by Ally Summers
He hung his head. “Yeah, yeah I’m finished. I did four cars.”
“Good.” I walked around him, almost gasping for air when I passed him. There was an electric charge in the space around his body. It was tangible and sent a current through my limbs. I knew I was responsible for half of that connection.
I raced to my office to write up the tickets. I needed clean air. Air that didn’t involve my mate’s breath. My mate’s energy. God, I was even saying mate.
He stood in the doorway after a few minutes.
“Don’t come in here,” I ordered. “It’s clean in here. Not a speck of oil or grease.”
“I noticed. You are probably the cleanest mechanic in the state of Georgia. And the only one who puts flowers in her office.”
“I’m a girl, not a Neanderthal,” I shot back. I didn’t know how long I could keep it up. “Why don’t you just go? I’m almost done here.”
“Then, why don’t you let me take you out to dinner? Or at least for a drink?”
I felt the unexpected heart flutter again and growled. One day wasn’t enough to deter him. He was going to keep asking and hanging around until he knew I’d accept him as my mate.
“Look, Josh. I think we should get this out in the open and that way you can stop wasting your time.”
He leaned against the door and crossed his arms. His T-shirt clung to his biceps and I almost whimpered. He was built like a damn wall of stone. Every part of his arm was chiseled with perfect lines. Why couldn’t I get some geeky wimpy guy I could toss out on his ass? Instead, I had the one who took my breath away and looked hotter than hell with grease streaked across his shirt.
A quick vision of ripping it off of him and letting him take me on my white desk entered my head for a second before I regained control of my senses. That was the panther in me drawn to me. It wasn’t me.
“What is it?” His voice was deep.
“It’s just. It’s…it’s not going to happen between us. And I thought I could save you some time. Save your energy, you know? Coming up with ways for us to hang out. It’s not going to happen.”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really.” I nodded my head, needing to swallow. His chest puffed out and the bulge in his arms expanded. I was struggling to fight my animal instincts.
“What you’re saying is that you don’t want to be my mate?” He took one step inside my office.
I nodded rapidly. “Exactly what I’m saying.”
He took another step. I could start to feel the air charge, but there was nowhere for me to go to get away from the cloud of lust he carried wherever he moved.
“It’s not you. I mean, it is you because you’re my mate, but it’s not you. I made this decision before you even showed up. So, technically—not you.”
“I don’t see how you can make that decision, Tessa. You haven’t even let me kiss you yet.”
The flutter under my ribs was out of control. Suddenly, all I could do was focus on his lips and how damn kissable they were.
“Don’t come any closer. You’re dirty. And my office is a safe zone,” I whispered as I felt the restraint I had loosening by the second.
“And you don’t want me to ruin this perfect life you have.” His hands landed on my desk, marking it with smudges.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But what if you like life messy and don’t know it yet?”
I shook my head. “I know what I want. And it’s not…” Before I could tell him he was the one ruining everything, he pulled me over the top of my desk, tangling his hands in my hair and kissing me with rough and wild abandon.
His mouth moved over mine, sucking at my lips before slipping his tongue inside. I groaned as it twisted along mine. The purring was spontaneous, but it came from the back of my throat as his hands moved to the sides of my face, holding me steady, while he kissed the hell out of me.
He stood back, eyeing me with the cockiest expression I’d ever seen.
He grinned. “You’ve got a little grease right there.” He touched the side of my cheek where his thumb had been.
I felt the fire I had for him switch to instant rage. “Get out,” I roared. “Get out!”
“See you tomorrow?” He chuckled as he backed out of the office.
I wanted to claw his eyes out. Kick him in the gut. Go full panther on him for what he had just done. I spun on my heels to catch a breath, placing my hands where he had smudged my white desk.
My heart was beating and all I could hear was the thump of my blood in my veins. I closed my eyes. He had done exactly what he wanted. He had won the first round.
5
Josh
Tessa. She drove me mad. She drove me crazy. She made me want to destroy things. Tear apart her office. Rip her desk to shreds. But the second I heard her purr, I wanted to carry her up those stairs and take what was mine. The feel of her skin. The silk of her hair. It was making me unravel, like a fucking love struck kid.
She was combustible in my arms. She had to feel it too. There was no way to ignore what was humming between us.
I saw it in her eyes. I felt it on her lips. She wanted me too. Only she was going to make the chase harder for me. Tessa wasn’t giving in to her panther.
With a girl like her I was going to have to prove I was worthy to be her mate. That was the only way. I had to show her I was the kind of man she could count on. The kind that was the jaguar she’d always heard about growing up. A hero. A rescuer. A partner in our bond. Only I had no idea how to do all those things.
But I was in her town. Surrounded by people who knew and loved her. There was a way to find out how to get under her skin.
She had mentioned her mother more than once. I figured that was the best place to start.
The house was small, tucked in a grove of fruit trees. I closed the door to my Jeep and surveyed the land that was part of Tessa’s family land. At least that’s what I had put together. Her family had owned this land for generations.
