“Amanda.”
But, it was Jacob who spoke up first. “I suppose you’re right.” Silence lapsed between them. Phoenix babbled from her cozy spot, watching her father with wide eyes. He smiled at her and went over to pick her up. He knew that it would be better for both of them if he pursued this…if he could let go of that pain. He looked towards Amanda and Ken with a half-hearted smile. “I suppose even a Shifter can be a coward.”
“You don’t have to be a coward,” Amanda told him sternly. “But, you do have to make sure that Ken and I win this bet. The pot is too big. Invite her back for another dinner. Take her on a date.”
“What do humans do for dates?” Ken asked. “Drive around in their cars all day?”
Amanda snorted. “We’ll watch a few romantic comedies and figure it out to help Jacob.” Jacob shook his head, and Phoenix rested her head against his chest.
“I get worried about her down there alone,” he confessed as he stroked Phoenix’s back with a gentle, strong hand. “She’s far away from civilization. If something happened…”
“What would happen?” Ken asked with an echo of concern.
“She had a bad ex-boyfriend,” Jacob mused with a faraway look in his eyes. Amanda’s eyebrows furrowed with worry.
“Bad?”
“Cheating bad.”
“Oooh,” Ken groaned. “Bastard. You worried she’ll go back to him?”
Jacob threw him an annoyed look. “No.” His voice didn’t sound convincing even to him. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me much. Just that she came here for a fresh start.”
“We have to keep her,” Amanda said suddenly. “I have a bet to win, and we can’t risk another Carl.” They all shared a laugh and went to the dining area as the lunch bell was being rung. Jacob tried to press down any doubts he had. He’d visit her tonight to invite her again to dinner. For him and for Phoenix.
--
Amanda sent him with a six-pack of their homebrew. Flowers wouldn’t do much since they were surrounded by nature constantly. He marched obediently down the mountainside in the early afternoon. As he grew closer, he couldn’t seem to find Ashley’s scent. Maybe she was working. He lingered on her porch for a few moments before scrawling a quick note along with an invitation to dinner. He left the beers in the shade along with the note. As he was about to leave the area, another ranger truck came up from the gravel road.
An older man, the head boss and a man that he’d talked with sometimes, leaned his head out of the window. “Hey, Jacob.”
“Hi, Bill. How are you?”
“Grand.” His face pulled into a frown. “Listen, I know we don’t talk too much to your clan up there, but Ashley told me that she’s become friendly with you guys. I got a call.”
“A call?” Jacob’s voice rose.
“A weird guy calling about Ashley,” he said with a frown. “One of the interns picked it up and stupidly told him where she was stationed. I haven’t had a chance to tell her yet, but if you could just keep an eye out when you do the patrols, I’d appreciate it.”
Jacob promised he would, and Bill drove off. A sinking feeling entered his stomach. He glanced at the six-pack and note he’d left on the porch. As an afterthought, he quickly added the clan’s only landline number just in case. Just in case.
He left after a few more minutes of waiting, dragging back a feeling of worry and dread with him. Phoenix greeted him happily when he returned home and relieved his babysitter, one of the local teens from the clan.
He hoped everything would be ok. He wrapped Phoenix up in his arms. It was hard. To feel as if he was gaining another thing, close to his heart, that he could lose. The beast inside him roared. He kissed Phoenix’s head. He wouldn’t let anything else happen to the people in his life.
He couldn’t.
Chapter 7
She had several thoughts when she came back that night. The first had to deal with the lovely gift of beer and an invitation to dinner left on her porch. Her heart flipped as she read Jacob’s name and smiled to herself. The sweat and grit from the day seemed like a memory of the past as she clambered inside. There was a red dot flashing on the old answering machine for the station’s landline phone. She pressed play as she placed the beer in her fridge.
