A Day in the Life: Kim Felicity Heaton
Copyright © 2010 Felicity Heaton All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The right of Felicity Heaton to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First printed March 2010 First Edition Layout and design by Felicity Heaton All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Cover by Felicity Heaton
The following short story follows on from:
In Heat A heat wave isn’t the only thing making London too hot for lawyer Kim. She’s been spending each night with a man who sets her body and heart on fire. The problem? He’s a man that always sprouts black fur and purrs, and he’s only a dream. Walking into work on the hottest day of the year, the last thing she expects is to meet Erik, a man who sends her temperature soaring and who resembles her dream guy exactly. A black panther shape-shifter, Erik Blackwell has been searching for his mate for twenty-seven years. The visions they share each night are getting hotter but finding her is proving impossible as he’s never seen her face. That is, until it turns out she’s working as his lawyer on his contract negotiations with his brother, Alistair. Kim can’t deny her attraction to Erik. The heat she feels with him is intense and it’s only a matter of time before they surrender to their desires, but something haunts her. Is Erik really the man of her dreams? If so, can he grow fur and purr? And what about the terrible feeling she has about Alistair and the contract? How far is he willing to go to get his hands on the company Erik owns? What will Kim do when she discovers Erik’s secret? Will she turn her back on him, or will she complete the mating and become like him so they can be together forever? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/bXrTXC SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
KIM
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
A Day in the Life: Kim “That sign said residents only.” Kim looked over her shoulder in the passenger seat of the black Aston Martin, trying to see the pale stone pillar of the black wrought iron gates they had just passed through. She hadn’t imagined it. It had definitely said residents only. The wide road ahead was empty save a few cars parked along the sides. Kim’s gaze drifted over the elegant cream Georgian townhouses to her left with their black doors and black iron fences, and then shifted across to her right where a similar fence surrounded the large park. Tall bare trees blocked her view of the park but she caught glimpses of it through the entrances. Regent’s Park. They were in the heart of London and Erik still hadn’t told her where they were going. She finally looked at him and he smiled, his eyes not leaving the road. She knew he could sense when her gaze was on him, just as she could feel when he was watching her. Kim turned the gold wedding band on her finger, moving it slowly around in a full circle. Erik had placed it there almost a year ago, and that had been the anniversary of her turning. It was still incredible to think that she was different now. A black panther shape-shifter just like Erik. The gift of long-life he had given her was better than any present she’d ever had before. The best one he could have got her. Even better than her wedding present from him—an Aston Martin just like his beautiful one. 1
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
She couldn’t stop staring at him. Sometimes he captivated her. It wasn’t just how good he looked, but something else, something primal and masculine about him that took her breath away. She wanted to look at him forever, to take in all over again the fact that he really was hers. In all her life, she had never thought she would end up with someone so handsome. His amber gaze darted to hers for a moment and then away. A sure smile tugged at his lips and she smiled too, sensing that he was enjoying her eyes on him and what he was going to say. “Would you like a picture?” He grinned then, full of masculine pride, and she playfully pushed his arm. “I already have plenty.” It wasn’t a lie. Her wallet had at least three pictures of them together in it. He looked handsome in every one. She showed them off whenever she got the chance, along with her wedding band. A lot of the older set of shape-shifter society had frowned upon their wedding. Shape-shifters didn’t marry. They merely changed their names in private. Erik had given her the ceremony of her dreams at his country house. Kim looked out of the window again at the Georgian buildings. They were beautiful but they couldn’t compare to the country house. She loved being there, but recently Erik had been so busy with work that they hadn’t been seeing each other much. The house had started to feel lonely and empty, even with the housekeeper, and she missed seeing Erik every day. “What is it?” Erik said with a frown. She reached over and stroked his short black hair, smoothing it back and sighing. “I love you.” 2
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
“I love you too, but that’s not it, is it?” He glanced at her and then turned the car down a smaller road and around the back of the tall four storey Georgian townhouses that faced the large parkland. Kim sighed again and leaned back into the seat, trying to think of where to start. There had been countless times that she’d wanted to tell him to stay home with her, to come and see her when she’d been working in his office building, to just spend a little time with her. It seemed so selfish though when he was working hard to build his company and secure their future so they could live in comfort forever. When he had mentioned expanding his business six months ago, she had been all for it, because she had thought she would be at the office all day too. Erik pulled the car into a parking space and switched off the engine. He turned in the black leather seat, resting his arm on the steering wheel, and looked at her. “Kim?” “It’s just nice to spend some time with you and now we seem to be visiting someone.” He smiled, his frown melting in an instant. He was devastating when he smiled. It had been that charming grin that had made her fall for him in the flesh in the first place. The visions had only given her a sense of hunger and lust around him. His beautiful smile had won her heart. “We’re not visiting someone. Today is just about us.” He took her hand, pressed a kiss to it, and then got out of the car. Kim opened the door, still confused about what was happening. Before she could set foot outside, Erik was 3
