“And sexy?” Kate added.
Sybil blushed. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Ah, so you do think about sex,” Kate said.
“Only with my mate!” Sybil protested.
“But how about until then? Are you really saving yourself? Don’t you want to have fun before you do end up shackling yourself to just one guy?” Kate asked.
“Kate…” Sybil warned, a blush spreading across her face. “It’s not that I don’t … I’m not saving myself on purpose … or anything…”
“Ugh, you are so boring. All of you are.” Kate turned to Penny. “How about you, Penny? Do you have husband? A boyfriend? Or a fuck buddy?”
Penny shook her head. “Oh no. No one like that.”
“Why not?” Kate asked. “Don’t tell me you haven’t wanted to sample what Blackstone has to offer? You know … shifters, right?”
She gave a nervous laugh. “I haven’t had the time. I just moved back to Greenville from Houston,” she said, mentioning one of the towns outside Blackstone.
“How about a crush? Someone you like.”
Penny’s face turned as red as her hair.
“You do!” Sybil said. “Who is it?”
“It’s no one. I mean, it’s silly,” Penny said, but the corner of her lips were curling up into a smile that reached her blue eyes.
“What? It’s not silly!” Sybil said, grabbing her hand. “Who is it?”
“Is it someone from The Den?” Kate asked. “It’s not my brother is it? Because I’m going to have to throw up.”
“Oh no, Nate’s nice to me,” she said, shaking her head, her red curls bouncing around her face. “It’s not him.”
“Then who?” Christina asked.
“He’s … he doesn’t even know I’m alive,” Penny said with a wistful sigh. “I mean, I saw him and then he bumped into me, but he totally ignored me.”
“How can anyone ignore those tits and that ass?” Kate said waving at Penny’s generous curves.
“What is your obsession with girls’ breasts?” Christina asked in an exasperated tone.
“Seriously,” Kate said. “Va-va-va-voom, girl! You should be a pinup model or something.”
Penny laughed. “I don’t think so, I’m too shy.”
“Maybe you just need a push,” Kate said.
“Maybe you’ll get a mate,” Sybil said. “Is he a shifter?”
“I…” Penny’s eyes went wide and then she went stiff as a board. She gathered her book and her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. “I … uh, I should go. Thanks for letting me sit with you.” She turned and quickly walked to the side exit.
“Penny, wait!” Christina stood up and went after her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, catching up to her as she was about to exit.
“What? N-n-nothing. I’m fine. You’re too kind,” she said. “You shouldn’t be around someone like me.” She looked down and shuffled her feet.
“What do you mean like you?”
“I mean, I’m just a waitress at a bar. A nobody. You and your friends … you’re going to marry a Lennox.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Christina said. “We don’t care about stuff like that. And I mean it about the lessons, okay?”
“I … maybe when I have time,” Penny said. “I should really go. I don’t want to be late for my shift.”
“I’ll find you at The Den,” Christina said. “And you should come to our reception.”
“I—”
“Hey, baby!”
She turned toward the direction of the voice. Jason. She felt warm all over, just hearing his voice and being in the same room with him. “Listen, I…” Huh. Penny was gone. Hmmm. There was something about the girl … she just couldn’t put her finger on it. She seemed lonely and could use a friend. Putting Penny out of her mind for now, she walked toward her mate.
“Everything okay?” Jason asked as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
“Yeah, I’m good now that you’re here,” she said, turning to face him. She rested her head on his chest, enjoying his warmth. “What are you doing here?”
“Getting tuxes with Ben and Nate,” he said, jerking his thumb behind him. The two guys were sitting down at the table with the rest of the girls.
“You know, if you guys told us you were planning to get married, we wouldn’t have returned the tuxes. Coulda saved us some time,” Nate quipped, taking a bite out of Kate’s muffin.
“Hey!” Kate protested, swiping the muffin back. “Get your own, you freeloader.”
“How are you, Ben?” Christina asked.
“Huh?” Ben had a puzzled look on his face and looked like he was thinking of something.
“You okay, cuz?” Jason asked.
“Yeah … I thought there was … I’m fine.” He scratched his head. “All good.”
“How’d dress shopping go?” Jason asked.
“It went fine,” she said. “The dress will be ready in a week.”
“Should we move up the wedding then?” Jason said with a raised brow. “You know I can’t wait until you’re all mine.”
She laughed. “You know my family can’t make it back here that fast. Cordy has her finals. Besides,” she said, before pulling him down for a kiss. The touch of his lips sent a warmth throughout her body. Was this what it was like to be bonded to a mate? To feel love and contentment all the time. She sank against him and laid her head on his chest, feeling and listening to the strong beating of his heart. “I’m already all yours.”
The End
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Author’s Notes
Written on January 23, 2018
I really can’t believe that this book is done and written! For one thing, I almost thought I wasn’t going to make my deadline. The holidays were awesome, but I didn’t get to write as much as I wanted. But, I somehow pushed it and got it done on time. I actually discovered a cute little cafe / restaurant / bar in my hometown that stayed open until 2 a.m. and I once stayed until closing for two nights in a row, trying to finish this book.
