“Oh, of course.” She got up from her seat and walked around the corner to where a small kitchenette was hidden from the main office area.
Air conditioning or not, she had to take a deep breath and collect herself before stepping back out to hand him his drink. He was easily one of the best-looking men she’d seen in a long time.
“Here you go.” She handed him the glass.
“Mmm. God, that’s good!”
“I know, right? It’s some natural lemonade that Covington uses in all their sales offices I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Well, I’ve just recently started working for them.”
“I see.” He took another drink before asking, “Do you like it?”
“I can’t complain. It’s good pay, the hours are pretty reasonable, and I’ve worked for worse companies. Covington is far better than most.”
“Pretty reasonable? What’s wrong with the hours?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“It must be something or you probably wouldn’t have said it.”
She sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you. But, you have to promise you’re not going to laugh at me.”
“I could probably promise you quite a few things but, I don’t think that’s one of them.” He offered with a smile.
“I guess that’s fair.”
“So, what is it?”
“Now that it gets darker sooner…”
“Yeah?”
“Well, it gets kind of creepy out here at night.”
“What time are you leaving?”
“Six-ish? I don’t know. It depends on the day and what paperwork I have to finish. Last night it was nearly seven by the time I left.”
“Up here where we’re at, without much civilization for miles in all directions, I’d say it’s fair to be a little creeped out. Have you had any problems?”
“No. Nothing really. Just my own fear of the dark I suppose. You know, like every adult out there.” She rolled her eyes and laughed.
“You’re only human after all. I mean… I assume you are, right?”
“Yes, one hundred percent.”
He shrugged. “You never know.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
She pretended to read from the list he’d given her, but she was actually just buying time while she thought of a way to ask him a question that was burning through her mind.
“I am.”
“Huh?”
“A shifter. You’re wondering if I am human like you, or if I’m a shifter, right?”
“I…” she was startled by his blunt response to her unspoken question. “What –.”
He held up his hand and smiled. “It’s okay. A lot of people wonder. In this day and age, who can tell anymore?”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“So, is that a problem or you?”
“Is what a problem for me? That you’re a shifter?”
“Yeah.”
“No. Why would that be a problem for me? I’m not your boss. I’m just the sales associate.”
He set his glass down and leaned forward. “First of all, I highly doubt you’re just the sales associate. I’m sure there is much more to you than that. And secondly,” he hesitated for a moment and spoke softly, “I wasn’t referring to anything work-related.”
“Oh.”
Really, Jane? That was all you could come up with is ‘oh’? No wonder you’re single.
“So, are you working late tonight?”
“It’s looking that way.”
“I’ll tell you what then. Why don’t you let me walk you to your car tonight?”
“Oh, you don’t have to –.”
“I insist.” He stood up and pushed the glass across her desk. “Thanks for the lemonade, and the chat. They both were the perfect amount of sweet.”
Her cheeks blushed. His small compliment had been nothing short of polite, but damn if it didn’t raise the temperature in her office a good twenty degrees.
“You’re welcome.”
He turned back just as he was about to step outside. “I’ll see you tonight, Jane.”
Chapter Four
Peter stood outside of the office. His leg swung over the other, his arms crossed and leaning against the trunk of her car while he waited for her to come out. He’d tried not to be too obvious with his interest in her.
There was a hesitance about her that he wasn’t quite sure how to take. She didn’t strike him as the kind who looked down on him for being a shifter. But, she didn’t strike him as the easy-going type either.
Whatever it was, he was willing to take things slow and see where the evening would take them.
When she finally stepped out of the office, she waved at him. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” He walked toward her and grabbed a stack of envelopes she was carrying. “Postman duty?”
“Yeah. Homes starting at over eight hundred thousand dollars advertised as the community of the future, but someone at the home office is still trying to get zoning ordinances in place so the little white jeeps will come our way.”
He laughed. “Got to love the bureaucracy, don’t ya?”
“Or something.”
They walked to her car, the sound of her heels clicked on the pavement as the still of the night surrounded them. There were subtle noises, nuances of the wildlife of the Rocky Mountains. Still, it was the quietness between him that stood out to him the most.
“You know, I stayed late last night too.” He offered, though he wasn’t sure why.
“Oh? How late were you here? I didn’t see any cars or lights when I left.”
“Yeah.” He stopped for a moment and turned to her. “I wasn’t how you see me now.”
Her expression was one of confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t the same way, I looked different.”
“Oh!” she exclaimed once the realization hit her. “God, I’m so stupid.”
“No, you’re not.”
“So, you’re the one I saw? The… tiger?”
He nodded. “That would’ve been me.”
“Oh.”
The awkward silence lingered between them for far longer than he preferred. He had hoped the short walk to her car would be a way to get to know her, not push her further away.
