by Jane Jamison
If he were human, he wouldn’t be stuck waiting to find their one intended mate. He could do like other men did. He could find a woman and fall in love without worrying about sensing the connection with her.
But what did it matter? He was a weretiger and there was nothing he could do about it. He glanced at Darion. Even if he could change what he was, he wouldn’t. Sharing a woman with his brother was the one thing he looked forward to.
They gave the horses their heads, content to roam over the land. Soon enough they’d have to get back to their ranch. Nine Lives Ranch had been their dream since their teen years and, after scrimping and saving, they’d finally left their small hometown of Chartreuse, Louisiana and headed for Texas and the shifter town of Twisted.
“Hey, take a look.”
David jerked his mind back to the here and now. Following Darion’s lead, he swept his gaze toward the dirt road and the red convertible sports car parked on the side. He continued searching and saw the woman. She was walking through the pasture, taking photos. But photos of what?
“What’s she doing?”
He shrugged. Finding a woman alone in the middle of nowhere was unusual enough. And if the car was any indication, she wasn’t a country girl. She seemed out of place.
“Let’s find out.”
Damn. He didn’t try to stop his brother. Once Darion got an idea in his head, it was there to stay. Darion was already well ahead of him by the time he put his horse into a solid trot.
The closer he came, the better view he got. Long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail streaming along her spine. She wore comfortable clothes, but although she had on a pair of boots, they were the type more suitable for walking the mall than a pasture. She’d already gotten some horse shit on the heel of one, no doubt ruining the soft leather.
Fuck the shoes.
Her body was phenomenal. Curves filled out her jeans. Her sweet ass was as impressive as her breasts, giving her a nice front and back he could appreciate. By the time he’d made it to her, Darion was already resting his crossed wrists on the saddle horn and flashing her one of his you’re going to love me smiles women found irresistible. No doubt he’d already introduced himself. David pulled his horse to a stop and resisted the urge to mimic his brother.
“Kristal, this is my older brother, David Conroy.”
Darion made “older” sound like he was ancient. He tipped his hat in greeting.
Her face was the sweet, round kind he liked. The kind that made her appear to be both sexy and innocent. A blue stripe, the same ocean color of his eyes, ran down the right side of her hair. Her big brown eyes reminded him of a fawn’s wide stare.
“David, this is Kristal Mosley.” Darion gave him a pointed stare. “She’s visiting her aunt in Crosston.”
He and Darion exchanged a silent acknowledgement. She was lying. He could smell it on her. But why lie? “Is that right? What’s your aunt’s name?”
She crinkled up her nose, obviously caught off-guard. “Um, Elizabeth Kudrow.”
“Kudrow, huh? Funny. I know most of the folks in Crosston, but I’ve never heard of anyone by the name of Kudrow. Or Mosley, either.”
“Oh.” She blinked once then twice. “Um, she recently married. Her last name’s changed, but I forget right now what it is. Anyway…” She averted her gaze.
If he hadn’t already smelled the lie on her, her body language would’ve given her away.
“What are the photos for?” asked Darion.
“Nothing much. I was driving by, saw the land, and thought it was beautiful. So I decided to get out and take some pics. There’s no law against it, is there? Am I trespassing?”
“No law. This is a ranch, but I don’t think they’ll mind you taking a few pictures.” He zeroed in on her again, making her fidget from one foot to the other. “That’s a really fancy camera. Most people just use their phones.”
Darion sat back in his saddle. “True enough. But then again, some people want a better photo than what a phone camera can take.”
It was a typical Darion move. Darion was helping her out, getting her off the hot seat. Probably as a way to ingratiate her to him.
She rewarded Darion with a beautiful, bright smile. Jealousy hit him so hard the world wavered. He’d never been envious of his brother before, but he couldn’t deny what he felt. He wanted her to look at him the same way.
