Page 44 of Shifted Desire

Samantha chuckles and releases my tie, smoothing it down. “I would, but Dad has a whole ‘congratulations on your first day at the new job’ dinner planned for me. He originally wanted to invite you, but I told him I didn’t want to spend time outside of work socializing with my boss. That things would need to be different now that we’re working together.”

The direct reminder of who she is, and how I’m betraying my best friend with my lascivious thoughts, shuts my dick right up.

I take a step back, hating the loss of her body against mine. “Right. Makes sense.”

“It’s not ideal, but I’ll have to stay with them a while longer to avoid suspicion about my paycheck. A few more months, at least. I don’t want to keep you from spending time with your friends, so I told them I could make myself scarce whenever you come over.”

My gut twists at the thought of Samantha having to accommodate me even more than she already has. But she’s smart to give them a reason why we won’t hang out as a group. We’ll still likely have family dinners that I’ll get invited to, but I’ll find excuses to avoid them until I figure out how to hide my newfound attraction to their youngest daughter.

“I should’ve known you’d have everything figured out already.” I attempt a smile, even though discomfort squirms in my stomach, mixing with the still-present arousal at her proximity.

“I don’t want to screw this up.” Her tone is more serious than before.

“Me either,” I reply. “I don’t think you understand how much you’re helping me.”

“I have a pretty decent picture. You’re already looking less…ghoulish.”

I snort at her blunt assessment of my condition. “Thanks.”

It’s a decent comparison because I’ve had more vitality since we’ve started having sex. It has done little to curb the ever-present hunger of my curse, but at least now I’m not as sluggish and drained.

“You’ll be healthy and hale in no time. As much as an old man can be,” she teases.

“I’m not that old, and the curse slows down aging.” Or at least it does if I’m not constantly resisting all the instincts and urges that come along with it. I’d feel even better if I let go during the next full moon, took off the charm, and transformed, but there’s no way that’s happening. This is good enough.

“If you say so.” She laughs when I glare at her, and we walk the rest of the way to her car with her giving me mischievous sidelong glances.

“Alright, this is me.” She gestures to a well-maintained old sedan that I think belonged to Shane at one point. I briefly wonder if I could get her a company car, but that would definitely make her parents suspicious.

“Have a good night, Samantha.” My wolf urges me to close the distance between us and kiss her, but I stay rooted in place, knowing that’s a terrible idea.

“Goodnight, Mr. Dubois. I’ll see you tomorrow for another day of hard work.” She glances down at my crotch and my damn dick twitches at the attention.

“Get in your car and go home,” I grumble.

Her husky laugh as she opens her car door makes me even harder. “Yes, Sir.”

I roll my eyes, giving her a perfunctory wave before heading toward my car.

When I’m inside my vehicle, I release a loud groan, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands. I’m hard and tempted to deal with it right now, but I’m not about to be a pervert masturbating in a parking garage, so I adjust my dick and turn on the engine.

My phone pings right before I back out, and I glance at it, worried Samantha forgot something in the office and needs to go back in.

Samantha: In case you need some more of my help tonight.

My jaw drops when a photo pops up a second later, and the phone almost falls from my hands.

It’s a shot of her bare tits, her dress tugged off to the waist and one hand cupping her breast, the car seat behind her making it clear she just took it.

Samantha: Send me a pic when you’re done using it later.

17

When I get home, still awash in the thrill of my first day at the office and the energy boost fooling around gives me, Max’s car is parked on the street.

There’s a warring surge of happiness about seeing my brother, and annoying jealousy and preemptive dejection as I imagine all the plans to celebrate my day giving way to whatever he’s here for. Not that a first day of work should be cause for celebration anyway, but now that my parents have made a fuss about doing a special dinner, I’m going to be butthurt if they don’t follow through or Max steals the moment.

I know, I know, I’m such a stereotypical middle child. But no matter how hard my parents tried, there’s no getting around that brother was born only a little more than a year after me, and being the only boy and the baby of the family, he often stole my thunder, whether he wanted to or not.