Is that right, Sherlock?
Uh-huh. Anyway, I think you should tell me something more specific, so that if we passed each other tomorrow, I’d know it was you.
Well, I have a certain necklace I always wear. If the top I’m wearing is low enough you’d see it, but not in a professional capacity…
What does it look like? he asked.
It’s a silver wolf medallion, with a crescent moon.
You’ve done it now, I’ll be checking out the cleavage of every babe I meet.
So…nothing new there then? Aubrey teased.
Sure, but I’ll only do it in a gentlemanly way. Promise.
Aubrey could not imagine how that was supposed to work, but the chat had brought a smile to her face, and it was just what she’d needed. It was getting late already, and she had a lot of traveling to do the next day, so she finally said good night, though J20h insisted the matter was ‘To be continued’, regardless of how long her work made them both wait.
Something told Aubrey he was being totally serious about that, and it made her heart leap. She smiled at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she thought back to their conversation while she brushed her teeth.
Maybe I’ve really found someone…on a website, for god’s sake.
Only time would tell.
Chapter 2
Jesse was being ridiculous.
He had told himself this several times, but as yet could not seem to snap back into normality.
Closing his laptop after Yerbua bid him goodnight felt like closing the door on a sense of belonging. What was it about the girl behind that account that made him feel such a sense of connection? It felt like they’d known each other for years, even though they had never met in person.
When they’d last spoken, Jesse had logged out and jokingly said to himself, ‘that’s it, I’m not looking at another woman until I find out who and where this lady is’. As sincere as this might sound, he was familiar with the saying ‘easier said than done,’ and wouldn’t have suggested betting any money on his commitment to saving his body for her.
Since maturity, sexual encounters were something Jesse did not find hard to locate. He was an energy-fuelled adventurer, and women would swarm to him as if they were giving in to some kind of repressed sexual identity. Society demanded a certain kind of restraint for women, but once they entered the wild in his embrace they gave themselves to him as if to a protector; letting their imaginations run wild on how dangerous the landscapes of Colorado were. If it gave them an excuse to melt into his arms and replace their anxieties with lust, then who was complaining? No one, unless you considered those with committed partners left at home.
That was none of his business and he’d never asked in the past, but something had changed recently. He’d started caring. The best he could figure was that there were two matters to deal with. Firstly, he’d realized that he’d had enough of playing the field, and he wanted to settle down with one perfect partner he could dote on and build a lifestyle with that was more homeland than adventure.
Secondly, he’d realized that the initial object of his affections had become someone he’d met on an online forum, which was of course nonsense, as he didn’t even know what she looked like. If you couldn’t even get your eyes on a babe, how could you hope to do anything else with her?
No hope whatsoever.
This person he’d been chatting to on Roar4More.com, even if she seemed like the woman of his dreams, could be anywhere in the country. They had barely even gotten to know each other, yet Jesse found himself acting aloof when other women fluttered their eyelashes at him. Friends of his were even throwing strange expressions his way, trying to figure out if there was something wrong with him. He couldn’t care less about that, but the idea of being onto a losing game was not sitting well with him.
Actually, part of that assessment wasn’t true at all. The truth was that there were three matters for him to worry about, but the third was something he was trying to ignore, except in quieter and more vulnerable moments before sleep or after waking up. This third matter was that he’d been feeling quite sick lately, and more so each day. Four or five days ago he’d first noticed it, and he’d figured it was just some kind of cold. After all, it happened to everyone occasionally, whether they were a shifter or not. Still, being sick was rare for Jesse; he was in the peak of fitness and being ill was not something that happened often. On this occasion, however, the bug was insisting on being noticed. Each day his limbs felt heavier and a strange sense of lethargy was dragging him down.
Energy was something he had taken for granted all of his life. It was naturally strong in shifter genes, anyway, although in tiger form it was natural to conserve some energy to power his might, whereas in human form he was an over-compacted oil well ready to burst. At least this was usually the case, but the thought of shifting after the last five days caused him to dread what it could do to his system. Additionally, the many miles his frame was expected to travel each day as an adventure tour guide in the local mountains was becoming more and more arduous. When was this haze going to shift? Surely he wouldn’t have to take the drastic step of visiting a doctor? His hardy reputation would never live such a failure down.
Jesse knew he was occasionally vain and pig-headed, but for a free spirit he believed these to be useful qualities to have. After all, women were not repulsed by him, and men envied him. Sometimes they clearly imagined that he had a limited intellect, but often this could have its advantages too. The deer of the Colorado woodland were not the only ones who would fail to see him coming.
Forget the bug, he told himself. Sleep it off and think about Yerbua; she doesn’t think I’m stupid. If I have to yomp all the way to the icy wastes of Alaska to find her then I’ll damn well do so. Tomorrow, take your mind off things and go catch up with Claire.
