He was seated towards the back, bent over a book. She placed her order at the counter and sidled over to him. The barista, the same young woman from the other day, shot her an envious look.
“Studying?” she teased and he looked up as if ripped from laser-focused attention. She could see there were a few historical pictures on the page. He tapped the page with an almost guilt face.
“Human history, actually.” The bashful response in his deep voice made her legs tremble. She cocked an eyebrow.
“Studying up on humans?” His handsome face broke into a smirk.
“We agreed to learn from one another. I just wanted to supplement my learning,” he said with a confident spread of his hands. She couldn’t help the smile playing on her face.
“Do you have any recommendations for Shifter history? I’d like to do pay you the same favor,” she said and she meant it. There wasn’t any Shifter section in her history classes. Maybe at some far-flung humanities college, but she’d been busy studying cells and biological processes during her college days.
His smile cut through his handsome face. “I’ll find something for you.”
The barista called out her name. She threw a look towards her awaiting coffee. “I’ve got to run to work.” As she was leaving, she called out rather loudly, “See you at home!” The barista scowled, but Cheryl giggled all the way back to her car. Her head felt light and fuzzy as she drove to the hospital. Life felt as if it was oddly falling into place. Before she left her car, she could’ve sworn she heard Beth’s warm laughter from somewhere inside the parking garage. Cheryl smiled.
----
The shift was going by relatively smoothly. Cheryl paused to use the restroom and trade gossip with Brenda. They’d had a few cranky patients, but Cheryl’s old man from the other day was actually being discharged this evening. She was celebrating with a warm cup of tea in the few minutes she had to spare before running off again.
“Some of the girls are planning a happy hour tomorrow if you’re off,” Brenda told her with an excited smile.
“Ah, I can’t. I have someone staying with me,” Cheryl replied smoothly. Brenda wiggled her eyebrows and grinned.
“A gentleman caller, Miss Cheryl?” She knew that her warm cheeks were going to give her away and they did. Brenda clapped her hands together with a wild bout of chipper giggles, as if the confession had reverted them both back to high school years. “Oooohhh, is he handsome?”
As Cheryl was opening her mouth to reply, another nurse poked her head in. “Cheryl? You’ve got an emergency call. They said they weren’t able to reach you on your cell phone.” Cheryl’s face dropped and she muttered a quick apology to Brenda, diving after the nurse. She rushed to the phone station, tucked away in a quieter corner.
“Hello?” she asked. Her voice was higher than she intended, but worry was wrapped around her stomach.
“Cheryl.” It was Lance! She sucked in a breath.
“What’s happened?”
“Everything’s fine, now,” he said quickly with a reassuring voice. The deep vibrations of his voice seemed to cast a soothing wave over her, but she could feel the blood rushing in her ears. “Jacob...Jacob shifted today when he was with your grandmother.”
She gripped the phone with white knuckles. “He...shifted?” She cast a look around her, but the hallway was deserted in the late hours of the night.
“There was nothing she could do. When they came back, I was in my room...I heard it. He scratched Lucy, but she’s okay. She’s shaken.”
“Did he shift back?” Her throat was painfully dry. Tears pricked her eyes.
“Yes, he’s fine. It wasn’t his fault. He’s just a cub.”
“Of course, of course,” she muttered numbly. Her forehead came to rest on the wall beside her. She stared at the white paint, noting the texture and trying to breathe calmly. “I can come home immediately.”
“No, it’s okay for now, but I know you needed to know. When do you get off?” he asked. His powerful voice calmed her rushing thoughts.
“Two hours if I’m lucky,” she said.
“You will be,” he promised. Her heart soared. “I’m going to take care of Grandma Lucy and we’re going to wait up for you.”
“Thank you, Lance,” she whispered into the phone.
---
“You know, I once almost had an affair with a president!” Cheryl could hear Grandma Lucy’s playful tone before she even crossed the threshold. She walked in and saw Grandma Lucy, wrapped in several cozy blankets with a whiskey in her hand, on the couch. Lance sat nearby the fire with his own drink.
