Shifted Perceptions Read online

  Shifted Perceptions

  Diana DeRicci

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  SHIFTED PERCEPTIONS

  Copyright © 2010 DIANA DERICCI

  ISBN 978-1-936165-66-7

  Cover Art Designed By Anastasia Rabiyah

  Edited By Stephanie Taylor and D. Thomas Jerlo

  Chapter One

  Rex Adkins stopped his Harley with a scuffed boot on the curb, eyeing the address on the mailbox, then the house. Then the mailbox. “Fuck, Jason. What did you get me into?” Just on the off chance he was wrong—seriously wrong—he tugged the business card out of his jeans pocket and read the address on the back.

  He swore.

  This was the place.

  He felt underdressed just sitting outside her house. Looking up and down the street, he noticed all the houses were gorgeous mini-mansions with manicured lawns and deep driveways. Rex should’ve known something by the address, but he’d never been to The Hills. Now, he can say he had.

  Stuffing the card back into his pocket, he eased away from the curb and coasted up her driveway. He eyeballed the two-seater sitting out front. Bet that bitch can fly. Then his gaze widened when he caught the BMW emblem. It might as well have stood up and slapped him back into reality.

  He planted the kickstand to his V-Rod and let out a reluctant breath. He did not want to be here, but Jason had asked.

  All he had to do was go to the house, ask for Dali, get Jason’s report and get the hell out of there. It was just that being around all that money made him nervous.

  Running a hand through his hair, he tried to make himself look presentable, then stopped himself. Why the hell did it matter? He was doing a favor for a friend. “Get in, and get out,” he muttered.

  Striding up the brick walk, he took the front steps two at a time and hit the doorbell with a stiff thumb.

  A moment later, the door opened. Expecting a maid, or at the least someone older, he was taken by surprise by the goddess who opened it.

  “Can I help you?” She held a tissue to her nose and sneezed.

  “I’m looking for Dali. Jason sent me.”

  “Rex?” Her bay brown eyes widened. “Crap. I didn’t expect you this early.”

  He frowned. “Are you…Dali?”

  “Last time I checked.” She sneezed again. “Come on in.”

  “Are you okay?” He did as she asked. She closed the door and snapped the lock into place.

  “No worse than I have been for the last four days.”

  “Excuse me?” She seemed very comfortable with a complete stranger, even more so for a male stranger, in her home. Now he did feel bad for looking so scruffy. He hadn’t even shaved that morning.

  “I’m getting over something. The something was questionable.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She waved a hand then brushed her hair off her shoulders, heavy midnight corkscrew curls. “I’m sorry. I don’t have his spreadsheet done yet. I’m about forty-five minutes from being done though. Can you wait, or would you like to come back?”

  He slipped his fingers into his rear pockets. Watching her, he suddenly wasn’t feeling so claustrophobic about the money. Dali was worth looking at.

  Just then his cell phone rang. “Just a sec.” He held up a finger, and she nodded with an unconcerned expression. When she sneezed again, he felt a stab of pity.

  “Rex.”

  “Did you find her?”

  “Here right now. Why?”

  “Put her on the phone.”

  “Aye aye, Capítan.”

  “Be thankful you’re a friend and not an employee.”

  “If I was an employee…” He left that unfinished, remembering he had someone less than two feet away who didn’t know him. “Hold on.” He handed her the phone. “Slave Driver would like to speak to you.”

  She laughed, a low, husky sound that made him do a double-take.

  “Yes, oh master of the lamp?”

  He was really beginning to like her sense of humor. Her dark eyes lowered and a frown scrunched her eyebrows together. “But he’s already here. Are you sure?” She groaned. “I know I’ve been sick. I’m the sick person in this conversation.”

  Rex rocked on his boot heels, letting Jason eat up his minutes. Not that one of his best friends wasn’t worth it, but he was beginning to get the feeling that this favor was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

  “What? No, I don’t need to go, Jason. I’ve been to the doctor, twice.” Annoyance was beginning to add a red hue to her bronzed cheeks. She growled then groaned, whipping out her hand. “Here.” He caught the phone before it dropped to the floor.

  She whirled and marched out of sight.

  “Um, Jason? What the hell did you just do?”

  “Get Stubborn back on the phone. I’ll tell her I’m sorry.”

  “I can’t. I don’t know where she went.”

  “Crap. Fine. Could you hang out until she’s done? I know she’s almost done with the quarterly.”

  Rex shrugged. “I guess so.”

  “Great. Thanks man. Oh, and Rex?”

  “What?”

  “Don’t make any plays for her. She’s not like that.”

