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  Selene pulled her hair back into a ponytail, then clipped her MP3 player to her wristband. She had also found out that he went for runs each morning through central park, at 7am sharp. Her plan was to bump into him - literally, if she had to - strike up a conversation and then go in for the kill. Figuratively speaking of course.

  Her apartment was only a few blocks away so at 6:45am she bolted from the apartment and headed for the park. Over breakfast, she had asked him his running route, which he was happy to share with her, in spite of looking confused as to why she could possibly be interested.

  When she reached the park, there were already large numbers of people out for their morning exercise. Why so many humans insisted on running for fun baffled her. Of course, unlike humans she never had to worry about weight gain, or aging. She was not immortal by any means, but shifters did live to be well over a hundred years of age, give or take a decade. The great thing was that they could shift their looks throughout their entire lifespan so if they wanted to look twenty until they died, so be it.

  Since she wasn't a pure-blooded shifter, she was unable to take on animal form, not that she would be all that interested in doing so anyway. From her limited understanding, shifting to animal form tended to be physically painful and it was said that excessive animal shifting could decrease a shifter’s lifespan. Those couple of reasons in themselves would have been enough to deter her if she was a pureblood.

  Running down the asphalt trail, she had to admit the tranquility of being out in the cool morning air was refreshing. The sky was wonderfully clear and she found herself being soothed by the sweet songs of the various birds she encountered. Another ten minutes passed before she caught a glimpse of a figure coming down the hill to her left. It was Anthony. Up ahead of her was where the two paths met in a Y formation. If she timed it just right, she'd meet up with him at the junction.

  Just a little quicker. Yes, that's it. Ten feet before they met, five feet. Selene timed it flawlessly. They both came to the Y juncture at the same time, nearly colliding into each other as their paths met. Selene gave herself a mental pat on the back.

  Anthony's grey eyes met Selene's deep sapphire ones as he slowed his stride to a leisurely jog. She met his pace and jogged alongside him.

  Giving him a sweet smile, she made a show of removing her earphones, hoping he'd get the hint that she was interested in talking. He seemed to get the hint and removed his as well.

  "Good morning," he greeted, with a smile. He was so damned sexy when he smiled that it made her weak at the knees.

  Ironically enough, she didn't seem to feel the confidence that she normally had with him - or men in general for that matter - in her normal day to day life. Perhaps it had to do with the fact she had shifted into the form she took in her everyday routine, which normally wouldn't include male company.

  She returned the smile, looking up at him. "Good morning."

  With a final nod, he picked up speed and started to pull away from her.

  Not good. She needed to find a way to stop him. A simple passing hello wasn't going to cut it.

  He edged up a little further ahead of her. Soon he'd be losing her around the next bend. She noticed a large hole in the asphalt directly in front of her. She immediately knew what she had to do.

  Holding her breath, she let her left foot fall into the deep crevice. She went spiralling forward, letting out a loud yelp as she fell. While instinct begged her to brace herself for the fall, protect herself from injury, she forced herself to ignore it. She heard a faint cracking sound coming from below her, as she tumbled. She landed on her right shoulder, then rolled over to her back. She lay there spread eagle on the pavement, as the bright morning sun beat down on her. She closed her eyes, blocking out the blinding rays.

  Pain shot through her ankle causing her to cry out once more. The pain was very real.

  Moments after her fall, the sun's rays were eclipsed by something large. As she had hoped, Anthony had heard her cry and come back to assist her. Her left ankle hurt, badly. It took all her restraint to keep herself from shifting form and in the process healing the injury. No, she coached herself; it needs to be injured, at least as long as it keeps Anthony here.

  She opened her eyes and looked over at him. He crouched down beside her and was intent on examining her ankle.

  "Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked reaching for her injured ankle.

  She attempted a weak smile and shook her head. Inside she celebrated an early victory.

  His fingers were warm and sensual on her calf. He began feeling, probing, her calf and working his way down to her ankle. Once at the ankle, even his light touch caused pain to shoot up her leg.

  She gritted her teeth, but was unsuccessful in holding back the urge to cry out. "Ouch!"

  He looked over from her ankle to meet her eyes, his expression sympathetic. "I'm really sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I think it's broken."

  She nodded at him. "It's aching." She hated pain. Luckily, she never usually had to feel pain; an inhuman ability to resist it was one of the benefits of being a shifter. If a bone broke, a simple shift to a different form fixed the break. The same applied to scars or other forms of physical damage, a simple shift renewed all parts of her body.

  "Do you think if you leaned on me, you could make it to the exit?" He bent over, slipping an arm under her to help her sit up.

  "I think so."

  "Alright. Put your arm over my shoulder and I'll help you up. Don't put any weight on that ankle of yours."

  "Okay," she nodded, doing as he asked.

  He stepped in close to her, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck. He was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and she couldn't resist taking a moment to appreciate how beautifully sculpted his biceps and shoulders were. She found her arousal beginning to grow, despite the pain.

  "Ready?"

  "Ready," she confirmed.

