Addicted to Writing & Sci/Fi Fantasy Saturday ~ The Purrfect Picture by Angela Castle

Title: The Purrfect Picture

Author: Angel Castle

Email: jazzgenie@hotmail.com

Genre: Paranormal/Erotic Romance

Excerpt Heat Level: 1

Book Heat Level: 5

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com

In the heat of the Australian Summer, Tinder Munro has been sent to an obscure little town, in the Australian bushland, to uncover its secrets. What she never expects to discover, is the devastatingly sexy Hawk Black, who seems very intent on embedding himself into Tinder’s body mind and soul.

Hawk, Panther shifter and beta of Black Town, volunteered to baby sit a Photojournalist, only to discover the feisty red head his is true mate.

Now nothing will stop Hawk from getting into Tinder’s life, and keeping her just were she belongs, with him, in his arms. But when others discover the truth behind Black town, they decide to make Hawk and Tinder pay a high price, in more ways than one.

Hawk races against time to save Tinder, and keep the secret of Black Town secure

EXCERPT

Pictures speak more than a thousand words; Tinder Munro's mother, the artist, drilled the words into her head at an early age. So, what was the picture before her trying to say? It was odd and out of place. No way, this couldn't be real; someone was playing a prank on her.

She didn't care. Even pranks which kept her mind off her current situation were better than sitting around stewing over things she couldn't change.

She sighed, needing to get closer. Blackened, scorched ground crackled as she lowered herself to her knees, inhaling the still-smoky air of the surrounding bushland. It was a few weeks since the devastating fires ripped through this part of the Black National Park.

Her current, and temporary, employer sent her up into the New South Wales Mountain region to an obscure little town to investigate.

It was good to get out of the city. When this job was done, she would like to find a smallish town with a little newspaper. She hoped someone would employ her and buy some of the many photos she had collected over the years as a photojournalist.

She had nothing to go back to. What little she did have was stuffed in the boot of her beat up old car. Black Town Motel would be her home until she finished this job, got the rest of her money, and moved on.

Tinder ran over the odd conversation in her head a few times, trying to figure out what the Sydney money tycoon, Felix Roads, wanted exactly.

'I want anything and everything suspicious reported. There is something not right with those Black brothers, and I want to know what it is.'

'Are you sure you want to use me, Mr. Roads? I'm a photojournalist not a private detective.' She stood in front of his six-foot wide, polished mahogany desk, in the tall fifty-five story building in the Sydney business district, overlooking Sydney Harbour bay and the Opera house.

'No, you're exactly what I need. I want picture evidence of whatever they're up to. There is something odd with those Black Town people. I think you would do better than any detective…someone they wouldn't suspect as much.'

'Just what do you expect me to find in Black Town?'

'I want any dirty secrets which can discredit them from the contract they stole from me.'

Basically, she was being sent in as a spy. But how could she object when Mr. Roads handed her a three-thousand-dollar check?

'Half now, half when you bring me evidence of what I need to get my contract back.'

This is money she desperately needed to start over. She would do her job to the best of her ability; if it was secrets Mr. Roads wanted, then secrets he would get.

After doing a little background digging on Black Town, via the internet, she kept coming across rumour after rumour of big cat sightings in the area. Tinder contacted the local park ranger to obtain permission to have a look around.

During her travels through Africa, she had photographed many majestic big cats, and had seen their paw prints in those counties, just like the ones she now studied.

Leaning closer to study the odd paw prints in the scorched earth, she saw the solid evidence those cat rumours were true.

She sat back on her heels and reached for her tan canvas equipment bag, riffling around to find her tape measure. Leaning back over, she placed it along the side of the print, careful not to disturb the ground. She lifted her digital camera, placing it over her right eye and closing the left as the automatic focus adjusted.

Her trigger finger pressed gently to snap a few shots.

"This has to be too good to be true." Her got voice lost in the soft whistling of the warm summer wind in the burnt trees.

Tinder climbed to her feet, bent over to follow the print trail. She peered over a fallen, two-foot log, where this cat obviously leapt, leaving lovely, deep prints.

Her excitement bubbled; oh yes, big cat indeed. If she could be the one to capture it on film, would this be what Mr. Roads wanted? She shook her head; at this stage she didn't care. Maybe she could earn some more money by finally proving there is a big cat living around Black Town Forest.

Her clothes were now probably streaked with soot, but it didn't matter as her finger pressed down on the trigger again.

"Holy shit!"

The sudden deep masculine voice from right behind her jumpstarted her heart into a junkie's, high adrenaline spike. Her scream pierced the tranquil air and she spun around, only to lose balance and fall backwards onto her large arse.

She stared up into a pair of striking, pond-blue eyes. He looked just as startled, his handsome face twisted down into a fierce frown, making her scramble back further.