by Nikki Jacks
I wasn’t sure if the loan officer I’d be meeting was human or another species of supe, but I didn’t want to offend anyone by smelling so heavily of my previous “meeting.” Taking a deep breath, I walked inside, fingers crossed that I could convince someone to take a chance on me and my ice cream parlor.
I was escorted to a nice corner office on the second floor of the bank. As I stepped over the threshold, I inhaled deeply. The office smelled heavily of sunshine, grass, and citrus. I thought it might be amber, but I wasn’t sure. All I really knew was that the aroma was heavenly, and all I wanted was a fuzzy blanket steeped in this scent to wrap up in.
Then, oh my stars and all things yummy, I laid eyes on Mr. Kallyx, the loan officer, according to the name on the door. Standing up and rounding his desk was a man who looked to be in his mid to late thirties. His black hair had a silvery cast to it, giving the illusion that he was graying. His eyes were a clear green and sparkled. He was tall and slim in build. The way he was dressed, one would have thought he was a European model.
I stood rooted to the spot, just blinking. Mr. Kallyx cleared his throat and apparently repeated himself.
“Good morning, Miss Culcannon. I’m Evan Kallyx, vice president of commercial loans. I understand you want to discuss a new business venture and apply for funding?”
Mentally slapping myself, I stuck out my hand and stammered my reply, “Good morning, Mr. Kallyx. Please, call me Lotus. And yes, I’m planning to move to Silver Springs and want to open an ice cream parlor. I’ve just secured an exclusive licensing contract with Flying Horse Ice Cream to carry their ice cream, and I’m working with a local real estate attorney to find a suitable location. The only thing left is to secure a loan to help make this vision a reality.”
I hoped I sounded mature and competent, not like an over-excited child. Mr. Kallyx directed me to a seat and then rounded his desk to sit down. Hitting a couple buttons on his computer, Mr. Kallyx started asking me questions about my parlor and what I intended.
I answered as best I could without having any clue about running a legitimate business. The hardest part of the meeting was that my mind kept wanting to drift off. I kept imaging Evan in all kinds of woodland settings and compromising positions.
Gracious me, when did I become so wanton and needy? A man was the last thing I needed to be thinking about. Tying myself to a man would defeat the purpose of leaving New Orleans.
Pulling myself together, I focused on Mr. Kallyx and his questions. If I couldn’t get things under control, I could kiss my dream goodbye. I couldn’t help but notice how Mr. Kallyx’s eyes sparked even while there was the smallest little furrow between his eyes. It was almost like his thoughts were mixed up and he wasn’t sure what to do about it.
After walking me through the loan application, Mr. Kallyx told me that he would be in touch in a few days with the bank’s decision. I thanked Mr. Kallyx and headed to my car. Now it was time to go to the Flying Horse factory to sign my contract.
When I was done, I’d find somewhere to stay while I waited to hear the bank’s decision. I looked at my phone again and realized my parents had started messaging me to find out where I was and when I would be home. I turned my phone off and headed to Flying Horse. I had to keep my parents off my scent. Ignoring them wasn’t the best tactic, but until I had a credible story, I needed to stay out of contact.
5
Lotus
I’d managed to find a room at the B&B in Silver Springs that wouldn’t max out the credit card I’d gotten when I turned eighteen. My friend, Maryn, had helped me with the card so my parents wouldn’t know I had it. She told me I needed a source of money that they didn’t control.
True to his word, Mr. Kallyx had called to tell me that the bank thought my ice cream parlor would be a delightful addition to Silver Springs and were willing to approve my loan provided I could find a suitable location.
Phone conversations with Drake were stilted and awkward, but we’d managed to find a great location. There was an empty storefront across from Jewels Café. The building next door was a bakery that had closed its doors and was unavailable. There was enough room in the available storefront to put in the units to store the ice cream and still have seating in-house.
Because it was on a corner, there was a little extra space that would allow me to place a couple tables outside in the warmer months. There was plenty of space in the back for Lance to bake his specialty goods. The best part of the parlor was that there was a two-bedroom apartment over the shop. That was going to help me since I wouldn’t have the additional expense of renting a separate apartment.
Thinking of my parlor could do nothing but put a smile on my face. My dreams of independence were coming true. No more being forced to do what my parents wanted, even if I was vehemently opposed to it. No more being ignored until I could be useful and then once the event was done, pushed away.
The only good thing to come out of my forced participation in their lives was that my parents did give me a small allowance to keep me looking the way they wanted. I’d been saving as much as possible since I was sixteen, knowing there would be a day I would move. While it wasn’t enough to float me indefinitely, I did have the money to do things like buy real winter clothes and groceries. Setting up shop in the winter probably wasn’t the best idea, but plenty of people liked ice cream in the winter, right?
Once I had secured the loan and storefront, I approached Mr. Kallyx about transferring the money I had in my New Orleans savings account into an account in Silver Springs. I needed to have access to that money without my parents knowing where I was.
“Good afternoon, Lotus. It’s good to see you again. What can I do for you?”
