by Reina Torres
“Mi-mister Winter, hello.”
His smile changed to mirth. “Aaron, please. We’re not going to worry about formalities among family.”
“Ah-” she opened her mouth to push back the very idea of being part of their family, but there was something in his eyes that told her she’d be wasting her time. “Aaron.”
She was rewarded with a grin that lit up his face.
“Celeste will be thrilled to know you’re here. Come inside.” He stepped back and gestured toward the front door. “I can show you around after you sit down for a bit.”
True closed her door and stopped to tilt her head toward him, curiosity taking over. “Why do you think I need to sit down?”
He shrugged, and she had to admire the ease at which he moved his massive body. “When I walked up to talk to you, you looked a little… off-kilter. Maybe,” the spark in his eyes said he was being kind, “it’s the thinner air up here in the mountains.”
How could she not like this man who seemed to make everything so easy and relaxed for her?
“Maybe. Sounds good to me.” She laughed, letting out the remains of her nerves.
His laughter joined hers.
“I think I’m okay now.” She took a few steps to move away from her car. “My feet are firmly planted in the present.”
It was the truth. Speaking with Aaron Winter grounded her, like magnetic north on a compass.
“And I really can’t wait to see the inside.”
Aaron offered her his arm and she took it, enjoying his gentlemanly manners. As they walked, Aaron filled her in on the changes that had been recently completed. The timbre of his voice was a joy to listen to, like carols during the holiday. Everything set her at ease, until they passed through the open doorway to the bar.
It was like a furnace.
The heat of the room coursed through her like a backdraft, sucking the air from her lungs.
She let go of Aaron’s arm, hoping to ease the sensation. A bear shifter of any kind put out a ton of heat under any circumstances, but this was different. Even letting go of his arm didn’t change the nerve-searing sensation that she was completely out of place.
Aaron didn’t seem affected in the least.
If anything, he seemed amused.
Folding his arms across his barrel of a chest, he sighed like an indulgent father.
“Is there any chance at all that you two could, oh… I don’t know, put on some clothes?”
True blinked and then blinked again.
Sure enough, there were two men in the room, but the focus of her attention had been on one.
So much so that she thought he’d been alone.
Maybe she really should have sat down for a bit.
As the two came around the granite topped bar, she realized she was in a lot of trouble. It was like staring at a pair of marble sculptures wearing jeans. Both men had broad chests and muscles to die for. One dark blond and the other with inky black hair. The hot shifter fireman calendar in Sylvan City would recruit these men in a heartbeat.
But no matter how handsome the blond was, her focus remained on the other.
The one staring at her like he wanted to tear her to pieces.
And his friend was more than amused at the thought. So much so, he smiled and she got a decent look at what was hiding under his skin. Lion. “Is this the bartender from the big city?”
The casual purr of the lion’s voice put her hackles up. Why? She had no idea. It’s just what it was.
“True Sinclair.” She bristled at the way he’d dismissed her job in that offhanded way. “I’m a mixologist. I craft signature cocktails for bars and hotels.”
“Well lucky for us,” he gave her wink, “we’re both. And I like a woman who knows her way around cock and tails.”
True heard a warning huff from Aaron as he took a slight step forward.
“Mind your manners, Locke. Miss Sinclair will be treated with respect, or you’ll suffer the consequences.”
The hard edge of warning in his voice turned her head. “What… what does that mean?”
Aaron’s face eased back into the affable expression she was used to seeing. “Oh, don’t worry. I don’t have to hurt them physically to get the point across.”
Locke’s energy flooded the room in her direction. “He knows how to hurt us where it matters,” he explained, “our forever-empty stomachs. I’d do anything for a slice of Celeste’s pies, and Zay here,” he tilted his head at his silent companion, “he’s more of a whipped kitty than I am.”
“Kitty?”
Even as she asked the question the answer was suddenly crystal clear, at least in her head.
Panther. Dark and sleek and too damn dangerous to her by far. Oh, it wasn’t that she was in any danger of getting close to him. No, his eyes regarded her with an expression that sent chills through her body.
Locke sent his friend a sideways look before he returned his gaze to her face. The smile that stretched across his face said he was enjoying the situation a little too much.
“I say kitty, because Xavier here has a thing for cream.” Locke’s lion came a little too close to the surface for True’s peace of mind, but before she could act, the panther did.
Locke went flying across the room with the other man leaping after him.
It was a breathtaking display of physical agility and secretly, True had no issue acknowledging it. The sunlight that came through the windows played over Xavier’s muscles and the beads of sweat on his skin shimmered like diamonds. Her mouth went dry.
And other parts of her, well, that was another story.
The two men weren’t trading any blows, but they were grappling, and the energy rolling off of them was enough to make the air crackle.
It wasn’t just a battle of wills, but also raw preternatural power and True had to wonder what part she’d played in this battle.
“Aaron.” She reached out blindly for his arm and he caught her hand in his with a reassuring squeeze. “They’re not going to hurt each other, are they?”