Her mocha-colored gaze met his, taking the jealousy and replacing it with barely restrained craving. The need to have her swept into him, sizzling downward to spike his cock. His shaft twitched to life, rebelling at his jeans for keeping it contained. He wanted her with her legs wrapped around him. He wanted her riding on top of him, her long hair brushing his chest as his brother pounded his cock into her ass.
The yearning was almost so overwhelming that he didn’t notice the other sensation at first. Yet once he did, he was blown away. Sexually, she was everything he’d ever lusted for. But as soon as the images of her fucking him melted away, he was struck with other visions. Thoughts of her sitting next to him, her hand in his. Of watching the way her mouth moved as she spoke of trivial events that somehow mattered to him. Of her holding a baby in her arms and smiling her beatific smile at him.
Damn.
It’s true.
He swallowed, Darion’s voice echoing in his ears as the thunder of his arousal deafened him. His focus was for her and her alone.
Could it be? Had she finally come?
“David? Yo, bro.”
It was as though a bubble had cocooned him, muting all other noises. Suddenly, the bubble burst, letting the colors and noises of the rest of the world assault him. He sucked in another breath. “Yeah?”
“I was telling Kristal that she should stay at Lena’s bed and breakfast.”
He nodded, even as he asked, “Why aren’t you staying with your aunt?”
“Because she’d rather stay in Twisted.” A low growl sharpened Darion’s tone, warning him not to talk her out of it.
She glanced between them, confusion bringing out the lines between her eyebrows. “I’m not staying with my aunt because they’re still newlyweds. And they have a really small place. And because I prefer having a hotel room. You know. So I’m not a bother.”
She’d given too many reasons for them to be legitimate. She was still lying, but he didn’t care where she stayed as long as it was close by.
She’s the one.
The stories were true. The connection other shifters had told them about was real. Their mate was standing right in front of them.
If he’d been any closer to her, he would’ve reached out and taken her. First as a man by thrusting his cock inside her. Then, with his tiger rising to the surface, as the animal he was, ready to sink his fangs into her flesh and claim her as his mate.
His horse rocked back and forth, prancing, no doubt picking up the hint of his cat coming to life. “Darion’s right. You should stay at Lena’s place. It’s comfortable, clean, and Lena knows everyone.” He couldn’t resist poking at her lie. “If anyone knows your aunt, it’ll be Lena Fortran.”
She flinched, but recovered. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Plus, Twisted’s not that far from Crosston.” Okay, so maybe he kind of liked making her squirm. Like a cat toying with a mouse. But this little mouse wouldn’t get eaten. At least not as food. “Crosston has a bed and breakfast, too. You could stay there instead.”
“Hell, bro, that place can’t compare to Lena’s.” Darion’s lip lifted in a silent snarl. If they’d been closer together, Darion might have punched him. “I wouldn’t want anyone nice to stay there.” His snarl died, morphing into one of his brilliant smiles. “Besides, we wouldn’t want anyone else showing you around.”
“Showing me around?”
“Sure,” added Darion. “There’s a lot of open space around here. We wouldn’t want you getting lost.”
“Seriously, I don’t want to put you out.”
At least, that was what she said.
Her body language, however, told a different story. She’d taken a step forward. Her arms were at her side instead of crossing them defensively over her chest. Her pupils were larger, making her eyes even bigger. She played with a loose strand of her hair, then hooked it behind her ear. Better yet, she skimmed her tongue over her upper lip. She was as hungry for them as they were for her.
She feels it, too, but she doesn’t know what it is.
How could she? Humans didn’t know shifters existed, much less anything about the connection. Feeling the sensation swarm him was hard enough to take. To be a human and not know about the connection would make it even harder. He kind of felt sorry for her.
“It’s no trouble,” offered Darion. “In fact, if you’re finished taking photos, I can ride with you into town.”
Damn. Slow the hell down. You’re going to scare her off.
Connection or not, she’d need time to absorb what she was feeling.
All at once, she stiffened and eased back, shaking her head. “No, thanks. I’m sure I can find Twisted. It’s a straight shot down the road, right?”
