Free To Love a Shifter: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set by Marian Tee Page A

monitors slide back into place.
     
    He walked swiftly out of his office, knowing he only had minutes to spare for his plan to take effect. His fists clenched involuntarily as he recalled Misty’s face when he had walked right past her like she didn’t exist in the morning, and he physically struggled to hold back his temper when he recalled the look of pain on her face upon realizing she had become the target of Janice Rudely’s vicious rumor mongering.
     
    The elevator chimed its usual alarm as it reached 4/F and he stepped out with a neutral look on his face. He felt a brief moment of triumph when he caught sight of Janice Rudely about to walk past but making a quick turnaround upon seeing him.
     
    She was indeed a beautiful woman, but Domenico did not feel an ounce of desire for her. The features of her face were too hard for his taste, and he knew in a few years they would harden even more until Janice would be but a shadow of her former beauty, made ugly by her obsession with extracting pleasure from hurting others.
     
    Janice’s smile was wary, but her voice was absolutely polite when she spoke. “Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti. I’m Janice Rudely, your receptionist for the Administration Department. Is there anything I may do for you?”
     
    Domenico flashed her a smile, knowing exactly how the sight of it would affect her. He was not a vain man, but he had no fondness for false humility either. He knew what he looked like, knew why the media loved to call him “Italy’s dark-haired Adonis” after hearing one of his ex-mistresses refer to him as such in a paid interview. And for most of his life, Domenico had never hesitated to use his looks whenever it suited him to do so.
     
    Janice’s lips parted, and his sense of smell, heightened as it was by his Lyccan blood, immediately detected the wave of lust coming from the woman standing before him. Domenico kept still as Janice wet her lips, her eyes straying down and stopping at the bulge in his pants.
     
    “What can I do for you, sir?” she asked again, huskily this time.
     
    “I need privacy.”
     
    Janice’s nipples were now pebble hard, and they poked against the thin cotton of her black dress, practically begging for attention. “For what, sir?”
     
    “I need to talk to Misty Wall privately. I know she’s in the ladies restroom at the end of the hall. I need you to keep everyone away. Will you do that for me, Janice?”
     
    At his words, fury wiped away the lust from Janice’s expression, but her voice was perfectly bland. “Of course, Mr. Moretti.”
     
    “Thank you.”
     
    He walked away without looking back. Domenico reached the ladies’ room in seconds, and immediately pressed a finger to his lips when the three women standing in front of the mirror gaped at him.
     
    “Not a word to anyone please,” he whispered, even though he knew they wouldn’t do as he said. “I need to talk to Misty alone.” In the mood Misty was in, he knew that she wouldn’t hear a word of what he was saying, too busy crying to be aware of anything else except her hurt.
     
    Soon, darling, I’ll make it up to you, Domenico promised to both Misty and himself.
     
    For now--
     
    Domenico kept smiling as the women filed past him nervously, the excitement on their faces telling him that they were about to spread the word of his presence and what they thought it had to do with Misty Wall.
     
    As he waited patiently for Misty to come out, Domenico thought Janice would have probably shredded Misty’s reputation to pieces by now. It didn’t matter. He would take care of Janice Rudely soon enough.
     
    Finally, Misty’s door creaked open. At the sight of her red-rimmed eyes, Domenico couldn’t help letting out a little growl of anger. He had expected her to cry. Of course he had. What he had not expected was how affected he would be at the sight of it.
     
    She looked up at the sound, gasping when she saw him. “What are you--”
     
    Domenico was on