Free The Hot Alpha Switch: A Paranormal Shifter Romance by Dawn Steele Page B

smiling.
    “Hi, Blair.”
    “Hi, Taran. You’re looking marvelous, as always.”
    “As are you.”
    They exchanged kisses on their cheeks. Blair would always be beautiful to Taran, even though their strange relationship had not worked out over ten years ago – a fact that neither of them had told Violet.
    They both sat down.
    A waiter came over. “What can I get you?”
    “A pint of Guinness, please,” Taran said.
    “Returning to your roots?” Blair said mischievously.
    Taran laughed. “I can always do with a Guinness or two.”
    “Remember, I still have first rights to your official biography.”
    “There’s already an unofficial one.”
    “I know. I brought it with me.” Blair slid the book across the table.
    The title of the book was ‘TARAN DEVERE, ENGLAND’S YOUNGEST SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE’. Taran knew exactly what the contents were about. They had been mostly about his carefully constructed public relations persona – well-to-do foster parents, home schooling, Cambridge. Then his foray into the Internet world during his college days.
    Taran had been a hacker, and a damned good one. He let them focus on the ‘The Social Network’ aspect of his life. Anything that came before that he preferred to let remain a mystery.
    Taran deVere wasn’t even his real name.
    Their drinks came. Taran took a sip of his Guinness.
    “What did you call me here for?” he asked. “Is this another bid to write the real history of my life?”
    “Maybe.” Blair smiled at him. “You know, I’ve missed you.”
    “You miss the idea of me.”
    “I miss the old Taran. He was a real firecracker.”
    “He was a real troublemaker, more like.”
    “He was really wild in bed.”
    Taran grinned. “You mean I’m not wild now?”
    “I wouldn’t know.”
    “Sure you do. You girls talk all the time. You just chose to keep our former acquaintance a secret from Vi.”
    “You chose to keep your entire former life a secret from the world. But you know, Taran, things like these are bound to spill sometime.”
    “What’s this really about, Blair? You threatening me?” Taran’s tone was mild.
    “Now why would I want to do that to you?”
    “One wonders.”
    “I’ve always been very fond of you, Taran, especially when you weren’t you.” Blair smiled assuredly. “I’ve always found your life story to be one of the most amazing transformations ever. Many people can only dream of being who they’ve always wanted to be. You actually made it happen.”
    “You mean it’s better than the ‘Prince and the Pauper’?”
    “I was thinking more of ‘My Fair Lady’.”
    Taran smirked. “My fair rent boy.”
    “And the snob who loved him.”
    “You didn’t love me. We were both too young to know what love was.”
    Blair said softly, “It was love to me then.”
    “You weren’t a snob. And you’re going to marry Henry now. He loves you. That’s true love.”
    “Part of me will always miss what we were, Taran.”
    Taran loosened his tie uncomfortably. “What is this really about, Blair? You didn’t call me here to talk about old times.”
    “Then I’ll be honest with you, as I always have been.”
    Taran had always been amazed at the way Blair was around him and the completely different way she was with other people. Like her friends, for instance. She became this ditzy Barbie who tittered and squealed at the slightest things when everyone knew she was bright as fuck. It was as though she was trying to run for a popularity contest.
    “Be yourself,” he wanted to tell her. But who was he to say that, right? He was the original chameleon.
    Blair said, “It’s about Vi.”
    Figures.
    Violet was the one woman he had ever really, really loved. With his sordid past, Taran had sworn that he would never open his heart to another human being. And yet, there was something about confident, larger-than-life Violet that called out to his inner consciousness.
    This was a woman who was not afraid to be who and what she was