Once we reached the bus, Mike ambled down the steps to help us load everything. His bushy black hair brushed his shoulders, and his mustache tilted up with his smile when he saw the steaks.
“Now that’s the kind of meal I’m talking about!” He pulled his Yankees cap down more when the sun reached his eyes.
We carried everything onto the bus and began unloading.
I cursed under my breath when the empty coffee canister on the counter caught my attention. “I forgot the coffee.”
“You did?” Cecile’s arm paused in midair, a box of pasta in her hand. “But I thought you grabbed it.”
Mike brought a hand to his heart in mock pain. “Well, we certainly can’t live without coffee. One of us had better run back and get it.”
“I’ll go. It’s my fault. I meant to grab it, but…” I’d been too caught up in mulling over Logan’s and my future that I’d completely forgotten why I was standing in the coffee aisle and had returned to shopping with Cece empty handed.
“Do you have enough money?” Mike asked.
“I think so.” I dug around in my purse to make sure and pulled out a crumpled bill. Only ten bucks to my name at the moment. Payday couldn’t come fast enough, if it came. We were still waiting on payment from a few clients. “Be right back.”
After hopping down the bus’s steps, I sprinted back to the store, my flip-flops slapping on the pavement. Since I didn’t have my hair pulled back, my long blond locks flew around my shoulders as the warm September air swirled around my bare legs. I pushed through the doors, the air conditioning assaulting me, before jogging toward the coffee aisle and rounding the corner.
“Oh!” I collided with a hard chest, and the force was so great that I ricocheted off him and fell backward, landing unceremoniously on my butt in the middle of the store. Cool linoleum touched my fingertips when my hands splayed back to support me. My fall happened so fast, that for a moment, I sat there speechless.
“Oh shit!” A guy crouched at my side. “Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” Genuine concern filled his voice.
I brought a shaky hand to my forehead as my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “No, it’s my fault. I was running and not watching where I was going. I didn’t see you.”
“Let me help you up.”
He offered me his hand, but I inched back. The last thing I needed was an electric jolt from a stranger’s touch. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” I pushed to stand and dusted my jean shorts off. How embarrassing!
The guy put his hands on his hips, and for the first time, I actually looked at him.
My eyes widened as they traveled up his frame—his very large frame.
He had to be at least six-four and had hazel eyes, sandy-brown hair, a firm mouth, and a square jaw. He looked young, not much older than my twenty-one years, and all of him was heavily muscled, reminding me of a certain group I’d said goodbye to not too long ago.
My breath caught in my throat. I took a step back, remembering Logan’s warning. I had no idea if the guy was a werewolf, but if he was, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
A crooked smile lifted his lips. He either hadn’t picked up on my sudden wariness or had chosen to ignore it. “Are you all right? Not dizzy or anything?” Even though his gaze scanned my frame, I still caught the teasing in his tone.
I sighed inwardly and avoided the urge to roll my eyes at my paranoia. He was probably just another dude off the street who just happened to have a large build. It wasn’t like being tall and muscled was that uncommon, and not every large male in the world was a werewolf.
A shaky, self-conscious laugh spilled from my lips as I forced myself to not take another step back. “No, I’m fine. Thanks for asking, though, and sorry again that I ran into you.”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”
I smiled and stepped around him. When I brushed past him, his nostrils flared, just the barest hint.
Paranoid, Dar! Stop being paranoid!
Inwardly, I cursed Logan for putting me on edge for every male within a two-hundred-mile radius. Whether it was werewolf territory or not, most guys in the area were one hundred percent human.
My flip-flops slapped on the linoleum as I headed down the aisle. I grabbed the first can of coffee I saw. It was a generic brand, but it would do.
“You’re not serious about drinking that, are you?”
The teasing question came from behind me. I turned around to see the same guy again. Apparently, he hadn’t carried on shopping.