In a sense it was a good thing that Jesse and Claire Keillor were good friends, because their business demanded that they would cross paths time and time again. Claire owned the mountain climbing rental store in their town—Pine Valley—through which Jesse was able to source much of his business. They’d been friends since junior school, and at this point, Claire was more like a sister to him than anything else. Many people doubted the fact that a man and a woman could remain only friends, but they’d never looked at each other like that, and Claire was currently in a serious relationship with Jesse’s cousin, James, anyway.
“Jesse McCoy!” came her usual bright greeting as he entered the store. She always managed to make it sound like she was announcing him to an audience—even though there was no one else in the store at all.
“Hey, how’s it going?” he responded in kind.
“Good, thanks… oh!” She stopped when looking up into his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.
“Jesse, this is the second time this week I’ve seen you,” she replied, while putting her hands to his face cheeks in order to stretch them and study the whites of his eyes. “And you look pale again.”
“Yeah, I think you mentioned that last time.”
“Yes, but it was a throwaway comment last time. This time you look a lot worse. Have you been drinking?”
“Nope. There’s no reason to be making amusing shapes with my face,” he said with a grin.
“Then maybe you need to see a doctor.”
“No way. It’s just a cold or something.”
“Oh, don’t be so macho. You’re just like James sometimes!” she said, finally letting go and putting her hands on her hips instead. “You look seriously worn out.”
“I know. Look, to you and you alone I’ll admit I haven’t been feeling great lately, but I honestly think it’s just a flu. Happens to the best of us.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically and flashed him a good-natured grin. “The best of us, huh? Of course…anyway, I can get you some medication.”
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m not in pain. It’s only tiredness that’s the
problem, but I’m just not up for dealing with it by lying down. Just some decent work and exercise is all I need. You know, something to focus my mind on. Any tourists around at the moment? I haven’t had anyone booked for an adventure tour for a few days now.”
“Not yet. There’s rumors of stormy weather I think might be putting people off, but stick around, you never know.”
Picking up a cup of coffee, that to Jesse’s eyes looked as if it had gone stone cold, Claire stepped back behind the counter while he grabbed a nearby stool and sat adjacent. They could often be found this way, chatting for hours on end until a customer came by, at which point they would swoop instinctively to point out all of the best things about each other’s services, without in any way trying to sell themselves. Small community attitudes often led to people rallying together and backing each other up in such a manner, and Jesse couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Claire continued, once they were facing each other again.
“Well, you know I’m a sensitive soul,” he said in a mock warning tone.
She rolled her eyes again. “Oh, shh. Anyway, are you still able to shift—I mean when you’re not feeling well?” she asked. “I’ve never thought to ask James. He never really gets sick.”
“Yes, but I haven’t been doing so lately.”
“By choice?”
“Yeah. It would take up so much energy right now and my instincts are duller than usual at the moment, anyway. It’s not that it would kill me or anything, but it would wipe me out that’s for sure. I can if I really need to, though.”
“If it’s a matter of life or death?”
“It’s always a matter of life or death out there,” he said teasingly. She responded by throwing a pen at him, which he caught between two fingers then grinned cheekily at her.
Any further joking around was interrupted by the squeak of the shop door’s hinges and the realization that a third person had just joined them.
As he turned to see who’d walked in, Jesse saw someone who struck him as completely out of place in a town like Pine Valley. At least this was the second thing that struck him after the first and most obvious observation. This observation was that the girl who stood regarding them for a moment before removing her sunglasses and pointing a gaze at them was stunningly beautiful in every way.
She was relatively petite height-wise, but she was also curvy as anything, with hips and breasts that made Jesse’s mouth dry up like never before. Her caramel-toned skin had a wonderful glow to it, and her dark hair was curly with a sheen that made Jesse want to reach out and stroke it.
Usually his brain didn’t think on two levels at once when taking in a view of the opposite sex, but the fact that she stood out so much inspired some stereotypes in him that were not positive. As gorgeous as she was, the girl looked like she had walked straight out of some lawyer-based TV drama, set in New York or Chicago. He only expected to come across such a type on visits to the big cities, and he generally avoided such outings. His place was in the wild, or else among good simple folk. High-flying types always seemed so stuck-up; snooty and acting all superior to country dwellers. Even if he wasn’t unwell, he imagined his overactive libido would warn him off a girl like that.
Then again, her scent…well, there was something about it, but he could not figure out what. His senses were off, for sure. This damn flu, he thought, trying to ignore the raging hormones flooding through him.
“Hey, what can we do for you?” Claire said with a friendly smile. She was not a judgmental person in any way.
“Hi there,” the girl said, approaching them. “I was just on the main street and someone pointed me this way when I said I needed a guide. Would you know where I can find a Mr. Jesse McCoy?”
Claire must have sensed some kind of stiffness in Jesse’s attitude, even without him saying anything, because she then proceeded to take great delight in introducing him.
“Well, indeed,” she replied, grinning from ear to ear. “You’ve come to the right place, the very man—the legend himself—is sitting right before you.”
With a wry grin, Jesse waved Claire away, then stood up to shake the girl’s hand.
“Hi there, pleased to meet you, Miss…?”
“Vierra. Aubrey Vierra.’
