In the Roar Read Free

shifter who wants a woman who wants babies too.”
    Oh, that was a low blow. Children were her weakness. Growing up feeling unloved left her wanting someone to love unconditionally.
    “Really?” she couldn’t help but ask, her fingers circling the edges of the business card.
    A knowing grin spread over Gerri’s lips. “One date, Liv. That’s all I ask.”
    She swallowed the knot in her throat. “If it doesn’t work--”
    “Then I will back off and even help you find the best place to get artificially inseminated.” Gerri patted the hand she’d placed on the business card. “But wouldn’t you rather make a baby the old fashioned way?”
    “Hell, yes!” She laughed. “Especially if he’s good at it.”
    “Good is not the word, darling.”
    She raised her brows high. “If you get me a man who can make my knees buckle, I will skinny dip in the local pond.”
    Gerri shook her head. “Don’t make promises you will hate keeping later.”
    “I’ve yet to meet a man who can get me all the way there.”
    Gerri frowned, a horrified look taking over her face. “Oh, child, please tell me you don’t mean an orgasm.”
    She giggled at the fact it was so sad that men couldn’t do that for her. Everyone must have better luck with sex than she did if she went by Gerri’s reaction. “Don’t feel bad. I can give them to myself, but sex is just not…it’s not been good to me. I think I am not relaxed enough, so it doesn’t happen.”
    “So what do you do?” Gerri blinked. “You don’t…do you fake them?”
    She bit her lip, her brows wrinkling and she nodded. “What else could I do? Not like I can get up and walk away and be all ‘hey you didn’t get me to come so I’m out of here.’”
    “That’s a damn shame. Don’t worry.” Gerri’s voice lowered. “The man I have for you… He’s out of this world.”
    Wow. Something about the way she said it made her skin tingle and her blood heat. Could Gerri succeed where others had failed? She sure as heck hoped so. Now to deal with the date she already had that night. That was a difficult one. Thankfully, they were going to a bar near her building. Liquor would either solve or create more problems.

 
     
    FOUR
     
    Liv readied herself for the date as she stepped out of the elevator and bumped into a man.
    “I’m sorry,” she said as she was grabbed by a pair of hands before she fell on her ass. She glanced up, and up, to his heart-stopping face. What the fuck?
    “Liv?” Gerri said with surprise. “You live here?”
    Liv had a hard time detaching her tongue from the roof of her mouth. The man she’d bumped into was walking with Gerri. He was big. Really fucking big. With all kinds of delightful muscles shifting when he let go of her.
    “Ah, yeah. I live here,” she said to Gerri, her gaze stuck on the man. His hazel eyes studied her with open appreciation. Her cheeks warmed and her breaths came faster the longer he looked at her.
    “Going out?” Gerri inquired with a curious smile.
    “Across the street for another…” She bit her lip and watched the big guy’s arms flex. Oh, my. “Another, uh, gathering.” She sighed, not wanting to say she was going on a date. She didn’t want to say those words when such a mesmerizing male specimen stood in front of her. So close she could touch him.
    “Come on, Karel.” Gerri tugged on the big guy’s shirt. “Have fun, Liv.”
    She nodded. Karel, the big guy, continued staring at her for a moment before stepping into the open elevator then watching her the entire time the doors closed.
    Her cell phone buzzed. It was her date. He was at the bar and waiting. Let the good times roll.
    * * *
    Liv glared at her date, Gerard, for the millionth time. He’d gotten it in his head that she was playing games.
    “When I said I’m not into being tied up and hit with a paddle, I meant that,” she snapped.
    Instead of realizing her tone and look meant business, the idiot grinned and winked. “Sure you’re