He picked up a different coffee can, a pretty picture of Columbian mountains on the label. “This stuff is a lot better and is almost the same price. Now, I’m not telling you what to buy, but trust me—I’ve tried every coffee in this place, and you definitely don’t want to buy that one.”
I propped my free hand on my hip. “Is that right?”
“Yeah, that stuff will put you in an early grave.” His hazel eyes twinkled, but his nostrils flared again when he inhaled.
I reshelved the death-inducing coffee and took the one from his outstretched hand. “Okay, well, thank you.” I skipped around him, heading toward the front of the store.
A second later, heavy steps came from behind me. As I rounded the corner, the guy fell into step beside me.
“And one more thing, I just want to put out the disclaimer that I’m not responsible if you don’t like that coffee.”
I stepped in line at the first checkout aisle and turned toward him, hand on my hip again. Maybe I was being paranoid, but he was really persistent on keeping our conversation going. “Are you following me?”
He made a horrified face. “Following you? Oh shit, is that how it seems?”
“Honestly, yeah, a little.” The cash register beeped behind us as the checkout girl chatted easily with the woman ahead of me, but I kept my attention on the coffee connoisseur.
He cupped the back of his neck, a sheepish expression filling his face. “Can you tell I don’t usually do this? I’m trying to strike up a conversation with you as best I can, and you think I’m following you.” He shrugged and gave an exaggerated sigh. “And this is probably why I’m single.”
I muffled a laugh, and for the first time since meeting him felt truly relaxed. See, Dar. You’re totally being paranoid. He’s just a dude trying to get your number and seems genuinely mortified that you just called him out.
He straightened, a smile stretching across his face when my lips quirked up. “So as I was saying, I hope that coffee will do.”
I set the coffee on the conveyor belt since the woman ahead of me was pulling out her wallet. “Honestly, as long as it has caffeine, we’re good.”
“Not a picky lady. I like that.”
My cheeks flushed at his blatant come-on. To cover it up, I picked up a magazine on the rack and leafed through it, but the huge, hazel-eyed, sandy-brown-haired guy, that—who was I kidding—was drop-dead gorgeous, made no attempts to leave.
“I never thought they’d stay together.” His breath brushed against my ear, and I jumped. He pointed at the couple on the magazine’s cover. “Even though I loved her in that one romantic comedy. You know the one—where the guy flies across the country three times to see her, but they keep missing each other, so don’t actually meet until the end—or whatever?” He shrugged. “Even though in the movie, she’s sweet, I think in real life, she’s a bit of a psycho.”
He said it so casually and nonchalantly that for the second time, I had the urge to laugh. When a chuckle escaped me, he grinned.
“She might be.” I put the magazine back on the shelf and rummaged around in my purse for my crumpled ten-dollar bill since the woman ahead of me had just picked up her bags.
The guy took a step closer, his head cocking. “I can’t help but notice that you’re not from around here.”
My hand stilled. “What makes you say that?”
“It’s a small town. If someone like you had moved to town, I would know.”
“What does that mean?�
�
He held up his hands in surrender, his eyes wide, then laughed. “Nothing bad! I swear. It’s just that … you know.” He shrugged and gave me a look as if I should know what he was talking about.
I raised an eyebrow. “I know … what?”
“That you’re…” He ran a hand over the back of his neck again before dropping his gaze and muttering under his breath. Straightening, he said, “Look, I’m not very good at this pickup stuff, and it’s been a while since I’ve done this, but you’re drop-dead gorgeous, so I’d obviously have paid attention if you’d moved to town.”
My mouth went dry. “Oh, I’m—”
“Miss? Is the coffee all you’re getting?”
The checkout girl’s voice made my attention snap to her. I fumbled around in my purse again but dropped my wallet in the process. “Crap!” I bent down to get it at the same time the guy did. Our heads collided.
“Ouch!” I brought a hand to my forehead just as he winced.
“Shit! I’m sorry. Damn, that’s the second time I’ve almost knocked you out. Trust me, this is not going as I intended it.”
