Peeping Tom (Middlemarch Mates, Book Two)

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An Excerpt From: PEEPING TOM

Copyright SHELLEY MUNRO, 2006.

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

"Leo, you going to the woolshed dance?" Felix asked when
his brother came into the kitchen.

"Nah." Leo grabbed a black leather wallet off the
countertop and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. "I'm going to Queenstown for the weekend. Why don't you come too?"

Felix fought the need to say yes and finally good
conscience won. He stood with an internal sigh. "Thanks but it's my turn to hang around and keep an eye on the farm this weekend. I know Saber would do it if I asked but he deserves some time with Emily." He strolled past Leo and yanked open the fridge to pull out a beer. Returning to the seat he'd vacated, he sat, placing the can on the table in front of him.

"That's part of the reason I'm going. Since Saber mated,
I feel damned edgy all the time. It's almost as if my mate is out there waiting for me. I felt it-a sort of awareness-when I was in Queenstown a few weeks ago so I'm going back to search. And if you repeat one word of this conversation to anyone, I'm going to flatten you."

Any other time Felix would have grinned and teased his
brother unmercifully but Leo's words tugged a cord in him. Restless.
Uneasy. Prickling skin and the urge for sex. It hammered through him
relentlessly, nagging like a sore tooth. Felix tipped back his head and
drank. The beer slid down his throat, the taste of crisp hops filling his
mouth. He swallowed and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "I hope you find your mate."

Leo frowned and pulled out the chair opposite Felix. He
dropped onto it and peered at his brother with concern. "You too, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

Felix thought about lying but he didn't have it in him
tonight. His life was a friggin' mess. Maybe Leo could help him make sense of the chaos. ?Tomasine Brooks.?

A bark of laughter erupted from Leo. ?Peeping Tom, the
reporter?? He studied his brother and gradually the humor dropped from his
face. "Hell."

"Yeah."

"What are you going to do?"

Felix scowled even as his body sent a surge of longing
thrumming to every part that would listen. He stirred, silently cursing his rising cock. He foresaw another cold shower in his future. All he had to do was think of the woman and his cock rose like a bloody warning beacon. It hadn?t been like that the first time he saw her or the second. This feeling had crept up on him and sprang out unexpectedly. Last week. He'd been in agony ever since. "I've been avoiding her. It's not difficult since you can
smell her coming from a block away."

"Yep, that godawful perfume she wears is better than a
signal fire. Most of the shifters in town dodge her whenever they can to
avoid her questions."

"Yeah, that's another reason I'm dodging her. I'm sick
of her questions about the black panther sightings. You'd think she'd give
up because she's not getting any information from the locals. Not since the
newspaper article she wrote about the black panther sightings near
Middlemarch." Felix's gut churned at the thought of the petite dark-haired
reporter. "Besides, she has career woman written all over her. I'm not
going that route again."

?You sure, bro? She has a kid and a cousin who lives
with her, so she can?t be that involved with her career.?

Felix cursed softly and drank another slug of beer while
he thought about his life and the way it sucked. ?Tomasine Brooks is
determined to get her story. She reminds me of Alicia?the same grit and
killer instinct. She might be a tiny thing but I?m not going to let her
walk all over me like Alicia did. I?m not a green kid anymore.?

?You can?t fight the urge, not if the woman is really
your mate. Shit, if you?re feeling half the grief I am?? Leo trailed off
with an expressive shrug. ?Maybe you should try a one-night stand. Perhaps
it?s not her.?

?It?s her all right.? And he wished like hell it wasn?t.

?But how do you know?? Leo insisted.

Felix thumped his beer can onto the tabletop and leaned
back on his wooden chair. He squeezed his eyes closed and remembered the
moment his week had slid into the toilet. At the post office. He?d gone to
pick up some stamps so he could post a couple of farm invoices and he?d
bumped into her. Literally. A full shoulder to knee body contact. Felix
shuddered remembering the heat that had surged straight to his cock. He?d
smelled something foreign before the stench of her perfume had hit him and
his eyes had started to water. The need to kiss her, to rip off her clothes
and take her there in the street had almost killed him. ?I almost fucked
her outside the post office. That conclusive enough for you??

Leo gaped for an instant. His dark brows rose. ?Yeah.
Okay. You might be right. Hell, outside the post office??

?Scared the shit out of me. School had just let out.?

?What did you do??

?I apologized for bumping into her and hightailed it out
of there. Emily bawled me out for forgetting the stamps when I arrived
home. I headed straight for the shower and? Well, that?s probably enough
information. The rest is personal.?

?What are you going to do??

Before Felix could answer, the distinct sound of
feminine laughter came from the far end of the house. A husky male chuckle
followed.

?It?s times like this that I wish our senses weren?t so
highly developed,? Felix muttered. ?The way I see it, I can either stay
here and think about sex because I know Saber is getting some or I can head
to the dance and think of sex there. Either way I?m screwed.?

?Nah, that?s your problem,? Leo said. ?You want to be
screwed.? He jumped to his feet and danced out of Felix?s reach. ?You want
sex. You want to do it, not think about it.?

?Thank you, oh wise one,? Felix snapped. ?That?s very
helpful. Tell me what I should do.?

Leo sobered. ?Hell if I know.?

?