by Moira Byrne
I was surprised to find myself a little nervous about whether or not she would like my cooking. I'd never made the effort in any of my past relationships. They'd been, well, purely physical—at least for the past several years.
I gathered up my bags laden with fresh meat and produce, and took a deep breath before I walked to her door. I was startled when it swung open immediately, as if she had been waiting for me. Although, I suppose those shifter senses might have clued her in to my arrival.
"The kitchen's this way." She smiled and moved aside so I could come in.
I had only made it halfway through the door when she plucked two of the bags from my arms. I raised a brow but said nothing. I wasn't carrying that much, but I was tempted to ask her to carry a few more if it meant her fingers would brush my arm again.
I was surprised, and a little disappointed, when I realized she had dressed up. Not much, but there was some makeup and her hair was neat and smooth. For some reason, I wanted so badly to see it mussed. Maybe spread across a pillow. My pillow. I clamped down on that thought. I worked too hard to get myself under control to get excited over hair.
I set my bags on the counter and produced the bottle of wine with a flourish. "Ready to unwind?"
"Honestly, yeah, I think I am." She bit down on her full bottom lip. It took everything within me to tear my eyes away. I had to before my body betrayed the way she made me feel.
"Great. I've got a meal planned that you won't soon forget." I hoped the strain in my voice wasn't too apparent.
After she showed me around the kitchen, I sent her off to relax with a glass of wine and got to work. I had only made it halfway through dinner when her amused and slightly flushed face popped into the kitchen.
"Are you still cooking?"
"Do you think chicken roulade just happens?"
She furrowed her brow, then shrugged. "I would have to know what chicken roulade is first, wouldn't I?"
"You've never . . .? My God, you have no idea how lucky you are to have met me." I walked over to shoo her from the kitchen. She backed away with her hands held high.
She paused right before she turned around to leave and asked, "Are you seriously wearing that hideous apron?" She pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle her amusement as she devolved into a fit of laughter.
I looked down at the floral monstrosity I found folded in one of her kitchen drawers. "It's yours."
"Nope. Came with the kitchen."
I shrugged and nodded. "That makes sense. I wasn't going to say anything, but I was starting to question your fashion sense." I hastily added, "Not that I don't think you would look gorgeous in this apron."
She laughed again, then rolled her eyes. Little did she know, I was imagining her in the apron and nothing else. I shoved the image aside, something I was having to do a lot these days, and finally got her back into the living room.
I bustled about the kitchen, preparing the entree. I flattened the chicken and stuffed it full of feta and spinach. I rolled it up, set it in the pan, and popped it into the oven. I set the timer and got to work on the salad. Before I knew it, the timer rang, and everything was ready.
When I had the food on the table and we were seated, I heard her stomach growl. Or maybe it was her. Shifters had a habit of making odd noises.
"This smells amazing." She took a deep breath through her nose, her eyes closed, then let out a contented sigh. "I never cook anything fancy for myself. Thank you again. You really didn't have to."
"Of course I did." I really felt like it was something I needed to do for her. My own small part in making her stressed life a little easier.
We happily dug into our food, and it was amazing if I did say so myself. It wasn't long before I noticed her chewing start to slow. She stared down at her plate and pushed around the scalloped potatoes.
"Not to your liking?" I asked.
She looked up suddenly and shook her head. "No, they're great. I just . . ."
"You just what? Can't focus on eating with a man this distracting in front of you?"
I meant for it to be teasing, but I noticed then the way her eyes lingered on my shirt, which is the shirt. The one that outlined every muscle in my chest and arms. I might have worn it on purpose. That look in her eyes only lasted a moment though, then she looked back at her plate and rapidly ate several bites of her potatoes.
I held back my grin and finished off my plate.
Sophie swallowed her last bite and leaned back with a sigh. "That was delicious."
"Only the best for you," I said with a sly smile.
"I'll bet you say that to all the girls," she countered with a quiet laugh.
She studied her wine then raised her glass to her lips and drained what was left. I watched, enthralled, as she ran her tongue over the edge of the glass. I thought about how her lips must taste strongly of the wine we had been drinking. I wanted to test my hypothesis. I locked eyes with hers and watched as her breath hitched in her throat.
"No, not all the girls. Only you, Sophie." My voice was low as I drew her name out, wrapping it in a honeyed tone.
She drew in a sharp breath, and her eyes dilated. My heart did a funny flip in my chest. I knew that look. She wanted me.
I didn't think it would happen with her anytime soon, but there it was. I thought I'd seen that look a time or two before, but she'd always shut it down before I could be sure. But not this time. Her eyes closed partially while her tongue slowly ran over her lips.
Her fingers idly rubbed at the stem of her empty glass. Her eyes shifted color as her inner cougar looked out at me, then retreated
If I were a lesser man, I would accept the offer she made. I would get up right now—take her in my arms and steal her breath away with a kiss that would leave her weak. The stiffness that rapidly made my jeans feel like a prison made resistance difficult.
My body encouraged me to throw my scruples aside, but I held strong. She was drunk, or at least tipsy. I couldn't let her do something she might regret, especially if that something was me.
