“We’re a loud lot, I know.” He stood beside her and leaned against the rail. “How do you like the place?”
“It’s beautiful, and I love it. I never thought that a Shifter territory looked like a feature spread from a home décor magazine. I’m honestly surprised that they haven’t tried to start a reality TV show with Shifters. You’re all beautiful with charming homes and plenty of interesting lives.”
He cackled. “Oh, they’ve tried. They approach us every year, but we just Shift into bear form, and that usually sends them running.”
She grabbed her sides, laughing. “No way!”
“Oh yeah. We’ve learned it doesn’t take much to scare off Hollywood types.” He looked at his beer. “Have you tried our special beer yet?”
She shook her head, and he presented her with the frosty mug.
“Try it!”
She sipped it and her eyes lit up. “Does this have apples in it?”
He winked. “Yeah. Fresh from our own apple crops. Or our sister crops in other Clans, if the season is bad up here.”
“I usually don’t like beer,” she admitted. Her smell sent his blood pressure up. Being around her, even smelling her scent—hell, thinking of her sent his body into overdrive. The beast inside him was scratching at his chest, begging for him to pay attention to his animal urges.
He wanted to hold her. He wanted to press her up against a wall and kiss her hard. His hand tightened into a fist and took a steady breath. Control yourself, Luke.
“I like it here,” she said aloud and handed back his beer. He took it and tried to make sure his hands weren’t shaking. He took a greedy gulp of the cold brew, nearly draining half of it. Luckily, she wasn’t paying much attention. She was back to admiring the Clan’s courtyard with a faraway smile.
Old Anne popped her head out of the door. “We’re serving dessert. I snuck a brownie already.” She smiled at Charlotte. “Great job, darling.” Charlotte smiled, warmth lighting up her face.
“Dessert time?” Luke asked with a smile. “I bet Natalie would love to try a tiny piece of your famous brownies.”
“I don’t know about famous,” she said. He tried not to linger his eyes on her top, unbuttoned just to show a slice of skin. Dessert was the farthest thing on his mind, but she went towards the porch door, and he followed obediently.
Everyone enjoyed the brownies, and he was happy to wolf down two of them himself. Somehow, she’d managed to still ensure leftovers among Shifters, which was virtually unheard of. He tried to elegantly block her vision from seeing everyone throwing them suggestive looks. As if he needed his Clan members to play matchmaker.
The Chief came up after the meal had ended. Luke and Charlotte had offered to help clean up, but Anne had shooed them off.
The Chief shook Charlotte’s hand with an enthusiastic movement, beaming at her. “Happy to know that Doc had such a lovely granddaughter. I can’t believe he’d hidden you for so long.”
“He was the best,” she said. “Thank you for having me tonight. I’m sure Doc would’ve been happy to see us meeting.”
After he’d driven her back, they hovered on her front porch. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. That same jasmine scent.
“Thank you for tonight, Luke.”
When Luke returned, everyone had dispersed except for the Chief, who was lounging on the Hall’s large porch. He didn’t say anything as Luke walked passed and towards his own cabin. He only caught Luke’s eye and nodded with a coy smile.
It was a good night. Luke picked up Nat from the midwives, who raved about Charlotte, and headed home.
Charlotte
She decided on Sunday to ask him on a proper date. How does a human ask a Shifter on a date anyways? She’d have to figure that out. Ellen, for her part, was extremely excited.
“You should take him to a sexy cabin somewhere.”
“He lives in a sexy cabin,” Charlotte reminded her friend. “And so, do I for that matter.”
“Somewhere with a fire that you can make love in front of.”
“It’s summer!”
Ellen groaned. “You’re taking all the fun out of this. Okay, how about taking him to a nice steakhouse as a thanks for helping you around the house?”
Charlotte perked up at her desk in her sunny office. “That might work. There’s a nice steakhouse on the outskirts of the park. Do you think that inviting a Shifter out to dinner works?”
