Letha comes from the northern prairies and grew up in a religious, authoritarian commune, where they dressed in 19th century dresses and lived quiet lives inside the community.
She lost her beloved mother and grandmother quite young, but she had Ben, and they married as teenagers. After Ben's death she is truly alone. The elders have long thought her family carried demon blood and she needs to be watched. They choose a man for her to marry.
Instead, Letha takes the money she and Ben had saved, and flees in an old truck.
Her journey ends in a pretty little beach town in southern California, Encanto Bay. She finds a job at the Encanto Bay Cafe, a haven for paranormal and magical people.
I love Letha because she has had tragedy and sadness. She knows what life is like when you are all alone and unloved. She has faced unkindness. But she is not bitter or cynical, she is hoping for better days.
White Tiger Lover is a 'fish out of water' story. Letha, from a repressive old fashioned place, finds a home in an area where shifters, vampires and other magical people are drawn.
And she meets Jagger, a local contractor from an old world clan of White Tiger Shifters.
EXCERPT:
While
she was finishing her tables at closing Heath called her over to the bar. “Have
a seat.”
She
swallowed hard and climbed up on a tall stool. Was she in trouble?
“It has come to my attention, young lady, that
you are sleeping in your truck.”
She
felt heat flood her cheeks. “Well, I ... um ... couldn’t afford a place right
away, but I’ve been saving my money so I can get one soon.”
“Have you heard the
weather report?”
“No.”
“Bad
storm coming. You can have the couch in my office until you can find a real
place. It’s just too dangerous to stay in your truck, especially with the storm
that’s heading our way.”
She
hesitated.
“I
won’t take no for an answer.” He grinned
but his eyes were somber.
“All
right, boss. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
It was
good to feel safe—she hadn’t really felt safe since Ben died, but here she was
safe. Even with the spirit orbs flickering in and out. The couch was not quite
long enough for her to stretch out on, but it was so much more comfortable than
the cab of her truck. There was a small bathroom off Heath’s office, with a
shower stall. Such luxury! She showered and put on a pair of pajamas from her
collection of new clothing. The top was a pale pink, thin knit, sleeveless,
with a gathered yoke, that came with a matching pair of tiny shorts. The set
was decorated with floral embroidery and tiny ribbons in yellow, and was
stretchy and comfortable. She sighed with delight as she crawled into her
sleeping bag on the couch.
Heath
had an apartment in the basement, and it was very quiet after closing. The two
orbs she often saw around Heath’s office were present, but she no longer feared
them, though sometimes she wondered why they stayed here. Their glow was
gentle, almost peaceful; like the sound of raindrops was peaceful.
A loud
banging woke her from a deep sleep. She looked around, disoriented and saw the
clock on the wall. Five am. It was dark for five am. Another bang. She leaped
off the couch and ran into the bar.
Thunder
and lightning crashed, and the door of the Encanto Cafe burst open.
A nude
man stood in the doorway as another bolt of lightning blazed, outlining the
tall lithe form and pale silvery hair. Then, in the man’s place stood a tiger,
white, with dark stripes, and he was enormous. Letha screamed in shock, whirled
around, and tore off for the office.
There was a soft thud behind her, then a paw, white, with long claws, fell heavy on
her shoulder, and she fell to the floor. The paw gently rolled her over as if
she weighed nothing.
The
white tiger with sky blue eyes stood over her, one paw still on her shoulder.
Then the shape blurred, and a man crouched over her.
Jagger
Kirillov.
“Don’t. Ever. Run. From. A. Tiger.” His voice
was harsh.
She
tried to catch her breath. “A-all right.” She couldn’t look away from his sky
blue eyes. The heat of his naked flesh, held just inches from her thin knit
pajama top burned against her breasts. As she took a deep breath, the tips of
her breasts grazed his chest.
He
made a sound—something between a growl and a purr—that resonated all the way
through her. Then his lips pressed against hers, hard and demanding. She gasped
in a mix of shock and delight, and his tongue plunged in, while at the same
time he lowered his hard hot body on top of hers.
Letha
could feel the hard length of his erection pressing against her. Wildness
flared inside her and she threw her arms around his neck, giving back the kiss
with a passion she didn’t even know she had, while his arms pulled her tighter.
Thunder
shook them. Jagger pulled away, and Letha became aware that the door was still
open letting rain drive indoors. He rose, pulling her up with him.
“A
noise woke me.” She filled the silence with the first thing she could think of.
He
nodded, but his eyes were roving her figure.
Oh my god, I’m barely dressed.
He
lifted a strand of hair from her shoulder. His hand brushing against her neck
sent a shiver of desire to her center. Under the thin sleep shirt her nipples
puckered.
“You
should wear your hair down. It is so pretty.” He let her go. “I have a crew
coming to sandbag the Encanto Cafe in about thirty minutes. You should get
dressed.”
He walked to the door, giving a view of his round muscular buttocks
and sculpted back. At the door Jagger paused and looked back at her over his
shoulder, the dim morning light emphasizing the purity of his profile and
length of his dark lashes. “Unless you want to play.”
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Great excerpt - such a sexy tease.
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