Fangs and Catnip
(Dead and Breakfast #1)
by Julia Talbot
Genres: Paranormal, Gay (M/M), Romance
Length: 220 pages
.jpg){kind=spacer}
A romance worth fighting for—tooth and claw.
Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.
Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences—for their bodies and their hearts.
.jpg){kind=spacer}
Fallon Underwood stared at the screen where Tanner’s email glared back at him. Three résumés attached, and none of them was remotely suitable for the inn.
They had a night auditor who was perfectly trained, so the vamp was out. The mummy wouldn’t work in the least because no one wanted random crypt dust on the floor—Glenda would hex his undead ass out of existence—and unattached fingers in the tea? Right out.
He pursed his lips when he looked at the werecat. Mountain lion. Very young. Just out of college. No. That would never do. Too bouncy. Too Tigger.
He called down to Tanner on the house phone. “Seriously? A river rafter? Seriously?”
“He has a degree in hospitality. He worked at a large B and B in Fort Collins.”
“He’s a kitty adrenaline junkie.” They didn’t need that kind of energy.
“Yeah? Well, that will serve him well. I notice you don’t comment on the other two.”
“Because I just deleted those. You weren’t serious. No way you were.”
“No? Well, I have a few more to send you. They’ll come for interviews next week.”
“Are you sure you can’t just have Glenda do it?”
“Glenda? Our Glenda?” Tanner laughed, the sound merry as fuck. “She would smother the guests in their sleep. Possibly awake.”
“Either that or make them statues. Less work that way.”
“One of the ones I still need to send you is an elf.”
“Seriously, Tanner? A house elf?”
“I know! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“No. No, elves are not helpful and you know it.” They were vain and much preferred others to work for them.
He just wanted to bite them.
“You’re profiling.”
“Tanner, I will bite your beary butt.”
“Alas, you never follow through.” Tanner sighed dramatically.
“It’s all that muscle,” he teased. “My fangs ache just thinking about it.”
Tanner laughed. “Come down and have supper/breakfast with me. It’s dark.”
“I suppose I can do that, bear. Give me ten.” He stood up and stretched, feeling his back pop.
“You got it. I’ll warm something for you.”
“I’ll be right there. No mummies.”
Tanner chuckled and rang off, leaving him even more worried than before. He had a feeling he was going to end up having to veto the mummy in person.
That smell, and the sneezing….
The sneezing was the worst.
He changed out of his sweats into a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt in midnight blue. Fallon hated to let anyone, even Tanner, know what a slob he could be.
Sure, he could spend night after night in front of his computer, head down, not even breathing, but that was his secret.
Tanner deserved for him to look good, just in case there were guests. He shot his cuffs before making his way downstairs, admiring as he always did Tanner’s understated, old-world decorating style.
He’d loved this place from the first time Tanner’d brought him here, decades ago. There was something magical about this space.
Maybe it was the land. Maybe it was Tanner. Either way, he didn’t want to lose the balance they had, and he feared it would happen if someone new came on board.
He worried about it with every new person. Every single one. Most of them he admitted he never saw. Glenda kicked him out of his rooms once a week to clean. Jami brought him blood at 4:00 a.m. most nights.
It wasn’t like they were a big estate. They weren’t a hotel, for goodness’ sake.
Tanner was just being dramatic. Bears hibernated, but humans did not.
Oh, that was the tack to take. Bears hibernated, but so did a lot of their clientele. In the winter, most of their guests were low-maintenance.
Like him. He was totally easy.
All Tanner had to do was stock blood. Sure, it was nice to have it delivered to his rooms, but he could get it himself, if he absolutely had to.
He bounced down the stairs, finding Tanner waiting for him.
Long arms opened for him, and Fallon walked into the bear hug, breathing deep. He liked to pretend he didn’t need contact, but Tanner had never taken no for an answer. Hugs were a way of life in the ursine crowd, apparently.
He patted Tanner’s back. “No guests tonight?”
“Four. But they’re pretty quiet.”
“Wow. That’s busy.”
“Right?” Tanner’s dark brown bear eyes twinkled. “I know you hate the idea of someone new, but we did agree.”
“Still. No mummies. No zombies.”
“You vamps and your prejudices.”
“I can’t help what I am, Tanner.” Vampires were really the living dead. Blood still flowed. Zombies and mummies were spells. Totally different beasts.
“None of us can, I guess. Still, you’re getting stiff.”
“I am not.” He looked at his pants.
“I mean hidebound. Unbending.” Tanner chuckled softly. “You always make me smile, Fallon.”
