“Who is that?” Jace asked, dousing his face with a splash from the jug of water his uncle had handed him. It helped a little, but not much. Perhaps it would have been more effective if he poured it into his pants.
“Bess’s niece,” Amos answered, wiping his own brow. “Moved here a few weeks ago. She’s a real sweetheart, too. Works late nights, catches up on her sleep up there in the morning like a lizard in the sun. Bess says she’s trying for a teaching position around here somewhere.”
That body belongs to a teacher? Jace didn’t remember having any teachers who looked like that when he was in school.
“Seems like a good time to break for lunch,” Amos said, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Jace could only nod in agreement. With his wolf clawing at him and the vision of the naked goddess fresh in his mind, working with either power or hand tools probably wasn’t a good idea.
Jace retrieved a cooler from their truck, thinking, Well, now he knew who his mystery female was and where she lived.
He had barely set the cooler down beneath an old, shady maple when Amos said, “Ah. Don’t look now, son, but here she comes.”
Jace’s entire body hardened—some parts were already pretty rigid—as he turned in the direction of the house.
The goddess from the roof was heading toward them in a hooded cover-up that extended to her mid-thighs, a light turquoise color that accented her golden tan and sun-kissed hair. He couldn’t help wondering if she had anything on underneath, or if she had just tossed the hoodie over all that gorgeous nakedness.
“Hi, Mr. Stevens! The gazebo is looking great. Aunt Bess asked me to bring you some iced tea.” She placed a tray with a pitcher and two glasses filled with ice on the patio table between them.
Jace’s heart stuttered as the scent of coconuts and oranges hit him full-on.
Amos smiled and thanked her.
“Hey!” she said as she spotted Jace, her eyes lighting up and a delighted smile spreading across her face. “I know you!”
His wolf growled softly in response, a sound only audible to another shifter.
Amos raised his eyebrows, shooting Jace a questioning glance. “You two have met?”
“Not officially,” she said on a laugh, and like before, it was a beautiful sound. “We ran into each other, quite literally, on the street the other day. Well, I ran into him. It was kind of like hitting a brick wall.” She shot him a shy but genuine smile, pinning him with those pretty eyes.
He was tempted to ask her how her butt was, but he couldn’t think of a polite way to do so. Besides, from what he had just seen, it looked picture-perfect to him.
“Then allow me to do the honors,” Amos said. “Dani, this is my nephew, Jace Stevens. Jace, this is Dani, Bess’s niece.”
“It’s my pleasure, Dani,” Jace said, extending his hand. “Though, I can’t say I’ve ever met a girl named ‘Danny’ before.” He winced inwardly. Did he just say that?
Thankfully, she didn’t seem offended.
Dani took his hand, and he was once again struck by how good it felt, how perfectly it fit in his.
His wolf growled again, though this time, it sounded suspiciously like “Mine.”
“No, I guess not,” she said with a smile. “My name is Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani. And it’s nice to meet you, too, Jace Stevens.”
Dani. Danielle. The name was feminine, playful, classic. It suited her.
Jace smiled in return, something that was easy to do in her presence, especially when she said his name like it left the taste of chocolate in her mouth.
“I almost didn’t recognize you.” She raked her gaze up and down his frame, taking in his work boots, blue jeans, wife-beater, and the bandana he wore around his head. Curious and assessing, Jace felt the power of it acutely.
“Amazing what a change of clothes will do, huh?” he joked, glad when his voice didn’t crack like he half-expected it to.
“It’s not just the clothes,” she said, her blue-green eyes finding his. “It’s the look on your face. You look ...” she paused, searching for the right words, “happier.”
Jace was stunned at her revelation. Was he that transparent, or could she read him better than most people?
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, misinterpreting his shocked expression. “I didn’t mean to offend you. You looked quite handsome in your suit.”
