by Maria Amor
There wasn’t any harm in going, she supposed. There would be other people there, and if she found it wasn’t for her, she’d gracefully exit. Besides, the thought of giving up her vacation days to go back to the lab was a sour one. The sun was shining, the air heavy with warmth. No, she was doing this.
Mind made up, she slid into the driver’s seat and took a deep breath. Trey. He was an hour away. A little giddy with the thought, she put the SUV in reverse just as her phone rang. Recognizing the unknown number as the same that had called three times in as many days and hung up each time, she ignored it. The call went to voicemail, only to immediately ring again. Parking at the end of her driveway, Gia took the call, with an irritated, “Hello?”
Silence met her greeting. About to hang up, a voice through the line stopped her. “Ms. Santos? It’s Mack Campbell, from After Hours.”
She remembered him with distaste, how his eyes had been glued to her breasts the entire time he’d spoken to her at the mixer. She wondered briefly how he’d gotten her number, and then recalled the form she’d had to fill out to attend the event.
“Hi. What can I do for you?”
“Oh, this is just a follow up call. Did you happen to make a connection at the mixer on Saturday?”
“Sort of, yes.” Shaking off a sense of unease, she looked in the rearview mirror to check her lipstick.
“I see.” He sounded disappointed. “May I ask with whom?”
She wanted to say no, but didn’t see what matter it made, either way. The sooner she could get this follow-up over with, the better. “Trey Cross. We’re actually meeting for the weekend at his ranch to see how it goes. So if you’ll excuse me, I really need to head out.” Maybe a little haughty, but the dude gave her the creeps.
He made a disapproving sound. “I… I see. Actually, Ms. Santos, I’d love to meet with you when you return—“
Nope. That was a whole lot of nope. “I really have to be going. Have a nice day.” She clicked off and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat. Mack Campbell had that ass hat vibe, the one some men wore like bad cologne. Though he hadn’t done anything to outright offend her, the mere sound of his voice or his presence set off her asshole-alert. Unlike Trey, who set her off but in other, delicious, ways.
Double-checking the map on her GPS, Gia set out. Soon, the scenery and beauty of the day robbed away the last of her nerves about doing this… until she turned down a long dirt road and followed it along a purple and gray mountain range. A driveway veered off to the left, a tall, arching sign with ASPEN RIDGE carved into it. She followed the drive down a small hill and then up. Before her, the ranch seemed to bloom out of nowhere. Excitement uncurled in her belly.
A huge, brown log house sat just off to the left, with a sprawling porch wrapped around the front. Farther off to the right, outbuildings sat here and there, some large, some smaller. Beyond them was flat grassland as far as she could see until the mountain range impeded her view.
Parking in front of the house, Gia wiped her palms on her jeans and tried to steady her nerves. This was a bad idea. Yet, even as she thought it, she knew it wasn’t true. A warm sense of rightness chased her apprehension away, as if she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Suddenly, her car door opened and a large, tanned hand slipped inside. She looked up into a flat abdomen covered in a tight tee shirt. Heart pounding, she peeked higher to Trey’s smiling face. Her breath caught at the rugged lines of his face and the dusting of dark blonde stubble on his jaw. She took his hand and let him help her out of the vehicle, wanting to say something but her mouth was too dry.
“Gia. I’m so glad you could make it.” He kissed the back of her hand, and it wasn’t lost on her how incredible he looked in his dust-covered jeans and worn tee shirt.
She licked her lips. “Me, too.” A small silence passed between them, giving her the urgency to fill it up and make this less awkward. Movement to her left caught her eye. A large black bear ambled across the lawn toward the house, paused mid-step and shook like a dog flinging off water. In two blinks, the bear twisted and arched, its form taking on a human shape. Caught in the scene, she couldn’t look away as the last vestiges of animal seemed to fall away and a man -- a very naked man -- resumed walking until he disappeared into the house.
Trey grimaced and shook his head. “Sorry about that. That’s my younger brother Xander. He’s not shy about shifting in front of others.”
