Yet there she was, straddling his lap like at least one of the bridesmaids hoped to do.
Hunted leaned into the crook of her neck and pressed his lips against her shoulder. Warm breath puffed against her skin in delicious contrast to the coolness of the summer night.
“We shouldn’t,” she protested weakly. “You deserve someone...”
Else? Better? Available? She couldn’t settle on one choice with heat curling in her stomach.
“Don’t want them. Want you.” He trailed his nose up the column of her neck and planted a soft kiss right below her earlobe.
Every second together nudged her just a little closer and made her a tad more curious. He surprised her and made her laugh while he hacked away at all the barriers she’d erected to protect her bruised heart.
He was quick with his smiles and words, but something else lurked just under the surface. Just like with everyone, she tried to tell herself. But they weren’t the ones she drooled over whenever she watched him walk away.
Hunter was the one her badger wanted to keep forever.
A single flashed image poked through the hazy desire. A bite mark on Hunter’s tan skin.
He didn’t choose any of the women making eyes at him over the course of the day. He wanted her.
Joss turned her head and connected with Hunter’s lips.
He eased into it, not like the sudden shock from their first time. He sipped at her slowly, gently, until she melted against him. Kissing Hunter was like sinking into a hot bath. He was warmth and comfort and exactly what she needed after a long day.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly as he slipped his tongue between her lips. His groan whipped another inferno through her veins.
His fingers brushed up the back of her shirt. Higher, then higher again. Hunter dragged flattened palms over her skin and held her tight against him. A roll of his hips brought his considerable length against her and a tiny moan from her chest.
Just before she found the good sense to panic about what this meant and worry about what he thought they were to each other, Hunter eased from the kiss, slowly pulling from their tangled tasting.
“Joss...” Her name died in a purr of pleasure. Gold eyes stared at her when he opened them. “Been waiting for that since we met.”
She shook her head to clear some of the fog. “What do you mean? We kissed before.”
“That was you running off another woman. Don’t get me wrong, it was sexy as fuck.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. “This was because you wanted to.”
“Or you got me liquored up and took advantage. You cad,” she teased.
“Lie.” He tapped his nose once, then twirled a finger between them. Gold eyes faded back to his human hazel and turned him serious. “I know you’re still hurting. I know you need time. Whatever you ask, it’s yours.” A growl vibrated in his chest and the hand he’d slid to her hip tightened. “Because I don’t want to let you go.”
Something rearranged in her chest. Warmth, light, whatever she wanted to call it, all stemmed from his declaration. She had the sense that even her badger was pleased to hear them.
But underneath was that itch again, like he only said a fraction of what was on his mind. There was a weight to his words that didn’t match what she heard.
The man was a puzzle for someone else to figure out.
But that wasn’t what he said, was it?
Chapter 9
Joss tracked Hunter across the horse pen while she served drinks to the guests enjoying the afternoon on the ranch porch. Paddock? She didn’t know. She added it to the list of questions she needed answered about simple business practices of the ranch. It was up there with how often were the stalls cleaned out and if the cows had a barn of their own. She wanted to know how each man found his way to Bearden, and why Alex had a tiny calf following him around whenever he was near the horse barn.
But most of all, she wanted to know more about Hunter.
He looked up as she straightened. A simmering smile crawled over his expression. Promises were made in that look.
Ones she didn’t know she could accept.
That other half of herself rolled through her with unexpected clarity. Hunter was theirs. Anything else was not an option.
Normally, she’d pack those sensations away and let her head do all the deciding. She was in Bearden, working with other shifters. She’d never get an understanding of her badger if she didn’t listen once in a while.
She dragged her lower lip between her teeth. Did she want him? Physically, sure. That wasn’t ever in question. The man was hotter than an open flame and she bet he’d be as delicious a treat as her favorite cake and ice cream combo.
Her heart was another matter entirely. Deep down, she was scared to let someone else close again. She could laugh and joke and heck, even kissing didn’t seem like such a bad idea. More than that? Getting naked from her skin to her spirit? That was frightening.
She didn’t want to have everything and lose it all over again.
Fate was a real b-hole for throwing Hunter in her path when she’d sworn off love.
Her badger hissed at her. Joss swallowed back the noise before she frightened any of the nearby guests.
“Joss, you got a minute?” Tansey asked as soon as she stepped back through the front door.
Barely, but she wasn’t about to tell that to her boss.
While fate collided her with a man too perfect not to have some sinister late-night habit, real work conspired to keep her from getting a moment alone with Hunter since he let her slip away the previous night. Feeding guests made for a distracted morning. Even when their relief rumbled down the dirt road to pick them up, Hunter had been busy loading up horses and gear. Arriving back on the ranch didn’t stop the demands, either. If he wasn’t helping someone, she was in the kitchen serving up snacks and meals.
“Sure. What’s up?” Joss kept her voice quiet to avoid the notice of the couple canoodling in front of the empty fireplace. She followed Tansey into the kitchen and dropped off the tray of empty glasses next to the sink.
“I was just wondering if you had a phone on you while out yesterday.”
“No. They told me signal would be almost impossible to come by, so I left it in my room here.”