“Ashley,” it was her boss’ voice. She hummed as she hovered through her kitchen in a bubble of happiness, her mind consumed with Jacob’s present and invitation. His handsome face. “We had a strange call at one of the main stations.” Her stomach dropped as she froze. “A man was calling about you, and one of the interns, unfortunately, gave out your location. I want you to keep your doors locked. I have a patrol guard coming out to do rounds tomorrow. I would keep your gun next to you, just in case. Or get that Shifter fella to stay with you.”
There was a sudden rumble outside. Her hands turned into fists, the white knuckles staring up at her. A car veered off the gravel path, and she could see its haphazardly parked form, nearly half-way into her garden. It was a red car. A familiar car.
“Ashley!”
Her heart plummeted in her chest. She knew that voice. How could she forget it? It’d nearly torn her apart a few months ago to even think about that voice!
“Jason?” She asked in a horrified tone. It was him! He was clutching a bouquet of straggly looking flowers to his chest with wild eyes. His car was covered in mud and debris, bits of undergrowth and pine needles littering the underside. A terrible chill seized the base of her neck.
“Ashley!” His voice was too high, too strained. She felt a sudden chill run through her. An acidic sensation settled in her stomach.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Baby, I know I’ve made mistakes.” His speech was slurred.
Her jaw dropped as she threw a look of disgust towards him. “Made mistakes? We broke up because you cheated on me, asshole. You don’t deserve a second chance.”
His eyes flashed with darkness. Suddenly, she became aware of their surroundings. She was alone in the setting sun with her cheating ex-boyfriend, who was half mad out of his mind. She caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath, and she stumbled backward.
“You need to leave Jason. I’m supposed to be meeting someone.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who?”
“I cannot believe you! You cheated on me, and now you’re showing up like a crazy drunk stalker?!” she screamed, half-hoping her voice would carry. If the clan could hear her…if Jacob could find her…
His grip tightened around the flowers as he stumbled forward. “You don’t understand. She left me. Nobody understands me.”
“You’re insane,” she muttered in a panicked voice as she pawed for her mace. Shit! She’d left it in her other work pants. She braced herself against her front door. All she had was her utility knife. She flicked it open behind her back as Jason took another wavering step toward her. A million images flashed before her. Jacob, Phoenix, her newfound happiness in the forest. Her grip tightened around the blade. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Jason dropped the flowers as he lumbered towards her. “Just listen to me!” She drew out the knife from behind her and braced herself. His glazed eyes swung towards the blade, and his face grew cloudy with rage. “You bitch.”
She screamed as he came charging towards her and lashed out with the knife. He cried out and wrenched backward as it struck his stomach, slashing his shirt but not drawing blood. He careened backward, tripping over his own drunk feet. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she told him in a stern voice. “But, I will if I have to.”
His eyebrows furrowed in fury. He went to stand up, but they both froze at the sound of a ferocious roar broke out. She gasped as a lumbering form, a charging bear, came towards them. Jason let out a scream as he cowered beneath his own arms and she ran out in front.
“Jacob! Stop! Don’t kill him!” she yelled with outstretched arms as the charging bear began to slow suddenly, drawing up a cloud of dust from the gravel road as it did. She’d n
ever seen him in his bear form, but she knew. It was him. Coming to help her.
The bear growled, arched menacingly to attack, but remained still. Tears were running down Jason’s face. She grabbed him by the arm. “You need to get out of here. Drive until you get to the next ranger station and sleep off your drink. Don’t ever come to find me again.”
He nodded dumbly as he scurried back into his car, nearly dropping his keys as he fumbled with them. She hoped he would be okay, but she couldn’t worry about that now. He was lucky that she was saving him after he tried to attack her! His car sped away. She turned her attention to the enraged bear in front of her.
“Jacob, please, thank you. I’m sorry.”
The transformation came quickly. She’d never seen a Shifter in action, turning from their beastly form back to human, or vice versa. She gasped as the harsh edges of fur became the handsome naked body of the man that had stolen her heart. She ushered him inside, trying to ignore his glorious toned body in the dim evening hour. Grabbing a towel, she looked to the side as she handed it to him. He chuckled, a husky sound from his voice. She went to grab a mug to get some water for him.
