In one hand, he held a single, perfect lavender rose. In the other, a cup of fragrant coffee from the specialty shop down the street. He held both out to her.
“I’m sorry, Dani,” he said with a smile that melted her heart. “Can I ... walk you home?”
Just that quickly, her disquiet melted away.
Dani lifted the rose to her nose and inhaled. “This is beautiful, Jace.” She looked around. “Where’s your car?”
“At Bess’s. Where do you think I got the rose?” He gave her one of his lopsided grins, and she suddenly didn’t feel so tired anymore, either. “So ... is that a yes?”
“Is this a hazelnut mocha from Agliano’s?”
“Yes.”
Somebody did his homework, she thought with a grin. Agliano’s hazelnut mocha was her absolute favorite. She would have to thank Aunt Bess for that later.
“Resorting to bribery, Jace?”
He shrugged. “Let’s call it: creative acknowledgement of an error in judgement.”
The walk through the woods was beautiful. A slight fog hovered just above the ground, and the sun broke through the trees here and there in dreamlike beams. The scents of dew, mixed with earth and leaves and pine, filled the cool morning air. It was like walking in an entirely different world.
“I can see why you enjoy the walk so much,” Jace said when they emerged from the forest a few blocks from Bess’s.
“I enjoyed it a whole lot more today,” she said truthfully. Sharing the walk with Jace had been nice. Really nice. And she had to admit that she did feel safer when he was around. “Thanks. And ... I’m sorry, too.”
Jace gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Apology accepted. I’ll try to subdue my caveman tendencies from now on, but no promises.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Good enough for me.”
* * *
Walking her home each morning became a regular occurrence. While he and Amos finished up the custom gazebo, he would hear her radio, get a whiff of coconut oil, and know she was up there, on the roof-top balcony, catching a few hours of sleep and sunbathing. Somehow, he managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground, but it wasn’t easy.
After lunch, she would appear with a pitcher of homemade sweet tea or lemonade and cookies. She would sit and talk with him and Amos while they worked.
Rather than be a distraction, Dani’s close proximity kept Jace calm and focused. It was only when she was out of his reach that he felt unsettled.
Each day, he was more convinced that Dani was, in fact, his mate. Besides the obvious physical attraction, there was a deeper connection there, as well. They could sit for hours in comfortable silence, or talk on any number of topics, from muscle cars to politics. Dani was intelligent, funny, kind, and when he was around her, he felt complete.
It was difficult, but Jace forced himself to take things slow. He stepped back and let Bess take Dani to the senior center for her classes, going back to his place every other evening, just to prove to himself that he could. On the nights they were together, time flew. On the nights they were not, Jace grew restless until the next time he saw her again.
It was on the third morning when they had kissed for the first time. In the middle of the woods, in a patch of early morning sunlight, he had stopped, cupped her face, and lowered his head.
The moment his lips had touched hers, his world changed, and everything else ceased to exist. There was only the feel of her arms curling around his neck, the press of her body against his, and oh, her taste! One sip and he was hooked. He had spent the rest of that day feeling the effects of that kiss, knowing that, from that moment on, he would steal every opportunity he could for another.
If he’d had any lingering doubts that she was his mate, that single kiss had obliterated them.
One evening, they sat in the finished gazebo, a soft summer rain falling around them, enjoying an hour or two together before Dani had to go to work. They had been discussing some of the interviews he had taken when Dani put her hand on his arm; a familiar, comforting touch that instantly filled him with warmth.
“Why?” she asked in that innocent, honest way of hers as her fingertips stroked him lightly. “Why do it if you hate it?”
“Most women would prefer a man who pulls down a six-figure salary to a carpenter, one who doesn’t come home so dirty and sweaty every day that he needs a shower before he can even kiss her properly.”
Dani tucked her legs up under her, arranging her dress over them. “Not me,” she said thoughtfully. “Money isn’t everything, you know. I’d prefer my man to be happy.” She looked at him from half-shuttered eyes. “And I happen to love showers.”
