by Jamie Craig
“So you get to work at home, too?” When she twisted her long neck to look back at him, her smile was mischievous. “Where do you go if you want a break from everything then?”
“The bar. Or camping. Sometimes I drive out to the desert for a few days to stretch my muscles, so to speak.”
“Wings or legs? Wait.” Her gaze swept over him, taking in every detail, lingering for a second on his groin before traveling back up. “I’ll say legs.”
“You can tell just by looking? I’m impressed.” It was his turn to eye her—not that he hadn’t spent the entire night looking her over thoroughly. She almost vibrated with energy, which made sense. Anybody who wanted to spend a life wrangling fourth-graders needed to have energy to spare. “I guess you’re wings.”
Sara nodded, strolling up to the start of the path leading to his front door. “San Diego’s got a little bit more hustle and bustle than Delta. Flying is a hell of a lot safer.” She paused, waiting for him to join her. “You’ll have to show me where you go. Unless it’s one of those secret hideaways guys get weird about girls knowing.” She smiled. “In which case, I’ll just have to follow you to find it.”
“Are you imagining a club house with a hand-painted ‘no girls allowed’ sign?” Cam returned her smile. “I had one of those, but I outgrew it around the time I realized that girls did not, in fact, have cooties.”
He led her up the walk and pushed the door open. She arched her eyebrow questioningly and Cam shrugged. “We don’t need to lock our doors around here. Besides, everybody knows I don’t have anything worth stealing.”
“I think that’s going to take some getting used to.” Sara followed him inside, hanging near the entrance while he flipped on the light. “You can take the girl out of the city, but trying to get the city out of the girl can lead to an awful rash.”
Cam laughed. “You know, I’m more than happy to do anything I can to help you adjust to life here in Delta.” He gestured at the living room. “Sit down, I’ll grab you a beer.”
Though she wandered into the room, Sara didn’t take a seat, choosing instead to prowl around the edges as she looked over his meager belongings. With her attention focused elsewhere, it was a chance to watch her unabashed, watch her long, toned legs disappear beneath the short skirt she wore, the slight gleam of sweat shining over her dark skin. It had been a long night, imagining what those legs would feel like wrapped around him; each time he got the chance to see Sara, the desire to find out only grew. He had been thrilled when she’d finally agreed to come back to his place for a drink after the movie.
“You lied to me,” she announced from where she stood in front of one of his bookshelves. Before he could question her, Sara turned with a DVD case in her hand. It took a moment to recognize the packaging for The Fugitive. “This is totally worth stealing. Harrison Ford is the best actor ever.”
“I don’t disagree,” Cam said, carrying two bottles into the living room. “Would you be impressed if I had the entire Harrison Ford oeuvre?” He gestured to the top shelf. “You’re welcome to steal any that you like.”
Her gaze followed his finger, and he almost laughed at the childlike excitement lighting her face. “Okay, that’s it, I’m moving in. My dad made me leave almost my whole collection behind because he said he was too old to start having to buy them all again.” Turning around, she took the beer he offered and added, “Which is total BS because the man is never going to die. He’s got more energy than a dozen power plants. I have no idea how he does it.”
“Well, now I know where you get it from.” Cam watched as she tilted her head back to swallow the liquid. When she lowered the bottle, he noticed a single stray drop had escaped. It glistened on the corner of her mouth, transfixing him. They had shared a few brief goodbye kisses before, but he hadn’t yet initiated one besides that. She must have noticed him staring, because her tongue darted out to wipe the drop from her bottom lip.
That did not help. It only gave him more to think about. Unconsciously, he took a step forward. She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him with sly eyes, as though daring him to make his move.
What the hell, Cam thought. It wasn’t like him to back down from a challenge.
She moved at the same time he did, coming forward as his mouth descended. Her breath was warm against his cheek, but all he could taste was the sweet tang of her tongue as she parted her lips, inviting him in without hesitation. Though no other parts of their bodies touched, Cam felt wrapped in heat, more so than the sultry air had done outside. His head was spinning by the time they parted.
“About time,” Sara murmured.
Cam pulled her against him, eager to feel her firm flesh and soft curves against his own harder planes. He realized in a distant way that she was the perfect height for him; her body fit with his like she had been made to occupy that space. She tilted her head expectantly, but before he touched his mouth to hers, he unclasped the clip in her hair, allowing it to fall over her shoulders.
“It’s hot,” she complained, though a smile ghosted over her full lips.
“It is.” He drew his fingers down her neck and over her bare shoulder, before tracing the thin ties keeping her shirt in place. Her damp skin glowed in the overhead light, and her eyes were bright as they tracked his touch. “But you’re beautiful.” He leaned forward, inhaling the scent of the lingering summer night in her hair, and kissed the smooth skin at the curve of her neck.
Her soft sigh as she licked a teasing path along his jaw tickled below his ear. “I wasn’t sure you were that interested,” she confessed. “You seemed more interested in arguing with that produce guy at Harmon’s than asking me out. I thought I was going to have to shift into a giant pineapple in order to get your attention.”
