The Jaguar's Beach Bride: BBW Jaguar Shifter Paranormal Romance (Shifters of Coral Beach Book 1) (2 page)

Rather like Mina today. Sweet, blond, delicious Wilhelmina. She’d clearly been nervous around him, but her body had responded to his presence like a flower opening in the sun. He hadn’t seen her in years—and if he were honest, hadn’t thought of her in as long—and it had taken a moment for Brennan to reconcile the image of Jude’s kid sister Mina with the grown-up version she was today. He remembered bandaging her foot when she’d stepped on that sea urchin, while Jude complained that they never should’ve let her tag along. But Mina had been so intent on joining them that Brennan had told her she could come. Her eyes had lit up with excitement, and Brennan had known he’d made the right decision, despite Jude’s protests.

Now, though, Mina wasn’t just his friend’s kid sister. She was a woman, with creamy skin, long blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a body he wanted to unveil and enjoy. She’d be shy at first, he guessed, but he could get her to melt against him with a few kisses and sultry words. His cock hardened at the thought, and his fantasies were changing into particularly lurid ones when the waitress set down glasses of water in front of him and Jude.

“Ready to order?” She addressed Jude first, a wide smile on her face.

“I am, although no idea if this guy has even looked at the menu.” Jude leaned closer to the waitress. “He tends to daydream, you know.”

The waitress giggled, and Brennan could scent her attraction to Jude from a mile away.

Brennan had to drag his thoughts back. Burgers. They were talking about burgers.

“Yeah, I’ll have the house burger with curly fries,” Brennan replied automatically.

They could’ve brought him a wilted salad with no dressing and he wouldn’t have cared at this point, he’d been so wrapped up in thoughts of Mina. Brennan then tried to make himself more comfortable with the massive hard-on he was already sporting. When had meeting one woman affected him this much?

“And I’ll have the bacon burger with steak fries.” Jude winked at the waitress. “Can’t have too much meat, right?”

The waitress—Brennan saw that her name tag read ASHLEY in faded letters—blushed a little and tittered. “Of course not. I’ll get those in right away.”

She walked off, her hips swinging. Jude watched her until she disappeared into the back. “Think I can get her number?”

“She’s on the clock, man.”

“So? If you don’t tell I won’t.” Jude flashed Brennan a smile. “I missed you as my wing man.”

Brennan glowered. “I was never your wing man. I just didn’t chase after anything that was female.” After a beat, he then said offhandedly, “Your sister seems to be doing well.”

Jude shrugged. “I guess so. I’m not sure her business is making any money, but she’d never ask for help. She hasn’t changed much either, in that respect, at least.”

“I remember. She wouldn’t tell anyone she’d stepped on that sea urchin for hours.”

“Exactly. Just as stubborn then as now. Although I remember you got her to 'fess up. Maybe you should try it again this time. She always trusted you for some reason.”

Brennan swirled his straw in his glass. Would Mina trust him like she used to? But then again, she didn’t know that he was a shifter; would she be able to accept that part of him? It was a huge leap of faith, and it was why Brennan preferred to remain single. He’d had his share of lovers, but going beyond sex inevitably resulted in complications.

With a jolt, he asked himself, why did it suddenly matter that Mina accept him as a shifter?

Ashley returned then with their plates, setting them in front of them before placing her hands on her hips. “Need anything else?”

Jude looked at her, eyeing her breasts that were pushing the buttons of her blouse apart. Brennan rolled his eyes.

“Not right now,” Jude replied, “but we’ll let you know.”

“Of course.” Her voice was obnoxiously breathy, trying to sound like Marilyn Monroe but more sounding like she’d been sprinting in the back of the kitchen for ten minutes.

“So how has your sister been otherwise? Is she married?”

Jude paused midway in biting into his burger, his eyebrows lowered. “Why do you want to know?”

Shrugging, Brennan bit into a fry.
Keep it cool, man. Don’t be too obvious.

“Just wondering. She seems the type to get married young.” Brennan had already seen that Mina didn’t wear a ring, but he wanted to hear Jude confirm it.

Jude wasn’t convinced, but he let it drop—for now. “Hmm, well, she was engaged a few years ago, but the guy bounced a month before the wedding. She hasn’t dated much since. Although as her
brother
, I try not to think too hard about who my sister is doing it with, if you catch my drift.”