“Right.” He beat Darion to the answer, hoping to contain his brother’s enthusiasm. “Keep going the direction you’re headed for about ten miles and you’ll drive right through the main part of town. Lena’s place, The Rocking Porch Bed and Breakfast, is on the other side of town. She’s got a sign out front so you shouldn’t miss it. If you leave town, then you’ve gone too far.”
She thanked him and skirted around their horses, making certain she faced them the entire time. If Darion had spooked her too much, he’d give him hell to pay. She waved then spun around and hurried to her car.
“Damn it, bro. You could’ve helped me out more.”
She looked back once before putting her car back on the road. A cloud of dust lifted behind her car as she took off, getting to the speed limit fast.
David pulled his hat lower and spurred his horse in the direction of their home. “I did help you. You were starting to freak her out. No woman’s going to want a man she just met to hop into her car with her. Especially not when she’s alone out in the middle of nowhere.”
Darion urged his horse next to his. “Yeah, okay. I see your point. Although the connection would’ve gotten her over her fear if you’d given it more time.”
He didn’t have to ask his brother to know what he was thinking. Darion had felt the bond between them. As a betting man, he was willing to bet she had, too. “We finally found her.”
“Yeah. Although it was more like she found us.”
“Doesn’t matter which way it happened as long as it did.”
“See? I told you we’d find her.”
“Yeah. You did.” Darion had believed they’d find their intended mate from the first time they’d heard about the connection. Unlike David, he’d never questioned if the connection was real. David had admired his brother’s unwavering certainty. Had, in fact, drawn on it to keep him going.
“Still think being a shifter sucks?”
“I never said it sucked.”
Ever since he’d told his brother about his wish to be human a few years earlier, Darion had been trying to convince him to think differently. It was Darion’s idea to move to Twisted so they could live in a community of shifters and other supernatural beings. He had to admit it was easier not having to hide what they were to most of their neighbors.
“If we were your average human cowboys, we wouldn’t have felt the bond with her. Hell, we might not have found her attractive.”
David laughed. “Bullshit. A dead man would find her attractive.”
“Okay, you’ve got me there. But you know what I mean. We’re lucky we’re shifters. We know instantly if a woman’s the right one. Think about all the dating shit we missed out on. Blind dates, good dates, frigid dates. Hell, man, being shifters gave us an easy road to take.”
“Okay, I’ll give you this one.” He didn’t feel like arguing. Besides, what did it matter? Maybe Darion was right. Finding Kristal and feeling the connection made being a shifter a lot better.
“So? What do you think? She’s hot, right?”
Like Darion needed to ask. Hadn’t he already said she was? “She’s as good as it gets.”
“Damn, bro. Talk about an understatement. The girl’s as hot as an erupting volcano.”
Leave it to his brother and his colorful language. “She felt it, too.”
“Agreed. Which is why I’m sure I could’ve gotten in her car with her. Why’d you blow it for me? What’s wrong, bro? Jealous much?”
Funny that Darion would think so. Had it been obvious? “Naw. Don’t be a jerk. We’re sharing like we always planned.”
“Sure we are.”
“Which is why I kept you from scaring her off. She’s human so she’s going to need time to get used to what she’s feeling. Once she’s around us more, she won’t want to ever leave.”
“Okay. You were right to stop me.”
David didn’t push the issue. Getting Darion to say he was right was a minor miracle. “You know she’s lying, right?”
“About having an aunt in Crosston? Sure, I do. The question is why she’s lying.”
“Beats the hell out of me. I don’t think she stopped to take photos of beautiful scenery, either.” The Texas landscape was amazing, but very few people stopped to take photos of it.
Darion’s horse sidestepped, its nerves getting the best of it. Although their animals were trained to stay calm whenever their cat sides came out, every once in a while a horse would pick up their beasts’ scent and get restless.
“Why else would she pull over and get out? There’s nothing else to see.”
