Fairplay Shifters Boxset

by Serena Meadows

  But Charlie was right; he had to be careful. He was here to protect Charlie and his brother. Cassie could be helping her father, and there was too much at stake to take anyone or anything at face value here, so he’d watch her and keep his distance like Charlie advised.

  ***Cassie***

  Cassie watched from the trees as Charlie, Steven, and Daniel rode towards the front gates wishing she was with them. She’d woken with the first rays of sun, jumped out of bed, and gotten ready for the day. By the time Vanessa showed up with her breakfast tray, she was so anxious, she practically shoved her out of the room.

  Vanessa looked at her strangely. “I’ll come back for the tray and change the bed in a little while,” she said.

  “That’s okay; I’ll leave the tray in the hallway. I want to be left alone today, so you can leave my lunch out there too,” Cassie said, inwardly cringing at how bossy she sounded.

  Vanessa’s eyes widened a little bit, then she said, “Whatever you say, Cassie. Have a good day.”

  Cassie felt bad; she and Vanessa had become friends, and she’d never treated her like a servant, but her need to see her sister again was stronger than her guilt, so she let Vanessa go. She quickly ate her breakfast, and slid the tray out into the hallway, congratulating herself on how well her plan was working.

  Now all she had to do was get out of the castle and over to the barn before her sister did. Thanks to the secret passageways, she’d heard her plans to ride this morning, and she wanted another look at her sister. It was a bit creepy spying on her, but her father had given her little choice, at least for now.

  Just because he thought that Charlie wouldn’t want to meet her didn’t mean that it was true. He tried to claim that he was protecting her from disappointment, but she sensed that there was more to it than that, and she was going to figure out what.

  Something big was happening at the castle, and she wasn’t going to sit idly by and be left out. If nothing else, she was determined to meet her sister. But when she slipped through the trees to the back of the barn, she saw Charlie, Steven, and Daniel riding through the front gates.

  Disappointed, she stood in the trees for a few minutes trying to decide what to do, then headed for the back door of the barn. She’d come this far; it couldn’t hurt to slip upstairs into the loft and wait for them to get back.

  She sat in the hayloft for several hours before she heard voices and knew that the riders had finally returned. Holding her breath, she waited in her hiding spot in the hay, but even once they’d come into the barn, their voices were still just a mummer. Crawling out of the hay, she crept forward on all fours until she could see them down below.

  They were all standing next to their horses, removing the saddles. “Should we come back the same time tomorrow?” Charlie asked.

  Daniel turned to look at her, and his eyes met Cassie’s for a second. She jumped back, making the floor squeak and held her breath. Then she heard Daniel ask, “Did anyone hear that?”

  There was silence down below, and she knew that she was in trouble and tried to scramble back to her hiding place. But before she could, Daniel’s head popped up at the top of the ladder, and she froze, then quickly put her finger to her lips, hoping he’d stay quiet.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but she tapped her finger on her lips again and sent him a pleading look. After staring at her for what felt like an eternity, he went back down the ladder. “Nothing up there, guess I was imagining things,” he said, then added. “Same time tomorrow is fine. I’ll take care of the horses and saddles; you two go on back to the castle.”

  As soon as they were gone, she heard Daniel coming back up the ladder and began to search for some excuse for her hiding in the loft. But when he got to the top of the ladder, he stopped, put his hands on his hips, and stared at her, his blue eyes flashing.

  “Why exactly am I covering for you?” he asked, his voice full of anger. “What are you doing up here? Are you spying for your father?”

  ***Daniel***

  To his horror, Cassie’s lip began to tremble, and he was sure that she was going to cry, but she took a deep breath and got control of herself. “I wanted to go riding, but there was no one here so I thought I’d wait up here,” she said, sticking her chin out, hoping that he’d take that explanation.

  “Why didn’t you just go back to the castle and come back?” he asked, not believing her for a second. “You were up here spying on us. Who sent you?”