“I wanted to rip him apart,” he told her. His voice grabbed her.
She stared at him, his eyes unwilling to leave her face.
“I couldn’t let him hurt you, Ashley.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out.
“I love you,” he told her. She dropped the mug in her hand, and it shattered on the ground.
Chapter 8
The dropped mug wasn’t the best response to confessing your love. Jacob thought that he may have gone overboard with Amanda’s romantic film advice. She shifted restlessly, fluttering over to her sink with a turned head. He went to open his mouth. To apologize, to confess his stupid love again until he heard her sniffling.
“Are you crying?” he asked with sudden worry. He went to stand and wrapped the towel around his waist, the fabric barely stretching to keep him decent. He went over to her, placing a careful hand on her shoulders.
“I was so scared,” she said in a soft voice. “All I could think about was you and Phoenix. I don’t know why. And then you came running out of the forest. And you saved me.”
“You weren’t a damsel in distress,” he said with amusement. “You were swinging that knife pretty nicely yourself. The beast took over inside me. I caught your scent. I could smell the danger and I…transformed. I haven’t done that since I was a kid.”
She glanced up at him with those gorgeous eyes, brimming with tears. How he wanted to wipe away every single one of them and then pleasure her endlessly into the night. His desire pooled in his stomach. He pressed the thought down. God, he’d just nearly torn her ex-boyfriend limb from limb and then confessed his love for her. Slow down! The beast inside him was putting up a carnal fight.
He wanted to wrap her up in his arms, to hide her away from the world until she was safe from everything in sight. His arms itched to grab her, but he stopped the beast inside him from taking over. He waited for her. Until she was ready.
He rubbed her shoulder with care. “I can give you some time alone.”
She glanced at him as if surprised. “I don’t want to be away from you.” His stomach flipped. He hadn’t been expecting that. She looked down, suddenly bashful. “Can you stay with me tonight?” Her cheeks grew dusty pink, a gorgeous shade for her skin.
He cleared his throat after a moment. “I can call the clan and have them take care of Phoenix.” She bit her lip to shoot him a guilty look. He chuckled. “She’s a baby. She’ll forget.”
“Making you ditch your baby after you saved me from my psycho ex-boyfriend?” she asked and buried her head in her hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”
He laughed and then glanced at the broken fragments of the mug. “Well, let’s clean this up before you slice open anything.” He grabbed the small broom and dustpan from the corner.
Her eyes widened. “You said you love me.”
He let out a dark laugh. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
She stooped to join him in helping with the broken fragments. She glanced down at the mess. “Jacob, can I be honest?”
“Always,” he promised. “I’d prefer you be honest even if it hurts me.”
She nodded and pressed her lips together, stopping him from sweeping up the mug. “I feel a lot like this mug…broken. I feel like I have a lot of pieces all over the place. I know that I love you too, but I’m worried that I won’t be a whole person…for you and for Phoenix. I’m worried that I’ll make mistakes. I’m worried that I’ll do something wrong.”
“Everyone’s broken,” he said as he swept up the broken glass. “Myself included. We can only hope to do the best we can.” His gaze rose up to meet her own. He held her beautiful eyes. His hand went up to her face. Her delicate lines looked so tiny in his grasp. “I want to try. With you.”
She closed her eyes. A singular tear ran down the side of her face. He brushed it away with his thumb. She smiled as she opened her eyes to look at him.
“Let’s try,” she said. Her cheeks flushed. She inclined her head towards him. His heart squeezed. The beast roared inside. It’d pushed its way to the front without him realizing. He shoved the dustpan to the side and drew her up in his arms, ignoring the thin fabric of his towel being the only barrier against her own body, still annoyingly wrapped in her own clothes.
