by Jenny Brex
She’d do things differently and try dating the tiger-shifter. Ty was a nice guy, smart, good-looking. She needed to give him a chance. Move forward, not back. Lexi reached up and wiped a tear away.
***
King got up and kicked the box he’d started packing. What happened? It came out of nowhere. She was happy, then she wasn’t? Did he push too hard? He only pushed because he knew what was best. Or was he a relationship bully? Had he pushed her into something she didn’t want? He thought she wanted it as much as he did.
Or was he only reacting because he’d been lonely. Seeing her again, feeling her again, being around her, it reminded him of what they used to have. He was a fool to let her go.
King kicked the box again and then flopped onto his bed. It was nonsense, letting a girl get to him this way. Stupid. There were plenty of fish in the sea. Hell, there were fish in the creek, the streams, lakes, ponds, and the seas. There were so many fish, he didn’t have time to enjoy them all. She did him a favor. He should be thanking her. He wasn’t ready to be tied down.
Screw this. He got up and went to take a shower. Cleaning up, he made plans to go out. He’d see if Jake wanted to grab a brew. Ever since Denver hooked up with Lily, he couldn’t be bothered. The same thing would have happened to him. A woman would have slowed him down, kept him from his friends. No, thank you.
Climbing out of the shower, he dried off and put on fresh clothes. He’d give Jake a call and see about meeting him in town. He’d go to the tavern, drink his cares away and have a big, honking burger while he was at it.
After ringing up Jake, who begged off with the flu, King was stuck heading into town alone. It was still better than sitting at home and sulking. Most nights he chose home over town, but home was feeling kind of lonely.
King got into his truck and fired it up. A couple of beers, a nice bacon cheeseburger, a basket of fries, and he’d be set. He’d watch a game on one of the TV’s and pass the time. He’d dig into work in the morning to distract himself. There was plenty to do. And now plenty of time to do it. No woman to tie him down. No woman to tell him what to do. No woman to nag him. No woman to go home to. That last part stung a little.
He stayed for three hours and had more than his fair share of alcohol in that short time, trying to chase away the blues. King passed out in his truck until morning. He’d slept it off, rather than trying to drive. The last thing he needed was a DUI.
***
When Lexi showed up at his house the following morning, nobody answered. What a wasted trip. He probably went into town, got trashed and went home with some bimbo. Just like the damn bear, only thinking about himself.
Lexi got into her car and slammed the accelerator. She’d taken off the morning from work for this? She wanted to talk to him, to figure out what was going on between them. She was on the fence, knowing it was a mistake to see him, but her heart felt soggy and broken.
When she got back to her town, she had one final thing to do. She opened her phone and blocked his number. He’d already moved on. She knew his schedule, and it was too early for him to be working. That meant he never came home. Fucking whore of a man.
Lexi slammed her car door and walked into her office. She threw her brief case onto her desk. When the secretary came to see if she needed anything, she about snapped her head off. “Don’t bother me. I have work to do.”
Heads were going to roll. She was done being a welcome mat. Done being easy. Done being friendly for everyone else’s sake. Screw that. Lexi Laven was all about herself, and it was about damn time.
Chapter 11
King groaned and stretched. He was all crimped up from sleeping in his truck. He got out, shook it off, walked around his truck a couple of times, stretched his arms over his head, and then headed home.
He’d had more than he should have, but at least he was smart enough to park for the night. He’d work and stay busy. He needed to keep his mind off of her. He thought about calling Lexi, but then pushed it aside. It wouldn’t solve anything. He’d grab a shot of caffeine and start his day.
King did custom woodworking and had some pieces to finish up. He took odd jobs as well, and when the season called for it, he took on some guard work. He did bits of this and that, but it was his custom woodwork that paid the bills. He’d been doing it for ages. His father started him out with small projects as a kid, and over the years his carpentry skills grew. While he laid floors for quick cash, it was his custom designs, mirror frames, banisters, and cabinetry that people paid him the most for. It was piece meal work, so he never knew what was around the corner. He learned to budget where he could, and hunting filled his freezer.
