Gena Showalter - Animal Instincts

TOP TEN LIST

Ten Things You Shouldn't Say on a Date

1. You're wearing that?

2. Something smells funny.

3. Where's the Tylenol?

4. And to think, I first wanted to date your brother.

5. I have a confession to make

6. My dad has a suit just like that.

7. That man is hot. Look at him.

8. My ex, may he rot in hell forever

9. You're going to order that? Seriously?

10. You're how old?

Praise for the books of Gena Showalter

Jewel of Atlantis

"The ultimate fish out of water story for extraordinary escapism, read this book."

Romantic limes BOOKclub

"Gena Showalter delivers her most pure romantic fantasy yet!"

The Barnes & Noble Review

"A terrific romantic fantasy."

The Best Reviews

Heart of the Dragon

"Lots of danger and sexy passion give lucky readers a spicy taste of adventure and romance."

Romantic Times BOOKclub

"This story is filled with steamy sex, adventure, and a sprinkle of humor. It is a fantastic book!"

Myshelf.com

The Pleasure Slave

"This couple is dynamite and Tristan's intense sensuality will have you sweating. [The Pleasure Slave] is definitely going on my keeper shelf. I am eagerly awaiting the next release from this wonderful author."

The Romance Studio

"The Pleasure Slave opens with a bang and continues until the end From the two memorable and endearing leads to an unforgettable female villain, The Pleasure Slave is a terrific read."

loveromances.com

The Stone Prince

"Sexy, fun and downright magical! Gena Showalter has a lyrical voice and the deft ability to bring characters to life in a manner that's hilarious and absorbing at the same time."

Katie MacAlister, New York Times bestselling author of

Sex and the Single Vampire

"The Stone Prince is sexy and sparkling and Gena Showalter is a wonderful new voice in paranormal romance!"

Robin D. Owens, RITA Award-winning author of HeartMate

ISBN 0-373-77152-5

ANIMAL INSTINCTS

Copyright 2006 by Gena Showalter

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

www.HQNBooks.com

Printed in U.S.A.

To Kassia Krozserfor your generosity. Okay, and your smart-ass mouth

To my brothersShane Tolbert, Michael Showalter, Matthew Showalter (aka the pimp), Josh Slovak and the delectable Kyle Hurt

To my good friend Mr. Johnsonfor being hard on me when I needed it most

To Max Showalter Jr.the sexiest man ever to walk the face of the earth (comment offered freely without any hint of bribery)

A big thank-you to Tom Rerstien for sharing his time and wisdom Thanks also to Margo Lipschultz for her keen editorial eye

I would like to thank Susan Grimshaw and Kathy Baker for their continued support

Another thank-you to Aviation Research for answering all my questions

A true Tigress knows how to strut her stuff. She walks with her head held high, her breasts pushed forward and wears an expression that says, "I'll eat you alive."

I'm a doormat.

There. I admitted it. If people want to wipe their muddy boots on the rug that is my life, I'm likely to welcome them with a smile and thank them afterward. Knowing this, some people might lose all respect for me. In my defense, let me just say I'm getting better. Stronger. More assertive.

I'm unleashing my inner Tigress.

Unfortunately, I've kept her on a tight leash today. So far the score is not in my favor. Life 5. Tigress 2.

Again, in my defense, let me say that Life is a mean, mean bitch.

I replayed the last section I'd read of Unleashing the Tigress Within through my mind as the chrome-and-glass building that housed Powell Aeronautics came into view. My upcoming meeting would go wonderfully, I assured myself; as a Tigress, I would allow nothing less.

Determined, I raised my chin and squared my shoulders against the cab's seat, effectively displaying my breasts to their best advantage. But try as I might, I couldn't get the cannibalistic expression down.

Of course, when you have lips as full and seemingly collagen-injected as mineokay, maybe not so seeminglythe only expression they're good for is "I charge two hundred dollars an hour." Which, if you think about it, could imply I want to eat someone alive.

For Brad Pitt, I'd be willing to work something out.

For everyone else, wellI shrugged. Sorry, but all they'll get is the expression.

I pursed my lips, relaxed them. Pursed. Relaxed. Trying to find the perfect menacing facial cast. When I noticed the cabdriver staring at me through the rearview mirror, I turned my reddening face toward the window. I should have practiced at home, but I'd received an impromptu call from my ex-husbandmay he die and burn in hell for all eternity and that had consumed my spare time.

"I want to give us another try," he'd said. He usually called once a month with the same speech. He just couldn't stand the thought of a woman not wanting him. "I love you, babe. I swear I do," he'd finished.

Yeah, and my breasts are double-D delights of pleasure.

They're not, in case anyone is wondering. I'm barely, barely a B-minus.

I'm proud of myself. I'd told him I hoped he became intimately acquainted with a flesh-eating bacteria that ravaged his entire body slowly and painfully, beginning with his favorite appendage, and hung up. (The first point to go on my scorecard.) I suspect and hope my Tigress is as mean a bitch as Life, but I haven't interacted with her enough yet to know for sure.

Anyway, while Richard and I were together, he cheated on me. Like the good little girl I am, I let the first time slide. Fight for your marriage and all that bullshit. Boys will be boys, right? Never mind that they're male whores.

Oopsie. Is my bitterness showing?

The second time he cheated, I left him for all of four weeks. I'm embarrassed to admit he romanced me back. I mean, he tattooed my name on his ass. Who can resist that? So what that my name rests next to his first wife's.

The third time he cheated, well, I moved out for good and filed for divorce. That was six months ago. Being a divorce lawyeraka scum of the universehimself, he'd known exactly how to work the system and had ended up with everything while I had nothing.

If you want to know where depraved murderers get their ideas, I think I know. From scorned women. What I could have done with a curling iron and an ice pick

Well, that's a moot point now.

Richard's call had been the perfect beginning to my increasingly horrendous day. Earlier this morning I'd been fired from one of the biggest jobs of my almost nonexistent party-planning career. All because I'd refused to give the owner of Glasston Industries a "private party"his words, not mine in the back of his luxury sedan.