Predator Instincts: A Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Paranormal Games Book 2) (2 page)

By the next Saturday evening, they were sitting opposite one another enjoying fish tacos by the ocean. It hadn’t taken that much convincing; he’d texted her a joke, she’d replied. They found each other on social media, then both started “accidentally” running into each other in the hallway. The conversations had made her intrigued, in particular when she realized he had an entire apartment loaded with artwork.

She wondered if she wanted to see the inside of that apartment again soon. Based on the way the discussion was going, she thought it was growing more likely. Maybe not tonight, but… soon.

“I have no idea if I’ll ever get out to Paris,” Jerome was saying when asked. “I know, lots of art there and I guess it’s a beautiful city from everything I’ve ever heard. For me, though, nature, chaos, life inspire. And to be honest- I don’t have the cash to get there anyway.” He laughed.

Lisa understood that. “I’m surprised you don’t have a roommate. You could save a lot of money that way.”

He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’d be a little tough. I value my privacy.” Jerome was wearing a dark blue dress shirt and khakis, nice dark shoes, and the shell beads around his neck she’d seen him wearing on the day they’d met.

“I see. Well, and there’s the cat too. What’s its name?”

“Ah. That’s a secret.” He smirked.

“Secret? Really?”

“Well…” Jerome looked to the sky, apparently checking out the stars and thinking. “He’s kind of a loner. He comes and goes. If you ever meet him, I’ll tell you all about him.”

She shrugged. “Fair enough.”

“Besides, I don’t want to talk about cats. I want to talk about you. I can talk all night about how beautiful you look. But I have other questions.”

Lisa liked where this was going. “What kind of questions do you have?”

“Did you grow up here?”

“No, my family is from Korea by way of Minnesota. We’ve been here for a long time, though. How about you?”

He took a bite out of his taco and chewed rather than answering her right away. It was the first time she had an inkling of concern, as he was clearly delaying.

“Sorry.” He said when he’d finished. “I’m from all over. I just moved to San Diego. I’m afraid I don’t get to stay out long. Honestly, I’m a bit hungry.” He took another bite and she decided that as long as he had that hot of a bod, it was fine if he wasn’t getting chubby.

The rest of the evening went well. A visit was paid to Lisa’s favorite local art gallery, and a walk was taken by the beach, and they decided to head back.

As they walked, she started to think about whether she wanted more or not. He’d been considerate, sweet, and complimentary. It’d had been quite a while since she’d had a boyfriend or the time to pursue something fun. She couldn’t explain why, but the longer she was with him the more turned on she was getting.

He walked her to her own door and they held hands. Had she drank too much wine earlier over tacos? She thought it was possible, but didn’t care.

“You know what?” She said, coyly. “I think I’d like to see some of those paintings you were talking about.”

“Are you sure?” They locked eyes and he smiled a little. “I can always show you another night.”

“No. I think tonight’s just right.” She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear. “You tried to hide from me over dinner and I want to see more.”

“You got it.” He whispered back. They walked back to his place and by the time they’d shut the door, she was on him, her mouth meeting his.

The first thing her hands found were the buttons of his shirt. She was peeling them off one at a time as he ran his hands along her back and through her long hair. When she had the shirt down, she put her hands on his nicely hairy, dark chest hair, leaned her head back and, let him press against her.

She stopped just long enough to look for the couch. As she did so, she was momentarily visually overwhelmed by the two other paintings she hadn’t seen the first time. Each represented a different environment- white and stark, rolling white hills with hints of blue shining through the snow storm in one image, bright orange, red, and yellow for the changing leaves of fall, and a bold yellow sun over a forest. While the themes could have been trite landscapes, in Jerome’s hands they seemed more real than the reality of gray offices, apartments, and classrooms she’d grown so accustomed to in day-to-day life.

It was only a moment that she took in the beauty of the three images when he walked up behind her, slowly took off her shirt, and began to embrace her from the back. His hands ran over her tight stomach. She reached up and touched his fingers, feeling his warm breath on the back of her neck. Lisa wondered why she was horny then, what it was about him that had made her want to be touched everywhere.

His hand found her breasts and she backed her ass up to feel his hardening rod against her. Jerome slowly rubbed his fingers along her perky, red nipples. She felt good and reached a hand back to touch his ass and push him forward against her.

After a bit of this, she was done with waiting. She turned, unbuttoned and unzipped him and he pulled down her skirt, then her panties.  The couch was near, so she sat down and laid back, enjoying the look of her ready, hot man.

He knelt down and started by kissing her breasts and neck. Slowly, she felt his cock pressing against her, so she reached down and guided him a little at a time. Jerome moved inside her, gradually slipping in so as not to hurt her as he dove deeper inside her. She looked down at him penetrate her and smiled open-mouthed and panting slightly.

