Free Embracing Fate: A hot paranormal shifter book (Hidden Hills Shifters 4) by Vella Day Page A

here.”
    He tapped her nose. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Miss Capshaw.”
    She undid the top button of his shirt. “Like what?”
    “I can tell what you’re feeling and what you want.”
    She looked up at him and smiled. He was fishing. “That so? I’m thinking of a number from one to ten. What is it?”
    He slid his hands under her sweatshirt but didn’t move them above her waist. Even so, his warm fingers made her skin sizzle. “There’s a difference between knowing what you’re feeling and what you’re thinking. I can’t read minds, but from the moment I walked in the door, I could sense you had sex on your mind. Was I wrong?”
    She didn’t lie. “No. What gave it away?”
    He raised his hands and cupped her naked breasts. “The fact that you didn’t wear a bra was the first clue.”
    She looked down, but realized she couldn’t tell if her nipples were poking out or not because his hands were covering her tits. “I didn’t think the material was that thin.”
    “It isn’t, and before you ask, I don’t have X-ray vision.”
    “How did you know?”
    Dimples creased his cheeks “I didn’t until I touched you, though I suspected it when you walked toward me and your tits bounced.”
    She laughed. “What are you going to do about it?”
    “This.”
    He pressed her against the kitchen counter, and the moment their lips touched, a flood of hormones surged through her veins. It was as if he’d pushed some hidden On button that she’d never known existed. Everything Cord did excited her. Her need escalated with each passing second, but if she let him take control again, they’d be naked in a heartbeat and fucking hard before she had a chance to taste and enjoy him.
    Piper leaned back, her breath ragged. “I have an idea.”
    He lifted a lock of her hair, brought it to his nose, and inhaled. That one action had her engine revving.
    “Does it involve us getting naked?” he asked, his lids half closed.
    “Kind of. I thought it would be nice if I could take off your clothes and enjoy you first.”
    His groan came out loud. “You do realize that if I become too excited, I might shift in front of you.”
    She hadn’t really thought this through, but if he did change form, it would be proof he really wanted her, or so Chey and Tasha always claimed. “Then what would happen?”
    His brows rose as if he couldn’t believe she’d asked. “It might take me a few seconds to compose myself before I shifted back to human.”
    “That doesn’t seem so bad.”
    He chuckled. “You wouldn’t freak?”
    She might have a few days ago, but she was becoming used to the idea. She dragged a finger down his lapel, taking her time as she reached each button. “I don’t think so.”
    She thought he’d be happy, but he looked away. “Here’s the thing. Your brother was right. I am a freak.”
    “Don’t listen to him.”
    He clasped both of her hands in his. “I’m not. When my mother was young, she wanted to have another child, but she couldn’t conceive.”
    Piper slipped out of his grasp and placed a finger on his lips. She wouldn’t last if she had to sit through his life story right now. “Can your true confession wait? I want you so badly I’m about to die.”
    He grinned. “Me, too. It’s why I was talking—to gain some control before you wedge your way under my skin.”
    Piper grabbed his dick and squeezed, but the thick material of his jeans didn’t afford her the feel she was looking for. “Too bad. It’s where I want to be.”
    She stepped back, lifted off her top, and stepped out of her pants. In a flash, Cord turned into a hulking bear and growled, causing adrenaline to slam into her. Piper freaked and fled to the living room, not even thinking.
    He was beside her in a heartbeat. “It’s okay. I’m back. See? I’m sorry.” Cord gathered her in his arms and kissed her, more gently this time.
    Her heart slowed. “I’m good. I wasn’t sure if when