Furbidden: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Furocious Lust Shorts Book 1) Read online

  FUR-BIDDEN

  FUR-OCIOUS LUST BOOK 1

  NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  MILLY TAIDEN

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Latin Goddess Press

  New York, NY 10456

  http://millytaiden.com

  FUR-BIDDEN

  Copyright © 2015 by Milly Taiden

  Cover by Willsin Rowe

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Property of Milly Taiden 2015

  ONE

  Penelope Medina didn’t know how to break the bad news to her best friends. Usually the go-to person to fix anything wrong, she was at a loss how to handle the situation. Karina and Julie chatted animatedly in the too-loud bar they always met at on Friday nights. The scent of smoke, liquor and cheap perfume filled the place. They weren’t fond of the dive at first, but it turned into their favorite after-work hangout for the past year.

  “So,” she started, lifting an apple martini to her lips and taking a sip for courage. “I have something to tell you all.”

  Her friends stopped chatting about the latest issue at their non-profit and turned to her.

  “Uh-oh,” Kari said, picking up her cosmopolitan and taking a drink. “You look like you’re about to give us bad news.”

  She was. Dammit! Why did she have to be the one to do it? Jerk-off Dave should be doing it. Not her. She hadn’t signed them up for anything. Dave had, but somehow Penny was the one stuck delivering the bad news.

  “Please don’t hate me.”

  “Whoa!” Julie stopped her. “I can already tell I’m not going to like whatever you’re going to say, so hang on a sec.” She motioned for a refill on her glass of sangria and once that had been taken care of, she gulped the thing down. She then placed it on the table and smacked her lips. “Okay, hit me.”

  “I swear, Julie, one of these days you’re going to fall flat on your face when you stand after doing that a few times. I don’t know how you can handle that.” Kari laughed.

  “Dave signed us up for the bachelorette auction on Sunday,” Penny blurted out. Taking a note from Julie, she gulped the rest of her martini. She winced at the burning liquid going down her throat. She had never done that. Not really a drinker, she tended to nuzzle her glass for hours. Tonight called for drastic measures.

  “What do you mean he signed us up?” Kari screeched.

  Yeah. That’s the reaction she’d been waiting for. They were three very big girls working for the largest wildlife conservation non-profit in the state. They signed on to work for the company because they loved animals, not to be on a stage getting sold like pieces of meat.

  “Penny, I hate to break this to you, but we’re shy big girls with bad attitudes,” Kari said, her brown eyes wide with surprise.

  “Yeah, not just big, we’re short. We’re not model material. We don’t even have the personalities to be good dates.” Julie blinked, picking up her glass again and motioning for another refill. “I don’t think bitchy goes well with anything.”

  “I know all of this. Quite frankly, I’m probably more surprised than you two that Dave did that. He knows how we feel about being in the spotlight.” She sighed. “But he said we are the best at fundraising and his wife suggested we fill the three empty slots left on the list.”

  “Weren’t all the spots filled?” Kari asked.

  “Yeah, but there was a disagreement with some of the volunteers. Apparently, Dave asked them to get clothes they didn’t feel comfortable in. He told them to ‘sex it up’ because ‘sex sells’ and it would bring the auction lots of money.”

  “What a douche.” Julie shook her head. “So now that leaves us parading on a stage and hoping some poor sap buys us or looking pathetic in front of the entire place, but no pressure, huh?”

  None at all.

  “We can always quit,” Kari suggested, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t want to quit though. I love my job.”

  “Yeah, I do too,” Julie said, tossing a long strand of jet-black hair over her shoulder. “Who knew we’d be so good at asking people for money.”

  Penny curled her fingers over her lap. She hated that Dave had put them in such an uncomfortable position.

  Two years ago, Penny had started working at Soaring for Wildlife. Months later, she had met a man she had fallen hard and fast for. The same could be said of her friends. The men were all brothers. But lies, lack of communication, and deception had torn their relationships apart.

  Twinges of sadness pinched at her heart. Why did she choose that moment to think of Ethan? Their relationship had lasted only a few months. It’d been filled with lust, romance and half-truths. In the end, that’s what killed it. She refused to ask him about things he should have felt comfortable sharing with her. Personal things.

  “Look...” She bit her lip, pushing away the memories of Ethan and his blue eyes. “We can say no, but he made it clear our jobs were on the line.”

  “He’s bluffing,” Julie said. “We’re the best he’s got.”

  “Yeah. Why would he want to get rid of us when we get him more donations between the three of us than everyone in that office, combined?” Kari asked.

  The waitress took their empty glasses and brought them fresh drinks. They never had more than one or two, but it appeared tonight was going to be a “walking home” kind of night.

  “He’s not bluffing.” She hated having to give more bad news to her friends. “He showed me three resumes of candidates that come from very well-off backgrounds willing to pull strings to bring the type of donations we have only dreamed of.”

  “Shit,” Julie growled. “This is fucked up. Real fucked up.”

  “Let me just have five minutes alone with Dave and I will rearrange his face,” Kari promised.

