Feral Awakening (The Feral Series-Book 2) Read Free

Falling
apart won’t bring Ava back.”
     “Okay sweetie. So what
did you bring me today?” Patrick peered around Kat’s shoulder at the end table.
Kat stepped aside so he could see her latest creation. “Ta da!” She presented
her piece with a dramatic wave of her arms. “It’s an end table.”
     Patrick looked at the
piece with a frown, studying it with one finger pressed against his lips in speculation.
“Uh huh. End table.”
     Kat put her hands on
her hips in a huff. “Now Patrick. Don’t you start.”
     “No, no. It’s lovely. If
you say it’s an end table, that’s good enough for me.” Kat growled low at the
expression on Patrick’s face. The two of them didn’t always see eye to eye on
her pieces.
     “Come on Patrick, you
just have to have a little vision!”
     “Now girl, I’m not
saying you don’t have vision. I’m just not sure that it’s twenty-twenty.”
     Kat had to restrain
herself from snapping at him. She really didn’t want to start the day with a
fight. “Patrick, just find a place for it.”
     Patrick muttered under
his breath at her as she stomped out into the store. “Oh, I’ll find a place for
it. I have a nice dark corner all picked out.” Walking over to the piece
Patrick bent over and attempted to pick it up. After several tries that
involved a lot of grunting and groaning he finally gave up and went in search
of the hand truck they kept in the storage room. “What the hell is she making
these things out of, lead?”
     “I heard that!” Kat
sang as she pushed open the door to the storeroom. Stifling a scream she
suddenly crashed into a hard male chest. The man in question wasted no time in
taking advantage of the collision and wrapped his arms around her small form. Kat
barely restrained herself from kneeing her attacker in the jewels. Realizing it
was Eric’s arms that were around her she almost did it anyway.
     “Eric!”
     “Easy there cowgirl. Where
are you riding off to in such a hurry?”
     Shaking his arms off
of her in a huff, Kat contemplated how nice the pointy end of her boot would
look sticking out of his…
     “Eric, what are you
doing here?”
     “…and hello to you too
beautiful. I just had a few minutes before I was needed at my shop and thought
I would check in with you to see if you would like to get some lunch later.” Kat’s
green eyes glowered at him from beneath her lashes while she struggled to form
a polite response. Eric actually owned two of the shops in the little shopping district,
a fact he loved to remind everyone of. Kat had to admit, if you could look past
his arrogant smile and enormous ego, he was actually an attractive man with his
wavy blond hair and strong jaw.  He just really wasn’t Kat’s type. He was just
a little too… pretty. Unfortunately he thought of himself as the playboy of the
little historic district and was working his way through most of the sales clerks
who worked on their block. Apparently it was her turn. Oh lucky day.
     Taking a deep breath
Kat prayed for patience and struggled to think of something polite to say. Patrick
had told her she had to play nice with their neighbors. They didn’t want any
trouble with the other shops. “Um, I actually already have plans but thank you
anyway.” Kat plastered a smile on her face that she reserved for her more
annoying customers.
     Clearly undaunted by
her brush off, Eric leaned in a little closer to her and had the nerve to pick
up a lock of her hair and twirl it around his manicured finger. “Hum, well
that’s a shame. I was hoping we could spend some time together. You know, get
to know each other a little better. Next time I simply won’t take no as an
answer.” His professionally whitened teeth sparkled at her in a smile that she
was sure he must practice in front of the mirror.
     Kat carefully tugged
her hair out of his grasp only to grind her teeth as he trailed his finger down
her arm from shoulder to wrist. Kat was someone who