Part 2 (2/2)

Chapter Four.

Nick walked into the office at nine, grateful to be back in his own body and his own clothes. Without greeting his brothers or sister, he went into his office and shut the door. He wasnat in the mood to talk to anyone. His mind was still trying to come to terms with last night.

He dropped into his chair and stared up at the ceiling. Head managed to successfully avoid thinking about it all morninga”focusing on escaping from Tallyas house and getting to the office. But now there was no escaping it. His conscience was screaming and it asked the same question repeatedly. What the f.u.c.k had he done? Head had s.e.x with a target. That alone wasnat that big of deal. Sometimes that was the best way to get close to a marka”but doing it in her boyfriendas forma It was just wrong. Unethical. And quite possibly the most erotic experience of his life.

He couldnat even blame it on anythinga”except l.u.s.t. Head known what he was doing. He hadnat run when head had the chance.

She had no idea who shead been in bed with last nighta”whoad come inside her body. His stomach did a slow, sickening roll.

A light tap on the door was the only warning he had before his door opened and Devon walked in. He shut the door behind him. The grim look on his face warned Nick that his brother was going to ask the same question head been asking himself.

aTell me what you found,a Nick said, hoping to forestall Devonas inquisition. He needed to get this case moving, get Tally off his target list and what? Into jail? Into bed?

Devon didnat take offense at Nickas brusque question. aLike I said last night, nothing unusual. Work-related stuff. I couldnat find anything proprietary. She spends her time dealing with the financials. Seems to be interested in this plant in Georgia theyare selling but again, that didnat seem to be cla.s.sified information.a Devon dropped into a chair. aMaybe theyare looking at the wrong person.a Nick didnat like the way his stomach clenched at the idea. He was supposed to be proving her guilt, not searching for the reasons she might be innocent.

aOr she might keep the information with her,a he said. aShe carries a briefcase. Itas either with her or itas locked somewhere safe. Iam guessing sheall have any important information there.a Devon shrugged. aYour call but from what youave said and what I saw on her computer, I think weare heading the wrong direction.a Nick stared at his brother. He trusted Devonas instincts. aWhile I keep working on her, letas try to find out as much as we can about the guys whoave hired us.a aSure.a Devon nodded but didnat move.

aWhat?a Nick finally demanded.

aWant to explain what you were doing in a targetas house at two a.m. when you left with her eight hours earlier in her boyfriendas form?a Nick knew there was no way he was getting out of this discussion. Devon would keep pus.h.i.+ng.

aI slept with her.a Devon waited but Nick wasnat going to fill in the silence. aAsaa Devon finally prompted. He knew the answer but wasnat going to give up until Nick admitted to it.

aAs her boyfriend.a ad.a.m.n it, Nick, are you crazy?!a Devonas shout shattered against the window. He slapped his open palm onto the desk. aThe first rule of s.h.i.+fting is no intimate contact with a target while in another personas form. You know that.a aOf course I know that.a The door swung open. aWhatas all the commotion?a Nick glared at Devon, warning him not to say anything to their sister and brother who stepped curiously into his office. It only took him a moment to realize theyad been waiting outside for a chance to burst in. Theyad obviously known something was up. There were no secrets in this family.

aNick slept with a target while he was in her boyfriendas form,a Devon announced.

aWhat?a Caitlin laughed. Her wide eyes locked on Nick. aBut the first rule is noa”a aI know the blasted rules. I wrote them and yes, I know it was wrong.a aThen why did you do it?a The logical question came from Jameson, the youngest in their family.

Nick faced the wide-eyed stares of his brothers and sister and wasnat sure he could explain. h.e.l.l, he couldnat explain but maybe he could come up with a plausible excuse. aI hadnat planned on it but there she was and she was so s.e.xy and her boyfriendas such an a.s.shole. Heas f.u.c.king his secretary and Tally doesnat even know it. And from her reactions, heas lousy in bed anda”a aAnd you thought youad show her what she was missing?a Caitlin asked. The smirk on her face inspired Nick to glare right back.

aI think it was better than what sheas been getting.a aDid you manage to hold your form?a Devon asked. Nick didnat respond for a moment. He wanted to tell them it was none of their business but it was. If he screwed up, they could all be exposed. Finally, Nick shook his head. ad.a.m.n it,a Devon threw himself out of the chair. aAnd now we have toa”a aWait. I donat understand.a Jameson had only recently begun s.h.i.+fting and didnat grasp all the nuances or hazards.

Devon sent another disapproving glare to Nick before turning back to Jameson. aThe problem with having s.e.x with someone while youare in another forma”besides the tacky moral complications,a Another glare at Nick. ais itas difficult to maintain the form youave chosen. All those endorphins running through your body make it difficult to hold a complex shape. Especially another human.a Jameson looked confused but nodded. aBut if you lost your form, what did the lady say?a aShe didnat notice.a Caitlin coughed as if his answer choked her. aHow could she not notice something like that?a Nick felt his cheeks heat up and waited, hoping that someone would change the subject. Or that aliens would land on the roof and distract his family. Nope. Nothing.

