Freeing the Beast: Taming the Beast, Book 1 Read Online Free Page B

over in the next parish. Wow.”
    Heather blushed. “He is cute.”
    “Cute, my ass.” Constance grinned. “Try sexy as sin. Commanding as hell. Did you see his muscles? His thighs? That cock?”
    “Constance, please.” Heather shook her head. “No need to talk like that.”
    “Why not? That thing is downright lethal. At least a foot—”
    “See?” Eric said.
    Becca started at his voice. He was right behind her, whispering in her ear. “They like beasts, not nice guys.”
    His breath was fresh and minty, not to mention hot and thrilling. A few inches closer and his shaft would be snuggled against her ass.
    Becca fought a moan of delight and forced herself to speak. “That’s just talk.”
    He moved away. “That’s my reality. Every time I get serious about a woman, she dumps me for some mean prick, figuratively and literally. I’m tired of it. I want you to release my inner beast.”
    Becca gestured helplessly. “We don’t have the tools in place to do that.”
    “Sure you do. Whatever you’re using on your clients now, simply reverse the process for me.”
    She sagged against the jamb. “None of my staff has ever done anything like that before.”
    “Who cares? I don’t want them. I want you. In fact, I’m demanding you.”
    Becca opened her mouth but no words came out. Other than her parents, she couldn’t recall anyone wanting her above everyone else. Unsettled, she fingered the edge of her blouse above her cleavage.
    Eric watched. The bulge between his legs got a little plumper, surely harder. A knee-jerk reaction? Genuine interest?
    Becca still wasn’t certain. “Me?”
    “Yep. You.”
    “Why?”
    He regarded her. Gone was the nice guy, the boyish grin, the gentle teasing. In its place was a man who knew what he wanted, no different from the demon down the hall. “You own this place. Presumably, you’re the best.”
    “Not presumably.”
    “Good. We agree on something.”
    “I haven’t agreed to anything.”
    “You will. I’ll pay you ten times what the others do.” He moved toward her, loose limbed and confident like before, but also slightly predatory.
    Becca wavered between standing her ground and backing away. She opted for the latter.
    He followed. “You’re going to bring out my beast, turning me into one fucking bad boy for all those women out there. Babes I intend to meet and keep for a change.”

Chapter Three
    Becca’s mother, Rowena, shouted from the kitchen, “Becca? What took you so long? You’re late.”
    Rowena hurried into the entry hall of the eighteen-eighties Victorian where Becca had grown up. Streetlights bled through the stained-glass windows, splashing color on the rose walls and her mom’s black outfit. A stretchy ballet top and capris that defined sexy, showing off her perfect hourglass figure.
    Impressive by mortal standards. Totally expected for a five-hundred-year-old witch. Although Rowena hadn’t aged a day in centuries, she did have several silver streaks in her short black hair, laugh lines at the corners of her gray eyes and faintly drooping jowls. The results of spells she’d cast on herself, and all for Becca’s dad. In this youth-obsessed world, Rowena insisted on aging with him even though he’d never asked her to do so.
    If that wasn’t love, Becca hadn’t a clue what might be.
    She returned her mom’s fierce hug, savoring her scent. Johnson’s baby powder. Becca’s dad had liked the fragrance so much that once his little girl grew out of it, his wife had taken to sprinkling the stuff on herself.
    “What’s wrong?” Rowena cupped Becca’s face. The bands of her elaborate silver rings—two on each finger—were slightly cooler than her palms. “What happened?”
    “Nothing.” Becca shook the huge take-out bag. “They were really busy at Happy Wok.” Her parent’s favorite Chinese restaurant. “I had to wait forever for the order.”
    “You want to talk?”
    “Don’t worry. I didn’t cast any spells hoping to hurry