Oh God, she was in bear shifter country. All of them… bears. It wasn’t as scary as it was shocking. Discreetly, she gave Trey a quick once-over. All that animal contained inside his rock-hard body, waiting patiently until he chose to unleash it… she shivered.
Placing a hand on the top of her car door, he peeked inside as if just remembering something. “Your friend couldn’t make it?”
When she’d texted Trey earlier to let him know she was on her way, she’d forgotten to mention Hope. “No. She’s not feeling well.”
He studied her with half lowered lids, one side of his mouth twitched and settled into a quick smirk before fading. Shifting from one foot to the other, Gia had the distinct impression he didn’t believe her, or something. This intense scrutiny served what purpose?
“That’s too bad. Well, I’m not shy to admit that I’m happy to have you all to myself.” And… cue mood change. “Honestly, I’ve been looking forward to you arriving all week.”
She had been too, reluctantly. Beneath the trepidation, excitement and anticipation were squirrely little buggers, popping through her reservations and throwing glitter around. “Me, too.”
Trey cupped the back of her head with his free hand, pulling her in before she even realized it. A soft rush of breath left her lips before Trey claimed them. It was just one kiss, gentle and welcoming, but it was enough to make her lean forward in search for more. Gia steadied herself, realizing that he was still taking her in, but this time, his appraisal was glossed with pure heat and nothing more.
Tucking hair behind her ear, she wet her lips with her tongue, and was rewarded with the full-bodied flavor of him. “So, should I bring my things to the cabin, or…?”
Amusement pulled his lips, the dusky heat in his eyes saying he’d like to devour her whole. “Cabins are full. You’ll be staying in the house. With me.”
CHAPTER THREE
Why did she have to taste so good? Trey helped Gia retrieve her things from her vehicle, reminding himself that this whole thing was a test. It wasn’t personal, not until he could be completely certain that Gia wasn’t involved with the crimes against his shifters. He may have relaxed his suspicion based on instinct that quietly told him she wasn’t the culprit, if he hadn’t been informed that another clan member had been duped after the mixer Saturday night. By a blonde who sounded an awful lot like Gia’s friend. She’d managed to get away with his credit cards and two hundred in cash from his wallet.
Considering he’d left the mixer shortly after Gia agreed to come to the ranch, he had no idea what the two women were up to for the rest of the evening. He’d wanted to stay with Gia longer that evening, but his raw attraction to her had been making it too hard to be objective. One kiss is all it had taken and he’d been all muddled in the head. No, it was easier to have her here where he had more control. Besides, as soon as Dell got back from the cattle auction, he was going to swing by and discreetly identify, or not, Gia as the culprit.
Trey felt a little guilty about that, but it had to be done. What better proof than an eyewitness ID?
Inside the house, he showed her to the guest room that was conveniently located across the hall from his own.. Then, he took her on a tour of the house. He was secretly pleased how she responded to the house with awe. His grandfather crafted the hand-hewn logs and overhead crossbeams that made an intricate pattern to the cathedral ceiling. Wood floors ran throughout, graced with vibrant red, black and white rugs woven with Native American symbols and Southwestern design that his mother had loved so much. In many ways, the house wa
s still a shrine to his parents, left the way his mother had decorated it, her most cherished Terry Redlin Cowboy artwork, and sandstone Navaho pottery dotted tastefully here and there.
Two stories; eight bedrooms each with its own bathroom; a galley style, stainless steel outfitted kitchen; a workout room and twelve thousand open square feet, big enough to hold a handful of large shifter men. He knew the risk of letting a maybe-thief have free reign with so many precious things around, but it was one he was willing to take. Besides, he knew every piece, every valuable. Wouldn’t be hard to figure out if one was missing.
“This is beautiful!” Gia paused by a buffet table against the living room wall and gingerly touched the fist-sized geode that sat in the middle. Trey picked it up and let it rest in his palm. The once spherical rock had been cut in half to reveal the beauty inside. The center was white, creamy and pearlescent, with flecks of red and orange and yellow that created an Aurora Borealis effect along the top center. The colors rippled in the light as Trey moved the geode from side to side.