“Well, you’ve already cooked for him. Besides, you deserve a night out, and you can wear a sexy red dress or something. Ooh, or that dress that you wore out to my birthday party last year.”
Charlotte laughed. “I have no idea how you remember these things.”
“Because I’m a good friend,” Ellen gloated. “Wear that dress. It was blue, right?”
“Yeah. Blue and you told me that I couldn’t look prettier than you on your birthday anymore. As if that were true!” They laughed together. “Okay, I’ll wear that one.”
That afternoon, she was pacing her kitchen with a cup of coffee and working up her courage to pick up her phone. Despite the fact that they’d talked a few times on the phone, something about calling him felt so intimate. She searched for his contact in her phone and took a deep breath before starting the call.
“What a coincidence,” he said when he answered. “I was just about to call you.”
“Oh, you were?” she asked. “We’re full of coincidences.” She heard a soft cry on the other side. “How’s Nat?”
“Cranky? Probably because she hasn’t seen you in a minute.”
“Poor thing. Having to hang out with you and the midwives all the time.”
“It’s a boring life.”
“I imagine,” she teased. “Well, I was hoping to invite you out to dinner.”
“Out?”
“Out like to a restaurant.”
“Ah, I never do that. Where?”
“There’s a steakhouse that I know about on the outside of the park.”
“Hmmm, I’m intrigued. I can ask the midwives if they can watch Nat.”
“Thursday evening work? I don’t want to steal you away from your Clan dinner.”
“They are filled with so much arguing and fun, why wouldn’t I want to escape?” he asked sarcastically. She laughed. “Thursday it is.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “See you then, Luke.”
“Goodbye, Charlotte.”
Every surface of her skin erupted into goosebumps as she ended the call. She wanted to jump up and scream with joy, but the Shifters might hear that with their enhanced hearing. She let out a quiet squeal and texted Ellen immediately. Her work stared at her, partially finished.
She’d take a break for coffee to make sure that dress from Ellen’s birthday party was still in her closet. It was, shoved in the back of her new closet, blissfully unwrinkled in the hanging garment bag. She pulled the dress out and prayed that her recent weight gain, courtesy of some grief eating after Gramps passed, would still allow her to slip into her dress.
She tried it on just in case. While a bit snugger than last time, it still fit great. She admired the flirty neckline and the asymmetrical hem which allowed a bit of her leg to show. Lost in thought, she twirled around in the bedroom and posed in the full-length mirror, feeling like a high school girl again.
A ding on her computer alerted her to an incoming email. There was work to be done. Carefully, she hung the dress back up and went back to work. Thursday night was on her mind all week.
She’d curled her hair and applied more makeup than usual since they were going out at night. Charlotte made sure to send Ellen a picture of herself in the dress with her makeup fully done. Ellen sent back a series of squealing messages in all caps and lots of heart emojis. Charlotte laughed and glanced at herself in the mirror. She was pleased with her reflection.
A knock sounded on her door as she was spritzing the lightest bit of perfume over her neck— the internet had told her Shifters could easily
be overwhelmed by perfume. She jumped and smoothed her dress, then followed the sound of the knocks.
She calmly opened the door only to see it was a battle between surprises —no flannel in sight!—Not that she minded the flannel. He looked like he’d stepped out of a high-end men’s boutique, fitted in black slacks and polished ankle boots with a simple eggplant-colored button-down shirt tucked into his pants.
He gave her outfit a quick once over. “You look amazing,” he said, practically sputtering. She’d even slipped on the tiniest of heels, although it was laughable given his towering height. His eyes finally came back to her face, and she blushed under his gaze. She loved that she could see all his honesty splayed out in every expression.
He held out his arm. “Shall I lead you to the car?”
“Thank you, sir,” she said playfully and linked her arm with his. “I figured we’d take my car tonight.”