“They’re more in danger from me.” Dragging in a breath he let out a bellow. “ENOUGH!”
The men stopped scuffling, but their momentum rolled them over one last time, ending with Xavier crouched over his friend. With a deep, chest rumbling chuckle, he got up on his feet and reached down to help his friend up.
They grabbed on to each other’s forearms and a moment later they were both up on their feet. At least Locke had the good sense to give them a look of chagrin as he grabbed his shirt off of the makeshift table. Xavier, wow, she didn’t know what to think about him.
He didn’t seem the least bit interested in appeasing Aaron, but his focus wasn’t on the imposing polar bear shifter. No, he was looking at her.
Not just looking at her face, but his gaze descended and crawled back up again. It took every ounce of her courage not to suck in her stomach or arch her back, because no matter how hot Xavier was, he was still a snarly jerk.
And that, she could do without.
Wow, did he have to have so many abs?
Shifting on her feet, she tilted her head a bit and gestured to the lump of fabric on the table beside him. “Is that your shirt?”
He didn’t even look when he answered. “Sure is.”
When no one else spoke up her voice stumbled into the silence. “Aren’t you going to do something with it?” She gestured to Locke who was standing beside his friend with a big grin.
Xavier remained unfazed, even when Locke slapped the back of his hand against the panther shifter’s side. And then, with deliberate slowness, Xavier picked up his shirt from the table. Instead of pulling it down over his head, he used it to wipe the sweat and some sawdust off of his abs. When he was done, he dropped it back on the table.
“Wow.” She was more than a little taken aback by his audacity. “Okay then.” True turned and looked up at Aaron. “Do you think we could come back later to take a look at the bar?”
She saw t
he concern in Aaron’s eyes. “Sure. We can get you settled first.” It might have been just her imagination, but she thought she saw Aaron look over her shoulder at the guys. She was determined not to look.
Aaron gestured toward the door, and when she moved, she felt Aaron touch his hand to her back in a gentle touch. It was a common gesture and one that helped settle her nerves. As they crossed through the doorway and into the main lobby of the resort building, she felt a subtle tremble roll through her.
It felt like something in the air, a kind of seismic shiver that left her a little breathless.
She just wished she understood what it meant.
It took everything he had to get his panther to back down. The instant the woman had turned to walk away, his panther had nearly knocked him to his knees in its haste to follow her.
But if Xavier had mastered anything over the years, besides his ability to snarl in the face of anything, he knew how to turn up his nose at humans.
True Sinclair.
What a strange name for such an irritating woman.
True.
He almost smiled at the thought. What had her parents been thinking?
True.
Xavier’s brows pinched above his nose, creating a furrow. His panther was all but sighing her name.
You don’t like humans.
True.
There he went again. The damn panther curled up inside of him stretched out its powerful legs and scratched at their link with razor sharp claws.
What’s changed?
Nothing. The panther yawned and settled his head on his paws. She’s not a human.
Xavier leaned toward the empty doorway and drew in a deep breath. He could still scent Aaron’s bear and the woman’s scent. She’s definitely human.
She’s not human.
What exactly do you think she is? Xavier heard the sharp edge of his tone as he fought with his beast.
Deep within him, his panther opened its eyes and stared back at him as calm and sure as he had ever been.
Ours.
Two
True followed Aaron along the winding, tree-lined road to the back of the resort. It didn’t take longer than a few minutes to pull into a small paved parking area of four spots with an access aisle in the center. Just in front of the parking were two cottages complete with picket fences and gingerbread trim around the outside of the porch. As soon as she put her car in park and turned off the engine, True put her hands back on her steering wheel and just looked out through her windshield at the small group of houses. It looked like something out of a classic black and white TV show like Leave it to Beaver or like the town in the movie Pleasantville. It was just, “Perfect.”
She heard Aaron’s laughter through her closed window, and she turned, a little shocked to see him smiling down at her from outside her car.
“I’m glad you think so.”
Wow, talk about great hearing.
Reaching over to the passenger seat, she picked up her messenger bag and turned back to the door.
Aaron already had it open for her. “You’re the first one here,” he explained. “Celeste said that you can pick the one you want to live in.”
That was a shock. She’d never had that kind of a choice to make before. Growing up, she learned to be happy with what was there. Never the first in line for anything, but it wasn’t because she didn’t try. She just didn’t want to make waves. Being in the middle of the group, being good, but not great, meant that she could just ‘be’ and not have to worry about anyone taking notice.
No one to tell her that her clothes were old or worn. No one to tell her that she had holes in the toes or soles of her shoes. Invisible was good.
But this.
True walked around to the front of her car and looked at the two cottages. One painted a mossy green and the other a grey-like lavender that reminded her of sage leaves.
True wanted to be seen here. She wanted this to be home.
The decision wasn’t difficult at all. They were both perfectly sweet, but there was one that called to her. “The green.” She gestured toward the cottage to the right and then turned to look at Aaron, a hopeful smile on her face. “I love green.”
