Page 6 of Rubber Duckie Shifter Next Door

“Rachel?” I say her name softly, then kneel in front of her.

“Sig…” She stares at me, eyes wide. I wait for the questions, but she blinks a few times and shoots me a tentative smile. “Ready to go?”

So that’s how we’re going to play it? Just ignore the giant rubber duckie in the room and pretend nothing happened?

What ever happened to if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck?

I sigh. “Yes, I’m all set.”

“Great.” Rachel claps her hands. “Okay, everyone, let’s go.”

Lisa glares at her with more malice than a seven-year-old has any right to feel and shouts, “You can’t come!”

Noah crosses his arms in front of his chest. “We don’t want you.”

Anna, whose cheeks are streaked with tears, whimpers. “We want Nana.”

If Ada hadn’t told me about Rachel before she left for her trip, I’d be worried. And probably making phone calls to make sure she should really be here. Instead, I’m confused. How did she manage to turn Ada’s sweet, polite grandkids into little rebels?

I’ve been too busy with work to pay attention to things on the other side of the fence, but Rachel’s barely been here a few days. She can’t possibly be as bad as the kids clearly seem to think. Yes, she prefers showers to baths, but I’m willing to bet I can change her mind. Later… First, she needs my help, and I’m going to figure out what’s going on with the kids and how to fix it.

The most likely explanation? They’re homesick. Or Nana-sick, since this is their home and Ada’s the one who left. But shouldn’t they just be a little mopey and not openly hostile?

Is Rachel mistreating them?

As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I push it away. I know deep down that she’s not. If I were human, I’d ask a few questions, to be sure. But I don’t need to do that, I just know. I knew from the moment our eyes met, and I’m going to help her and the kids in any way I can.

“I’ve got a surprise for you, kids,” I announce.

“What is it?” Noah perks up. Now we’re talking.

I gesture for him to come closer. The girls follow.

One whiff of their ‘unique’ scent, and my heart goes out to poor, poor Rachel. How is she not wearing a nose plug? If I had to smell them all day, I’d jump out the window. The house is a bungalow, so I’m not even being dramatic.

Despite my better judgment, I lean in closer and quickly whisper my plan. I hope it works, because impressing Rachel is the number one item on my to-do list. And this is coming from a guy whose only focus for the past year has been launching his own business.

The moment I’m done explaining, Noah takes off across the back yard yelling, “Race you to the car!”

The girls squeal and give chase. They’re taller and faster and easily outpace him. You can never win when you have older sisters.

Rachel stares after them, mouth agape. Her lips look soft and kissable, and oh, so tempting. I try to resist. Fuck a duck, I try. It’s too soon. I’m moving too fast. I’m going to scare her off.

I take a step back, and another, but then she looks at me and I’m gone. When her gaze drops to my lips, I know I have to taste my fated mate. Now.

Her eyes widen as I cross the distance between us and grab her sexy ponytail. She gasps, and I cover her lips in a heated kiss.

I half-expect her to slap me and tell me to take a hike. Instead, she melts into me like she needs this as much as I do.

A soft moan slips past her lips, and my cock strains against the zipper of my shorts. She tastes like strawberries—and now I’ll get hard every time I have a bagel. Strawberry cream cheese, my fridge, top shelf. Don’t knock it until you try it.

I slide one hand down Rachel’s back, to that bare patch of skin at her waist, and groan as my fingers graze her warm skin. She feels so good in my arms. So ducking perfect!

And our first kiss? Forget sparks. The entire world explodes in bursts of color, because kissing Rachel is everything.

“Rachel. Sig. Hurry up!” Lisa—the bossy sister—shouts from the front of the house.

Duck a duckity duck!