“An independent woman.” He winked. They got inside the car after he opened up her driver’s side door for her. Butterflies permanently settled in her stomach as they drove to the steakhouse. It was only twenty minutes away but was filled with conversation.
Luke seemed to have a story for every landmark they passed, often silly memories from childhood. Sometimes it involved picking on an unsuspecting human. She laughed the whole way. Finally, the steakhouse came into sight, and she pulled into the driveway. It was high-season for the park, but she’d made sure to make a reservation even if it was Thursday night.
He did the same motion as before, opening her driver’s door for her. They walked into the restaurant together, every bit a happy couple it seemed.
Did he know this was a date? The thought only hit her as they walked in. The pretty hostess immediately glanced towards Luke. Who could blame her? Especially with those golden eyes? They were led to a cozy booth.
The butterflies weren’t gone away.
Luke
The steakhouse was a great choice, Luke considered. One, he loved meat that was cooked good and bloody by chefs who know what they’re doing. Two, he got to drink wine while admiring his new neighbor and crush. Crush. Yes. He’d finally let himself admit it.
The midwives were quick to school him on the etiquette of human dates. He didn’t know what a date was, but it turns out that it was essentially human courting. Shifters did that. Of course, they did that while in human and bear form. There was nothing like running alongside a potential partner in bear form. That’s not exactly something that he could do with Charlotte, but somehow, he didn’t mind. There were more things they could do.
“The wine is great,” Charlotte said. She was incredibly distracting in her dress. Her curled hair carried those notes of jasmine that he’d been so fascinated by. He held his breath for some relief and nodded enthusiastically.
“You’re letting me pay, right?” he asked her. “The midwives told me it was custom for gentlemen to pay on dates.”
A delicious pink color bloomed over Charlotte’s cheeks. Her scent spiked in arousal and excitement. That he liked a lot.
“I asked you,” she reminded him in a voice more strained than usual. “I wanted to repay you for all the help with the washer and accepting me into the neighborhood.”
“Counterpoint.” He lifted a finger. “You managed to cook amazing brownies for all of my Clan. That’s a real accomplishment.”
She giggled behind her hand, a movement that he found utterly irresistible. Where Sam had been aggressively independent, Charlotte was softer in ways that he wasn’t used to. Still strong, but there were parts of her that were sweet and innocent in a way that surprised him. He had a feeling that she would keep surprising him.
After dessert, they lingered to chat and drink some water. Charlotte had been stubborn about drinking only two glasses of wine with plenty of food so that she could still drive. After four hours at the restaurant, they finally left. They had come to a compromise that Luke would pay the bill, and she insisted on providing the tip in cash.
On their way back, it began to rain. It started as a light drizzle, but then it began to pour. Charlotte swore as her tires slid against the wet road. She slowed the car down, and they drove cautiously with the headlights on.
But as they were going downhill, an orange cone had fallen over in a terrible pothole. It was too late. He cried out for her to watch out, but the road was too wet when she hit the brakes. With a sudden shudder, the front right side of her SUV was stuck in the pothole.
“Shit! Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” he told her quickly. He slid out of the car into the rain and checked out the situation. He came back inside the car. “I have good news and bad news.”
“Shoot.”
“Good news is I can get you out. Bad news, I’m gonna have to Shift.”
“Into your bear form?!” she asked and then blushed at her outburst. “Okay. Is it fine for you?”
“Yes,” he said and then laughed. “But I’ll have to strip in your car.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and that same pink color came back to her face. He began taking off his clothes quickly while she pressed her emergency lights on. When he’d made it down to his boxers, she was obviously trying to avert her eyes away.
“I have special Shifter underwear if you’re curious,” he said wickedly and snapped the band of his briefs. “A special material that stretches effortlessly and goes back to human form. Unfortunately, it’s too expensive and impractical to buy for all our clothes.”