All three siblings stared at him, eagerly awaiting his answer. Finally he sighed.

aI was behind her at the time.a Caitlin held up her hand. aMore information than I needed to know.a aAnd more than I wanted to share but you were so d.a.m.n curious.a He waved his hand, indicating he was done with this conversation. aLetas forget it happened and move on. Devon checked out her office computer last night and found nothing. I searched her home office and there was nothing. I sent Jameson some information last night from her home computer.a Nick looked up and raised his eyebrows.

aStill working on it. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.a aKeep on it. She carries a briefcase. I need to see the inside of it. Might have what weare looking for.a aWhat are you going to do?a aGo back into her house.a aHow?a Caitlin rested her hip against the desk and smiled innocently. aThe boyfriend?a aNo. Heas out of town,a Nick answered, ignoring her att.i.tude. aI could fudge it for one day but I canat risk it another. I thought Iad have her aboyfrienda send her a present while he was gone. A little something to remember him by. It will get me inside and then Iall be able to search as sheas sleeping.a He looked at his family. They nodded and shrugged in agreement but he could see a mixture of concerna”and in the case of his sister, amus.e.m.e.nta”at his situation.

aWhat are you going in as? Flowers?a Devon said with enough mockery to show he didnat approve of Nickas plan.

Nick shook his head. aToo complicated. Too many separate pieces.a aA box of candy?a Jameson offered.

aShe might eat mea”donat say it,a he said to Caitlin, knowing the words were on her lips.

Caitlin snapped her fingers. aIave got it. A vibrator.a All three men stared at her and Nick knew his brothers had the same stunned look on their faces.

aWhat?a he asked.

aA vibrator. Itas all one piece. Sheas going to take it out of the package because no womana”particularly not after a night of really wild s.e.x, which Iam a.s.suming is what you had but I really donat want any more detailsa”is going to be able to resist. Even if she doesnat use it, sheall open it up.a She fluttered her eyelashes. aItas a s.e.xy gift from her guy when heas out of town.a Nick tapped his fingers against the desktop and considered the idea. The objections rose fast and furious in his head. One, he hated the thought of aRicharda sending Tally anything remotely s.e.xual. He didnat want to end up making Tally like the guy even more. Plus, inanimate object s.h.i.+fts m.u.f.fled the senses and bound the s.h.i.+fter into the form. Nick wouldnat be able to bring himself out of the shape. He would have to wait until the form released him. Something that small would probably be about four hours. Physically, he could do it. It had been years since head attempted anything this complicated. Images of Tally, stretched out on her bed, rubbing a vibrator up the insides of her thighs, slipping it into her p.u.s.s.y. He could almost feel the heat enveloping his body. He knew just how hot and wet her p.u.s.s.y could be.

aWhat if she doesnat open the box?a Jameson asked, interrupting Nickas fantasy. aSome women arenat into s.e.x toys or might feel shy about using it. What if he comes out of the form, she hasnat opened ita”he bursts out of the box and scares the s.h.i.+t out of her?a Caitlin swallowed and Nick could swear she was trying to hold back her laughter. aTrust me. Sheall open it. If sheas not into s.e.x toys, sheall leave it downstairs and youall have free reign of the house.a aIam going to pop out of the form about four hours after Iam put into it.a Larger shapes didnat blind the senses quite as much, making them a little easier to control.

aWeall deliver it at bedtime.a aWhat about in the morning? How am I going to get out of her house? Iall be naked and she mighta”a aYouare just stalling because you donat think women should play with s.e.x toys,a Caitlin huffed dramatically.

aI donat believe that. h.e.l.l, I love to watcha”a Caitlin held up her hand. aWhy am I suddenly discussing my s.e.x preferences with my sister?a aI donat know but itas creeping me out. Iave given you a viable option. Youare the only one in the family who could possibly do this.a Nick nodded. It was true. He had an affinity for shapesa”any shape, any size. None of his siblings could shrink their bodies into tiny forms. They were stuck with almost equal-sized objects and even then, Jameson hadnat mastered being inanimate.

But turning into a vibrator? It seemed a little tawdry, he thought righteously, but no other option came to mind and that image of Tally sliding a thick c.o.c.k into her p.u.s.s.y dug itself into his mind and wouldnat let go.

aI guessa”a aGreat,a Caitlin interrupted before he could finish his thought. aNow, you just have to go buy one.a aWhat?a aWell, youave got to have something to sample, unless youave turned into a vibrator at some point in your life, which Iam a.s.suming not. And you need something to leave behind when you disappear tomorrow morning.a d.a.m.n, she was right. To turn into an object, he needed to touch it, copy its shape and energy into his body.

aSo you go pick it out.a Caitlinas lips squished together as she considered her brother. aOkay.a Trepidation filled Nickas chest as she walked away. That had been way too easy.

The concern was still weighing on his mind when he walked into the coffee shop thirty minutes later. Being a Sat.u.r.day morning, it was crowded with the weekend late breakfast crowd but he immediately found Tally sitting in the corner. She stared out the window. He watched for a moment, trying to gauge her mood. The relaxed, s.e.xually satisfied woman head left a few hours ago had disappeared. This one had a deep thought crinkle building in her forehead.

