Shelley Munro, Author of Contemporary and Paranormal Romance

“I have a case for you,” George said.

Something about his boss’ tone made Jack cautious. “Yeah?”

“Sports-enhancing drugs. Rumor says there’s a ring operating out of the Mahoney Resort on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. I want you check it out.”

“And?” Jack’s gut told him there was more to the story. The glint of humor in George’s eyes confirmed it.

“I’ve assigned you a partner.”

Jack straightened from his casual sprawl against the wall, his eyes narrowing on George. “I work alone. I don’t work with a partner.” His last partner had died. Horribly. And he lived with that guilt. He wasn’t damn-well having another partner he might come to like.

“You can’t do this job alone.”

“Why not?” Jack demanded. “I’ve managed every other job on my own.”

George leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers and looking over the top in a thoughtful manner. “This one might be a little difficult. Reuben J. Mahoney is a slippery character.” The chair squeaked a protest each time he shifted his weight.

“I can handle anything he throws at me.”

George glanced at the calendar pinned on the wall then cast his attention back to Jack. “There’s a blue moon coming up. It might fall before the mission is completed.”

Jack filled in the blanks. The blue moon would erode his powers and make it difficult to remain in human form. Without constant sexual stimulation, he’d shift into a taniwha, the legendary monster from Maori mythology. Jack snorted at the thought of being trapped in taniwha form in the middle of a mission. It had happened to other shifters on George Taniwha’s staff but not to him. He imagined the pandemonium if a change occurred in the middle of the bustling resort. His lips curled in disdain.

Little did New Zealanders know, but the species taniwha survived and lived among them. Jack didn’t intend to be the first taniwha to make headlines in the New Zealand Herald. No way. No how. If he had to find a woman to keep the monster at bay, then that’s what he’d do.

“Okay,” he conceded. “I guess a partner might help. Who’s available? Hone? Billy?”

George made a choking sound, merriment dancing across his lined face as he stuck his feet up on his desk.

“What’s so goddamned amusing?” Jack ground out. Another chortle exploded from George.

Jack bounded upright and paced the length of the room trying to work off the agitation that thrummed through his body. He paused to stare out the window, his mind taking in the yachts that zigzagged across blue waters of Auckland harbor. Jack turned away from the window and stalked across the room to drop into the chair opposite George. He kept his expression neutral despite the amusement that still simmered across his boss’s face. “You’d better let me in on the joke.”

“You can partner up with Hone or Billy, if you want,” George said. “But you might want to consider the special circumstances.”

“What circumstances?” Jack bit out. Man, he had a hot date with Melissa tonight. Good, hot, sweaty, no-strings sex. He didn’t have time for this crap. “Either Hone or Billy. I’m not fussy.”

“Reuben J. Mahoney runs a couples only resort. I’m assigning you a female partner.”

“A female— No.”

“I guess you can take Hone. Or Billy,” George mused. “Of course, you’d have to share a room. And a bed.” He shook his grizzled head. “Two taniwha in the same room. Add in a blue moon and things might get a mite ugly.”

Jack sent a hard glare at his boss. Trapped as neat as an eel in a net. Jack shuffled through the range of possibilities and came up blank. “Who is she?” he gritted out.

“A new operative.”

Great. Just bloody great. Not only was he being forced to take a female partner, he was getting a raw beginner. Jack didn’t trust himself to speak so he firmed his mouth, folded his arms across his chest and scowled his displeasure.

“I’m teaming you with Emma Montrose.”

“Your secretary?” Jack heard disbelief but thought he managed to keep his panic to himself. What the hell did a secretary know about investigating a case? What about the danger? To both of them. They would have to share a room for God’s sake. Jack refused to let his mind dwell on Emma’s sexy legs…or the rest of her body.