“Arguing with the produce guy was merely an excuse not to leave the area. I was more interested in you than anything he had there,” Cam said, between kisses. Just the way her skin felt and tasted was enough to make him a little heady. He took her by the upper arms and began guiding her backwards to the couch. “That, and he was a dick. Did you see what he was trying to pass off as fresh?”
Her laughter rang out, clear and strong. “Yeah, I definitely see pineapples in our future.” Her teeth caught his bottom lip as she slipped a hand beneath the hem of his shirt, nails catching along his side. “Just name your fruit. I aim to please.”
“Hmm.” Cam lowered her to the couch and knelt between her legs. He pulled the knot of her halter free, the silken fabric falling to expose her chest. He could only stare at her, consuming every detail and hording it. The caramel complexion of her skin, the slightly darker shade of her nipples, the taut roundness of her breasts. “I like fruit. Something I can lick.” He ran his tongue down her neck. “Nibble on.” He scraped his teeth across her nipple, a thrill going through him as she moaned. “Suck on.”
“Do that again.”
With a crooked grin, Cam obliged, though his mouth slid to her other breast to fulfill her desire. Sara arched back, eyes fluttering shut as her hair spilled down her spine, and she coiled one long leg around his hips, using him as an anchor in order to bring her body closer to his. The motion pushed her skirt up, exposing the taut muscle of her thighs and the black line of her bikini briefs.
“I think I’m going to like it here in Delta.”
His hand sneaked under her skirt to massage her thigh. “I think I’m going to like having you here.”
He slid his thumb along the outline of her briefs, tracing it but not yet delving beneath the thin material. She moaned, spreading her legs wider, and his cock jumped in response to the wordless invitation. Desperate to taste the sweet heat of her mouth, he kissed a trail up her body to claim her lips, as he continued to tease her with his thumb.
Tiny whimpers from her throat made his lips vibrate, growing in volume and intensity until Sara finally pulled away, flushed and panting. She stared at him with eyes nearly black, then let go of his shoulder in order to skim fingertips over the plane
s of his face. Cam held still as she leaned forward, and his eyes shut when her mouth made contact with his skin. It took everything he had not to shudder in pleasure at the feather touches, and when they disappeared, he opened his eyes again, almost disappointed she had stopped.
“I think you’re beautiful,” Sara breathed. “Will you let me go with you some time when you go out to the desert?”
Cam paused, a little surprised that she had asked. Even though she had grown up in a very different world, with her family living in a mixed environment, he thought she understood what he meant, what a holy place the desert was for him. After studying her steady eyes for a moment, he realized she did understand. She understood very well.
“Yes.” He took her hand and kissed each finger in turn. “I’d like that. We can go out tonight for a bit, if you’d like. Not to the desert, but there’s plenty of open space here.”
Sara smiled. Trailing her hand along his jaw, she stood and slipped around Cam, discarding her shirt as she toed off her shoes. The skirt and panties came next, and all the while she was walking, heading toward the back door. She only stopped when she’d pushed it open, glancing back to meet his curious gaze.
“Don’t take too long,” she said. In the next breath, her muscles rippled, limbs shortening, skin darkening, until Cam was left looking at the sleekest black hawk he had ever seen.
Cam shed his clothes quickly, unable to take his eyes off her as she hovered near the door, her powerful wings keeping her just above his porch. He felt his muscles change first, his skin stretching tight across his new limbs, before a full coat of fur covered him from snout to tail. He shook, as though he was trying to dry himself after an unexpected bath, becoming reacquainted with the form he only used rarely, at his most private moments. The reflection of the mountain lion stared back at him from the glass door, and he trotted out of the house into the clear night, reaching for Sara playfully with one large paw.
She darted beyond his reach, one graceful wing swiping across his nose, before swooping out to perch on the eave of his shed. Obsidian eyes turned to him, and Cam knew even if he hadn’t seen her shift himself, he would have recognized her. The same intelligent spirit gleamed in the black depths, a sparkle of life that made him crave to know even more of her. He padded closer, and Sara cocked her head as she watched his approach. When he’d reached the shed, she opened her wings and took to the sky.
He bounded forward, his sharp eyes able to follow her, even against the darkness. She swooped lower, almost within reach once again, but she was too fast, even for his sharp reflexes. He jumped into the air, claws retracted, and missed her by a hair. The hawk’s scream shattered the night, and Cam could have sworn she was laughing at him.
Sara led him farther from the house, circling above in tighter concentric rings. Once, she landed on the hard-packed earth and waited, watching, as he slowed his pace and crept close. Every second, he expected her to take flight again, but she never moved, not until he was practically on his belly in front of her.
Lifting a broad wing, Sara extended it toward him until the soft feathers at the tip brushed along his jowls. Her eyes remained fixed on him, even when they began to lighten, the feathers extending to form fingers. After she transformed back into her human form, she reached out with her other hand, massaging the strong muscles of his neck.
“Thank you,” she breathed.
Cam crept forward, placing a paw on her chest to gently push her to the soft grass. She fell back without releasing him, her long hair framing her face. He put both paws against her shoulders, pinning her, before shifting back into a man. His mouth was near hers, and he could see her eyes in the silver moonlight.
