CHAPTER 1

Jason

IT WAS THE QUIET ONES you have to watch out for. The mousey kind of women with their nose buried in a book, day in day out, not paying any mind to the real world. The ones who are waiting for Prince Charming to sweep them off their feet. But in Jason’s experience, those were the women who were the most fun.

The girls who would call him up in the middle of the night for a quick fuck in the backseat of his car. The ones who want him to choke them out while he was balls deep inside of them. Kinky shit like that.

Isabel was that kind of girl.

It was only one of the many reasons his eyes tracked her slender form as she made her way down the aisles. Her brown hair pulled up high in a ponytail so that with each step it bounced just above the shelves. Jason’s hands gripped the counter in front of him as he fought to restrain himself.

Patience, man. Patience. You don’t want to scare her away.

Like with any good quarry you had to know when to watch and wait. Some of the best catches were the ones who came to you. Then when they were right where you wanted them, that was when you go in for the kill.

A wicked smile curled up onto his face as he watched the ponytail lose its peppy bounce and became more of an aggravated jolt. His breath caught as he watched the ponytail pause in the middle of the rifle cleaning supplies. After a moment, a frustrated growl came from the aisle and it was like music to his ears.

He leaned forward on his elbows, anticipation curling in his stomach. He could just picture the anger that would fill Isabel’s chestnut eyes when she realized he was working the counter. The scowl that would cover her face caused him to harden at the thought.

All those images did nothing to prepare him for the electricity that shot down his spine when those eyes finally landed on him. Her brows scrunched down and her eyes narrowed as she stomped up to the counter.

God, she was beautiful.

As she stopped in front of him, he put on his biggest megawatt smile that would have the girls back at the bar creaming their panties. But not Isabel. She took one look at his smile and scowled harder.

“Hello, ma’am. What can I help you find today?” It was a rhetorical question. He knew exactly what she was there for thanks to the call from the Earl down at the hardware store, telling him she was coming his way. Not that she knew that.

It was one of the benefits of living in a small town. Everyone knew everyone and their business. That meant they all knew about his and Isabel’s falling out. It would have bugged him more if most of the town wasn’t on his side. Which was why she was standing in front of him now looking for mouse traps at his outdoor and sporting goods store rather than Earl’s, who had conveniently run out just as Isabel came in.

“Where’s Peter? I thought he was working the Saturday shift?” Ah, so she had checked to be sure he wasn’t going to be there.

Peter usually did work the weekend shift leaving him as the owner to be off on the weekends. Not that he had much going on without Isabel waiting for him. It was lucky for him that he’d stopped by the store to grab his phone or he’d have missed Earl’s call and the delicious opportunity before him.

“He’s on a break.”

She pursed her lips at his response and then growled out. “I need mouse traps.” Her nose scrunched up causing the cute freckles on her face to stand out more.

“Mouse traps you say?” He stroked the strong line of his jaw pretending to think about her request.

“Come on, Jason. Don’t fuck with me.” She stomped her sensible black flats, the effort wasted on the wood floors, barely making a sound. “I know you have them. Earl’s out until their truck comes in next week.”

“Then wait until next week.” Jason purposely dragged out the conversation just to hear her curse again. The only other time he could get a less than a perfectly articulated response from her was when he was pounding deep inside of her. Then she was all dirty talk and curses that were creative enough to make a sailor blush.

“I can’t or I wouldn’t be standing here right now.” She placed her hand on her hips. “They’ve already eaten five of my spreadsheets. I had to start all over again, putting me way behind schedule. Now Earl said you were the only other place in town that would have them. So I suggest you stop trying to vex me and hand them over.”

“Now hold on a moment, Izzy. Just because I stock hunting traps doesn’t mean that I have traps for everyday occurrences like a little bitty mouse.” He pinched his fingers together a smirk covering his face.

“Don’t call me that!” She placed her hands on the counter and his eyes were drawn down to her chest that was pressed against the edge of the counter giving him a wonderful view of her cleavage. “Jason. Are you listening to me?” She snapped her fingers in front of his face ripping his gaze from the delectable sight of her chest.

“Yes. Mousetraps.” He pointed a beefy finger toward the back of the store. “Back wall, top shelf.”

She glanced over her shoulder to where he had pointed. Muttering thanks, she marched back down the aisle.

His eyes followed her curvy behind as her petite form thundered toward where he had moved the mouse traps just moments before. Jason inched around the counter and sauntered down after her. A smile spread across his face as he watched her stand on her tiptoes trying to get to the packages just out of her reach.

“Need a hand?”

His voice was right beside her ear causing her to jump in place. She spun around and glared at him, her hands on her hips once more.

She was so hot when she was mad. He wanted to take her in his arms and cover her smart mouth with his. From the way her breath caught in her throat at his presence, he wasn’t a hundred percent sure she would tell him no.

“Here.” He reached over her being sure to press close as he pulled down a few traps. “Should I put them on your tab?”

Isabel took the traps from his hands, their fingers brushing causing a zing to go through him. From the widening of her eyes, he knew she had felt too.

“Yeah, thanks.” She tried to push passed him and beeline it for the door but he caught her arm.

“Wait.”

Isabel looked down at the hand holding onto her and then up at him.

“What is it? I really need to get going. I have a ton of errands to run before Vincent gets home.” The sound of the monster’s name caused him to drop her arm like it was on fire.

Vampires, fairies, even werewolves were common occurrences in big cities. There were even a few senators who were part of the undead. An effort to bring equality to the supernaturals of the world. But there, in Rollings, Minnesota where the population didn’t go higher than five thousand, the sups were a lot harder to come by. The ones they did have were well known and Vincent was one of the most notorious of them all.

Vincent was a werewolf who owned the only gambling hall in Rollings. If being a sup wasn’t bad enough he lived in the gaudiest mansion just outside of town and was the son of the alpha who ran all the Minnesota werewolf packs. Making him some kind of royalty to the other supernaturals.

But not to Jason. The only thing he cared about was that the wolf was Isabel’s boss, boyfriend, and the only thing standing between them getting back together.

“Right, Vincent.” He drawled out trying to hide his irritation. “How is the mutt doing?”

“He’s fine.” Isabel quickly replied, then pulled her arm from his grasp, stepping back from him. “Look I really have to go.”

With that she hurried out the store door, causing Jason to frown at her retreating form. She hadn’t even acknowledged his insult on the mutt. It was not like her at all.

Throwing his work apron on the counter he called out to the back room, “I’m heading out for a few, cover the front.”

“You got it, boss.” Peter, his teenage part-timer came back to the front, instantly taking his phone out of his pocket and typing a mile a minute.

Shaking his head at the kids of this generation, Jason stepped out of his shop and onto the bustling crowd of Rollings citizens running their Saturday errands. At six two it wasn’t hard for him to see over the crowd but with Isabel barely reaching his chest it was like finding a virgin in a Mardi Gras parade.

Eventually, his attention was drawn to the bell of what he knew was Isabel’s favorite store in three counties. Spines and Dust. The only new and used bookstore in all of Rollings. Why she liked to buy her books in person rather than online was beyond him, but in that moment he was thankful for her little quirk. He took off toward the store just as a bouncy ponytail disappeared inside.