Believe it or not, Jason and Christina’s story has been knocking around my head for at least fifteen years (as was Matthew’s and Catherine’s). It was originally a contemporary suspense romance I had outlined, but ultimately never got around to writing. I’m so glad I’m finally able to share this story and I never thought it would end the way it did.
Up next is Ben’s story. Oh Ben … what can I say about you? From the moment I started imagining what he’d be like, I was a little bit in love with him. I do love my strong, silent alpha males (and you’ll see that side of him, for sure), but I can’t resist those sweet and affectionate man bears. And he’s the biggest one of all! I’m right in the middle of his story and I’m loving how this one’s shaping up!
As usual, do drop me a line at [email protected] if you want to tell me what you think about my story. Or, better yet, leave me a review! It helps me find out what readers like and don’t like.
Until next time!
All the best,
Alicia
* * *
Preview: The Blackstone Bear
A few weeks ago…
As Penny Bennet walked into The Den, she couldn’t help but feel like it wa
s walking into an actual den.
Several pairs of eyes followed her as she cut across, tracking her like prey. The bar wasn’t busy, but there was a group of about six men in the corner, another group of four around a small table, and two more playing billiards. All of them had stopped what they were doing to look at her. With an audible swallow, she held her head high and continued to forward.
It’s not that she’d never been around shifters before. They were plenty of them back in Houston, and, having grown up just outside Blackstone, she’d known a few of them growing up in high school. But, so many of them in one small place was intimidating. The Den, and Blackstone town itself, was a well-known haunt for their kinds. Bears, wolves, big cats, and (as she’d heard) a dragon or two—lots of them lived there. She couldn’t help the sliver of fear slicing through her.
Stay calm, she told herself. They’re just shifters. Like humans, except they could turn into animals with big teeth and claws. Anyway, if she wanted this job, she would have to get used to this.
Penny cleared her throat as she approached the bar. “E-excuse me?” she called the figure with his back turned to her. “I-I—” She cleared her throat louder, hoping to get rid of the phlegm that seemed to have stuck there. “I’m looking for Mr. Grimes.”
The figure turned around. “Whaddaya need with me?” The man’s thick white beard covered most of his face and his eyebrows were drawn together into what Penny guessed was a permanent frown. He was wearing a red flannel shirt that stretched over his wide, barrel-like chest, and suspenders tucked into black cordoroy jeans. “Who are you?”
“I’m Penny,” she said with a gulp. “Penny Bennet.”
“Ah, Greta’s girl?” The frown on his face seemed less severe.
She nodded. “Yeah. She’s my neighbor and when I mentioned that I needed a job, she said you might be looking for a waitress.”
“One of my bartenders left,” he said. “Got one of my waitresses, Heather, to fill in. But, she’s doing a good job so I’m giving her the position permanently.” He leaned over, clasping his meaty hands together on the countertop. “You’ve waitressed before?”
“Y-yes,” she said, taking a folder out of her purse. “Here’s my resume—”
“A resume?” he said with a chortle, waving the folder away. “Don’t need that, girl. Just tell me about you.”
Light blue eyes stared back at her, and Penny had a strange feeling wash over. She suddenly understood what ‘soul-piercing’ meant. Was it true what people said about shifters? Could they read your mind or tell when you’re telling the truth? She’d heard rumors and seen those conspiracy videos online from anti-shifter groups, but she’d always taken them with a grain of salt. Shifters never bothered her and so she never bothered with them.
“Well…uh, I’m originally from Greenville,” she began. “And then I moved to Houston to live with my grandmother when I was sixteen.” Her voice shook, and she hoped he wouldn’t ask why. When he didn’t, she let out a small breath of relief. “I finished high school there and well, there wasn’t money for college or anything, so I started as a hostess at this local place called Rinaldi’s. It wasn’t a fancy place or anything, just a nice family-run restaurant. Did that for a year and then moved to waitressing and I’ve been doing it for four years now.”
“Do you have experience in bars?”
“Oh yeah,” she said. “My second job was at a sports bar downtown.”
“Houston’s a big city. Why are you back here?” he asked quickly.
“Grams died last year,” she stated. “And then I got a call. My daddy got sick…” She trailed off, biting her lip and hoping he wouldn’t ask anymore questions.
“Well, sounds like you have solid experience,” Mr. Grimes said. “But, there’s one more thing I gotta ask you. Do you think you can handle the clientele around here?”
“Huh?”
“I’m not gonna mince words with ya,” he said. “I keep things as orderly as I can and no one messes with me or my people. But, a lot of these guys, they work hard over at the mines, you know? They might need to blow off steam. I can’t always keep an eye on you. I need someone who can hold their own, especially when my customers are idiots.”
“Oh. Mr. Grimes—”
“Tim,” he corrected.
