Tempting Tabitha Read online

  What would happen next? Should he simply relax and let himself fall in love with the woman? Gods knew he wanted to try. Something about her scent drew him to her in a visceral way. No matter how much he thought to fight it, a part of him wanted her in a way he’d never wanted another woman. He not only wanted her under him panting, but he also wanted to wake up next to her every morning, and that scared the hell out of him.

  Everything about Tabitha was beautiful from her cute little scowl to the irritating way she berated him every time he drew near. Was she just as confused and exasperated by their situation as he was? One would think so, considering the way she acted. Still, didn’t every woman long for a man with whom to spend their lives?

  Sooner or later her biological clock would start ticking and then where would he be, by her side? Hell no. Not him. Someone had to protect his family from the secret government agents, rogue reptilian aliens, and the mad scientists in the universe. By the goddess, if he had anything to say about it, that someone would be him.

  “I have to get out of here.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. Her scent permeated the room. With every inhalation, his heart pounded, and his muscles tightened. His unruly cock had hardened to the point of pain. If he didn’t get away from her, and fast, he would find himself in bed with her or at least trying to get her there.

  The males of their species were usually hormone and scent driven until their hearts caught up. How things worked with the females, on the other hand, was anyone’s guess.

  “You know where the door is.”

  She didn’t turn around, though he could have sworn her shoulders had drooped just a bit. Was she disappointed, or was it wishful thinking?

  Why did it bother him that she couldn’t seem to meet his gaze? Why did she dislike him so much? He fought the urge to go to her, turn her around, and demand to know what it was about him that made her so standoffish. Was there something wrong with him?

  Deno balled his hands into fists. Look at what her fickle female attitude had done to him already. She was tying him in knots even though he’d decided he wanted her about as much as he wanted to eat green chicken again.

  “Let’s just agree to keep the hell out of each other’s way. I’ll try to stay away from you, and you try to stay away from me. It’s the best solution for us both, at least until we get back to Earth. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want. It’s not as though the people who were looking for your sister have any idea you exist. Besides, with the way we took care of them, they must believe she, along with the rest of us, is out of their reach.”

  Spinning around, he headed for the door. The sooner he got out of the room, and away from her, the better off he’d be. It took every bit of self-control he possessed not to to punch the wall on his way through the door. He didn’t care that she didn’t want him. Really, he didn’t.

  The anger roiling inside him was enough to make him want to kill something, but he didn’t want her to think he was angry with her. He’d never do that. It was bad enough that he’d said what he had when he realized what her delicious scent did to him.

  As a Zolonian male, he had been raised to respect and protect women. He was angry at himself for being unable to control his unruly mouth around her. Every time he drew Tabitha’s sweet scent into his lungs, his body went into overdrive, and he wanted her with every fiber of his being.

  “Hey! What are you doing for dinner?” Reno called from the end of the hall. “Birgit wanted to ask you, Xeno and the sisters to our cabin for dinner and maybe a movie.” He gave a one-sided grin. “From what I understand, Clyde has enough DVD movies to open up one of those boxed movie rental things that are all over the place.” He moved closer as he spoke.

  “Thanks.” Deno shook his head. “But I’m just going to go to bed and catch up on some rest.” He wasn’t in the mood for a dinner party and didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s good time. He was angry with himself. He didn’t want to take it out on anyone else, especially Tabitha.

  “Yeah. I can understand that. You didn’t get much sleep when Xeno was missing, did you?” Reno clapped him on the back. “It’s not easy worrying about people, is it?”

  “No. I never thought we’d ever need to worry about each other, let alone mates.”

  “The women are the least of our worries. They become almost as strong as we are once we mate with them.” He raised a brow. “You do know that, don’t you?” Reno gave him a sideways glance.

  No. Deno hadn’t known that. All he knew was that his brothers doted on their wives. He was certain if anything happened to the women, it would kill them.

  “Uh, sure I knew that.”

  Liar!

  “So, what’s your problem then? With Tabitha’s shifter genes, she should be even stronger than a human woman once you two mate.” Reno tilted his head as he stared at him and then held his hands out, palms up. “Think of all the males on Zolon who would kill for the opportunity that just fell in your lap, and you’re blowing it. Do you have any idea what the odds are of the four of us finding mates in such a short time?”

  “Who says she’s my mate?” Deno scowled. He didn’t want a mate, did he?

  Was the effect she had on him that obvious? He thought he’d been keeping himself together, but it would seem he was mistaken.

  “Everyone on board this ship can tell you two belong together, except you and Tabitha.” Reno shook his head with a laugh. “You can ignore her, and she can ignore you, but if you do that, you’re spitting in the face of the goddess. Tabitha is her gift to you. Don’t throw that away.”

  “It’s too late.” Deno stared at his brother for a moment before shifting his gaze to his feet. “I’ve already driven her away.”

  “You’ve what?” Reno’s mouth dropped open. “What did you say to her?”

