[Shifters and Partners 20] • Starring Role

*It's his dream job—if he can survive it.*

Cooper Hayes has finally landed a great role as the main character on a TV show about wolf shifters working with the police. The only problem? He's not a wolf—and the character he's playing is.

Some people aren't happy about that, including the showrunner, Sahil Singh, who's looking for an excuse to get rid of him. Between that, issues with his unfriendly costar, and his own fragile sense of self-worth, this is no time for Coop to be falling for a hot security guard—who just happens to be a wolf.

*~67,000 words – very low heat

A Shifters and Partners story*

**Excerpt:**

By the time he'd gotten there, it was raining and he'd begun to shiver. It was really only a drizzle of rain, and he knew the shivering was mostly from nerves, not the weather. None of that made him feel even remotely more competent. He should have brought an umbrella; a damp, bedraggled actor wasn't exactly going to sell the right kind of publicity for the studio.

He was a fool. He should have thought of this. I should always have an umbrella at hand. I should start acting like an adult. If Singh was displeased with him now, when he'd done everything he was supposed to, how much more likely would he be to want to get rid of Cooper if he messed up?

A small tap at the window interrupted his spiraling anxiety. He looked up and searched the gaze of the man bending down to peer in at him. "Got an umbrella for you here, Mr. Hayes," he said. He was one of the security officers, Coop recalled. He had a wide, genial face and was far more muscular than Cooper would ever be, no matter how much steamed chicken he ate. He also had kind eyes—and an umbrella.

"Oh, thank you," said Coop, flooded with relief. "It's a press thing, I think. They'll be furious if I'm all wet and crumpled."

He hopped out of the car and sheltered under the umbrella next to the kind security guard. Coop felt tiny and ridiculously protected next to him. The guy had a confident walk, big pecs and arms, and a broad build. As they fell into step together, so close they were almost touching, the guard held the umbrella aloft to cover them both.

"Thanks," Coop said again, hoping he wasn't about to start talking and talking and not stop. He finally caught sight of the guy's name tag. "Jimmy? Is that what you prefer to be called?"

"Sure, why not?" He had such an aura of calm about him; Coop wished he could borrow some of it.

"Well, I'm Coop. Er, Cooper Hayes, that is." Something soft and mushy fluttered in his chest, and he wished it wouldn't. He was an actor, damn it, not a boy who got flustered around musclebound guys.

"I know who you are, Mr. Hayes."

"Of course you do." He swallowed, wishing he could tell the guy to call him 'Coop,' but if he'd just introduced himself as that, and Jimmy was going to call him "mister" anyway, there was no point.

They'd reached the overhang of the lobby far too soon, and Coop mentally slapped himself on the wrist for thinking that. Just because the guy was handsome and strong and a gentleman... Well, it was his job, right? So Coop should definitely not be enjoying being so close to him. It was the guy's job, for pity's sake.

"Well. Thanks."

Jimmy with the kind eyes held out the umbrella. "Here. In case." The way the smile on his face reached his warm blue eyes was impressive.