They had already poured her a glass of wine. She sank into the couch beside Grandma Lucy without saying a word.
“How was your shift?” Lucy asked happily, as if they were all meeting for planned drinks.
“The baby is in his crib, sleeping happily, in human form.”
“Okay, okay, how are you?” Cheryl asked and pawed for the bandages on Lucy’s arm. Grandma Lucy sniffed.
“It’s no big deal. Only a few cuts and bruises!” she said with a shrug. Lance cleared his throat.
“This isn’t unusual,” he told Cheryl. His steady gaze sent a shock of electricity through her. “This can happen sometimes with Shifter babies. The cubs without any real power...but it can still be surprising.”
“I was putting him down for a nap,” Grandma Lucy said. “He started to shake a little and then---poof! Like that, I had a bear cub in my arms. He scratched me because he was scared. Lance wrestled him out of my arms. He was as fast as lightning.” She snapped her fingers for effect. “If he hadn’t been here, I would’ve had to call animal control!”
Lance’s lips quirked upwards. “Lucy is being kind. I was lucky to be home. There’s not a lot of damage a baby cub can do. Well, unless they get to the fridge.”
Cheryl placed a hand on her head and grabbed the wine glass from the table. She drained it in one gulp and leaned back. “You may have a point about Jacob,” she admitted after a pause. It pained her to admit, but she couldn’t have imagined dealing with a bear cub on her own.
“I should get going,” Grandma Lucy said slyly and rose from the couch. “I’ve stayed up far past my bedtime. It’s time for the adults to talk.” She winked.
“You don’t want to sleep over?” Cheryl offered and gestured to the half-empty whiskey glass in Grandma Lucy’s hand.
“Oh, please. This has been my only drink and I don’t want to interrupt a serious discussion,” Lucy replied with a covert grin. She was already wrapping herself up in her heavy winter coat. They saw her off from the porch. As they watched her tail lights turn around the corner, Cheryl felt a sudden rise in heat from her body. They retreated back to the living room. A heavy silence settled over them. Cheryl poured another glass of wine while Lance stoked the fire. The wood crackling filled the void, but dirty thoughts were beginning to crowd her mind. After a long day of work and the stress of this event, his arms were looking more inviting by the second.
“Thank you again,” she managed to say. The wine was beginning to calm her nerves. She relaxed into the soft cushions of the couch. “I appreciate you.”
He shook his head in protest. “It was nothing. This kind of thing happens all the time at home when cubs are about. You get good at chasing them. My mother often had to snatch me up before I ran off our own reservation.”
She smirked, imagining him as a baby. “I bet you were wild.” His handsome face was beckoning her. She felt the inhibitions of her usual self slipping away. Desire rose up inside her, watching his handsome lips twist and reply. How could she resist him anymore?
He nodded and sipped his whiskey. “It’s amazing that she had any patience left after I grew up. Eddie...Jacob’s father. He wasn’t nearly as bad. He was always much more behaved than me.”
She shifted on the couch. “Do you want to sit next to me?” Something wild sparked in his eyes. He hesitated and she tried to soothe the sting that was rising in her heart
.
“Of course, but I can smell…” he paused. “I can smell your heat.” She felt her cheeks warm up in a flash. Her fingers brushed the tops of her cheekbones, marveling at the heat.
“My heat?” she asked dumbfoundedly. “I’m not sure what you mean…” But, she suspected that she could guess what he meant. It both scared and aroused her.
“There’s something,” he said in a slow voice that sounded like a purr coming from his burly chest. “Between us, Cheryl. I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist. I’m worried.”
“Worried?” She couldn’t help sounding hurt. If he was going to reject her after all this tension...
“I don’t want you to think that I’m taking advantage of you,” he said with blunt speed. “You’ve been kind enough to offer me a place to stay even after I came to tell you all about your sister and Eddie, about all the drama that can happen between humans and Shifters.”
“I’m a grown ass woman,” she reminded him and sipped her wine. “I’m aware of what we’ve talked about. We’ve had several discussions, if you recall.”