“I try, old friend. I truly do. Please, not the mummy.”
“Not the mummy, Fal. You have my word.”
They had a night auditor who was perfectly trained, so the vamp was out. The mummy wouldn’t work in the least because no one wanted random crypt dust on the floor—Glenda would hex his undead ass out of existence—and unattached fingers in the tea? Right out.
He pursed his lips when he looked at the werecat. Mountain lion. Very young. Just out of college. No. That would never do. Too bouncy. Too Tigger.
He called down to Tanner on the house phone. “Seriously? A river rafter? Seriously?”
“He has a degree in hospitality. He worked at a large B and B in Fort Collins.”
“He’s a kitty adrenaline junkie.” They didn’t need that kind of energy.
“Yeah? Well, that will serve him well. I notice you don’t comment on the other two.”
“Because I just deleted those. You weren’t serious. No way you were.”
“No? Well, I have a few more to send you. They’ll come for interviews next week.”
“Are you sure you can’t just have Glenda do it?”
“Glenda? Our Glenda?” Tanner laughed, the sound merry as fuck. “She would smother the guests in their sleep. Possibly awake.”
“Either that or make them statues. Less work that way.”
“One of the ones I still need to send you is an elf.”
“Seriously, Tanner? A house elf?”
“I know! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“No. No, elves are not helpful and you know it.” They were vain and much preferred others to work for them.
He just wanted to bite them.
“You’re profiling.”
“Tanner, I will bite your beary butt.”
“Alas, you never follow through.” Tanner sighed dramatically.
“It’s all that muscle,” he teased. “My fangs ache just thinking about it.”
Tanner laughed. “Come down and have supper/breakfast with me. It’s dark.”
“I suppose I can do that, bear. Give me ten.” He stood up and stretched, feeling his back pop.
“You got it. I’ll warm something for you.”
“I’ll be right there. No mummies.”
Tanner chuckled and rang off, leaving him even more worried than before. He had a feeling he was going to end up having to veto the mummy in person.
That smell, and the sneezing….
The sneezing was the worst.
He changed out of his sweats into a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt in midnight blue. Fallon hated to let anyone, even Tanner, know what a slob he could be.
Sure, he could spend night after night in front of his computer, head down, not even breathing, but that was his secret.
Tanner deserved for him to look good, just in case there were guests. He shot his cuffs before making his way downstairs, admiring as he always did Tanner’s understated, old-world decorating style.
He’d loved this place from the first time Tanner’d brought him here, decades ago. There was something magical about this space.
Maybe it was the land. Maybe it was Tanner. Either way, he didn’t want to lose the balance they had, and he feared it would happen if someone new came on board.
He worried about it with every new person. Every single one. Most of them he admitted he never saw. Glenda kicked him out of his rooms once a week to clean. Jami brought him blood at 4:00 a.m. most nights.
It wasn’t like they were a big estate. They weren’t a hotel, for goodness’ sake.
Tanner was just being dramatic. Bears hibernated, but humans did not.
Oh, that was the tack to take. Bears hibernated, but so did a lot of their clientele. In the winter, most of their guests were low-maintenance.
Like him. He was totally easy.
All Tanner had to do was stock blood. Sure, it was nice to have it delivered to his rooms, but he could get it himself, if he absolutely had to.
He bounced down the stairs, finding Tanner waiting for him.
Long arms opened for him, and Fallon walked into the bear hug, breathing deep. He liked to pretend he didn’t need contact, but Tanner had never taken no for an answer. Hugs were a way of life in the ursine crowd, apparently.
He patted Tanner’s back. “No guests tonight?”
“Four. But they’re pretty quiet.”
“Wow. That’s busy.”
“Right?” Tanner’s dark brown bear eyes twinkled. “I know you hate the idea of someone new, but we did agree.”
“Still. No mummies. No zombies.”
“You vamps and your prejudices.”
“I can’t help what I am, Tanner.” Vampires were really the living dead. Blood still flowed. Zombies and mummies were spells. Totally different beasts.
“None of us can, I guess. Still, you’re getting stiff.”
“I am not.” He looked at his pants.
“I mean hidebound. Unbending.” Tanner chuckled softly. “You always make me smile, Fallon.”
“I try, old friend. I truly do. Please, not the mummy.”
“Not the mummy, Fal. You have my word.”
.jpg){kind=spacer}
4 of 5 stars
Sweet and sexy and full of kitty love, Fans and Catnip is delightful! With a full complement of unique and captivating paranormal character, this fantastic series makes me excited for more.
No comments:
Post a Comment