Cougar On A Hot Tin Roof: Magic and Mayhem Universe

By Debra Dunbar

Cougar Shifter Gooper Pollitt left her home in West Virginia five years ago for the Big City, but a call from her brother has her racing back. Big Daddy is ill, and no matter how prickly things were when she left, family is family.

When she returns, G finds that everything in the town and on the mountain is the same as when she left, except there's a hot new man in town—a warlock who brews up a magical latte and makes donuts to die for. G's family might have the vapors over her dating a warlock, but their attitudes toward Dev quickly change when he divines that Big Daddy isn't ill—he's been cursed.

Can G and Dev find time for love while hunting for a would-be killer?

WARNING: This story features a whole host of suspects, tons of family drama, a budding fated-mates romance, and pawpaw pudding.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Debra Dunbar
• Release date: Jun 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393313830

Debra Dunbar

Debra Dunbar primarily writes dark fantasy, but has been known to put her pen to paranormal romance, young adult fiction, and urban fantasy on occasion. She lives on a farm in the northeast section of the United States with her husband, three boys, and a Noah’s ark of four legged family members. When she can sneak out, she likes to jog and ride her horse, Treasure. Treasure, on the other hand, would prefer Debra stay on the ground and feed him apples.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Isat in my parked car and wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. It had been years since I’d been in this town, years since I’d seen my family. I wouldn’t be here now if I can’t gotten that text from my brother yesterday morning.

Big Daddy’s sick.

Daddy was rarely sick, and a seasonal cold wouldn’t have prompted my brother to reach out like that. In the usual way of my family, Brick had layered the three words with so much southern genteel euphemism that anyone but immediate family would have misunderstood. Big Daddy wasn’t just sick.

Sick, so not an accident driving his truck down the mountain during a rainstorm, or getting squashed by a falling boulder, or getting mauled in a disagreement with one of the local wolves or bears. Sick.

We were cougar Shifters. We weren’t immortal and the occasional virus or bacteria did take hold, but that sort of thing was usually gone after a day of rest and Big Mama’s special chicken noodle soup. I’d gotten the text and stared at it in horror for a few heartbeats. Big Daddy was dying. It had to be that bad or Brick wouldn’t have reached out.

Follow-up texts hadn’t gotten any reply. I called my mother who informed me that Big Daddy was just a little under the weather. Something he’d eaten. He’d be fine.

But then she mentioned that he’d seen a doctor, and I’d started packing because Big Daddy didn’t like witches and warlocks, he didn’t like other Shifter breeds, he didn’t like humans, and he sure as hell didn’t like no damned doctors either.

Facing a parent’s mortality was tough for any child, but especially me. We were Shifters. We were incredibly long-lived. Big Daddy should have been around another hundred years or so. But things happen even to cougar Shifters, so I’d left my home in the Big City, then drove through Shithole and Assjacket to arrive in my home town of good ‘ole Bumfuck, West Virginia. Once there, I promptly parked in the middle of town, and tried to force myself to take that left turn at the end of the street that led to our family estate.

Fuck it.

I opened the car door, grabbed my purse, and got out. Locking the door, more out of habit than necessity, I crossed the street and went into a coffee shop.

Dev’s Donuts and Brew hadn’t been in Bumfuck when I’d grown up, but then again, I’d been gone for nearly five years. It seemed quite a lot had changed in the sleepy little town. The shop was set up like something from a wholesome 1950’s movie, complete with a long bar, lots of chrome and Formica, and a big vintage soda machine that might have actually been functional rather than just part of the décor. The aroma of coffee, baked goods, and spices hit my Shifter’s nose, and I felt a purr rise from my chest.

The smells weren’t the only thing that had me purring. The dude behind the counter was just as snack-worthy as his wares. He was tall with skin the color of burnished gold, ebony hair that flopped over warm brown eyes, muscles that begged to be touched, licked, nibbled on…

Just like that, all the dread of seeing my family faded away.

What can I get for you, beautiful? The man smiled at me. My legs were shaky as I lowered myself onto one of the bar stools.

What the hell? I liked a hot guy just as much as the next red-blooded cougar Shifter, but I’d never been quite so struck by someone before. Just looking at him made me want to order him on a plate instead of some baked goods.

I contemplated that for a few seconds. Hmmm. A little smile played around the corner of his mouth and he slowly raised his eyebrows, waiting for my response.

Guess I couldn’t exactly proposition the guy. Mama had taught me some manners, after all. No, I’d sample his wares first, then hopefully I’d sample his wares later.

Two donuts, your pick. Oh, and a large dark roast.

He turned to select the donuts, gracing me with a view of his tight ass.

Wow. Oh wow. Shit, he’d just asked me something and I’d been too busy thinking of gripping his naked butt to hear what he’d said.