“Well, Miss Vierra,” Jesse began, sitting back down and making himself comfortable as if he had further business in the store. “I do operate adventure tours around the town and up into the mountains when folks visit. Usually it’s a group of people, though, ramblers and such. Occasionally there are lone individuals who want to track down some rare animal to tick off their list or something, but I can’t imagine what on earth has brought you here?”
“Well, I need exactly that. Someone who knows the place,” Aubrey replied.
“For what?” he asked.
“Scientific reasons. Long story.”
“Scientific reasons, huh? I haven’t ever heard that one before.”
“Well hey, a client’s a client Jesse, what’re you holding out for?” Claire butted in. She flashed him a mischievous grin.
As much as his body was telling him to pounce on this Aubrey woman, Jesse knew it would be better to keep away. City slicker types weren’t for him, and he knew this from experience. Somewhere down the line, they always wanted him to relocate to the city with them, and he had no interest in that.
But shit…Aubrey was so sexy, and his inner tiger was leaping up inside him and roaring ‘mate, mate, mate…go forth and make little furbabies with this woman’. And so, it was going to be hard to say no to her, no matter what she wanted from him.
“All right,” he said with a wry grin, looking at Claire. “I know what I’m useful for; I don’t take money without being able to offer something.” Then turning back to Aubrey he continued in his attempt to distance himself from whatever task she had in mind. “Look, I know nothing about science and intellectual stuff like that. Maybe one of the professors at the community college can help or…”
“Oh, they won’t get off their lazy asses, Jesse,” Claire spoke up again.
“Claire, do you mind? It’s just…”
“It’s okay, really,” Aubrey cut in. “I don’t need a professor, or any scientific help, for that matter. I know exactly what I’m looking for. It’s just that I don’t know the location very well.”
The girl then appeared to pause out of courtesy, as if expecting another sudden barrage, but they simply stared back blank-faced. Jesse was a bit stumped in finding another reasonable argument for turning her away, though he thought he might regret it later.
“You know the place, yes?” Aubrey asked again, when nothing came back.
“Sure, I know the mountains around here from top to bottom. Like my favorite women,” he replied with a smirk.
If all else fails, try ‘sleaze’, he figured. That’d put her off being around him, and then he wouldn’t have to try and contain the raging feelings inside him as her perfume filled his head. Yep, it was definitely better that he keep away from this girl.
“Then…will you be my tour guide?” Aubrey asked, resisting rolling her eyes like Claire was. “It would be much appreciated and would really speed up my work.”
“You from New York?” he guessed—and this time it was him taking secret delight in winding Claire up, seeing from the corner of his eye that she was shaking her head in frustration that he was holding out on the job.
“Albuquerque, actually.”
“Albuquerque, New Mexico,” he said, pretending to sound impressed. “Breaking Bad territory, Route 66, the Rio Grande and more hot air balloons than cookies. You do know there isn’t much in this here town to impress such a high-flying city girl?”
“Like I said, I’m here for scientific purposes,” she replied, her caginess giving away her first signs of frustration.
“I bet life moves fast in the big city, huh?”
“Oh, will you shut up, Jesse?’ Claire said. “S
top teasing the poor woman. Besides, Albuquerque is hardly a big city. Not compared to some of the others.”
“All right, all right,’ Jesse said, laughing and finally giving in. It looked like he was stuck working with Aubrey, whether he thought it was a good idea or not, and his inner tiger seemed to roar victoriously at the idea. “I’m sorry, Aubrey, but winding Claire up is just too much fun. If you don’t mind sharing your time with a shifter like me then I’m your man… and beast.”
“Of course she doesn’t mind,” Claire exclaimed. She wasn’t a shifter herself, but she’d never judged those who were, despite the fact that many regular humans did seem to be prejudiced against them.
“You’re a shifter?” Aubrey asked, her eyes widening.
“Sure, this town’s very friendly to shifters. There are a few of us here.”
“No others like Jesse, though, so don’t worry,” Claire told her with a wink.
Aubrey smiled at the joke, and Jesse grinned again too.
“How right she is. Well, if you’re ready, Miss Vierra…”
“Aubrey’s fine.”
“Okay. If you’re ready, Aubrey, then let’s get the expedition under way. Just give us two minutes,” he said. “Gotta grab something from out back.”
***
After thanking Claire, Aubrey went to wait outside. She knew she spent too much time around serious people back home, but she was glad the casual shop conversation was over, because even though there’d been laughter, she’d gotten the distinct impression that Jesse McCoy didn’t want to show her around the mountains. She couldn’t think why, though. Hopefully he wouldn’t be so awkward with every little exchange they were going to have now that she was paying him for his services. If he was, she supposed she’d have to harden up and try not to notice his odd personality and attitude towards her.
She had noticed his body, though; that had been hard to miss. His thick, ropey muscles, tanned skin and towering height made a potent combination, and even though she thought he’d seemed a little arrogant and off-putting, she couldn’t deny how sexy she found him.
Roar For More (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) Page 2