Jace’s first thought: she thought I was handsome. That was good. His second: she took a step back. Was she worried she had offended him? That was bad. Anything that put more distance between them was bad. He had to employ a substantial amount of self-control to keep himself from moving forward and closing the gap between them.
“No offense taken.” He smiled. “And thank you.”
“Dani!” Bess called as she emerged from the house. “Oh, I see you’ve met Jace. How are you, hon? I don’t get to see you nearly enough these days.” Bess gave Jace a big hug, not caring a bit that he was sweaty and covered in dirt and sawdust.
“I’m good, Mrs. Evans. Thanks. You’re looking great, as always.”
“Such a charmer,” Bess said, flushing a little. “Bet you get that from your uncle.”
Amos smiled at the compliment.
Bess turned toward Dani, who seemed to be having a hard time taking her eyes off Jace. “Dani, sweetheart, you’re going to be late if you don’t get moving.”
Dani blushed. “Right. It was nice to see you again, Jace. You, too, Mr. Stevens.” With that, she turned on her heels and headed back for the house.
Jace’s gaze was immediately drawn to the natural sway of her hips and the graceful curves of her legs. Heat raced through his veins, especially when she glanced back at him as she went through the door.
“Bess, maybe it’d be a good idea if you went with me to the home center,” Amos said slowly. “It’ll be easier to pick out the latticework and decorative trim if you can see it all laid out in front of you. We can even pick up the paint while we’re there.”
“Well, I would love to, Amos, but I can’t. I promised Dani a ride to the senior center this afternoon, and I’m afraid it’s too late for her to catch the bus.”
“I can take her,” Jace said quickly, his eyes still locked on the house where Dani had disappeared. “That is, if you don’t have anything you need me to finish up here.”
Amos tried unsuccessfully to cover his laugh with a cough. “No, I don’t think there’s much more we can do here today without the latticework.”
“And I would really appreciate it,” Bess added for good measure.
“Then consider it done.” Jace looked down at the dirt and sweat he was covered in. “Do you think I have time to grab a quick shower?”
Bess nodded. “Of course, dear. Dani doesn’t have to be there for another hour yet.”
Amos started packing up his tools. “Tell you what, Bess. Give us both a chance to get cleaned up, and we’ll be back in thirty.”
Chapter 3 – Baby, You Can Drive My Car
Freshly showered and shaved, both men arrived back at Bess’s before their allotted half-hour was up. Amos drove his truck, and Jace pulled up behind him in his glossy black Shelby, the one he and Amos had been rebuilding for the last several years. He only brought it out on special occasions. Providing transportation for a goddess, he reasoned, definitely qualified.
Jace stood just inside the front door, pacing in anticipation. Bess and Amos had already left, leaving him to wait for Dani. The fact that he was alone in a house with the female who had been on his mind for the last week did not escape him. It was yet another reason he kept himself rooted to the door. If he started wandering around, he would inevitably wind up wherever she was. Her pull was that strong.
Muted music drifted down from upstairs, along with the rhythmic sound of soft footfalls, conjuring images of her dancing along with the music.
When his cock roused in renewed interest, he growled quietly and resumed his pacing.
He didn’t have to w
ait long. A few minutes later, Dani bounced down the stairs like a sprite, graceful and athletic at the same time. She wore loose, white capris slung low on her hips like harem pants, gold ballet slippers, and a loose pink tank that allowed her navel ring to flash occasionally when she moved a particular way. The brilliant smile she gave him when she spotted him nearly set his blood pumping with renewed fervor.
“You look nice,” she said approvingly, taking in his clean jeans and cotton shirt. “Mmm ... And you smell good, too,” she added as she drew near and inhaled deeply.
His wolf preened, pleased that she liked his scent.
He liked hers, as well. Fresh from her shower, she smelled like sunshine and beaches. It was an effort not to pull her into his arms, bury his head in her hair, her skin, and see if she tasted as good as she smelled. Oh yeah, he definitely wanted to taste her.
