by Ruby Shae
“My office is right down the hall if you need me,” he said, pointing down the hall toward the way they came in. “Two doors down on the left, and my door will be open.”
“Okay,” Liddy whispered.
She didn’t want him to go, but she knew it would be inappropriate to ask him to stay.
Tristian motioned toward the couch, and Liddy carefully sat on the edge of the seat closest to her. Scarlett sat back down on the opposite end, and Tristian wheeled over the chair from behind his desk and sat across from the two women.
“Aiden told us you’re new in town,” Tristian said. “How do you like it here?”
“I haven’t seen much of it,” Liddy laughed nervously, “but so far, I like it.”
“He also said that you’re looking for a job.”
“Yes,” she said, quietly. “I’ve been searching for nearly two weeks, but nobody’s hiring.”
“Well, it just so happens that I need a waitress,” Tristian said. “If you’d like the job, it’s yours.”
“Just like that?” Liddy asked. “You’re not going to ask me any personal stuff?”
“Do you want to share any personal stuff?” Tristian questioned, knowingly.
“No,” she said, looking back and forth between the couple. “Not really.”
“Well, then, Scarlett and I aren’t going to force it out of you,” he laughed.
“Liddy,” Scarlett smiled. “We'd also like to offer you a place to stay until you can get back on your feet. Tristian and I live alone, but our house has six bedrooms, so we have plenty of space, and I would love the company. Also, Aiden lives right next door, so he’ll always be close if you need him.”
They were offering her a place to live? How did they know she needed one? Did she look homeless? It all seemed too good to be true.
“Why?” Liddy asked, clearing her throat. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Aiden said you could use a break, and I need a waitress,” Tristian shrugged. “Plus, we have plenty of room at the house. If you've been out of work for a couple of weeks, or more, the money is probably getting tight. There's no reason you should have to pay rent, and try to get caught up, when we have loads of space. Learning a new job, and getting used to a new town, is hard enough.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly. It had been so long since anyone had shown her kindness, and like Aiden, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen when they found out about her past.
Still…sleeping in her car sucked, and she really wanted to accept their offer.
“If you're sure it won't be an inconvenience, I’d love to stay with you,” she said, finally. “Thank you.”
“Great!”
“Wonderful,” Scarlett said.
Tristian leaned over, pressed a few buttons on his desktop phone, and Aiden showed up two seconds later.
“How did it go?” he asked her.
“They offered me a job and a place to stay,” she said quietly.
“And…?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I accepted,” she laughed anxiously.
“Awesome,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let’s go grab some lunch, and then we’ll get your stuff and I can show you around.”
Though his face still remained stoic, he seemed different—happy—and Liddy eagerly placed her palm on top of his and allowed him to help her up. The warmth of his hand helped ground her in a way she didn’t understand.
Still, she used his strength to her advantage.
“Thank you both so much,” she said to the couple. “I’m so grateful.”
“You’re more than welcome,” Tristian said. “Aiden will fill you in on the details, and I hope we see you tonight at Zach’s.”
Zach’s? Why? Had she misunderstood the job offer? Oh, god…was she right about Aiden expecting her to have sex with him and his friends?
“We’ll be there,” Aiden said, pulling her out of the room. “Later.”
Liddy followed him down the hall, and didn’t speak again until they were both seated inside the SUV. Anger and fear threatened to steal her happiness, but she wanted the facts before admitting defeat.
“What did they mean they'd see me tonight at Zach's?” she asked, hesitantly. “I thought I was going to be waitressing in the club?”
“We’re having a barbecue tonight at Zach's house,” Aiden explained. “The club is only open Wednesday through Saturday, so you can start tomorrow, but a few of us—the core operations team—live very close to each other on the same property, and I thought you might like to meet everyone else before you get settled in.
“There's no obligation to come, of course, but I think you’ll really like the other guys, and Tristian’s sister will be there, too. Plus, Tristian’s house has a lot of foot traffic, and if you know everyone, then I think you’ll feel a lot more comfortable staying there.”
She nodded, silently wondering what she’d gotten herself into.
Aiden and his friends all lived on the same property? Were they in some kind of cult?
The thought made her laugh, and she barely stopped the sound from escaping. It would be just her luck to find some kind of gorgeous man-cult in the middle of nowhere. So far, everyone just seemed nice, in fact, they all seemed like people she could be friends with, but she’d been wrong before.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’d love to meet your friends.”
“You’ll feel better after you eat,” he said, starting the SUV.
Damn, the man was like a mind-reader.
Liddy was starving, and it was hard to process everything on an empty stomach.
The only thing she knew for sure? She liked Aiden.
Unfortunately, she’d learned the hard way to never trust her feelings.
Chapter Five
Aiden took another drink of his beer, and listened as laughter erupted around the table. Zach had just finished another one of his jokes, and as usual, their tiny group went wild.
