Irresistible Read online

  Irresistible

  by Annie Nicholas

  Back Cover Copy

  Werewolves believe in soul mates. Sirens eat theirs.

  Sirens, a mutation of mermaids, need sexual energy to survive. Marie Laframboise lost her only food source when her strip club burned down. Not wanting to kill any of her victims, she’d learned to glean the lust off her clients, and now she is starving. She can’t resist the temptation to invite herself to the singles shifter party held by local werewolf stud, Maxwell Cox, and feed.

  Max doesn’t want a soul mate, but to his dismay, she shows up at his party. Just as Marie can’t resist the temptation to feed, Max can’t resist the instinctual urge to claim her. Marie has never wanted a relationship, but she can’t shake off Max’s pursuit. He offers her things she has only dreamed of, but she fears the hunger will turn those dreams into nightmares.

  Her appetite is not one to mess with. Max thinks he’s found the perfect mate, but Marie may have found the perfect prey.

  Content Warning: Graphic sexual content, hot shifters, and one scary-ass siren.

  Highlight

  A woman wearing a red bikini trailed behind the threesome. Her long blond hair reached her cute heart shaped ass. She twisted and glanced at Max.

  Instinct raced through his body and stunned him as if struck by a cow prod. He blinked and watched her slip behind some trees. The beast who shared his body awoke and made him sniff the air. What the hell?

  It happened. Damn. Damn. Damn.

  His mate was here? Fuck, and on top of it, she had the nerve to turn her back on him and follow Chad.

  The urge to pack his bags and run struggled with his DNA makeup to go claim her. His beast growled inside when he stepped toward the house. He’d never get a moment’s peace now that the animal part of his soul knew she existed. Most shifters were one with their animal spirit. He did not see eye-to-eye with his wolf when it came to the soul mate policy.

  He took a step away from her direction and the beast lurched back toward her, causing all kinds of havoc with his muscles. Gasping, Max spun around.

  Crap. He’d have to face his worst nightmare in the flesh.

  Irresistible

  9781616502942

  Copyright © 2011, Annie Nicholas

  Edited by Pamela Tyner

  Book design by Lyrical Press, Inc.

  Cover Art by Renee Rocco

  First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: July, 2011

  Lyrical Press, Incorporated

  17 Ludlow Street

  Staten Island, New York 10312

  http://www.lyricalpress.com

  eBooks are not transferable. 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. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission.

  PUBLISHER'S NOTE:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated

  Dedication

  To the Paranormal Romantic’s fans. Without your inspiration, Max and Marie would never have met.

  Chapter 1

  The breeze carried the scent of lust. It thickened the air, overwhelming any other smell as Marie Laframboise swam closer to shore. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Oh, this was such a good idea. She’d find a quiet corner to watch the mating rituals of land dwellers and feed her hunger off their desires. No one would get hurt. She hoped.

  Every July, Maxwell Coxin held a party at his summer home by the lake. The ex-tv star had used a play on his shortened name, Max Cox, for his hot and steamy movies. In his retirement, Marie heard the playboy hadn’t changed.

  Rumors flooded San Heuva’s nightclub scene of how crazy his parties could be, yet never in the five years she’d been a strip club owner had she received an invitation. Not a single one. But werewolves didn’t consider mermaids shifters, the snobs, so they would have ignored her socially anyway. Just because she didn’t change into a complete fish they’d shun her, like the rest of her kin.

  A few more strokes of her tail brought her to the shallows. She grimaced as her hands struck the soft sand at the bottom. Now, she would have to flop onto the shore like a fat seal to dry off and change into her human form. God forbid if one of those stuck-up fur balls saw her.

  She tossed the bikini bottoms clutched in her hand onto the deserted, narrow beach before struggling out of the water. Some mermaids could change their fins to legs in the water, but she wasn’t one of them.

  Lying on her back, she stared at the stars and caught her breath, then concentrated on the image of legs. It itched at first, as if bugs crawled under her scales. A burning sensation followed, which made her jaws clench, and a whimper escaped her. Once her feet and toes could wiggle, she knew the transformation was over.

  If her people had never tossed her out of their underwater city, she would not have chosen to walk on the dirt.

  Starvation would force a person to do crazy things though, like crash werewolf parties. But the hunger that drove her from home also drove her here.

  When merpeople reached adolescence most grew into beautiful, nimble adults with long, flowing fins, smooth hands, and normal sexual appetites.

  Less than one percent grew into something different, something feared.

  Sirens had haunted the oceans for centuries, preying upon both land and sea creatures, using their pheromones to attract victims, and feeding upon the energy created by their sexual desires. Exterminated almost to extinction, very few still existed, yet every generation some were born among the proud merpeople, only to be murdered once discovered. Marie’s parents couldn’t kill their only child when her nails had grown into graceful claws, her teeth to delicate fangs and her little fin to a predator’s sleek, strong tail. Beautiful and deadly. Her parents had hidden her on the land, with no one to teach her how to feed the hunger that grew inside of her.