I willed myself not to get lost in his eyes again as I answered, “Good afternoon, Mr. Kallyx. I know you are a loan officer, but I do need some help. I have a savings account back in New Orleans and I want to transfer the funds to a personal account here.”
“We’re all too happy to help you with that. Let me escort you to one of our new account specialists.”
I wrung my hands. “About that, Mr. Kallyx… Is there any way you could take care of this? I need this to be very private. I don’t want anyone in New Orleans to know where I am.”
A slight frown marred Mr. Kallyx’s face as he took in what I said. “Say no more, Lotus. We can take care of everything in here. May I ask why you don’t want anyone to know where you are?”
“I know it may sound childish, but my parents have a future picked out for me that I don’t want. They have promised to mate me to a jackal shifter in our city in exchange for social power and influence. I couldn’t take it anymore and needed to get away before I couldn’t.”
Mr. Kallyx’s eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn’t decipher as he regarded me.
“Well, do not worry. This account will be secure and no one will know that you have it. I will need you to answer a couple of questions for me. The first is the name of the bank your existing account is held; and second, what is the name the account is under? I assume Lotus Culcannon is not your given name?”
Flushing hotly, I stammered, “No, it’s not; but you understand, don’t you? I can’t risk my parents finding out where I am. They’ll do everything they can to drag me back to New Orleans. And believe me, if they get me back there, I’ll never leave again.”
“It’s okay, Lotus. I understand the use of your alias, but if your account in New Orleans isn’t listed under the same name, I need to know the name that is attached to the account.”
“I understand. The bank is New Orleans First Savings and Loan. The account is under the name Delilah A. Metarie.”
“Delilah, that is a delightful name. The flowers are very beautiful. They are a part of the Dahlia family. Did you know that?”
“I did. I’ve spent my life being called Delilah by my parents and Lilah by my best friend, Maryn. I’m not sure how I ended up giving myself another flower-based name, but I needed something that didn’t sound so
… so, Southern. No decent New Orleans family would name their daughter Lotus.”
“I think I understand what you are saying,” Mr. Kallyx answered with a chuckle. “Well, Miss Culcannon, shall we get your money moved?”
“Let’s do it!”
6
Lotus
I was breathing a little easier knowing I had access to some money. Lacking the access to my savings was preventing me from moving into the apartment above the shop. I was in need of furniture and refused to put the money onto my credit card.
After leaving the bank, I drove back to the B&B and fired up my laptop. I looked into local furniture delivery places to get some simple items that would allow me to live comfortably and not sleep on the floor. The only problem I ran into was a bed. For some reason, beds were on backorder with no real date for when they would be back in stock.
Once I’d ordered what I would need, I tried not to cry at the amount of money I’d just spent. I called Drake Anders’s office to arrange a time to pick up the key to the shop. Knowing I wouldn’t move in until I’d managed to order furniture, I hadn’t worried about getting the keys. If I were honest, it was also because I was terrified of seeing Drake again.
What if I couldn’t control myself once I saw him? Those moments in Drake’s office had been the most intense and pleasure-filled I’d ever had. I’d had more than a few special time moments thinking about Drake and what he’d done to my body.
“Anders Law Firm, how may I help you?”
I tried not to grind my teeth at hearing, the receptionist, Jane’s voice. I squared my shoulders and affected my best New Orleans grandame tone.
“Good afternoon. May I speak with Mr. Anders, please?”
“May I tell him who’s calling?”
“This is Lotus Culcannon.”
“Oh, Ms. Culcannon, just one moment and I’ll put you through.”
I could hear Jane’s muttering but decided to let it go.
“Drake Anders.”
Losing all confidence in hearing his rumbling voice, I stumbled through my greeting, “Um, oh! Hello! Hi, Mr. Anders? It’s Lotus, Lotus Culcannon.”
“Yes, Lotus, Jane told me when she transferred the call. Call me Drake, please. After what we shared, it’s only right.”
Snap out of it, Lotus! Just because he was the hottest sex you’ve ever had doesn’t mean you get to lose your mind. This is business. You can’t afford to get involved with a guy. Especially a possessive shifter!
“Thank you, Drake; however, I think it’s best we not discuss that. Our relationship is purely professional, and we should keep it that way.”
Ha! That’s it, girl!
I don’t know why, but my inner voice has always sounded like my best friend, Maryn. The selkie shifter was full of sass and sarcasm and wasn’t afraid to let the world know it. How she’d ended up becoming my best friend, I’ll never know, but I did know I’d be forever grateful for it.
“Sorry, Lotus, it won’t happen again. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I’ve got everything set up to have furniture delivered. I’d like to come over and get my keys, please. I know we toured the shop and apartment before I signed the lease, but I’d like to give everything another look and start cleaning things up. I want to be ready when deliveries start arriving.”
“That sounds good. Would tomorrow work for you? Say around one p.m.? I have some things to attend to in the morning.”
“One p.m. sounds perfect, Drake, I’ll see you then.”
After hanging up, I blew out a calming breath. I’d made it through the phone call, now to get through the appointment.
7
Drake
I was over the moon hearing Lotus’s voice. I was not happy at her declaration that our relationship was strictly business.