King buried himself in work and tried to ignore the push to call Lexi. She’d made her decision. She was moving on.
He grumbled wondering if she was going to go out with the striped-entrepreneur she spoke of. The thought of her with another guy wasn’t doing him any favors. Jealousy didn’t usually eat away at him.
King groaned. Not his business.
He tried to shake the marbles loose in his head. It was time to meet somebody new. Time to change things up. He was ready to date again. Enough time had passed since their relationship originally shattered, and the last couple of times with Lexi, well, they were fun for old time’s sake, but not much else.
King pulled out his phone and thumbed through his contacts. No, no, no, no…he saw her name. He pushed the button before he could stop himself. It went straight to voicemail. He hung up. No point in groveling. It wasn’t his style.
King tried again an hour later. Straight to voicemail. One final try, straight to voicemail. He figured he could at least send her a text to see how she was doing. Only it bounced back to him. What the fuck?
A short message came back with his text. This number has blocked your messages.
No fucking way.
Why did she go and do that?
King huffed and bristled. He shook his head, pushing his bear back. It wanted to rear its head and roar, blasting his anger out like a rocket. How was he supposed to know what this was about? Wasn’t it taking it a little too far?
Fine. Be that way, bitch. I don’t need you. I’m the one that dumped your ass the first time around, don’t forget that. He wasn’t fooling himself, talking tough. It sucked a big one.
There was only one way to handle this – in person.
No.
Don’t chase that bird.
Let her fly. If she wants her freedom that badly; let her go.
***
Lexi slammed her work phone down and headed out for lunch. Her heels clicked on the floor as she stomped through the hallway. Going out to her car, she drove to her favorite deli to order a sandwich. She glanced at her phone and saw that it had blocked multiple calls and a text. Was this what she truly wanted?
Probably not, but it was what she needed.
She thought about running into Ty on the trails and about his asking her back out. She should be happy. He seemed to be a great guy. He had it going on. He took care of himself. He was sexy as sin, and had a solid career from what she could tell. Or well, what he told her. He had to be doing something right, he owned in the most expensive place in the neighborhood and drove a high-end car.
He looked damn good, too. He had that GQ thing going for him, with a pricy haircut and designer duds. Okay, so she’d only seen him coming and going a few times, but she took note of things. On the trails, she was up close and personal. Mm, and his thighs were thick and strong.
And yet, it was King that drifted back to the forefront of her mind. Why did that big, old bear stumble back into her world?
If you wanted to meet sexy personified, King’s picture was in the dictionary next to the word. That guy oozed sex appeal. He wasn’t perfectly coifed, but always looked just right. He had the kind of hair that you wanted to run your hands through and mess up in bed. And his eyes, so soulful and perfect to stare into while sharing dinner. His voice, the way it vibrated in his chest all deep and low left her w
ith butterflies. Yep, she’d been whacked over the head pretty hard with the love stick. Only when she finally got the rose-colored-glasses off, she saw reality. He wasn’t looking for a lifetime, he was only looking for fun.
Her inner beast was satiated after a big, fat sandwich or two. She’d stacked them high with roast beef, turkey, and Swiss. It was nice not to have someone glare at you for ordering a big lunch. Most of the businesses knew shifters were nearby, and ordering two big subs wasn’t an ordeal. Hey, a girl had to keep up her strength and her curves. A mountain lion couldn’t exist on veggies alone.
Heading back to work, she was in better spirits. With an ice cold drink in one hand and her phone in the other, she strolled down the hallway without the angst she’d left with. And then her phone rang. It only rang once then went to voicemail. Lexi closed her eyes. She felt bad blocking him, but what was the point of continuing the conversation? They’d go back and forth and not get anywhere.