As much as it hurt, I forced myself to say, "How about I get this cleaned up?"
"Right, yeah, I'll help you," she murmured as she stood and gathered up her plate and silverware.
I kept my distance as she helped me, despite how badly I wanted to feel her soft body in my arms. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, and I deserved a medal.
Once we finished cleaning up, we moved to the living room. I made sure to sit in the chair and left her to sprawl on her couch. I wasn't sure I could behave myself if I sat next to her.
We slipped into our usual routine of joking and teasing and time skated by unseen. She even told me a few stories about her sister. Late into the evening she yawned, and I couldn't stop myself from joining her. We both chuckled.
"I think it's time to call it a night," she said.
"If you insist," I said with a teasing sigh.
I stood and she walked me to the door. When she opened it, I stepped outside and leaned against the doorframe. The cool night breeze brushed over me, bringing the happy chirps of crickets and cicadas. I listened for a fraction of a moment to the song of the wind rustling through the grass, then I became aware of Sophie quietly looking up at me.
I grinned. "So, was the food as good as I promised?"
She smiled. "Well, I managed to eat it all, so it wasn't half bad."
I reached out to brush back her hair. "Managed to eat it all? Not half bad?" I clicked my tongue and smiled down at her. "I'm going to need a better thank you than that."
A flash of challenge flared to life in her eyes. In the next moment, she had a fistful of my shirt in her hand and was pulling me down. Her lips were hot on mine. I opened my mouth. Her tongue brushed mine. Fire burned through me, disintegrating my control. I pulled her into my arms and crushed her against me.
I could taste the wine and something else. Something that was distinctly her and I wanted more. I kissed her back, and she pressed into me. I started to lose mysel
f in the kiss, my blood running hot through my body. She made a low moan, and I told myself I had to stop. I had to find my control again.
Our tongues danced with each other, and her hand burrowed in my hair. The feeling of her body tight against mine threatened to destroy the little control I had left. I kissed her even deeper and gently nipped at her lower lip, but then I made myself pull away. Even so, she made a small noise of protest in her throat that nearly sent me back in for more.
I took a deep breath as I tried to get myself under control and dropped my forehead against hers. Her breathing was as rough as mine. Her hands slowly trailed down my sides as they dropped away.
She took a shaky breath. "Was that a better thank you?"
"Absolutely," I murmured.
She looked up at me with hazy eyes, her lips slightly swollen from our kiss. "Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Sophie."
It took everything inside me to step away from her and walk to my truck. I'd managed to behave tonight, but I was already trying to think of a way to spend time with my favorite cat lady again.
5
Sophie
My gaze followed a young couple as they made their way out of the clinic. I was touched by the protective way the young man had his arm around the woman's shoulder.
My cat stretched inside me as I thought of how Alex had watched over me yesterday. A small smile crossed my face. I had never had that much fun gardening before.
I glanced at my watch. He was probably at my house already, hard at work on the planter beds. He mentioned he'd be doing that today. My smile faded as I realized my volunteer shift at the low-income clinic was about over.
It was time for me to head into my paying job at the Women's Clinic. I didn't want to be late for my first midwife appointment of the afternoon.
I headed to the staff room and thought about the dinner last night. I might have gotten a little carried away. When he was about to leave, I'd pulled him down for a goodbye kiss. He kissed me back and I responded so strongly that my blood raced and my breath grew short.
The strength of my response shouldn't have startled me, but it had. And I hadn't wanted to stop—he had to be the one to pull away. I would've let it go much farther than a simple kiss.
I gave myself a mental shake. Those were not good thoughts to have about a man like Alex. I didn't have the time to indulge in any type of relationship right now. I had just gotten established as a midwife in Fayoak with my partners at the women's health practice. I spent most of my spare time volunteering at the low-income clinic.
And that didn't even take my sister and the old pack into consideration. With Edward somewhere on the loose, there was no telling what he might do. My stomach clenched. When I left my old pack, I had hoped I'd never see his hateful face again, that he'd stay far away.
It worried me that he hadn't been seen for a while. I didn't trust him. At all. A growl rumbled through my chest and I swallowed it down. I had patients to see this afternoon. I couldn't let my fears about Edward tear apart my focus. I was better than this. I had to pull it together. I took a deep breath and then another. My cat settled uneasily inside me.
I opened my locker in the break room and, out of habit, I checked my phone as I picked it up. I saw I had a missed call and voicemail. A smile curved my mouth again, my unease replaced with anticipation. I hit play and listened as Alex's voice rolled out.
A shiver ran up my spine. The man's voice should be registered as a weapon.
"Hey, Sophie, it's Alex. Give me a call when you get a chance."
I listened to the message again, despite it being such a short one. I told myself it was because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything, but I knew that was a lie. I managed to resist the temptation to listen a third time. Besides, I was curious to find out why he called.
I dialed his cell. It rang several times before he suddenly picked up.
"Sophie, I didn't think I'd hear back from you so soon." The way he said my name sent shivers running through me, and I jerked the phone away from my ear. I hadn't expected that. Although, with the way he flirted and wielded his voice like a seductive weapon, I should have.
