by Ruby Shae
Tad wanted to hunt down her ex and beat the shit out of him, but he knew he couldn’t. Not only would his act of revenge be confusing, it would ultimately contradict his lies about not being attracted to her.
“You said he works for your dad. Is that why he stayed with you? To advance in the company or something? And why didn’t your dad fire him?”
“That’s the funny thing,” she laughed. “My ex said he stayed with me because he thought it would give him a better chance at becoming a partner, and taking over the practice one day, but he didn’t need me. My dad loves him. Always has. Hell, he introduced us, and I doubt my ex could do anything to get himself fired.”
“That fucking sucks.”
The words seemed inadequate, but they were the best he could come up with. He knew what it was like to be betrayed by a lover, and though her wounds weren’t life threatening, she’d still faced public humiliation and censure.
Just like he had.
“Yeah, it does,” she agreed. “So, how about that job?”
He was starting to like her. Not because fate said he had to, but because of her. Sassy, confident and brave, were the things that stood out the most, and he knew hiring her was dangerous for both his head and his heart.
“You can have the job,” he said, “and I’ll let you have the room you stayed in last night, rent free. When do you want to start?”
“How about tomorrow?” she asked. “Today I’d like to check out of the B&B, and do a little grocery shopping. Your fridge was pretty bare, so let me know if you need anything, and I’ll get your list, too.”
“I usually just eat at the diner,” he said, walking toward her. “But thanks. If we’re going to be living together, then I guess we should be on a name basis.”
He’d left out the traditional first-name designator in an effort to make her smile, and he was instantly rewarded. The giggle that erupted from her lips was at odds with their previous tense conversation, and he was thankful for the counter separating them.
“Hi, I’m Tad Mitchell,” he said, sticking out his right hand.
He glanced down at the grease stains, and started to pull back, but she grabbed his palm firmly. An electric shock raced down his spine, and he wanted to pull her up, and take her on the counter.
“I’m Audrey Harris.”
Her arousal filled the room, wrapping itself around him, and his bear went wild.
On the verge of shifting, he immediately dropped her hand, and backed away, but he could feel his canines extending, and he was sure his eyes had already changed.
“Whoa,” she said, inspecting her hand. “You shocked me.”
He couldn’t tell by looking if her reaction was good or bad, but the scent of her arousal intensified and nearly knocked him on his ass.
“Sorry about that. It must be from the tools,” he lied.
Thankfully, she didn’t question him.
“Yeah,” she said, slowly lowering her hand to her side. “I’m going to go now.”
She turned and left without another word, and Tad was both delighted and disappointed to see her go.
Chapter Three
One week later…
“So you’re just…living with some stranger in the woods?”
Audrey rolled her eyes, and flipped another page in the foodie magazine she’d picked up in the grocery store nearly a week ago. The last time she’d talked to her best friend, Kaylee, it had been her first day working for Tad, and she’d promised to call the woman back later.
She hadn’t.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Kaylee, or that she didn’t want to talk to her friend, it was the fact that she’d wanted to keep Tad to herself just a little bit longer. Once she told her friend about him, he would essentially be up for grabs, and even though he’d made his feelings about her perfectly clear, she hadn’t been ready to share.
After three days of messages ranging from slightly distressed to borderline threatening, Audrey gave in and called her friend.
“God, it sounds horrible when you put it like that,” Audrey laughed. “I’m renting a room from my employer, nothing more.”
“Yeah, but you said he lives in the middle of the forest.”
“The whole town is in the middle of the forest,” she defended, “and it’s surrounded by a bunch of mountains, too.”
“You’re being weird,” Kaylee said. “I can’t help it if I’m worried about you. You went through a major trauma, and then took off a week later without a word—”
“I texted you,” Audrey reminded her.
“A text is not words,” Kaylee shot back. “By the time I got the text, you’d been gone for hours. I’m just trying to make sure you’re okay.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Audrey said. “To answer your question, yes, I’m living with a stranger in the woods, but we’re not completely secluded. His repair shop is next door, and he has a solid clientele. His schedule is booked nearly every day, and during work hours, people are constantly coming and going. I’ve met a lot of people in the short time I’ve been here.”
“So where exactly are you?”
“Don’t tell anyone, but I’m in Grayslake, Georgia.”
“Oh my god, Audrey,” Kaylee squealed. “You drove to Georgia by yourself?”
“Yep,” she said, proudly.
“Wow, I’m impressed, but Georgia is so far away.”
“It’s not that far,” Audrey assured her. “If you fly, it’s only five hours.”
“You’re never coming back here are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
Saying the words out loud made them both pause, but Audrey wasn’t surprised by her decision. Many would see her leaving home as running, but she was glad she left. She liked Grayslake, and even if working for Tad didn’t pan out, she wasn’t going anywhere else.
“I guess I need to apply for a new credit card,” Kaylee said.
“A new credit card?”
“Yeah,” her friend laughed. “If I’m going to be a Frequent Flyer, I want my miles.”
Audrey’s laughter joined Kaylee’s and they didn’t stop until their sides hurt.
