Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi, Shapeshifters
Date Published: 09/16/2022
Phoebe Walden finally has it all. She’s met the love of her
life, and she has a family she can tolerate, who accept her and love her no
matter what. But there’s a darkness shadowing her, waiting to destroy
her chance at happiness. Not on Phoebe’s watch. However it’s not
just her happiness at stake, but all of theirs if she makes even one
mistake.
Scott Quinn has done the best he could, floating under the radar. Hard
choices have made it difficult for him even to face himself in the mirror.
But things finally looking up. He’s found the perfect woman, who seems
to be into him as much as he’s into her. Yet Scott has secrets. He
knows who he is and what he’s done will cause friction. And always in
the shadows lurks the harsh reality that his freedom has been an illusion
all along.
EXCERPT
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2022 MA Freeman
Scott
Something wasn’t adding up here. Scott Quinn frowned at the data
scrolling across his computer screen while comparing it to the file sizes
collated at the bottom. None of this made sense. Not the file sizes nor the
access times or the user accounts identified with random files. To be
honest, it looked like accidental typos or errors, yet there were too many
of them to write off.
Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. He couldn’t
help but smile at the window separating his office from the IS pool. She had
arrived. Scott watched with interest as Phoebe Walden entered the outer
office and took her place at her assigned computer. Only a few months had
passed, but Scott was used to how she captivated all aspects of him.
Those instincts, the ones that had kept him alive, had been explicit in
their need the first time he had laid eyes on her. They wanted her in their
den, where they could keep her forever.
Scott knew it was crazy. But he was used to it after all these years,
coming to terms with behaviors by no means human. The trick was learning to
coexist with them, to incorporate them into his human life. To trust they
would never lead him down the wrong path.
That meant he was planning to ask the delectable Phoebe out on a date. Now
granted, there were issues to overcome. One, he was her direct supervisor,
so there was an element of inequality within their power dynamics. Two,
there was a company policy about fraternizing among coworkers that he was
planning to disregard completely. And three, there were the secrets he
carried with the potential to drive a wedge into any trust they might share
in a relationship.
Scott watched through the glass. His smile widened into a grin. Phoebe had
a little ritual she followed every day shortly after she arrived. It was the
highlight of his morning to watch her perform it. After a thorough cleaning
of everything on her desk, she would carefully unpack her messenger bag. He
was amused while extremely curious about the little knickknacks she placed
on her desk in full view of everyone, but mainly her.
There was a small folding picture frame and a small silver orb he thought
might be a ball bearing, of all things. And last, a small wrench she propped
atop the picture frame. Such a weird combination of items, yet Scott knew
every one of them was significant in representing aspects of Phoebe’s
life. He couldn’t wait to delve deep. To know her. To understand all
the quirks that made her up.
Ping.
Scott frowned at the Instant Messenger alert. He clicked it open with a
sigh. It was from his boss.
M. Foltz: Did you complete the audit?
Of course, he wanted to know if the audit was complete. Scott rolled his
eyes, annoyed Miles wanted an update already when the e-mail dictating the
assignment had only come out this morning. But God save him from people who
were tech illiterate. Or, in Miles’s case, tech dumb.
S. Quinn: The audit is going to take the better part of a week to complete.
If you allow me to bring in help from the IS pool, it can be completed in
three days.
Ping.
M. Foltz: No, the data is sensitive. It requires the highest of clearances.
Complete it as soon as possible. Send regular updates.
He scowled. Not only was this going to be another case where Miles took
credit for all his hard work, but to complete it quickly would require more
than a few nights of burning the midnight oil. His plans for the delectable
Phoebe were being put on hold.
S. Quinn: I’ll do my best. There will be an initial report by the end
of the day.
Fuck. Miles was really starting to get on his nerves. A low growl worked
its way up through his throat while his nails scratched a set of grooves
into the wood of his desk. Maybe it was time to be more proactive at home.
To thin the herd.
“Ahem.”
Scott’s head jerked up to see Phoebe standing in his doorway with her
eyebrows slightly furrowed. How much had she seen? Shit, how much had she
heard? Because that growl was in no way human-sounding.
“I did knock.” Her voice was professional, but her face still
indicated she had witnessed his less than human annoyance.
“Do you need something?” Scott cringed internally. His voice
sounded sharp. Too sharp. Damn Miles.
She smiled with those fire-engine-red lips. They had him shifting
uncomfortably in his chair. “Something’s wrong with my headset.
It’s nothing but static. Do you have another one I can
use?”
He wasn’t surprised. They worked for a multibillion-dollar
conglomerate that provided substandard products for its departments. Scott
got up from his desk to get one out of the supply cabinet. He always made
sure to order the crap items in bulk for this very reason.
“Of course.” He grabbed a box with the right headset in it.
“Here you go. Are you settling in okay?”
Phoebe gave him a genuine smile. “Yes, things have been great. I was
worried I wouldn’t be cut out for this, but so far, so
good.”
Scott blinked and had to yank his more animalistic instincts back. The
attraction was strengthening so much, so it briefly stunned him.
“I’m glad. Don’t hesitate to ask if you do need
something.”
That earned him another smile before she returned to her desk to get to
work. Shaking his head to clear the lust-filled fog she had caused, Scott
returned to his desk. As he got back to work, a portion of his brain was
dwelling on Phoebe and the best way to go about working his way into her
life or her into his.
About the Author
M. A. Freeman lives near Wilmington, NC and never makes it to the beach.
Any free time is consumed with books, either reading or writing. An avid
traveller and self proclaimed geek, trips abroad and to cons such as
DragonCon in Atlanta are always on the agenda. Currently working full time
in healthcare and attending school to obtain a Master of Library and
Information Science degree to compliment the Bachelor’s of Arts in English
and Creative Writing.
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