"You asked me to call you back," I replied. I kept my inflection light in an attempt to hide the way he made my body respond with only his voice.
"Oh, is that all I need to do? Ask nicely?" His tone dropped and it was as if he ran his fingers over me.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was not going there. I repeated it to myself like a chant.
It had been too long since I'd had sex. That had to be it. I was starved for intimacy and he was a feast, complete with rich chocolate cake for dessert. There was no other reason for me to respond so strongly to him.
"Sophie, you there?" There was concern in his voice.
With my body somewhat under control, I opened my eyes and answered, "I'm here."
He chuckled, and relief flooded me as I realized he thought my silence was disapproval. He hadn't realized how much he affected me. It was critical he not figure that out.
"Okay, okay. I'll behave."
"I'll believe it when I see it," I replied dryly.
"You've got me. But how am I supposed to behave with you around?"
I tried to ignore the way the silk of his voice felt like it was brushing over my skin. There was no way for me to win this.
"Alex," I drew out his name in warning, "why did you call me?"
"Do you have plans tonight?"
I bit down on my lower lip, barely containing the soft sigh that wanted to escape. His voice was normally intoxicating, but this . . . I could hardly stay focused. I wanted to blame it on his fae abilities, but I knew that wasn't it. Somehow his voice was simply more concentrated over the phone.
"No plans," I murmured.
"Have you heard about the Moon Festival?"
"Moon Festival?" I racked my increasingly fuzzy brain and came up blank. Pictures of scantily clad people dancing around poles ran through my head. Surely he wasn't inviting me to that type of event?
But, Moon Festival . . . would that be a wolf thing? A bunch of shifters in wolf form howling at the moon?
If there was a wolf festival, why not have a cat festival, too? What would that be like? What types of activities would happen? Probably tree climbing competitions, rodent capture events, maybe a fast-paced game of hide and seek. My lips curved, that might be kind of fun.
"It's an annual thing," his voice interrupted my speculation, vibrating with excitement, "at the Japanese Garden in the Arboretum."
"It sounds—" I paused as I tried to order my thoughts and bring them back to the topic at hand. "Alex, I seriously have no idea what a Moon Festival is."
His laugh rolled over me. "You'll just have to see it."
"I don't know. Is this a witch thing?"
"Witch thing?"
"You know, Moon Festival."
He was silent. I wondered what was running through his mind.
"I never thought of it like that," he said slowly. "I could see how you might get that. But, no. It's actually called the Japanese Moon Festival. There'll be a traditional tea ceremony and everything . . ."
My mind drifted as his voice washed over me. Now that I knew my assumptions were way off base, I found my mind wandering back to the kiss last night. The way his arms held me so gently, as if he was afraid I might break. I couldn't believe how badly I wanted to relive that moment again and again. I wasn't myself. Not at all.
"So, can you meet me at seven?"
"I could make that work," I said still lost in the memory and the melody of his voice. I clenched my thighs together as an ache dared to flare to life. I wasn't sure what would happen to me if he kept talking.
"Great, I'll see you then."
I abruptly realized what I had agreed to. "Wait, Alex. Alex?"
I frowned as I pulled my phone back to look at it. He'd hung up. I hadn't intended to agree to go to the Moon Festival with him. I was about to hit redial when
I noticed the time. I had to leave now if I wanted to grab lunch before my afternoon stint. Lorraine and Carolyn were great partners, and we all volunteered here at the clinic, but they wouldn't appreciate it if I missed my first appointment this afternoon.
I rushed to Two Steps and got my order to go. I had enough time to eat there but decided I would rather arrive at the office early. I stepped out the door and started the short walk back to the Women's Clinic.
A trio—two men and a woman— slowly walked down the street in front of me. The men were dressed in worn jeans and frayed plaid shirts, which was a little odd for Fayoak, even for tourists. The woman's long-sleeved gray shirt and khaki pants were quite the contrast, making the men look even more shabby.
"What did you do?" the woman asked sharply.
"We ain't done nothin', Nadine. Right, Emery?"
"Right, George. Wasn't us that done it."
"Did what? I know you did something, so spit it out."
"I don't know that we can talk about it. I'll tell you what, ain't much that gives me the willies, but that sure did."
"I don't get what's doin' it, George."
"Probably some crazy person. Can't think of what else would do it. Never seen no animal do that, that's for sure."
My eyebrows went up. They must be the idiots Meghan told me about. The rednecks accidentally shot her brother, Maddox, a few months ago. She'd said something about them serving out a community service sentence courtesy of Fayoak's finest.
I thought it was only the two men who were involved, but what did I know? Their conversation was so odd that it piqued my curiosity. I slowed my pace, making sure I stayed behind them.
"What are the two of you talking about?" Nadine let out a growl that could rival most cats in my pack, despite being human. "Just tell me already."
"Well, me and Emery, we was in the woods—" George started to explain.
"What were you doing in the woods? Are you trying to get yourselves arrested this time? Didn't you learn your lesson?" Nadine's voice snapped with anger.