She nodded, her face bright red. He caught her eyes admiring his chest. He slid out of the car. It was slow, his transformation. He knew that he could go faster. But it was fun to make it a spectacle, especially when such a courageous human woman had never seen it before. In a minute, he was in his powerful bear form. With an effortless nudge of his mighty body, he sent the SUV up and out of the pothole. He snatched the traffic cone in his mouth and shoved it inside the deep pothole.
And then he was transforming back. He came back into the SUV, half-soaked.
When they came back to her place, she hurried him inside her home. He tried to drip over the kitchen rug. She came hurrying back with a towel. He rubbed it all over his body.
“Sorry if it smells like bear,” he said with a dark laugh. He turned to her. She was oddly quiet as she placed his clothes neatly on the kitchen island. “Did I ruin dinner?” His heart skipped a beat as his stomach dropped.
She said nothing. Instead, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Charlotte
Watching Luke Shift had been utterly terrifying...and exhilarating. Charlotte couldn’t help herself. Her mind was telling her to slow down, but there he was: his formidable, powerful body dripping water in her kitchen. He’d never looked so handsome.
She couldn’t help herself. She kissed him as if her life depended on it. At first, he froze against her and panic seized her. But quickly, his hands shot behind her back, and he pushed her against him. He angled himself to deepen the kiss and pushed her against the kitchen island. His wet hair dripped onto her shoulders, another delicious sensation.
“You know, it’s not fair if I’m the only one in my underwear,” he whispered huskily as they broke their kiss apart. She pressed her head against his broad chest.
“Let me get my air back,” she fired back playfully. His hands danced at the straps of her dress. She wiggled and helped him remove it. The dress fell to the floor and around her ankles. He whistled.
“I love the black lace.” He ran his fingertips over her shoulders, playing with the thin straps of her bra. She’d made sure to wear a matching set today. She pressed her pelvis against his own, although their height difference made it more difficult.
“I like you.” She looked up at him and squared her shoulders. “I like you a lot, Luke.”
“I like you too,” he said and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’re all I think about lately.”
Heat on her face. What a surprise. “Really?” Her voice nea
rly broke as she asked it. It was hard to imagine this Adonis, filled with magic and power, thinking of her.
“Do you know that you smell of jasmines?” he asked and leaned down, his lips brushing her naked neck. She shivered beneath the touch. “It’s mesmerizing. I love it. It fills my waking thoughts.”
“I didn’t know.” She pressed her burning cheek against him. He kissed her neck. Her hands went down his back and played with the band of his briefs. There was more she wanted to see about Luke. A lot more. He chuckled, and the vibrations of his laugh sent electric currents throughout her body. She sucked in a sharp breath. “Do you want to move to the bedroom?”
“Anything for you.” He lifted his head up and gently took her chin in his hand, guiding her lips to him. “I want to make you feel good. The best you’ve ever felt.”
“Are you sure—” Her hand pressed against her chest as her mind reeled. “It’s not too soon?”
He shook his head fiercely. “No, Charlotte. I only want you. I only think of you. I don’t want to think about the past anymore.” Her heart thumped wildly against her chest as the butterflies fluttered in formation in her stomach.
She grinned and kissed him fiercely. She kissed him with all the passion that she could muster. She wanted him to feel every single thing that she’d thought about him in these last few months.
He responded happily and then swept her off her feet. Literally. He carried her princess style to her bedroom. She threw her head against his chest, laughing, as he twirled her through the living room and down the hall, and finally, set her gently on her bed.
Here, she had an excellent view of his sculpted body. She knew she wanted more. Teasingly, she pulled the straps of her bra down, and his hand went behind her to undo the clasp.
“You human women love these contraptions,” he said in a teasing voice. She wasn’t paying attention, more focused on dancing her fingertips over his defined abs. There was power packing into every inch of him. She shivered with delight as her bra came free. He let out a noise of appreciation and then his hands, large but somehow soft in all the right places, went to caress them. She leaned her head back and moaned as he kissed up and down on her neck.
The Baby Shift- Delaware Page 3
