definitely. I might have to call the police.”

“I can’t believe she’s that upset. I mean, no wonder he doesn’t love her.” She snorted.

“She’s driving me bonkers. I think I might have to move. Leave the country even.”

“I’ll deal with her.” Jennifer stalked to the door.

“You’d do that for me? You’re so thoughtful. Now I remember why you’re my best friend.” I sipped my wine. “Go easy on her, will you? After all, she
does
have a broken heart.” All right, so I was a softie. Even after all Lily had put me through, I felt bad for her.

Jennifer huffed and marched out the front door like a soldier ready for battle. I plopped down on the sofa, closed my eyes and leaned back onto the plush cushion, trying to keep nasty thoughts of Lily to a minimum. The door opening woke me from the light doze I’d slipped into, but I didn’t open my eyes.

“I hope you got rid of her. Please tell me she didn’t grow fur and turn into a werewolf while you were talking to her.”

“Um. Rylie?”

“Tell her to go away. Tell her to treat those paws of hers to a manicure.” I groaned and pressed my eyelids tighter together. The wine eased the tension from my shoulders. I took another gulp from my glass.

“Rylie? Oh, Rylie.
Special delivery for you
.” Jennifer had a tendency to sing her words.

I cracked open one eye and proceeded to spit wine all over myself and the sofa.

“This is Jack.” Jennifer had a huge smile plastered across her face.

Chapter 2

How to Date a Werewolf Rule # 2:

Beef jerky is not an appropriate dinner option.

Poised in the doorway like a model on the cover of
Men’s Vogue
was the guy we had shamelessly ogled mere minutes earlier. Technically, Jennifer ogled more than I did. But in an instant, my own primal instinct took over. Or maybe it was just hormones and lack of sex. My body came alive as I took in every inch of his appearance. I tingled in all the right places.

His intoxicating aroma whirled around the room, a mix of patchouli and soap. The scent seemed to reach out, as if with imaginary arms, drawing me closer to him. From the expression on Jennifer’s face, it had a similar effect on her.

He gazed at me--a long, seductive gaze--and I experienced a rush. I stared at him as if he were a piece of meat, but not for the same reasons I ogled steak. Yes, he was a fine specimen. But why was he standing in my apartment? Had he seen us from outside? I prayed he hadn’t. Maybe he came up to tell us to stop staring at him. How rude were we? Oh God, maybe he’d heard my comments about Lily turning into a werewolf. He would think I was a nutcase.

He cast a glance from me to Jennifer and then back at me. “This envelope was propped up against the door to the office downstairs.” He held up the parcel. “It was marked
urgent
, so I thought I’d ring the buzzer and see if anyone was in.”

“Um. Yes. We’re in. I mean, I’m in. I’m here.” I chuckled and fidgeted with the corner of my blouse.

Wow, wasn’t I a smooth operator? Maybe it wasn’t a curse that was my problem, but my inability to speak coherently to members of the opposite sex when they looked as smokin’ hot as he did.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you. I thought I’d committed a crime the way she came after me.” Jack chuckled and pointed at Jennifer.

She turned a bright shade of scarlet and said, “We thought you were someone else.”

“Did you think I was the lady with the sign?” He inclined his head toward the window.

Had he managed to read the sign with her waving it around? I prayed he hadn’t.

Jennifer continued to blush and flutter her eyelashes at him. “Yes, perhaps.” She tilted her head and shuffled a foot. She’d be embarrassed when she remembered Todd, her adoring non-committal boyfriend. Maybe she wanted to replace him. Wait a minute. What did I care, anyway? Love was not in the cards for me.

“Anyway, here’s the envelope.”

My gaze tracked the full length of his lean, muscular arm as he held the parcel out. The desire to reach out and touch, lick, sniff, or nibble his arm nearly overwhelmed me. It was so smooth and tanned. One stroke was all I needed. What had gotten into me? Why was I drooling over a complete stranger? Like a dog slobbering over a bone. I needed to snap out of my lust-induced fog immediately before I embarrassed myself. I grasped the envelope and looked down to avoid his sparkling blue eyes. They were as clear as the summer sky. Not that I’d noticed.

The white padded envelope had
Cruz
scribbled across the front in black marker. Whoever wrote the letters must have been in a hurry because the writing was sloppy.

“My name is Jack Chandler, by the way.” He held out his hand and my stomach flip-flopped. I shook his hand, and I won’t lie, my body tingled. No joke. His touch was tender. I had a feeling he knew how to treat a lady. After all, I was a matchmaker--it was my job to read people.