“So, tell me about the guy. Is he sexy?”
“Sexy doesn’t even begin to describe him, Lee,” Audrey said.
She folded over a page in the magazine, and glanced around the shop. Tad had left to run an errand nearly an hour ago, and though she didn’t see his truck in front of the house, she needed to verify he hadn’t parked in the back and slipped in when she wasn’t paying attention.
“Oh man, you like him,” Kaylee declared. “Does he know? Does he like you, too? Do you think you’re on the rebound? Tell me everything.”
“Unfortunately, he knows.”
Audrey took a deep breath, and everything came pouring out.
The depressing B&B, the night she met Tad and how he’d initially rejected her and then ended up saving her a couple of hours later, how the next day she’d convinced him to hire her and rent her a room, and how he mostly kept his distance except when food was involved.
She was pretty sure he only ate dinner with her because it saved him a trip into town for a hot and ready meal, but his reasons didn’t matter. Most of the meals she made would provide too many leftovers for one person, and sharing with him made her feel good. The fact that they usually talked through the meal was an added bonus.
Kaylee listened attentively through all of it, but Audrey knew what her friend deemed most important.
“He’s tall, Lee,” Audrey started. “Really tall. I think he’s about six-feet, five-inches, and he has the most gorgeous, dark brown eyes. His hair is also dark brown, and he’s heavily muscled without looking bulky. I haven’t seen him with his shirt off yet, but I’m willing to bet he has eight-pack abs.”
“You haven’t seen him with his shirt off?” Kaylee asked. “How is that possible?”
“I know right?” she laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s hiding from me so I don’t get, quote, th
e wrong impression, and think he’s changed his mind about me or something.”
“Oh please,” Kaylee said, drawing out the “E” until she was out of breath. “Does he think you’ll swoon all over his flat abs and demand a relationship?”
“Apparently,” Audrey said, deadpan. “Or maybe I’ll pass out from his sheer awesomeness.”
Their laughter filled the line again, and they didn’t stop until she saw a customer park their car in front of the building.
“I have to go, Lee,” Audrey said. “A customer just pulled in.”
“Is he sexy?”
“I can’t tell, yet, he’s still in his car, but I’m willing to bet he is,” she smiled. “Most of the men here are.”
“Really?” Kaylee asked. “Maybe I need to plan a trip there immediately.”
“Don’t pack your bags, yet,” Audrey laughed. “I still need some time.”
“I know, silly,” her friend chastised. “I was just teasing.”
“Later gater.”
“Later.”
Audrey hadn’t been lying when she’d said she needed time. Unfortunately, it was time to get over her boss, not her ex. The one question she hadn’t answered was whether or not she thought her feelings for Tad were some sort of rebound, but the answer was a resounding no.
She honestly hadn’t thought about her ex since she’d arrived in Grayslake, and that had been three days before she’d met Tad. The truth of the matter was, her ex was an ass, and she was lucky to be rid of him.
Unfortunately, she was drawn to Tad like a moth to a flame, and she wasn’t introducing him to anyone until her feelings disappeared or considerably weakened.
She’d never survive if Tad fell in love with her super-amazing best friend.
***
“Hey babe,” Clint said. “I heard a rumor that you were working out here, and I had to come see for myself.”
After hanging up with Kaylee, Audrey hid her phone and magazine under the counter, and glanced back through the open bays when she heard the familiar rumble of Tad’s truck pull into the driveway. Behind him, his brother’s truck rumbled, too, and both had a full bed of what looked like parts and supplies.
Audrey had officially met Declan her first day on the job. She’d been embarrassed when the bar owner had first walked into the shop, but when she found out he was Tad’s brother, she’d been mortified.
Luckily, Declan seemed to approve of her working for his brother, and he never mentioned what she was now referring to as the Long Island Iced Tea incident.
“Hey Clint,” Audrey said. “The rumors are true. How can I help you today?”
She knew he didn’t have an appointment, and she was pretty sure he didn’t want one. Dread filled her as she waited for his next words. She could handle Clint, she’d met plenty of men like him before, but she didn’t enjoy fending off losers.
“How about you meet me at the bar, and we can pick up where we left off the last time?”
“No thanks,” she said simply.
“Why not? I know you’re not fucking that loser Tad, and a woman like you has got to want to get laid every now and then. I’ll make it good for you, babe, I swear.”
Oh hell no!
“A woman like me?” she asked. “What does that mean?”
“Come on, babe,” he replied. “We both know why you were out that night, and I like a girl with a lot of extra padding. More cushion for the pushin’, you know what I mean?”
“Listen up, ass—”
Tad moved so quick, she didn’t even know it was him until he had Clint pinned against the glass windows in the lobby.
“You don’t talk to her like that again,” Tad growled. “Ever. Do you understand me?”
“Fuck you, Tad,” Clint snarled. “You need to mind your own business.”
“You’re on my property, and she’s my employee. That makes it my business,” Tad said. “Apologize. Now.”
