Page 57 of Visions, Paws, and Claws

Saul laughed. “I thought you were waiting for me at the house. You said something about being ready….”

Crank snickered. “I figured I’d show up here so we could get the party started early. I’m sure we can find a flat surface somewhere.”

Saul snorted. “Since when didyouever require a flat surface?”

“Good point,” Crank acknowledged. “So I’ll sit back here and wait. I promise, I’ll be quiet as a mouse.”

Saul grinned. “Quiet is not in your vocabulary. That’s part of the reason Vic brought up getting a ball gag for you.”

Crank glared at him. “Sure, shareallmy secrets, why dontcha?”

Hashtag burst out laughing. “You think that’s a secret? Aw, how cute.”

Saul waited until Crank was seated before pressing the intercom button. “Send in the last candidate, please. Then you can call it a day.”

“Yes, sir.”

Saul glanced at the list. “Eve Duncan. Shifter. She’s yet another one who looks great on paper.”

Hashtag glanced up as Eve entered the room. “Whoa. Not only on paper.”

Saul chuckled. “Stop thinking with your dick,” he whispered.

He’d nailed it. Hashtag wastotallythinking with his dick.

“That’s okay, it’s how most men do their thinking,” Eve said as she walked toward them.

What the—

“Their single brain cell can’t handle more than one thing at a time.” She grinned smugly. “And for the record, I can recommend some great ball gags. I have a catalog at home, plus a drawer full of them, all tried and tested.”

Hashtag’s jaw dropped.

“Shifter hearing is better than a human’s,” she informed him with a sweet smile. “So are our other senses. And so we’re clear, I’m here to do a job, not looking for a barely adequate roll in the hay.”

“I… I… I’m sorry,” Hashtag sputtered.

“That you said it, or that you got caught?” Her eyes sparkled. “Or are you apologizing for your… equipment?”

His cheeks burned.Goddammit. No woman hadevertaken him to task—and done it so expertly. So why did he find it so fucking hot? There was a trace of an accent, and dammit if that wasn’t hot too.

He couldn’t help but stare at her. Eve was tall, maybe five eleven, her dark brown hair pinned up at the back. There was an Italian air about her. He liked the confident way she crossedthe floor to them, the line and breadth of her shoulders, the straightness of her back. As she drew nearer, he took in her dark brown eyes, her sun-kissed complexion, her chin that she raised as she gazed at them. The kind of woman who’d look amazing whether she was on the catwalk or carrying an M-16.

AndtotallyHashtag’s type.

Yeah, maybe I’d better let Saul lead on this one.Hashtag would have signed her up on the spot, but for all the wrong reasons.I’m only here for balance anyway. It wasn’t exactly a good-cop/bad-cop scenario—his role was to ask questions designed to help them gain insights into each candidate while Saul sifted through their resume and asked about their military experience.

Saul gestured to the chair facing them. “Please, take a seat.”

“Thanks. And thank you for the compliment. I’d better make sure my performance is as perfect as my resume.”

Saul arched his eyebrows.

Okay,thatwas funny.

Hashtag gave her a nod, and she returned it. Eve sniffed a couple of times, her nose wrinkling, before giving Saul her attention. Hashtag leaned back and listened as Saul did his thing.

Well—halflistened. He was far too busy tryingnotto stare at her and her insanely adorable twitching nose.

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