It was picturesque. The wraparound porch. The peach trees budding with blossoms. I took a whiff of the air and it reminded me of Tessa. The wildness whipping of the grass smelled like her hair.
I walked toward the house and stopped when I saw the ramp leading to the front door. I knocked a few times before I heard someone call on the other side.
“On my way.”
The door opened, but my eyes darted low to the woman sitting in a wheel chair in front of me.
“Mrs. Cunningham?”
“Yes?”
“I know this visit is probably a surprise to you, but I was wondering if we could talk about Tessa for a few minutes.”
“Tessa?” Her hands clamped on the wheels of her chair. “Wait, you’re…”
I smiled, trying to look reassuring. “Yes, I’m Josh. Her mate.”
“I don’t know that we have anything to discuss.”
If I thought I was going to have an ally here, I might have miscalculated. Tessa’s mother wasn’t the definition of a gracious hostess.
“I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes. Not long.”
“About what?”
“About your daughter. About why she seems unaccepting of her panther duties.” I cleared my throat. Having this conversation with her mom seemed a little odd and uncomfortable.
“Ahh. You want me to help you change her mind?”
I scratched the back of my head. I didn’t know how long she was going to make me stand on this porch. “Not change her mind exactly. If there’s one thing I’ve figured out about Tessa it’s that she has strong opinions. Maybe she gets those from you.” I grinned.
The woman wasn’t having any of it. She pressed her lips together.
“Jaguar charm won’t work on me, Josh.”
“No, No. I’m not saying it will.” Suddenly I was backpedaling and I didn’t know why. I was the damn alpha here, not her.
“Maybe you should go.” She wheeled enough to push the door closed, but I ja
mmed my foot in the threshold.
“No.” I eyed her. “I’d like to come in.”
I could see her trying to decide how to let this play out. “All right. But you have five minutes that’s all.”
“Thank you.”
She moved enough for me to enter.
Five minutes might be all I needed to find out why Tessa was so hell bent on sending me away.
6
Tessa
It didn’t seem to matter what engine I worked on, it was there in the back of my head. Josh was here. He was in Four Corners because of me, and he wasn’t going away easily. I thought about that kiss last night. A kiss the brought my panther to the surface even when I told her to calm down.
I didn’t know she could be called out so quickly. Josh was teaching me new things about my animal side I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with.
He was cocky and arrogant. Smug and a complete flirt. Maybe the problem with him was that he knew how gorgeous he was. He knew women would break down doors to get in his bed. He knew he could take home anyone he wanted.
In this case, the only one he wanted to take home was me.
I couldn’t shake it. The kiss. The pull to him. The fact that he was slowly getting under my skin.
“Tessa? Tessa? Are you done with the oil change?”
I fastened the oil cap back on and wiped my hands. “Mrs. Palmers, it’s ready for you.”
Like clockwork, she brought in her Buick every three thousand miles. She never let the engine go a mile over, even though I had told her it would be ok if she let a few miles slide. I appreciated her loyalty and her commitment to my shop.
“You do such nice work, Tessa.” She smiled at me.
“I enjoy it.” I started the engine for her just to make sure it sounded smooth and steady the way she liked it.
“And you’re neat. Anywhere else I go those men are so messy.” It was my favorite compliment.
“Thank you.”
“I can’t imagine going anywhere else to have my car service.” Her gray eyebrows knitted together.”
“Well you don’t.” I squeezed her shoulder. “I’m happy to help you with your car anytime you need.” Her husband had died three years ago, and the widow had leaned on the community to get back into the swing of things.
“But if I did have to. If you moved, dear. Or if you closed the garage.”
I whipped around to stare at her. “Did you hear something? I’m not closing the garage Mrs. Palmers.” I needed to put this rumor to rest immediately.
She fidgeted with her wallet before handing a few bills to pay for the oil change.
“I’m sure it was only gossip.” She waved her hand in the air. “I shouldn’t worry about gossip.”
“No, no you shouldn’t. But where did you hear this gossip if I may ask?”
“When I had coffee this morning with my friend Alma. You know Alma Sands?”
I nodded. “Of course I do.”
“Well she said she heard that you were in a serious relationship and might be interested in closing the shop to get married. It’s not that we blame you, hon. We don’t. Love makes us do crazy things. I know. I followed my Albert to the ends of the world.”
I felt the rage simmer in my chest. “I’m not closing or selling or leaving the garage. I promise.” I tapped her wrist. “And I’m not in a relationship or love. So wherever that came from is just completely and utterly wrong. Who would start a rumor like that?”
“Well dear, if you must know, it was your mother.”
My mouth dropped and I stared at one of my favorite customers. The unthinkable had finally happened.
“Mom! Mom!” I stormed through the front door, not closing it behind me. “Where are you?”
“In here.” She was parked at the kitchen table, hunched over her sewing machine. “I’ve got curtains to finish for Alma Sands.”