Since he seemed genuinely embarrassed, I gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay. Besides, I thought we agreed that our first collision was my fault.”
He smiled. “Not only are you not picky about coffee, but you also don’t blame a guy for everything that goes wrong. You’re getting better and better by the second.”
My cheeks had to be bright red by the time I stood and turned back to the checkout girl. She just snapped her gum, looking bored.
“That will be ten forty-eight.” She held her hand out.
Shit. I hoped I had some change. Being careful, I retrieved my wallet and had the change clasp halfway open when the charmer beside me reached into his back pocket.
“I got it. Don’t worry about it. This way, if you don’t like the coffee, I won’t feel bad.”
“What? No! You don’t have to—”
But he’d already shoved a twenty-dollar bill into the girl’s outstretched hand, and before I could protest again, he was grabbing the receipt, his change, and the canister of coffee. He shoved the can under his arm, his bicep flexing.
“Can I walk you to your car?”
For the first time since encountering him, I looked around in confusion. “But aren’t you shopping? Didn’t you leave your cart somewhere or something?”
I stared at his empty hands, not counting my newly acquired coffee.
He just grinned. “I’ll come back and get what I need after I walk you out. I figure if I get another few minutes with you, I can awkwardly ask for your number at least two times, in which you’ll probably decline, but hey, can’t blame a guy for trying.”
“I can handle it. Really.” I scrunched my nose up, guilt filling me since he was trying so hard. “And I have a boyfriend, so yeah, I would be turning you down.” I bit my lip after that admission just as he brought a hand to his chest.
“Ouch. That one hurts. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. How can a girl like you be single?”
If you only knew. “But … thanks for the coffee.” I held out my hands for the canister. “Are you sure I can’t pay you back?”
He handed it over and shook his head. “No, it’s on me, seriously. It was a pleasure meeting you…” He let the last words hang before holding his hand out.
I knew this was where I was supposed to shake his hand and tell him my name. After all he’d done, exchanging names wasn’t asking too much. I drew in a quick breath to prepare myself for what was to come, then I placed my hand into his and said in a rush, “Daria.”
His large palm closed over mine. I made a move to pull my hand back. My light was still in my internal storage box, but I cringed, waiting for the electric jolts and uncomfortable tingles.
They didn’t come.
Instead, a warm rush flowed through my blood as my light stayed calmed. My eyes snapped wide open.
“Daria. That’s a beautiful name.” He continued to shake my hand as pleasant, soothing sensations tingled along my nerves. “I’m Jayden.” He still held my hand, and the delicious sensations coursed up my arm. “Well, Daria, it was a pleasure to meet you.” With that, he let go and turned on his heel.
I didn’t move. I couldn’t.
I just stared after him, my jaw dropping. Because for the second time that month, I’d met another potential mate.
Chapter 3
How the hell is this happening? First Logan, and now Jayden? What are the chances?
I stumbled in a daze across the parking lot, still reeling from the encounter. Two eligible mates had entered my life in the past two weeks. That was unheard of. I couldn’t remember ever meeting one.
But Mom had warned me that could happen. As I matured and grew, my gift would begin to search for a mate. I was old enough to birth my sole daughter and care for her, so I shouldn’t be that surprised that I had met two guys back to back.
Even so … WTF?
My senses still tingled from the encounter. Thank god my nipples were under control.
Logan’s face flashed through my mind as I walked to the bus door. Guilt followed. I’d just had a purely physical reaction to a man I didn’t even know. What did that say about me?
I closed my eyes and pictured my former bodyguard. His six-foot-three, hot-as-hell body filled my mind. I remembered his shoulders. They were so broad that they usually brushed doorways when he passed through them. Thick dark hair covered his head. His complexion was unblemished, his features chiseled, and in a nutshell, he was absolutely mouthwatering.
Opening my eyes, I continued to sail toward the bus.
I missed Logan—terribly. And it wasn’t just my body’s reaction to him that I missed—I wasn’t that shallow. I also missed him. I missed his company and soothing presence. I missed how easy he was to talk to and the sound of his laugh. I missed his chivalrous, doting behavior.