“That’s good.” She urged him and when he was in as deep as he could bring himself, she murmured, “so very good. Oh God.” Her breath came in small gasps as he slowly moved, pumping and driving, his muscular chest above her.

Lisa was used to a man’s hair, but his hair rubbing against her felt soft, thick. She swung her hips up, meeting his thrusts, and held onto his shoulders, then rubbed a hand along his strong ass to encourage him more.

“Oh, this is just right.” He said, shifted his position, and was mostly upright against her. With her hips tilted and her back against the couch, she wrapped her legs around him as he held them and fucked her more. It was getting so good she couldn’t stand it and wanted to come. As he rode her, she reached down to find her clit and rub.

He took her hand and moved it aside. “No need.” He moved her back down so she was laying down, then set himself so that he was filling her pussy and rubbing against her clit at the same time. Her excitement rose as his did and when they came together, she let out a huge cry of relief and joy as he gasped and shuddered.

---

After, they found the bed and he helped her to come a second and even third time. She relaxed on his comfortable sheets, enjoying the view of even more paintings on the bedroom walls. His style was apparently eclectic; a realistic-looking young woman picking flowers in a colorful garden took up one wall, while another was adorned by a strange yet compelling splatter of vibrant blues and greens.

Jerome was showering and she lay naked in the bed, happy to have gotten what she wanted and feeling sleepy. She couldn’t help but feel a little curious about him, so she leaned over and opened a bed stand drawer. Inside, there were mostly pill bottles. Lots of them. There must have been a hundred. She checked the other bed stand- it was the same thing.

Lisa didn’t like this - not at all. She’d never been with a drug-abuser. If they weren’t for him, they could be drugs he was selling, which only made it worse. She wondered what kind of drug it was, so she took a look inside. Red and white pills. The label - didn’t have any information as one might expect from a pharmacy. Instead, they had times. “2 PM.” “8 PM.” “9 AM.” Did he need to get high so much that he actually had to set some of his “medication” to specific times?

He came out of the bathroom just then as she was looking down at her hands and the pill bottle inside. His face darkened as he finished tying up his bathrobe. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She held it up for her lover to look at. “I think I get why you move around so much. This a good seller?” She asked, her voice unnaturally tight. “Well- good for you. I’m sure business is great.”

“No.” He crossed the room and snatched them out of her hands. “Nice try, but I’m not that kind of guy. They’re for … they’re for the cat.”

She openly laughed in his face at that. “Right. Your giant, non-existent cat. I forgot about him. God, I’m an idiot.” She grabbed her clothes off the floor, putting them back on as fast as she could. “You know- it was good. Thanks. I needed that. But I think I’m just going to wish you and your kitty the best and get out of here.”

“Wait.” He tried to stop her, his voice cracking a little. She ignored him and started to go. “You don’t understand. I have to have them. They stop the cat. Oh geeze.” He suddenly clutched at his stomach. “I forgot. In all this, I totally forgot to take them.”

She felt concern. Maybe these were for him after all- a medical problem he didn’t want her to know about. “Are you okay?”

“Go. You have to go now!” He called out.

She hesitated. “I can call an amb-”

“Run!” He yelled. Something sounded strange, almost animalistic about his voice. Jerome looked up and his eyes had turned green with- what had happened to his pupils? Something was wrong. It looked off for a human eye.

She backed out of the bedroom, her shoes in her hands. It didn’t occur to her exactly why her instincts told her she had to go, but she suddenly felt she had to. Her hands were on the door handle to the hallway when she heard an inhuman roar, a growl from behind her.

Without looking back, she went through the door and slammed it shut behind her.

“I think these plans look good to me. Raj, what do you think?” The balding, middle-aged man was scanning her blueprints with an approving eye and waited as another man, a handsome young Indian with a charming British accent gave the plans his own review.

“Yes. I think these would work well here, Mr. Miller. I’m quite impressed, Ms. Park.”

“Thank you.” She responded, primly. At Hoffstatter, Burke, and Young she’d already been through three rounds of interviews and she was now at the final step. Miller was the hiring manager, while Raj Patel was the expert called in to certify she knew what she was doing. So far, she’d managed to pass every question and hurdle put before her and she had high hopes.

“Okay.” Miller said and extended a hand. “Welcome to Hoffstatter, Burke, and Young Ms. Park. You start Monday.”

She beamed and shook hands with both men. “I’m so excited to work here! I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you won’t. Raj, you want to show Ms. Park the way out? It can get a little confusing with all of these offices and cubicles the first time you’re here.” He noted, sympathetically.

“Of course.” Raj agreed. He was dressed in brown pants, orange shirt, and a dark tie. The man was smooth in his manner, but only in the way of a professional who knows what he wants and what he’s doing.