Aaron shook his hand, and she noticed that he already had a hand reached out toward her with a ribbon pinched between his fingers. The movement of his hand made the ribbon bob and swing, making it easier to see that strung onto the ribbon was a key. “I had a feeling you’d pick that one.”
Reaching out, True crooked her finger around the ribbon and slid the silken bit of fabric along her skin. Yes, it was real.
She drew the ribbon out of Aaron’s grasp and did a little happy dance.
“You look like a happy woman.”
True nodded at Aaron. “I am! This is going to be wonderful. I already have a ton of great ideas for your drink program, and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Before you get into all of that, let’s get your things moved into the cottage.”
“Oh!” She had a good laugh at her own expense. “That would be a good idea, but I have a feeling this is going to be great for all of us.”
Aaron followed her around to the hatchback of her car, and when she lifted it, he leaned closer, casting a shadow over her contents. It didn’t take more than a moment for him to turn and give her a curious look. “Did you ship the rest of your things from Sylvan City?”
“The rest?” Confused, she looked down at the handful of boxes and a trunk she’d found at an old rummage sale. “This is it.”
She saw Aaron’s brow draw together and form a crease over his nose.
“Huh,” Aaron blew out a breath and reached for a couple of the boxes, “I’ll start with this.”
Before she could say anything, he’d picked up two boxes and started up onto the walkway to the cottage. True was torn. She wanted to bring a box too, but if she didn’t run, Aaron was going to have to stand on her porch and wait for her to walk there with her regular human legs.
She put quite a bit of hustle into her steps to get to the steps before Aaron, and even as she jogged up to the porch, she had a feeling that Aaron had slowed his steps for her.
The key slid into the lock, and it turned easily under her hand. She would have stepped back and let Aaron go in first, but he waited a couple of steps back and gave her a wink and nodded toward the door.
Eager to see the cottage, but mindful of her boss, True stepped inside and then off to the side.
The curtains hung by the front windows were open and there was more than enough light for her to see the room before her. It was one big all-purpose room. Living room, dining room, and kitchen. Tidy. Bright. New.
“Where should I put these?”
Startled, True looked at Aaron. “Just there on the table. That would be great. I should…” she gestured back at the front door, but she couldn’t seem to make her feet move, “I should go out and…”
Aaron passed her as he walked out of the cottage. “Stay here. Take a look around. I can manage the other boxes, easily.”
She should have followed him outside and back to the car, but instead she moved in the other direction. The table where Aaron had placed the boxes was a square one that could easily fit two across from each other, or four if there was a need.
Touching her fingertips to the top of the table, she felt the cool perfection of the surface. The table had the feeling of an antique piece of furniture, but the finish said it was modern or had at least been refinished recently.
Aaron set down the second set of boxes and she almost jumped from the shock of his speed.
He straightened and looked at her hand to where her fingers touched the table. “It’s great, isn’t it?”
She nodded and turned, setting both her palms on the surface. “It’s beautiful. Did you get this at an estate sale? If so, I’d love to know if they have other pieces.” She felt an odd twinge in her gut, and she kept her gaze away from Aaron’s face. She wasn’t sure if what she said had soun
ded ungrateful since the Winters were providing her with this great place to live. Asking about more furniture, she winced, probably didn’t sound too grateful. “What I mean is-”
“It’s not from an estate sale, and don’t worry,” Aaron had a way of easing her worries with his warm smile, “you’re just fine. No offense taken.”
“I- uh… How did-”
“You wear your emotions out in the open, True. But don’t worry. I’m glad you like the table. It was made here. On the property.”
She leaned her weight onto the table and slowly splayed her fingers across the solid surface. “Wow. This looks like it’s antique, but you said it’s new?”
Aaron rapped his knuckles against the surface and grinned. “Celeste calls it ‘repurposed.’”
True smiled at the mention of his wife. “Where did the wood come from?”
Aaron crossed his arms with a grin. “A couple of old buildings. A barn and a pool house that was on its last legs. Basically, any structure we couldn’t just renovate. We took it all down and made a big stack at the end of an old gymnasium structure which became the woodshop.”
“We?” Well, wasn’t she the curious type? “I don’t think you had your wife… I mean, your mate, stacking wood.”
Aaron’s expression warmed at the thought. “You can use either term. Here in Mystic, those that are shifters use mate mostly, but those that aren’t vary back and forth. And ‘we,’ as you asked, didn’t include Celeste. She had the idea to put the wood to use and may have picked out what she wanted built, but the rest was Xavier with some help from Locke. Xavier’s got a good mind for building. Rigging things up to work is something he’s always been good at. With the amount of time he spends keeping to himself, he has plenty of time to tinker with things.”
Ah, yeah. She kind of got that about him.
“So, he’s not the sociable kind.”
Shaking his head, Aaron made a little agreeable grunt noise in his throat. “It takes him a long time to get comfortable with others.”
Her thoughts really must have been written on her face because Aaron seemed to read them like a teletype and answered her.
