Tempering Zoe
Tarot Series -Temperance Card
By Bonnie Rose Leigh
Copyright 2007, eXtasy Books
Genre: Shapeshifter / Menage (M/F/M)
Now Available
Zoe Daniels moved to the city, anxious to pursue her career and perhaps find a man to love her for who she is. When she finds out that her lover, the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with, is already married she leaves him and the city far behind. But she doesn’t leave alone–she’s pregnant with her ex’s child.
Enthralled with the quiet beauty that moved in across the hall from them, best friends Marcel Carson and Conn Brady watch her from afar. Both males want her for their mate and are just biding their time to make her their own. When her ex shows up in town, they know they can’t afford to wait any longer to claim her as their mate.
Will she listen to them when they tell her that not only are they shifters, but they want to claim her as their mate or will her fear that she’s making another mistake getting involved with them blind her to the danger they believe her ex has in store for her?
Excerpt: (Subject to change before final publication)
Zoe left her doctor’s office-and up until five minutes ago, her employer-with her head lowered in worry. The twins must have sensed her anxiety because they chose that moment to let her know they were there, kicking her bladder as they rolled over in her belly.
Running a soothing hand over her tummy, Zoe stopped on the sidewalk outside Doc Rambler’s office and breathed in the heavenly scent of coffee from the diner across the street. What she wouldn’t give for a jolt of caffeine and some sinfully decadent chocolate cream pie right about now.
Sighing, she turned away from temptation and started toward her car. Both treats would have to wait. Not only were they bad for the little ones she carried, but apparently her budget just became entirely too tight a whole lot sooner than she’d imagined it would.
When she’d decided to leave the city and look for a small town to call home, the name of this town spoke to her like no other ever could. Serenity was a small town out in the middle of nowhere in Upstate, New York. She still lived within driving distance of the city if she ever felt the need to return, but she lived far enough away that she could almost push that part of her life-the broken dreams, the shattered illusions-out of her mind completely. Too bad she couldn’t shove her financial concerns out of her mind the same way.
With her head down and lost in her worrisome thoughts, Zoe didn’t notice the man standing in front of her, not until she plowed into him, anyway. When she looked up and realized exactly who she’d run down, she wished she could do it again.
“Well, if it isn’t Michael Donaldson, the shit bag I left in New York city. What brings you all the way out here to little ‘ole Serenity?”
“Now Darlin’, is that the way to talk to the father of your child?”
Zoe’s skin crawled when she looked at his smarmy, too big smile, and gazed into his dead grey eyes. God, how could she have ever thought this man loved her? Worse, how could she ever think herself in love with this man? Had she been so naive, so needy, that she jumped into a relationship with a jerk who wouldn’t know love if it smacked him in the face? Well, she’d learned. Learned to control her impulses. Learned to depend on no one but herself. Yeah, she’d learned all right. The question was, what did Michael want with her now?
Girding herself for whatever was about to happen, Zoe straightened her shoulders, looked him up and down then sneered. “And what makes you think I’m carrying your child?”
Michael put his hands in his pockets, threw back his head and laughed. “As big as you are, how could it be anyone else? You haven’t lived here long enough for anyone in this hayseed town to have knocked you up.”
Oh, God. What could she say to that? If he thought she only carried one child, he must think she was about to deliver any minute. How in the hell did he find her? She knew he didn’t love her, which meant he was here for another reason all together. What though? What could he possibly want with her now? Whatever it was, it was important enough to bring him away from his precious family business, and somehow she knew that didn’t bode well for her or her children.
Before she could come up with a suitable reply, strong hands gripped her shoulders from behind. She tensed, unsure who held her but unwilling to give Michael any more to question.
“Zoe, sweetheart, how did your appointment go with the doctor? I’m sorry I missed it, but I just couldn’t get here in time.”
Oh hell, she knew that voice. What the hell was Conn Brady doing? Her neighbor lived just down the hall from her own apartment with his friend and business partner, Marcel. Hell, who cares? If he could help get rid of her ex-lover, she’d go along with him, whatever his motivations were.
Plastering on a fake smile, she turned to Conn. “Oh, hi. I wish you could have been there but I understand that problems on the site can keep you tied up. Besides, Doc Rambler says the twins are doing just fine.”
Conn’s eyes seemed to glitter before one of his big hands dropped to her stomach, gently rubbing her tummy as though he were really caressing his children. “Good.” Raising his head, he nodded toward Michael. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oh, just someone I knew when I lived in New York City.”
Conn pulled her against his chest, wrapping one arm around her waist his palm still cradling her belly while he held out his other hand to Michael. The move was completely unexpected and she had to force herself not to react. If Michael even suspected all was not as it seemed, he wouldn’t go away and she really didn’t want him hanging around.
“So, what brings you to Serenity?” Conn asked.
Zoe turned her head, watched as Michael stiffly shook Conn’s hand. All signs of Michael’s humor disappeared. “I’m just passing though. I thought Zoe looked familiar so pulled over to see if I was right.”
“Is that right? Will you be heading back to the city then?”
Zoe tensed, anxious to hear the answer to Conn’s question.
“Yes, I need to get back home. There is an urgent matter I need to take care of.”
Zoe began to relax only to flinch when Michael turned his attention to her. Hatred glinted in his eyes for just a moment then all trace of his anger disappeared. “It was nice to see you again, Zoe. Now that I know where to find you, we should get together, catch up on what you’ve been doing since I last saw you.”
Zoe shivered. Why did his suggestion seem so ominous? Either Conn sensed her fear or he’d decided to continue the act, because he bent toward her, whispering a tender kiss against her temple. “Well, it was nice to meet you, but Zoe and I really need to get going. She’s been on her feet long enough for one day and needs her rest.”
“Of course,” Michael agreed. “She must take care of herself and the children. I’d hate for anything to happen to her–or them.”
As Conn steered her into the opposite direction, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing at her ex from over her shoulder. With hands fisted at his sides, Michael had a look of grim determination on his face. Once again, she shivered.