I missed everything about him.
So even though my body recognized Jayden as another potential mate, my heart didn’t. I still wanted Logan. Only Logan.
Still…
“Unbelievable,” I whispered.
“There you are!” Cecile exclaimed when I climbed aboard. “I was just about to send Mike out looking for you.”
A fierce blush stained my cheeks when I set the coffee on the counter. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take so long.”
Cecile cocked her head. She sat on the couch, her astute gaze scanning my pink cheeks. “We’re going to stop at that park we saw on our way into town. Does a picnic lunch sound okay?”
I threaded a hand self-consciously through my hair. “Yeah. Sure. That’s fine.”
She raised her eyebrows just as Mike started the bus. The low rumble vibrated beneath my soles.
“Here we go!” he called.
I stumbled to the back of the bus as he turned out of the parking lot. I could feel Cecile’s gaze follow me and knew if I stayed in the front, she would keep pressing me to tell her what was wrong. But at the moment, I just couldn’t.
∞ ∞ ∞
“Dar, are you sure you’re okay?” Logan’s deep voice strummed through the phone.
It was the third time he’d asked me that question, and we’d only been on the phone for ten minutes. It was only four in the afternoon in California, so he was still working, but I’d needed to hear his voice, so I’d called anyway, breaking our normal routine of only phoning in the evenings.
“I’m fine,” I replied too quickly.
My leg fidgeted as I sat on a picnic bench and bit my lip. We’d parked the bus near the park Cecile had spotted earlier. Since the park was close to the edge of town, there weren’t strict parking restrictions. We intended to spend the night.
Logan grumbled. “It’s pretty obvious you’re not fine. I don’t think you’ve ever called me in the middle of the day then proceeded to barely say three words.” His voice softened. “Do you want to talk about it?”
My foot jig
gled more as I chewed my fingernail. Before I could lose my nerve, I blurted, “I met another potential mate at the grocery store this morning, and it’s kinda freaking me out!”
I breathed heavily, waiting for his reaction.
It didn’t come.
“Logan?”
Another few seconds passed before he asked in a strained voice, “Did you say potential mate?”
I cringed. “Yeah, but it’s not what you think. I just don’t know how else to describe it. My mom warned me about this. It’s part of our magic that when we’re of age, our bodies start searching for mates, and before you, I hadn’t met anyone whose touch I could handle, but now, it’s happened again.” I rubbed my free hand over my jean shorts. My palms suddenly felt clammy.
“So, what exactly happened?”
I could have sworn he’d just stood and started pacing.
“I ran into a guy at the grocery store this morning, and I fell over. Like literally fell over cause I ran right into him. Then he helped me pick out coffee and started following me, but in a nice way, not a creepy way, then at the checkout counter he shook my hand goodbye, and that’s when I realized his touch didn’t bother me, not like most people, and I don’t know … it was weird, but there you have it.”
I paused to take a breath because I was damned near hyperventilating.
But Logan stayed quiet.
Rubbing my free hand against my shorts again, I added, “But it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I still like you, only you, but it was weird. The guy was huge, similar to you, Jake, Alexander, and Brodie, so I immediately thought he might be a werewolf, but I think he’s really just a guy my body recognized as another potential mate. So anyway, that’s why I called. I needed to hear your voice, and I don’t know—get if off my chest or something, and I really just … well, I don’t know.”
I cringed again. For fuck sake, stop talking, Dar!
But only his silence followed.
“Logan? Say something. You told me to tell you what was bothering me, so I did.” My entire calf was wiggling. If he didn’t reply, I would be pacing the park soon.
A sound finally came from his end—an audible swallow. “So … let me get this straight,” he said in that strained-sounding voice. “You met a guy who touched you, and you … what? Liked it? Got turned on by it? I’m trying to understand here, Dar. Help me out.”
Power in Darkness Page 2
