by Leela Ash
“No, the water was fine,” he said.
They fell silent again, but it wasn’t the type of awkward silence he so frequently shared with women in his life. Rather, Janie simply smiled at him and continued sipping on her coffee, and both of them were at ease.
“So this is where you’re staying?” Dean finally asked. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable with the silence. It was more like he felt like being with Janie without speaking, without forming a connection, would be an alarming thing to do. But why did he want to speak with her? Hadn’t he just vowed off all women?
“Yes, for now,” Janie said with a smile. “There’s a house a few miles away that I was thinking about renting, though. Everything is all set, I just need to get the motivation to get started.”
“Right,” Dean said thoughtfully. “Why don’t we do it now, then?”
“Now?” Janie’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Dean as if he was insane. “I can’t just move everything right now!”
“But you can. I’m here. Then you won’t have to spend another night in this dingy place.” Dean gestured out the window. “Doesn’t that stupid neon sign keep you up at night? And the faucet over there is broken. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” Janie asked, avoiding his questions and eyeing Dean skeptically. “Were you checking up on me? Was this your plan all along? To end up naked in my room?”
Honestly, Dean had been asking himself the same things, but the wolf had its own plan in mind. It was probably just a coincidence.
“Not exactly,” Dean said. “I don’t know how I got here or why the wolf chose this place. I just kind of went along for the ride.”
“Oh…”
Janie looked a little bit confused. Did she not understand how it worked to have a wolf inside of you? Or maybe she was simply too naive. It figured. She was just a human, after all.
“So are we moving you in today or what? I’m feeling restless and something to do with my hands would do me good.”
“Oh,” Janie said. Dean grinned inwardly. Yes, she was going to have to give in now that he’d made it about helping himself. She just seemed to be that kind of person. In a way, it made him feel bitter, because he hadn’t known anybody else like that before. But it also warmed him.
“Well?” Dean asked impatiently.
Janie looked him in the eye, her expression completely serious.
“All right,” she said. “But you’re going to need to put some pants on.”
Dean burst out laughing, surprising them both, and then nodded.
“It’s a deal.”
8.
There was a thrift store across the street from the motel, and Janie had Dean stay put while she popped in to find him an outfit. It was a bizarrely domestic feeling to walk into a store with the goal of finding an outfit for Dean, and she couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like if they actually were together. She certainly wouldn’t be buying a billionaire clothes from a thrift store. The absurdity of it all made her laugh out loud, causing cashiers to glance at her with pensive brows. Were they concerned that she might be a little bit crazy? Who knew what kind of people they had coming through there on a regular basis.
Still, it just made her laugh even more, and she strolled through the aisles until she came upon a pair of blue swim shorts and a white t-shirt that looked like they would fit Dean. It would have to do.
“Hm…” Dean said when she walked through the door a few minutes later, holding her prize out to him. “They smell like thirty different people.”
She raised an eyebrow at him and he smirked, putting the clothes on sheepishly.
“How do I look?” he dared to ask, flashing Janie a charming grin.
“Bizarre!” Janie said, laughing despite herself. “I’ve only ever seen you depicted in fancy business suits.”
“I look good, though, right?” Dean said very seriously, looking down at himself. Janie blushed. Of course, he looked good. He could be wearing a paper bag over his body and he would still look amazing. That was probably why he had been voted one of the sexiest men in the world.
“You do,” Janie said, catching his eye. Their gazes lingered for a moment before Janie looked away, her face hot as she attempted to swat away the longing she kept inadvertently feeling in Dean’s presence. His eyes flashed at her as if he sensed her desire and she gritted her teeth, the fire in her loins growing.
Thankfully, he turned away quickly and changed the subject.
“Where’s that storage unit of yours?” he asked, pulling out his cell phone. “I’m going to have a truck meet us there.”
“You really don’t have to-”
But by the time the words were out, Dean was already on the phone, looking at her impatiently. He was waiting for the information.
“It’s the storage facility on First Street,” she said, having to force herself to accept this man’s kindness. “Unit 203.”
“Got it,” he said. Suddenly, he was conversing animatedly with a person on the other end of the line, and he was whisking her out of the motel.
“We’re taking your car, I assume?” he said when she frowned in confusion.
“Right,” she said quietly. She got into the driver’s seat and Dean got in the passenger’s side as if he belonged there, and soon, they were on their way to the storage unit.
“Do you need to call the landlord to let him know you’re picking up the keys today?” Dean asked. It was kind of nice, in a way, having an older, more experienced man to help her to stay on the ball. Everything could feel so overwhelming sometimes, especially never having anybody there to help her out.
“Oh, probably,” Janie said, still unable to accept that she would be out of the uncomfortable little motel and into her own apartment so soon.
“Do it when we get to the unit, I’ll help the boys start to pack everything up while you go pick up the keys and unlock the house.”
Well, apparently, Dean had everything all figured out. As comforting as it was, it was also a huge surprise. And she was used to being the one in charge of things. Being a doormat had never suited her. Still, it was nice to be able to surrender control about something that had been weighing heavily on her mind since she’d arrived.
