“Eve, darling,” Pepper said at lunch. “You know, the whole Clan really wants you to cater out Initiation event.”
“Initiation?” she echoed back, picking up their completely clean plates. The Shifter metabolism? She was definitely jealous of. “What’s that?”
“It’s a special ceremony,” Ginger supplied. “Where our youngest Clan members come to stay and participate in an official Shifting ceremony. It’s a bit boring, and we’ve been fighting Robert to let you cook for it.”
“It’s usually catered.” Pepper batted her lashes. “But we’re going to keep pestering him about it.”
Ohhhhh. Maybe that’s why he’d been avoiding Eve. She smiled broadly at them. “You ladies are too kind. Don’t worry about it.” She went back to the kitchen with a pep in her step. Brad noticed her bubbly air and shot her a strange look.
“What’s up with you?”
She grinned. “I figured it out! Why Rob isn’t around so much.”
He raised his eyebrows until they nearly disappeared beneath his hairline. “You did?”
She nodded and said nothing more, helping to clean up. They’d hired a dishwasher for the dinner shifts, but she always liked to load in the lunch plates to help him out. On her way out, she made a point to stop at Robert’s office. She knocked. It sounded like someone had taken a sharp intake of breath. She leaned her head against the door and knocked again.
“Yes?” Robert’s strained voice came. “Come in.”
She opened the door with a grin and flounced right up to his desk. He leaned back in his chair with a curious face. The strain was still there, but at least she knew why now.
“Rob,” she said. “I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about the situation with me.”
His eyes widened, a gloriously funny look on his handsome mug. “The situation?” His breath caught. “What might that be?”
“The Initiation!”
He deflated in relief. Ha! She knew it. She grinned, putting her hands on both hips. “I thought you’d been avoiding me lately, but I understand now. You don’t have to hire me as your caterer for the event. I understand the Clan tradition. The twins mentioned it.”
“Did they?”
“Yes, so I figured that’s why you must’ve been stressed around me lately.” She shrugged her shoulders. “No worries then, ok?”
“Ok,” he said, but very slowly. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. An alarm for going home to make it to Joan’s lunchtime feeding to help out her aunt and uncle.
“I’ll see you later,” she called over her shoulder as she left. His mouth was open as if he was going to reply, but he said nothing. She dashed to her car, feeling absolutely giddy for solving the mystery.
She explained the entire thing to Carol and Johnny while they had lunch. Eve had brought leftovers, grilled pork chops with rosemary potatoes, while baby Joan dined on some baby food.
“You think he was nervous about telling you that they weren’t inviting you to their special party?” Carol asked. “These porkchops are amazing.”
“Thanks.”
Johnny sniffed. “If they’re going to be so rude about their little party, then you shouldn’t even want to go.”
“I don’t think it’s a party,” Eve explained. “It’s like a Shifter special ceremony. It marks their adulthood or something. Like high school graduation.”
Carol frowned and waved her fork in the air. “Bullshit! He’s avoiding you because he likes you.” Both Eve and Johnny burst out into laughter.
“He’s second-in-line to his Clan’s Chiefdom. He’s gorgeous. He’s super smart. He’s rich beyond belief.” Eve listed out the reasons on her hand for her aunt with a dark chuckle to follow.
“You’re smart as a whip and gorgeous too, honey,” Carol fired back. She leaned back in her chair. “I won’t take another bite until you say it. No matter how good the food is.”
“You sound just like Mom,” Eve muttered. “Fine. I’m smart and gorgeous, and I cook my ass off.”
She patted Johnny on the back. “Much better,” Carol said, she smiled and continued, “and this one thinks you’re great too.”
“I never said you weren’t great. I just think that the Shifters think they’re godly,” he complained. Eve shrugged. To be fair, they did have special powers. Well, she hadn’t seen them ever Shift before. She wondered if she ever would. A pleasant chill came over her. For a brief moment, the idea of Robert as a lion flashed through her mind.
She imagined the beast would be as handsome as him, but her mind was drawing up something out of Beauty and the Beast. He would be a real beast. Her skin erupted into goosebumps.
“Everything ok, darling?” Carol watched her carefully.
“Yes,” Eve replied. “Just brainstorming what to cook tonight.” That was a lie. She prepared all her menus days in advance, but it was okay to get away with a little white lie every now and then.
Her appetite was gone after their discussion, so she took Joan to wash her up. She burped the baby and then laid the baby down for a nap. When her lunch break was over, she kissed Carol and Johnny goodbye before returning to work.
A strange feeling came over her as she drove. Not quite sadness. But she kept replaying Carol’s words over in her mind. It had never occurred to Eve to entertain Robert having a crush on her.
It would be amazing.
Her heart thumped painfully in her chest.
But that was impossible, wasn’t it?
Robert
“We’ve all voted,” Pepper announced at the monthly lodge meeting. “We want Eve to cater the Initiation Ceremony.”
Robert stared at the gathered members: thirty in all. “I wasn’t aware that it was up to a vote.”
“Well, it is.” This time, it was Ginger who piped up. She and her sister had linked arms. “And we vote for Eve to be the first human allowed to witness the ceremony. None of us feel like cooking. You teased us with her amazing food all month, and we refuse to cook, ok?”
