Free Stripe Search: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Furocious Lust Shorts Book 5) by Milly Taiden Page B

needs help, and I’m trying to get it for him. I’m really sorry he tried to cheat today. Just tell me how much he owes, and I’ll take care of it.”
    She wasn’t rich, but dancing at Charlie’s had allowed her to save a lot of money. She wasn’t into the extravagant lifestyle. Her one vice was traveling, and she hadn’t done that in a while. Watching over Joel and making sure he paid his child support was like a second full-time job most of the time.
    “Five hundred thousand dollars,” he said and stood by the bar next to the sofa. He filled a tumbler with something and passed it to her. “I think you need a sip of this.”
    Half a million dollars? Joel had bet money he didn’t have. He’d bet money she didn’t have. What the hell was she going to do? Her damn house wasn’t worth that much money. She glanced down at the amber liquid swishing back and forth in the glass and blinked. Then she lifted it to her lips and took a giant gulp, letting it burn as it went down. She didn’t drink—ever—so for her to do it now was a sign of weakness she wasn’t fond of.
    “Now don’t stress about the money. I’m sure we can figure something out.”
    She snorted and then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, but there’s nothing that can be done. Joel doesn’t have that, and neither do I.” Shit. She’d thought her hundred grand in savings was a big deal, but not when it came to her brother’s debts. Charlie’s paid well, but not that well.
    “There is something you can do, but it will require a commitment from you to see my request through, or I won’t forgive your brother’s debt. The first thing is that Slade will handle getting your brother help. If what you say is true, and I have no reason not to believe you, he should go to rehab and have the problem addressed. Second, my son needs a mate.”
    She raised her brows and stared at the handsome older man like he’d grown a second head. “A what? A what?”
    “A mate.”
    She knew well and good what a mate was. That didn’t mean she was going to sell herself to a tiger for her brother’s debt. No fucking way!
    “Look, Mister… Vincent. I don’t think your son would appreciate having his father finding a woman for him.”
    Vincent waived a hand dismissively. “My sons are too slow, at least according to my wife. She wants to see them with children. Happily mated.”
    “But I thought with shifters the animal decided who the right partner for them is?”
    He nodded. “This is true. But I can tell you’d be perfect for him.”
    He had to be crazy. “Thanks for the offer Mr. Tigris, but I’ll pass. I like men who ask me out themselves, without their dads doing the foot work. I’ll get the money some other way.” Maybe she could get a mortgage on her house or even beg Charlie to help. Something had to work.
    He sighed. “Okay, that didn’t work. I guess I will give you another option before I have to send your brother to jail for cheating. I don’t like seeing how upset you’re getting over this.”
    She gulped. Hell. She’d been refusing stuff like she had options. “Look, whatever it is, I’ll do it. But don’t ask me to be your son’s girlfriend. That sounds really weird, considering how hot he is and the fact he’s also a grown man.”
    Vincent laughed. “Then you will not mind two weeks of filling in for Slade’s assistant. She is out on vacation, and the lack of help is making my son cranky.”
    She’d bet. His gorgeous face appeared carved from stone. “Like office work? How do you know I can even do that?”
    A sly smile spread over his face. “I have my ways.”
    She should be worried Vincent seemed to know everything about her. It was true, she had worked at an office up to some months ago. When one of her co-workers, a guy who wanted to force her to go out with him, saw her there, he gave her an ultimatum: go out with him or he’d tell human resources she was a stripper and gave their company a bad image. She told