  With a quick, fluid motion, he stood up, bringing her to her feet with him. The motion propelled her up against him. She allowed herself the luxury of falling into his arms. She could feel the cool sweat against her cheek as it touched his neck, reminding her of the last night they were together.

  She pulled back to look into his eyes, her lips less than an inch from his. She only needed to close the distance and she'd be able to lose herself in the sweetness of his kisses.

  Fire flashed in his eyes, but he didn't attempt to close the short distance that kept their lips from meeting. He simply looked deep into her eyes, not attempting to release her yet.

  "Thank you," her voice was little more than a whisper.

  He smiled; the fire in his eyes was replaced by amusement. "Don't mention it. What kind of man would I be to leave a damsel in distress behind?" he teased.

  "So I have my very own knight in shining armour?" She tested her injured ankle, only to jerk it back up from the ground with another light yelp of pain. The intense urge to shift nagged at her once more; she continued to repress it.

  "At your service, my lady," he gave her the benefit of a half bow, "Are you ready?"

  She nodded as she took a step forward, using him as a makeshift crutch. He easily supported her weight as the gradually moved forward.

  * * * *

  Anthony could almost sense her pain with each step that she took. He couldn't even recall the large number of bones he had broken over the years; normally the result of some sport or another in which he had been involved at the time.

  He had to hand it to her though: she was a trooper if ever he’d seen one. With each step, she would visibly wince, but would attempt to hide the discomfort. She wasn't too hard on the eyes either for that matter. Her black hair in combination with her deep blue eyes was a perfect contrast to the light skin, which made her quite alluring to him. She had an exotic, yet familiar air about her.

  That familiarity was something that kept nagging at him. It was as if he knew her, just had no idea how. He rarely forgot a face, which was part of the rea
son why he was so successful in business. He needed to find out.

  "You know," he felt halfway embarrassed even saying the words he was about to say and he was sure it was evident in the hesitation in his voice. The question sounded too much like a corny bar pickup line, but he had to ask. "Do I know you from someplace?"

  She looked up at him, amusement gleaming in her eyes.

  Well I just made her tacky loser list, good going Winchester, he thought.

  "So is that a legitimate question or your way of starting a conversation?" she arched a dark brow at him playfully.

  He thought about it for a moment, "both."

  "Well perhaps you've seen me around during your jogs," she suggested.

  Anthony shook his head. He didn't think so. He usually took close notice of the people he passed each morning; it was the same people, more or less, each day. She was not one of them.

  They walked in silence for several yards. Anthony had to admit he enjoyed the feel of her warm body brushing up against his as they continued their way to the exit. At the speed they were moving he predicted they still had a solid half hour before they would make it to the exit.

  "Do you normally come out here jogging on your own? Or do you usually have company?" He cringed as he said it. He was really pulling out all the lines on her this morning. Perhaps he shouldn't have skipped his morning coffee before coming out for the run.

  She laughed. He liked the way her eyes gleamed when she was amused, so full of life.

  "You know I let the first horrible pick up line go because you are being nice enough to help me here, but that one. That one, you have to be called on."

  "Wait now. That was no pickup line. I simply asked hoping it would narrow down the possibility of it being you that I may or may not have seen jogging here before. That's all."

  "And to spare myself the agony of having to endure yet another cliché pickup line; I am not seeing anyone," she teased.

  He laughed. She was a cheeky one, he’d give her that. "That's good to know."

  He'd been out of the dating circuit for some time, but he was pretty certain that was an invitation for him to ask her to go out. He looked her up and down once more out of the corner of his eye. He could think of worse things than spending an evening with the hot little number that was currently clinging to him.

  "So. Unattached?" She looked up at him through her lashes.

  He paused a moment. Simone came to mind. But Simone was simply a hired companion. It was not as if they had anything together other than a mutually satisfying financial-sexual relationship. He seriously doubted Simone spent much time considering anything beyond that with him.

  I'm nothing more than another client to her, he mused. Regardless of the connection he thought he felt between them.

  Then there was this cute, cheeky, tough little number beside him. He felt the same strange connection with her as he did with Simone. It was odd. He was pretty certain he would like to learn more about her.

  He must have been lost in his thoughts a little longer than he imagined, since she was now looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. Her blue eyes probed into his, as if trying to figure out the answer without him actually saying.

  He smiled, "No. There's no one."

  They continued walking, sharing a comfortable silence.

  The exit was looming in the distance. It's now or never. "So would you like me to take you to the hospital? That foot really should be looked at." Perhaps not the best date offer she had ever received, but he certainly couldn't expect her to go on her own. And it would give him the opportunity to get to know her a little better.

  Her face blanched. She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "It'll be fine. Some ice and a couple of hours’ rest and it'll be as good as new."

  He thought for a moment, trying to decide if that meant he was being shot down or not. It could of course mean she didn't have insurance. He didn't care for this uncertainty. Perhaps that's why he enjoyed Simone so much. There was no uncertainly with her, no guesswork. Then again, that was what dating was all about wasn't it?

  They finally made it to the exit. "Let me at least take you home."