He captured her lips like a starved animal. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him. She moaned in pleasure and surprise at the sudden movement, melting against him as they hit the kitchen table. He took the opportunity to run his hands up and down her back, desperate to feel her against his strong body. He couldn’t get her close enough.
“Ashley, I need you.”
Her eyes flashed with desire. “Then take me, Jacob.”
Chapter 9
She could feel herself melting and slipping into ecstasy from his first touches. How had she ever gone without throwing herself at him? She was melting under every ounce of attention that he was giving her. She was starved, desperate for his affection and love. She hadn’t known how much she needed him until he touched her.
No one had ever touched her like this, had pulled her so close.
Her heart skipped a beat, threatening to shut down her entire body as it dissolved into pleasure.
She could feel herself growing hot for his touch beneath her clothes. To her horror, she realized that she hadn’t showered. She tugged herself away from him. His gaze searched for her own embarrassed stare. He furrowed his brow in confusion.
“I’m dirty,” she said with a horrified look of embarrassment. He chuckled and kissed her neck.
“No worries,” he said. “I don’t mind.”
“I do,” she said between pleased moans as he continued the assault on her neck. “Let me shower.”
He considered this option. “Only if I get to help.”
“My shower isn’t very big.”
“We’ll make it work.”
She stripped her clothes, trying to ignore his hungry eyes. Suddenly she was aware of her slipping beauty regimens, the days skipped shaving legs since her work uniform covered everything. She jumped beneath the hot spray and nearly gasped as he dropped the towel. Her eyes widened.
He smirked. “See something you like?”
She blushed furiously. “Just get in here.” He didn’t need to be asked twice. She slathered herself in soap as his hands joined to help. She gasped in pleasure as his rough hands ran over her soapy body. His hand slipped towards her entrance, and she gasped as he began rubbing torturously. She leaned against him with a pleased sigh, closing her eyes in half-lidded pleasure. He chuckled, his chest rumbling pleasantly against her.
Their lips found each other again. She moaned as his tongue began to battle for dominance over her mouth. The smell of her mint soap and his gorgeous musky scent filled the bathroom. She let her fingers explore his body, enjoying the sounds of
appreciation from her lover’s mouth. He groaned as she passed her hands over his powerful member. Their kisses deepened as the suds on their body washed away.
“I can’t control myself,” he told her in a husky voice. She leveled a serious look at him.
“Neither can I.” She kissed him passionately. There was no hesitation in her body, not an ounce of resistance left in her muscles. She only wanted him. To be hers, forever.
“I want you to be my mate,” he told her between kisses. She smiled against his embrace. “It’s a process. We can discuss it later…”
She kissed him again with more impatience. She needed his touches. There would be time later for discussion. He scooped up her tiny body from the shower and carried her over to the bed.
“The towels,” she squeaked. He grabbed one off a nearby chair and threw it underneath her before depositing her on the bed. She laughed as they tumbled onto her bed, now laughably small with his large frame joining her own. He attacked her neck with newfound energy. Gradually, his kisses began to lower until she was gasping with pleasure as he began to play with her inner thighs. Throwing her wet hair against the bed, she sighed in ecstasy as he began to lap at her wet entrance.
After a passionate moment, she felt her desire building. “I need more,” she told him. Her eyes swung to survey him again. “If you’ll fit.”
“I’ll go slow,” he promised her with a half-cocky grin. She moaned as he hovered over her, positioning himself at her wanting place. She became consumed by her lust and love for him, demanding him to hurry his movements. She bucked her hips upwards as he entered her in one slow thrust. It was torture, glorious torture. Her body rolled with waves of pleasure. He roared with pleasure as he continued, working up a happy rhythm for both of them. An excited chill ran up her spine. She brought up her hips to continue meeting his thrusts. He grabbed her from underneath, his fingers digging into her backside to increase the pressure. They groaned together. He growled a beautiful rumbling sound that magnified her own pleasure.
The Baby Shift- Ohio Page 3
