by J. H. Croix
In a flash, Kirk flipped the table toward Derek. Noah moved so quickly and quietly, she hardly noticed how he made it across the room. Derek leapt up from his chair. Just as Kirk hauled off to punch Derek, Noah caught his forearm in midair, freezing it in place. He barely appeared to be exerting effort.
“Stay out of this!” Kirk practically spit his words out.
Noah simply shook his head, maintaining his iron grip on Kirk’s arm. Derek glanced to Noah, his brows hitching up, but he remained silent. Kirk altered his stance and struggled against Noah before giving up and allowing his arm to drop. Noah released him slowly, his eyes locked on Kirk. Lily glanced around the deli. All eyes were watching the scene. The quiet among the men was disconcerting.
Derek took a step forward, nodding to Noah. “Thanks, man.”
Kirk sneered at Derek. “Fuck you.” He snatched his jacket off the back of his chair and stormed out. His shoulder caught the corner of a display in one of the aisles, knocking a card stand over and leaving a scattered mess in his wake. He didn’t bother to stop. Lily glanced around the room before hurrying over to pick up the cards.
Roxanne’s voice carried across the store. “Drama’s over for now. Let’s all mind our own business again.”
As Lily knelt and shuffled the cards up into her hands, attempting to organize them again, Roxanne came over to help. “You don’t need to do that, Lily. I got it.”
Lily met Roxanne’s eyes. “I don’t mind. You’ve got enough work to do. What the hell do you think that was about?” She kept her voice low.
Conversation had picked up with the murmur of voices giving them cover to talk. Lily knew speculation was running rampant in the room. With everything that had gone on lately in Catamount, the argument just witnessed could have been as mundane as a disagreement over a bill, but everyone would assume it had something to do with the drug smuggling scandal Callen had dumped in the town’s lap.
Roxanne shrugged. “My best guess is Kirk is in the middle of the whole damn mess. He’s usually up to no good. He and Derek used to be buddies, but things have gone sour lately. I’m relieved Noah was here. He’s not one to make a fuss, but he’s not gonna stand by and let shit go down. I was afraid one of them was gonna shift. Maybe not on purpose, but because they were pissed off. Thank God that didn’t happen. I don’t even know how we’d clean up that rumor.”
Roxanne was a good friend, and she didn’t gossip much though she probably knew just about everything about everyone in town. She was a shifter herself from another of the founding shifter families in Catamount. Her grandfather had named the store after her when she was but a baby. Since the store served as one of the central shopping and gathering locations in town, more gossip passed through here than probably anywhere else. Lily had learned over the years that Roxanne’s disarming manner led people to tell her all kinds of things. She only commented on what she knew when it was relevant.
Lily tidied the stack of envelopes she’d gathered and started returning them to the card rack. “What do you mean about Kirk being up to no good?”
Roxanne glanced over her shoulder before turning back and handing Lily another pile of cards. “He likes to party and he doesn’t like to work. He and Derek were in high school together, a few years ahead of us. You know how Derek’s family runs the old quarry outside of town?” At Lily’s nod, Roxanne continued. “Well, he offered Kirk a job a few years back. He ended up having to fire him. Kirk wants a quick buck, but he doesn’t want to have to work for it. Granite work is hard work. It’s fair to say that pretty much put the nail in the coffin on their friendship. They used to come in here all the time to have lunch when they were working together. Today’s the first time I’ve seen them together in years. My bad feeling radar is tingling pretty strong.”
With Roxanne handing over cards, Lily put the rack back in order and stood up, dusting her jeans off. Noah was standing by Derek talking quietly with him. When she glanced his way, his eyes immediately met hers. With a quick nod to Derek, Noah walked across the room, his amber eyes locked on her. Her pulse kicked up and flutters swirled in her belly. She took a breath, a pointless attempt to settle her nerves. You are being ridiculous. Act normal. Problem was, Noah had the worst effect on her. He was way too sexy for her sanity and not the kind of guy that would ever notice her. His casual attention, due solely to him being nice enough to stop when she needed help, was making her body go wild.
