Guarding His Heart

by Serena Pettus

  Geez, she’d really screwed the pooch this time. What was supposed to be a few drinks to loosen her up and give her a little courage had ended up leaving her drunk, with no car and everyone mad at her. Except for Kitty.

  Liam’s name popped up as another text came across, informing her he was leaving but Jag would be waiting for her when she arrived home. His added, “Good luck” sounded a little ominous to her, but that could be the liquor talking.

  “It seems I have a lot of people angry at me for not checking in with them tonight,” Lynn sighed.

  “What are you, a teenager? You’re a grown-ass woman! Just tell them to suck it up. You can do whatever you want.”

  If only Kitty knew. Sadly, Lynn couldn’t explain the need for her near-constant communication with the guys, which probably made the situation look even worse from an outside perspective. “There’s a lot more to it, but I can’t get into everything right now. Let’s just say, they have their reasons. I told them I wouldn’t be long, and time got away from me, so this is totally on me tonight.”

  “Well, there’s still no reason for them to dog you like this. You’re only human. Mistakes will be made.”

  Kitty kept her eyes on the road, apparently unaware how her response sounded. The way she worded it with “you’re” instead of “we’re” implied… Nah, that couldn’t be. Lynn was simply allowing her drunken imagination to conjure up things that would only create more drama for her life. Kitty wasn’t a shifter. Just look at her name! Surely, no parents would be that obvious.

  “I think they’ll forgive me. Either that or they’ll give me hell in the morning when my head’s splitting in two.”

  “Water and aspirin before you go to bed will help. If you think it will make them lighten up, tell them it’s all my fault. I can more than handle anything they dish out, trust me. Oh, and tell Sam to drag her butt in to see me soon, would ya? I think Mason misses seeing her on the dance floor,” Kitty chuckled.

  “I’ll see what I can do, but she’s been really busy with her new man.”

  “Too busy to hang out for even an hour? Come on.”

  Once again, Lynn found herself unable to relay the events that had changed everything in their lives. She couldn’t tell Kitty that Sam had a baby, because they’d been in Mason’s bar within the last nine months, which would make it look as if Samantha was drinking while pregnant. While they’d discovered shifters had serious perks when it came to shorter gestation times, it wasn’t exactly something she could share with anyone. Then again, maybe, they could talk the guys into taking them to Mason’s one night so everyone could catch up.

  “I’ll see what we can come up with.”

  “You do that. I miss you girls! You two are about the only females who come into the bar not looking to hook up. It’s refreshing.”

  Laughing, Lynn leaned her head against the window and sighed. The cool glass felt wonderful against her flushed cheeks. When her eyes began to droop, she jerked up, trying to keep herself awake until they got to her house.

  “It’s okay. You can rest if you want. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

  “Thank you,” Lynn replied, knowing she was fighting a losing battle, then pressed her cheek to the glass once more.

  * * * *

  Once again, Jag found himself pacing. Liam had informed him Lynn had a friend bringing her home, so he figured it would be best if he retreated to the trees. Hell, right now, he’d probably terrify Lynn if she saw him with his fangs out and claws extending from his fingertips.

  The partial shift was a sure sign of his emotional overload, but he didn’t think he’d be able to rein it in until he laid eyes on her himself. He’d been worried sick when she hadn’t returned home at a normal time, but Liam had told him about her going with her co-workers for a celebratory drink.

  True, he hadn’t been happy to learn that he’d now be waiting longer to have their talk, but as the night had grown later, his feelings had changed quickly back to worry. When she’d failed to respond to Liam or even Samantha, Jag had felt a wave of panic as he’d never experienced before.

  If it hadn’t been for Liam, he might have taken off in his jaguar form to track her down and drag her home. Luckily, the lion male was a bit more levelheaded, though no less upset.

  Apparently, Lynn and her colleagues had done a little more celebrating than necessary. Liam mentioned Lynn’s need for some liquid courage, so maybe she was every bit as nervous as he was.

