Currents Run Deep

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Currents Run Deep

  ISBN 9781419922053

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Currents Run Deep Copyright © 2009 Shelley Munro

  Edited by Mary Moran

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book Publication May 2009

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  CURRENTS RUN DEEP

  Shelley Munro

  Acknowledgement

  This one is for my readers. Your notes and e-mails make me smile and definitely make my day brighter. I appreciate your support very much.

  Thanks to Mary Moran, my wonderful editor, who helps make every story the best it can be. Your notes make me smile as well.

  And last, but not least, thanks to Paul. I couldn’t do it without you.

  Chapter One

  Well hello, gorgeous. Asia Bolino tried not to stare and slid slowly into the Norah Jones number, following the cue from the accompanying musician. Her heart shifted into an erratic gallop while a wave of heat engulfed her body. Turn around, she pleaded silently. Oh looking good. Go on. Turn right around. Let me get a good look at you…

  Aw, rats! Disappointment throbbed through her voice before she pulled herself together and continued smoothly singing the song. She knew that face, and the man was off limits. Way off limits.

  Roman Anderson. What was he doing slumming in the Blue Venetian nightclub?

  Her mother would have a conniption if she became involved with an Anderson. Ah well. No harm appreciating the view. Because there was no getting away from it—the man was a fine specimen. To hear her family talk, he was the devil incarnate, but jeepers, the man oozed sex appeal. She inhaled sharply as she viewed his rear end. Yep, he looked good from all angles.

  Asia held the final note before letting it trail away. The music ended, and she smiled at the audience, graciously accepting the applause with a regal incline of her head.

  Roman Anderson was not the man for her. She sighed, accepting the truth but not liking it. Feuds were the pits, especially when they limited the gene pool for shapeshifters like her. The warring between the Transient Orcas and the Resident Orcas was stupid and meaningless in these modern times, but Asia knew there were those who actively encouraged the rift between the tribes.

  The introductory bars of another Norah Jones favorite pulled Asia back to professionalism. She started to sing in her trademark smoky voice, pleading the audience to come away with her. The low buzz of chatter in the nightclub faded, letting Asia know she was doing a good job. She let her eyes drift closed, threw back her head and poured her heart out in the music. For the three minutes of the song, she held the audience enthralled. The music faded and for a heartbeat there was total silence before the applause broke out. Asia’s eyes popped open. She grinned broadly and bowed from the waist, giving the group of businessmen at the front table, Roman Anderson included, an excellent view of her creamy cleavage. She straightened, snagging Roman’s gaze for a long, drawn-out moment. He closed one brown eye in a wink and grinned at her, robbing her of breath.

  Maybe he was adopted. She could corrupt him, she thought, taking half a step toward him before commonsense kicked in.

  “That’s the end of Scarlet’s segment for now,” an announcer said over the loudspeaker. “She’ll be back for another at midnight.”

  Asia stepped down from the stage and headed to the bar for her customary glass of sparkling water. She leaned against the shiny, wooden bar and inhaled deep, wanting to fan the heat from her face. She resisted, feeling a little pique. A man hadn’t affected her this way since her ill-fated romance with her ex-manager. She should know better than to lust after a pretty face.

  Asia waited while Frank, the barman, served a group of young women out for a hen’s night judging by the screeching and laughter. She noticed several of them were eyeing Roman. None of her business! But she couldn’t prevent the satisfaction that stole through her when Roman ignored them.

  “Hey, Frank. It’s busy tonight,” she murmured when he finished serving the rush of customers. The sharp tang of smoke contrasted with the sweetness of the floral scent wafting from the young women standing beside her.

  “Sure is, Scarlet.” Frank placed a glass in front of her. “Looks like someone is trying to grab your attention.” He gestured behind her with a jerk of his blond head.

  Asia smelled the green, fresh scent of outdoors, seconds before the warm muskiness of a male body hit her. Trapped between the heat of the man and the bar, she turned, ready to voice a protest.

  “Sorry, Scarlet.” Roman’s voice was husky and strummed pleasantly across her nerves. It matched the sexy body perfectly. “I didn’t mean to crowd you. Someone pushed me.” His brown eyes twinkled down at her, a novel experience for Asia since she hit six foot in her bare feet and looked down at most men.

  “Not that I’m sorry. You feel as good as you look.”

  An uncustomary blush climbed her neck and seeped into her cheeks. Why did the enemy have to look so sexy? So tempting?

  “No problem,” she drawled, pausing to take a sip of icy water. The cool liquid soothed her fluster until she glanced at Roman again. Shoot. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. He obviously had no idea who she was. So what did she do now?

  Play safe and tell him she wasn’t interested, or take a walk on the wild side?

  “My name is Roman Anderson.” He held out his hand to cement the formal introductions.

  “Scarlet,” Asia said with a note of caution.