He leaned his arms on his knees, lacing his fingers together as he looked at her. The fire’s light danced on his handsome face. “You know what this might entail. What this may mean for you.” It was a promise of danger and pleasure.
She shivered. “Do you not feel it? Between us, I mean.” His eyes sharpened.
“I can’t get your scent out of my head,” he confessed. Her head swarmed in excitement. Goosebumps covered her skin. She sat up straighter and tossed her hair. “I thought it was me going crazy over the last week...but I can’t deny that I think of you all the time.” His gaze never left her own. “All the time.”
“Then kiss me,” she told him. It wasn’t a request. She heard the sharp intake of his breath, the flash of his incisors. Heat pooled in her core.
“Cheryl.”
“Are you afraid of a little human woman?” she taunted. His shoulders stiffened. She nearly swayed underneath the molten heat of his stare.
“It’s not wise to tease an animal in your home,” he warned her, his voice suddenly huskier than she’d ever heard it. “You may regret it.”
She tossed back the last of her wine. The fire flickered.
“Prove it,” she said.
Chapter 6
He would prove it.
Lance kissed Cheryl hard with more passion than he’d ever had with his few Shifter lovers from his own village. Her soft body was pressed against his body in a flash. He’d been holding back this entire week, unable to think when she was around, unable to handle the feisty remarks that she threw at him so relentlessly. She’d asked for it and he’d been happy to provide this kiss, despite the fact that his human reason was screaming for him to stop. Hadn’t this been what happened to Eddie? He threw these thoughts away when he felt her grind against him. He inhaled sharply, the animalistic urges beginning to tear at his rational mind. If human women were a drug, he was happy to be addicted. As long as it was her.
His desire exploded inside him. His fingers wrapped around her arms, feeling her supple muscles beneath her sweater. One hand travelled to her side, admiring the curvature of her body, which was too often wrapped in sweaters for his liking. Her scent hung around him like a perfume. It hypnotized him. His vision seemed to blur around her. His other hand slipped beneath the fabric and found the thin tank top she had on beneath. It took every fiber in his being not to rip every article of clothing off her body.
She groaned as his fingers laced through her hair, pushing her harder against him. Her hands fumbled underneath his shirt, tugging at the thick fabric. Her nimble fingers found his naked skin. He wrapped his arms around her, his muscles quivering beneath her touch. Her desire was swirling in the air. He could taste it. His tongue entered her mouth and she gasped, allowing him access.
Their movements were desperate and hurried. He couldn’t discard her clothes fast enough. She yanked her head to the side, allowing him access to her neck. His bite was quick and ferocious. He could see the glimmer of pain in her face, but it was replaced by pleasure when his tongue lapped at the small amount of blood trickling out. She moaned in ecstasy as his hand dipped beneath the waistband of her pants. His fingers worked against her folds over her panties. She shivered against him, clutching him tightly with surprising strength.
“Please,” her strangled cry came out. “Please, Lance.”
How could he say no? She yanked at the buckle of his pants with a grunt of annoyance. He smirked, giggling against her neck. He could feel her annoyance growing and he leaned back, undoing his jeans to reveal his tight briefs that molded to his powerful body perfectly. Lust filled her eyes. He helped her out of her clothes, his own member growing ready for attention as he saw the lacy black underwear that she was wearing. There wasn’t time to make it to the bedroom. He took her by the fire. They were hungry for one another, writhing on the rug before the fireplace.
She sucked in a deep breath as she reached underneath his briefs. He shivered against her touch and let out a contented groan. She stroked him and he melted against her, but her touch couldn’t distract him for long. He pulled her panties to the side and his mouth found her jewel. She threw her head back as his tongue began to explore her slit. Her movements were agonizing, begging for release. He licked her in a soft, but steady rhythm until she was writhing against him, hands nested in his hair and pleading for more pressure by force. When she was just on the cusp of satisfaction, he straightened and placed his member at her entrance. Her eyes begged for him to continue. He was happy to oblige.
