by Rayna Tyler
Feeling as if I’d gotten a reprieve, I had no problem agreeing to her stipulations, not if it meant she’d forgive me. I couldn’t believe I’d followed it up with an invitation for ice cream. Why the memory of the quaint little shop I’d seen when I’d first arrived in Ashbury had picked that moment to pop into my head, I had no idea. It had to be one of the lamest moves I’d ever made with a woman, but it was the only thing I could think of to get her out of the bar so I could spend more time alone with her.
I wanted to be the one to take her home, but not right away. My stomach clenched into a tight knot, and I wanted to kick myself for suggesting we get a delectable treat after an amused smile formed on her lips. I was certain she’d tell me “no,” or worse, laugh in my face. Instead, she’d happily agreed, and I’d nearly fallen off my stool.
It hadn’t taken us long to drive the busy stretch of road between the bar and Ashbury. Friday night in the small town was no different from any other city in the country. People who’d spent the week working hard finally had a chance to get out, relax, and have some fun. Cars occupied the spots in front of the shop along the town’s main street, so I had to park my truck two blocks away from our intended destination.
I wasn’t completely without manners. Things might have been tough growing up, but my mother made sure I understood the right way to act around people when I was younger. I dashed around the front of the vehicle, getting to Mandy’s door in time to open it for her. Being independent, I’d expected an argument, not the beaming smile I received when she took my offered hand.
As soon as she slid from the vehicle, her foot missed the curb and she fell into my arms. “Sorry.” She gripped my shoulders to right herself, her breasts pushing into my chest, her stomach pressing against my groin.
I took the time to inhale her feminine scent. A scent belonging to her alone. “No problem. Are you okay?” I was instantly hard and suppressed a growl, hoping she hadn’t noticed how her nearness was affecting me. I loosened my grip but kept my hands on her hips longer than I should have. I knew it was wrong, but I could see where her penchant for accidents could play in my favor.
“Fine, thanks.” She glanced at the ground, moving to the side and making sure her next step connected with the sidewalk.
“Feel free to throw yourself at me anytime.” I closed the door and pressed my hand to the small of her back, guiding her in the direction of the shop.
She chuckled. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
My legs were longer and my strides faster, so I took smaller steps, falling into an easy pace with Mandy. Even though the street lamps lit up the area, I got glimpses of the star-filled evening sky as we walked. The other couples we passed were deep in conversation and seemed oblivious to our presence.
She shuddered, then, to my surprise, tucked her arm through mine and leaned into me as we moved along the sidewalk. “You’re really warm.” She gazed up at me and smiled. “You don’t mind, do you?”
Hell no. I hadn’t noticed that there was a slight chill in the air, mainly because it didn’t bother me. Because of my wolf, my temperature always ran a little warmer.
“Not at all.” For the first time today, the uneasy tightness in my gut was gone and my wolf was calm. If the animal could purr, he’d be rumbling loudly.
I’d never been a great communicator, mostly because I didn’t care what other people had to say. With Mandy, it was different. I wanted to know everything about her, had plenty of questions, but didn’t know where to start. Lucky for me, she didn’t have the same problem.
“Berkley told me you lived in California. Do you miss it?”
“Not really.” I placed my hand over hers, stopping at the end of the sidewalk and waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green signaling it was okay for us to cross the street to the next block. “I moved around a lot and didn’t get a chance to call any particular place home.”
“And now?” She glanced at the ground before stepping off the curb. “Are you planning to make this your home, or will you be leaving soon?” There was more than curiosity in her tone; somehow, I sensed my answer really mattered to her.
“I haven’t decided. I promised Berkley I’d give it a year. After that...” I didn’t know. It was the truth, though the more time I spent with my siblings, and now Mandy, the more I could see myself settling down here. Having a real home for the first time in my life.
“Oh.” Her smile faded, and there was a note of disappointment in her voice.
Would she miss me if I suddenly decided to leave? Talking about myself was not a subject I enjoyed, and I wanted the smile to return to her face. “What about you? Have you lived anywhere else, done any traveling?”
“I grew up in Ashbury and never made it out of the state. I’ve gone to Denver a few times, and Hanford is the farthest east I’ve ever been.”
“Berkley said you’ve known each other a long time. How did you meet?” I asked.
She wrinkled her nose, and her step faltered as if my question somehow troubled her. “You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not.”
“It’s kind of a long story,” Mandy said.
“We have plenty of time.”
“Okay, then.” She spent the next five minutes telling me about her experience. By the time she finished, we were standing in front of the ice cream shop. I was glad my sister had been there for her all those years ago. If I had been the one to intercede, the two boys who’d terrorized Mandy would have returned home beaten and bloodied.
“Shall we?” I cut a path between the six round metal tables with matching chairs that took up a wide section of the sidewalk. Each table had a blue-and-yellow umbrella attached to a tall pole mounted to its center. I opened the door, letting Mandy enter ahead of me. It appeared that quite a few people had the same idea, because there was a line extending down the main aisle in front of us.
“We can go somewhere else if you’d rather not stay,” Mandy said.