When Clint didn’t comply, Tad pulled him forward and slammed him against the glass. A tiny crack splintered across the entire window, but Tad didn’t release his hold on the man.
Audrey glanced at Declan, and when he didn’t move to help his brother, she rounded the counter and placed her hand on Tad’s bicep.
“Tad,” she whispered. “Let him go.”
He turned to look at her, and his dark brown eyes looked like solid black orbs. She knew his eyes changed when he was angry, but she’d never been this close to him before. Instead of being afraid, she wanted him even more.
“He was rude to you,” Tad said. “I’m not letting him go until he apologizes.”
“I don’t want or need his apology,” she explained. “He’s not worth it.”
He stared at her for a full minute before he pushed Clint toward the door and released him.
“Get off my property, and don’t come back.”
“Your loss, babe,” Clint said to her. “You’ll regret this later.”
“I seriously doubt that,” she snapped.
As the three of them looked on, Clint left the building, got into his car and drove away.
Once he was gone, Tad rounded on her.
***
“Why did you stop me?” he yelled. “Don’t you think I can protect you?”
Tad knew he sounded irrational, but he didn’t care. The scent coming off of Clint had been pure malice, and his first instinct had been to protect his mate at all costs.
The engine he and Declan were carrying nearly hit the floor when they’d walked into the bay and heard Clint propositioning his mate. Declan’s calm voice had been the only thing stopping him from wasting thousands of dollars, and as soon as they set the hulking piece of metal on the ground, he flew across the shop. Declan followed, but the man knew his help wasn’t needed.
“What? Don’t be ridiculous,” Audrey yelled back. “I had everything under control.”
“That doesn’t matter,” he barked. “You should have called me.”
Even as he said the words, he knew she was right.
“Why?” she snapped. “I can take care of myself.”
“Because,” he growled. “You’re my ma—…employee.”
“And it wasn’t work related,” she countered.
Neither one of them budged, and time seemed to stand still as they faced off.
“Okay, guys, that’s enough.”
Declan stepped between them and placed a hand on Tad’s chest, pushing slightly. It wasn’t forceful enough to move him, but he took a step back anyway.
“It’s over. It’s been a long day, and we still have some work to do,” Declan continued. “Audrey, would you mind going into the house and bringing out something cold to drink for everyone? Tad and I are going to get back to unloading the trucks.”
“Sure.”
She took a deep breath, gave Declan a small half-smile, and walked around the two men. When she got to the door, she stopped and looked back at them.
“For the record,” she said, quietly. “I’ve never once thought that you couldn’t protect me…I just didn’t think that you wanted too.”
She left without another word, and Declan turned on him.
“You have to tell her.”
“No, I don’t,” Tad argued. “I have everything under control.”
“Right,” Declan said, inspecting the cracked glass. “Because this is control. You’re lucky she stopped you, or you would have pushed Clint through this window. It will hold for now if we reinforce it, but any more pressure and it’s going to shatter. Kind of like you.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I don’t need a mate.”
“You’re a liar,” Declan scolded.
“Whatever, man,” Tad said, walking toward the open bays. “Let’s get the trucks unloaded.”
“Look, I know Cindy’s betrayal hurt—”
“Hurt?” Tad yelled. He turned on his heel and pulled his shirt up so Declan could see his scars. “You know this shit hurt? You don’t have a fucking clue! The poiso
n consumed all of my senses. It twisted everything, and I literally wanted to die. You know what kept me moving? What, exactly, made it possible for me to survive and make it to the clan compound? It wasn’t you, or mom and dad, or work, or anything else. It was revenge. I knew she wouldn’t be punished unless I lived. I gave her everything, Dec. Everything! And she threw it all away like garbage. She threw me away like a piece of garbage.”
Declan grabbed him by the nape of the neck and pulled him in for a hug.
“It’s been five years, bro. It’s time to let it go.”
“I don’t know how,” Tad said, pulling away.
“Start by taking off your shirt. Let Audrey see all of you, and when she doesn’t run away screaming, tell her the truth.”
Tad sighed, but he refused to ask the question that had been nagging him since he first laid eyes on his mate.
What if she does run away screaming?
“I’ll think about it,” he finally offered.
He knew Declan had a point, but letting go of any kind of betrayal was hard, and he wasn’t the same man he was five years ago. Could he start over and be the kind of mate Audrey needed, or would he forever be stuck in the past?
It’s time to let it go…
His brother’s words echoed through his mind again the moment Audrey walked back into the shop. Instead of coming in the front door, she’d walked around the back, and entered through one of the open bays. Her hands were wrapped around the handles of a wooden tray that held a pitcher of lemonade, and three ice filled glasses.
“I made lemonade,” Audrey said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I hope it didn’t take too long.”
“Thank you, Audrey,” Declan said.
He picked up the pitcher and dumped the entire contents over Tad’s head.
“What the fuck, Dec?” Tad bellowed.
“Declan!” Audrey screamed. “What are you doing?”
She put the tray down, and grabbed a couple clean rags out of the cabinet.
“You’re welcome,” Declan whispered. “Call me tomorrow.”