Liddy glanced at him with a huge smile on her face, and for the first time in his life, he felt a twinge of real jealousy toward his cousin. It was the first time he’d seen Liddy laugh without a care in the world, and even though it wasn’t possible, he’d wanted to be the one to bring her so much joy. Deep down, he knew it was stupid—he wasn’t funny, and he rarely laughed himself—but the truth didn’t change the way he felt.
Zach started telling another story, and Aiden thought back to earlier in the day.
After leaving club, he and Liddy decided to have lunch at Sal’s again.
He’d suggested the sub shop because he knew if he didn’t, then Liddy would never return, and he wanted her to feel safe and comfortable in her new town. The fact that Sal’s had the best sandwiches around only added to his cause.
He knew she’d only agreed to the venue in order to stay compliant, but his clan members were the only ones who knew about her theft, and he’d wanted her to see she had nothing to be afraid of.
Overall, his plan had been successful, and they’d enjoyed a stress-free lunch up until the moment he’d brought up the subject of her car.
The look of pure humiliation on her face had made him want to drop the subject and never broach it again, but he knew he couldn’t. He wanted to help her, but he couldn’t until she trusted him enough to tell him the information he already knew.
“My car is at the campground. I…I’ve been living there a little over two weeks.”
The muttered words had come out nearly inaudible, but he’d heard them.
“Liddy.”
Hugging her would have been inappropriate, and her hands rested entwined in her lap, so he said her name and waited for her eyes to meet his.
What he saw when she finally looked at him nearly cracked his heart in two, but he forced himself not to react.
“I promise everything is going to be okay now.”
The simple words didn’t
seem near enough to express everything he felt, but he knew they were the most he could say without scaring, and possibly losing, her. He had questions—lots of questions—but he knew he’d have to wait indefinitely for the answers.
If he got them at all.
After filling her car with gas, he settled her account with the campground manager, and then she’d followed him home where he’d faced new challenges.
Her initial reaction to the property had been shock, followed by fear.
Aiden wasn’t sure what exactly was floating through Liddy’s mind, but he imagined the worst and hoped for the best.
The fact that he and his clan were shifters was the main reason they didn’t bring a lot of people to their land, but the small crop of houses in the middle of nowhere tended to raise questions, too.
Based on her past run of bad luck, Liddy probably thought they were some kind of cult or something. When he saw her slowly emerge from her car, he knew his assumption had been correct. Once again, she’d been deciding whether or not to trust him, and he knew he couldn’t rush her decision.
Another reason to tell her the truth as soon as possible.
He silenced the bear, leaned up against his SUV, and waited for Liddy to approach him. If she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t stop her, but he wouldn’t let her go alone either.
Several minutes passed before she left the vicinity of her car, but when she did, he saw the same resilient, determined face she’d shown him in the alley.
His bear growled in appreciation, and his cock swelled to the point of pain, making his jeans unexpectedly uncomfortable. She was strong and brave, and he was proud to call her his mate.
After showing her the main house and her room, they unpacked her car, and then he took her on a tour of the property starting with his own home.
“My home is yours,” Aiden had told her, “and you’re welcome here anytime. I thought you might feel uncomfortable staying with me, at least at first, but if you ever want to get away from Tristian’s, or have more privacy, or…whatever, you can live here and I can live with Zach if necessary.”
“Aiden, I... I don’t understand. Why are you being so nice to me?”
“I already told you,” he said. “I like you.”
“But you don’t know me, and I haven’t done anything to deserve it.”
“You don’t have to earn my lo—friendship, Liddy. I like you because I do, and I trust my instincts. That’s all that matters to me.”
She’d immediately locked onto his word slip, and Aiden felt certain he’d lost her. Liddy studied him for a full minute before speaking again, and he’d spent that time mentally running through every swear word in the book.
Fuck me!
He did love her, but he knew it was too soon to admit it.
Luckily, for some reason, she’d decided to let it slide.
“Thank you, Aiden.”
After they’d left his house, he’d shown her the rest of the property, including the actual creek the town had been named after, and then he’d left her alone until it was time for dinner.
That had been nearly three hours ago, and Liddy fit in with his clan perfectly.
“Does anyone want another piece of cake?” Tegan asked, carrying her and Ethan’s plates to the kitchen.
“I’m good,” Aiden said. “Do you want another piece, Liddy?”
“No,” she laughed, wrapping her arms around her stomach. “I ate way too much.”
Bullshit!
She didn’t eat near enough, and Aiden told her so.
“I don’t think you eat near enough,” Aiden growled, silencing the room.
The words came out fiercer than he’d intended, and for the second time that day, he mentally berated himself. He’d just given Liddy another reason to run.
Luckily, she didn’t.
“I really am full,” she said, smiling at him. “I’m also kind of tired.”
Her words were like a balm to his fractured pride, and he was grateful when everyone started speaking and clearing the table again.
“I’ll walk you back,” Aiden said.