  Headlights flashed between the trees as a small car bounced down the gravel drive. When they passed, he glimpsed Lynn’s slumped form in the passenger seat and the profile of a young woman with striped hair.

  His instincts were suddenly on high alert, though he saw no immediate danger. He quietly approached the tree line to observe Lynn as she went inside. He’d give her a moment to settle in before he came knocking.

  Plus he needed his clothes. With his partial shift, Jag had left his clothes by her back door to avoid shredding them if he completed his transformation.

  The driver’s door opened first, and a slender woman with black and white streaks throughout her long hair stepped from the small car. She plopped Lynn’s purse on the hood and rummaged around until she pulled out the keys with a triumphant, “Got ‘em!”

  He tracked her as she moved around the car, her movements graceful and calculated, unlike most humans then the wind direction changed.

  She was helping a wobbly Lynn from the vehicle, but Jag didn’t trust her. His jaguar gracefully leapt from the trees, sprinting across the property, determined to protect Lynn from the shifter that smelled…off.

  He skidded to a halt less than ten feet from them and watched in confusion as the stranger put herself in front of Lynn then crouched in a defensive pose. What in the world did she think she was doing?

  “Lynn, get back in the car,” she ordered. Her voice was calm with almost no inflection to her words. Jag’s hackles rose.

  “Why?” Lynn’s head popped over the woman’s shoulder and he watched her brows pucker into a frown. “Jag? What the hell are you doing?”

  At that, the woman spun, completely disregarding him as if he were no threat at all. “Wait. You know him?”

  “Yup.” Lynn swayed a bit, leaning back against the car. “This is the guy I told you about. Kitty, this is Jag. Jag, this is my friend, Kitty.”

  Said friend laughed herself to tears. “No wonder you needed a drink! Girl, how did you get involved with a shifter?”

  “Sam got knocked up by one.”

  “Good grief, Lynn. So that’s why I haven’t seen you two in a while.” Kitty, as Lynn had called her, looked back at him now. “I’ll help her into the house. While I’m doing that, how about you change back and get some clothes?”

  After seeing the way the women interacted with one another, Jag felt confident Kitty meant Lynn no harm, despite his original assumption. He gave an irritated growl before plodding off to where he’d left his clothes.

  “My, isn’t he charming,” he heard Kitty mumble as he left.

  He had to admit, Kitty’s attempt at protecting Lynn when she’d thought him to be a threat was comforting. Jag was also almost positive Lynn had no idea her friend was a shifter. A tiger to be exact, but there was something odd about her scent. She had a wilder smell, like something untamed and dangerous. That was what had set his inner cat on edge. The jaguar had sensed the presence of a predator before his nose had identified it.

  He entered the house on silent feet and quickly slipped on his pants as he listened to the women make a rather loud entrance. It seemed Lynn was clumsy when she imbibed. Jag knew that Kitty wouldn’t pick up his presence for a few more minutes, since he’d spent the better part of the day pacing the confines of the living room while waiting for Lynn to respond to the attempts at reaching her.

  “Okay, girl, spill it. You have a very protective male out there who seems to think he has a claim on you, but you don’t carry his scent. It’s all over your house, but not
on you personally as it would be if you were his mate. Do you not want to mate with him?”

  “What? It’s not me who has the problem. I think I might be in love with the big dork, but he said it would be a bad idea for us to be together like that,” Lynn replied, breaking his heart when he heard her voice crack. Did she really mean what she was saying? Could she be in love with him?

  “Wait just a damn minute. He denied you? Did he give a reason? Trust me, a shifter cannot deny his true mate.”

  Damn it, this girl was just trying to be a good friend, but Jag wanted her to go so he could try to explain himself to Lynn.

