Enemy Panther Next Door: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Secret Shifters Next Door Book 4) by Roxie Ray

Author:Roxie Ray [Ray, Roxie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-17T18:30:00+00:00

17

BLAYNE

My watch said it was exactly seven-thirty. I was standing on her front porch, but had yet to knock. I’d spent the day contemplating what was going on. The feelings I was starting to have for Ava were getting more intense, but even after hours and days of thought and internal argument, I couldn’t figure out if it was all fueled by my panther or if I shared his feelings.

I barely got angry now when I thought of her family. Not since learning Liam hadn’t been forced to do the dangerous stuff he’d gotten killed doing. He’d wanted it. I still resented them for enticing him in the first place, but could you really be mad when you knew they’d done all they could to get him to stop? I wasn’t sure I could.

Gio had given me and the guys all the resources he’d said he would. He’d done all that without any required repayment; it had all been given on behalf of Liam’s memory. That was the craziest part of this situation. The Francis family had no real reason to honor some long-dead soldier of theirs, but they were. Did that mean Gio had been honest when he said he’d viewed Liam as a son? As much as I didn’t want to admit it, the thought made me respect the man and his family a bit, as dirty as they were.

I’d never been so confused in my life. The only thing I was positive about was that Ava was doing something to me. She soothed my panther, which in turn soothed me. Maybe something good could come of this? It was difficult to believe. Especially when I thought back on the anger I’d experienced when I’d caught sight of her in the cemetery. And now? I was about to have dinner with her in her home.

Not wanting to drag this out any longer, I knocked three quick raps, then did my best to stand there as nonchalantly as I possibly could. I’d dressed as nicely as I thought was appropriate. The realization that I’d worn what I thought she would like was a thought I shoved to the back of my mind.

The door opened, and my panther sent a low, hungry purr through my mind. I couldn’t deny that she looked gorgeous.

“You look beautiful,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

Ava’s eyes widened in surprise, but then a cute little embarrassed smile spread across her face. “Um, thanks. You look nice, too.”

We stood there for several awkward seconds. Me on the porch, her holding the door open. Finally, Ava blinked as though waking from a dream. “Oh, damn. Sorry.” Her face went red. “Come in, come in.”

I stepped through the threshold, and she closed the door behind me. I followed her to the dining room, the delicious scent of the food tempting my hunger.

“Jeez, that smells good.”

“Thanks. It should be ready in a bit. I made a salad, if you want to start on that?”

I grinned at her. “Nah, I think I can control myself.

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