“Hm. So it’s not accidental butt-dials then.” Tansey crossed her arms over her chest. “The ranch number has been getting plagued by hang-ups from your old area code. Guess it’s Mr. Douchey McDoucheface not backing off.”
Ice threaded through her veins. He’d found her. Who else could it be? It was only a matter of time, too, with Tony staying as a guest. Of course he’d mention seeing his best friend’s ex-wife.
Tansey continued, “He called here looking for you, and got belligerent when I said you weren’t available. Honestly, if that was how he behaved, you’re way better off. I don’t think he liked me laughing at his demands to find you and make you talk to him. I told him not to call here again, but he’s not so good at listening.”
“No, no he’s not,” Joss murmured.
Yelling at the help wasn’t Cal’s way. That he was using moves straight out of Mummy’s playbook was worrying. Desperation was not a good look.
Joss roughly pushed away from the counter. Panic and anger twisted together and buzzed static in her brain. How dare he harass her workplace? His problems were with her, not the people who graciously gave her a chance to stand on her own two feet.
She was blind to her journey upstairs and into her room.
Her phone sat where she’d left it on the nightstand. Joss felt trapped in cement as she reached for the device.
The phone icon had an angry red dot attached to one corner. Her texts, too. Apprehension filled her as she opened up the missed messages.
I can’t believe you’d do this to me.
You don’t deserve the love or life with a normal man.
Is that why you were always so cold? You needed a fucking animal in your bed?
Stop a
voiding me. Be a big girl and answer your phone.
Letting others fight your battles for you? Answer your phone!
I wanted you to come home after this little adventure. We could have started over. You ruined everything.
Were you sleeping around the entire time? You sure spread your legs quickly enough after you were free of your husband.
Have a nice fucking life.
A picture of the engagement announcement accompanied the last message.
Feeling sick, Joss dropped her phone to the bed and took a step back.
Why? Why couldn’t he leave her alone? He decided to pull the rug out from under her after years together. He couldn’t even claim to not know about her other nature since she told him when they started discussing future plans. He’d been so different back then, before he took the job at his father’s office. Full of love and life. That was the man she fell in love with, not the one so enamored of money that he’d leave her for piles of it with a single command from his parents.
“He still bothering you?”
Joss whirled to find Tansey leaning against the doorframe. She hadn’t heard her follow her up the stairs.
Embarrassment crawled through her. Tansey had taken a chance on her, and now Cal was ruining everything.
“I guess your small town is a lot more connected these days. My ex found the engagement announcement. Or maybe someone sent it to him. I don’t know. He’s upset I’m moving on.”
“Who gives a shit? He lost all rights to that when he started this mess,” Tansey growled.
The noise raised the hair on the back of Joss’s neck. Her badger sat up suddenly, ready if it came to a fight with the strange wolf. But she wasn’t the object of Tansey’s anger.
Joss sank down on the bed. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Angry badger, angry ex, angry wolf making the air heavy in her room. The brightness of the previous night was quickly covered in shadows. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here. I understand if you don’t want to put up with the trouble I bring. I can get everything packed up now if you want.”
Tansey waved a hand in dismissal. “Pfft. You don’t really want to leave. Don’t let him talk you out of a good thing.”
No, she didn’t. She wanted to get herself together and prove she didn’t need anyone. She wanted to play with tastes and put smiles on faces with her food.
She wanted to heal all the broken parts of herself.
The alternative made her throat itch and her badger feel caged. Back to being a bored housewife who waited for her husband to come home. Back to dinners with his parents and whatever business partner they wanted to impress that week. Back to the snide comments on her chosen education and profession. She wanted none of it, not when she could have food and open skies and people who didn’t throw shoes at her head or run her out of town.
“You don’t need to deal with all my baggage,” she insisted.
“What’s he going to do? Keep calling here? Show up? You let me worry about that. I’m sure several tons of angry bear will scare him back to the rock he never should have left.” Tansey moved from the doorway and sat next to her. “Joss, you came here for a reason. You want to get in tune with yourself. You can’t do that if you’re outrunning your past.”
“You’re right. Of course, you’re right.” She sighed and shook her head. “This was supposed to be starting over. I want to put down roots so deep they won’t be moved. I came here to get away from all the gnarled badness and do something that I love.”
“So, that’s it. You’re staying, and Fuckface McGee can find someone else to make miserable.”
Joss barked a laugh. She tried out the curse in her head and slapped it over the image of Cal. Eff-face McGee just didn’t have the same ring.
That was something else she added to the list of things she did for other people. Her mother influenced her language. Cursing wasn’t done. The New Joss, though? Maybe she was a swearing son of a gun. Only one way to find out.
Her badger settled back down. There was no reason to hiss and fight leaving if they were staying.
“For what it’s worth, I respect the hell out of you for getting out when you did. Now you can find someone better.” Tansey bumped her with her shoulder. “Maybe a certain cowboy?”
“Oh, uh, um,” Joss stammered. Jumping green beans, did everyone know everyone’s business before it happened? Gossip spread faster here than it did through Mummy Rhodes’s country club circle. “I don’t know about that.”
