Free Novel Read

Burn This! (A 300 Moons Book)(Bad Boy Alphas) Page 15


  He glanced at the Caller ID.

  “Hey, Mom,” he said with a smile, stepping out of his office and onto the catwalk that overlooked the massive entryway to Harkness Assets, Ltd.

  “Derek, are you behaving yourself?” Kate Harkness barked, her straightforward manner making him smile.

  “I’m trying my best,” he admitted.

  “Well, we all know that’s true,” she said. “When are you coming home?”

  “It’s a little early. Harvest Festival isn’t until next month.”

  “We have more to celebrate this year. It’s your 300th moon, you remember that, right?” she asked impatiently.

  Oh boy.

  “Do you, uh, think that’s a real thing?” Derek hedged.

  “Do you think Gloria Cortez would do magic that didn’t work? Yes, I think it’s real.”

  “Work is very hectic—” he began.

  “Don’t even try it. I’ll expect you home by the end of the week,” she said firmly. “If you don’t show up, I’m sending someone after you. Are we clear?”

  Why had he thought he could argue?

  “Yeah, Mom, I’ll be there,” he assured her.

  “Good boy. I love you and I’m proud of you,” she told him. “The kids are cooking up a storm, hope you’re ready.”

  “I’m ready,” he smiled, thinking of all his little foster brothers making corned beef and cabbage and freezing pies to prepare for the homecoming of the first group of Harkness kids.

  “Okay. Go check out your hip when you have a sec. Bye!”

  She hung up before he could ask what the hell she was talking about.

  Check his hip?

  “Mr. Harkness, your four o’clock is here,” Lena said from the doorway.

  Lena was very attractive with her long legs, pixie-cut hair, and seemingly endless array of tight skirts. But Derek had stopped carrying on with the assistants long ago. It had tripled his productivity.

  The way she was studying him today was more intense than usual, though. Her lips parted slightly and her pulse thrummed at the base of her neck.

  Oh hell, he could smell the arousal coming off her, under a thin layer of fruity perfume.

  The bear in his head stood and shook himself off, ready to claim her. Derek fought him down.

  Why was the bear so insistent? Maybe there was more to this 300th moon thing than he thought.

  He needed to remove the distraction.

  “Lena,” he said to the ground, not wanting to make things worse. “Would you please do a quick coffee run? The usual.”

  “Huh?” she said, snapping back to herself. “Oh. Yes. Absolutely, Mr. Harkness.”

  But she still stood there for a few seconds before scurrying away - like maybe it had taken her longer than it should have to recover from the chemistry of the moment. She’d definitely caught him checking her out by accident a couple of times before, but this was different.

  If this did have to do with his 300th moon, it was a bad sign. It wasn’t even dark yet.

  Derek took a deep breath. He had to get hold of his body before stepping into his next meeting.

  Naturally, the bear was still pacing in his chest, eager to explore and claim the tasty female.

  Go back to sleep, Derek implored it. Please.

  THE END of Chapter One of Bait This!: A 300 Moons Book.

  Grab the rest at:

  http://www.tashablack.com/300-moons.html

  Tasha Black Starter Library

  Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, and plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!

  Get your FREE books now!

  About the Author

  Tasha Black lives in a big old Victorian in a tiny college town. She loves reading anything she can get her hands on, writing paranormal romance, and sipping pumpkin spice lattes.

  Get all the latest info, and claim your FREE Tasha Black Starter Library at www.TashaBlack.com

  Plus you'll get the chance for sneak peeks of upcoming titles and other cool stuff!

  Keep in touch…

  @romancewithbite

  romancewithbite

  www.tashalack.com

  authortashablack@gmail.com

  Curse of the Alpha: The Complete Bundle

  Read the series that started it all!

  Ainsley Connor is determined to turn her back on her shifter past.

  But the wolves of Tarker’s Hollow call on her to choose the next alpha, and Ainsley becomes the object of desire for every eligible wolf in the quiet college town.

  As she struggles to come to terms with her true nature, Ainsley is thrust into the center of a steamy web of shifters, ghosts, witches and warlocks, caught up in a life-and-death struggle for control of the pack she tried to abandon.

  But for Ainsley Connor, the toughest wolf she must face might just be the one inside herself.

  Grab the complete bundle today at:

  http://www.tashablack.com/cota-complete-bundle-1-6

  Bad Boy Alphas

  If you’re a fan of shifter romance with an irresistible bad boy, then check out more steamy books from some of my author pals:

  Bad Boy Alphas

  http://www.tashablack.com/bad-boy-alphas.html

  One Percent Club

  Did you know that only about one percent of readers leave a review for the books they read?

  If you enjoyed Burn This!, I invite you to become part of my One Percent Club by leaving a review.

  And if you email me with the subject line ONE PERCENT CLUB at AuthorTashaBlack@gmail.com to let me know where you left a review, I’ll send you a free book!

  You can also snag more free books just by signing up for my mailing list here:

  Tasha’s Mailing List

  I’ll let you know when I have something new coming out. Plus you'll get the chance to read unreleased sneak previews, snag free stuff, and even make suggestions on future installments!

  If you want to find out more about me, check out:

  TashaBlack.com

  Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you!

  And thanks again for reading my book. As long as you keep reading them, I’ll keep writing them.

  -Tasha