  “I sort of didn’t give him the chance. I was too hurt at the time. Liam, another new friend of mine, was kind enough to explain why Jag said what he did. He doesn’t feel like he deserves me. Or some bullshit like that. We were supposed to talk tonight, but I fucked that up, too.” Lynn sighed, only it ended on what sounded like a soft sob. “He’ll never want to be with me. I don’t even want to be with me half of the time. All most men see in me is a piece of ass, and they don’t look any deeper. I’m not some dumb bimbo, damn it! I worked hard to get through medical school, but all they see is a blonde with a nice figure and a big rack.”

  Kitty chuckled softly. “Well, don’t hold back or anything,” she teased.

  “Sorry.”

  “No, it’s good to get it out before you talk with him. There’s nothing worse than drunken word vomit when trying to have a serious conversation.”

  “I don’t think I want to talk tonight. Might not be safe. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret later, you know?”

  Jag stepped into the room before Kitty could reply, and her eyes locked with his before narrowing.

  “I can take over from here,” Jag said. “Thank you for making sure she got home and for protecting her. I’d never hurt her, but your scent set off my inner cat.” He studied her, noting that she suddenly became nervous, though she hid it well. Too bad he could smell it however faint. “What kind of tiger are you? A hybrid?”

  She shook her head, refusing to answer his question. “Don’t worry about it, slick. Lynn, don’t forget to call if you need a ride tomorrow.”

  “I’ll see that she gets to work,” Jag replied. “Liam and I will retrieve her SUV, as well.”

  The female seemed to know she was being dismissed. She gave him a dirty look before motioning to Lynn, her thumb and pinky making a phone shape by her head.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t worry,” Lynn piped in.

  Kitty left, and a few minutes later, the sound of her car going down the driveway told him they were finally alone. If only he knew what he should do. Lynn sat on the couch, clearly uncomfortable, her eyes drooping a bit, and Jag found he didn’t care if they talked tonight or not. He just wanted to take care of her, and right now, she needed her bed.

  “Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you tucked in for the night. We can postpone our talk for another time.” When she moved to rise, he came to her side and scooped her up in his arms. With as much stuff as she bumped into coming in, she’d already have bruises come morning.

  His inner cat settled when her arms came up, wrapping around his neck while she allowed him to carry her down the hall. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  Jag gave her a little squeeze. “Any time.”

  “You don’t have to be nice to me, you know.” Lynn held him tighter as she spoke, as if she wanted to get as close as she could. “I was mean.”

  Smiling softly, he set her on the bed but remained bent as he replied, “You weren’t mean. You were hurt. I should have explained myself right away, but I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”

  “But I wouldn’t let you explain,” she sniffed. “I was too busy being a bitch when you were being so sweet. The plants, the wind chimes, all the gifts… I loved them, and I should have thanked you.”

  Jag stood over her, Lynn’s arms still looped around his neck, and gazed into her bright green eyes. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was either buzzing or already drunk, and he wondered just how much of this she’d remember when she woke. “Don’t worry about it. You just get some rest.”

  “Lay with me?” she asked when he tried to remove her hands. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  The fear in her eyes wrecked him. What could she possibly be afraid of? He watched over her by night, and Liam by day. Nothing would get to her to harm her in any way. “I can do that.”

  He slid in next to her and was a little surprised when she firmly attached herself to his side, tucking under his arm with her head resting just above his heart. He waited for her to get comfortable and felt her body grow heavy as she drifted closer to sleep. “Comfy?”

  “Mm-hmm. Thank you for staying. I know you’ll chase them away.”

  Jag stiffened, a small snarl ripping past his lips as he growled, “Who?”

  She yawned wide. “The nightmares.”

  Now, he understood. His little Lynn put up a brave front, but the alcohol had brought down her walls and had her confessing to her weakness. Admitting she was afraid was one thing, but putting so much faith in him, expecting him to chase away some evil vision in her dreams? It humbled him to know she felt as if his mere presence would be enough. She felt safe with him, and he never wanted her to feel otherwise.

  Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight, he whispered, “I’ll always chase them away. I’m not going anywhere, beautiful. Just sleep now.”

