by Tamsin Baker
“I hadn’t thought about it like that. Why don’t you guys run somewhere else?”
Ryan frowned and presented the fish to her once more. “Because there is nowhere else in Victoria we won’t be spotted, shot, poached or injured. This is it for us unfortunately. I can’t deny my cat and neither can Max, but we’d prefer not to be here. Are you going to try again? I vow to you, he will not hurt you.”
She inhaled deeply and stared at the large, cooked fish that had come apart into large pieces now it had been dropped and cleaned up. A twinge of guilt tightened her stomach. She could do this. Really, she could so do this.
“Yes.”
She held her palms out, and Ryan settled the tinfoil with the large trout into her hands once again. Lacey noticed the weight and the fragrant smell once more. Even though she’d just eaten, she kind of felt like taking a bite. Turning, she took several steps forward until she was in front of Max again.
“Sorry I dropped it, Max. I’m still a little freaked out by all this shape shifting stuff.”
The cheetah lifted his head with a quiet purr before he opened his strong jaws. The beautiful black tear lines running down his face were very prominent from where she now stood.
Her breath stuck in her chest as she allowed Max to eat from her hands. He nibbled on the fish, continuing to purr as he swallowed it piece by piece.
Her heart still raced in her chest, but she began to relax with each gentle tug of Max’s powerful teeth. It was like feeding any other domesticated animal by hand, actually even better. She’d had a dog almost bite her once while giving him a treat, but this was just incredible. He was so gentle. The layer of tinfoil also helped boost her confidence. He’d need to bite through that to get to her fingers—not that it would stop him if he wanted to get to her.
Her breath slowed as he got to the final morsels and she held the tinfoil open allowing him to lick it clean. When the cheeky cat finished he licked up her inner forearm, the sandpaper feeling of his rough tongue against her skin making her giggle.
“That really tickles.”
She stepped back and grinned at Ryan, who was watching her with a solemn expression.
“Are you all right?”
She laughed, nodding rapidly. Her belly bubbled with happiness, and she seriously wanted to dance. She bounced over to Ryan and threw her arms around his neck, throwing caution to the wind. “I feel amazing.”
She pressed her lips to his and licked at the seam of his mouth, and he opened for her. His tongue dueled with hers while his hands stroked her body. One hand cupping her ass while the other slipped up to her breast, his thumb finding its peak with unerring accuracy.
She gasped and pulled her lips away from his while heat unfurled in her belly, her nipples tightening on a dull ache of need.
What the hell was she doing? Throwing herself at a man? And in public!
“I think that might be enough for now.”
She glanced up into his eyes and saw a hunger that she knew he was seeing in hers. Every part of her wanted him to press her up against the wall and remove her clothes as fast as he could.
“Ah…” Ryan cleared his throat. “I think you’re right. I’ve got another couple jobs to do before I finish my shift, so we better head back.”
Lacey let Ryan step away, biting her lip as cold air rushed up to replace the warmth that had enveloped her when he’d been in her arms.
He guided her from the feeding yard before he walked back to the jeep with a coldness that left her feeling dejected, like maybe he hadn’t wanted the passion she’d thrown at him earlier. Lacey wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped toward her own door, only releasing her hold on herself for the few moments it took to open the door and get herself settled into her seat.
“I’m sorry.” The apology was out of her mouth before she could really think about what she was apologizing for.
Ryan jumped in and slammed the door, his eyes wide and his eyebrows high.
“What on earth for?”
She shrugged, hot tears filling her eyes. She was so confused.
“Hey, hey. What’s this all about?”
Her throat ached as she swallowed her tears and dragged air in, lifting her hands to wipe away the moisture that had fallen onto her cheeks.
“I don’t know, I just … feel … so strange.” And she did. Everything was so intense when she was around Ryan or Dylan. She shivered, then pressed her hands to her face as she forced herself to take a shuddering breath.
Ryan pulled off the trail into some scrub, cut the engine and reached for her, his warm hands gripping her chin and turning her towards him.
“I know this is a lot to take in, Lacey. I can’t really imagine what it must be like for you. I’ve always been a shifter so it’s all second nature to me. But I can imagine how difficult it is to accept what you’ve always considered impossible.”
Lacey sobbed, a shaky laugh bursting forth. “I’m actually beginning to love all of the shifter stuff. The cat thing is kinda cool, but it’s all happening so fast. Oh, I don’t know.” Letting out a huge breath, her shoulders sagged, and she stared up at Ryan as her heart ached. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
Ryan chuckled, moving forward to press his lips to hers in a gentle kiss that made her reach over and tangle her fingers in his hair. When they separated, Lacey’s heart was thumping against her ribs and her breathing had quickened.
“I ahh…”
Ryan huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, this chemistry is pretty full on, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I can’t let you come with me for the rest of my shift. How about I drive you back to your car? Or would you like me to find Dylan for you? You could spend the rest of the day with him in the kitchen.”
Heat flooded Lacey’s face, and she giggled. She couldn’t handle fighting her attraction to Dylan after what had just happened with Ryan. “I … think, I might head home for an early night. I still have that article to write, so the early night probably won’t happen.”