He came to a stop at her side. Roxanne immediately spoke. “Thank God you were here! I don’t know what the hell Kirk was gonna do, but it went from a possible mess to nothing. You’re such a badass.” Roxanne chuckled when she patted him on the arm. She looked to Lily. “You know Noah was in the Special Forces in the Marines, right?”
Lily nodded, but couldn’t seem to think of what to say. Of course, Noah just had to be tall, dark, handsome, sexy as hell, and a military shifter badass. Precisely the kind of man she could never even consider having. Seeing as she usually flew under every man’s radar, why did her body go haywire over a man who could have any woman he wanted? She tried to talk her pulse down, but it was having none of that and kept galloping away. She felt a flush creeping up her neck.
Roxanne had turned away to reply to a customer. When she turned back, she looked at Noah, her eyes sobering. “Any idea what that was about?”
Noah shrugged. “Not too sure. Derek isn’t offering many details, but he said Kirk’s pissed off because he won’t offer access to the quarry.”
“Why would he need that?” Lily asked.
Noah shrugged. “Exactly what I asked Derek. If he knows, he’s not ready to talk about it.”
Roxanne rolled her eyes. “Well, he’s not too helpful.” She paused and glanced at the counter where a customer waited. “I’ve gotta go. Your sandwiches and Jake’s coffee are waiting if you’re ready.” She hurried off.
Lily looked up at Noah, willing her skin not to blush again. She’d blushed more in one day around him than she had in years. “I guess I’ll see you when you’re done with your appointment.”
He looked at his watch. “Damn, I’m about to be late. Catch you later.” He turned quickly and weaved his way through the aisles to the door. Lily picked up the sandwiches and coffee and headed back to Jake’s office.
Chapter 3
A few hours later, Lily leaned back in her chair and stretched. Jake’s eyes were glued to his computer screen. He’d abandoned what he’d been working on earlier to dig into Kirk Hogan. After she’d filled him in on the almost-altercation at Roxanne’s and told him what Roxanne had shared about Kirk, he was in detective mode again. When she stood and started cleaning up his lunch debris, he looked up.
“Well, looks like Kirk might be another link in the chain. I can’t dig up anything about why he’d want access to Derek’s quarry, but just like Callen, he’s got several email aliases. I’ve been trying to keep up with it, but it’s tedious work tracking every loose end. Looks like they were both in contact with one of the guys out in Montana. I’m gonna put a call in to our contact out there and see what he can tell me.”
Lily’s chest tightened. She wanted to see an end in sight. The ripple effects of Callen’s nefarious activities kept washing up on the shores of Catamount. She hated feeling suspicious about everyone and didn’t like the fear coiled inside of her. It wasn’t discussed much in Catamount because in recent decades shifters had largely succeeded in becoming invisible, but in earlier centuries, shifters had been hunted and killed at points. Myth worked in their favor because it was difficult for humans to believe shifters lived among them. The lure of mountain lions and their secret existence in the East served a convenient purpose for shifters. If they were ever seen deep in the woods in mountain lion form, it offered a great tale to whoever saw them. Even though Eastern mountain lions had been declared extinct, many people clung to the belief that they were still surviving by stealth. In a way, that was entirely true. It’s just that most people didn’t assume the
stealth involved mountain lions who shifted into human form and back again at will.
The underbelly of the shifter world had been laid bare when it was discovered Callen had been trying to sell their services for smuggling. Who better to smuggle drugs than a mountain lion? They moved quickly and quietly and were avoided at all costs, even in areas where they were common out West. The fear running in circles through Catamount was that Callen had exposed Catamount to the wrong shifters and now they had to root out whoever else was involved. With a sigh, Lily looked to Jake.
“I suppose this is good news then? Maybe another lead to chase down that might get you somewhere?”
Jake nodded and started to speak when there was a quick knock. He glanced up, his eyes questioning.