Gia’s astonished gasp warmed him—why, he wasn’t sure. “This is an opal geode,” he explained. “They aren’t all that common around here, but our clan has a top secret digging site that we pull these out of now and again. We have fire opals in the study. Looks like tiny constellations inside.”
“Rock hound, are you?”
Trey took her hand and flipped it over, passing the rock into her palm. She cupped it and brought the opal close to her face, gazing into it like a magic ball. He had the strongest urge to trace her cheek with his thumb, to absorb some of her wonder and hold it close to his heart.
“I enjoy finding them. They are precious.” Unable to help himself, Trey stepped closer. “Beautiful. One of a kind.” His hand slid behind her neck and lifted the heavy curtain of her dark, glossy hair. Her breath hitched, but her gaze remained on the geode. Gia wet her lips, and closed her hands around the orb.
“I… I’m a microbiologist, but I love gems, rocks and—“ she closed her eyes as he let her hair run over his hand, only to brush against her neck as he did it again. “Fossils. See?” She reached for the chain around her neck. The two inch grey pendant looked like stone, but when she flipped it, Trey could see the delicate imprint of what looked like a fern.
“Very nice. Where did you get this?” Fossils weren’t too hard to find if you knew where to look. A list of nearby locations began to run through his head—places he could take her to search, if she wanted.
“Oh, it was a gift from… someone special.” The way she said it, so longingly, left a bitter taste in his mouth. A gift, huh? He took the geode from her and replaced it on the table. How long until she started hinting at things she wanted, or better—started to take? Resigned to not think about this now, Trey took Gia’s hand, enjoying the warm weight of her fingers on his. It was disgusting, this tug of war between his suspicion and his attraction to her. Just then, the front door banged, followed by the heavy sound of boots on wood. Trey groaned, sensing his brothers before they came into view.
Bo and Xander rushed into the room, shirtless, the both of them, wearing copycat excited smiles. Xander’s face morphed into dark heat the moment his eyes landed on Gia. Bo’s followed a split second behind. Trey pulled her against his side and slipped an arm around her waist.
“Gia, my brothers Bo and Xander. Who promises to no longer shift in the view of others,” he arched his brows at Xander, who had the grace to look sheepish.
“Ah, sorry about that.”
“Boys, this is Gia Santos. My guest for the next few days.”
Bo stepped forward and offered his hand, his blatant appraisal of Gia’s many desirable attributes giving Trey the urge to smack his brother right between the eyes. Her curvy body and long, dark hair was a calling card for most shifter men and Trey realized he’d have to rub his scent all over her, so to speak, to keep the others away. Which meant he’d have to mark her… to take her as a mate, in order to do so. Shifters moved fast. Once they knew a woman was right for them, they sealed the deal before she could be stolen away. Nature and all that, he supposed, drove their animal side to claim a mate, or fight for the right to hang onto her a while longer while he made up his mind.
And he wasn’t about to fight his brothers over Gia.
Or… was he?
Bo finished his introduction, followed by a glossy-eyed Xander. Trey cleared his throat, snapping both their attentions back to him. He didn’t look at Gia, didn’t want to read her expression right now. He could feel her relaxed and soft against him and that was good enough. The last thing he wanted to see in her eyes was interest in his brothers. After all, she didn’t know about the damaged parts of him, and even if he did decide to take this further with her, she might high-tail it as soon as she saw what was under his clothes.
“Something you boys wanted other than to gawk?”
Bo hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “You better come out. Hannah’s in labor.”
Gia stiffened and Trey gripped her hand with reassurance and excitement. Looking at her, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Starry-Eyed Hannah is our prize quarter horse mare. We’ve been impatiently waiting for her to deliver her filly.”
“May I come?”
