Bronx Adler pushed away from the cool brick wall facing the alley and shook his head in frustration. Fucking hell. Another wasted night. The air around him was practically cracking with a change he couldn’t define. The storm predicted to roll in tomorrow morning was going to be early, but it wasn’t solely responsible for how unsettled he felt. Bronx knew he’d be lucky to get home before the sky opened up. He hated being rained on in his human form, another contributing factor to his foul mood. Fucking hell, he was getting tired of trying to anticipate his little burglar’s next move; it was damned humiliating being outplayed by a woman he’d never met. It was even more humbling to realize she was rapidly becoming an obsession.
Weeks of break-ins without a clear picture of her or a damned clue how she was getting in was pushing his patience past its limit. She was slipping around his newest security system as easily as she had the cheap one his sister, Brooklyn, scoffed about being child’s play. A mountain of money later, state-of-the-art security systems were being installed at each dealership. He was bleeding fucking money, and so far, she’d waltzed past two of the new systems this week. Half the time, she was little more than a blur.
The whole situation was baffling. Why she was entering the offices when the only thing he’d ever known for certain she touched on his desk was a stapler. She’d slept on the sofas in his offices and used his private shower, but seemed meticulous about leaving things undisturbed. He knew she’d accessed their internet, skirting their system security to access several research sites. From what he could tell, she was finishing up an advanced degree in antiquities and mystical studies.
Brooklyn Adler spent years working as a retrieval expert for insurance companies around the world. B, as she was known to family and close friends, broke into public and private buildings to retrieve stolen artifacts, artworks, and jewels. To the utter amazement of her family, insurance companies around the world were more than willing to support her unconventional career, paying her more money than she’d be able to spend in a lifetime. Bronx doubted his little sister had touched any of the money generated by her share of Adler Oil.
When Brooklyn was in Texas for their brother Kensington’s wedding, Bronx asked her to review his security and identify weaknesses. She’d managed to humble two of her brothers in one fell swoop. Israel Adler’s security company designed several options for security systems when Bronx opened his first dealership—being the tight ass he was, Bronx went the cheapest route. His business had expanded so fast, Bronx was barely able to keep up with the exponential growth, and in the absence of any significant security concerns, he’d continued using a system so outdated, his sister had laughed in his face.
Each of his luxury model car dealerships was undergoing an extensive security review. The current protocols and systems were being updated, and she was still managing to waltz past security checkpoints without pause. Bronx spoke privately with each of his managers a few days ago, giving them vague excuses while emphasizing the importance of notifying him rather than the authorities if they encountered an intruder. Those chats hadn’t been easy. He’d hired smart people, and they weren’t easily fooled. It was easy to see the questions in their eyes—fortunately, they’d kept their inquiries to a minimum.
Bronx stood in the alley, hands-on-hips, and sighed in frustration. Hell, at this point, I don’t know if I’m pissed because I’ve invested a ton of fucking money on updating security for no apparent reason or because I’m being outplayed by a woman who has captured my attention before we’ve even met.
Kenya Star stood statue-still in the shadows. Barely breathing, her concentration began to falter, but she wasn’t sure if it was because her damned brain was screaming for oxygen or the proximity of the man she’d been watching for months. The pendant that always laid between her breasts began vibrating as soon as she’d started walking down the alley. Had she been smart enough to back away? Hell no, she’d forged ahead as if she had every right to be there. If she wasn’t well trained in silent movement, Bronx Adler would have heard her coming long before she would have known he was lying in wait.
Damn, she needed to step up her game or lose the opportunity to steal the other half of the magical totem she’d been looking for since her mother died. The gentle breeze blowing down the alley had been in her favor, but she felt the moment Mother Nature decided to play havoc with her good fortune. The man standing six feet in front of her pushed away from the brick wall, muttering to himself. For the first time, she envied a shifter’s enhanced hearing.
Biting the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing, Kenya shook her head at the absurdity. Hell, at this point, she’d settle for normal hearing. A childhood infection damaged her eardrums so severely, she was rapidly losing the diminished hearing she’d dealt with since she was a teen. If the magic of the pendent was as powerful as she’d been told it would be after the halves were once again joined, Kenya’s first spell would be to improve her hearing.