“I catch it, thanks.” Brennan didn’t much want to think about Mina getting it on with another guy either, but for entirely different reasons. And especially not with a guy who’d abandon her a month before their wedding. “Why’d the guy bounce? Cold feet?”

“No idea. But when I ran into him later, I punched him square in the face for doing that to my baby sister. Gave him a nice bloody nose for his trouble.” Jude took a bite of his burger, chewing thoughtfully. “Why are you so interested in Mina, anyway?”

“No reason. Just making conversation. I mean, you already told me your entire life story last night.”

“Ha ha, and you told me nothing, because you’re a mysterious mystery man with lots of mysterious secrets hanging around you. Like you’re James Bond or something.”

“I’m actually a secret agent here to protect you civilians from the impending alien invasion,” Brennan said dryly, swirling a fry in some ketchup. “But now that you’ve blown my cover, I’ll have to kill you.”

“At least let me finish this burger first.”

They sat in companionable silence after that. Ashley returned a few times, the last time with her number scrawled on a corner of a napkin. Jude had smirked when he pocketed it. As far as Brennan could tell from listening to Jude talk last night, Jude had never had a serious relationship. He preferred to hop from one woman to the next. He claimed it was because he got bored quickly, but Brennan had a feeling there was probably more to it.

After they paid their bills, Jude slapped Brennan on the shoulder as they exited the small diner. “It’s been nice to catch up, man. I have to go back to work. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I think I’ll take a walk down the pier. See how much has changed, you know.”
See if Mina needs any help at her store…

“Cool. Well, see you later.” Jude waved a hand as he set off for the parking lot.

Brennan turned in the opposite direction. The direction they’d come from earlier, although he told himself it was because that was the way to the majority of the stores and restaurants.

As Brennan made his way down the pier, he inhaled the crisp sea air. He’d moved around to various places after he’d moved away from Coral Beach, and he had to admit, he’d missed it. The beaches, the ocean, the tanned bodies and the slower, almost lackadaisical lifestyle. The bright blue sky overhead, with seagulls gliding above. He’d even missed the sand getting into every nook and crevice: pockets, cars, wallets, shoes. Sand was ubiquitous if you lived in this part of the world, and Brennan had missed the grainy feeling of it everywhere.

His inner jaguar stretched as the sun beat down on his head. Brennan wished he could shift and go for a swim. But he had to find a private beach for that: a jaguar seen swimming off shore in California would be a bit of a stretch, to say the least.

Before he realized it, Brennan had gotten to Mina’s Marine Market. He stared at the wind chimes swinging in the ocean wind. He’d need a reason to go inside, he thought. Sure, he could seduce any woman he wanted, but with Mina, he didn’t want to come on too strongly. He’d already flirted with her earlier and seen how flustered that had gotten her, and he hadn’t even been trying to rile her. He’d buy something random—maybe some postcards or something innocuous.

Entering the store, Brennan saw that it was empty. Not even Mina was present. Senses instantly on alert, he scented the air to see if Mina were near. Yes, she was in the back, and he could smell that her body was exuding fear. Trembling, heart-pounding fear.

Brennan’s inner jaguar roared to life then with the need to protect this woman—
protect my mate, must protect my mate
, it snarled
—
and that was when he heard voices.

“I don’t have the money. I told you that.” Mina was speaking. Her voice was strong but placating. Afraid.

“And I told you that I don’t like to wait.” That voice belonged to a man—who clearly wanted to intimidate her into doing what he wanted.

That was enough for Brennan. He hopped over the counter and strode to the back, following Mina’s scent. The scent of his
mate
—he didn’t even try to protest the word that his jaguar had impressed upon his mind—and before either Mina or the man threatening her could realize what was happening, Brennan had taken the jackass by the collar and pinned him against the wall with a loud thud.

Brennan growled as the man struggled aimlessly against his implacable hold. “Is there a reason you’re threatening my woman?”

Chapter Three

Mina had finished eating her lunch, daydreaming about Brennan and his green eyes, when her worst nightmare came into her shop: Roger, one of the loan sharks. The moment he saw her, he’d smiled like he’d caught something in a trap, and Mina ran into the back of the store.

