All the bear shifters stared at her, as if in disbelief, and a swell of dismay rose in her. Had she just screwed up that new-found sense of home by defying their beliefs and speaking up for the enemy?
At last Mike grinned and squeezed her shoulder. “Talk about guts,” he said. “My mate speaks her mind, and she’s wise on top of it. Listen to her, Connor.”
With seeming reluctance, Connor nodded, and the other shifters were nodding, too. They would at least think about what she’d said, and, to judge by the admiring look on their faces, she hadn’t screwed anything up at all. In fact, they seemed to respect her more now than before. She could stand up to both lion shifters and bear shifters.
“Sometimes it takes more courage to stand up to your friends than your enemies,” Connor said. “For that, I salute you, Jessica Quinn. Now, boys, let’s get out there and kick some lion ass.”
What happened next shocked Jess so much she almost dropped her bottle. All the bear shifters except for the ones Connor had ordered to stay behind Shifted. The air crackled and seemed to grow hot, and each man shucked off his clothes until he stood naked before the fire. Jess felt heat radiate all the way through her at the splendid sight of all those muscular naked men, and when she glanced (briefly) to Suzy she could see her friend all but licking her lips. Yum! Then the shifters Shifted, great gray-brown grizzly bears exploding from within them, and dropped to all fours.
Shaggy and growling, they streamed out the door while the man named Taggart, Mike’s brother and almost twin, held the door open for them.
“Go get ‘em,” Taggart said, as the tide of fur and claws and teeth and muscle vanished into the night.
Taggart’s mate—Jess thought her name was Alice, the feisty young woman—slapped one of the bears on the ass on its way out and said, “Give ‘em hell, boys!”
“So what now?” Suzy said, when the bears were all gone and the door was closed. “We just wait?”
Mike nodded. “Why don’t we get some sleep?”
Taggart inspected his brother’s injuries. He’d introduced himself to Jess while she was bandaging Mike up earlier and now he seemed to be checking out her handiwork. Grimly, he nodded in approval, then said, “Man, they really got you, brother.”
Mike looked rueful. “Could’ve been worse.”
“Got that right,” said Cort. He leaned over for another beer, but groaned in pain and stopped. Smiling, Suzy bent down and brought the bottle to him, and Jess didn’t miss the admiring look on his face as he watched her bend over. Suzy seemed to realize it, too, and flashed him a saucy smile. Shyly, he looked away.
Rick was pacing back and forth restlessly, juking and jiving with his fists. Shadowboxing. “Can’t believe Connor made us stay behind. I could’ve slaughtered those cats with one paw tied behind my back.”
The policewoman Barb smiled. “Maybe both, Winnie. That way you could talk them to death.”
He laughed and kissed her, and she leaned into him. Jess realized she liked these women right away. Like them a lot. And their men, too. Were Alice and Barb both bears? Jess discovered that she was very curious about them, and their mates.
Suddenly she realized that Mike had drifted close.
“I don’t know if I can sleep after all that,” she told him, recalling his advice. “My blood’s still raging.”
He sort of lifted an eyebrow, and she thought, I walked right into that one.
“Well,” she added quickly, “maybe I am a little tired.”
His face fell, and she felt bad, but the truth was that she needed time to sort out her feelings on all of this. Was she really ready for all this to become her life? And what about Andrew?
Although the true truth was that Andrew seemed very far away. Like, a whole world away.
And Mike … she could just reach out and touch him …
She sighed and swallowed the last of her beer.
“I’m going to bed,” she said, and she didn’t need to add, Alone.
Chapter 17
Dawn light streamed through the windows as Jess enjoyed breakfast with Suzy and the other guests of the inn. The bear shifters put on a breakfast buffet in the mornings till nine in the main room on the first floor, and the place was packed with visiting skiers and the excitement of winter vacations everywhere, with a leaping fire in the fireplace and gleaming snow outside. Jess could feel it in the air, that excitement, that little tingle that said Anything is possible, and she wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by that everyday.
Laughing skiers quickly downed their meals and left to hit the slopes, and Jess and Suzy drank coffee and watched them. Mike and the other shifters ran the counter or went out to cut firewood or clean the ice off the lifts or continue repairs on the second wing, which wasn’t habitable yet—running the Resort was a lot more physically demanding than Jess would have thought—but the shifters frequently could be seen talking tensely to each other. Most of them had returned from the “cat hunt” (as they were calling it) last night, but a few were still out there under the direction of Connor, hunting Bryce and his pride.
One of the other shifters, Colby, reluctantly took up the duty of Shifting and having his picture taken with the tourists by Alice, who had proven to be the best photographer of the bunch. Luckily this was only done two hours a day, one hour in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening, so there was only a little danger of Colby eating the tourists.
When nine o’clock came around, the food was taken away, but the coffee remained, and it was delicious. Still on fire with nerves—and caffeine—Jess continued to drink and watch the activity. She and Suzy sat off by themselves against a corner window, and from here she could see out over the sleepy town with its many curls of smoke rising from Tudor-style windows.