  Cassie looked at him horrified; she had been spying, but not for anyone. “No one sent me,” she managed to croak out.

  When she began scooting back further into the hay, he realized that she was terrified of him. Lowering his arms from his hips, he stepped closer, squatted down level with her, and said, “I’m sorry, I just want to know what you’re doing up here watching us.”

  She looked at him, her warm brown eyes full of tears. “I didn’t mean to do that, I mean, I did, but it wasn’t my first choice,” she said, the tears rolling down her cheeks. “I know it was a stupid thing to do, but I didn’t think it would do any harm. You probably think I’m pretty childish.”

  Daniel reached over and covered her lips with his fingers. “Shhh, let’s start over,” he said, then sat down next to her. “Were you or were you not spying on us?”

  “Well, I guess I was; I just wanted to see Charlie one more time, and I didn’t get here early enough this morning,” Cassie said. “So I came up here to wait until you got back.”

  Daniel thought he understood why she was in the loft, but he there was still something he was missing. “Why do you just have to look at her? Can’t you talk to her?”

  Cassie was silent for a long time. “My father thinks I’m in my room; he doesn’t want me to bother her.”

  “Bother her?” Daniel asked, still not understanding.

  “It’s hard to explain, but he told me to stay away from her, so here I am spying on her,” Cassie said, clearly not willing to tell him more. “Are you going to tell on me?”

  Daniel laughed. “I won’t tell on you, Cassie, but maybe you should stay in your room,” he said.

  Cassie gave him a dirty look. “I’m tired of staying in my room, I want… Can I come back?”

  “You want to come back and hide in the loft and watch your sister?” Daniel asked, shocked.

  Cassie put her hands up, “It’s not as bad as it sounds. I’m thinking about introducing myself to her, but I just want to see what she’s like before I do. Please, Daniel, it’s a big risk; my father will be very angry with me, and I don’t want it to be for nothing.”

  Daniel knew that he couldn’t resist her, she looked so cute and innocent, her big brown eyes hopeful. “Fine, you can come up here in the morning, but only for a few days. Then you either introduce yourself, or go away,” he said but softened his words with a smile.

  “And you won’t tell anyone?” she asked, looking at him skeptically.

  “I promise I won’t tell anyone as long as you stick to our bargain,” he said, grinning at her.

  Before he knew it, she was in his arms hugging him. “Thank you.”

  When she pulled back, her mouth was slightly parted in shock at her behavior, and he couldn’t help covering it with his own. Almost instantly he felt a pull so strong.

  He couldn’t help himself, and slipped his tongue into her mouth thinking that she tasted like cinnamon and sugar, then gently probed until she sighed and opened her mouth further. He gently explored her mouth, waves of desire washing over him until the need to breathe drove them apart.

  Chapter 8

  ***Cassie***

  Cassie’s mouth was tingling, and somewhere deep inside her there was a throbbing that felt wonderful, but she was also horrified that she’d reacted the way she had. Jumping to her feet, she said, “I’d better go. I’ll be back in the morning. I don’t know when for sure, but I’ll be here.”

  She hurried down the ladder hoping that Daniel didn’t follow her, then out the back door of the b
arn. Her face burning, she headed back to the castle and her room, then fell onto her bed and closed her eyes. Reliving the kiss, she could almost feel Daniel’s lips on hers and the feel of his tongue probing her mouth, teasing and exploring.

  With a sigh, she sat up and tried to push the memory away, tried to still her pounding heart and the hope that sprang to life inside her. That kiss couldn’t have meant anything; it must have just been a reaction to her hugging him. A man like Daniel wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

  But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget the kiss or the way it made her feel. Couldn’t forget the feeling of his arms around her, his tongue in her mouth, and the wonderful feeling that erupted inside her. Getting out of bed, she changed out of her riding clothes and went to the window seat.