“We can get a Shifter to come in,” he protested. All thirty faces scowled back at him. He reeled back in his chair with an arched brow. “You all feel very strongly about this.”
“Duh,” Pepper said. “Can you ask her to make duck again? I want the duck with that chocolate cake. A chorus of voices began to ring out with various requests. Robert shook his head and rubbed his temples. He sighed. There was no fighting his clan when they were decided upon something, even if he was second-in-line.
“Fine,” he said. Happily, the clan filed out of their meeting with heads held high. It was Pepper who stopped at the end to coyly smile at him from the doorway.
“We won.”
“I know,” he said and massaged his eyes. He needed a good night’s sleep. A sleep that wasn’t haunted by Eve’s smile and somehow even her smell.
“You need to confess your feelings already,” Pepper said. His head shot up. She shrugged nonchalantly. “We’re all tired of smelling your desire for that human woman. Be a Shifter. Be brave.” She winked and left. He stared at the empty doorway.
Fine. Fine. Fine
He threw up his hands. He’d do this.
It was the weekend. He pulled out his phone and called up her number.
Eve answered on the second ring. “Hello, Rob? Is everything all right?”
“Yes,” he said. “And no. How fast can you plan an event?”
She paused and his pulse rocketed. What if she just quit on him? “When’s the event?”
“In a week.”
She laughed, soothing his nerves. “Oh, that’s not bad at all. What is it? A birthday?”
He cleared his throat. “The Initiation Ceremony.”
“Oh.” She sucked in a breath. “I thought that you didn’t want me to do that? I thought that was the whole point of—”
He cut her off. “Let me bring dinner to your house tonight. For the family. You don’t have to cook. Okay? I’ll explain there.”
She hummed. “Ok. Come o
ver around seven. Joan’s been in a bad mood, so maybe seeing you will cheer her up.”
He ordered to-go at a high-end bistro. Sandwiches, soups, desserts. They sent him out with two boxes full of food. When he showed up at Eve’s house, she gasped at the amount of food from the porch.
“We’re not an army!” she protested. Johnny came out from behind her.
“I disagree,” he muttered and waved Robert in. “I like you now, kid.”
They ate dinner together. He happily played with Joan, who didn’t cry once while he was there. After dessert and coffee, Carol made the excuse of putting Joan to bed and dragged Johnny along with her. They left Robert and Eve alone on the porch.
“I’m confused,” Eve told him.
“I know.” He ran a hand along the back of his neck sheepishly. “I wasn’t honest with you before, Eve. It wasn’t the Initiation Ceremony. I mean, it was, but it wasn’t.”
She held a glass of wine and stared at him. They were seated on the bench outside of the house. It was rustic, a place that felt far from his luxurious condo. Yet somehow he didn’t mind. It was charming.
“What was the problem?” she asked with her brows scrunched together. “Was I bothering you?” She frowned. “Sometimes, I forget that you have a lot of work.”
“I do, but it’s not that either.”
Now, she narrowed her eyes. “Explain, Lion Man.”
He laughed. Cheeky! He smiled. “How about I explain it at the Initiation Ceremony?” That would give him time to think about how to tell her about how he felt. Time to think about a lot of things. She playfully threw her head to the side and sighed.
“Ok, Mr. Mystery.” She drained the rest of her glass. “Thanks for the food and all the leftovers. You know, Joan really likes you. You’d make a great dad.”
“And you?” He caught her gaze. “Do you want children?”
“Yes,” she confessed. “Two. But it’s so expensive nowadays. My family is chaotic. I haven’t met someone yet.” She listed all the reasons and then laughed. “If I met someone now, how would I explain to him that I’m taking care of my sister’s baby? Joan is practically mine for the foreseeable future.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t mind.”
“Men mind,” she said with a pointed look.
He smirked. “Maybe weak men. You could look at Shifters.”
She sat up straighter. The heat radiated off her. She brushed her hair to the side. It was messy and wild. He liked it like that. “Maybe.” Her gaze darted to the sky. “It’s getting pretty late.”
“You’re right,” he said.
And yet, they stayed like that for another hour, talking and sharing stories.
Eve
The Initiation Ceremony. It had a certain ring to it. She scratched out another potential menu item, and Brad whistled from the other side of the room.
“Nervous?” he teased. She debated throwing a rag at him.
“Wouldn’t you be?” she asked. “I have to do all this myself.”
“You can do it,” he said. “You’ve got all the time to prep and me to help with the prep.”
“Yes,” she muttered. “But there will be a hundred attendees this year. Including Robert’s parents. How nerve-wracking is that?”
“Incredibly,” he said without any sympathy. She glared at him and kept brainstorming her menu.
It took her three days to finalize a menu. She and Brad scrambled to purchase all of the necessary ingredients. She was going to give the ceremony an old-fashion pig roast complete with a full buffet of side items. For her research, she read through books and articles about traditional Hawaiian cooking and tried to draw inspiration.
She mostly hoped that Robert would be impressed. That the ceremony would go over well. That things would be fine. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about the other night. Their conversation on the porch had been magical.