“It’s beautiful here,” Jess said. “I can see why you like it so much.”
“It was a hard decision,” Suzy said. “I mean, after school. Whether to stay in the city or come back home. But then I came for a visit and I knew I could never leave again.”
“I think you made the right call.”
Suzy eyed Jess for a moment, then leaned forward and said quietly, “Do you think you might be staying?”
Jess knew what she meant, and one corner of her lips turned down. “I ... don’t know.”
“But you like him, right? Mike? I mean, you two were gone for a long time last night …”
Jess felt herself flush. “I thought you were asleep!”
Suzy smiled. “I’m a light sleeper.”
Jess let out a breath that felt like it had been caged inside her. “I don’t know what to do, Suzy. I mean, after being in a relationship for so long ... feeling trapped in it, even as it went bad ... To go right from that into another relationship, especially with someone who considers you his ‘mate’ ...”
Suzy hesitated, then tilted her head, and Jess could tell she was up to her usual tricks. “What would you do if another woman were interested in him?”
“I’d skin her alive!”
Suzy laughed, and then so did Jess.
“I think you have your answer,” Suzy said.
Jess blew on her coffee, then took a sip, savoring the nutty flavor. “But how can I consider myself an independent woman when I just jump from one man to another?”
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”
Jess stared off over the town, her mind working. There might be a way, she thought. Maybe, if ...
She looked up with a start as Mike approached. God, he was so handsome. Chips of ice dusted his huge shoulders—he’d just been outside chopping wood for the fire—as well as tangled in his stubble, but they were melting with the heat of the inn. His eyes when they fell on Jess were warm but troubled. She knew he feared losing her. She feared it, too. But she wasn’t going to let that happen if there was another way, and she was just beginning to suspect there was.
“How’s the cat hunt?” Suzy said.
He ran a hand through his
wavy black hair, showering ice chips. “Good news,” he said. “Connor just called from Tillingham. He, Bruce and Jackson followed the pride’s trail into town there.”
“So that means it’s safe here?” Jess said, daring to hope.
“Looks that way. I think last night was an act of desperation on their part. Their last big chance to steal the mate of a bear shifter and bring her back to their clan. And to do it right in the heart of our territory! On our own mountain! They won’t risk that again.”
Jess nodded. “That’s why Connor was so intent on killing them.” She glanced around, making sure no one was listening in, then said, more quietly: “It was a territorial thing.”
“We’ve got to protect what’s ours,” Mike allowed, and she didn’t miss the double meaning there.
She wanted to stand up and wrap her arms around him. After last night she felt they should be intimate with each other like that. She wanted it, and she knew he did, too—could see the strain in his body posture even now—but something made her hold herself back. He seemed to be waiting on her, too. Waiting on her decision.
“So can we go home?” Suzy said.
“That’s up to you,” Mike said. “You’re welcome to stay here for a few more days, or as long as you want, until we’re sure. We have a vacancy.”
“I want to go home,” Suzy said. “Jess?”
Jess was staring at Mike, her mind a-tumble. “Oh, uh, right. Definitely want to go home.”
Mike's thick eyebrows converged. “I kind of wish you wouldn’t.”
She swallowed. “We’ll be fine.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I ...” She didn’t know how to finish the thought.
Seeming to sense her indecision, he reached out and grabbed her hand, gently, and pulled her to her feet. As if her body had a mind of its own, it pressed up against Mike, and she shivered at the remaining ice on his jacket and at the same time luxuriated in the heat coming off his body. Just the smell of him sent tingles running all through her.
“I think I’ll just ... uh, go warm up the car,” Suzy said, and slipped away. Jess could have kissed her.
Mike stared down into Jess’s eyes, and his chest vibrated with a deep growling, purring sound.
“You smell good,” he said.
She pressed her head against his chest, feeling his hard pecs, then pulled back. “Mike, last night was very special ...”
Pain flickered across his face. “It was special, but ...”
“No buts.”
He didn’t seem convinced. “Then why don’t we get together later? I’ll take you out to dinner in town.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“What’s there to think about? I know you feel it, too.”
“Feel what?” But of course she knew, she was just stalling for time.
“That connection.” He lowered his face to hers so that their noses were touching and their lips were just barely brushing against each other. Instantly she grew moist. His nostrils flared, and she knew he could smell it, too. Somehow that just turned her on more—especially when she felt his lips curve into a sexy smile. “You do smell good,” he growled, and as if unable to help it she pressed her hips against him.
Then, forcing herself, she pulled back. “No,” she said. Her voice was tight.
“No?”
“Not yet,” she amended. She stepped away. “There’s ... something I have to do first. Something that will help, I think. Maybe. If it goes well. We’ll see.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But if it all works out ...” She shook her head and pressed a hand against his chest. “Listen, Suzy’s waiting for me in the car. I’d better go. But I’ll call you later.”
“You promise?”
She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his palm. “I promise.”