Lily stepped to the door to find Noah waiting. His amber gaze landed on her and sent her pulse running wild again. Her belly clenched, and her breath became shallow. After a long moment, she realized she was staring. “You didn’t need to knock,” she said, forcing the words out, trying to get control of her body again.
Noah shrugged. “I wasn’t sure. Are you ready?”
She nodded and stepped back from the door. “Just let me get my boots and coat on.”
Noah hesitated at the door.
“Come on in, Noah,” Jake called out.
Noah kicked the snow off his boots and stepped inside Jake’s small office. He closed the door and leaned against it. His eyes were slightly guarded, which grated on her. Perhaps Noah didn’t need her to defend him, but she felt strangely protective of him. She didn’t like knowing he had to worry shifters were lumping him in with his uncle.
Jake swiveled in his chair to face Noah. He appeared to be considering his words. “Lily tells me you were a big help over at Roxanne’s today.”
Noah shrugged. “All I did was step in. No sense in letting a fight get started.”
Jake nodded slowly and picked up a pen, twirling it in his fingers. “Well, I’m sure Roxanne appreciates it.”
Again, Noah shrugged.
Jake arched a brow. “Thanks for helping Lily today.”
“No problem. Her spare tire has enough air now, and the flat one’s repaired. I’ll put the regular one back on when I drop her off.”
Lily pulled her jacket on and laced her boots up. “Okay, I’m ready.” She looked to Jake. “If you need more help, I should have some time next week. I’m tied up the next few days on a project.”
Jake nodded. “Thanks for helping out today. Phoebe said for you to give her a call. She wants to do a girls’ dinner.”
“I’ll call her later.” She dropped a kiss on Jake’s cheek and strode to the door. Noah stepped aside and held the door open. When she brushed by him, she could feel the heat of his body. It sent a current buzzing through her veins. In a flash, she was flustered…again. Seriously? You’ve turned into a complete flake today. Noah was just standing there, and you’re all gaga. She willed her body to calm down, but thinking about it only seemed to make it worse. By the time she was sitting in Noah’s truck, her nerves were a mess. See, this is why you’re still a virgin. You’re such a social wreck that there’s no way you’ll get past a kiss with anyone. If it’s someone like Noah, who’s so smokin’ hot that you’re about to go up in flames, you probably will literally melt into a useless puddle.
Lily held her hands in front of the air blowing out of the heater vents, trying to warm her cold hands. The temperature felt like it had barely budged today. The thermometer outside her kitchen window had registered zero this morning. If the temperature had made it up to ten degrees, she’d be amazed.
Noah climbed in the truck and without a word he started driving. The silence amped up her tension. Her pulse bounded ahead, as she tried to calm her nerves. He’s driving you to your car. That’s all this is. Why are you such a mess? Sure, he’s hot, but whatever. Deep breath and get your head on straight.
Noah’s voice interrupted her internal conversation. “Does everyone call you Lily?”
“I haven’t thought about it much, but I guess it’s mostly family and friends.”
Noah’s only response was a nod.
Lily considered what to say next and her words ended up surprising her. “Roxanne told me about your mother being sick. I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she’s doing okay.”
He stopped at a light and glanced her way, his eyes somber. “Thanks. I met her for one of her chemo appointments today.” He took a breath before looking away when the light changed. “My mom’s the stoic type, so she acts like she’s going to be fine, but she’s pretty sick. That’s why I moved back home.”
Lily considered what he must be going through. Though she only knew broad strokes of his life, a man didn’t move home to take care of his ailing mother unless she meant a lot to him. Her heart clenched. “I bet she really appreciates that you’re here. I’m sure it’s difficult to watch what’s she’s going through.”
He was quiet for another long moment before he replied. “She means a lot to me. There was no way I’d not have come home.”
