Actually there was probably a lot of questions she should be asking, but she yawned and let her eyelids drift closed. First, sleep.
* * * *
The couch was cramped, but Mike made do as he stared at the ceiling, listening for movement in the next room. He’d seen the beast lurking within Trinity, and it’d came at him with teeth bared. He hated himself for striking it, because Trinity had been there too, her eyes wide with fear.
He felt sick to his stomach as he sat up and shoved his fingers through his hair. He’d gotten too involved already. How the hell would he end her life in twenty-seven days?
He’d tracked the werewolf that had attacked her, but it had slipped through his fingers the first time. It was his fault she was a dying woman now. It was his fault. It proved small comfort to know he’d killed every last werewolf in that conservation area last night.
He rose and paced. As a kid he’d dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps. His old man had been a world-renowned werewolf hunter from Scotland. Mike had learned everything from him. Everything he needed to know to track and kill werewolves. Everything except how he should handle the guilt of knowing his own incompetence had cost this woman her life.
He lived day to day because he saw death each time he went on a hunt. He knew he had a bounty on his head. Mike had carried on his father’s legacy, and the werewolves wanted revenge for decimating their numbers. Death followed him as surely as his shadow, and he’d trade his life for Trinity’s if it would spare her the disease.
Morning at last dawned, and he had a pot of coffee brewing when Trinity appeared from his bedroom. Her mussed hair and sleep-flushed face hit the maleness in him and heat spread through his bloodstream. She rubbed her eyes and gave him a shy grin that left him weak in the knees. When had a woman ever left him weak in the knees?
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey,” he replied, feeling at a loss for words. The guilt of her accident had quelled his attraction earlier, but it was back.
Her gaze darted around the room, finally settling on the coffee pot. “Can I have some?”
Mike nodded and spun toward the cabinet. “Yes, of course.” He pulled a mug out of the cabinet, checked inside it for dust, then handed it to her. “I have powdered creamer and sugar somewhere I think.”
“No, that’s okay, black is fine. Caffeine is all I need.”
He grabbed the pot and poured her a mug-full before filling his own mug. “I usually eat out, so I don’t have much in the way of food. Would you like to go grab breakfast?”
She squinted at the digital clock on his coffee pot. “Um, I’d love to, but I have to work. I have a photo session in a couple of hours. We still need to get my car, then I have to go home and clean up.”
His heart fell, and he reminded himself that he wasn’t a teenager hoping for a first date. He’d have to follow her though. He’d never stalked anything but werewolves and wasn’t sure how good he’d be at keeping track of a human without being seen. Nonetheless, it had to be done.
“Oh! What happened to your head?” she asked, breaking into his thoughts.
He absently reached up to the wound covered in butterfly bandages at the edge of his hairline. “I, uh, tripped. Smacked my head on a rock.”
He let out a nervous laugh. In reality, he’d been thrown against a tree after getting caught off-guard by the werewolf hoard in the conservation area. It’d been a hairy few minutes as he’d faced-off against them. Luckily, he had skills that got him through it so he could get Trinity back to his place. With the pocket of werewolves gone he had nothing to do but wait for Trinity’s transition. His hand shook as he set his coffee mug on the counter.
“I’m a klutz too,” Trinity said with a smile. Her lips were kissable and inviting. What he wouldn’t give to have one small sample of them.
“As soon as you’re ready I’ll get you back to your car.” He cringed inwardly at his sharp tone. He needed her out of his place because the desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her was overwhelming his common sense.
Her smile faded and she cleared her throat, setting her mug next to his. “We can go now.”
They stood staring at one another. His imposed life of loneliness didn’t want to see her go. He didn’t have friends outside of occasional contact with other hunters. His love life was nil, and having Trinity so close brightened a dark place within him—an empty hole he did his best to ignore, though he often found himself staring into it on long nights.
“Maybe we can have coffee again some time?” she finally said as the minute stretched into two.
“Sounds good,” he blurted out, then regretted it. Getting to know a woman he’d end up having to kill was insanity. He had to remain detached to get the job done.
But the return of her smile wiped out his regret and a new thought formed. He owed her, didn’t he? He owed her for the life she’d never have thanks to him letting the werewolf slip through his fingers. He owed her because he would have to put her down.
“Or better yet, how about dinner and a movie tonight?” he suggested. Like a stupid movie and cliché dinner could come close to touching what he owed her.
“Sure.”
“Great. Let’s get you to your car.”
The drive back to the conservation area felt surreal as he battled a war inside him. Duty to kill any and all werewolves versus desire for the sweet woman seated next to him, who was still mostly human. They chatted over light, casual topics, but guilt twisted around his heart, making it hard to focus on the conversation.
Once he dropped her off, he headed back home, anticipating their date that evening. They’d settled on a diner near his apartment, and some cheesy, crime drama movie. He shifted in his car seat, playing with the idea of inviting her back to his place after. A stupid, stupid idea, but it teased his imagination.
He owed her, but dinner and a movie wouldn’t cut it. What could he do for her? They barely knew one another, and he didn’t want to freak her out. He chewed on the different ideas dancing around his head but couldn’t settle on one. He hoped something would come to him tonight.