Trey gave her a double-take. What thief would give two shits about a horse about to give birth? The genuine anticipation radiating off her said this was no act. Gia really was interested in being a part of an event he’d been waiting for with bated breath. As if she really cared what was important to him.
He threaded their fingers together. “I’d like that.” His brothers moved to the side as they passed, and Trey couldn’t help but throwing over his shoulder, “Get shirts on, for crying out loud.” The last thing he wanted was their impressive display of masculinity in front of his woman.
His.
She was his. For now and until he decided not to have her. Even if the thought of letting her go was a very hard, very conflicting punch in the gut. Because if he fell for her, and she turned out to be—
No. He wasn’t going there.
In the stable, his beloved Hannah was laying on her side inside her stall, panting with deep, noisy breaths. Trey knelt by her side and stroked her strong neck. This would be Hannah’s fourth and final foal, a filly, if the ultrasound they’d had done three months ago was correct. He’d raised this mare since she was born right here on the ranch, and had become one of their best cattle horses. Her beautiful composition, strong lineage and eagerness to please made her one of their top horses. Two of her foals were here on the ranch, while the other two, including this one, had already commanded top dollar.
Hannah responded to his touch, trying to raise her head to greet him, but falling back to the hay. He’d been present for each of her deliveries, as if she waited for him instead of giving birth in the middle of the night like many of their mares did.
Speaking softly to Hannah, Trey was pleased when Gia knelt down next to him and touched the horse’s black mane.
“She’s a pro at this,” Trey said. “But Xander’s already called the vet to be on standby, just in case.” He eyed his brother to make sure that was the case. Xander nodded reassuringly.
“She’s beautiful.”
They knelt together, quietly reassuring Hannah for the next hour. Trey watched Gia from the corner of his eye, appreciating her calm, gentle nature as she stroked the mare’s mane and spoke to her softly. It was rare and special to find a person as in-tune with animals as you were yourself. Granted, he had a bear inside him. His connection to other living things was instinctual, natural and effortless. For humans, it wasn’t always that easy.
The mare began to grunt and lift her head to put her nose to her belly and Trey knew she was close. He figured he’d better prepare Gia for what he was about to do.
“Gia, I’m going to shift.”
Her gaze snapped to him. “Now? Why now?”
“Horses have a strong natural aversion to bears. Even in my human form,
a horse can sense what I hold inside, what I am. Without proper imprinting, a horse will shy away from us, thinking us a threat instead of a companion. If I shift now, the newborn will get a full sense of me, and she’ll learn not to fear the scent of bear.”
Her eyes brightened and once again, he had a sense of rightness at her acceptance of things that other women might not be so willing to accept. Trey got up and moved to the gate.
“Where are you going?” Gia called out, getting to her feet.
Bo opened the gate and let Trey out. “We can only shift while moving—walking or running. A shift isn’t possible if our bodies are stationary.” With that, he walked to the end of the aisle between the stalls, and turned to face them. Gia wouldn’t be able to see his back this way, not with him walking toward her. He wasn’t willing to let her in that far, yet. Feeling the heat from her eyes even at this distance, Trey inhaled deeply, picking up her scent and savoring it as he stripped from his jeans and shirt.
He began a slow walk, needing the shift to complete before he reached Hannah’s stall so Gia wouldn’t be able to see his scars. It only took seconds before his skin began to tingle and burn, a pulsing heat welling up from deep inside him and pouring over every inch of his body. It was uncomfortable, but it didn’t hurt. More like the pent up energy of an impending release… the need for change and the promise that it would all feel better once it happened.
Each step brought a minutia of change—the dissolution of skin, the lengthening of bone, the rearrangement of organs—replaced by thick, black skin covered in layers of glossy black fur, his two legs becoming four as he dropped onto large, padded paws. His claws clicked against the cement, the heat ripping away and leaving behind an icy coolness that said the shift was complete. Shaking his head, the movement of his new body mass displayed he was in form. That, and the wide-eyed, disbelieving stare that Gia gave him.