  Lost among the humans, she’d learned the hard way what kind of damage a siren could cause. For the longest time her hunger controlled her actions, and she left a trail of dead lovers. With age came wisdom, and she found another way to survive. One that concealed her monstrous nature. Too bad the fire had consumed her strip club, her only source of food.

  The teasing scent of arousal, her dinner, called. She slipped on the bikini bottoms that matched her top and rose from the sand.

  Letting her hunger get this severe was irresponsible. She hated to kill. Getting rid of the bodies proved more difficult as law enforcement grew more modern. Gone were the days of a quickie. It only led to being hunted like prey. Tonight could have been a national disaster, since frail humans didn’t have the stamina to survive her appetites.

  A howl split the night air as she crept toward the house. Werewolves, on the other hand, proved to be quite resilient and delicious, like bacon wrapped filet mignon dipped in gravy. She licked her lips.

  Pounding music came from behind the building where she found the party in full swing. Every state of nudity could be observed from full bathing suits to only body paints to nothing at all.

  The muscles deep in
her lower abdomen tightened. No sex. She’d promised herself no sex. After years of practice, she’d learned how to feed from the sexual yearning of others, but it was like offering a tray of appetizers to a person who hadn’t eaten in a week.

  It took all of her control to not snatch the nearest male, lure him into the woods, and fuck his brains out. The pheromones her race produced would draw any man she wanted and, thank goodness, she finally had command over that impulse.

  She fanned her face and leaned against one of the trees on the outskirts of the yard. An in-ground pool sat in the center of the yard, surrounded by lounge chairs and sitting areas. The bar, on the far end, served drinks, and a table piled with food stood next to it.

  For a party thrown by a Max Cox, it appeared tamer than she’d expected. No ménage à trois on the deck or lap dances on the patio furniture. Disappointment dampened her enthusiasm. She could drink lust at a distance, but she required more than flirting for it to work.

  What she really needed was to find a couple fucking. That would take the edge off the hunger. She observed enough nooks and crannies to hide in. Maybe if she circled around, she’d get a tasty snack.

  * * * *

  Max Cox picked at the food on his plate. Nothing interested him. He lifted his head and gazed around the party. Nothing there either. Shifters of every kind surrounded him, but no one caught his notice. This yearly party had become legendary among his local pack and grown to include others who shared their bodies with animal spirits.

  What a bust. Hell, he didn’t even know most of these people. None of his friends attended anymore. All them were at home curled up with their soul mates. He snorted and crossed his arm over his bare chest. Not every shifter got subjugated to a mate, or as he thought of it, life in prison. The idea of being with only one woman never sat well in his stomach. Experience had taught him that most women couldn’t satisfy his needs, or at least, on their own they couldn’t. He grinned and checked out his prospects.

  A pretty, young brunette stepped into his line of sight. She gave him a come-hither smile before untying her bathing suit top and letting it slip to the ground.

  He leaned back into his chair and waited. She had a nice set of tits, if a little too big. Nice bounce to them, with perky nipples, but his cock didn’t even twitch. Been there, done that. He wanted someone with more--just more.

  Most saw him as shallow or hedonistic. They were right. He took life by the balls and got what he wanted from it. Nobody offered him a free ride, he worked for his accomplishments. He didn’t have time for religion, family, or worse--love. Stuck in the mud, his life spun its wheels and was going nowhere fast lately.

  He glanced into his empty whisky glass and swirled the ice around. Maybe he should quit while he was ahead. Setting it on the table, he rose from his chair and shook his head at the brunette. Nobody would notice if he turned in early.

  She frowned, but he passed by before she could say anything.

  “Hey, Max,” a familiar voice called him.

  He twisted around to find Chad, his best friend’s oldest son, walking toward him with a girl on each arm. An empty pit grew in Max’s stomach.

  Chad extended his hand. “Great party.”

  Max took his hand and shook it. “Does your dad know you’re here?” He glanced over his shoulder, expecting the big alpha to loom over them and possibly pound them both to the ground. As soon as the question left his mouth, he regretted it.

  The boy--well, man now--scowled at him. “Of course. You think I have a death wish?”

  Damn, where did the time go? “Sorry, you surprised me.” Felt like last week he’d carried Chad on his back, giving him a piggyback ride.

  Chad slapped him on the arm. “Don’t get all weird about it.” He grinned, wrapped his arms around the girls and winked while he led them away.

  Proud of the young shifter, Max watched the threesome stroll to a darker, more secluded part of his property. There was a time he’d dominated those areas during his past parties. He chuckled. Guess he needed to pass the torch to a new generation.

  A woman wearing a barely-there red bikini trailed behind the threesome. Her long blond hair reached her cute heart shaped ass. She twisted and glanced at Max.