Something shifted inside Jace the moment Dani had spoken the words “my man.” His wolf rose to the surface, and he knew his eyes were probably glowing.
Dani averted her gaze and played with the hem on her dress. “I mean, look at Aunt Bess. She’s nuts about your uncle Amos.”
“Is she?” Jace asked absently. He was temporarily distracted by thoughts of coming home at the end of the day and hopping into a shower with Dani, soaping each other up, running his hands all over those slick curves while water sluiced down her ...
“Oh yeah.” Dani chuckled, bringing him back to the present. “She’s already tried on about a hundred outfits, hoping he asks her to go to the county fair with him tomorrow night.”
Jace raised his eyebrows and laughed. “Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure he asks her. I’m sure he’d like nothing better.”
“Aunt Bess said the county really goes all out for the fireworks display.” Dani sipped her tea, letting one leg dangle off the swing.
“There’s none better,” Jace agreed. “Are you going? To the fair, I mean?”
Dani blushed. “Probably not.”
“Are you working tomorrow night?”
“No.”
“Then why not?” he pressed.
“I’d feel like a third wheel,” she admitted. “Bess doesn’t need me tagging along.” She looked at him, her eyes slightly more blue than green. By now, Jace knew that meant she was feeling uncertain or shy. They glowed a beautiful turquoise when she was feeling very strongly about something, like right after he kissed her.
“Why aren’t you going?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. A few rebellious curls unfurled along her shoulder, inviting him to touch them.
“Who says I’m not?”
“Amos. He said you avoid things like that, but he didn’t mention why.”
“Did he now?”
It was true enough. Jace did tend to stay away from those sorts of things. For one thing, it was not the kind of event a single man went to alone, especially not a shifter. Women were drawn to him, their primal instincts recognizing him for what he was: an excellent potential mate. When he was younger, he welcomed the attention, but as he got older and wiser, not so much.
But things were different now. He wouldn’t have to go alone. He could have the most beautiful girl in the county with him, one who he knew would find joy in the simplest of things. The fact that the whole town would be there was an added bonus. He wanted everyone to know that she was his.
“Does that mean you’re thinking about it?” The cautious hope in her voice had him suppressing a smile. Already he could see the sparkle in her eyes. He wondered vaguely if he would ever be able to say no to anything she asked for when she looked at him like that.
“I don’t know ...” he teased, shaking his head slightly.
She scooted closer, putting her hand on his knee. In turn, he stretched his arm around her shoulders.
“What might persuade you?” she asked.
“Hmmm,” he hummed, looking down at her hand and pretending to think about it. “Well, I wouldn’t want to go alone. I’d need someone to go with me. And it couldn’t be just anyone, you understand.”
“Ah,” she said, catching on. He loved playing with her like this. “What are your requirements? Maybe I know someone.”
“Oh
, well, let’s see. She’d have to be intelligent, so we could hold a decent conversation. And she’d have to be willing to have a little fun.”
“What kind of fun?” she asked suspiciously.
“You know, maybe play a few games, eat some carnival-type food, ride a few rides. Oh, and it would probably be a good thing if she liked me, too, so it wouldn’t be awkward when I held her in my arms to watch the fireworks.”
Dani’s eyes glittered like a sea of sapphires and emeralds. “I see what you mean. A lot of prerequisites. How would you even go about finding someone like that?”
“I’m glad you asked. There’s a test.”
“A test?”
“Yep, a test.” Jace gently guided Dani onto his lap. She straddled him gracefully, placing her hands on his shoulders, while he rested his lightly on her hips. He didn’t even attempt to hide his erection anymore; she had to be used to it by now.
“Can anyone take this test?” she asked.
“I’m afraid not. It’s by invitation only.”
“That’s a shame, because I was thinking maybe I could give it a shot.”