She gathered up her blueprints and drawings while Miller continued to make small talk. “Raj comes to us from the London office and is visiting for - is it a month?”

“That’s right.” He conceded.

“Raj, I heard this through office gossip, and you might want to tell me if I’m off-base in this, but - is it true-”

The young man with the strong jaw snickered. “Yes, I’m afraid so. My family were nobility in southern India. Technically, I’m a prince. But,” he added with a flashing grin directed at Lisa, “I try and fail at being quite so noble all the time.”

She smiled in return and soon they were heading to the front door. A woman stopped Raj on the way. “Hey are you meeting up with the gang for drinks at Flannigans?”

“I was planning to, yes.”

“Oh good! You should come too.” The woman suggested, speaking to Lisa. “The more the merrier!”

“Oh, I don’t know-” she started to say, but the office worker had already walked off.

“Sorry about that.” Raj noted as they were approaching the door. “You do work here, so of course you’re more than welcome. No pressure, especially if you’re a tee-totaler.”

“Hardly that.” She replied and without meaning to, offered a slightly flirty smile. “See you there, prince.”

“Definitely.” He responded with a wink.

---

She was surprised at how much she’d had to drink by 11. A large contingent was at Flannigan’s from the firm she’d just hired into and though she was eager to celebrate, she didn’t want to be sloppily drunk and leave a bad impression on her new co-workers. However, the crew from Hoffstatter, Burke, and Young at the bar were mostly young, hard partiers, and apparently a little used to office romance when stirred with mixed drinks. Flirtation and hook-ups were certainly happening all around her, and she decided to play it cool and just observe.

It wasn’t easy considering that Raj was carefully staying aloof from the hungry American girls drawn in by his accent. Instead, he was paying attention to her- not in a desperate, eager way. His interest seemed to be almost as one friend to another. Any hint of sexuality was being carefully concealed beneath a friendliness that made it clear he was interested in her without being aggressive.

She liked his style. Her drinks were refilled, her jokes laughed at, and when she was thinking she might prefer a little space, he backed off. It was as though he were pursuing her, but mostly from the fringe - a hunter who was waiting to make his move for the right moment. There was a bit of confidence in his approach that told her he was used to women and had found her to be the sort he going to try to put a little time in with. There was no hurry, no arrogance, but certainly a pleasing, occasional meeting of eyes over drinks.

They were talking about his life in London, when she saw him suddenly turn from friendly to amazed and, finally, to furious in a moment. “Him.” He muttered. “Of course he’d be here.”

She turned her head towards the bar. There was a man with his back to them wearing a leather jacket and jeans. She thought she recognized him, but wasn’t sure where from. But then, Lisa had gotten quite tipsy by then.

“What- who? You know that guy?” She asked, a little giggle rising to her lips despite his rigid demeanor. “You should see your face right now! So serious.” She pursed her lips as he was doing, pretending to look very hostile indeed.

He gave her the slightest of appreciative smiling nods for her jest, but returned quickly to eyeing up the fellow at the bar. “He has some nerve, is all.”

“Old boyfriend?” She continued, teasing.

“What? No. Ha, no, certainly not.” He shook his head, annoyed, then chuckling. “Very funny, Ms. Park.”

“I keep telling you, you can call me Lisa.” She reminded him.

“Terribly formal of me, I suppose. I’ll try to do better.” Yet, he was distracted by the man at the bar and, finally, made an excuse to get up and go over.

“No, hold on.” She tried to say, putting a hand on his arm to stay him, but he wouldn’t be put off. He walked in the direction of his opponent slowly, stalking in his approach as he wove between bar patrons.

The man at the counter sat up and - she swore she saw this - sniffed the air. As he turned, she realized with fear and wonder that it was Jerome.

Lisa had avoided him since that night they’d touched. Texts went unanswered. Knocks at the door had stopped. Once they had bumped into each other in the hall, but she’d abruptly spun on her heel and gone the other way. Whatever the drugs he was taking were doing to him, she wanted nothing to do with it.

Raj found his way over to him and the two were clearly arguing. She got up to try to put a stop to it. As she got closer, she could overhear snippets of their discussion.

“You can’t seem to help yourself, can you, Raj? Always have to try your hand in someone else’s territory.” Jerome growled, clenching and unclenching his fists. She could see he was close to the point of taking a swing at Raj.

Her co-worker laughed dryly in response. “You flatter yourself, my old friend. Since when is San Diego
your
exclusive hunting grounds anyway? I’ve never heard it said in the council that you had a right-”

“Lisa!” Jerome spotted her and suddenly looked a dozen times angrier, if that were possible. She suddenly realized that he may not have even known she was in the bar; their dispute was about something quite different. Jerome turned with fury upon Raj. “You dare to touch her?”