Tansey fixed her with an unconvinced stare. “What does your inner animal say?”
Joss made a face. “I don’t know. That’s always been a mystery to me. I guess I never really tried to figure her out.” She shrugged, but Tansey’s eyes still bored into her and demanded an answer. Joss tried to put her thoughts in order. “He’s been nice to me. And I think my badger wanted to bite him.”
Tansey’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “Bite, bite? Like, mate, bite?”
Joss’s badger stirred at the word. Her heart thundered in her chest.
“I don’t know. Maybe? I didn’t even know that was a thing until everyone started coming forward and the news started talking about it like the next big threat to your teenage daughters. It’s not like I have a whole lot of experience with this shifter thing.” She waved a hand down the front of her body.
“I’m still learning to listen to that other voice.” Tansey nodded sagely. “She’s confusing as hell most of the time and insane on a good day. The biggest thing I’ve learned? She’s rarely wrong when I understand what she’s trying to tell me.”
“Hunter said something similar. Not so much about listening, but letting that part of me have a voice. I need to tap in.”
“He’s not as big of an idiot as he pretends to be most of the time.” Tansey grinned. “You could do worse. You did do worse. Basically, anything is an upgrade at this point.”
The words were full of friendly teasing. Joss let herself smile because they were true. She’d shed someone unworthy.
Tansey’s judgment of Hunter was right, too. He’d made her laugh and think on her feet to keep up with him, but under the quick smiles was a kind, intelligent man. Much better than the human embodiment of a dingleberry she called her ex.
She almost laughed when her thinking brain caught up to her runaway mind.
Hunter wouldn’t leave her for stacks of cash. He’d gotten angry at the mere suggestion.
“You’re really convincing me of this man’s virtues.”
“I don’t need to do any convincing. Your face lights up at the mention of his name. Rope that cowboy, girl.”
Joss slapped her hands over her cheeks. “It does not!”
“You’re blushing right now. And you smell happy.” Tansey nudged her again. “Trust your gut. Tap your instincts and listen to what they say. You’ll be better for it.”
Everything inside her—from the butterflies fluttering around her stomach to her nuzzling, pushy badger—was in agreement. Over what, exactly, Joss still wasn’t ready to confront.
She conceded one point—Hunter wouldn’t be ignored.
Chapter 10
Hunter pushed through the door of The Roost and let the sounds of the bar roll over him. A handful of firefighters squared off across the pool table from an equal number of police officers. From the deep scowls on both sides, Hunter thought they were evenly matched.
He pushed his way to an empty stool at the end of the bar and signaled Gideon, the owner.
While waiting, he turned back to watch the rivalry unfold. Cole, the Strathorn second, kicked the ankle of Judah Hawkins to urge the Chief of Police to give him room to take his shot. Grumbles were met with growls, and the glares deepened.
Another face nearby made him grimace and turn away. Joyce made eyes at him over the shoulder of her latest beau. Not a single jealous thread was plucked by the display.
“You working alone?” Hunter asked the surly dragon once he made his way down the crowded line. “I’ll tak
e whatever cheap swill you got on draft.”
“Leah went into labor a couple days ago,” Gideon called as he snatched up a pint glass and tugged a lever. “I hear the Strathorn clan has a new prince.” Instead of a scowl, Gideon smiled broadly.
Hunter echoed the smile. New babies always made him happy, if a little jealous. They were a sign of people moving on with their lives and carving out their places in the world. He wasn’t there yet, but he hoped his days as a bachelor were numbered. A mate, cubs, he wanted it all if a certain redhead would have him.
“No, shit? I’ll have to send along my condolences once the cops finish whooping their asses at the table. When is Leah coming back? I’ll wrangle the rest of the clan down here and let her earn a big tip.”
Gideon snorted. “We’ll see. One of their mates is working overtime, from what I hear. Big push from the feds to track a resurgence in shifter kidnappings. Callum’s liable to not let his mate or his cub out of sight until the kid is out of diapers.”
That killed Hunter’s mood. The Supernatural Enforcement Agency was supposed to have turned a new leaf. No longer were they the fuckheads that just want to bash in shifter skulls. They even had their own shifter-staffed unit outside of Bearden. And yet, shifters and other supes were still going missing. Those on the damn registration list even had higher numbers of crimes committed against them, for all the good it was supposed to do. Then again, that list was purely for humans.
A strong arm landed across his shoulder and dragged him into a side-hug. “You missed your old man?”
Hunter grinned at his father’s booming voice and wrapped his arm around him, too. His bear rumbled with pleased familiarity. Seeing him always lifted a weight off his shoulders and eased a little of his guilt. It was another moment to savor as the years grew uncertain. He collected them and kept them close to his heart for the rough days of missing home.
He released his father and shook his head. “So you weren’t playing a prank. What brings you up here?”
The message he’d received had confused the hell out of him. Montana was his hiding spot from the troubles of his past. His father made it up once a year, whenever he could find an excuse to put himself near Bearden and not look suspicious. Neither wanted to draw the attention of a bounty hunter.
Spurred Fate: Book Two: Black Claw Ranch Page 7