  Smiling she nodded.

  "So where is home?"

  "I'm just a couple of blocks away." She nodded to the right of the entrance.

  "It just occurred to me that I still haven't gotten your name."

  "Selene."

  "Very pretty name. I'm Anthony, by the way."

  Hmmm. She lived just a few blocks from the park. If that was the case then she certainly had enough money not to have to worry about doctor bills. You needed to make the high end of a six figure salary to live in those buildings. That really made him wonder what the little vixen limping next to him was all about.

  One thing he couldn't deny was the feelings she aroused in him as she brushed up against him, or the feel of her arms wrapped around him. His cock had been aware of her presence for the past twenty minutes. He had been struggling to rein it in. His gym pants were not the best at concealing the bulge under them.

  Ten minutes later they were standing in front of a very lavish-looking brick building, which just happened to be only a few blocks from his own.

  The middle-aged Latino doorman gave them a smile as they passed, opening the door for them. The lobby was decorated with modern artwork and several brown leather sofa sets.

  Once inside the elevator she produced a key allowing her to access the upper floors. Anthony watched her with ever-growing curiosity. She hadn’t come across to him as the corporate type. Heiress maybe? Internet mogol? God knows there were enough of those around these days.

  The elevator stopped and the doors slid open to a classically-styled foyer. The walls were painted a deep wine color with prints of well-known paintings on the walls. All the furniture was made of rich plush materials or dark mahogany.

  She motioned for him to lead her forward. The foyer opened into a large living room. The living room had an Egyptian theme to it. The woman had style he had to say that about her. Expensive style.

  The mystery thickens, he thought.

  * * * *

  As Anthony helped her to the sofa, she couldn't help but dread the loss of his warm, hard body against hers. Selene longed to pull him down next to her. She had noticed how hard his cock had gotten under his jogging pants. It had been days since she’d last touched it and had it in her. Alas, as far as he knew she was a stranger he was assisting. She had to play her cards right with him.

  "Where can I get some ice for your ankle?" He looked down worriedly at her lower leg. "I really think we should have taken you to the hospital."

  "The kitchen is down the hallway and to the left," she pointed in the direction.

  He nodded and headed off. She watched him walk away appreciating the shape of his broad defined back and his ass you could bounce a quarter off.

  Once he disappeared into the kitchen she allowed her leg to partially heal itself. It had indeed been broken and hurt beyond belief. By the time, Anthony came trotting back down the hallway with an ice pack, her ankle had mended itself almost entirely and the pain had dulled to a dim ache.

  Sitting across from her on the sofa, he gently placed the icepack on her ankle, careful not to hurt her in any way. "Does that feel okay?" He looked up to meet her eyes, waiting for an answer.

  She smiled, "It's very good. Thank you." As she met his gaze, a spark of electricity seemed to travel between them. His grey eyes darkened, desire flicked up in them. She knew that look well. That look caused her body to ache with desire, demanding his attention.

  "This is a beautiful place you have here." Admiration was evident in his voice. She didn't miss the hint of a question in his observation. He wanted to know what she did for a living.

  If she did give up escorting, she would need to buy a house. Minimize her expenses as much as possible. Though that was something she'd worry about another day.

  "I've made good investments over the years,"
she replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. She had figured he would be curious and she had decided the previous night that she would simply tell him she was an investor. He wouldn't ask much beyond that. Truth was, since she had been so suave with her finances over the years she would never have to work again if she didn't want to.

  "You know," he stopped and raked his hand through his hair. "If you are feeling up to it I would love to take you out, perhaps tonight?"

  Selene sat up. "I'd like that." Actually, she'd love that. She'd hoped he would see in Selene what he saw in Simone.

  "Good." He smiled warmly, glancing down at her ankle again. "Are you going to be alright? I have to go to work now, but if you need anything..." His voice trailed off.

  She touched his arm. The contact made her breath catch in her throat. They locked gazes once more. That seemed to be all the invitation he needed. Leaning over, his lips grazed hers lightly, teasingly. The kiss was sweet and endearing.

  He pulled back slowly as he began to stand up. "I'll be here at seven if that suits you?"

  Selene nodded. Why she felt so vulnerable with him while in this form, baffled her. As Simone she was strong, in control. As Selene, she was reminded of when she was a teenager, before she began to lead the life she did now. She found that she really liked the feeling of uncertainty.

  No guarantees. No expectations.

  She liked it.

  She heard the elevator ding and the doors slide open. He walked in and the doors slid behind him. He was gone.

  With a sigh, Selene removed the ice pack from her leg and set it on the coffee table. Her leg was fine, as good as new in fact. The pain was completely gone.

  Chapter 5

  Selene had no idea how to dress for this date. Wow a date, she mused. It had been a long time since she'd been on a real date. When she really thought hard, she doubted she'd been on a real date since she’d become an escort. Escorting had pretty much dominated her life up until this point.

  It had gotten quite chilly over the afternoon so she opted for a nice pair of black slacks and a basic white tailored blouse. Sometimes simplicity was best, especially when you had no idea where you were going.