  “Nobody is getting arrested. We’re just going to have to...do it.”

  Julie made a face of disgust, scrunching her nose and pursing her lips. “Fine. But if neither of you kick Dave in the balls if nobody buys us, I will.”

  Penny had a plan for that. “That’s not going to happen.” At least there was something she could do to help them all out in the auction. “I’ve asked my assistant, Charlie, to buy the three of us. I’m giving him money to at least make it look good.”

  “I’ll double it!” Kari grinned. “I don’t want to be sold too cheaply.”

  “Oh, brother.” Julie shook her head.

  “Whatever. You know you’re going to do the same thing.” Kari raised her brows at Julie.

  A grin spread over Julie’s lips. “Yeah, she’s right. Screw Dave. I’ll just make my yearly donation work for me.”

  Great. Now all they needed was for their plan to work, and for Charlie not to leave them hanging.

  TWO

  Ethan Sinclair turned away from his office window to face the door. His brothers had just walked in. The three bear shifters owned the largest home-building company in the country, Sinclair Building Co..

  “Why did you call us?” Rafe asked. Though they were triplets, identical physically, they were completely different in personalities. Ethan was the one behind the contracts.
He interfaced with clients and other contractors on a daily basis. Rafe handled builders and materials. Then there was Ash. He was their company’s PR man. He helped create their brand and launch Sinclair to the next level. Now they were three of the most powerful men in the United States. All thanks to their exes.

  “Penelope, Julie and Karina.” He didn’t bother warming them up.

  “What about them?” Rafe asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and clenching his jaw. He hated talking about Julie.

  Ash didn’t say a word. He just stood there, his arms folded over his white dress shirt.

  “Fine. I can see this is not going to be easy so I’ll make it simple. Ash knows we are big donors to the Soaring for Wildlife non-profit. I’ve made it my business that we donate anonymously every year but the director, Theo, is a friend of mine. He’s a lion-shifter who is grateful for our help.”

  “Get to the point,” Rafe growled.

  “Fine. The point is that all three of them work at Soaring and we have a chance, if you want to take it, to possibly rectify the situation with them.”

  Ash lifted a brow. “How?”

  “We are the main sponsors for their bachelorette auction this weekend. Theo managed to get the three of them on the roster to be auctioned off for a date. That means you get one chance to ensure your mates listen to you. One chance to change the fuck-ups from the past.” Shit. Saying it out loud sounded even more ominous. He wanted Penny, but she’d hung up on every call he made. She’d ignored his visits and had gone as far as changing her number. Yeah, he’d fucked up big time. This was his chance to get her back. A year without her had been worse than any hell. He’d been waiting for the opportunity to find his way back into her life and he knew that his brothers felt the same way about their women. “Let’s just say tonight, they have no choice but to talk to us. I set this up and I ensured Theo would make things happen.”

  Rafe marched forward, his frame stiffening with every step. “There’s no guarantee this will work. They can refuse to see us. Or leave with us.”

  Ethan grinned. “I have a plan.” He pressed a button on his phone and spoke. “Kyle, get in here.”

  His assistant, Kyle, was a young bear with the ability to smooth talk his way into anything.

  Kyle flung the door open and eyed the three men before breaking into a grin. “You told them I’m buying their women?”

  Rafe made a deep growling noise in his chest. “Be careful kid. Don’t want to break your face. That’s the only thing you got going for you.”

  “I’ll have you know, I have the plan all worked out. All you have to do is be at your assigned spot.” Kyle puffed out his chest. “You don’t pay me the big bucks for nothing.”

  “Isn’t he an intern?” Ash asked.

  Ethan laughed. “Yeah.”

  “Alright,” Kyle conceded. “You don’t pay me, but once this mission is over, I expect a raise and a bonus and possibly even a vacation.”

  “You can expect your ass kicked if it doesn’t go well,” Ash said.

  “Such violence!” Kyle grumbled.

  “We’re fucking bears. What did you expect, sweet talking and roses?” Rafe snapped.

  “See that...” Kyle pointed at Rafe while staring at Ethan. “That’s why Julie left his ass. I can’t promise she’ll take him back, Ethan. I’m not a miracle worker. Besides, what if she likes me?”

  “Oh, brother,” Ash groaned.

  Rafe took a step towards Kyle. “I’m gonna—”

  “Rafe, stop!” Ethan ordered. “He’s going to help and you’re going to let him. Now give them both the information they need to be at the right place at the right time, Kyle.”

  “Fine,” Rafe said. “You get to live another day kid.”

  “You know...” Kyle took slow steps backward. “If I didn’t know better I would swear you have not smiled since you and Julie broke up.”

  “I think you need another plan, Ethan. I’m killing the kid,” Rafe said.

  Kyle shot out of the room in a heartbeat. He wasn’t stupid. Rafe was almost twice his size. All three of them were.

  “So what do you think of the plan?” Ethan asked his brothers.

  “I think it can work.” Ash nodded. “Even if we only get the one chance to talk to them.”