  Chapter Five

  Lynn woke to her bed dipping then a warm body cozying up to her backside. She was about to unleash a scream when she heard Jag’s sleep-rough voice next to her ear.

  “How do you feel?”

  He was here? In her bed? Holy shit! It wasn’t a dream, she thought, but answered, “Probably better than I should. What time is it?”

  “It’s just after nine. Your work called and left you a message. I have your phone.” He dangled her cell before her eyes, showing the little box on the display. It looked as if she actually had two voicemails.

  She accepted the device with a yawned. “Thank you.” Lynn was surprised once again when a glass of orange juice appeared.

  “I have a few aspirin for you, too. Do you feel up to eating?”

  He was being so sweet, Lynn was loath to admit she only had a small headache. Truthfully, she should be sick as a dog, but she vaguely recalled being woken up periodically and given water to drink.

  In her sleepy state, Lynn had assumed it was Sam. “You took care of me last night?” she asked, turning to face him and noting the wary look he wore.

  “Yes. You asked me to stay with you, so I did. Do you want me to go?”

  “No! I’ve just never had anyone other than Sam look after me when I’ve drunk too much. Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome. How about if I go fix us some breakfast?”

  “You cook?” Okay, she totally deserved the look he was giving her, but the man lived in a cave. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. I just assumed…never mind.” Lynn felt the blood rush to her face and knew her cheeks must be glowing.

  “It’s all right. Don’t worry about it. The truth is I don’t cook much, but I enjoy it.” He shrugged and stood. “With it just being me, there’s not really any point to fixing a really big meal.”

  Wondering just how long he’d lived by himself, she’d opened her mouth to ask when her phone started to buzz in her hand.

  “I’ll let you take care of that while I get the food fixed. Take your time and come out whenever you’re ready.”

  With that, Jag walked from the room, giving Lynn a splendid view. Whether the man was coming or going, the movement of his muscles put on one hell of a show. And she’d been lying in bed with him last night!

  Lynn sighed. If only she’d been sober enough to enjoy being pressed up against all of that warm, tanned flesh. He still wore only the knit pants from the previous night, and did he ever fill them out. His solid thighs stretched the materi
al tightly over the most perfect male ass she’d ever seen. Hell, even his bare feet were sexy!

  So far she’d managed to keep her cool or at least, she hoped so. A good bit of the previous night was blurry, and now, she prayed she hadn’t said or done something embarrassing.

  Her phone fell silent in her hand, and Lynn sighed. There was no way to avoid the ass chewing Sam was sure to deliver when Lynn called her back. Hoping to dodge it for a few more minutes, she quickly typed out a text on her way to the bathroom.

  Lynn still wore her clothes from yesterday—something she was grateful for since she’d been afraid she would throw herself at Jag while drunk. Now, however, she was sober and ready to wash away the grime from the previous day. She’d call Sam once she felt more refreshed.

  After a quick shower, Lynn threw on some gray slacks and a cherry-red blouse with some layered silver necklaces. A little makeup to give her face some color, some comfy flats for her already achy feet, and she was ready to face the day. Her hair was still a little damp when she finally strolled into the kitchen.

  “Wow, it smells great,” she called as she entered the room. Of course, the delicious aromas wafting from her stovetop paled in comparison to the vision that greeted her.

  Jag stood over a pan, his bare back a picture of perfection as he moved from what he was cooking to plating what appeared to be fresh-cut fruit. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck with a few strands falling about his jaw, and Lynn realized she’d never seen him with it not shadowing his face.

  “Everything is almost done,” he replied. “I’ve got eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. I wasn’t too sure what you’d be able to handle, so I kept it light.” He turned, and Lynn nearly swooned.

  Her man had been hiding a seriously sexy set of dimples from her. As soon as his eyes found hers, the corners of his lips pulled up. She reached for the doorframe, and he quickly moved the pan from the burner before coming to her.