Lotus was my mate. I’d known it the moment I’d laid eyes on her in my office. I’d heard her soft Southern drawl gain a little steel in it as Jane tried to rebuff her request to see me. Once I’d gotten her into my office and scented her arousal, there was no way my leopard was going to let me keep my hands off her.
The sex had been earth-shattering for me. I’d felt horrible when Lance had barged into my office. I’d seen the mate bond connecting Lance and Lotus and felt terrible that I’d taken Lotus before we’d had a chance to talk.
When Lance had let his leopard drive him into a fight, I’d held back. I didn’t let Lance get in too many hits before I laid him out on his ass so we could talk, but I did let him score a few.
Once we’d discovered Lotus had left, we were both torn up but knew she needed some space. She had to have been pretty freaked at watching us go at it the way we had. Lance and I had talked after that and worked through the fact that we were both mated to the same woman.
While we’d never expected it to happen to us, it wasn’t a big surprise. Silver Springs had new polyamorous matings popping up all the time. The one thing that had us on edge was wondering if Lotus had another mate or not.
Lance and I had both suffered over the weeks that Lotus had been staying in Silver Springs. Our leopards were anxious to see our mate. Knowing she was so close and at the same time so inaccessible was chafing. I’d begun experiencing random pains throughout the day. Never really a patient guy, I’d found myself snapping at Jane and Lance. I was on the verge of sending Jane on an all-expenses paid vacation just to keep her from quitting.
I picked up my phone and texted Lance.
Drake: Hey, bro. I just spoke to Lotus. She’s stopping by tomorrow to get the keys to the shop. She’s got furniture coming, so she’s ready to move in.
Lance: Well, that’s something. At least you get to see her! We’ve been talking about the shop, but mainly through text. I’m dying, Drake.
Drake: I know, man. Tell you what, why don’t you come by around twelve forty-five?? She’ll be here at one, so when she gets here, you’ll already be here. This way you get to see her?
Lance: That sounds great, but I don’t know if I can see her and not claim her. You know? My leopard’s been riding me pretty hard.
Drake: I get it, man, I do. I’ll be here, though. I won’t let you do something stupid.
Lance: All right, I’ll be there. I can’t wait to see her again!
I was just picking up a contract to review when Jane buzzed my office.
“Mr. Anders? Mr. Kallyx from the bank is on the line. He said the matter involved a mutual client.”
Sighing at the interruption, I replied, “Put him through, Jane.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Kallyx?”
“I think it would be a good idea if you called me Evan. Is it okay to call you Drake?”
“What’s this about?”
“We need to discuss mate bonds.”
Shit! No way!
“Mate bonds?”
“Yes, Drake, mate bonds. Lotus Culcannon is my mate, and based on the way bonds are forming in Silver Springs, I am making an educated guess that you and perhaps your brother are Lotus Culcannon’s mates as well. Am I mistaken?”
“No, you aren’t,” I groaned.
“Excellent. There are some things Lotus told me today that I need to share with you two. We need to come up with a plan to protect our mate. She’s here hiding from her family.”
“What?”
My leopard was roaring in my head. Hearing the words protect and mate had set him off. I was struggling to keep him from forcing a shift in the middle of my office. I knew I would be running tonight.
“I think this conversation is best held face to face. You need to hear what I have to say, and we have some planning to do.”
“You’re right. Lotus is coming by here tomorrow at one. Do you think you could be here at eleven? That will give us time to talk and plan before she gets here.”
“I’ll clear my schedule and take a personal day. See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll let Lance know so he can be a part of the conversation.”
&
nbsp; “Until tomorrow, Drake.”
“See you at eleven, Evan.”
8
Drake
It hadn’t been hard to convince Lance to arrive earlier. It was harder to get him to understand about Evan and his connection to Lotus.
“Hey, bro, I need you in my office at eleven. Kallyx—I mean, Evan—is coming over from the bank. He says he is Lotus’s mate and there are things we need to discuss and get set up.”
“Wait, what? No way!! He can’t be her mate. We’re cats, he’s not—he can’t be hers!”
“Lance, breathe! You and I both know there has been an upsurge in polyamorous matings in Silver Springs. That would mean three or more males and Lotus. We are just two. If this falls in line with all the matings happening around town, a third mate makes sense. At least we kind of know Kallyx and know he’s not the worst choice in the world for Lotus.”
“Sure, he’s an all right guy, but what do we really know about him? Are we really supposed to be okay with adding a third guy into the mix when we’re still figuring out the two of us with Lotus?”
“We have to hold ourselves together and listen to what he has to say. At the end of the day, it’s not about us, it’s about Lotus and what she wants.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it, but I’ll be there. Eleven, right? See you then, bro.”
Lance
I was losing my mind! That was all I could think. I was restless and prone to flying off the handle. I couldn’t focus. Hell, I couldn’t even bake! How was that for a classically trained pâtissier? Every time I started working on a recipe, I’d lose track of where I was in the process. If I tried to think of new creations, I’d blank on ingredients and flavors. My mind was consumed with thoughts of Lotus.