“Did that make it weird?”
“No. No, of course not.” She insisted. “It’s me. I’m just… well, I’ve never really known many shifters. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a tiger one. My last landlord was a bear shifter, but he was…” she laughed a little.
“What’s so funny?”
“I hadn’t realized how funny it seemed until I almost said it.” She laughed. “He was a bit of a bear. Always cranky and yelling at the tenants. I never realized how fitting it was.”
He liked her laugh. Liked the way her eyes lit up when her gorgeous smile spread across her face. “That is kind of funny.”
“Yeah, well. I just haven’t come across many shifters. Or, if I did, I didn’t know it.”
“Jerry, our project manager, he’s a bear. Kodiak, I believe. Moved here a few years ago from Alaska.”
“Wow. See. I had no idea. I’ve probably known more than I realized.”
“Probably.” They continued their walk, “So, do you have anything planned tonight?” he asked.
“Truth?”
“Generally, I prefer that. Yeah.”
“I’m going home to pay bills and do laundry.”
“Wow.”
“I know, right?”
“I had no idea you led such a wildlife.” He teased.
“Most people are jealous of me. Can’t say I blame them. I mean, I do live alone and have a personal pint of ice cream in my freezer.”
“Got a cat?”
She pursed her lips together and smiled. “Not yet.”
He liked her answer. Partly because she didn’t take herself too seriously and was willing to kid around. The other part th
ough, the more intimate part, that was itching to explore the lack of a feline in her life. Being a big cat himself, he had no problem with the idea of filling that hole.
After loading the envelops and her bag into the front seat she turned to him. “Thank you for staying, and for walking me to my car. That was incredibly sweet of you.”
“Don’t go telling the guys.” He whispered. “They all think I’m kind of a hard ass.”
“Oh.” She pressed her thumb and forefinger together and swiped them across her lips. “My lips are sealed.”
He tried to ignore the sudden pang of hunger he felt at the mere mention of her lips. Seeing the plump lower one was pouty enough, already an invitation for him to want to nibble on it. But, the mention of her lips awakened another part of him that he knew he had a very hard time masking.
He pushed his wandering mind to a more gentleman like approach. “I’d appreciate that, ma’am.”
“Ma’am? I’m thirty-five. I don’t think I’m old enough for that yet.”
“It’s not your age that matters.” He leaned in closer. “it’s what’s inside.”
“Yeah. I think I’ve heard that before.”
“You know,” he lifted his hand, cupping her cheek and gently brushing his thumb across her face. “I find you very attractive.”
She dropped her head just as a blushed look of embarrassment crossed her face. It was sweet to see, and it only made him want to know her more.
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Jane. You are a very pretty woman. But,” he lifted her chin to bring her gaze back up to meet his, “it’s not your beauty that makes you the most attractive.”
“No?”
“Uh-uh.” He could have listed a dozen things that he found adorable or just plain sexy about her. But, his mind couldn’t be bothered with mere words.
He was thirsty.
Thirsty for her taste, her kiss.
Thirsty for her.
With the softness touch, he pressed his lips to hers, soaking up the warmth that such a simple touch provided.
He waited, wondered if she’d pull away, hoping to God that she didn’t.
A second went by, then several. It wasn’t until nearly a minute of the unrelenting ache that was consuming him that he slid his tongue past his mouth and gently pushed her lips apart.
Letting his hand slide just to the nape of her neck to close the distance between them. Her mouth tasted like berries freshly picked from the bush. Sweet, succulent and mouthwateringly addictive.
He listened to her small whimper, clenched his entire body, holding his restraint while he fought the urge to devour every inch of her.
Their tongues tangled with one another as the kiss intensified. She brought her hands up to his sides, clutching at his t-shirt while allowing him to take the lead.
He could’ve kissed her all night. And he would have if he trusted himself. But, his primal urges were prickling at his skin, threatening to break past what little willpower he had left.
Begrudgingly he pulled away.
With a deep breath, he smiled at her. “Jane Pratte, you are… something else.”
“A good something else? Or a bad something else?”
He looked down at her, scrolling his eyes along every inch of her body. “A very good something else.”
“Then why did you stop?”
“Because I’m not just looking for a tonight. I’d like to get to know you. If that’s alright with you.”
“Yeah.” She returned his smile. “I think I’d like that.”
She was becoming far too sweet for him to resist. And he knew if he didn’t put some distance between them soon that he’d have a hard time letting her go.
“Maybe we should call it a night then?”
“Maybe.”
He held open her car door and waited for her to slide behind the wheel. “Drive careful, Jane.”
“I will. And thank you.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know. For staying late to make sure I was safe, for walking me to my car. Just… thank you”
“You are very welcome.” He brushed her cheek with his fingertips and kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, Jane.”