Ryan groaned but started the car and headed back to the main parking lot.
“Do you know what you’re going to write yet?”
Lacey sighed. She’d lain awake half the previous night wondering how she was going to word this damn article.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure just yet. But I promise you, I have zero intention of outing you and your family.”
Five minutes later, he pulled up next to her car.
“Stay there a sec.”
He jumped out of the car, and strolled around to her side of the jeep before he opened the door. With a large hand on her leg he spun her on the seat so her body faced him. His gaze locked on hers, burning hot with lust, and her legs instinctively spread as he moved to stand beneath them.
“Just the right height.”
He cradled her jaw in his hands and devoured her mouth until her brain went fuzzy and she was having trouble concentrating on the simple act of breathing. He finished the kiss with small nips to her lower lip.
“Enjoy your date with Dylan tomorrow night, beautiful. He’ll be picking you up at six from your place. I believe you’ll need to dress formally for what he has planned.”
With her mind still spinning she struggled to understand what he’d said.
“Right. Dylan. Six tomorrow night. Dress nice. Got it.”
With a sexy deep chuckle, Ryan helped her out of the jeep and over to her car like a veritable prince charming.
How am I going to survive both of you on Monday night?
Chapter Eleven
“Every woman deserves to be romanced, and even if she won’t admit it, she really does want to be swept off her feet.”
His mother had been telling Dylan and his brothers that for years. She didn’t want her sons getting lazy or to thinking they didn’t have to work for their mate. Just because they were predestined by fate to be together, it didn’t mean their women were going to fall into their laps. So it made a strange kind of sense that he had his mother�
�s voice on repeat in his mind as he’d prepared for his date with Lacey tonight.
He glanced to the passenger side of his car. The large bunch was a mix of dark pink centered tiger lilies with smaller white flowers in among them. He’d been planning on simply going for a dozen red roses, but the moment he’d seen this arrangement he’d known it was perfect. He couldn’t be boring or predicable when it came to Lacey. She deserved to feel special every step of the way.
Now that he was pulling up into her driveway, he wasn’t so sure he’d picked the right one. What if she thought he was a dick for being so traditional with the whole flowers thing?
“Gah!” Dylan tugged at his hair with his fingers. Damn, he hated being nervous. It was as foreign to him as living in the city would be. It was in his nature to just barge in and do whatever needed doing. It was how he was wired. However, nothing he’d ever experienced had made him question his every action and thought like Lacey did.
Turning off the ignition, he took a deep breath and let his body settle for a moment. When his muscles stopped quivering, he palmed the flowers and slid free of the vehicle. His SUV had never looked so spotless. He’d spent most of the day cleaning it inside and out. Including a wax and polish of the paintwork. The moment he shut his door, the hairs on the back of his neck tingled. Someone was watching him.
He scanned the area around the front of Lacey’s house, narrowing his eyes as he stared into the dark. Deep breaths through his nose helped him to catch any stray scents.
After a minute or two of scanning he still couldn’t spot anyone, so he stalked up to her front door feeling even more uncomfortable than he had when he’d first pulled up.
I should never have agreed to these separate dates.
His brother balanced his extremes out, and he was out of kilter without him. Like this current paranoia of someone watching him. If Ryan were with him, his twin would simply shake his head on a chuckle, tell him he’s mad and they’d move on with their night.
The door swung in, and Dylan forgot how to breathe. Lacey was a vision in a gorgeous burgundy dress. The neckline was low and came down to a point between her lush breasts, showcasing them to perfection. It came in flush against her just above her waist and flared out to the floor.
Wowza.
“You don’t like it? I can change if it’s not appropriate for where we’re going.”
He covered his mouth with a fist as he cleared his throat, shaking his head at her while his eyes did another tour of her body.
“You look amazing, sweetheart. And the dress is perfect for where we’re going.”
The flowers he held became a weight in his hand, reminding his dazed brain that he had them.
“Um, here. I got these for you.”
Damn, he felt ten feet tall when her gaze settled on the pink and white flowers and she sighed. He’d picked the right ones! Yes! Then a serene smile lit up her face as she took them from him and buried her nose in among the blooms.
“Oh, these smell divine! Thank you, Dylan. Um, won’t you come in while I get them in some water? Or do we need to get going?”
While he did have a reservation, they had time. He’d been hopeful of sneaking in a kiss or two before they headed off to the restaurant, but now he’d seen her, he didn’t think it was a good idea. His imagination took hold, and visions of her voluptuous body swirled through his mind. If he so much as touched her, he wouldn’t be able to hold back. He’d have her stripped bare and on the closest flat surface beneath him in seconds.
“We have time, beautiful.”
As she turned around and headed off, Dylan stepped inside and closed the door behind him, after he scanned the street once more. That feeling of being watched was still riding him.
“Ry? Are you here?”
When he received no reply he knew it wasn’t his twin out there. Who the hell was watching Lacey’s house? Could it be that bastard ex she mentioned? Listening to the sound of running water, Dylan headed into the house but froze as he passed the lounge room.
“Ahh, Lacey? Why’s there a gun safe if your lounge room?”