She touched a hand to her hot cheeks.
Robert was everything she was looking for.
And it had taken that night on the porch to realize it.
To realize that there might be a chance together.
After all, her Auntie Carol reminded her, Robert went out of his way to bring dinner to their family. Even her Uncle Johnny agreed.
The day before the ceremony, they had everything prepped. On the day of the ceremony, she got up around four o’clock because of nerves. Carol agreed to watch Joan all day. Eve got ready, taking special care for her appearance. She carefully arranged her hair in an up-do and dressed in her best chef’s whites, even choosing the finest black apron that she managed to find in the kitchen.
Brad agreed to come help, but he had to leave without being seen. He came in around six o’clock with coffee from the local coffee shop. They set about their work, and finally, when he left, everything was ready. The pig was on the spit, roasting at the ceremonial site.
Eve nearly collapsed against the counter. The ovens were timed. Everything was ready. She was determined The Lodge would see the grandest feast this side of the island. Her nerves grew as the hours ticked by. She could hear the commotion coming outside from the large veranda that led to the beach. The Shifters were gathering. She snuck a bottle of wine from the reserve and poured herself a glass.
“A little early, eh?” a smooth, dreamy voice asked.
She nearly gasped, but she’d grown used to his surprises. “Rob.”
In a handsome tailored suit, he strode towards her. His usual assurance was different. Something changed. Something was softer in his face. She sucked in a quick breath. Her chest felt suddenly tight. Them, alone in her kitchen. Well, it was his kitchen, but it felt like hers. She breathed life into it this summer. Her fingers fidgeted around her apron string.
“Can I help you?”
His golden eyes held her own. “Eve. I want to tell you something.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Yes.” She wanted to say, “Anything. Everything. I’m yours.”
He stepped closer to her. Closer than he ever had before. “Eve, how do you feel about me?”
Her breath caught in her throat. She pawed for the counter behind her as her knees went weak. “I like you.” She coughed. “I mean, I like you as a boss.”
“And—” His hand found her elbow with a gentle squeeze. “And as more?”
His face was only inches from her. He stared down at her with his powerful eyes. “I’m preparing to make a statement tonight. You’ll see the entire Clan shifting before your eyes. Since you’ve been here, I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. You, Joan, your family. I like it all.”
“What are you saying?” The words could barely escape from her mouth. She melted against him as he took another step forward. She narrowed her eyes. “Tell me. Straight up.”
“I love you,” he said. “And I’m going to tell my Clan that I aim to make you my mate and partner.” Her vision blurred as tears entered her eyes. She went to wipe them, but he stopped her. “Will you take me, Eve?”
“You idiot,” she muttered and threw a weak slap on his chest. “Of course, I will.”
And then he leaned down and kissed her. The best kiss of her whole life. She leaned against him, gasping, as her hands went around his neck. He pressed her against the countertop. A clatter sent them apart.
“Sorry,” a voice called out. The Shifter bartender emerged from around the corner with a case of broken glasses. He spotted Robert’s glowering face and slowly backed away. Eve’s eyes darted down to the ground as her cheeks burned. Her ears felt red hot. After the bartender left, Robert grabbed her again, gently, as if she was made of glass.
“I’ll present you at the end of the ceremony,” he told her.
In a few short hours, she was watching the entire Lionheart Lodge shift on the beach. It was glorious. And of course, the most beautiful was Robert. His dark hair was morphing into something majestic, a man that was so beautiful that she wanted to reach out and touch it for herself. She called Carol to tell her not to expect her
home and asked her to watch after Joan, bribing her with the offer of a good meal and cake. Her aunt seemed less than surprised.
Most of the Clan seemed less than surprised too when her glorious Lion Shifter, who transformed back and managed to find himself halfway back into his suit, presented her as his future mate. An older man, the Chief and Robert’s father, smiled broadly at her from the crowd.
And to think her adventure had brought her here.
To a strong man that she could love and would love her.
His hand grasped hers tightly as they waited for everyone to leave. She wished desperately that she’d thought to pack a dress.
“Would you like to go back to my place?” he asked with a wry grin.
She smirked. “I’d like nothing more.
Robert
Ecstasy. To have her scent all over him, finally. He patiently waited until he unlocked the condo door and gave her a proper tour before opening a bottle of wine. She looked ravishing even in her chef clothes, giving her the air of an elegant professional. He reached a hand up to undo her braided updo.
“Do you know that your hair smells enchanting?” he asked her in a husky voice. She blushed, heat coming off her in waves. He could feel her desire mounting. Hell, he could feel his own. His inner-lion would not be denied tonight, and neither would he. Her hair tumbled down, and she leaned forward suddenly to capture his lips. A sense of impatience possessed him to pull her against him.
His mouth covered hers greedily and demanded a response. He groaned as her hips ground into his. It was as if every professional interaction, laced with tension, was being released. He pulled on the waistband and hoped he wouldn’t shred her clothes. But she hurriedly tugged them off and kicked them away. He released his hold, and she unbuttoned her whites and slid out the sleeves. His eyebrows rose as she revealed a black camisole with lacy red underwear popping out.
The Baby Shift- Hawaii Page 3