“Thank you.”
* * * *
The new house was ready for Sara by morning, but this welcome was far less pleasant than the one on Marshall Street had been. Cam was forced to watch from the shadows as Josh brought Sara in, the desire to step out and show her everything he had done to make this a home eating him up. The only thing that helped was watching her profile when she leaned over to smell the fresh bread. Because he knew she would understand who had given it to her.
It also helped to remember the good times. He was an expert at picking and choosing which memories of Sara to tide him through the dark night, but here, in the house that she had chosen, he was stuck reliving the beginning. The first night that had been more than just one night. She had stayed with him all the next day, and the next evening as well. He was almost ready to devote his entire life to her then; he became completely ready to devote his entire life to her sometime within the week after that.
He was still devoted to her now, though with time ticking away, she barely acknowledged him, and very rarely spoke to him. When he was downstairs, she haunted the second floor, only creeping into the backyard when Cam was out or locked in his own room. He couldn’t live like this. The first week he had been patient, he understood, and he had Josh to help. The second week, his patience fizzled, but he still understood. And now it was the end of the third week, almost a full month since they found her in that basement, and he didn’t understand anything anymore.
Cam stood outside her bedroom door, listening to her sleep. Josh was in the shower, and Cam knew he could be in there for a very long time. Josh liked long showers, and this was his only chance to have any time for himself. But every second Cam stood outside her door hesitating was a second he lost.
He didn’t want much. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to smell her hair, he wanted to feel her heart against his hand, he wanted to listen to her breathe, and after two impossibly long, painful years, he wanted to be close to her. She didn’t mean to hurt him, it really wasn’t about him at all, but jealousy was a bitter bile in the back of his throat.
He held his hand in front of his face, watching his fingers shorten slightly and turn a lighter shade. Three freckles dotted the knuckle on his index finger. He knew this body as well as he knew his own. If Sara woke up—and he had no intention of waking her—she wouldn’t be able to sense a difference at all.
Chapter 10
Josh ran his fingers under the water, waiting for it to warm. He only wanted to stand under the spray and see exactly how big their hot water heater was. Sara had had a long day, and he suspected she would sleep straight through the night. After he stood under the spray until his skin turned a bright shade of pink, he planned to make himself several sandwiches and enjoy some quiet time before sleep overtook him.
Maybe I should check on Sara one more time.
Josh shook his head. He did not need to check on Sara. She was asleep, and she did not need him to hover over her twenty-four hours a day. Besides, she knew where to find him if she needed something.
What about her stomach?
“There’s nothing I can do about that,” he murmured, ready to step into the welcoming water.
You’ll feel better if you look in on her.
Josh wondered if he was actually going insane. The urge to check on her constantly didn’t worry him, but the innate, undeniable sense he had to do something to fix her did. Even after a month, he couldn’t shake this persistent notion.
He wasn’t surprised when he tied a towel around his waist to go back into the hall. It always took at least three attempts before he could leave her in peace and find a little of his own.
He was surprised when he stepped out of the bathroom. Because he didn’t expect to see himself opening Sara’s bedroom door.
Josh reacted without thinking, launching himself across the hall and pushing Cam away from the door. He poked his head into the bedroom to see if Sara had been disturbed, but she was still deeply asleep. Shutting the door, he rounded on his double and hissed, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Cam straightened, but didn’t shift back. It wasn’t the first time Josh had addressed his own face, but it was the first time where it wasn’t a post-coital game instigated by Sara. And though he had asked the question, he knew exactly what was goin
g through Cameron’s mind. At least, he recognized the need.
“Get out of the way, Josh.” It was a plea, as much as an instruction. “I have to do this.”
Josh planted himself firmly in front of the door. “No. You’re not going in there. Especially not looking like that.”
“You can’t stop me.”
Josh tensed. Cam was stronger than him, and they both knew it, even if Cam didn’t shift into some big animal with horrible teeth and claws. He wanted to think it wouldn’t come to a physical altercation, but he had never seen that particular look in Cam’s eye before. Or heard the low determination in his voice.
“Cam, think about what you’re doing. Have you really thought about this?”
“I’ve done nothing but think of it,” he hissed. “I think of how I have to tiptoe in the shadows, staying out of Sara’s way so I don’t scare her any more than she already is. I think of how she crawls into your bed every night, how she lets you hold her, and comfort her, and love her. And then I think of how I can’t even hold her hand, or touch her cheek, or push back her hair, all because she can’t stand the sight of me. So yes, I really have thought about this.”
“She’s scared of you because she doesn’t think she can trust you right now,” Josh countered, frustrated. “How much damage do you think you’ll do if you pull this stunt? How much do you think it’ll hurt her?”
Cam’s gaze flickered over Josh’s shoulder at the closed door. There was no mistaking the longing in his eyes; Josh saw it in his own every time he looked in the mirror. “She’s not going to know.”
“Maybe she won’t. Maybe you can get away with lying to her just this once. But what if she wakes up? Dammit, Cam, she, of all people, will know the difference.”