Chapter 12
Lexi wallowed in her self-pity while sitting with a glass of wine. What did I do? He wanted to get back together and I pushed him away. Maybe he was serious this time. He was the love of my life. Am I a fool for cutting him off?
The next moment, she’d lift herself up. I’m starting over. Ty is a great choice. I’m going to put that shaggy-old-bear behind me and treat myself to a Maserati in the shape of a tiger.
She was driving herself batty with the back and forth. She’d chosen this path, thinking it was the right one. And now what? Was it too late?
***
When Audrey Sanders called King out of the blue, it was a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t thought of her in too damn long.
She was in town visiting her folks, and wanted to know if he’d be up for a few drinks and shooting the breeze. Of course, if catching up meant King’s face pressed tightly between her thighs, she’d be okay with that. He was an insanely hot lover and had a hell of a tongue, on top of a massive cock. She hadn’t seen him in ages, but she certainly remembered him with fondness. A one-night stand was just what the doctor ordered. She’d come home to see her parents after a particularly nasty break-up. Stupid polar bear that called himself a man went and slept with her best friend. Better she found out now. And King was just the kind of guy to take her mind off of her troubles. After talking for a few minutes, they set plans to meet on Saturday evening.
King knew moving forward was the smart thing to do. After all, he’d gotten over Lexi before. Only now, he’d need to do it again, and her sexy magic was racing through his veins. Not that it mattered - she’d shut him down.
The rest of the week was bland, but with a date on the horizon things were looking up. They decided to meet in town since Audrey had some other things to handle prior to their date. King went through his usual routine, showered, shaved, dressed, and then drove over.
He was having trouble trying to get into the swing of things. Something was different.
Audrey ran over to King as soon as she saw him. She oozed exuberance. She was as sexy as ever and smoking-hot. Her dress was cut way down to there, and was as short as it could possibly get. She wasn’t shy to let it all hang out. She was dressed racy enough to make his grandmother blush.
And yet, when King looked at her, there was no spark. Nada. What the fuck?
Audrey stepped up on her toes and kissed King’s cheek. She eyed him up and down. “Hey, handsome. How have you been? You’re looking as fine as ever.”
“Good, good,” he said rubbing the back of his neck. “You?”
“Could be better, but I have a feeling my luck is about to change,” she answered playfully as she leaned into him. Audrey flipped the edge of her long, auburn hair with her hand and fluttered her eyelashes. “I’ve missed playing with you, big daddy.”
There was a time when she’d say that purring like a sex-kitten and his cock would get immediately hard, and yet, nada. This wasn’t good.
“So, how about we tie one on and head back to your place? We can climb into bed and remember the past for a few hours? It’s been way too long.” She cooed and rubbed his arm.
“Actually, I’m hungry. Let’s go get some food first.” Shit, was he stalling? Him? What the wrong with him?
She shrugged. “Okay. Yeah, sure. I’ve got all night and morning to hang out.”
Wow, she was slapping it on pretty thick. No chase, no nothing, just here I am. Most guys would fall over themselves to have an easy lay, but it almost felt cheap and tawdry. Oh my god, did I just say cheap and tawdry like it was a bad thing?
King knew he was in trouble.
They walked down the way, then crossed the street. Going inside The Salted Dog tavern, they glanced across the bar and dining room area and found a booth. The tavern had an old seventies vibe that was well overdue for an update. The paneling on the walls at least needed a coat of paint or something to freshen it up. Either way, it was still a crowd favorite.
King tried to focus on Audrey in place of the paneling. And Lexi. Damn girl wouldn’t leave his head.
“…and then I found out he cheated on me. The bastard, right? So, I was like, well, King is the perfect one to get over a bad relationship with, because well…you’re King. Am I right?” She laughed at the comment, but noticed her date was in a daze.
She kicked him under the table with the pointed toe of her high heel.
“Ow! Hey, now.”
“I was talking,” she snipped.
“Right, I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” He could barely concentrate.
“Anything I can help with?” she asked.