He entered her and they moaned in pleasure in unison. None of his other lovers had ever given him so much pleasure. He leaned forward as he began to thrust inside her, producing a steady pattern as she mewled beneath him. Her long hair was strewn about her, giving her a wild look even for a human woman. His heart surged in a way it had never felt.
They rocked together in blissful harmony, two untrusting souls relenting towards one another. He couldn’t hold himself back and he could tell by her panting that neither could she. As her toes curled into the carpet and she let out a strangled cry of ecstasy, they exploded and melted in one another. Perfection. It was paradise. He collapsed against her as she kissed his neck. His tongue gently lapped at the mark on her neck.
“We have to tell the elders,” he warned her. She swatted him.
“Don’t be so unromantic after you make love.” Her feisty behavior was back. He smirked against her neck, chuckling against her. He could feel the goosebumps erupting excitedly over her skin. They held each other in the warmth of the fire. His eyelids were growing heavy as their breathing became in sync.
A sudden cry broke through the peace. She slapped a hand over her face with a groan. Even when tired, she somehow looked absolutely gorgeous, he noted.
“We woke the baby,” she muttered with a tired voice. He stroked her hair, enjoying the softness of it and the rising smell of flowers from each strand.
“I’ll take care of it,” he promised. She raised an eyebrow, but he was already up. He set the blanket from the couch down around her and felt her watching him as he retreated down the hallway. Jacob was squirming in his crib, bubbling with frustration.
“I blame Eddie for your good hearing,” he told the baby as he took Jacob into his arms. Behind him, he heard the patter of Cheryl’s light footsteps. She smiled as he turned around, cradling the baby in his arms. Her head leaned against the doorframe and she let out a contented sigh.
“I could get used to this,” she told him and stretched. “Really I could.”
He smirked. Jacob quieted and began snuggling into Lance’s chest. There was peace in the house in the early morning hours. They all snuggled on the couch together until Jacob had finally been put back to sleep. They tucked him into his bassinet in the living room and retreated to the couch again. The fire crackled as she nuzzled her head onto his shoulder. They fell asleep like that.
Chapter 7
&nb
sp; Cheryl leaned against her dining room table with her cup of coffee in hand. Outside from her window, she could see a light snow had begun to fall. A rabbit hopped through the wooded area behind her house. She smiled and took a sip of the caramel coffee. From behind her, a pair of warm strong arms wrapped around her waist.
“How’s my favorite human?” a deep voice asked. She smirked and turned around to face Lance’s burly chest. Her hands ran over his sweater, feeling the chiseled abs beneath the fabric.
“Great, now.” She wiggled her eyebrows and playfully ran her hands over his strong stomach. He chuckled and the vibrations of his chest sent a pleasant thrill through her.
“I’m sorry that I have to leave today,” he told her in a solemn voice. She nodded. It’d been two weeks since he’d come to stay with her. He had to travel back to inform the Elders of certain...developments, mainly their new relationship.
“Jacob and I will come visit you next weekend to meet Eddie,” she said. As they’d discussed.
“And us?” he asked her as he playfully tugged at her hair cascading down her back. She smiled.
“I’d be happy to figure something out,” she said with a wry smirk. They agreed that they still needed to discuss it. “Maybe you can move in on a more permanent basis and travel back to your clan with Jacob.”
“You don’t want to move into a Shifter village?” he asked with a sneaky grin.
She raised an eyebrow. “How’s the smell?” He swatted at her weakly in a joking manner.
“Not fair. We shower,” he said and then shrugged. “Mostly.” She rolled her eyes and
leaned against his powerful chest.
“Come back for me,” she told him. Her finger poked him in ribs. “You can’t just leave me with this gaping mark on my neck.”
“I will.”
It was a promise.
Epilogue
“Jacob, be quiet,” Cheryl called to the backseat. He was babbling off. Ever since he’d learn to form a few words, he talked incessantly and she was beginning to think that he would be better to travel with in bear form. “We’re almost to your Dad!”
The Baby Shift- Missouri Page 3