“Ahh, so that’s how she heard about Josh.” I placed my hands on my hips. “The question is how did you hear about Josh?”
It was easy to trace the grapevine around town. I had heard my share at the shop. I just never expected the source to be my own mother.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was in town?”
“Because I’m hoping he’ll leave town.” I sat across from her. Her eyes were on the needle as it threaded the hem of the café curtain.
“You should have called me, Tessa. Or at least warned me.”
“Warned you? I can handle him. I’m taking care of it.” It sounded convincing at least.
“I met him. You should know he came by yesterday afternoon.”
“And that’s all it took? One afternoon and he convinced you that I should give up everything and marry him?”
She let go of the sewing machine and looked at me. “Tessa, he had some convincing arguments.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure. That’s all he has. Reasons and laws. History and obligations. Generations of traditions. Blah, blah, blah. But I can’t leave everything to be his mate. You know that.”
“What I know is all we all have to make sacrifices. And maybe this is yours.”
“I sacrifice every day. I work my ass off in that garage to hold on to this house. To keep Grandpa’s garage. To pay for things you need.” I didn’t want to say because of her condition, but it was expensive to add ramps and I was still paying off the loan for the van she drove.
“I’m not saying you don’t work hard. But that’s a different side of life than being a shifter. You can’t choose the shop over your duties.”
I hopped from the table and looked through the fridge. There was a pitcher of iced tea. I poured two glasses and put one in front of my mother.
“Here’s the thing, Mom. I’ve heard of a group of she-panthers in Sullen’s Grove. They’re in North Carolina. They are taking a stand against the traditions. They are doing what they want to do.”
“And that’s something that interests you? Rebellion?”
I hung my head. It was dishonorable. It was a slap in the face to what my mother had sacrificed for me. “No, but I want time to think. I wanted a heads up he was coming. I feel like I was blindsided.
“And now he’s here and I feel like I’m losing control. He knows where I work and live. He’s come to see you. I can’t control him.”
She sighed as if my answer eased her worries. It was clear she didn’t like the idea of the Sullen’s Grove rebellion.
“Do you want my advice, Tessa?”
“Yes, Mom. I do. I need it. Because right now I’m drowning in anger and resentment. I’m mad he’s here. I’m mad he showed up and wants to ruin everything I’ve built.”
Her glass made a thump on the table. “Is there anything else in there other than anger? Or is the anger clouding all the love and kindness I know in you? Have you asked yourself that? Is there something else there?”
I couldn’t look at her. Of course there was. I felt a strong connection to Josh. Maybe that’s what I resented the most. He showed up with his sexy smile, to-die-for body, an electric charge in the air I started to crave.
She answered for me. “Give him a chance. Give the shifter process a chance. There’s a reason this has been a part of your heritage for generations. There’s a reason he’s here. There’s a reason you feel so strongly. Stop pushing against it and listen to it.”
“But, Mom. Everything will change.”
“Life changes anyway, sweetheart. There’s nothing you can do to stop that. Something else is going to come along and make you question everything. This isn’t the first or last time. This is what it means to live. Josh isn’t here to ruin your life. He wants to be a good mate, but you’ve got to give him a chance.”
“What did he say to you?” I looked at her over my tea. “What could he possibly say with that charming smile of his to prompt this speech?”
She laughed. “He is charming. I wouldn’t even let him in the door when he showed up.”
I giggled. Served him right. He needed to learn to use a d
amn phone.
Her tone changed. “But I listened. He has good intentions. And I think he could make you happy. And that’s all I want for you. Happiness and a life that fulfills you.”
She reached her hand across the table and squeezed my fingers.
“Live this life for the both of us.” She smiled. “Listen to whatever else is in there. Tune out the anger. Can you do that for me?”
I nodded. “I can try.”
“Good. That’s all I ask.”
7
Josh
I decided to stop by the garage on my way out of town. Drew needed me in Mill Valley for a couple of days. I didn’t want to leave, but my brotherhood was a priority as well.
I could see Tessa leaning over the hood of a car. Her hair was swept to the side and she wore tight jeans that hugged her ass in all the right spots. She made it hard to leave and she didn’t even know how I felt about her.
She wouldn’t give me the time to show her, or tell her. The few conversations we had were filled with sexual tension and non-stop banter. I had to find a way to break through that.
I cleared my throat as I walked inside the car bay.
“Hey, there.”
She turned to face me, locking the hood in place. “Hey. I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I wanted to let you know I’m going to be gone for the night or two, but just a quick trip. Thought I’d say goodbye.”
“Oh?” I wasn’t sure if there was a smile on her lips. It hurt. I didn’t want that look on her face. I wanted anguish and heartbreak.
“Yeah, one of the other Tribe members needs me to help him out with something. I’ll drive back as soon as we’re done.”
“Okay.” She turned back to the engine.
“That’s it?” I stood behind her, not ceasing to study how her clothes clung to her. I swore no other mechanic was as sexy as this one was. And she was supposed to be mine.