“It’s not mine. My roommate Scarlet is a member of a club nearby. I don’t know much about it all as it’s never really interested me.”
Having been raised on a farm, Dylan had no issue with guns and firearms, but it had been the last thing he’d expected to find in Lacey’s house. As he took in the rest of the room he realized it must be mostly her roommate’s things. Nothing in there made him think of Lacey. He continued on to the kitchen where he found Lacey fiddling with the flowers that were now sitting in a large vase.
“Thank you again for these. They’re so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you, but as close as I could find on such short notice.”
She spun and playfully slapped his arm. “Oh, aren’t you just oozing charm tonight?”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in against him. As he pressed a kiss to the top of her head he inhaled deeply, savoring her delicate scent that was now tinged with arousal.
“We better get going, sweetheart.” Or I’ll take you to your room and we won’t come back out ‘til morning.
****
Lacey's breath caught in her throat as Dylan's hot body pressed against hers, his hard chest pressing into her arm, his groin against her hip. Heat pooled in her belly, and she forced herself to slowly lift her eyes to look at the man making her heart pound like a runaway train. As if he’d been waiting for her to look up, his mouth came crashing down on hers, a growl rumbling in his chest that made the hairs rise on her arms.
He wrapped her in his strong arms and twisted her around. She didn’t fight, but instead she submitted to him, allowing his passion to sweep her away. She opened her lips to his seeking tongue as her eyes slid closed. Lacey moaned as his hands gripped her ass and pulled her flush against him. Their tongues dueled as their lips pressed tightly together.
Another deep rumble rose from Dylan, and he pulled away from her, his brown eyes sparkling with fire as his breath labored in out of his heaving chest.
“Fuck, you're hot.”
A giggle burst from her as heat flooded up into her cheeks. The fact such a delicious specimen of a man thought she was hot had her head spinning and her knees weak. So much for him playing the gentleman tonight.
“Ah … you’re not too bad yourself. I’ll just grab my coat, and we can get going.”
She turned and bolted to her bedroom on her wobbly legs. Three dates. Her demand had seemed like a great idea at the time, but now she was tempted to throw in the towel and pull Dylan into her bedroom. She grabbed her long black coat and whipped it on, then paused for a minute to take some deep breaths. It wasn’t too cold outside, and she was definitely too hot to be bundled up so she let the coat hang open. A quick glance in her full length mirror had her smiling. Even she had to admit she filled out her new dress, which she’d bought this morning just for tonight, well.
Still smiling she strode back into the lounge. There were little fissions of excitement bubbling along her veins. She hadn’t felt this happy in a long time, and she was struggling not to squeal like a little girl.
Her fingers trembled as she picked up her bag and stepped towards her gorgeous date. Dylan’s sexual vibe was so intense it stole the breath from her lungs.
“Let’s go, shall we?”
Dylan nodded at her, and they stepped out onto the porch. She stopped abruptly with a gasp as the hairs the back of her neck stood to attention. Dylan ran into her with a grunt, but grabbed her around the waist and managed to prevent them both going for a trip down her front stairs face first.
“What’s wrong?”
“Someone’s watching us.”
Her neck continued to prickle as her gaze darted from her car in the driveway to the hedges by the house. Where is the bastard hiding this time?
“I agree. I felt the same thing when I pulled up, but I couldn’t see anyone. Then or now.”
An icy shiv
er snaked down her spine as Dylan’s opinion pushed aside any belief she was simply being paranoid. Dylan’s warm body pressed closer. “You okay, sweetheart?”
Lacey nodded and swallowed hard, as a sense of being trapped had claustrophobia swamping her mind and soul. Her throat was suddenly tight, and her heart thumped against her ribs. Nausea rolled on her belly, and she grabbed at Dylan’s hands that lay against her aching stomach.
“If you want, I can shift and track whoever it is down?”
Dylan’s whispered words broke through the panic, and Lacey blinked back to reality as she turned her head towards her date. Her whole body relaxed, the tension in her shoulders releasing immediately. Stupid panic attack. She was standing with a powerful cheetah shifter. She was safe. The cold coil in her gut warmed then settled within her.
She forced a smile to her lips and shook her head. “Ah. No, but thank you. Whoever it is doesn’t deserve our energy or time. I’d much rather head out and enjoy our dinner.”
They stepped towards his car, and he dashed forward, opening the car door for her. Wow. I thought you’d be the less romantic one.
“Well, thank you, kind sir.”
She battled the urge to giggle and slid into the comfortable car, putting on her seat belt as her gaze strayed to the hedges once again. She couldn’t shake the sensation that someone was there, and unfortunately, she knew precisely who it would be. Please let him be gone by the time we get back.
“So, who would be watching you?” Dylan pulled shut his door and started the car.
“My ex. Probably.”
Dylan frowned at her, then concentrated back on driving as he reversed out of her drive and headed towards the city.
“Why would you assume that? Has he been giving you trouble lately?”
She rolled her eyes. “You saw his text message. He wants to get back together, and I obviously don’t. He’s gotten a little obsessed, and, honestly, I’m not sure what to do about it.”