Great Goddess, what was she doing daydreaming? First, she had to finish her research and get her hands on the other half of the magical artifact. It was taking forever since she had to spend so much time covering her computer tracks, making it look as though she was working on some damned academic paper. Like I have enough money to take classes.
Kenya always dreamed of going to college, but her mother’s nomadic lifestyle meant she’d never attended a traditional school. Without transcripts, she’d been forced to forge them, and money was always a problem. She’d been in Texas for months and only managed to take a couple of classes before winding up living on the street.
Once she’d started reading her mother’s diaries and discovered her close friendship with Brighten Adler, Kenya had finally been able to point herself in a specific direction. She wasn’t sure which of the Adlers had the magical pendant, but it only took one trip into Bronx’s car dealership to know she was on the right track.
Lost in her memories, Kenya missed the first hint of a wind change. Lightning flashed, illuminating the rapidly cooling Texas night. The bright flash startled Kenya, breaking her concentration enough, she would definitely be visible to a shifter with enhanced night vision. Standing deep in the shadows wouldn’t be enough to hide her from Bronx if he turned toward her. Damn it, she should have known better than to tempt fate by predicting the worst possible scenario. It was almost as if she’d wished this disaster into existence.
She saw his shoulders drop, wondering for half a heartbeat if the small tell was from resignation or if he was bracing for something she couldn’t see. Didn’t take long to figure it out, did it, Ms. Not Paying Enough Attention to what’s happening. Pickle fudge. The storm that had been predicted moved in early, shifting the slight breeze wafting through the alley to a full thunderstorm-worthy gale from the other direction between one heartbeat and the next.
Kenya watched as the world around her seemed to switch to slow motion. A deep growl came from Bronx’s direction before he turned, his gaze zeroing in on her without any hesitation. Everything about the moment was electrified… his eyes glowing with a golden bronze light, Kenya was certain she would never forget. The pendant she wore vibrated so fast, she wondered if it would shatter the links of the chain. Watching as he pulled in a deep breath, his nostrils flared as he scented her, Kenya swore the lightning she’d seen in the night sky was now arching between the two of them.
“Mine.”
The word was spoken too softly for her to hear, but his lips had been easy to read. The sky opened up, and rain began pounding down in torrents. Grabbing the heavy duffle at her feet, Kenya turned to run, shocked to discover her feet were no longer touching the ground. Holy hell, the man moved fast. One moment he’d been standing several feet in front of her, the next, he’d wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her so gently, she hadn’t felt the shift in her position until they were moving. When she tried to wiggle out of his hold, she felt his hold tighten.
“Oh no, you don’t. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you.” He practically snarled the words, making her wonder what he intended to do to her. Hell, for all I know, he wants to eat me alive. I’ve read the damned books. Shifters love rare meat, but I thought it was the four-legged kind. “Are you serious? You think I’d eat you?”
Pickle fudge, Kenya couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud. He was practically running toward a car, and a shudder raced through her when his hand brushed over the bare skin between the top of her jeans and the hem of her cropped shirt. Heat flared deep in her core, and Kenya felt a level of desire she’d never experienced.
Shaking her head, she tried to push her body’s reaction back and refocus her attention on the fact she was about to be stuffed into a car by a man she didn’t know. Damn it, she needed to find the other half of the magical totem and figure out why hers was heating against her chest. The lights on a car parked a block away blinked a few seconds before he pulled the door open. Setting her on the soft leather seat, Kenya started to scramble back out before he could close the door.
“Stay where I put you, mate.” His voice was rougher than it had been any of the other times she’d heard him speak. The man was something of a local television celebrity, his commercials always entertaining, and there was no question he was every woman’s fantasy. Damn, he was gorgeous. Monkey butts, what was wrong with her? Why the hell was she still sitting in the car? Frack, she wasn’t a child who could be ordered around. And what the holy heck did he mean when he called her mate?