  “We should come clean already. They didn’t deserve the lies.” Ethan gripped his pen hard. He wanted to be with Penny. He’d hated letting her go when she’d realized he was keeping things from her. Now, he wasn’t going to let another year filled with torture, because he missed her, go by.

  “I’m not so sure the truth will be enough with Julie.” Rafe marched to the bar at the right side of Ethan’s office. He poured three drinks and handed one to each Ash and Ethan.

  “Do whatever you need to, to get your woman back, Rafe. Unless you want to keep living without her.”

  THREE

  Penny glanced at the sexiest dress she owned on the backstage mirror. It was a sapphire-blue strapless that showed off her large chest but fell in a cascade of silk, accentuating her curves. It was the first dress she’d bought after leaving Ethan with the thought of dating again, so many months after leaving Ethan. She’d never worn it. Not once. Oh well, it would have to do. It wasn’t like she ever went on a date. In fact, she hadn’t dated at all since she’d been with him. Ethan had messed her up for all men. His looks. His kisses. He’d been the best for her and she wasn’t interested in comparing anyone to him. Besides, she still loved him. There was no way she could honestly feel right about having sex with anyone else when she still wanted the jerk.

  Her turn was coming up on the stage. She shoved the curtain to the side, checking out the tables full of couples already getting to know each other. Maybe they’d stop things short and she could be saved.

  “There you are!”

  She whirled around to face Dave and his wife. Normally, she only disliked Dave, but at that moment she hated his wife, too. Still, she nodded at the woman who gave her what appeared to be a sincere smile. “You look great, Penny.”

  “Thanks.” She managed to get the words out past the lump in her throat. She hated being on-stage. It was why her job was so perfect. All she did was call people. Go to lunch with a single person in charge of charitable contributions. There were no big meetings or public speaking engagements. Her heart started pumping faster than ever.

  “You’re on, Penny!” she heard someone say.

  Holy crap. She couldn’t move. Stage fright was going to kill her and she wasn’t even on stage yet.

  “Come on, darling.” Dave’s wife, Meredith guided her towards the stage. “Nothing to be afraid of. You’re doing something wonderful for charity.”

  Right. Charity. She needed to keep reminding herself of that or she might throw up. And how sexy would that look?

  The curtains opened and everyone started clapping. To her right, the Director of Soaring Wildlife stood at a podium and spoke into a mic.

  “Now we have the lovely Ms. Penelope Medina.”

  She glanced out at the crowd but was having a hard time seeing the people with the lights right in her face. She didn’t walk up and down like the others had, instead she stood at the same spot, like a petrified animal.

  “Ms. Medina is one of our best Development Managers. She likes to dance to eighties freestyle when no one is watching, and she sings in the shower,” he read from a paper.

  She almost broke her neck jerking around to stare at the director. Who the hell told him that about her? Laughter broke out across the room.

  “Ms. Medina is also a fan of Tom and Jerry cartoons and her favorite ice cream is anything with chocolate, vanilla and caramel mixed together. Now let’s open up the bid for a night on the town with Ms. Medina. Do I hear fifty dollars?”

  Penny couldn’t believe someone had divulged her personal information for the stupid auction. The worst part was that she knew it wasn’t Dave. He wasn’t that familiar with her. She immediately dismissed her friends. She had enough dirt to bu
ry them both. So, who did it?

  She heard her assistant, Charlie, yell. “One hundred dollars!”

  “I have one hundred dollars from number thirty-five. Do I hear one-fifty?” said the director.

  Things were going according to plan. For a second, she thought no other bids were going to come in and smiled, thinking the worst of the night almost over.

  “Two hundred dollars,” a new voice yelled.

  Crap. She squinted into the crowd, trying to find the person bidding against Charlie.

  “I have two hundred from the gentleman by the bar,” the director said.

  Her gaze roamed to the farthest area in the back of the room and she saw a slim young man standing there. She couldn’t make out his features well enough to know if she knew him. Fucking hell.

  “Two-fifty!” Charlie threw in.

  “Three hundred,” said the slim guy.

  “Three-fifty,” yelled Charlie.

  She’d only given Charlie five hundred thinking for sure it wouldn’t go that high. Now she worried he would lose and soon.

  “Four hundred,” said the slim guy again, getting a-head of Charlie.

  “Five hundred.” That was Charlie’s highest bid. She held her breath, waiting to see if the other guy would top it.

  “I have five hundred from number thirty-five. Do I hear six?” The director encouraged the crowd.

  Silence.

  “Five hundred dollars going once. Going twice—”

  “Fifty thousand dollars,” yelled the slim guy.

  A murmur rippled through the crowd. She must have heard wrong. The murmur grew louder.

  Ah, fuck! She hadn’t heard wrong. Why would he pay fifty thousand dollars for dinner with her? What type of person had that kind of money to throw away?

  “Fifty thousand going once. Going twice. Sold to the gentleman by the bar for a fifty thousand-dollar donation to Soaring Wildlife. Please meet Ms. Medina by our payment area and we will gladly send you on your way.”

  FOUR