“Tim,” she said. “I can handle myself.” She hoped he didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. “I’m a very hard worker and I’ve been around a lot of rowdy customers. You should see what happens when the Rockets are playing,” she said with a small laugh, hoping she sounded casual.
Tim’s expression didn’t change. “And the fact that my customers are shifters doesn’t scare ya?”
“Of course not,” she said confidently. There were plenty of other things in the world to be scared of, she added silently.
Tim paused and studied at her for what seemed like a full minute. “All right then. Can you start tonight?”
“Tonight?” she squeaked.
“Yeah. I got a big party, could use the help. Unless you think you can’t cut it.”
She was hoping she’d have a day, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. With Grams gone, so was her rent-controlled apartment in the city, and she couldn’t afford the new rent on her own. She had no choice but to move back to Greenville. Daddy had left the trailer to her when he died, but there were medical bills, plus gas, water, and electricity to pay and she couldn’t rely on her savings forever. Some tip money would help with her dwindling funds. “Of course I can. Thank you so much, Mr.—I mean, Tim.”
He nodded to another girl who was wiping down tables. “Olive’ll sort you out with the uniform. Your jeans and shoes are fine, but you need the shirt.” He called Olive over and told her to bring Penny to the back. “When you’re done, go ask Heather to teach you the ropes while we’re not too busy.”
Olive let out an exasperated sigh as her face turned sour. “C’mon, new girl, let’s find you a shirt.” She didn’t even wait for Penny to say a word and began to walk away.
Penny followed Olive to the storage room in the back. When she got there, Olive was rooting around one of the bins, then took out a dark-colored bundle.
“Sorry, we don’t have shirts in your size,” she said, raising a brow at Penny’s bust. “This’ll have to do.”
“Oh…uh, thanks,” she said, feeling her face go warm. Her bust had always been a problem, in more ways than one. Olive handed her the shirt, shrugged and left her alone.
Penny wasn’t sure if she was meant to change in the storage room, but since the other girl didn’t offer to bring her to a change room, she took off her blouse and slipped the shirt on. It was definitely snug around the chest and stretched the logo a bit, but it fit. She fluffed her red curls into place and straightened her shoulders.
This wasn’t so bad, she told herself as she walked out. It was better than having to find work back in Greenville. She really didn’t want to have to go back and face all the people in her hometown again. But with all those medical expenses, there was no money to take her anywhere else. She was stuck. But, she wasn’t going to feel sorry for herself.
“No siree,” she said under her breath as she approached the bar. Grams would be turning over in her grave. The old woman was a tough bird and taught Penny to suck it up. ‘Because life ain’t gonna give you a leg up if you don’t kick it in the ass,’ she would always say. That (and many of her sayings) always made her feel better, though she did miss Grams. Ironically, if Grams were around, she’d be the first one to tell Penny to stop thinking about her. She’d probably say something like, ‘The dead are dead and there ain’t nothin’ you can do about them.’
“Uhm, excuse me,” she said as she approached the blonde woman wiping down the bar top. “Hi, I’m Penny. I’m the new waitress.”
“Oh, hello Penny,” the bartender said with a bright smile. She wiped her hands on her jeans and offered it to her. “I’m Heather. Nice to meet ya.”
She shook it. “Tim said to come talk t
o you when I’m done changing.”
“Right,” Heather said. “Well, let me show you what you need done and introduce you to the rest of the crew.”
Heather turned out to be much more personable than Tim and nicer than Olive. When she introduced her to Olive, the other woman snapped, “We’ve met,” then walked away.
“Sorry about Olive being a bitch face,” Heather said.
Penny giggled. “She’s what my grams would have called a ‘lemon face’.” In polite company, maybe. Grams would definitely have called Olive a bitch face.
Heather laughed. “Ha! She does look like she sucked on a lemon.” She sighed. “Don’t worry, she’ll get over it.”
“Over what?”
“Well…” Heather lowered her voice. “If you ask me, she’s pretty disappointed that one of the former employees here, Catherine, snagged a Lennox.”
“A what?”
“A Lennox. Particularly, Matthew Lennox.”
“Who’s that?” Penny asked.
“Oh, you’re not from Blackstone, are you?”
She shook her head.
“Well, let me give you the short version. The Lennoxes are a family of dragons who founded Blackstone. They own the blackstone mines and they’re richer than sin,” Heather said. “And Matthew’s like, the head honcho of Lennox Corporation. Anyway, he met Catherine, who used to be the bartender here, and fell head over heels for her. It’s a very long story but,” she nodded to the banner above the bar which read 'Congratulations Matthew and Catherine', “tonight’s their engagement party. And bitch face just can’t accept that Matthew chose Catherine, especially after she’s been shaking her perky little titties at him since she started here.”
Penny chuckled. “Oh my. I guess I’d be bitchy-faced too if that happened to me.” Though she didn’t mean it, it seemed like the right thing to say.
Heather looked down at her chest. “I don’t know, I think if any man saw those first…”
The Blackstone Bad Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 2 Page 15