As if she sensed his stare, she turned and looked toward him. The grim set of her mouth disappeared and she smiled, though some hesitancy lingered in her eyes. He worked his way through the tables and sat down across from her.

aGood morning.a aMorning,a he replied.

The low s.e.xy greeting sank into her core and a warm s.h.i.+ver slid down Tallyas spine. It would be so easy to imagine him rolling over in bed, greeting her in that bedroom voice and then making slow lazy love on a Sat.u.r.day morning.

ah.e.l.looo, Tally.a She snapped to attention and smiled at Nick. aI lost you there for a moment.a aOh, sorry. I have a lot running around my head this morning.a She pushed the second paper cup toward him. aI got you a coffee. The line was getting long.a He smiled his thanks. aGreat.a She watched his lips as he carried the cup to his mouth and took a sip. Her p.u.s.s.y fluttered with a strange combination of memory and antic.i.p.ation. Trying to ease the ache, she rocked forward in her chair. The subtle motion only made it worse. d.a.m.n, you would think Iad be immune after last night but it seems great s.e.x makes me crave more.

Richard. Remember Richard. It was s.e.x with Richard that made you feel this way. She looked at Nick, trying to remember what Richard looked like. The memories from the night before washed over her but instead of Richardas body, Richardas voice, it was Nick. Over her, inside her, his mouth tasting her p.u.s.s.y. The hungry growl as he pumped inside her.

aTally? Are you okay?a She flinched and felt her cheeks burn. aSorry.a aYou keep wandering off. Something you want to talk about?a aYes. No. I donat know.a Nick leaned back in his chair. aCome on. You can tell me anything.a There was no smile in his eyes. Something seemed to be weighing on his mind. Maybe her minor problemsa”having great s.e.x shouldnat be a problem, right?a”would take his mind off whatever was bothering him.

And it would help to have a second opinion. aOkay, so I had a date withaa My boyfriend? No. That didnat sound right. She wasnat planning to continue the relations.h.i.+p, was she? One night of hot s.e.x couldnat make up for the months boredom. Or maybe it could. aWith Richarda”this guy Iave been seeing.a Nickas lips tightened at the corners and she almost stopped but she needed to talk to someone. aAnd well, it was great. We had a wonderful time. Or I did. Iam a.s.suming he did.a aHe did,a Nick said, moving forward and propping his elbows on the table.

aHow do you know?a He licked his lips like he was thinking through his answer. aBecause you exude positive energy and if youare happy, itas hard for the people around you not to feel the same way.a Unexpected tears p.r.i.c.ked her eyes. It was so sweet. He knew the right thing to say.

aThank you.a Nick nodded. aSo you had a good time, whatas the problem?a aIt wasnat right. This wasnat Richard. I kept expecting a sn.o.bby comment about the pizza place or my house but it never came.a She sank down, feeling her body collapse onto itself. aAnd the s.e.x.a She remembered who she was talking to and straightened. aSorry. Shouldnat have said that.a He tensed but shook his head. The words sounded a little forced when he said, aNo, itas fine. Think of me as one of your girlfriends. What about the s.e.x?a Tally laughed. She could barely imagine him as one of her male friends let alone a girlfriend. But head asked and he was here.

aIt was great. Amazing.a aAnd itas not usually like that?a aG.o.d, no.a She slapped her palm across her mouth, stopping the flood of words. aSorry, I shouldnat have said it quite like that.a Nickas eyes twinkled but it didnat look like he was laughing at her. More that he was pleased with her outburst.

aItas just, Richardas always been very, traditional, I guess is the best way to say it.a aAnd last night he wasnat?a aNot at all. It was like he was a different man. All night. Not just the s.e.x.a She fiddled with her empty coffee cup. aNow I donat know what to do. I mean, I was all set to break up with himaa aYes.a aabut now? I donat know. Last night he was the man Iad always dreamed about and I donat want to miss the chance with him. And why am I telling you this?a She rubbed her hand across her eyes. aIam sorry. Itas rude, isnat it, for me to be talking to you about another guy.a aI wouldnat be sitting here if I wasnat willing to listen.a aIam done with my wishy-washy stuff.a She looked around the coffee shop, anxious to find a new topic of conversation. aIave never seen it so busy here. Iam usually only downtown during the week.a aGoing into your office this afternoon?a aI was but itas too nice. Plus, I didnat ever find my access badge, so Iad have to sign in and itas not worth it. I keep all my files on a disk so I can work anywhere.a aYou work too much,a he said, reminding her of their conversation yesterday. aYou need to have fun once in a while.a She laughed. Last night had been fun. Lots of fun. She could do with that kind of fun but she wasnat going to say that to Nick. Head heard enough of her issues this morning.

Determined to keep her thoughts away from her night with Richard, she asked about Nickas plans for the weekend and listened as he talked about his house. The sound of his voice was almost hypnotic, holding her attention until she finally jerked back and looked at her watch. It was almost two.

aEek. I have errands to run,a she said, smiling.

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