  “Pleased to meet you, Scarlet. Could I interest you in a late supper after you’re finished here?” His eyes narrowed as his attention zoomed in on her other hand. He picked it up and caressed the knuckles, his thumb strumming across the ruby and diamond band her grandmother had given her and she always wore on her left hand. The ring helped to scare away non-desirables, and if they were too thick to notice, she pointed it out to them. “Or am I too late and someone has snapped you up already?”

  “No, I’m not married.”

  “No man in your life?” His alert expression told her he was weighing her reply, judging if she told the truth.

  She shook her head, letting open honesty shine through. “I don’t get much time to date.” In this, at least, she could state the facts.

  “Do you have time tonight?”

  A negative reply formed in her mind. “Yes,” she whispered. Oh boy. Ma would lock her up and throw away the key. Except… Asia thought rapidly and decided one night with Roman Anderson was worth the risk. The family was away and she didn’t expect them back until th
e following month. And if they did arrive back unexpectedly, they rang first. Nine out of ten times anyway, because they knew she had a hectic schedule. Her mother had muttered something about having a yearning for the fish off the coast of South America. No doubt they’d sample the local delicacy of seal meat while they basked in the foreign waters. One date. Asia glanced at Roman’s dark, handsome face. Hard to believe he was the killer whale monster depicted by her family. Where was the harm in one date? And maybe a little action between the sheets if they were of the same accord?

  “Yes,” she repeated in a firm voice.

  “Great.” Roman didn’t act as if her acceptance were a given and she liked that. “Where should I meet you?”

  Asia hesitated, trying to work out what to do to maintain secrecy yet not tip Roman off that things were not quite legitimate. “How about outside the side entrance at one?”

  “I’ll be there,” he promised, his dark eyes glowing. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Very much.”

  A frisson of pure lust swept Asia. Her gaze drifted across his face, his mouth, and she wondered what it would feel like to touch him, to lean her weight into his chest and feel the dense muscles crush her breasts.

  The soft clearing of a throat jerked her back to the present. Amusement coated his smile, bringing a renewed flush of heat to her cheeks.

  “Hold that thought,” he said, blowing her a kiss before returning to his table.

  Asia sighed, her heart thumping so hard it felt as if she’d finished a hundred-meter sprint. The last segment of her act couldn’t finish soon enough.

  Roman let his gaze wander over Scarlet. Statuesque. Curvy. Striking red hair that matched her name. He wondered if the color was real before deciding it didn’t matter. The woman oozed confidence along with sexual allure, enthralling the audience with her husky voice. It thrummed through him, jerking his cock tight in pleasurable anticipation. He hadn’t come into the nightclub with the intention of finding a woman for the night, but one look at Scarlet had changed his mind.

  “Nice-looking woman,” the man to his right murmured after noting the direction of Roman’s gaze.

  Damn, he didn’t like being so transparent. Not when there was business involved. “Yeah,” he said finally, aware he couldn’t push away the man without some sort of comment. The need to dispose of the treasure was too important. Thankfully the two weeks of delicate negotiations were almost over and he could return home soon. “I spoke to her when I went up to the bar. Intelligent woman.”

  “Pity,” the man said with a laugh. “Sometimes uncomplicated sex is best.”

  “I’ll admit I was tempted,” Roman said with a shrug. Instinct made him skirt the truth, the fact he was meeting her later and hoped to round the evening off with a hot and heavy session in the sack. “But once I wrap up our business discussions, I’m heading back to the island. Duty calls. I’ll have to forego pleasure this time around.”

  “Yeah, I heard you live on Auckland Island. Pretty secluded place. What’s it like?”

  “Some people call it the end of the Earth. My family has lived there for generations. We like it. It’s home.” And perfect for their shapeshifting species—the Resident Orcas. Most of them owned land in New Zealand, some in Australia and farther afield, but they all returned to the secluded Auckland Islands, deep in the Southern Ocean where they could change at will, frolic and hunt in the ocean without fear of detection.

  “Modern technology must have brought you closer,” the man observed.

  “Sure. With helicopters and small planes, it means we’re not so cut off from the mainland.” But the island still ran on a feudal system, and as head of the tribe, he was fighting off a small, vocal group who didn’t like the old ways. Roman fought a scowl at the thought. Unfortunately, he was the only one who could negotiate the sale of the treasure and his trip to the mainland was one he couldn’t avoid. According to his brother, things were still under control on the island, albeit a bit tense between shifters with opposing viewpoints. Increasing numbers of shark mercenaries were also visiting the island, something Roman didn’t like. He was going to have to take action against the leaders before they ripped the tribe apart. The split that had occurred thousands of years ago in their species had done enough harm. He wouldn’t put the tribe through the same turmoil again.

  “Hell, I envy the man who goes to bed with her each night,” the man said in a change of subject.