He pretended to think about it. “Well, I guess that would be okay, since you’re already here and all. But I’m warning you, it’s brutal. Grueling, even.”
“Mmm,” she hummed, threading her fingers through his hair. “Sounds tough.”
“Oh, it is. You have to kiss me.”
“Oh my.”
“Exactly. Still want to try?”
“Hmm. I don’t know ...”
Dani didn’t get to finish whatever she was going to say. Jace couldn’t stand another second of being that close and not kissing her.
She melted into him, surrendering fully under his searing possession, curling her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer. By the time he pulled away, she was breathless, her eyes dazed and glassy.
“Mmm,” Jace said. “I think—”
“Shh. I’m going for extra credit here.” Her lips came down on his, insistent, playful. She teased his tongue with her own while tugging lightly at his hair and applying the most glorious pressure against his lap with her toned thighs.
Jace groaned, wanting to rip every last shred of clothing from her body and bury himself so deeply it would be impossible to tell where one left off and the other began. He clamped his large hands at her waist, encouraging the sexy little rolls of her hips, loving the hot pressure of her rubbing against him. How he wanted her! Not just now, but forever.
His wolf clawed at him in agreement. She was the one. They were meant to be together. She felt it, too. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch.
Soon. He had to claim her soon, or he was going to lose the last remaining shreds of his sanity.
“Now who’s not playing fair?” he managed to rasp out, his chest burning with the effort of holding back.
“Is it working?” she whispered against his ear, her hot breath sending shivers down his body and right into his groin.
“Oh yeah. You pass. You definitely pass.”
Dani pulled away long enough to smile at him. “I’ve always been kind of an overachiever,” she said, resuming her attentions.
Jace was very supportive, especially since her efforts kept her in his lap and kissing him.
He was still buzzing with arousal later when he pulled up in front of the diner. His lips were still tingling, and he was certain his zipper was now permanently indented on his manhood.
“I haven’t made out like that since I was a teenager.”
“But this was better, right?” Dani asked with a devilish grin.
“Infinitely,” he said. “Except ...”
“Except what?”
“Except then, I got lucky, too.”
Something flashed in her eyes, reminding him of lightning over the sea. Then Dani leaned across the seat and licked along his lips.
“And who’s to say you won’t get lucky this time?”
Jace groaned as his blood flow took a definite southerly direction. So intent was he on controlling his wolf that it took a moment before he realized Dani had gotten out of the car.
In two long strides, he was beside her, placing his hand possessively on her hip, walking her to the door. Then, right there in front of the diner, Jace pulled her into his arms for one more kiss.
It was the first time he had kissed her in public. He wasn’t sure how she would react, but in his mind, things had advanced enough that he wanted to make damn sure everyone knew that she was his.
Dani may have been a little surprised at first, but she didn’t shy away. On the contrary, she returned his kiss with one of her own that left no doubt that she was feeling the connection between them every bit as strongly as he was.
When she was safely inside, Jace whistled as he walked back to his car, his bottom lip still stinging from where she had nipped him playfully, the image of the scowling bear still in his mind. Oh yeah, Dani was his.
Chapter 6 – Going Public
The next night, Amos appeared at Bess’s house with a bouquet of flowers—flowers not picked from her award-winning gardens—cleanly showered and shaven, and looking more than a little handsome. In his mid-fifties, his six-three frame was still tall and packed with solid muscle—a result of his shifter DNA and years of demanding physical labor. His dark chestnut hair was only beginning to show the first signs of lightening at the temples.
Dani couldn’t help thinking she was looking at Jace in another thirty years. The possibility that she would still be with him then sent a warm flush through her entire body. She didn’t know what it was about the sexy wolf shifter, but he had felt like hers from the moment fate had placed him in her path.
“Where’s Jace?” Dani asked eagerly, peering around Amos’s shoulder.
“He wanted to drive separately,” Amos said with a slight quirk of his lips.
