Candace Sumner shouldn’t be here.

Not just in this town, or in the job she worked, or in the crappy apartment she leased, or even in this half of the country. She shouldn’t be in the parking lot of the Foxburg Public Library. She definitely shouldn’t be thinking of Nox Fuller’s suggestion that she bone a gorilla shifter once a day for money. And she absolutely shouldn’t be thinking about stalking the shy, curvy, mouse of a personality who had stood timidly against the wall when Nox came into Jem’s Exotic Dance Room last week. Nevada Foxburg had been fun to hunt, but she was too people-shy and probably wouldn’t give up any answers. Candace was going to have to take this slow and easy with her.

And yet, here she was, about to really do this. Because why the hell not? Her life couldn’t get any more pathetic, really, so why wouldn’t she take a stab at something better? Plus, she’d researched the Son of Kong. Everyone had started calling him HavoK, but in her mind, he was Prince Kong. He was seven shades of sexy, dominant male, and she was sick of feeling unsafe in her life. Maybe they could be good for each other. Or be friends. With benefits. At least for a little while before she chased him away like she did with everyone else.

When she’d tried to find the man who made the offer, Nox Fuller turned out to be a ghost. Candace had only had Nevada’s first name to go by, but she’d been able to track her down easily enough. It was a unique name, and Foxburg was a small town.

Her old Volvo began shaking hard, and she gripped the steering wheel with one hand and turned it off quickly with the other. It was on its last legs, but she couldn’t afford a new one. She was drowning under Dad’s medical bills. She couldn’t even afford an oil change right now. She was in such a desperate situation, she didn’t know what else to do. The debt collectors were getting out of control, and she was spiraling trying to keep up with the bills.

God, she’d fallen so far.

She expelled an explosive sigh and glared at the small, beige brick library. You can do this.

Candace shoved the last three cold french fries from the bottom of the Wendy’s bag into her maw. This was breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. Ninety-nine cent fries, because that’s all the food budget allowed until she made some cash on her shift tonight. She had to make a hundred and fifty bucks to make her overdue electric bill tomorrow or her lights were going to be shut off. Again. And no electricity in a Pennsylvania winter was miserable. She knew, because she’d spent half of last winter with just a propane-powered space heater at Dad’s house. Fuck. Don’t think about that.

Candace zipped up her jacket and shoved open her door, then slipped and slid across the frozen parking lot to the front door of the library. There was nobody there that she could see except for the curvy brunette, Nevada, behind the counter. Candace stomped the snow off her boots and approached the golden-eyed beauty. Carl would flip out if a girl like Nevada Foxburg came into Jem’s looking for a job. He told Candace at least twice a shift she was too skinny and her boobs were too small. Carl was a sweetheart of a boss.

Before Candice reached the counter, Nevada had dropped her gaze to a stack of bookmarks. “H-hi.”

“Hey. You came into my club last week. I don’t know if you remember me—”

“Oh, I super-remember you. You wrapped your legs around a pole…and…shook your…you know.” Nevada’s face went bright red before she blurted out, “It was my first time in a strip club and I only went because Nox said everyone should go to a club at least once and also because he was looking for a friend for Torren, and I didn’t mean to see your nipple tassels.” The woman looked completely mortified as she clapped her hand over her mouth and whispered through her fingers, “But I did.”

Candace giggled. “Almost the entire male half of this town has seen my nipple tassels. It’s okay.”

“Right. Are you looking for book recommendations? Or…”

“Yes,” Candace murmured out of curiosity. “Lay it on me. What books do you think I need?”

“Ummm…you probably make a lot of cash, and we have a good business section. Bookkeeping for Dummies?”

Candace’s mouth flopped open.

“Sorry, that sounded bad. I just meant it could help you keep track of your earnings. For taxes? How about step-by-step dance books? Not that you need help with that. You dance really…erotically.”

Candace pursed her lips so she wouldn’t laugh. She should possibly be offended, but this girl was kind of funny.

“Romance? I just read one about a pirate that was kind of good. I’m going to stop talking now.” Her voice had tapered off into a soft whisper and her cheeks were bright red.