“But job security…” Janie managed to mumble.
Dean paused as if surprised at the thought.
“I won’t fire you,” he said decidedly. “It’s time to stick with an intern. The others were short-lived, but that was their own problem. I think I can work with you.”
Janie wasn’t sure whether she should be flattered or insulted, and decided to opt for both. She drove to the storage facility, shocked to find that there was already a moving van parked outside her unit.
“Are you ready, boys?” Dean asked, clapping his hands together. Janie’s eyes wandered secretly over the roundness of Dean’s biceps and her heart fluttered involuntarily. This man was unbelievable.
“Yes, sir!”
“Janie, go ahead and give the landlord a call. If he doesn’t pick up, let me know and I’ll call him myself.”
“You know him?”
“Presumably. I grew up here. And there are only a few real estate people in the game around here, so like I said… just let me know if you have a problem with this guy. Now or later.”
Dean looked at her meaningfully, and she felt a warmth course through her. He certainly was protective of her. It felt surprisingly nice. She wished she always had someone around who made her feel so safe.
“Mr. Douglas?”
“Ahhh, Janie, hi!”
“Is it all right if I come sign the lease and pick the keys up now?” Janie asked into the phone nervously. She normally didn’t do things on such short notice, but Dean was looking at her encouragingly. “I think I’m about ready to move in.”
“Ah, it’s about time. I was beginning to worry you would never take the plunge!” Mr. Douglas exclaimed. “Please, come by any time today or tomorrow, I will be
here. And if not, I will leave the keys and lease with my wife.”
“Oh, thank you!” Janie said. She was honestly surprised. It wasn’t often that things seemed to go so smoothly. Especially not without at least several weeks or months of planning.
Dean grinned at her and she felt her cheeks flush.
“Go on!” he said, nodding to Janie’s car. “Go and get your keys!”
“All right,” Janie said, smiling. She couldn’t help it. The unexpected reality of having a home of her own was exciting, and she beamed at Dean. “Thank you.”
Dean smiled at her and again, she felt her heart surge with warmth. He was something else, that was for sure.
9.
Dean watched Janie’s car pull away, his mind seeming to follow her along with it. As soon as she was out of sight, he pulled his phone out again.
“Dean?”
“Hey, Douglas. I hear you have a new tenant.”
“Yeah. What about it? Can I help you with something?”
“As a matter of fact, you can. I know this woman. She is an employee of mine. I want your word that you will look out for her. If something in the house goes wrong, you do what you have to do to fix it as soon as you can. I don’t want to hear any horror stories from her. Because trust me, I will be asking.”
“Sure man, whatever. I do that for all of my renters.”
“Sure you do,” Dean said with a scoff. “Just make sure that you at least do it for this one.”
“You got it.”
“Good. Take care of yourself,” Dean said.
“Right.”
He hung up, feeling a little bit better about Janie’s situation. Douglas had always been the reliable sort of guy, but he didn’t want to take any chances.
About twenty minutes later, most of the furniture and boxes were loaded up in the moving van, and Dean waited in the heat with the other men who had come with the truck. They were hot, hungry, and miserable.
“How much to just use the truck for the rest of the day?” Dean asked. “You guys can head home. I can drive it to the house and unload when Janie gets back.”
“Oh! You don’t have to pay us to borrow the truck, Mr. Resner. Just call when you’re done so we can pick it up.”
“I could drop it off at the lot,” Dean offered.
He could see the relief on their faces knowing they were dismissed, and Dean wondered since when Johnston’s moving company had hired wolf-human hybrids for their moving jobs. It seemed like a bad business move. Shifter men were noticeably stronger. Hiring boys like that would only cost more in the long run.
After the other men left, Dean waited in the truck for Janie.
“Lead the way!” he called out his window at her when she pulled in about ten minutes later.
She smiled at him, a look that lit up her face and completely astonished Dean for a moment. He had never seen a woman look that beautiful before. It was sorcery.
“All right,” she said. The excitement on her face was unmistakable, and Dean felt pleased with himself for having a hand in putting it there. There was no harm in helping out an intern, right? She was simply the new girl in town. The new people to Stonybrooke needed as much help as they could get. It wasn’t wrong to lend a hand as long as the wolf knew its place… right?
***
They finished unloading the truck at about 6pm, and Dean’s stomach growled comically.
“You’re hungry!” Janie exclaimed, as if she had done something wrong. “Please, let me treat you to something. You’ve done so much to help me.”
“No,” Dean said, thinking she wanted to spend the money she’d earned from him on him. It seemed kind of icky. “Please, don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll cook you something!”
Dean looked up at her with a slight frown. Nobody had offered to cook for him for free before. He had grown quite fond of the diner because Maurice had let him work there when he was a boy so he could earn a living and fill his belly, even when his mother had been on the prowl for weeks. But Maurice had always expected him to work for and earn his meals. Someone making him food voluntarily almost seemed dangerous in a way.