A moment later, Jace pulled up on his Harley and parked behind Amos’s truck.
Dani’s eyes got as wide as saucers. She looked down at the sundress she was wearing and tore back up the steps. Less than two minutes later, she was back downstairs, the dress exchanged for snug fitting denim capris and a white silk cami beneath a lightweight turquoise blouse. She was at the door, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, flinging the door open as Jace lifted his finger to ring the bell.
“You have a Harley?” she squealed, grabbing his hand.
“I do,” he said with a grin. “Like it?”
“Like it? Oh, Jace ... I love it!”
He shot his amused uncle an I told you so look over Dani’s head.
* * *
When they first got to the fair, the four of them walked around together, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells, getting a feel for what was there. Almost immediately, Bess and Amos were approached by people they knew.
Jace wasn’t surprised. Bess had lived in Kenner’s Mills her whole life, and Amos for the better part of twenty years. Both were well-liked among the close-knit community, and Jace had been around long enough to be a familiar face, too. Normally, he was content to slip away after the obligatory polite greetings, but tonight, he was proud to quietly advertise the fact that he and Dani were together.
Dani, however, seemed uncomfortable with all the attention, and he couldn’t blame her. She was still new, and other than doing classes at the senior center and working nights at the diner, she didn’t go out much. Whether she realized it or not, that bit of mystery only made her more appealing, and inquiring small-town minds wanted to know more about her.
She shot him a grateful look when he made their excuses and pulled her away to steal a few kisses behind the fun house. For his part, he was more than happy to keep Dani all to himself for the remainder of the evening.
And what an evening it was.
Dani was like a kid in a candy store, pulling Jace onto nearly every ride. He learned quickly to appreciate the spinning ones the most, because afterward, she had a tendency to be a little off-balance a
nd clung to his arm for support.
They played games, too. He enjoyed showing off his strength and skills at things like the strong-man hammer and the baseball pitch. Meanwhile, she delighted in totally kicking his ass at skee-ball and the water pistol races.
When they had exhausted all the rides and games, Dani was right there beside him, happily sampling the local treats.
Time flew by, as it always did when he was with Dani. Jace couldn’t remember when he enjoyed a fair so much. Being with Dani was amazing. She saw the beauty in everything, and with her, it was like experiencing everything for the first time again.
He did his best to avoid the gossip-seekers, but they still drew plenty of looks and stares. The fact that he was there at all was news. The fact that he had a female with him was even bigger news. But what probably had most tongues wagging was his decidedly possessive behavior.
Jace made sure he was touching Dani whenever possible; her hand in his, his at her back or around her waist. And when she wandered more than a few feet away, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. It was the behavior of a predatory male around his mate, and the locals knew it.
It was hard not to notice the attention, and Dani eventually mentioned it.
“Going to the county fair around here with someone is a serious show of commitment,” he explained half-jokingly as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Are you committing yourself to me, Jace?” she asked, her eyes too wide, her uncertainty obvious. The blues and greens swirled playfully, but he caught the undercurrent.
Yes! his wolf barked, but this was a discussion for later, when they weren’t in the middle of the county fairgrounds, surrounded by hundreds of others. Instead, he smiled, kissed the back of her hand, and said, “Well, no one else will ride the Death Plunge with me.”
She smiled at that, but he could see that the uncertainty remained.
Jace was half-tempted to pull her away from the crowds and tell her just how much he wanted to commit, but a familiar face in the crowd ahead of them had him shelving that idea for the time being.
Amanda was making her way to the reserved VIP seating area, where her family would watch the fireworks show—they were a major financial contributor. Her expression was stormy, and Jace was pretty sure she had already received news that he had been seen at the fair. Knowing the efficiency of the small-town gossip mill, her cell phone had probably been buzzing the moment he had walked through the entrance gate with Dani.
Falling for the Werewolf: A Wolf Shifter Romance Page 4