That’s when Candace noticed the scars. Nevada’s left cheek was uneven with deep, silver scarring she’d covered with make-up. Huh.

“I’m pretty terrible at book-keeping and taxes. I get audited almost every year,” Candace admitted to make her feel better.

Nevada covered her cheeks with her hands as if trying to cool them, or perhaps hide the scars Candace was staring at. Nevada offered a slight smile. “I get the feeling you aren’t actually here to check out books.”

“That I am not. I don’t read much. Unless you count gossip magazines while I wait in line at the grocery store.”

“Those totally count.” Nevada scrunched up her nose. “Is this about Nox’s business proposal the other night?”

Candace nodded.

“Yeah, I’m really sorry about him. He comes up with ideas, but sometimes they’re completely inappropriate. I try to stop him, but—”

“I think it’s a great idea.”

Nevada must have sucked her gum down her throat because she horked it onto the counter and went into a coughing fit. When she recovered, she gasped out, “You want to sleep with Torren for money?”

“Um, no. Well…maybe. I want him to take me out a few times first to see if this is even something I would be able to do and still live with myself.”

“Are you a p-p-prostitute?” Nevada whisper screamed.

“What? No! I’ve never slept with anyone for money. I just dance. For people. For money.” Ew, she was feeling guilty and a little judged right now. “I need the money and also…” She swallowed hard and struggled to finish her admission.

As Nevada searched her face, her eyes softened by whatever she saw there. “Also what?”

Candace’s eyes burned and blurred with instant stupid tears. She shrugged. Well, what the hell? She didn’t have anything to lose—that was the beauty of rock bottom. “Also, I want an adventure. I want the chance at a new friend. The chance at getting to meet someone outside of my job. Outside of my life. The chance to get out of the routine of sleep, worry over money, dance, and feel…”

“Horrible?” Nevada asked softly, brushing her fingertip over her scarred cheek.

“Yeah. Sounds silly, asking about some weird arrangement with a gorilla shifter I don’t even know. But that’s where I’m at.”

“You want a change?”

A tear slipped to Candace’s cheek, and she dashed it away quickly, gave a curt nod. “I would give anything for a change,” she said thickly.

Nevada’s eyes were rimmed with moisture, and her smile trembled. There was utter honesty in her voice when she murmured, “I understand.” And then she scribbled an address on the back of a bookmark and slid it across the counter. “Be here at six. The boys don’t like to wait on dinner. I’m sure it’ll be something classy like hotdogs and beer. Dress accordingly.”

Completely relieved, Candace giggled and wiped her damp cheeks again. “Sounds perfect. My shift doesn’t start until nine. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Candace held up the bookmark and gave her one last smile. “Thanks.”

Nevada’s cheeks were still bright red, and she seemed to be at a loss for words as she dropped her gaze again to the stack of bookmarks. She must be very shy.

“C-C-Cinnamon?”

“Oh, my real name is Candace. Candy is what my boss used to call me. Then he changed it to Cinnamon because red hots are his favorite. Pointless story, sorry.”

“C-Candace. My crew is gonna go through Hell. The boys…they’re beasts. I just thought you should know before you go tonight. Are you human?”

Candace gave her a wicked smile and shook her head. “I know better than to go after a pairing with a silverback as a human. I’m a shifter, born and raised, not bitten.”

“Huh,” Nevada said, looking at her with slightly narrowed eyes and her chin lifted a little higher. “Me, too.”

Candace walked backward toward the door. “Oh, I’ve known about you Foxburgs for a long time. The boys aren’t the only beasts in your crew, are they, Nevada?”

“No, they are not,” the woman said just as Candace let the door swing closed behind her.

That woman might have a shyness problem, but Candace knew about foxes. Vicious little critters when given the chance. And Candace could be a vicious little critter, too.

As a rogue, she didn’t usually feel safe around big, dominant shifters, but she was at a crossroads, and the silverback was more interesting than intimidating right now.

Usually everything scared her.

But right now?

Nothing did.