  Instinct raced through his body and stunned him as if struck by a cow prod. He blinked and watched her slip behind some trees. The beast who shared his body awoke and made him sniff the air. What the hell?

  It happened. Damn. Damn. Damn.

  His mate was here? Fuck, and on top of it, she had the nerve to turn her back on him and follow Chad.

  The urge to pack his bags and run struggled with his DNA makeup to go claim her. His beast growled inside when he stepped toward the house. He’d never get a moment’s peace now that the animal part of his soul knew she existed. Most shifters were one with their animal spirit. He did not see eye-to-eye with his wolf when it came to the soul mate policy.

  She looked straight into our eyes and turned her back on us. Let her go. We’re better off alone. Always have been.

  He took a step away from her direction and the beast lurched back toward her, causing all kinds of havoc with his muscles. Gasping, Max spun around to face the woods. Losing control and exploding into his werewolf form in the middle of his party could have disastrous effects. Too many in attendance were young and would follow suit instinctually.

  Crap. He stormed to the woods to face his worst nightmare in the flesh.

  Chapter 2

  Marie crouched in the bushes close to the threesome who lay in the grass.

  Their heavy breathing was music to her ears and their caresses a wave of flavor. The slow seduction drove her mad. Why couldn’t they strip and get it on already? She was starving. Their sexual energy fed her, yet not enough to satisfy. It actually made it worse.

  After all these years, she knew better than to allow herself to get this hungry. She managed a strip club off the downtown area and could usually glean enough lust from her customers to be satisfied as long as she did it on a regular basis. However, the place had caught fire two weeks ago, leaving only an empty shell and her metaphysical cupboard bare.

  The renovations were going at a snail’s pace. It would be another two weeks before she could even consider opening again. That’s if everything went smoothly, and she knew in reality nothing went according to plan.

  She’d played around with the idea of taking a lover, but her last one almost died. If she drank too much of their energy in the midst of sex, their heart stopped. Performing CPR on your boyfriend could dampen a relationship, even ones based on sex. Then if he disappeared, policemen came knocking on her door. Yummy ones, dressed in tight blue uniforms. When they disappeared, she needed to leave the country.

  How many had she killed before learning to feed from afar? It was why her people killed the sirens born among them. Control was the key.

  The sexual power in the air spiked and snagged her attention. They had undressed and the male crawled between the women. Moans carried on the wind. She closed her eyes and leaned against a tree while absorbing her snack.

  A rustle in the bushes not far from her broke her concentration. She dismissed the sound as coming from a small animal until a branch snapped. Her eyes popped open. She rolled into a crouch and scanned the area. Couldn’t she get a break?

  What if the werewolves caught her here? She didn’t think they’d hurt her. Well, she hoped they wouldn’t.

  A surge of passion from the ménage à trois crashed over her unexpectedly. She held in a small gasp and glanced through the bushes. The petting had developed to oral sex. Feeding from desire at a strip club and its pretend sex differed from real sex. The intensity awoke a deeper appetite.

  Tears sprung to her eyes. She was tired of struggling. At times, she just wanted to end her suffering, find a man, and drain him dry. But the price was too high.

  She focused on the energy and absorbed the sounds of hot, satisfying sex. God, it had been so long since she’d enjoyed a man.


  Another twig snapped closer and made her jump. Damn it to hell. They were going to cause her to lose control. She ground her teeth. Her plan was backfiring. Time to leave before she went all siren on them, released her pheromones, and turned this party into an orgy. She clutched her stomach. God, that would taste so good.

  Instead of satisfying her needs, being at the party made it worse.

  Groaning, she took one quiet crawl at a time until she came to the path. As she rose to her feet, the outline of a person stepped out of the trees. She inhaled. Not just a person but a man. He smelled like--she inhaled again--like dessert.

  Stepping into the moonlight, he stopped a few feet away. Short cropped, soft curls framed his angelic features. He smiled, drawing her eyes to his full, sensual lips. “Hi.”

  Her knees weakened and so did her willpower. The confident way he met her gaze sent a jolt of longing straight to her pussy.

  He wore a tight fitting bathing suit. It clung to his firm ass and exposed his muscled, long legs as he strolled toward her.

  Torn between running from him and jumping on him, Marie glanced around her, trying to decide what the hell to do.

  “My name is Max Cox.” He crossed his arms over his chest and assessed her from head to toe. There was enough moonlight out for their kind to see by.

  The name rang an alarm bell. “Max? As in Maxwell Coxin.”

  “My friends call me Max. You’re much more attractive than I’d thought.” He approached her until they almost touched and let his fingertips trail down her arm. “Do you want to be my friend?”

  His whisper caressed her skin and sent a shiver down her spine. The hunger reared its ugly head, and she moaned from the onslaught.

  * * * *

  Max lowered his chin to gaze at his mate’s beautiful face. Leonardo da Vinci would have wept at the sight of her perfect bone structure. His body cried out to have her and his beast roared to take her, but shouldn’t he have a choice?