Huh?

He shot me a perceptive grin over his shoulder. I asked if you wanted a little magic in that dark roast.

I don’t drink alcohol, I said as I eyed all the various combinations of Irish and Spanish coffee up on the board. I hadn’t drunk since I’d left home. It was one more thing from my past I’d tossed in the trash on my way out of town.

Then some non-alcoholic magic? He placed two donuts on a gold-rimmed plate in front of me. No charge. You look like a woman with some heavy weight on her shoulders. Let a little magic take that weight off.

I blinked. He was a warlock? I was really off my game if I hadn’t sensed that the moment I’d walked into the coffee shop. Five years ago I would have never considered getting it on with someone who wasn’t a Shifter, but life in the Big City had cured me of most of my family’s prejudices. Most. I’d happily roll in the sheets with a warlock—especially this warlock—but magic still made me feel uneasy.

I shook my head. Thanks, but no thanks. No magic, just coffee.

He nodded and got to work grinding fresh beans for my drink. I appreciated that he didn’t try to change my mind. And I really appreciated the view as he skillfully worked the espresso machine. Confident, skilled, smooth movements. He had the grace of a Shifter but with the tantalizing spark of a warlock, all wrapped up in a gorgeous, tempting package. I found myself wondering how long I’d be in the area, and if I’d be able to come into town a few times a day for coffee. Or more.

Ugh. I was such a jerk for thinking about getting laid while my father was probably on his death bed. Who does that? What kind of horrible daughter tries to schedule dates around visiting an ill family member?

This horrible daughter, that’s who.

Are you new in town? The hot warlock asked. I haven’t seen you around before.

I laughed, because only someone who didn’t have generations rooted in this part of West-by-God-Virginia would ask if I were new in town.

I grew up here, but left five years ago. I’m Gurnoor Pollitt.

He turned to me in surprise. Pollitt? The cougar Shifters with that huge mansion on the side of the mountain?

That was us. I grimaced, knowing the reputation we had among the others here in Bumfuck. Rich. Snobby. Temperamental. My family acted as though we were better than all the other Shifters, but honestly we were the most redneck of them all—in spite of the big house.

He put both elbows on the counter and leaned forward. "I’m Dev Grover, and I actually am new to town. I bought this building six months ago and decided to see if I could make a living with coffee and baked goods."

Realizing I hadn’t even tried the donuts, I picked one up and bit into it. The sharp citrusy flavor burst through my taste-buds, and as I chewed the moist cake, I tasted tiny bits of white chocolate mixed in with the lemon zest. Yum. Better than yum.

Dev watched me eat, his gaze drifting to my mouth. With a knowing smile, he left me to eat, went over to finish making my coffee then brought it over to me.

You said your name was Gurnoor?

He struggled getting the guttural consonants out, and I winced. No one really called me that outside of teachers on the first day of school and a few people at work. Who the fuck names their daughter Gurnoor? It was one more thing to be pissed at my parents about.

Call me G, I told him. No one can pronounce my given name, so everyone calls me G.

Well, everyone except my family. Even they couldn’t manage to get their tongue around Gurnoor, so they’d given me a nickname that I’d carried since infancy. But unlike my older brother Brick who’d gotten the cool nickname, mine was just as bad as the name on my birth certificate.

Gooper.

This gorgeous man wasn’t going to call me that, though. No, he could call me G just like everyone outside of Bumfuck did.

How long are you in town for, G? He smiled again and I lost myself in the dimple creasing his left cheek. Two dimples always seemed disingenuous, as if the person was trying too hard, but one dimple was rakish and naughty. I’d always been a sucker for guys with one dimple.

I’m not sure how long I’m staying, I replied somewhat breathlessly. Big Daddy’s sick.

The dimple vanished, and concern shadowed the wicked gleam in his eyes. I’m so sorry. I guess it would be horribly insensitive for me to ask you on a date when you’re here visiting sick family.

My breath lodged somewhere in my chest, less at the thought of a date with this guy than what the date might lead to.

Worst. Daughter. Ever. Here I was returning to reunite with my family over what was most likely my father’s deathbed. I was a horrible daughter to ditch the family I hadn’t seen for five years to spend a night in this guy’s arms.

I’d love to go on a date with you. I mean, yeah I’m here to visit my father, but I’m sure he sleeps some times. Fucking hell, I sounded like a total bitch.

I don’t want to take you away from your family. Maybe I can come out and we can go for a walk? Or I’ll bring a picnic? It doesn’t have to be too long. I don’t want to intrude on your time with your father.

He was nice as well as lickably hot. I felt this weird tugging sensation just under my chest, felt a surge of something that wasn’t quite lust. I really wanted to see this guy, and