  “Fuck you,” he muttered. “I’m not like that.” Though his gaze still swung in the direction she’d stormed off in. He snapped the phone shut then slapped it into his hip case.

  She’d disappeared down a hall to the right, so he went in search of her to find out what it was that Jason now wanted, and how it concerned him.

  * * * *

  Dali yanked out her chair and turned on her monitor. “Just who the hell does he think he is?” she complained under her breath. “I told him I’d have it done, and it’s gonna get done, damn this cold or not.” If it weren’t for the fact that she had to take antibiotics for another two days, she’d already be back at work. She wasn’t dead, just not right.

  She knew Jason felt bad sending her the quarterly only to find out she’d fallen sick, but it was her job, and really, it was only numbers, a few hours of work. Unfortunately, a few hours’ worth she’d managed to stretch into several days because of her cold and medicines that knocked her on her ass faster than an eight-second bull ride. She barked a laugh. “‘Might cause drowsiness’ my ass.”

  Then her grumble tirade was broken by a sneeze.

  “Oh for the love of God!” She balled up more tissues and held them to her nose.

  “Jason asked me to wait.”

  Her vision swung to the doorway. Shit! How long has he been there? She blinked to hold back the tears of frustration. It wasn’t like she could look any worse. Dali cleared her throat. “Okay. He told me to tell you to forget it.”

  Rex shrugged. “I think he felt bad. He wanted to apologize.” He didn’t come through the door, his hands hidden in his rear pockets again. Dali knew it couldn’t be intentional, but his action really made the bulge beneath the stonewashed faded jeans pronounced. The man was packing. And it wasn’t like she wasn’t sitting at eye level with the devil. She forced her gaze to lift.

  “It’s not a big deal. He’s been apologizing since he found out he dumped this on me when I was sick.” Jason had been out a lot the last few weeks, so it wasn’t all that surprising he’d missed her absence. She didn’t be
grudge Jason, or his silent partner in the company, Victor, anything. They both worked hard to keep the health club going. Her only grain of envy was Leesa, the woman who had snagged their attention and from what she’d seen, was doing a hot job of keeping it.

  The green eyed monster only seemed to show up when she let her own state of singleness get to her.

  She sneezed.

  “Shit!” She wiped her nose, looking toward her guest, feeling her lowest, giving up for the moment. “I’m sorry. Are you staying?”

  “Sure. I don’t have anywhere to be for a few hours.” The pectoral muscles beneath Rex’s navy blue t-shirt moved. Could a man look any sexier while being disinterested in life?

  “Okay. I’m going to make some tea to try to convince my nose it’s okay to stop torturing me.”

  A dimple appeared in his cheek when a half smile cracked his face. “Sounds like you’ve been miserable.”

  After standing from behind her desk, she walked back the way she’d come. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  He let her pass and stayed by her side. “Are you here alone?”

  “No, I have dead presidents to keep me company.”

  “Oh.”

  “Not like that!” Dali laughed, hearing his censured withdrawal immediately. “Not money. I don’t give a flip about the money. My mother has two portraits in the main living room. They are fun when they’re drunk.”

  “When they’re drunk?” A sexy, coal black eyebrow arched over some very impressive bright blue eyes, almost topaz light.

  Dali filled her teakettle and settled it on the stove to heat, determined to not stare at the hottest male she’d seen in months. Wiping her hands on a tea towel, she placed it on the counter beside them and said, “Okay, when I’m drunk, but don’t tell anyone.”

  He leaned on a hip, chuckling. “You sound like you’re getting better, at least.”

  “If it weren’t for the antibiotics and my nose.” She sniffled and dabbed at the offending part of her face with tissues. “I wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

  “You work at the health club?”

  “Yeah, I’m their dirty little secret.”

  “Excuse me?” He jerked straight.

  Rex’s absolutely appalled expression had her laughing hard. “Calm down. I mean I just work behind the scenes. Hardly anyone knows I’m there.”

  “I would,” he muttered, reclaiming his position against the counter, only this time crossing his arms over his most decidedly scrumptious chest. The pose showed off his biceps, the flex of muscle under suntanned skin… She almost licked her lips, pinching them together instead.

  Dali turned her attention back to her tea. She hated to admit it, but she was sure Rex would definitely be a hard to miss presence, too.

  “How long have you known Jason?” she asked, her tea in the ball strainer, ready for water. A watched pot never boils. No kidding. But it was safer. She couldn’t let herself look at him again. Her heart tripped when she did.

  “Several years. Same interests brought us to the same club and friends of a feather and all that.” He gave her a charming wink.

  “Are you a regular?”

  “I don’t have a membership.”

  “Really?” she replied. She gave him a long once over, this time because she openly could. She was willing to bet that stomach was as hard as his thighs. She managed to not drool. Barely. “You look like you do.”