“It’s fine. I promised you ice cream, and waiting doesn’t bother me.” I grinned and placed my arm around the back of her waist. “Besides, you’re the one who’s going to have to put up with me a lot longer.”
She patted my chest. “I’m pretty sure I can handle it.”
Yep, there was surely going to be purring.
The line disappeared sooner than I thought it would, and we found ourselves standing in front of the counter being greeted by a tall and lanky, freckle-faced teenage boy. “What’ll ya have,” he said through a thick mouthful of braces as he dipped a metal scoop into a small container of water.
“I’ll have one scoop of the mint chip with extra hot fudge topping.” Mandy pointed at the half-empty tub of pale green ice cream sprinkled with bits of chocolate.
“Extra chocolate, huh? Do you have a sweet tooth?” I asked.
“You have no idea.” She giggled. “I’m still holding out hope that chocolate makes it into one of the recommended food groups.”
Nick glanced back at the attendant. “I’ll have the same, but make mine three scoops and double the extra hot fudge.”
Mandy rolled her eyes at me. “What were you saying about a sweet tooth?”
“Guilty.”
In no time, the attendant had finished, and I paid for our order. “Why don’t we sit outside?” I snatched the ice-cream filled containers off the counter.
“Sounds like a plan.” Mandy grinned, grabbed two Styrofoam cups filled with ice and water, then headed for the door.
There were a couple of empty tables available inside, but I had an ulterior motive for wanting to sit outside. Hopefully, Mandy would be a little more chilled after eating her ice cream and wouldn’t mind snuggling up against me some more.
There is a reason wolves have a reputation for being devious.
MANDY
Don’t get attached, don’t get attached, don’t get attached. Being with Nick was easy, fun, and way too comfortable. And I didn’t want to listen to my inner voice’s warning or consider the pos
sibility that one day, he might decide to leave.
I saw him gazing with interest at the remainder of my ice cream, and I encircled the cardboard dish protectively with my hand. “Don’t even think about it.” I waved the pink plastic spoon I held in my other hand in front of his face. “You already had three scoops. How can you still be hungry?”
Nick grinned. “I was trying to impress you with my willpower. Usually I have five.”
I laughed, glancing at his lean muscles and wondering if a high metabolism was a shifter thing or a Nick thing. I thought about asking him but didn’t get the chance. My thoughts were interrupted by the two men who’d stopped next to our table. A prickly sensation skittered along my neck, and I raised my gaze to take a look, then wished I hadn’t. They were sneering at Nick, and I got the distinct impression they were here to cause trouble.
I couldn’t remember their names but recognized their faces. They worked for Desmond Bishop, the owner of the Hanford Regency, a recently constructed luxury hotel near the city it was named after. My father never said why, but he refused to do any work for the man and had warned me to stay clear of him.
Both were dressed in short-sleeved button-down shirts and jeans. They were tall, maybe a few inches shorter than Nick, and had similarly thick arms, as if they’d spent most of their time working out in a gym. What caught my attention most was their cocky, confident stance. It reminded me a lot of the cowboy Berkley had been dancing with in the bar. The only difference between these two and him was the dangerous gleam in their dark eyes. A gleam that had me scooting my chair a little closer to Nick’s.
The one standing closest to me smacked the other man on the arm with the back of his hand. “Dale, can you believe Reese let his brother off his leash?”
So this was personal. Nick had his arm draped across the back of my chair, and I felt his muscles tense. I gave him an indirect glance, noting how tightly he clamped his jaw and the way his other hand was fisted against his thigh. I didn’t see any fangs, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before his wolf pushed to the surface.
Dale snickered. “Maybe he hasn’t learned that wild animals don’t belong around beautiful women.” He licked his lips, letting his lustful gaze linger on my breasts. It was unnerving and made my skin itch. I resisted the urge to cross my arms to block his view.
“Take your eyes off my...” Nick snarled, narrowing his gaze.
His what? I didn’t have time to contemplate what he’d been about to say. Nick was pushing his chair away from the table, the metal scraping loudly across the sidewalk’s concrete surface. I was certain Nick could take care of himself in a fight, but two against one wasn’t fair odds. Besides, I didn’t want to see him get hurt and needed to find a way to defuse the situation, and fast.
I also remembered my father’s warning and was suddenly afraid of what Desmond Bishop would do once he learned Nick had tangled with his men. “Don’t. They’re not worth it,” I pleaded, gripping Nick’s arm and urging him to remain seated.
He slowly settled back in his chair, his intense glare never leaving the two men. He pressed his head near my face and whispered, “For you, anything.”
I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I had hoped Dale and his buddy would take the hint and leave, but no such luck. It didn’t matter what I said, they were determined to provoke Nick into a fight.
“Why don’t you come with me, pretty thing? I’ll show you how much better I am than this worthless half-breed.” Dale licked his lips again.
That was it. Nick was growling again, and I’d had all I could take of these two idiots, their badgering, and of Dale staring at my breasts. I wasn’t stupid enough to get into a verbal confrontation, so I searched for something I could use as a distraction. I noticed how close my cup of water was sitting to the napkin dispenser and decided it would work nicely for what I had in mind.