“You really don’t have to do that…”
“I insist,” Janie said, beaming at him. He was swept away, once again, by the light in her eyes, the ease of her smile. She was everything he had ever wanted in a woman. Except that she was barely a woman at all. She was half his age.
“But-”
“Please, sit down and have some wine. I stopped by the grocery store on the way back from picking up my keys, so I have enough to cook for us both. I promise, I’m good at it.”
Dean studied her and sighed, then sat down and pulled the cork off the wine with his bare hands. Janie’s eyes widened but she said nothing about it.
“Make yourself at home. You have certainly done the same for me.”
Dean smiled uneasily at Janie and she disappeared into the kitchen.
He hated waiting for a meal. It reminded him of all the days he had spent as a child with a rumble in his belly. Now that he was an adult, and rich to boot, he always tried to make sure that he had food when and where he needed it, no exceptions. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for Janie to finish, so he took a long swig of the wine and followed her into the kitchen.
“Let me help,” he said. “It will get done faster that way. Besides, you’ve been working hard enough today.”
“Really, I hardly had to lift a finger with you around,” Janie said, laughing at him and shaking her head. “You were pretty on top of things.”
Dean looked away, embarrassed. It was true. He had treated Janie like she was precious or fragile, almost the way he had seen other shifters treat pregnant women. But Janie wasn’t pregnant, at least not that he knew of. For some reason, the thought made him feel bitterly jealous. He really didn’t know a thing about her, did he?
“Well, you know. I’m a shifter. We’re good at those kinds of things. Stronger than humans, anyway. Usually.”
“Right,” Janie said with a small laugh. “Well, I appreciate it, but I’m not porcelain.”
Dean looked up at her, surprised. No other woman he had ever been with would even think to tell him that. Not just because he was usually with other shifter women, but because they seemed to want to be helpless for some reason. Maybe it made them feel more feminine, or maybe it was just another way to keep a sucker of an alpha on the hook, like what had happened with Kiera.
The thought of his ex-wife made Dean prickle. He wouldn’t let himself get caught in another tangled web like that again. It just wouldn’t be good for him, or whatever unfortunate woman he ended up with. He was cold and difficult to be with, and only high-maintenance people could tolerate him because they made him feel like he had a job that he could do to earn their attention. Lord knew he hadn’t been able to earn his own mother’s.
“What are you thinking about?” Janie asked softly, chopping an onion. “You’ve been staring at me like that for almost a minute.”
“I… personal things, I guess. My ex to be exact.”
“Ah… did the two of you like cooking together?”
Dean snorted.
“No, nothing like that. If we ever ate together, it was at a five-star restaurant. I can’t imagine Kiera in the kitchen.”
The thought made him laugh out loud, and Janie smiled, focusing on her task. Was that jealousy he was smelling on her? For some reason, that made him feel heartened. But Janie wasn’t the type to flaunt her feelings like some of the other shifter women he’d been with did. For whatever reason, she was playing it cool. And he liked that. A lot.
“Actually, you’re the first person who has ever offered to make me something to eat.”
“Really? What about your parents?” Janie asked, her face horrified.
“Father is out of the picture for good, and my mom…well…I don’t really know where she ended up.”
That was partly a lie. Dean had hired a private detective to kee
p tabs on his mother, and every few months, he would get an update on where she was and what she was doing. The last he’d heard, she was spending a lot of time on the coast with a group of strippers. She wasn’t stripping, per se, but she was hanging around for the drugs and attention.
But that update had been a while ago. Every time the detective got back to him, Dean found himself feeling surprised that his mother was even still alive.
“I’m so sorry,” Janie said, putting her hand gently on Dean’s arm. He scoffed. He was twice her age. There was no way he would allow her to comfort him like he was some sad little baby.
“It was a long time ago,” Dean said, shrinking from her touch and walking to the other end of the kitchen. He had to admit, the house she had chosen for herself was really a nice one. The kitchen was vast, and it almost felt like he could get away from Janie and her inquiries if he walked long enough.
“Still, sometimes the worst pains are the oldest,” Janie said quietly.
“You’re talking like you know that from experience,” Dean said, somewhat bitterly. Why was it he almost hoped to tear the bad feelings right out of her the same way she had to him? He wanted to hear that she hurt too. To see the same pain on her face. But that would be impossible. He had too many scars to count.
But he was surprised when her pained smile sent daggers through him.
“I’ve had my share of ups and downs,” Janie said. “But what matters most is that we’re here now. Right?”
Dean stared at Janie, his heart beating hard in his chest.
“Right,” Dean said. There was nothing left to say.
10.
“I can’t believe it,” Dean said, his eyes bright. “Thank you.”
Janie smiled shyly at her plate. “It’s an old recipe. I can’t believe you even liked it. I heard that the shifters had really high standards for food.”
“Well, we do have much more sensitive senses than you humans do,” Dean admitted. “But I really enjoyed this.”
Dean stood from the table and Janie couldn’t help but stare at him, her mind wandering back to the moment she’d first seen him huddled on the sidewalk at the motel. Dean had been very disoriented, but he seemed to have found her room completely on purpose.