  Life had changed so much in only a few days. First her sister had shown up, and now she’d had her first kiss. It should have been overwhelming and exhausting for her, but instead, she felt more energized than she ever had, and she wasn’t about to give that feeling up unless she was forced to.

  Looking out the window, she saw the barn and with a sinking heart realized that if she wanted to see her sister again, she’d have to face Daniel. Just thinking about seeing him made her heart start to pound and her nerves go crazy.

  But she wanted a chance to see Charlie again, a chance to decide if she was going to risk her father’s anger and introduce herself. In the real-world, kisses like that probably happened all the time, she told herself; she’d just act like it was no big deal and try not to embarrass herself.

  ***Daniel***

  Daniel was pacing back and forth in front of the horses waiting for someone to show up at the barn. Magnus hadn’t been happy when he’d found out that he’d be escorting Charlie and Steven on their rides, but the orders had come directly from Deacon so there was nothing he could do about it.

  He hadn’t meant to kiss Cassie, but looking into her brown eyes, he’d been unable to stop himself. When they’d finally parted, she’d looked so shocked, he was sure that he’d driven her away, and he wanted to kick himself. She was clearly innocent, more innocent than any woman he’d ever met, and that meant that she was fragile.

  He had no idea what she might think that kiss had meant; in fact, he wasn’t sure what that kiss had meant himself. Being confused didn’t help the matter or make it any easier to decide how to handle the situation if she showed up at the barn this morning like they’d planned.

  He was watching out the back door for Cassie when from behind him, Charlie asked, “Did you lose something out there?”

  He jumped, then turned to her a scowl on his face. “You scared me,” he accused, then to avoid the question, asked, “Are you ready to ride?”

  Charlie looked at him for a minute, a searching look that made him uncomfortable. “Sure, let’s go,” she finally said.

  When they got back from their ride a few hours later, Daniel couldn’t help but look up to the loft where he thought Cassie might be hiding. He knew that he should have told Charlie and Steven that she was up there, but he’d promised, and he never broke a promise, no matter how silly it was.

  He knew that Charlie wanted to meet Cassie and he could have arranged the meeting easily, but instead, he’d decided to play along with the game. He didn’t rush Charlie and Steven off like he had the day before; instead, he introduced them to all the horses and talked about their pedigrees.

  By the time he finally sent them on their way, he knew for certain that Cassie was up above in the loft. He’d seen her face peeking over the railing several times, although she’d pulled back as soon as their eyes had met. When Charlie and Steven left, he climbed the ladder to find her watching them from an upper window.

  When she heard him, she turned from the window and said, “I don’t know what to think. She seems so nice, and nothing like what I expected.”

  “She is nice, and I’m sure she’d love to meet you. I can arrange that you know,” he said, walking over to stand with her at the window.

  Cassie looked out the window again just as they disappeared behind some trees, then looked back at him. “I don’t think I’m ready. She doesn’t know about me. What if she doesn’t like me? What if she tells my father I was here?”

  Daniel felt like his heart was breaking. “She won’t tell your father unless you want her to, I promise you that,” he said, putting his arm around her.

  Almost instantly, desire raced through him, but there was something else beneath it, a feeling he’d never felt before. Cassie took a deep breath, and he felt a slight pull deep inside his chest, then a feeling of warmth spread through him.

  When she looked up at him, her brown eyes were full of confusion. “I want to believe you, but you have to understand that I’ve spent my life doing what my father told me to do.”

  “One more day, Cassie,” he said, smiling at her.

  “Okay, one more day and then I’ll decide,” she said, giving him a shaky smile and awakening his protective instincts in a way no one had ever done before.

  Shaken by the feeling, he stepped away from her. “About the other day, I’m sorry I kissed you. I shouldn’t have.”

  Cassie’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s okay. I know stuff like that happens all the time. I know it didn’t mean anything,” she said, waving her hand in the air like it didn’t matter to her.

  Daniel studied her for a second. “You think that men and women kiss like that all the time and it doesn’t mean anything?”