He pulled the reins on his control tighter. According to Amos, both Bess and her niece were fully human, and he had to tamp down his natural, animalistic urges. It wasn’t usually this difficult.
“Between you and me,” she mock-whispered loudly, “I think Aunt Bess has a thing for your uncle Amos.”
Jace couldn’t help it; he chuckled. “I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I think he likes her, too.” Jace winked, and Dani rewarded him with another soft laugh. He swore his chest expanded several inches at the sound.
“Where are they?” she asked, popping into the kitchen to grab a bottled water, offering one to Jace, as well.
He accepted; not because he was thirsty, but because it would give his twitching hands something to do that did not involve touching any of that soft-looking, radiant skin.
“Actually,” he said, twisting the cap off the water, “Bess and Amos went to the home center to pick out the finishing touches for the gazebo.”
“Oh.” The smile on her face faded a little. “Bess was supposed to give me a lift.”
“And that’s where I come in,” he said, holding out his hand. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”
A tentative grin spread across her face as she accepted his hand. Jace felt instantly soothed and excited at the contact.
“Bess asked you to give me a ride?”
“I offered.” At Dani’s raised eyebrow, he explained, “Amos wanted Bess to pick out a few items at the home center.”
“Uh-huh. You do realize they’re trying to set us up, don’t you?”
“The possibility did cross my mind,” he said, opening the door for her.
“And you’re okay with that?”
“I am,” he said simply. “Are you?”
“So far,” she said with a mischievous grin.
“Fair enough.”
“Oh, my God. Is that your Shelby?” She squeezed his hand and pulled him forward excitedly. Even with his long legs, he was forced into a half-jog to keep up with her.
“Yeah. You know cars?”
“My dad was a mechanic,” she told him, her voice reflecting the same reverence in her eyes. “He used to rebuild muscle cars from the 60s and 70s in his spare time. I used to help him sometimes.”
Jace nearly choked. A goddess who liked cars?
“You did?”
“Yeah,” she said, walking around the frame. “She’s so beautiful, Jace. Did you do the work yourself?”
“Amos helped,” Jace said modestly, but inside, he was bursting with pride as he opened the passenger door for her. Her appreciation was worth every last minute of work he had poured into the car.
“Thanks,” she said, sliding carefully inside where the interior was just as meticulous as the exterior.
When Jace started the car and she heard the deep rumbling purr of the 289 V-8 Cobra engine, he swore her eyes lit up even more.
“So, we’re going to the senior center, right?” he asked, flicking a quick glance over her way.
“Uh-huh,” she said distractedly, running her fingertips reverently over the restored dash, then the door panels, reminding him of a kid in a candy store.
“Visiting someone there?”
“No, I do some classes.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Some yoga, some dance.”
“Really?” That explained the well-toned body and graceful movements.
“Really.”
“What kind of dance?”
“It varies.” She shrugged. “Belly dancing, Zumba ...”
Jace laughed. “You’re teaching senior citizens how to belly dance and do Zumba?”
“Are you kidding? They love it. It keeps their joints lubricated, and really helps with balance and flexibility.”
“I bet,” he murmured as his mind unhelpfully conjured up all kinds of scenarios that would test the limits of Dani’s flexibility.
When they pulled into the parking lot a few short minutes later, Jace asked Dani to wait while he sprinted around to her side to open the door and help her out of the car.
“Are you always such a gentleman?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“That depends. Do you like it?”
“Very much,” she said with a shy grin.
“Then for you, yes.”
Dani did that thing with her eyes again, a kind of half-lidded flutter that was submissive and challenging at the same time.
“Thanks for the sweet ride,” she said as they approached the doors.
“My pleasure. Can I give you a ride home when you’re done?”
Something flashed in her eyes—joy?—but she turned away before he could really catch it. “Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Dani.” Jace stepped in front of her, effectively blocking the door. “You are not the one asking. I am. May I please give you a ride home?”