Chapter 18
The phone rang, and Jess jumped in her seat, where she’d been sitting tensely. Suzy grabbed the phone, said, “Hello?”, then immediately hung up. “Automated telemarketer,” she told Jess. “They can’t even be bothered to annoy us in person anymore.”
Jess, who had had to work in a call center part-time during a few college semesters, felt obliged to stick up for her old profession. “They’re just doing their jobs, Suze. Well, the humans are. The computer ones suck.” That was something they could all agree on.
Suzy was eyeing her strangely.
“What is it?” Jess said.
“Nothing. Only ...”
“Yes?”
Suzy smiled and patted Jess’s shoulder as she walked back to the couch where they were both curled up under a homemade blanket rewatching Downton Abbey. It was snowing outside, fire blazed in the fireplace and the smell of popcorn wafted up from the bucket placed between them. Suzy’s place wasn’t big, but it was snug and warm and wonderful. If you looked outside, you could see the distant snow-capped peaks.
“You’ve been acting weird the last couple days,” Suzy said. “I can tell something’s up.”
Jess rolled her shoulders, trying to resist the impish grin she felt trying to form. “Maybe,” she said coyly.
“Oh, come on,” Suzy said. “’fess up.”
“Nope. Not unless it works. If it falls apart, it never happened.”
“Okay. But you are expecting a phone call. On my phone.”
“That’s just an alternate, in case my cell’s out of batteries or something.”
“Can I ask who you’re expecting to call? It can’t be Mike.”
Jess and Mike had gone out last night to a steak dinner in town, and it had been amazing. The steak had been tender and juicy, and Mike had been, too. Just the thought of the sex they’d had afterward at the Pine Ridge Resort made Jess horny all over again.
“It’s not Mike,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“Why not tonight?”
“I didn’t want to see him until ... well ...”
Suzy stared at her, then laughed. “You’re really going to drag this out, aren’t you?”
Jess grabbed the remote. “I didn’t want to see him until I had something to tell him, that’s all.”
“About this thing you’re cooking up.”
“Right. Until then, if this deal doesn’t go through, I don’t know ... Can we really be together?”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know. It does to me, though.”
Jess started to hit Play—they were watching the series on Blu-Ray for the second time—when the phone rang. Jess shot up as if an electric current had passed through her.
The ring had come from her phone sitting next to her on the couch-side table, and she grabbed it and placed it to her ear. Breathlessly, she said, “Yes?”
“It’s me.”
Connor. Jess sucked in a breath. “Well? Have you come to a decision?”
There was a long silence. At last Connor said, “I’ll do it.”
Jess fought the urge to let out a whoop. “At the price we talked about earlier?” she said.
“That’s right.”
“Excellent. I’ll contact the seller and draw up the paperwork. Just so you understand, I’ll be acting as intermediary on this deal. I don’t work for one side or the other; I just facilitate the deal.”
“I understand.”
“Good.”
They hung up, and Jess turned to see Suzy watching her open-mouthed.
“What was that about?”
Jess grinned and reached for the bowl of popcorn. “You’ll find out soon,” she said.
She hit Play, but her mind found it difficult to concentrate on the show.
The next day she fired up her laptop and used it to draw up the forms, then shot it over to the seller, had them sign it, then over to Connor. By the end of the day the deal was at the title company with a ridiculously immediate closing date: four days from now. That gave Connor just enough time to go over to the property and do a
quick inspection, as well as giving the title company just enough time to do what they needed to do. She waited the four days out anxiously, constantly resisting the urge to see or call Mike. He would call, but she would always tell him the truth: she would know their fate in four days. Then three. Then two. Then one.
On the last day she dressed in the best clothes she had with her and had Suzy drive her down to the little title company in town. Connor met her there, wearing his sturdy winter clothes, and the seller was already there. She was an old widow with a deeply lined face and laughing green eyes that were tinged by sadness. Jess had learned that the reason she was selling was that the property had been her husband’s dream, and he had worked on it for years until finally, just as he had finished it, he had died. She had let the property sit for two years, not having the heart to sell it, but Jess’s phone call had prompted her to take action.
The closing agent provided coffee and had everyone sit down around a table in the conference room, and Jess inspected each page of the documents before she allowed Connor and the seller, whose name was Abigail Benson, to sign them. Jess smiled to see the looks of relief on both Abigail’s face and Connor’s. It’s happening! she thought. It’s really happening. Soon Mike and I can be together.
Sudden worry made her bite her lip. If it’s not too late, she thought. Maybe I waited too long. After all her wishy-washy shenanigans, she wouldn’t have been surprised if Mike had grown so frustrated that he had moved on to less neurotic pastures. And she couldn’t blame him if he had.
Please, she thought for the thousandth time. Please let this all work.
Chapter 19
“Mike, it’s time,” said Rick.
Mike grunted and looked up from the open control panel of the ski lift. Damn things had gone to shit again, and it was up to him to fix them. A whole line of skiers were waiting impatiently for their turn to go up the slope, but the lift was out of order and they couldn’t go anywhere, and none of the other shifters were technical-minded enough to get the lift repaired.
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