He cleared their plates, and after many words of gratitude and goodbye, he escorted her back to Tristian’s. They took the stairs to the main house slowly, and faced each other under the glow of the porch light.
“Thank you,” Liddy said. “For everything, but mostly for introducing me to your family. I’ve been alone a long time, and it’s nice to be around one again.”
“They’re your family now, too,” he said.
“Please don’t say things like that,” Liddy said, sadly.
“Why not? It’s true. They loved you, and they consider you one of us.”
“It’s a lot of pressure,” she said.
“Why?” Aiden asked. “They like you, end of story.”
“I…I’m afraid I’m going to let you down.”
“Not possible.”
He leaned down, and when Liddy didn’t back away, he leaned in closer. He wanted to kiss her more than he wanted his next breath, but he stopped himself right before their lips touched. If he kissed her, she’d always think she owed him something, and Aiden didn’t want that for their relationship.
He cleared his throat, and pulled away.
“I almost forgot,” he said, pulling her phone out of his back pocket. The smartphone was covered in a pink case that also held a credit card with her name on it. “Here’s your phone and credit card.”
“Wha—”
“The passcode is zero-zero-zero-zero, so you’ll want to change that to something else. Also, if you lose it, let Graham know right away, and he’ll get you a new one. My phone number is listed in the contacts, along with everyone else’s, and you can call me anytime.”
“Aiden, I—”
“Buy what you need with the credit card, no matter the cost, and I’ll take care of the bill.”
“Aiden!”
Her whispered shout echoed through the night.
“What?”
“This is too much,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t accept these things.”
“You can, and you will,” he said, simply.
When she didn’t immediately comply, he softened his voice.
“Humor me,” he pleaded, lightly. “These things make me feel better.”
“Fine,” she conceded, “but I’m going to pay you back.”
Like hell!
He wouldn’t take her money, but that was a fight for another day.
“Fine.”
Damn, but he wanted to kiss her again!
“Goodnight, Liddy.”
“Goodnight, Aiden.”
He waited until she was safe inside his alpha’s house before making the short walk home, and every step further away from her nearly tore him apart. He wanted her under his roof, preferably in his bed, naked, and he wanted to be able to kiss her anytime he wanted.
Until those things happened, his alpha was getting another house guest.
Chapter Six
Liddy grabbed her old, worn teddy bear, and rolled over to check the time. She still had an hour before she had to be ready to leave for Zach’s, and she used that time to think about the past two weeks.
The morning after her first night in Tristian’s house, Aiden had arrived with cinnamon rolls from Delilah’s Bakery. She’d had one with some coffee, but that hadn’t satisfied him, and he’d watched her like a hawk until she’d successfully finished off half of another.
Then he’d proceeded to show her around town.
He’d taken her shopping, and when she only picked out one pair of jeans, he’d checked her size and hunted down three more pairs. Normally, she’d do anything to keep a man from seeing the size of her clothes, but with Aiden it didn’t seem to matter.
Not that she could have stopped him anyway.
There was a reason he was head of security in the club.
Club Ryan was a popular nighttime destination in Blackbeary Creek, and Liddy loved working there. Sh
e’d been a bundle of nerves in the hours leading up to her first shift, but it had been wasted energy.
Aiden had been right about her meeting his family up front, and the rest of the employees were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. After a couple hours of training, she’d fallen into a comfortable routine, and the night flew by. Suddenly, the bartender surprised her by announcing last call, and then she’d still been shocked when the overhead lights had come on.
After Aiden and Zach’s team herded everyone out into the parking lot, the rest of the employees swept and cleaned while the security team made sure all of the patrons left peacefully. Once all the work was done, the regular employees left, followed closely by Aiden, Tristian and the rest of the guys.
Normally, Liddy would have left with the regular employees, but Aiden had insisted on driving her to work on her first day, and every day since, so she sat in his office nightly and waited for him to escort her home.
Every night, he walked her to the foot of the stairs at Tristian’s house, and waited until she was safely inside, but he never got as close as he had that first night, and he never tried to kiss her again. In fact, though she’d seen him for breakfast nearly every morning, and they often spent at least some part of everyday together, he seemed to make a conscious effort not to touch her at all.
She knew he was just being nice, but she didn’t want the fairy tale to end.
At least not yet.
The truth was, she wanted him, and though she knew she wasn’t good enough for him, she wanted him to want her, too. For a little while, she’d thought he did, but as the days passed, she’d realized she’d made a mistake. He was a good man—a good friend—and nothing more.
When he’d declared her part of his family, and almost let the word love slip out right before kissing her, she’d felt nothing but bliss. It didn’t matter that it was too soon, or that her past proved she didn’t know anything about men. She’d wanted his mouth on hers—and in other places—and she’d wanted his words to be true.
Of course, they weren’t, and it didn’t matter how nice he was, nothing would ever change that. She didn’t know what provoked him to almost kiss her that first night, or why he’d almost whispered words of love, but whatever it was, it was gone, and it was probably for the best.