“You know what?” She said, coolly walking up and placing her drink between them. She granted them both a tight smile. “Why don’t you two girls work out whatever little problem you have between each other and I’ll just head on home, okay? Ciao.”

She found herself outside of the bar, her heels clicking against the sidewalk as she hurried over to her car. When she got there, she was horrified to see it had been towed.

“Oh my God. Unbelievable.” She said to herself, feeling her rage boil over. She wasn’t quite sure why, but her sense of outrage was more heightened than it should be. She felt a strange desire to tear something apart, she was so upset.

Unfortunately for him, Raj was approaching. Without meaning to, she whirled about and confronted him. “Happy? You ruined my evening and now my car is gone. What else do you want huh? You want to hang out with me at the next bar, start another argument? I bet that’d be fun for you.”

He didn’t look sad or upset. Instead, he walked straight up to her and put his hands on her shoulders, slowly, soothingly. “You’re right. It was immature of me; you should have been my focus, not that slinking cur.”

She wasn’t sure what it was about his tone that calmed her, but she was feeling more relaxed. “Take me out of here.” Lisa demanded. He nodded and he took her over to his rental.

They drove for a bit and she wasn’t incredibly surprised to see he was staying at the nicest hotel in town. He pulled up and looked over to her. “I can take you home if you want.” Then he did a strange thing. He sniffed, as though he were looking for something.

She didn’t know quite why she did too, but she felt a strange instinct to do the same. She sniffed the air. Her senses felt stronger, as though she were picking up new colors in the air. Lisa knew one thing they had both smelled and it was undeniable. They both wanted the same thing.

She didn’t try to be coy about it. “Let’s see your suite.”

They quickly walked inside and found themselves alone in the elevator. It was a quick ride up, but they were embracing, tasting each other’s lips and the alcoholic-tinge to their breath. Inside his suite, she didn’t hesitate. Instead, Lisa walked directly to the bedroom, flung open the door, and claimed the bed.

“Mine.” She told him. He took his time walking over, lightly tossed off his shirt, and sauntered around to the side of the bed. “You feel it happening, don’t you?”

She did, though she couldn’t put a name on it. All of her senses felt sharper, more aware. Had he drugged her? If so, it was a strange kind of drug. She felt a helpless desire to be with him, but it didn’t feel like it came from an external source. It was as though the horniness was a basic, internal part of her, as though she were in complete control and he was her prey. He seemed to catch something in her eye and took an uncertain step back.

“Don’t pussy out on me now.” She laughed, reaching over to grab him by the front of his pants. She pulled him over to her and rolled flat on her stomach as she pulled his dick out and admired him. He had gotten full and hard, as she’d hoped, with a nice measure of thickness about him. She looked up and grinned. “I’d like to taste the goods before I try it on.”

“Please do.” He encouraged her, contentedly leaning his hips forward as she took him into her mouth. While she tasted him, Lisa massaged his balls, giving them an occasional lick, and gently stroked him at the base. She looked up and saw he was giving her his full attention, completely enjoying her concentration and technique.

After she knew she had him completely in her control, she stripped down to her panties, insisting he be the one to take them off. He got naked and waded into the bed with her, reaching down to slowly pull the lacy garment off her. When he had her uncovered, he dipped his head down between her legs to repay her efforts. She leaned back with her legs wide, her hands on his dark hair and she lost herself in his giving head.

His slow, rhythmic tongue moved along the inside of her and in the frenzy of her thoughts she realized two things; one, that she needed and wanted this and secondly that she missed and wanted Jerome. Despite that, as she looked down at Raj and his fit body, she let him own her with his tongue, flitting sometimes to her belly button and thighs to let her breath, then returning to suck gently on her clit while gripping her ass.

It was good, but she wanted him. She pushed his head away and shifted so that he was in position to mount. Holding his dick for him, she rubbed the head along the outside of her, moaning softly as she felt the pressure. He kissed her hard on the lips, and despite their mingled taste of sex and liquor, neither flinched. Raj drove down then, slow and demanding, but not so rough as to hurt. After she had adjusted to him inside her, they thrusted as one, each loving the feel of the other in and around them.

As he fucked her, she heard him moan and the sound turned more ferocious, like a growl. As he did this, she responded in kind, unable to control the violent urge to bite, scratch, and demand sex. She ran her nails along his back and he gasped with pleasure. As she did that, he leaned down and clamped his teeth along her shoulder, not breaking skin, but giving her a strange rush of pleasure. Lisa did the same and they fucked all the harder while loving the feel of teeth against skin.

They rode until each had gotten what they needed and came moments apart. When they withdrew, he spooned against her and she felt a strange feeling arise in her… a contented joy that made her want to almost purr.