“I think you actually did help me figure things out. Hey, I’m sorry about this, but I’ve got to go.” He tossed a few bills on the table. “Dinner is on me.”
“King?” She stood up as he rushed away. “King!”
He was out the door, running for his truck. It all made sense. He couldn’t move forward, couldn’t enjoy Audrey’s mile-long legs wrapped around him, because there was only one girl for him. Lexi might not see it that way, but he’d do whatever it took to convince her.
***
Ty pulled up in his freshly washed Range Rover. While the metallic Kaikoura Stone exterior veered on the side of conservative, the Oxford Leather interior promised luxury. He flipped his sunglasses off and placed them on top of his head. Not like he needed them, but they complimented his look.
Strolling up to Lexi’s front door, he stood, worked his pose, and then rang the doorbell. Might as well give her the full-package. Let her get a good look. He had exactly one thing on mind tonight and that was pressing that mountain lion’s buttons and making him purr out his name. Of course, he’d record the main event like he always did to play back later. He liked to critique his performances. If she was a hot number in bed, he’d take her for another spin, but he wasn’t about one girl. When your stars were lined up like Ty’s, you rode that magic for all it was worth.
Lexi opened the door and took a good long glance at her date. Not bad at all.
Ty’s smile gleamed. He’d had his teeth clear coated after being whitened and added the slightest bit of silver glitter to make it look like light was always bouncing off of his perfect grin. “Hey, babe.”
Lexi’s heart raced a little faster. He really was cute. She pinched herself. He seemed like such a great guy, but what did she know, she’d only talked to him once or twice. He seemed really into her, so there was that. And you know, big cats make the folks happy. Added bonus!
Lexi smiled sweetly. “Nice to see you.”
“I’d imagine so,” he answered.
Interesting answer.
“Love the red dress and heels. Do you have any spiked heels that are higher? Bet they’d make your calves slimmer,” he started.
She glared at the tiger. “I like these.”
Her balloon deflated. Somehow, he seemed different. Less real, more about appearance.
“No, really, go check. I’ll wait.” He walked past her and made himself comfortable, settling
down on the sofa. “Go on, now.”
Really? Is he for real? Okay, so different shoes, no big deal. It doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he has a shoe fetish. Oh, I bet that’s it. He’s into racy shoes, but can’t admit it. She shook her head. Makes sense now.
She came back out with spiked heels that were more for standing than walking. She stopped and posed.
“Wow, those are some fuck-me pumps if I’ve ever seen them. And look how they pop out the muscle in your calf, elongating it. Makes me want to go over and…Sorry, got carried away.”
“No problem,” she said with a grin. Yep, total shoe fetish guy.
“And your dress? Anything shorter? Now that your legs are looking fine, well, I’d love to see you flash more of those chunky-monkey thighs. Hopefully, these shoes change them up, give them a nice streamlined look.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She couldn’t hide her frustration.
“What? Look what new shoes did for you. I’m just highlighting your finest assets. Let’s not even start on your tits or ass yet. We’ll see how a shorter dress looks. Maybe we skip the panties all together so I can finger you under the table at the restaurant.”
“Too bad you didn’t tell me that part before calling my thighs chunky-monkey. Get the fuck out of here. You don’t want a date you want a Barbie doll. I’m not the girl for you.”
“Wait, what?” He wasn’t amused.
“OUT!” She let out a deep growl from her belly. Her lampshades shook from the vibration.
“You’re mistaken…”
“Get out!”
What the hell was he thinking, talking to her like that? Worse yet, what was she thinking? She missed the shabby old bear, already.
Chapter 13
King pressed his accelerator to the floor and blew down the highway. That stupid gate would be the biggest issue. Hopefully, somebody would be going in so he could follow behind them. Otherwise, he had no idea…unless he just parked his truck and climbed over the fence. She’d mentioned guards before, but if memory served him right they didn’t start until midnight. He had time.