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
around her side of the car, his strong hand in hers again, helping her. She rolled her eyes and let him have his way. He had been like this for the past few weeks and she still wasn’t getting used to it. When she was out, he pulled her closer, luring her in with the tender look in his amber eyes. She went willingly into his arms, tilting her head back in invitation and knowing he wouldn’t refuse. His lips brushed hers and he held her gently, close, as though he was afraid of breaking her. She was still strong, even in her current condition. The cold crisp air sent a shiver down her spine and she huddled up into Erik’s embrace, seeking his warmth. He broke away and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Let’s get you inside before you freeze,” he murmured against her hair and pressed another kiss to it before taking hold of her hand and leading her towards one of the black doors on the Georgian buildings. The path and stone steps were slippery with ice but Erik’s grip on her hand was firm, steadying her. She knew he wouldn’t let her fall. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her, especially now. When they reached the top of the steps, she stood to one side, looking out over the quiet cul-de-sac that acted as a car park for the houses around it. Erik’s car didn’t look out of place at all. The rest were mostly black or silver sports cars or Bentleys. Just why were they here? “Can you handle a few steps? I can carry you if you like,” Erik said, stealing her attention away from the area. The look in his eyes told her that he was being serious. She shook her head. She could manage some steps, if only to find out what he was up to. 4
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
Erik opened the large black door and led the way inside. It was a beautiful entrance hall with a marble staircase that curved up in front of her. The door closed behind her and Erik continued past her, up the steps. Kim followed, growing more and more curious about why there were in such a fancy area of London. They passed several black doors with numbers on them. Someone had turned the building into apartments. She couldn’t imagine how expensive they would be. “Every resident here is a shape-shifter,” Erik said as they reached the second floor and continued up the stairs. Kim was getting tired. She placed one hand on her stomach and reached out to Erik with her other. He took hold of it and slowed his pace so they were walking together. He was excited about something. She could sense it in his feelings and see it in his eyes. They sparkled at her, molten gold that shone as brightly as his wedding ring. When they reached the third floor, Erik frowned and stopped. Kim leaned forwards, trying to catch her breath. Before she could, he scooped her up into his arms, carefully cradling her against his broad chest. She didn’t have the heart to protest when she saw the concern in his eyes. He looked at her and instead of the cocksure smile she had expected, he frowned. “Are you alright?” he whispered and the concern in his eyes only increased. Kim smiled, warm all over from the feel of his arms around her and his chivalry. He had pampered her so much recently whenever they’d had a chance to be together, had been so attentive and caring, looking after 5
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
her every second. He had been so affectionate and loving, so sweet, that she was falling in love with him all over again. “I’m fine now,” she said in a low voice and leaned over. He closed his eyes when she kissed his cheek and then started walking again, carrying her up the remaining flight of steps. Kim watched the world go by, wondering if anyone would see them. She felt like a newlywed about to be carried over the threshold in Erik’s arms. If someone saw them, would they think the same thing, or would they see the reason she was being carried? She remembered that Erik had said all of the residents were shape-shifters. They would sense it then. Erik had sensed it before she had even realised. Her smile widened when she dropped her gaze to her stomach. She ran her hand over the small bump protected from the cold by layers of warm clothing. Her hand looked pale against her wine-red jumper, the gold of her wedding band bright and reflecting the lights on the walls of the staircase. “Those thoughts feel much better,” Erik purred into her ear and she giggled. He kissed her hair again and then took the last few steps. She thanked him with another smile when he set her down and fussed over her, straightening out her clothes so there were no gaps for the cool air to get in. It was warm inside the building but he still wouldn’t stop 6
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
