The Seven: A Taste for Jazz: Book 3 of The Seven series by Ciana Stone Page A

gave her a light gentle kiss. "What I wanted to say," he whispered, "is that while there's no one I'd trust more than you for protection, the idea of you putting yourself in harm's way scares me."
    "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."
    "Of that I have no doubt. But baby, my motives are selfish. Now that I've found you, I don't want to risk losing you."
    Nothing he could have said would have surprised her more. Or elated her or scared her. "Rock, I...crap, I'm so bad at this. Really bad."
    "Join the club, baby."
    She laughed at the remark, feeling a bone-deep connection with the man who held her. "I care, Rock. A lot. More than I want to. More than is probably good for me."
    "I won't hurt you, Jazz."
    "Not intentionally. I believe that. But who knows what tomorrow will bring. What we think we want today often looks different tomorrow or next week or next month."
    "I hope that's not the case, but you're right. We don't know, so let's not make promises. For now, let's just acknowledge that there's something between us that's more than what we've had so far. Something that could be just what we've both been looking for."
    "And only time will tell?"
    "Basically, yeah."
    "Okay," she said with a smile. "I can do that. One day at a time."
    "And since we're being completely honest here, I need you to know that I've asked to meet with some people - people I've known a long time and am certain I can trust."
    "About what? Me?"
    "You and the person who hired you."
    "You think they might know Stanzia?"
    "I think if anyone among the Seven has heard of her it would be them or they'd have the means to find out who she is."
    "They're Seven?"
    "Well, yeah. So am I, Jazz."
    She got up and walked over to the railing on the patio, stared out at the landscape for a few moments then turned to face him. "I know. A shifter. You can turn into a cat or be a werewolf."
    "No, a werewolf is someone who only shifts into wolf form. I can shift into the form of a wolf but I'm not a werewolf. I can just adopt animal forms."
    "How many?"
    "Any I can visualize in my mind."
    "So you're not like - like changing on a full moon and going on a killing spree?"
    Rock laughed. "Hardly."
    "Okay, so can I ask - were you born that way? I mean are your parents Shifters?"
    "My father, yes. My mother is a Changeling. Which makes me technically a mutt."
    "A Changeling?"
    "Yes. She can take on any corporeal appearance."
    "That's pretty cool. So... damn, this probably sounds silly, but I don't know all that much about your people. Are you originally from here? Not Florida, but this continent or this planet?"
    "No. We originated on another world that is - well, the best explanation and the most scientifically correct is our world is on a parallel dimension."
    "Whoa, science boy. Shifters is big enough to comprehend. Parallel dimensions? Isn't that just science fiction stuff?"
    "No, it's not."
    "So how did you get here?"
    "There are portals - doorways - between dimensions. Our people travelled to other dimensions via these portals for - well as long as we have existed."
    "And what? You liked it here so you stayed?"
    "Not exactly. As happens with many great civilizations, ours grew too powerful and we began to fight among ourselves. There was a - a rift—for lack of a better word. Some of us gravitated toward what we call the Light, and some toward the Dark. To prevent the Dark from taking over this world, the Light sealed the portals."
    "So you're stuck here. Unless your theory pans out and you can figure out a way to open and ... and control it, right?"
    "Something like that."
    "Okay, still sounds like something from the SyFy channel but I'll play along. So, back to these friends of yours. When are you meeting with them?"
    "If you'll go with me, tonight."
    "Go where?"
    "To the Keys."
    "Sure. I'm game. I am supposed to be protecting you."
    "Indeed you are. So, you need to go by your place and get anything?"
    "I need to go to the gym. I can't leave Ed high and dry."
    "I've