“Goodnight.”
He watched as she drove away. Almost frozen in place, making sure that she was okay before he could worry about anything else.
He walked to the edge of the parking lot and kicked off his shoes before ridding himself of all his clothing. His body was on heightened alert. Every inch of his skin screamed for the warmth that shifting could bring him.
With a few steps, he made his way toward the tree line. His skin began to tingle with the sensation of his thick hair, poking through his skin. His bones creaked, stinging with the initial stun of his body changing.
He fell forward to the ground and worked his head around in a circle, stretching his neck and acclimating to his outer fur as it pushed through to the surface.
His nails grew, protruding out from the rounded pads of his paws, digging into the thick brush below his claws.
He gave his entire body a fierce shake when his tail spouted from his backside. No matter how many times he’d shifted, he’d always underestimated the tickling sensation that would crawl across his spine.
His whiskers pushed through his fur, and he twitched his nose from side to side, delighting in the freeing feeling.
He arched his back, stretching each of his paws. Despite the winter month, the November night felt hot and muggy.
He breathed in his surroundings just before taking off into the forest, chasing an invisible force while trying to tire his body.
It was only minutes before he made his way to the lake. He walked along its edge, dipping his paw in the water. The slow ripples in the water distorted his reflection.
The coldness of the lake offered relief for his heated body. And he suddenly couldn’t wait to jump in.
He stepped away from the water’s edge, purring out of his control, as he gave himself a running start before jumping into the water.
His body fell under the glass like surface as he dove down to the deepest points. He continued to play, frolic, and bathe his fur in the crystal waters until his body was spent and he was exhausted.
Tired, and more than ready for a nap, he moved his way back up to the shoreline and crawled onto one of the large boulders that flanked the lake.
He blinked his eyes, breathing deeply as he rested his head on his paws as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Five
Jane wasn’t sure what had made her stop the car and turn around. It might have been butterflies or even the way Peter made her feel with his kiss.
Whatever it was, she had parked just beyond the parking lot’s entrance and turned off her headlights. She found herself staring at him, in shock and excitement as he began undressing with the assumption that he was all alone.
She knew she should feel guilty about spying on him the way that she was. Her actions were no better than that of a peeping Tom. Still, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.
His tall body was tanned. His muscles like the marble statues of Roman Gods. He wasn’t a sight of perfection. It wasn’t about that. It was the way his skin hugged his body. It was who he was, and surprisingly, who he wasn’t.
Had she considered the idea of kissing a shifter last week she would’ve thought never. But, it wasn’t her lack of interest. Nor was it a lack of appeal.
The unknown.
That’s what it was.
The unknown.
The scary realization that at thirty-five years old she had very little experience in this world and in many ways, she felt like a nineteen-year-old kid starting out on her own for the first time.
That could have been what drove her to where she sat, off in the darkness, while she watched the man who had just awoken a fire inside her, shift into something other than a man.
The tiger she’d seen the night before was him.
The knowledge o
f that made sense but at the same time didn’t at all.
She had always thought she’d be afraid to be near a shifter once they morphed into their other selves. Looking back, she wasn’t sure if that was truly what she believed, or if it was a fear that her parents had instilled in her.
Whatever it was, she was anything but afraid of Peter.
His kiss had been unexpected, but she’d loved every second of it. She had silently ached for more, wishing he would touch her.
Somewhere.
Anywhere.
She just wanted more.
More of whatever it was that Peter Alden was offering.
Chapter Six
The day had been busy, too busy for his liking. All day long Peter had been putting out proverbial fires all over the community. If it wasn’t a problem with the electricians, there was an issue with a plumber. Despite his title of the lead carpenter, he seemed to be taking on project manager more and more every day.
If he had more than a second thing breathe he probably would’ve called Jerry to complain but, even that would have allotted for time he didn’t have.
He’d seen Jane only once. Her curvy legs had stepped out of the golf cart as she pointed toward a prime lot on the hill overlooking the city skyline. With Denver in the distance, Pete studied and admired the way the sun cast her in dark silhouette.
Her tan skirt and white blouse looked like she should be anywhere else than on a construction site. But, the gorgeous sales associate who had kept him up the past two nights had a way of making her white collar look work in a blue-collar world.
As the workday came to a close and the different tradesmen were beginning to clear out, he had every intention of going up to the office to pick up where they had left off the night before.
He’d slept only a short time by the lake, his sexual frustration kept just barely below the surface after the swim in the cool waters.
Tonight, he wasn’t sure he would be able to walk away so easily.
At a quarter past six, he had waved goodbye to the last of the workers while he did a final walk-through of the properties. It was, like so many other things he’d done that day, Jerry’s job. But, hell if he had been able to get a hold of him.
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