He surveyed the land, trying to see it through fresh eyes. “I don’t know, but I’d sure as hell like to find out.”
“I guess that means we need to see the pretty lady later on. Maybe we can take her to dinner or to Roar for a drink.”
Dinner would be better. But the shifter bar Roar might seem more casual. “Maybe.”
“No maybe about it. First one home gets the first kiss.” Darion kicked his horse, setting it into a gallop.
Go on. Get the first kiss. He took off after his brother. We’ll see who gets the first fuck.
Chapter Two
Kristal parked in front of the pretty two-story home. The white of the house was accented by red shutters. Pots filled with plants and flowers swayed from hooks suspended from the overhang of the porch. Rocking chairs, proving the reason for the bed and breakfast’s name, waited for weary travelers to relax and talk about their day. Aside from a few colorful yard gnomes scattered around the yard, the house wasn’t much different from those around it. Who could resist a few colorful gnomes anyway?
The Rocking Porch B & B fit the small Texas town to perfection. The same down-home, relaxed impression she’d gotten as she’d driven through town flowed over her. Bees zipped around the flower beds while a tabby cat laid spread across the porch railing, two of its paws hanging off the side in mid-air as though daring sleep to make it fall off.
“So this is Twisted.” As far as she could see, there was nothing twisted about the town. Many residents had watched her drive down the main road. Most had merely watched her, but a few had lifted a hand in greeting. No one seemed in a rush to get anywhere. “Just like any other small Texas town.”
“Oh, no. Don’t say that. We like to think our town is special.”
Kristal’s heart skipped a beat. An older African-American woman strolled around the back of her car. Where had she come from? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No problem, honey. I don’t offend easy.” She rested her hands on her frail-looking hips. “Can I help you? Are you looking for a room? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place.”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.”
“Nope. That won’t do. Don’t call me ma’am, honey. It makes me feel even older than I already am.”
“I’m sorry.” For some strange reaso
n, she didn’t want to get off on a bad foot with the woman. The blue eyes sparkled with humor, but she sensed the woman had a forceful spirit. “I’m Kristal Mosley.”
Lena pulled open her door, surprising her. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just funnin’ with you. Welcome to The Rocking Porch Bed and Breakfast, Kristal.” She stuck out her blue-veined hand. “I’m Lena Fortran, maid and owner, as well as everything in between.”
She slid out, letting Lena’s handshake pull her to her feet. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Fortran.” Before she knew what had happened, she was pulled against Lena, enveloped in a huge bear hug.
“Don’t call me Ms. Fortran, either. It’s Lena.” Lena released her, holding her at arm’s length. Her inquisitive gaze slid up and down her. “Now, honey, tell me what’s brought you to our little part of the world.”
She started to tell the lie about her aunt again, hesitated, and searched for another reason. Her mind, however, refused to cooperate and went blank. Instead, she went with a watered-down version of the reason she’d given the Conroy men. “I’m in the area visiting relatives.”
Wow. The Conroy men.
She’d had a difficult enough time trying to keep her mind off them on the way into town. Being in her line of work, she saw good-looking men, men who were camera-handsome, all the time. Yet she’d never seen men who possessed an inner quality that had her abdomen tightening. A something extra that put her on full alert. She’d grown wet between the legs merely talking to them. Their blue eyes—David’s being a shade lighter than his brother’s—had zeroed in on her, diving down until they’d snagged her very soul and refused to let go. She’d always liked men with blue eyes and dark hair, but their coloring wasn’t the only allure. Their eyes held a type of intelligence few men could ever possess. As though they saw the world differently. Clearer.
And their bodies. Bodies were just bodies to her. Packages for the real person under the skin. As her mother had often said, “Looks fade, but stupid stays. Marry a man who has a brain and a sense of humor. Don’t worry about his looks.” But she couldn’t ignore the way their broad shoulders V’d into their lean waists. Or how their muscles bulged under their simple T-shirts. Maybe if her mother had seen them, she would’ve changed her mind.