As if a counter and a beaded door would keep Roger away.

He followed her, cornering her between a metal shelf and the wall, and ordered her to pay up. His demands weren’t what scared her. It was his physical presence, the way he got closer and closer to her as she told him she didn’t have the money and was working on finding some.

Roger pressed closer, until Mina had no escape. He didn’t need to raise his voice: he preferred to be relentless in his pursuit, refusing to give up on what he wanted.

“I gave you two weeks, and you still have nothing,” Roger said.

“It’s a lot of money. I’m trying my best—”

“Your best isn’t good enough.”

Mina started to tremble. She hated that Roger scared her so much, but she couldn’t help it. He was large and burly, his hands giant, and his face always red and scowling. Hair shaved close to the scalp, he looked as much like some renegade biker as a loan shark. It wasn’t a great combination.

“What do you want me to do?” Mina finally asked.

“Either get me the money now…or give me something else.”

Roger stood over her, attempting to intimidate her with his sheer size. She barely reached his shoulder, and she had never hated her short stature as much as she did right now.

Mina refused to be cowed, though. “I don’t have the money! I told you that.”

“Then give me the business, and I’ll let you go free.”

Mina stared at him. He’d never suggested that he was interested in the shop, but it made sense. It was a prime piece of real estate on the pier here in Coral Beach. And if she gave up her store, this whole mess could be over. But how could she let Roger run her out of business? Let him run roughshod over her like this?

“I’m not giving you anything.” She put as much bravery in her voice as she could muster.

Roger scowled. “Fine, have it your way. But this isn’t over. I’ll get my money, one way or another.”

He pushed closer to her, invading the little bit of personal space she had left. Her heart pounded.

That was when he appeared: Brennan. He grabbed Roger by the collar and slammed him against the wall with a strength Mina couldn’t even comprehend. She stared, gape-mouthed, as Roger struggled in Brennan’s hold like a fish washed to shore.

But it was Brennan’s words that made her shiver all over: “Is there a reason you’re threatening my woman?”

Roger still struggled, but when Brennan pulled his collar tighter, almost choking him, he stopped.

“Your woman? Since when?” Roger wheezed.

“Does it matter? You threaten her, you threaten me.” Brennan pushed his face only a breath away from Roger’s. “And you don’t want to see what I do to men who threaten what’s mine.”

Exhilaration filled Mina at Brennan’s words. She knew that, logically, he was moving too fast, but her heart sang at his declaration. She wondered if she’d fallen into a dream—a dream where a man like Brennan could want her and protect her from someone like Roger.

“Fine, fine, I get it. I won’t threaten her again. But that doesn’t mean she can get out of paying me.”

Brennan shook Roger until his teeth rattled before he set him free. Roger rubbed his neck and swore, his face even redder than usual.

“I don’t care if she owes you all the money in the world,” Brennan said in a low voice. “If you come back here again, I’ll make sure you never walk again.”

Roger spit, and Mina reflexively jumped back. Brennan turned to her. She gasped. His eyes were even greener than before, but what was most shocking was that the pupils were mere slits. Like a cat’s eyes. She stared.

What kind of man has eyes like that?

“Fuck you, asshole. I’ll be back for my money, just you wait and see.” Roger spit again, near Brennan’s feet this time, and stalked out of the store. Mina heard the chime of the door as he slammed it, and then all was silence. Terrifying, eerie silence.

Mina continued to stare at Brennan’s back. He was still breathing quickly, his shoulders hunched, as if he were barely leashing his desire to tear Roger to pieces. She’d never seen a man move so quickly. He’d almost been
inhuman.

Mina shook herself. She was being absurd. She was shocked and scared and seeing things. And when Brennan turned to her, his eyes were the gorgeous green they’d been when she’d seen him hours earlier. Eyes that turned human concern on her, and that was when the full impact of what had happened slammed into Mina.

“Oh God, oh my God,” she moaned, her knees weak.

Brennan grabbed her before she fell. Then he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the enclosed porch outside. He set her down in a wicker chair and, squatting in front of her, took her hands.

Tears poured from Mina’s eyes, and she couldn’t get them to stop. “I was so scared, Brennan. So scared. He said—”