Chapter 2
The day seemed to drag by. Trinity had to work with an arguing couple and a fussy toddler for the photo shoot. She had a nagging headache, and had to deal with random dizzy spells as she suffered through the session then drove home to get ready for her date. Her date! With Mr. Hotstuff! She couldn’t believe her luck; how serendipitous for him to find her out in the forest. The thought of being stuck all alone out there still sent shivers through her. Mike was her real-life knight in shining armor.
She showered and then searched for the right outfit in her closet, unable to stop smiling and humming in happiness. Her love life sucked and she’d actually won the attention of her crush. How often did that happen for her? Pretty much never.
Dressed in a long skirt and a fitted sweater that did just the right things for her assets, she puttered around her place. It was still too early to leave for her date so she went to her computer and downloaded the photos she’d taken today.
As she scrolled through them she paused, staring at the pictures from the conservation area. One in particular sent a shockwave through her. The foreground was a lovely shot of a blue bird settled on a low bush with a berry in its mouth, but it was what stood beyond that made her heart stall. A large, dark mass holding the rough silhouette of a human figure faced her. She had been too caught up in the perfect nature scene to notice it. She zoomed in on it. Shaggy hair, dagger teeth gleaming; she broke out in cold sweat. One of the exact monsters that had given her the horrific nightmare at Mike’s place stared at her from this photograph.
She sagged back in her chair. It had to be a trick of light and shadow. Her mind matrixing something that didn’t exist, like people did with supposed photos of Bigfoot. But this was definitely no Bigfoot, it was much too hideous. The more she stared at it the uglier and more frightening it got.
Then the computer screen swooped and swayed a
s dizziness hit. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the vertigo. She stood and half-stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed a pack of cookies from the pantry. She hadn’t eaten much, so hopefully it was only low blood sugar messing with her. She stuffed a couple into her mouth, and cringed, catching a bad chemical taste. The sugar cookie brand had always been her favorite, but they tasted awful. Maybe the morphine Mike had given her was playing with her sense of taste.
The spell passed and she ignored the nagging worry of rabies. Her injuries were healed and she didn’t want anything getting in the way of her dream date tonight. She jumped in her car and headed to the diner where she was meeting Mike. When she spotted him waiting by the diner door, butterflies broke out. She parked her car then got out and walked toward him. His eyes cast down to her toes and back up.
“You look great,” he said, and she blushed at his compliment.
“Thanks, so do you.” Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest, he looked positively appetizing.
He held the door open for her and they found a booth.
“What’s good here?” she asked, looking over the menu.
She caught his scent, a heady, masculine cologne mixed with something even more potent and inviting. A raw maleness she’d never noticed on another man. She sucked it down in greedy gulps and it laced her bloodstream with fire. She squirmed as arousal hit, and her pussy tightened. She squeezed her thighs closed and tried to steady herself.
“I usually get the chicken pot pie.” His deep voice tickled her most feminine parts.
God, get it under control before you orgasm right here.
Trinity focused on the pot pie, automatically calculating the calorie content of the rich-looking meal pictured on the menu, then shrugged. Tonight she’d throw caution to the wind, be damned her diet. The server appeared, and once they ordered and had their drinks, they sat staring at one another. She took comfort in the fact he seemed as socially awkward as she was.
“How’s your arm?” he asked.
She shrugged. “It’s actually nothing but a couple of minor scrapes. I’m surprised they bled so much. I thought they were serious gashes that needed stitches.” She chuckled, dismissing her mind’s eye image of the grotesque animal in her photo. “I thought an animal had attacked me and given me a horrible disease.”
He fumbled with his water glass and knocked it over. Water poured over the tabletop and onto her lap.
“Oh my God.” Mike jumped up as she scrambled out of the booth. He grabbed napkins from the napkin holder on the table and shoved them toward her. “I’m so, so sorry.”
She smiled, dabbing at the wet spot down the front of her sweater and skirt. “It’s okay, a bit cold but no harm done.”
The server appeared, offering more napkins and another water glass, and helped them get settled at a dry booth. They stared at one another some more, trying out different avenues of small talk until their food arrived.
It had to be the most awkward date she’d ever had, but she couldn’t deny the sizzling chemistry. At least on her end. His hair was still shower-damp, curling in a boyishly charming way, while his amazing blue eyes left her all fluttery when they captured hers.
The decadent-looking chicken pot pie barely had flavor as she spooned it down, trying to appear as interested in her meal as he did. Mike had a healthy appetite, and she couldn’t remember a time when she’d actually been aroused by watching a man eat. She squirmed and crossed her legs as naughty thoughts danced through her mind, one after another.
Should she invite him back to her place? She wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman, and she wanted this to go further than a one-night stand. Mike clicked with her. Trinity had been thinking a lot about the future and a family of her own. She wanted to find the right guy and settle down. She knew she treaded on dangerous ground that could end in heartbreak, but she wanted to give Mike a chance.
