“I’m glad you think that.”

“But you don’t?”

She looked at him. “I want it to be. But I don’t know yet. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m an outsider looking in. Does that make sense?”

“Absolutely. But I hope you don’t feel that way for long. Delaney wanted you to move here, so she had every intention from the beginning of telling you about all of this. She just didn’t right away because you were already under so much stress.”

Roxy opened her mouth, then closed it again and shook her head. “I owe you a thank-you.”

“For what?”

“For tackling Thomas in my yard that night. My divorce papers arrived by FedEx yesterday. I feel pretty certain your intervention helped that along.”

He smiled, and the hope growing in his gut turned into anticipation. Roxy St. James was a single woman. “If I did, then you’re welcome. Hey, what was in that box he brought? Or did you just throw it away?”

“What box?”

“I put it on your dining room table. Or I thought I did.”

She shook her head. “I don’t remember seeing it. But then I haven’t paid attention to much these past few days. I’ll have to look for it when I get home.” Her mouth curved into a funny little half-smile. “I owe you a second thank-you, actually.”

“Really? What’s this one for?”

“That flan. That probably saved you from being killed off in a book.”

He laughed, a loud burst of sound. “Do you do that a lot? Kill people off in books?”

She shrugged coyly, and it felt like they were back to being okay. “Sometimes. It’s a great way to get your frustrations out.”

“I would have thought yours was driving fast.”

Her smile took a wistful bend. “I need to get back in that car, that’s for sure.”

Silence passed between them, then she tipped her head and gave him an odd look. “That Sunday that my fish tank was being installed, I thought I saw a black panther in your backyard. Was that you?”

He sat back, resting his beer on the arm of the chair. “First of all, how can you see into my backyard?”

She pointed a little reluctantly to the playhouse visible on the other side of the fence. “That thing has a loft. Where those windows are. Looks right over the fence. I go up there to write sometimes.”

He smirked. “I’ll have to remember that next time I go commando in the hot tub.”

She rolled her lips in and blushed a little. “Anyway, was that you?”

“No, I was at work that day. That had to be Diego.” Alex shook his head. “It’s generally understood that blatant supernatural activity is not supposed to take place within range of human citizens.”

She shrugged. “Technically, he wasn’t, what with the fence and all.”

“I suppose.”

She stared at the phone on her lap. “Would it be okay if I…saw what you look like when you shift? I mean, if you’re willing. Or if that’s even allowed.”

For the second time since he’d known her, she caused a shot of electricity to zip through him. “You want to see my panther form?”

She nodded. “If that’s okay with you. I already know you’re not like a wild animal that could hurt me, since your—”

“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s a lot like your books, actually.”

She looked up. “Yes, your mom, uh, showed me that side of her at my house. Wanted to show me it was safe, I guess.”

“My mother shifted in front of you?”

“She did. It was very impressive. But I’d still like to see you.”

Wonders never ceased. “Okay then. Just so you know, I can’t speak in that form, but I’m just as aware and in control of myself in that form as I am in this one.” He stood and moved the table out of the way. “Ready?”

Her eyes shone with pure curiosity. “Right now? Yes.”

“Here goes.” He called to the beast within him, and the magic of his kind rushed through him as the change overtook his body.

Roxy jerked back in her seat, her eyes widening as her soft lips parted and a gasp escaped. “Oh. Wow. You are one big kitty.”

Roxy’s first instinct was to tuck her legs under her to put a little more space between herself and the enormous creature now sitting across from her. She’d known what Alex was, but seeing him in his panther form this close was not a sight that anything could have prepared her for.

He was as tall as she was sitting down. Taller maybe. His eyes were as gold as the sun and his fur the most gorgeous blue-black she’d ever seen. His paws were nearly the size of bread plates.

She swallowed, realizing as she did that she’d been holding her breath. “Alex?”

The big cat’s head nodded. Alex’s head. But it was really weird to think of him that way. She lifted her hand to touch him, then on second thought, let it drop back to her lap.

He responded by butting his big head against her knee. The move rocked her back on the love seat. There was no mistaking the power within him.

She raised her hand. “It’s okay if I touch you?”

Again, he nodded.

She reached out, still tentative, but the moment her fingers made contact with the top of his head, she relaxed. There were no words to describe how silky his fur was. It was almost liquid. She scratched and his eyes closed.