He better be pretending to be Australian and not implying he plans to bite me. I should have read more about shifters and maybe researched in something more current than those scary old texts… and relied on a source more reliable than erotic romance novels she’d found in the musty used bookstores near campus.
Who was she kidding? She didn’t have the money for more classes or books. It was hard enough to find a safe place to sleep at night. Breaking into Bronx Adler’s businesses had been relatively easy, but now that he’d upgraded his security systems, it was riskier.
Bronx slid into the seat beside her and pulled a small towel from the backseat. “Here, let’s get some of the water off you before I start the car. The air conditioning will turn you into a popsicle if we don’t dry you at least a little.”
Kenya sat in stunned silence as he patted the towel gently over her face and down both arms before running it roughly over his own face. A quaking shudder moved from her core to the surface, leaving a trail of heat in its path when he focused on her before turning the key to start the engine.
A rush of panic assailed her when she realized her duffle was gone—everything she owned was in the large bag. Frantic to find it, she reached for the door handle as the door locks engaged, and the ignition caught.
“Wait. My bag. It has everything I own.” The moment the words slipped from her lips, Kenya knew she’d made a mistake.
“What do you mean everything you own is in the duffle bag?”
His large hand encircled her wrist, his touch setting of a new rush of heat, this one centering a lot lower than the first. Her entire body suddenly felt as though it was focused on her sex. The pendant and her pussy felt as if they were on parallel tracks of intense sexual heat. The more her mind focused on the need she felt building inside, the stronger the pendent vibrated.
“I’m sort of… well, I’m between places right now, so I’m… umm, traveling light.” Great Goddess, she was going to get struck by lightning for sure. Lying was a big risk, but telling a big one during a thunderstorm seemed like an unnecessary challenge to fate. He studied her with an intensity Kenya thought was reserved for specimens under a microscope. Her gaze involuntarily dropped to where her hands were clutched in her lap. In her peripheral vision, she saw him shake his head. He was muttering under his breath, but she was only able to make a couple of words here and there.
“Your bag is in the trunk. You probably would have heard me close it if you hadn’t been so lost in your thoughts.” Checking his mirrors, Bronx pulled away from the curb and shook his head. “Just for the record, I’ve never pretended to be anything, and I wouldn’t have the first damned clue how to fake being Australian.” Kenya gasped, turning so fast in her seat, she almost slid off the slick leather seat. Pulling to the curb, Bronx leaned over her, pulling the seat belt into place. “Wear it—always. Your safety is now my number one concern.”
“Why?” Kenya hadn’t intended to ask the question aloud, but the heat she saw flare in his dark eyes made her glad she had. His fingers slid around the back of her neck before slipping into her wet hair. Tightening his hold, he tipped her head to the side and sealed his lips over hers. The kiss was as unexpected as it was hot. The pressure of his full lips against hers increased, ramping up her desire so quickly, Kenya felt her upper body lean forward, the unconscious need to be closer circumventing her self-preservation.
At first, she tasted the cool and refreshing hint of a late summer rain, but it was rapidly replaced by the urgency of a gusting wind moving across the wide-open prairie. She heard a soft moan and realized it was rumbling from deep in her chest. By the time he pulled back, Kenya couldn’t remember why she’d been reaching for the door handle—heck, she’d be lucky to remember her own name after his bone-melting kiss.
By the time the fog in her mind cleared, they were once again driving down the street. It took her several more long seconds to pull herself together enough to ask where he was taking her. Panic started to settle over her, and she blurted out her concern in a rush of words.
“Are you having me arrested?”
His hands clenched on the steering wheel, and his jaw muscles tensed.
“Not hardly.” Casting a quick glance in her direction, he asked, “What would I have you charged with? Since when is it illegal to stand in an alley?”
“Then, where are we going?” She shuddered in the rapidly cooling car and watched as he immediately reached for the air conditioning vents, repositioning them, so the cool air was directed away from her.
“We are both soaked to the bone. I want to make sure you are warm and comfortable before we chat.” She’d spent a lot of time sleeping outside the past few months; being comfortable sounded like an unattainable luxury. “You said you are between places right now, so I figure that means your place isn’t an option, so we’ll go to mine.”