It didn’t take much effort for me to make it look like an accident when I reached for a napkin and my hand accidentally brushed the side of the cup, knocking it over. Water splashed across the table, over the edge, and right down the front of Dale’s pants.
“What the...” Dale jumped backward and growled, elbowing his friend in the process.
Not only was he wet, but the water had been cold. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling when I saw that some of the ice hadn’t melted and was sitting in the puddle on the table. “Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry.” Though I didn’t mean a word of it, my gushed apology sounded sickly sweet.
“You did that on purpose, you little...” Dale took a menacing step toward me, then stopped when two couples exited the shop. They gave Dale and his friend a wary glance, then headed for the empty table sitting farthest away from us.
“Leave it and let’s go.” Dale’s buddy nudged him, obviously not wanting to draw any more attention.
“Fine.” Dale shrugged away from him, then glared at Nick. “This isn’t over, Pearson.”
I waited until they were out of hearing distance, then turned to face Nick. “What did he mean this isn’t over?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” He brushed his hand across my cheek and tucked some loose strands behind my ear.
Of course, I was going to worry, but I refrained from saying anything. “They were shifters, weren’t they?” I made sure to keep my voice low so the people at the nearby table couldn’t hear me.
“Yeah, wolves,” Nick said absently, continuing to stare after the two men until they’d gotten into a vehicle parked down the street and driven away.
There were obviously more shifters living in Ashbury than Berkley had led me to believe. I was going to have a serious talk with my friend the next time I saw her. With my strong attraction to Nick, it also brought up the question of whether shifters had more than the friendship kind of relationships. The kinds that were long-lasting, more precisely, the ones with humans. Other than the turning-into-an-animal thing—a big deal by itself—as far as I knew, shifters’ lives were pretty much the same as anyone else’s.
Would I be wasting my time? Should I even be contemplating the possibility of getting to know Nick better, that our interest was mutual and could lead to something more? Nick wasn’t sure if he was going to be sticking around. Did I really want to put my heart out there only to get it broken again?
“I’m sorry about that.” Nick placed his hand on my thigh. “Are you okay?”
I snapped out of my musing and met his gaze, concern darkening his furrowed brow.
“I’m fine. It’s not the first time I’ve had to deal with bullies.” I placed my hand over his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Nick, you need to be careful. Those men work for Desmond Bishop and he’s...dangerous.”
“Are you worried about me?” He seemed elated by the notion and gave me a lopsided grin.
“I’m more worried about what Berkley would do if something happened to that handsome face of yours,” I teased.
“So you think I’m handsome?”
Unbelievable, arrogant wolf. “No, I...”
He captured my hand before I could pull it away. “Thanks.”
A rush of heat spread across my cheeks again. “For what?” I wasn’t sure if he was still talking about the compliment.
“For the trick with the water and keeping me from losing control.”
“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” I asked.
“Maybe some other time. Why don’t I get you home before we get into any more trouble?”
“Sure.” For once, I wasn’t anxious to go home, and reluctantly pushed away from the table. I let him take my hand and lead me toward his truck, wishing the whole time that the evening would end with one or both of us getting naked—together.
Chapter Eight
NICK
I leaned on the edge of the lateral cabinet pressed against the far wall in Reese’s office and crossed my longs legs at the ankles. It was midmorning by the time I was able to get Berkley to drag her ass out of be
d and join Reese and me for our meeting to discuss additional security for the resort.
While we waited for Berkley to get her much-needed coffee, I replayed the previous night over in my head, at least the parts that involved Mandy. I’d almost said “mate,” almost divulged to her and the males working for Bishop about her connection to me. My protective instincts were shouting loudly that her safety could be at risk if they knew what she meant to me. As for Mandy, the fear of rejection was strong. It was part of the reason I was hiding behind denial and the reason I wasn’t willing to tell her.
She knew about shifters and seemed comfortable with me being one, more than comfortable if I took the time to analyze the situation. It was unclear whether she was aware of the wild wolf side of my nature. Would she accept that part of me as well, or would she avoid me like so many others had once they found out?
Any further contemplation was interrupted by Berkley treading barefoot across the hardwood floor. She still wore her oversized purple night shirt with paw prints all over it and had thrown on a pair of wrinkled sweats underneath. Even the state of her hair was haphazard, having been fastened behind her head in a ponytail.
Noting the darkened skin beneath her eyes and the way she protectively clutched her mug, it wasn’t hard to assume she hadn’t gotten much sleep. She ignored Reese’s questioning look, pushed aside a stack of papers, then hopped on top of his desk. After crossing her legs in front of her, she shifted so she was facing both of us.
“Rough night, sis?” Reese frowned at the mess she’d made of his organized files.
“Back off.” She snarled and flicked her hand, extending her claws at him threateningly.
Reese snorted, ignored her warning, and leaned back in his chair. I watched their interaction, secretly amused. I’d have thought with all his military training Reese would know better than to antagonize our sister before she’d had her fill of caffeine. Or maybe irritating her was his way of showing affection.
After taking a long sip, she glanced between Reese and me, then asked, “What was so important that you couldn’t let me sleep a little longer?”