  “Nothing much.” How could he explain to his brother that he’d said something unforgivable to Tabitha? He hadn’t meant to say it. It had just popped out of his extra large mouth. His actions hadn’t helped either. The way he’d acted had most likely ruined any chance he might have had with her, and it shamed him to the bone. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You know how I feel about taking a mate.”

  “I know how you felt about settling down with one woman, but I thought meeting the one meant to be yours would change your mind.”

  “Even if it had, she doesn’t want anything to do with me.” He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “What she wants is to have her sister dump Xeno and the two of them return to Charly’s apartment where they can stream TV shows for the rest of their lives.”

  “You’re kidding.” His brother crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “What kind of life is that?”

  “It’s the kind of life Tabitha wants.”

  “I find that difficult to believe.” Reno shook his head. “What if she says that because she fears your rejection and thinks it’s what you want to hear?”

  “Do you think that’s possible?” Reno’s words gave him pause.

  “I think it’s very likely.” Reno snorted. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one is watching. She likes you a hell of a lot more than she lets on.”

  “But what do I do? I already told her I didn’t want a mate, and I didn’t say it nicely. I wouldn’t want anything to do with me if I were her.”

  “Well, thankfully, you aren’t, and women generally have a more forgiving nature than we do.” Reno grinned. “And they sure smell a hell of a lot better, too.”

  “Yes, they do,” Deno said with a chuckle. “Do you think she’ll forgive me?” His smile faded as he thought about the possibility of her rejection. “I wouldn’t blame her if she threw my words back in my face.”

  He wouldn’t have blamed her either. As much as he’d first thought he didn’t want a mate, the idea of spending his life without Tabitha was something he didn’t want to contemplate.

  Chapter Three

  Tabitha stared through the large window in her cabin
. The stars moved slowly in the distance, marking their trek through the dark void of space. Once in a while, they would pass a huge, burning star, and it would light up the entire craft.

  Outer space was beautiful. She really should thank her sister’s boyfriend and his family for the experience, but she couldn’t bring herself to seek their company. Being alone was something she’d better get used to again. She couldn’t live with her sister now that she’d accepted Xeno’s marriage proposal, and she didn’t have the means to live as a human on her own.

  Turning from the window with a sigh, she moved to the replication device and studied the panel above it, trying to remember how to use the thing. Birgit, one of the twins’ sisters-in-law had given her quick instructions when she’d shown her the small on-ship apartment. Tabby bit her lip, pressed a few buttons and hoped for the best.

  The machine hummed, and a large glass platter appeared behind the clear door, holding a steaming plate of fried rice. She’d never eaten fried rice before. It sounded strange, but she was determined to try new things now that she was in human form full time. Taking the plate, she picked up a fork and moved to the table.

  After grabbing the bottle of spring water that had appeared with the rice, she sat and took in the wonderful aroma of her snack. It smelled heavenly. It wasn’t often that she was able to eat something that didn’t reek of fish. She scooped a portion of the rice onto her fork and took a bite.

  “Oh, god...” Closing her eyes, she moaned. “This is delicious.”

  What would it be like to live her life as a human and never have to eat another meal of fish again? She glanced around the room and sighed. How could she? What could she do to support herself with only an eighth-grade education?

  As much as she might like to think about living the rest of her life as a human, it wasn’t possible. She had no education, no money, and no way to explain where she’d been for the last two decades.

  What have I been doing for the last twenty years? You might find this difficult to believe, but I’ve been living as a stray cat. No. That wouldn’t work. Telling people she’d been living as a stray cat for most of her life was a good way to get committed to a mental hospital.

  The chime on her door sounded, and she dropped her fork. Things like that always startled her while in human form. She’d spent so many years trying to hide who and what she was. She needed practice being human again. The sound of someone on the other side of her door was unnerving.

  “Come in.” Reluctantly, she pushed the plate of rice away from her. She’d liked that rice. It was a shame to waste it

  The door slid open, and Charly entered her room. “Hi.” She stood with her hands clasped in front of her, her bottom lip clenched between her teeth.

  “Hi.” Tabby gave her rice a longing glance before turning her attention back to her sister. “Did you need something?”

  “Well... first, I need you to finish your rice. I can tell you’re hungry, and if I were you, I’d relish the chance to eat something other than seafood.”

  There was nothing wrong with her sister’s insight.

  “Don’t let me stop you from eating.” Charly gestured to the bowl and slid into the seat across from her. “Do you mind if I sit?”

  “It appears as though you already have.” Tabby raised a brow, giving her a one-sided grin. “But sure, be my guest anyway.”

  How many times had she heard someone say that very thing and wished she would have the opportunity to give a similar invitation someday?

  Her stomach growled, and Charly raised a brow. “Would you rather have tuna?”

  “That wouldn’t be my first choice.” Tabby almost gagged at the thought as she reached for the dish of rice. “This is delicious. I could eat it forever.”

  “I doubt that. After a while, you’d come to hate that as much as you hate fish.”

  “I don’t hate fish.”

  “Liar.” Charly set her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “You can’t tell me that after years of eating tuna that you still like it.”