  He glanced down at his body. “Thanks,” he said quietly. “I’m a motorcycle mechanic. That’s a sweet ride you have out there.”

  “Thanks. That was my only real splurge. I live here, but the money is theirs.”

  “Your parents? Where are they?”

  “Somewhere in California. They’re visiting family out there.” The kettle whistle blew and sliced the air. Dousing her tea ball, she settled against the counter, letting it steep. “Where are you going tonight? I don’t want to keep you here if you have plans.”

  “I’m meeting a friend of mine, Gage. Beers. Maybe some pool.” He dropped his chin to his chest. “Probably not anything you’d be caught doing.”

  “How do you know?” she sassed him quietly. Oh, why are you baiting him?

  He made an obvious visual sweep of her home. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said, a slow-drawled dare in the words. “Do you like honky-tonks and country music?”

  She sipped her tea, breathing the steam deep into her lungs. “Promise me no line dancing.”

  Rex reached and twirled one of her curls over his fingers. “Dali, I’d shoot myself if I ever did that,” he purred.

  She swallowed before she managed to spew, slapping a hand over her mouth. Immediately, he reached behind her then held the tea towel to her chin.

  “Do you have a drinking problem? You leak.” Humor colored his words, though his hand was gentle as he dabbed at her chin.

  Grasping for the towel, she buried her face in it, laughing. “I do not…leak!” she panted. Sucking air, she managed to stop laughing. “You’re terrible.” Though it was the most she’d laughed in weeks.

  Leaning close, there was no mistaking the underlying message in his next words. “No, Dali. I’m exceptional.”

  It was all she could do to swallow because her tongue had suddenly become glued to the roof of her mouth.

  * * * *

  Shit, Jason is going to kill me. But she was so cute, he almost couldn’t help himself. Even his wolf was paying attention, which hadn’t happened in months with any woman.

  Dali was a sweet stick of dynamite. The ruby red halter she wore was sexy as hell with lace over the shoulders and around the bust, hiding breasts that he was sure would fill his hand in perfect measures. She wasn’t stick thin and she wasn’t plump, but right in between. Even in her shoes, she only stood as tall as his chin, and that took into account the inch his boots gave him. Her deep, honey-bronzed skin was obviously of mixed blood, but her bottomless eyes and curls halfway down her back proved she was at least half black. He couldn’t have cared if she was half Martian. She was beautiful.

  “Are you up to a night out, though? Jason will kill me if I get you sick all over again.” He didn’t mention Jason was going to chew his ass out as it was just for trying to get a date, the warning he’d gotten not half an hour before already a forgotten buzz in his ear. What Jason didn’t know…

  “Not a long one. I have to finish the damn prescription. It’s one of those where you have to take them all,” she said on a sigh. “And I can’t drive on them, and I can’t drink.”

  “How about I pick you up, then? That will take care of one problem.” And he’d make sure she didn’t drink a drop. He knew what drugs mixed with alcohol could do, given by a doctor or not.

  She held her teacup, letting the steam waft over her face. It seemed to be helping; she hadn’t sneezed in several minutes.

  “And you’ll bring me home?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

  “Scout’s honor,” he said, holding up a hand.

  “You were never a scout.” But she smiled, and that was what he wanted. She had a knockout, catch-your-breath smile.

  No, he hadn’t ever been a scout, and that was a good thing, because the things he’d been thinking since he’d found her in her office were continuously growing more and more x-rated. He’d seen the way she’d eyeballed his crotch, and lingered there. He was still sporting the half boner she’d created. Meeting Gage tonight was a plus, because if Gage liked her… He couldn’t even finish the thought, heat pooling in a rush. He dropped his chin again, hiding his expressions from her.

  It had been years since a woman had appealed to him the way Dali did, and even longer since one had grabbed his and Gage’s attention. What he and Gage did wasn’t for everyone, but they’d been doing it since high school. It was still a major turn on for Rex to watch a woman going down on his best friend. Better than porn.

  The immediate image was Dali doing that, and he shuddered as a whip of heat worked its way south to his balls.
The problem had been finding a committed woman who could accept two men. Neither man liked to play musical lovers. They both wanted a woman for them. Lately, he’d been spending more time with his hand than a woman, so stumbling across Dali’s spitfire personality and luscious body were definite perks.

  “If tonight’s not a good night, I won’t have my feelings hurt,” she said, drawing his focus to the moment.

  “No, tonight is fine. I was thinking about you.” Thinking about you naked.Thinking about you under me.He cleared his throat, forcing his mind blank of the images. “If you’re sure, it won’t be a problem to bring you home early.”