  “Well, I may not have a lot of experience, but I read books and watch television,” she said, becoming a bit defensive. “Don’t worry about it, okay. I know it won’t happen again.”

  “What makes you so sure it won’t happen again?” he asked, stepping closer to her.

  She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Because it was just an accident or something,” she managed to squeak out.

  Daniel reached out and framed her small face with his big hands. “It wasn’t an accident,” he said, his eyes locked on hers.

  When she let out a whoosh of breath and closed her eyes, he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. She was so much shorter than him that he began to get frustrated, so he picked her up and carried her over to the window sill and set her down. Then he moved between her legs and kissed her again until they were both breathless.

  ***Cassie***

  Cassie came back to her senses with her arms wrapped around Daniel’s neck and his blue eyes staring down at her. “I can’t promise you that won’t happen again,” he said, slowly stepping away from her.

  Feeling like her heart was about to burst, she smiled at him and said, “Okay.” It was a stupid thing to say, but she couldn’t think of anything else. Then she realized what time it was. “I’ve got to go. Vanessa will be there with my lunch tray soon.”

  Daniel looked disappointed, but said, “Then you’d better go.”

  He walked her to the back door of the barn but let her go on from there alone. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” he said, then kissed her on the forehead.

  She stumbled out of the barn in a haze of pleasure, not able to believe that a man like Daniel wanted her. Without even remembering how she’d gotten there, she found herself in her room listening to someone pounding on the door and fought down the panic.

  “Who’s there?” she asked, trying not to sound out of breath.

  “It’s Vanessa; I have your lunch.”

  Cassie sighed with relief and threw open the door, forgetting that she was still dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, dusty from the passageway. Vanessa took one look at her and quickly slammed the door shut. “What have you been doing? You’re a mess,” she said, setting down the lunch tray.

  Cassie was momentarily speechless; no suitable lie came to mind, so she blurted out the truth. “I’ve been sneaking out of the castle through the secret passageways and going to the barn.” She cringed when the words came out of her mouth knowing that Vanessa might tell her father, but she sto
od her ground, heart pounding in her chest.

  Venessa started laughing. “It’s about time you started acting like a real person,” she said, walking over to Cassie and pulling spider webs out of her hair. “I think you’d better change your clothes before you eat and then you can tell me what you’ve been up to.”

  Cassie wasn’t quite sure she could trust Vanessa. “Oh, well, nothing really,” she said, grabbing her clean clothes and practically running to the bathroom.

  When she came out of the bathroom, Vanessa was still there. “So, you’ve been sneaking out of the castle,” she prompted, then when she saw the look on Cassie’s face, she said, “I promise I’m not going to tell your father. Seems to me it’s not fair to lock you up the way he has so I’m on your side.”

  Relief poured through Cassie; she wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she knew that Vanessa was telling the truth. “It’s not going to be very exciting to you,” she warned, but then began telling her about sneaking out.

  By the time Vanessa left with the empty lunch tray, not even the news that she was going to be dining alone with her father that night could bring her mood down. For the first time, she felt like she had a friend, someone she could talk to; of course, she hadn’t mentioned Daniel, as that was still too fresh, too new to talk about.

  She wasn’t even sure herself how she felt, and the truth was she still didn’t know what the kisses meant. It wasn’t like they were dating, getting to know one another; he was helping her spy. That’s when it hit her that he might just want sex; it was a shocking thing to think, but it might be true.

  Any fool could see that she was innocent, that she would be easy to take advantage of, but Daniel didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would do that. He hadn’t pushed her past the kiss, and he could have, she told herself, but doubt still flooded her mind.

  Now she wished that she had confided in Vanessa; she might have been able to help her. Instead she was on her own, in a world she didn’t know how to navigate. Maybe she was better off without romance in her life; things had suddenly gotten more confusing than they’d ever had been, and she still had to face dinner with her father.