“I’m Rylie Cruz. I own
Get a Mate
.” I felt heat rise in my cheeks.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rylie.” His gaze held mine. I wanted to say the pleasure was all mine, but I was not nearly bold enough for such a comment. Not to a handsome stranger. Why could I play Cupid for everyone but myself?

“Aren’t you going to open the envelope?” Jennifer interrupted my trance, and I released his hand.

Jack parted his lips and looked as if he wanted to speak--probably to say goodbye. I wasn’t ready for him to disappear yet. I wanted to know what he was doing. Where he came from and why he was here. Was he really moving in? Please God, let him be moving in.

“This is my impatient roommate, Jennifer Matthews.”

“Pleased to meet you.” She grinned like a Cheshire cat and twisted a blond curl around her finger.

“Likewise.” He nodded. If he’d had a cowboy hat, he would have tipped it to her. He kind of had a rugged cowboy vibe going on. Jack wasn’t a cowboy, though--I guessed that much. I suppose he could’ve been, but he wasn’t wearing boots. My interest mounted and I couldn’t wait to find out exactly who he was.

I fumbled with the envelope and said, “Are you moving in next door?” I slid my finger along the seal and glanced up at him, waiting for an answer.
Please let the boxes he carried in be his.

“I rented the office and apartment next door.” He motioned with his thumb across the hall.

I had to keep myself from doing a fist pump and yelling. “Really?” I continued fumbling with the envelope, hoping I appeared nonchalant. Jennifer stood in the same spot, a silly grin still plastered across her face.

“Yes, started moving in this evening.” He gave a devilish smile.

“What kind of business do you have?”

“I’m a psychiatrist,” he said in a sexy drawl.

He didn’t remind me of a psychiatrist. He wasn’t wearing a suit or smoking a pipe. He wore jeans and a faded blue t-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.

“Wow, that’s wonderful.
What in the heck is this
?” I held up the letter I’d just extracted from the envelope and squinted at Jennifer, forgetting my conversation with Jack.

“What does it say?” Jennifer finally pried her body from Jack’s side and dropped her giddy smile.

“Here, take a look for yourself.” I shoved the paper at her.

Jack stood in the same spot. The delicious scent still emanating from him reminded me of his presence. I offered a bashful grin while Jennifer examined the letter. Now I acted almost as giddy as she did.

“‘
You’ll be sorry
’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

I smirked. “I wonder. I don’t have to tell you who wrote the note.” Stomping over to the window, I tapped on the glass and waved at Lily--as if she’d oblige my shooing hand gesture and go away. Speaking of gestures... She pumped her fist at me, flipped me the bird and continued marching.

I heaved the window up and yelled, “Your behavior is not very ladylike.” She sashayed past again. Somehow I knew she didn’t give a rat’s patootie.

“Why didn’t she hand-deliver the note to you?” Jennifer asked.

“She’s not that brave. She’s all bark, er, I mean talk.”

Lily was unreasonable. The hairs on my arms pricked up, and sprouted on my legs.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Slow and steady breathing was the trick I had figured out worked best in order to calm my nerves. It was either calm down, or scare the heck out of the hot man standing in my doorway, and I couldn’t have that.

Controlling my temper had always been an issue for me. Not that I had a short fuse or anything--everyone gets upset occasionally. The problem for me was losing my temper even slightly meant growing a natural fur coat, and I did not need that. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never gotten steamed enough to change over while angry--yet--but I knew it was possible. Like I said, I only transformed during a full moon or when I absolutely had to. My poor Uncle Ernie had lost his cool and shifted many times, so I’d seen it happen. I shuddered to think what might have happened to him in the long run if not for the anger management classes. Yes, I came from a long line of werewolves, and not one of them had taught me a darn thing about practical werewolf skills. They were all bad influences. Every one of them either tried to ignore the little hairy secret, hoping it would go away, or ran around like rogues changing at the drop of a hat. I, however, decided to deal with my hairy situation in the proper manner. Everything I knew about the werewolf lifestyle, I had figured out on my own. Thanks a lot, family.

Way back when, my great-great-great-grandfather went hunting one day and stumbled upon the wrong pack of wolves. That was when the werewolf fate started for us. If only he’d had another hobby, maybe I wouldn’t be in this predicament, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, one day while sneaking his way through the forest, he came upon the mangy beasts. Although he fought them off pretty well, in the end one managed to take a whopping bite out of his leg. The rest is history.