fussing over her. She swatted his hands away and he frowned at her. How did she come to have such a man? Kim stared at him, taking in his height and muscled build. The black jumper emphasised it beautifully when combined with his blue jeans. He looked as sleek and powerful as he was in his panther form. She glanced down at herself. She looked as dumpy as she did in her panther form. Erik had told her off the one time she had changed to see whether she showed more as a black panther. She did and apparently it was bad for her to change at the moment. She smiled and touched her stomach again. Apparently it was bad for the babies. She still hadn’t found the courage to ask Erik whether she had tiny baby humans growing inside her or whether they looked like panther cubs. They hadn’t been for a scan since she had first realised she was pregnant and now the babies were growing fast. Erik had only told her that from now on, they could only attend her new doctor at a special hospital for shape-shifters. Before becoming one, she hadn’t realised just how much of society they had built for themselves. They had their own housing complexes for shape-shifters to be close to each other, their own nightclubs, doctors and hospitals, and even their own gyms. Everything was exclusive and very private and she could understand why. If humans ever discovered their existence, the world they lived in would crumble. She didn’t want that to happen. Her hand rested protectively over the bump of her stomach. She wanted her cubs to be safe. 7
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
Erik’s hand appeared in view and settled over hers. His wedding band touched hers and she smiled, trying to alleviate her worry because he would be feeling it too. “I will not allow anything to happen to you,” he said in a low tone that made her believe his words. He would protect their family. Kim closed her eyes and turned into his arms, needing the comfort and security of them around her. He held her close, his hand still on her belly, and sighed into her hair. “I will keep you all safe.” “I know,” she whispered and forced herself to smile. She came out of his arms, intent on not bringing them down when they had precious little time together. She didn’t want him to remember her being sad or worried. She didn’t want him to be away from her, worrying that she was upset. “So why are we here?” “Well, Mrs. Blackwell,” he said with a broad grin and pulled a key out of his pocket. “I have a present for us.” He unlocked the single black door in front of them and pushed it open. He motioned for her to go in and she did. She walked into the large cream hall and then to her left into a huge cream empty room with hardwood floors and a dado-rail that ran at hip-height around the walls. Three tall white sash windows lined the wall on either side of the room and a marble fireplace stood against the one in front of her. There was a white wooden door to the left of it, and another on the bare wall opposite. She moved to the centre of the room, under the plaster rose from which a beautiful gold chandelier hung on the high ceiling above, and looked back at Erik. 8
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
He leaned against the wall by the entrance hall and smiled at her. “Do you like it?” She swallowed, not quite able to find the words to express her confusion. “What is this?” she said instead and looked around at the room. Her gaze met his again and she could see what he was going to say. “Besides an apartment.” “Our apartment,” he said and walked over to her. He took her hand and moved towards the door on the wall opposite the fireplace. He opened it and walked in. Kim stood in the doorway and took in the large empty pale-blue room. It looked like a bedroom. She went to another white wooden door opposite her and opened it. It was an elegant bathroom. The colour matched that of the bedroom and a white roll-top bath stood in the centre of it, near a fireplace. She looked around at Erik. He had moved to the four sash windows and was looking out of them. Curious, she went to him and couldn’t believe her eyes. The bedroom overlooked the park. She could see the people walking around it, playing with their children. The warm evening light made the frost on the grass sparkle and she smiled at the beauty of it. It was an amazing view and she was sure that the living room she had just been in would also share it. Erik stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. Kim sighed at the peacefulness of it all. There was an air of homeliness to the apartment even though it was empty. 9
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
“There’s another two bedrooms,” he said and she could hear the smile in his voice, “and a large kitchen, and another bathroom.” He didn’t need to sell it to her. She wondered when someone had sold it to him. Erik pressed a kiss to her shoulder and rested his chin on it, his hands coming to settle on her stomach. She smiled at the fact that he couldn’t stop touching it. He was as bad as she was for it. Every time they were together, they spent most of it in each other’s arms like this, holding each other near and enjoying the feel of being close. Kim leaned back into him, seeking the comfort and safety of his embrace, enjoying the warmth he gave her both inside and out. He purred into her ear, drawing another smile from her, and she stared out at the beautiful view of the park. Even when it was frosty as it was today, it was still amazing to see it and to think it was her view now. “Stay here during in the week,” Erik whispered into her ear and she frowned. “So we can be together.” Kim closed her eyes and reached over backwards and placed her hand around the back of his head, holding him. Her other hand sought his, her fingers curling around to brush his palm. She could sense the emotions behind his words and they were everything that she had been feeling. He kissed her shoulder again and then her earlobe. “I need you close to me, Kim.”