  Roman nodded, his gaze remaining on Scarlet while she performed an old Marilyn Monroe number. His breath caught halfway up his throat while his body reacted again in a purely sexual manner. Damn. A woman hadn’t affected him in this way since his early teens. Roman couldn’t wait to see where their date would lead.

  * * * * *

  Asia stepped out of her dressing room and headed through the bar. Empty now save for the cleaners and, with the lights on full, the room seemed sad and tacky like a woman dressed way too young for her age. A vacuum cleaner hummed and the clink of glasses sounded as Frank stacked them into the glass washing machine.

  “Night,” she called to Frank.

  “See you next week,” he answered before continuing with his cleaning behind the bar. Asia waved and headed for the side door that opened into a small alley.

  Anticipation thrummed through her body. Nervous, she licked her lips and wiped moist palms across the seat of her black trousers. She’d left the red wig on, conscious that Roman might recognize the long black hair or at least consider her and shapeshifters for a fleeting moment. She didn’t want the date to end before it began. Like many female Orcas, Asia had a lock of white hair at her temple. It looked both distinctive and striking against her black hair. Since she worked on the mainland, Asia dyed it black to avoid speculation. She thanked the impulse that had led her to touch up her roots this morning because Roman would know the significance of the lock of white hair.

  Asia slipped out the side door and paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. At the far end of the small alley, illumination from a streetlamp spilled in from the main street. Asia heard the rumble of a car before it turned into the adjacent street and faded, leaving a throbbing silence.

  Fumes from rotten food rose from the large rubbish bin between her and the exit of the alley. A shadow shifted, separating from the brick wall of the nightclub. Roman was waiting for her. A combination of relief and excitement fizzled through her veins. Asia paused to take a deep breath, knowing she was running a risk yet unable to withstand the temptation. A woman would need to be stark raving mad to turn down a date with Roman.

  A metallic clang broke the night. A shout. The smack of fist against human flesh. Asia rounded the bin at a sprint and saw three dark-clad men attacking Roman.

  “Hey!” she hollered. “Stop that!”

  Two of the men paused while the third slammed a fist into Roman’s belly and kicked him viciously. Roman fell, his head colliding with the footpath with a sickening thump.

  Asia rushed forward, screeching at the top of her voice. “Fire! Fire! Someone help. There’s a fire!”

  One of the men spoke in a low, guttural voice—too low for Asia to catch the words. She kept running and almost turned her ankle in a pothole. Damn high heels!

  “Fire!” she shouted, righting herself and ignoring the pain in her panic to stop them hurting Roman.

  The three men melted into the darkness but not before one of them kicked Roman several times in the ribs. Asia leapt at him, ready to do some damage of her own, but he was too strong and thrust her away like an unwanted piece of litter. Her butt hit the footpath with enough force to jar her entire body. Jagged pain snaked up her spine, making her eyes water.

  “Oh,” she muttered, moving gingerly to discover the extent of the damage. Bruised, she decided, but there was nothing broken.

  The side door she’d exited through burst open, pummeling the brick wall with a bang. Excited voices neared from behind, and she heard the rapid retreat of footsteps. Bother and damn
. They’d escape before anyone could do anything. She had no idea what they looked like either since they’d worn stocking ski masks to hide their faces.

  Asia clambered to her feet and dragged her aching body over to Roman. A nasty gash on his forehead and another on his left cheekbone marred the previous perfection of his features. Blood dripped down his face from a cut above his eyes, giving him a grotesque appearance. Asia checked his pulse. Still breathing, but he didn’t seem conscious.

  “Roman, can you hear me?”

  Asia was aware he shouldn’t go to a hospital. The last thing any of them needed was a curious doctor or lab technician. The Resident Orcas probably had their own healer, the same as her tribe. Asia eased out a frustrated breath, wondering what to do. Damn, she couldn’t take Roman to their healer, either. That would be more dangerous than the hospital.

  A groan dragged her mind away from the dilemma. His eyes flickered.

  “Roman,” she whispered.

  “What happened?” Frank crouched down beside them.

  “Are you all right?” a cleaner asked, her wrinkled face pale with concern.

  Roman struggled to sit, groaning even though Asia helped him.

  “Someone attacked him,” Asia said. “Roman, you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

  “No. I’m fine,” he said, but he didn’t sound like the Roman of earlier.

  “I’ll call the cops. And an ambulance,” Frank added.

  “No,” Asia said instinctively. On seeing Frank’s incredulous look, she tried to make things right. “I don’t think he needs an ambulance. I’ll take care of him.”

  Judging by the expression on Frank’s face, she’d only succeeded in making it worse.

  “What were they after? Do you think it was money?” the cleaner asked with avid curiosity.

  Asia frowned at the question. “They didn’t seem interested in stealing anything. Maybe it was drug related.” The attack had seemed almost frenzied. Drugs were the only explanation to make sense.