Erotic Romance Author Cassidy McKay

Protect and Serve: Shifting Focus

Coming March 23, 2012 from Changeling Press

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As a lion-shifter, Paramedic Sophia Lorello has spent her entire life suppressing her wild side. The animal inside her is not only deadly, she's worse than a horny politician with an unlimited supply of Viagra. And once her lioness gets out, she doesn't like to let Sophia -- or her rules -- back in. That's not a risk Sophia's willing to take again.

Sophia's control flies out the window when Special Agent Griff Monroe is assigned to investigate a series of local murders. The fact that he's dead-sexy, "erases" people for a living, and shifts into a big, scary gryphon could be a problem. Her lioness wants a new toy, and the battle-hardened agent is even harder to resist than catnip. It's a pity that darned serial killer keeps getting in the way...

When the race to catch the killer rivals their race to the nearest bedroom, shifting focus could be their only hope of survival… if she doesn't kill him first.

Aren't government agents supposed to be punctual? I check my watch again, tapping it just in case it stopped working. The minute hand moves just like it’s supposed to and I glare at the stairs for the umpteenth time. Nope, still no government agents walking down from the upper level of the airport, all in black, all in line, carbon copies of a nondescript businessman.

But holy hell on a bun, the delicious piece of hotness that is walking down the stairs; I'll take him any day of the week. Repeatedly. A rumble of satisfaction rolls through my chest as I watch him descend, step-by-step. Black leather boots, black jeans, and black t-shirt pulled taut over a muscled chest. Thick arms defined with hard muscle. Not the body-builder type, but the hard-working, ‘I can kick your ass’ type of muscles.

I swallow hard as he looks up, obviously searching for someone. God, I wish it were me. Black hair with a slight wave, a little long at the collar. Just enough to grab and pull him deep between my thighs as I come. I focus on his face, the details becoming clearer the closer he gets. A dark five-o-clock shadow brushes his jaw, even though it's just after lunch. Strong, masculine features with light-colored eyes. They're striking against his dark skin. But they’re not for me. He moves off the stairs, going toward the coffee shop.

My deep sigh disturbs the man sitting next to me on the bank of chairs. I keep looking for my government agent, but the stairs have emptied out and nobody else is coming down. Maybe he caught a later flight. Anyhow, not my business. I did my civic duty coming down here, and now I'm outta here. I have a hot bath and a frosty beer calling my name at home.

"Sophia?" The dark, sexy voice caressing my name has nothing to do with government, and everything to do with hauling me into bed. I turn and find a black t-shirt in my face. Following it up and up, Mr. Tall, Dark and Dangerous is staring down at me with a twinkle in his amber eyes. My heart races a little faster as the dimple in his cheek appears along with a grin more appropriate for a bedroom than an airport.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Will I go to bed with you? Yes. Will I devour your hard body in half a second? Yes. Will I play slippery-slide on your cock? Yes!

"Are you Sophia Lorello?" His whisper sounded a little exasperated and I pulled my mind out of the gutter. At least for a minute. I seem be be having a serious case of the sluts right now.

"Yes. Are you Agen--?"

"Griff." He murmurs, then grabs me by the upper arms, hauling me into his embrace like a long-lost lover. Intensity burns from his gaze as he dips his head toward me, inhaling my scent and closing his eyes briefly as if I’m made of the most mouth-watering scent he’s ever smelled.

My breath catches as he kisses me, his lips firm and warm. The sultry scratch of his beard chafes my face in a way that makes every nerve ending stand up and take notice. Twice. Every inch of my body comes alive as he moves closer, his hard to my soft—molding like hot, melted chocolate topping over a frosty bowl of ice cream.

The tip of his tongue teases the separation of mine, asking—not demanding—entrance. A shiver of anticipation slides up my spine, piquing my curiosity and flat-out drenching my panties with cream. I squirm, the aching rush of awareness flushing my good sense to somewhere south of Who-The-Fuck-Cares. I open to him, wrapping my arms around his neck with a growl of desire as he deepens the kiss.

"Ahem."

The sound barely registers on my radar as I savor his mouth on mine. His taste is intriguing: hard, dark and all marshmallow toasty. Heat threads through my veins, wrapping in a strangle-hold around my desire and stroking it up and down. Forget about love at first sight, I’ll take this any day.

"Ahem. Excuse me."

The man I woke up earlier on the chairs tries to push his way past us, annoyance flushing his face.
Griff moves me aside just a little so the man can get through. "Sorry, it's been a long two weeks away." His gaze caresses my face as intimately as if we were making love. "I missed my woman. You know how it is." Griff wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me along with him, heading for the exit.

"Yeah, get a room, man."

Griff chuckles as the offended man walks off.

"What was that? Why did you kiss me?" I stop just outside the door as he shrugs a leather jacket on—black, of course. Hot, liquid sensation still zings through my body, and I know my nipples are about to rip jagged holes through my blouse.

"Cover. You never know who might be watching."

Cover is starting to look pretty damned good.