A deer darted across the road in front of them. Noah braked abruptly, reaching his arm across to steady her when she lurched forward with the jolt of the vehicle. His touch was warm and sent sparks whirling through her. It was as if she’d swallowed a butterfly, her belly tumbling with flutters. She leaned back immediately, trying to get her body’s response to him under control. His arm fell away.
The deer paused at the side of the road, its lithe form elegant. The doe lifted her head and sniffed the air before stepping carefully into the trees. After a few cautious steps, it leapt forward and disappeared into the snowy forest. Lily tried to get her mind off of Noah, but the space in his truck felt tiny. An electric charge hummed through her body. He kept driving and moments later, he pulled to the side of the road where her car sat waiting. When he turned to her, his eyes held a glimmer of heat. Or that’s what she thought. As if. Get a clue. You’re imagining things because your body’s gone wild. There is NO WAY Noah’s got the hots for you.
She took a breath, willing her body to calm down. She stared at the dashboard and waited.
“Lily?” Noah’s voice struck sparks on the tinder of her desire, low, taut, and warm at once. Her pulse, already wild, ricocheted off the charts.
She dared to look his way and found his eyes on her, as if he’d been waiting. A hot shiver raced through her. His eyes caressed her before he angled toward her. Her heart beat so hard she thought he surely had to hear it. He cleared his throat, his amber eyes never breaking away. “I hope you don’t mind…” His words trailed off as he leaned forward and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her skin tingled where he touched her. She was frozen, her entire body pulsing in want. Hot, liquid need swept through her. She shifted her legs restlessly, trying to control the wet heat in her center. The subtle motion only made it worse.
In the taut moment, she thought his eyes held a question. Her own must have offered the answer because he moved decisively, sliding his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head and bringing his mouth to hers. The simmering heat inside of her burst into a conflagration at the feel of his lips against hers. She hadn’t had much experience with kissing, in fact if she pondered it, she had to struggle to recall the last time she’d been kissed. But this kiss from Noah—it was unlike any kiss she’d ever experienced. He kissed her as if he had all the time in the world, as if her mouth was the center of the universe. What started as a soft exploration, turned into a heated explosion when she gasped and his tongue swept inside.
Lily tumbled into sensation. The kiss went on and on. She forgot where they were, forgot her tired and worn mental anxieties about men, and scrambled to get closer. The desire that had hummed to life early this cold winter morning twisted into a flame inside. The hand cupping the back of her head, sifted through her hair and trailed down her neck, his lips following. Shivers chased in the wake of his touch, her skin pebbling. Her breath was ragged, she couldn
’t think past anything but the feel of his hand sliding down around her breast, lingering over the curve. Somehow she was on her knees in the tiny space, shoving her hands up under his shirt, gasping at the feel of his rock hard muscles under her hands.
Noah pulled back, his eyes hot embers on her. If a gaze could have burned her, his would. He traced her lips with his thumb. Never breaking eye contact, his thumb coasted down her neck, pausing over the beat of her pulse before following along the edge of her shirt, which dipped down in a scoop, the tops of her breasts exposed. The heat of his electric gaze on her, he hooked his thumb over the edge of fabric and tugged it down. The cotton gave easily and suddenly her breasts were exposed. One of the luxuries she allowed herself was lingerie. She couldn’t say why she loved lingerie so, but she did and damn if she cared that she was usually the only one who could appreciate it. She wore a barely there lacy blue bra today. He nipples were taut and peeked through the lace.
Noah’s ragged groan sent a thrill through her. His eyes dropped from hers. She glanced down to watch his hands cup her breasts. He thumbed her nipples through the lace, and it was her turn to groan. Her breasts were tight and achy. Watching him touch her drove her wild. Slick heat built between her legs, need pulsing through her. She moved restlessly, desperate for more. Thought had abandoned her, so she found herself climbing into his lap, straddling him in the tight confines of the space. He pinched her nipples and gave a soft tug before he closed his lips over one, the wet suction of his mouth driving her mad. The heat of his shaft rested against her. She slid back and forth, almost crying out at the delicious spikes of pleasure.