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A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
“Can we afford such things?” she said and was being genuine. The apartment must have cost a lot of money even though it was a shape-shifter owned building. Erik laughed softly. “I would buy Buckingham Palace to have you close to me. Money means nothing if I can’t be with you.” Kim cursed him for being so sweet. Tears lined her eyes, drawn out of her by how overwhelming everything was. She couldn’t handle this when she was pregnant. She’d been crying at the drop of a hat recently, especially when Erik wasn’t around. But now he would be around. She could stay here with him just as he wanted and they could be together every evening and every morning. They could go to work together when she had to go in to attend to the legal side of his business. They could come home together. In her heart, she knew that while he didn’t care about money, he wouldn’t have bought the new apartment without selling his old bachelor pad first. He had exchanged his modern free life for a family one. The new apartment was beautiful. The setting perfect. It was a slice of the country in London. Everything she wanted and it already felt like their family home away from home. “We can walk in the park with the children,” Erik said. Kim laughed now. “They’re not even born yet and you’re already planning their daily itinerary.” She turned in his arms and looked up at him. He smiled and it was stunning. There was such a light in his amber eyes, so much happiness that she was a part of. 11
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
“I’ll come home every lunch time to be with you,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. “And to walk with you in the park, and then we’ll do it all again in the evening.” Kim wanted to point out the practicalities of what he was suggesting and the fact that he usually worked his lunches, but there was so much love and happiness in his eyes that she couldn’t find her voice. The warm light of the setting sun played on his face. What he wanted was beautiful and she wanted it too. She wanted this home away from home, a place where they could raise their family during the week, a place she could be with the children and her friends here in London while he was at the office, or work from home on her duties with his company while the children were sleeping. She knew how important it was for them to have their parents around during the early stages of their life and knew that Erik would move Heaven and Earth to lessen his hours at work during the first few years of their life. Erik kissed her, soft and slow, with so much love that new tears formed in the corners of her eyes. He was so gentle with her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding his mouth to hers, and kissed him back, showing him without words that she loved him and this gift that he had given her. She laughed against his lips when the babies kicked for the first time. The two of them were going to be trouble if they were already so strong. Erik pulled back, a questioning look in his eyes. She took his hands from her waist and placed them over her stomach. The smile he gave her when the babies kicked again was beautiful, lighting up his eyes. She had never seen him so happy. There was so much love in his eyes, and so much pride. 12
A Day in the Life: Kim – Felicity Heaton
She smiled with him, holding his hands. She knew he would protect her and their cubs. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them. He was a wonderful husband. And he was going to be a wonderful father. She was the luckiest girl in the world. The End
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About the Author: Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances. Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures. To see her other novels, visit: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk If you have enjoyed this story, please take a moment to contact the author at
[email protected] or to post a review of the book online Follow the author on: Her blog – http://felicityheaton.blogspot.com Twitter – http://twitter.com/felicityheaton Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/feheaton Grouply – http://felicityheaton.grouply.com
Enjoyed this story? This short was based on: In Heat
A heat wave isn’t the only thing making London too hot for lawyer Kim. She’s been spending each night with a man who sets her body and heart on fire. The problem? He’s a man that always sprouts black fur and purrs, and he’s only a dream. Walking into work on the hottest day of the year, the last thing she expects is to meet Erik, a man who sends her temperature soaring and who resembles her dream guy exactly. A black panther shape-shifter, Erik Blackwell has been searching for his mate for twenty-seven years. The visions they share each night are getting hotter but finding her is proving impossible as he’s never seen her face. That is, until it turns out she’s working as his lawyer on his contract negotiations with his brother, Alistair. Kim can’t deny her attraction to Erik. The heat she feels with him is intense and it’s only a matter of time before they surrender to their desires, but something haunts her. Is Erik really the man of her dreams? If so, can he grow fur and purr? And what about the terrible feeling she has about Alistair and the contract? How far is he willing to go to get his hands on the company Erik owns? What will Kim do when she discovers Erik’s secret? Will she turn her back on him, or will she complete the mating and become like him so they can be together forever? Read an excerpt or buy here: http://bit.ly/bXrTXC SAVE 25% on this story by entering this code during checkout:
KIM
