Saving Grace (20 page)
Authors: Anita Cox
“What? You’re telling me a child could shift to Lycan
and
to Centaur?” She stopped in her tracks. “How is this possible?”
Releasing her arm he turned to face her. The air around him shimmered and he shifted into a golden wolf briefly before shifting back into his human form. “Yes, it is true.”
She gulped. “Well, Z, if I needed a distraction, you certainly came through for me.”
He bowed. “Now,” he looped his arm in hers once again, “we are also very good at Astrology. We all have individual strengths, as I’m sure Lycans do. I, for one, have a touch of precognition. I’m also a bit of a healer.”
Shifting his eyes, he glanced at her while keeping his head forward. “Care to know why a Lycan of your age looks quite a bit older?”
She could not hide her embarrassment. The desire to jerk her arm loose and run far from him was overwhelming—or perhaps she could crawl under a rock. “Nothing I can change, so why bother?”
“And if one simple kiss from me would turn the clock back for you, would you grace my lips with yours?” He didn’t slow his pace as he waited for her to reply. When she tried to jerk her arm free, he held on a bit tighter.
“What? No.” She wanted to go back to the house, away from Z. She wanted some space so she could focus on the problem at hand…the university, her brother trying to get rid of her, being hopelessly single and aging.
“Your beautiful hair, restored to its former glory, the worry lines erased…the only cost being one simple kiss?” He laughed. “Does the thought of kissing me repulse you
that
much?”
“No.” She finally pulled her arm free. “I’m not some young pup you can trick into your bed.” She turned her back to him and started off toward the main house. His long legs prevented her stomping pace from putting any distance between them.
He latched onto her hand. “Please. I did
not
mean to offend you.”
She stopped, causing him to bump into her. The heat from his body sent her senses on fire. She could smell his arousal, meaning he could smell hers. She silently groaned. “Look, I don’t know what you’re playing at.” He was so sexy, standing there in a pair of jeans, hanging low on his hip. His blonde curls bounced when he moved.
“Fuck it.” She meant to give him a quick peck to shut him up, but something else happened. When she stood on her toes, large warm hands cupped her face. His searing lips brushed up against hers, making her limbs feel like putty. Her ears started to ring.
The kiss was slow and tender, but quite respectful. He didn’t shove his tongue in her mouth. He didn’t crush her mouth with his. This…was a first kiss, a tender moment and it melted her.
When he released her, she felt heaviness in her lids.
“That wasn’t too repulsive, I hope.”
Staring at him, she was at a loss for words, or a singular thought.
“I see,” he said with a smile, the thought of rendering her speechless apparently entertaining. “Race you back to the house.” Shifting into his wolf form, he tore off, leaving her behind. Wendy shook her head to clear her mind before shifting and taking off after him. His wolf was large, nearly as large as Grace’s. Wendy figured it had something to do with the royal blood. However, he didn’t spend much time in his wolf form and that was obvious as he was rather slow.
Wendy pushed hard to get next to him. He looked over at her and made a leap to get ahead of her. She dove under him, digging in her hind quarters, then sprinted toward the yard, which was only a few feet ahead. When she finally skidded to a stop, the large Centaur-Wolf was skidding up behind her. The both shifted in unison.
“You’re a vivacious runner, Wendy.” He nodded. “Very impressive.”
“Wendy!” Colin stood glaring at Zoltar. She’d just been caught cavorting with a Centaur…by her brother.
Interested in learning how Grace came to the Belfast pack? You can find out in the Prequel, Pursuing Grace, which is part of the
Paranormally Yours Anthology
.
Dirty White Candy Series
Anita has been writing general fiction, under her given name, for nearly a decade. In 2012 she strapped on a new name for a new genre and dove head first into writing erotica.
Anita Cox's erotic debut series Dirty White Candy was published in 2011, but this wasn't her beginning. Under her given name she has written crime fiction (some with paranormal elements,) paranormal romance and suspense novels.
In 2014, she became a Director for the Erotic Author's Guild. Her altruistic nature found its purpose, assisting other erotic authors with issues specific to the genre.
You can learn more about Anita by visiting her website:
http://authorantiacox.com