To most people who know him, Nick Fontana is the owner of a prestigious advertising agency. To a select few, he’s known as Niko, a man who deals with very sensitive problems no one else can handle. As a result, Nick has never found a man to love -- because he won't allow it to happen. Then he meets flirtatious Greg Tyson while out running. He thinks nothing of it until Greg applies for a job at Nick's ad agency. Greg is exactly what Nick is looking for in an employee. Hiring him, however, might turn out to be the biggest mistake of Nick's life ... or the beginning of something new, if Nick is willing to open himself up and let Greg in. Doing so will require an amount of trust Nick isn’t certain he can give without endangering Greg's life -- and losing his love -- in the process.

Love Was Not an Option

Nick gripped Greg’s other arm as ?tienne approached. He could feel his lover begin to shake in fear andsaid, “You don’t have to do this.”


“Yes, I do,” Greg whispered between gritted teeth.


?tienne bit deeply into Greg’s proffered arm. Greg shouted in pain, pulling it tightly to his body as soon as ?tienne released it. Blood flowed from the wound. Nick saw his mother lick her lips. She caught his look and mouthed, “I’m fine. See to him.”


As he watched—not letting go of Greg’s arm because he needed him to know he was there—hair began to sprout all over his lover’s body. Then, Greg’s nails began to lengthen into claws. By then, Greg had opened his eyes. He looked at them in horror, shaking his head.


“It’s all right,” Nick tried to reassure him. ?tienne, back in his human form now, agreed. He motioned for Nick to let go of Greg, which he did reluctantly—only because he knew what came next.


Chapter 39