Dani considered it for a moment. When she looked at him the blues and greens were swirling wildly in her eyes. He hoped that was a good sign, because he wanted to see a lot more of it. “I would like that very much.”
“Good. I was afraid I would be reduced to begging, and that’s not very manly.”
Dani laughed, her arm brushing against him as she walked past. He swore every nerve in his body lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
“I wouldn’t worry about your manliness if I were you,” she said, her voice just a shade lower than before. Or maybe he had just imagined it, just as he was imagining the light touch of her fingertips on his forearm and the slight flush in her cheeks. “Classes usually go for about an hour or so. Are you sure you don’t mind waiting?”
“I’m sure.” Jace and Amos had done enough work on the senior center for him to know that most of the all-purpose rooms had huge windows, providing an open, airy space, perfect for viewing. He was looking forward to watching her in action.
“Okay, then. See you later.”
Jace’s eyes remained glued on her as she walked away, her movements so smooth her feet barely even seemed to touch the floor. As was becoming habit, his mind locked up until she disappeared from sight.
“Jace, my boy! How are you?” Charlie Buxton, an old friend of Amos’s and a council member in the Kenner’s Mills pack, clapped him on the back. “Did I see you walking in with Dani?”
“You did. I’m her ride today.”
“I always knew you were a smart boy,” Charlie said on a chuckle. “You brought the Shelby, I hope?”
Charlie shared Jace’s love for cars. He had been a professional stock driver at one time and loved to talk shop.
“You know it,” Jace said with a grin. “What are you doing here?”
“Brought Molly up for Dani’s class. She loves it.”
Jace looked around, amazed by the number of women converging toward the room Dani had disappeared into. “Looks like it’s pretty popular.”
“You haven’t seen her dance yet, have you?” Charlie asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“No,” Jace admitted.
“Then come with me, my boy. You are in for a treat.”
Jace fo
llowed along behind Charlie. This section of the senior center was a cube consisting of nine separate areas, three rows of three. Enclosed all-purpose rooms appeared at each of the four compass points. The middle area and each of the four corners were “open” with chairs, sofas, and tables for gathering. Jace noted that each of the three open areas surrounding Dani’s room held a fair number of onlookers, mostly men who had brought their wives and stayed to watch.
Dani greeted everyone as they came in, her smile genuine. Jace saw more than one woman point toward him and say something. Even his acute ears couldn’t pick up what was said, but he could guess by the furious blush on Dani’s face.
He grinned and waved when she looked at him, causing her cheeks to turn an even deeper shade of scarlet.
Once she started the class, though, she seemed to forget all about him. She led the women through a gentle warm-up and stretch, and then the real dancing began.
She moved fluidly, her isolation and muscular control mesmerizing. Today, apparently, the women had opted for belly dancing, and Jace watched in fascination as Dani demonstrated the moves. Then she led the ladies through a simple, yet elegant series of dances. The hour flew by, and before he knew it, Charlie was tapping him on the shoulder.
“Better wipe up that drool there, son,” he said on another chuckle. “Your female is heading this way.”
His female. Yeah, he liked the sound of that. His wolf growled in agreement.
“Thanks for waiting. I hope you weren’t too bored.”
“Not at all,” he answered honestly. “You were amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said, her cheeks pinking up again. Oh, how he loved that rosy glow radiating beneath the bronze. He wondered if other parts got all pink and rosy like that when she was excited.
Aware of the knowing smiles and attention cast their way, Jace placed his hand lightly on her lower back and guided her toward the exit.
“Where did you learn how to dance like that?”
“My dad made me take lessons when I was little.” She laughed. “I fought him tooth and nail at the time. All I wanted to do was work on cars with him, but he thought it was important to do something ‘girlie.’ My ballet teacher, Miss Tasha, had to tell him more than once to make sure the grease was off my face before a recital. But I’m glad for it. I put myself through college by teaching classes just like this.”
Falling for the Werewolf: A Wolf Shifter Romance Page 2