Once the check arrived, and he insisted on paying, they left the diner and started walking to the movie theater a block away. In the bravest move of her entire life, she reached for his hand. He shot her a quick look, then his eyes softened and he smiled, lacing their fingers together.
She was on cloud nine as they entered the theater, bought popcorn, then found a cozy spot toward the back to watch the movie. She leaned into his arm as they shared the popcorn and watched the screen. She felt like she was in high school on her very first date. Dating felt fresh and brand new again, and after the movie ended and he escorted her back to her car she made up her mind.
“So…you want to come back to my place?” she asked, feeling her face heat to her ears.
For several long and terrifying seconds she waited for his reaction. His smile faded and he shifted from foot to foot, staring past her shoulder.
“It’s getting late,” he finally said.
Embarrassment flooded through her. “Uh, yeah, sure. I’m tired too.”
She spun toward her car, but before she made it two steps he grasped her upper arm and pulled her back around. She sucked in a sharp breath just as his mouth found hers. His lips were hot, pliable, and she sighed as his tongue slipped between her teeth. His hands found her hips, pulling her tight to him, slanting his mouth over hers to gain better access. She gave in to the kiss, to his masterful and magical lips and tongue, clutching at his shoulders as she sagged against him.
He growled low in his throat and backed her into her car. He was hard-packed muscle beneath her hands and against her body. His lips left hers and trailed to her ear. He nipped her earlobe, his hot breath against her ear sending shivers racing over her skin.
“Trinity,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t do this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to slow her breathing. She felt aroused beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Every one of her senses devoured Mike. His rich, heady scent, the sight of his lust-drawn face, the deep, passionate pitch of his voice, the feel of his body pressed into hers, the sweet taste of him still on her tongue.
“The offer is still open,” she said on a ragged breath.
Mike let out a low groan and studied her face, those eyes of his piercing right into the heart of her again. “I may not be the man you think I am, Trinity.”
His heart beat a rapid staccato against her palm as she rested her hand on his chest. Sadness flashed across his face, and she sensed he was hiding something from her.
“Are you married?” she blurted out.
He blinked then shook his head. “No, I’ve never taken a relationship that far.”
There seemed to be an underlying warning to his words, a warning of what she would be getting herself into if she spent the night with him.
His hand trailed down her back. “I’m not a good man. I think you deserve a good man.”
She lifted her chin. She had the right to decide what kind of man she wanted, and tonight she wanted her crush from the gym, consequences be damned.
She feigned a confident smile. “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die, right?”
He flinched.
She took hold of his hands, ignoring the nagging voice in her mind reminding her of what she actually wanted. “I don’t care what tomorrow brings. I’m happy with my life as it is, and if things end come morning between us, then my life will go on as it always has.”
Mike blew out a breath, looking like a man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I’ll follow you back to your place.”
As she drove back to her house it felt like a dream. She couldn’t believe her good fortune, but at the same time she worried what this would cost her. After all, she wasn’t a one-night stand kind of person, and she wasn’t sure how she’d survive after tonight. Something about Mike made a bigger impact on her than she expected. Bigger than she really needed. But she stuffed those doubts and insecurities into the back of her mind. Her body still hummed with his touch, with his kiss, and by the time she pulled into her driveway she felt ready to come undone.
Mike pulled up as she stood by her car waiting. He walked up to her smiling and she motioned for him to follow her inside. Once the door was shut behind them he brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, his eyes gentle as they took in her face.
“You deserve the world, beautiful,” he said. “You should have the world.”
She gave him a shaky smile, he seemed almost sad. “I’m a homebody to be honest. Traveling has never been my thing. But I hope to see Ireland next year. I’ve been saving up for the trip.”
Mike blew out a hard breath and shoved his fingers through his hair. Was he having second thoughts? She reached out and settled her palm over his heart, feeling its steady, heavy thump beneath her hand. He was so alive, so virile, and she feasted on his energy. He placed his hand over hers, and squeezed her hand.
* * * *
Mike dipped his head and took her lips. Her soft mouth yielded, and he delved his tongue inside. She tasted of sweet mint, and he savored the flavor. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her close, loving the feel of her curves pressed into his body.
Dragging his mouth away from hers, he looked into her passion-darkened eyes. “Are you sure about this?” he asked.
“To be honest, I’ve never been sure of anything in my life, but I do know I want you tonight.”
He searched her face, guilt digging a deeper and uglier hole inside of him. Was he really about to make love to a woman he’d have to kill in a few weeks? One he, himself, had condemned to death?
He had always been a selfish man. He’d grown up the son of a hunter, which left him alone for days on end as a child—his mother had left when he was four years old. He’d learned how to fend for himself, and he’d learned how to skirt the law to get what he needed to survive. He’d committed crimes in his never-ending hunt for werewolves. Terrible crimes.
But Trinity’s beguiling blue eyes stared up with a heated promise, and he wanted to get lost in human contact. He wanted to lose himself in this beautiful, desirable woman to dull the edges of remorse. He wasn’t sure how women took him as a lover, but he hadn’t had any complaints, and he wanted to give her the best night he could.
Untamed Shifter Love Page 14