  “There are worse things you could have fed me.”

  “Like cat food, I suppose.”

  “You have no idea.” Tabby grimaced and then gestured toward her rice. “Would you like some? I’d be happy to make you some, too.”

  “No, thank you. I ate with Xeno.”

  Charly must have seen something in her expression because after a slight pause, she said, “Oh, why not? I haven’t eaten fried rice in a while. It sounds great.”

  Standing, Tabby moved to the replicator and keyed in the code for the rice and handed the bowl and fork to her sister.

  “Thanks.” Charly lifted the bowl to her face and took a deep breath. “Wow. This rice smells amazing. Thanks for talking me into trying it.” She picked up the fork and took a bite. “Mmm... I think I found another new favorite. The only problem with that is this ship is going to make me fat.”

  “I doubt it. I seem to recall reading in one of the manuals I found that everything that’s produced by the replicating device is made from plant-based proteins and carbohydrates. If that’s true, and we’re not eating recycled dead alien, that thing is a diabetic’s fantasy. No red meat, no saturated fats, no processed sugars or corn syrup, and nothing is high in calories.” She smiled. “So, apparently, the man who calls himself Sela’s grandfather—“

  “Clyde?” Charly finished for her.

  “Yes. That’s his name. I guess his cheeseburgers aren’t really bad for him at all.”

  “I guess not.” Charly grinned. “From what I understand, he has very little to keep him busy. I imagine they let him believe he’s cheating on his diet just to give him something fun to do.”

  “Don’t you think he’s kind of young to be Sela’s grandfather?”

  “Not really.” Charly shrugged. “I mean, look at Geno, their dad. He doesn’t look a day over thirty-five either.”

  “I guess you’re right. Maybe it’s just good genes. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to know our grandparents?” Tabby took another bite of rice, though she wasn’t all that hungry anymore. “I mean if our parents hadn’t died and we knew how to find them?”

  Would their grandparents look as young as Geno, or was there something different in alien DNA than there was in Earth shifter DNA? Or, like Clyde, maybe it was just a good family bloodline that didn’t show their age. She once knew two women who looked more like sisters than mother and child. It wasn’t impossible.

  “I think about our grandparents sometimes.” Charly sighed and pushed her bowl to the center of the table. “I remember they were alive before the accident, but I’m not sure about now.” She smiled wistfully. “I remember sitting on Grandpa’s lap while Grandma baked cookies.”

  “You would remember that.” Tabby chuckled with a shake of her head. “You loved Grandma’s cookies and the way Grandpa rubbed your back while he held you.”

  “Where are they, Tabby?” Charly raised her head and met Tabby’s gaze. “Why didn’t they step forward when our parents died?” A tear tracked down her face. “Why didn’t they try to claim us when social services were looking for our relatives? Are they dead, too? Was someone trying to kill us and that’s why our parents took us out of town with them?”

  “I don’t know.” Tabby sighed. “I don’t know much more than you do. I do know our grandparents’ names. We might be able to find them if we could get someone to help us.”

  She doubted it though. Tabby had searched for them for years and had always come up with dead ends. The couple been tracking moved every year or two. Every time she found a new address, they had already gone by the time she got there. If their grandparents were still alive, they were hiding from something or someone.

  “Do you think they want us to find them? I mean, after all, they didn’t even try to find us.”

  “We don’t know that.” How could they have found them? What if their grandparents hadn’t known where to look? “We were moving. Maybe Mom a
nd Dad were taking us away to protect us.”

  “From what?” Charly frowned down at her lap.

  “Well... What if there were people after them? What if someone had threatened us or found out we’re shapeshifters and they were running to keep them from getting us? What if there were people like those who were after Xeno and you?”

  “I never thought of that.” Charly rested her chin on her hand.

  “You wouldn’t. You didn’t grow up knowing what you are.”

  “I still don’t believe I can change into a cat.” Her sister sat back in her chair with a shake of her head.

  “You can change into anything you want. I don’t only change into house cats, you know.” Tabby grinned. “Remember the big cat you heard in the woods just outside of Magic?” She continued at her sister’s nod. “Well... that was me. I changed into a mountain lion and scared the living crap out of the men following us.” She laughed, feeling real mirth for the first time in a long, long time.

  “That loud snarl we heard... it came from you?”

  “Uh-huh. I ran down the mountainside and confronted the men following us. You should have seen it. It was hilarious. They took off running like their asses were on fire.”

  “But they could have shot you!” Charly frowned. “I wouldn’t have wanted that for my cat, let alone my big sister.”

  “The important part is they didn’t shoot me, and it gave you and Xeno the time you needed to escape up the mountainside and get to the ship. After all, my cats can run a lot faster than you in your human form.”

  “How do you do it? Change shape that is.” Charly tilted her head and met her gaze. “Can you teach me how to do it?”

  “Sure.” Tabby nodded. “There’s nothing to it. You only have to think about the animal you want to become, picture it in your mind as thoroughly as you can, and imagine your body becoming what you have visualized.”