Free Legacy Found: Legacy, Book 3 by N.J. Walters Page A

seeking her attention. He ignored his erection and pressed onward.
    “I recently moved into a big house. What with business and family concerns, I haven’t had the time or energy to keep it up. It’s a mess. I need a housekeeper.”
    “A housekeeper?” She said the words as though she didn’t quite understand them.
    James pressed his case. “You’d be responsible for cleaning and cooking and the laundry. You’d have your own room. Or you could stay with my daughter. Alex would love to have you.” He hated making the last offer. He wanted Shelley with him, in his home. But he was smart enough to give her a choice. If she opted to stay with Alexandra, he’d live with it. At least she’d be close.
    Her mouth opened and closed and he pressed harder. “Of course, there’s a salary.” He named a number, figuring it was better than she’d been making at the diner. “No strings attached. Try it for a week and see if you like it. If at the end of the week you want to leave, you’ll have some more money saved and I’ll take you to the nearest town.” The last was a bit of a lie. He’d do his damndest to talk her out of leaving. But if she was set on going, he’d drive her wherever she wanted.
    “Plus, you can take the time to talk to Alex and her husband. You can learn what it means to be a werewolf.” He pushed the one final thing he thought might entice her to say yes. “Maybe we can even figure out who you are and where you come from. What do you say?”
     
    Shelley was too stunned to speak. James was offering her everything she needed. It was too good to be true. It had to be.
    Yet it was tempting. Like chocolate cake, she wanted it even though she knew it wasn’t good for her.
    Everything he said made sense. It would give her a week to plan and to make certain Steve Macmillan wasn’t anywhere around. She could save some money, while finding out about her heritage.
    The knot in her belly grew. Did she really want to find out about her family? Did she really have a choice?
    She knew she had to uncover the truth, no matter how bad it might be. Maybe they had abandoned her. But maybe they hadn’t.
    That small voice of hope she’d thought had died years ago rose up to haunt her. It had been years since she’d dared to imagine that she hadn’t been abandoned, tossed away like garbage. That someone had missed her, searched for her.
    She could easily do the job. She’d had years of experience keeping house for a man. A shudder of distaste wracked her and she suppressed those negative memories.
    The real question was, did she really want to spend that much time with James? The feelings he stirred within her confused her enough now. What would they be like a week from now?
    She straightened in her seat. She was strong enough to fight the emotions swirling within her. She could do the job without allowing herself to get closer to James.
    At least she hoped she could.
    James confused her. There was no doubt he was a dangerous man. Physically, he was tall, his shoulders wide, his body lean and hard. He moved with a grace that was unusual for a man his size. Or maybe it was normal for a male of her kind. A werewolf.
    How would she know? The thought was bitter and left a foul taste in her mouth. The only male she’d ever met had only wanted sex with her. And she hadn’t refused him. Her body had been out of control.
    And after he was done with her, Tom had shot the male with a tranquilizer dart and dragged him away. She wasn’t sure what he did to the male, but she’d heard screaming for hours and finally a loud howl that was suddenly cut short. She shuddered, remembering how Tom had worn the fur of the male wolf as a coat for days afterwards.
    Then Tom had settled in to watch her. She’d felt her body change. Her skin had itched and she’d scratched at her arms and legs until they’d bled. She’d felt wild. Out of control. As though something inside her was trying to break free. She’d been feverish for