Mikki pulled her hand from his and stepped back, not wanting to be as awkward on the outside as she felt, but her heel caught on uneven pavement.
She was going down, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Pitching sideways, she twisted enough just to miss the railing, but Nick’s arm caught her around the waist. Popcorn spilled everywhere, and she cringed when her back hit his broad chest.
“Easy there, killer. You okay?” he asked behind her ear.
Too embarrassed to do anything other than stiffen in his arms, Mikki squeezed her eyes closed. “Yeah. I don’t know what happened. I’m usually pretty steady on my feet.”
“That so?” He chuckled, and the feel of his chest rumbling through her coat made her knees wobble.
Squeezing her eyes tighter, she exhaled. “I’m good, now. Thanks.”
She forced herself to open her eyes and turn around. Nick’s hair fell over his eyes as he kept his hand on her elbow just in case. With the gray light behind him, a sudden wave of déjà vu swept over as if she’d been here, done this, before.
He let go of her arm, and she managed to keep her feet and step out of his hold, half expecting him to excuse himself and bolt for the nearest exit. Instead, a playful smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“Didn’t your mother tell you it’s not polite to laugh at someone else’s expense?” She lifted her chin, despite the awkward scorch in her cheeks.
“I’m not laughing at you. Truly.” His smirk softened. It’s just your name suits you.”
She folded the empty popcorn box and stuffed the butter-stained cardboard in her pocket. “Oh?”
He nodded. “Though if you ask me, you’re more Jessica Rabbit than Mickey Mouse. Especially standing there all curvy and small.”
Small?
The man must be blind.
“Still.” He leaned in with a wink. “A little mouse like you needs to be careful. Too many predators around.”
One of the snow leopards roared in the enclosure on the hill, and his amazing smile flashed at the well-timed coincidence.
Mikki’s whole body reacted to the innuendo, and this time that scorch of heat flushed straight to her ears.
She wasn’t imagining things. The man was actually flirting with her. The curvy, downtown Nerd Queen of Washington Square Park.
“Don’t worry on my account.” She cleared her throat, reaching to tug at her fleece hat. “Predators or not, I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.”
“I don’t doubt it. In fact, I think we have more in common than just the subzero winter zoo.” He winked, and his eyes glowed with a flash of gold around crystal blue irises.
Mikki’s eyes widened. The air was icy in her nostrils as she inhaled. Despite the encroaching scents from the surrounding city, there it was, as clear as the frigid sky. Nick was a shifter.
“Wolf. Right?” she asked, trying not to sound as thrown as she felt. “No wonder you like the playing in the snow.”
“And you?” he asked. “I caught your scent the minute I walked toward the penguins.
She turned with a quiet chuckle, letting her fingers grip the cold railing as she watched the flightless birds slice through the icy water.
“I hope that’s not your way of telling me I need deodorant, or that I smell like wet bird.”
He laughed, closing his eyes for an embarrassed second. “Oh boy. I’m chalking that one up to a brain freeze courtesy of the weather. You certainly do not smell. In fact, your scent is intriguing to say the least.”
“I’m a mix,” she replied with a shrug. “Part wolf, part cat, and who knows what else. It’s probably why I like the zoo so much.”
She looked at Nick across her shoulder. “My people were hippies before hippies were a thing. They were all about freedom. Freedom from clans and packs, and their expectations and rules. Of course, freedom also meant free love.” She shrugged. “The end result is, well—me.”
“Are you saying you have no affiliations? At all?” he asked.
Mikki shook her head. “Nope. No clan, no pack. Well, none that would claim me, really. But that’s not to say I don’t know my roots.” She shrugged again. “I was never welcome, so I never bothered.”
In a bold move he reached for her hand, closing her fingers into his palm before she could protest.
“Their loss,” he said, running a leather-clad finger over her wool-covered digits.
Sparks skittered across her skin even through her thick gloves. There was no hiding her reaction. Not from another shifter.
“To be honest, today didn’t start off too great. I headed here because there’s no better place in this crowded city to catch my breath than Central Park. I love the zoo this time of year for one reason. No people.” She lifted a shoulder unapologetically. “I can’t help it. Does that make me sound awful?”
He shook his head. “I know exactly how you feel.”
Without letting go of her hand, Nick tucked her arm into his elbow. “Since we’re both obviously hardcore, why don’t we enjoy ourselves?”
Holy crap. Was that a proposition?
“How do you mean?” she asked, taking a step back at the innuendo spilling into the air between them.
Nick’s mouth twitched with laughter. “I was talking about the zoo, but I’m up for whatever big, bad plans you have in mind.”
“Says the big, bad wolf,” she countered with a nervous chuckle.
“I could say the better to eat you with, my dear, but considering we just met—” That same teasing grin spread across his mouth.
He didn’t just go there, did he?
Yep.
Kamikaze butterflies dive-bombed from her belly to the sweet spot between her legs. She stifled a sharp breath at the images his words unleashed.
“I’d love to explore every inch of this with you, if you’re game. Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee or something to eat? At least let me buy you more popcorn.” He winked. “Hardcore gotta stick together, right?”
A fangirl squeal erupted on the inside, but she hesitated despite the thrill. She didn’t know this guy from a hole in the wall, and just because he was a gorgeous shifter didn’t mean he wasn’t some sort of creep. The fates wouldn’t cut her that much slack. Not without a whammy waiting in the corner to blindside her.
Still, if he posed any kind of a threat his scent would be thick with metallic undertones, and right now the only thing registering on her tongue was his utter maleness—his unbelievable sex-on-a stick, I can’t wait to see what’s under his coat and beyond, maleness.
“Look,” he continued as if reading her mind. “I promise I’m not a serial killer or political pollster, or anything that annoying or creepy. We just met, but that’s how people make new friends, right?”
New friends.
Okay.
Do new friends wonder what the other tastes like when they kiss? Do new friends imagine straddling the other cowboy style and riding them bowlegged?
Not when standing this close to a perfect stranger makes ripping their clothes off and licking them from their thighs to their balls seem like a reasonable activity.
“Uhm, Nick—”
“So,” he cut her off. “Are you hungry? My treat.”
Food was always an option, and it would give her time with him to evaluate. Not to mention watching his beautiful mouth as he talked and ate. She bobbed her head, not trusting her voice not to crack.
“Good.” He nodded. “We can head to a great pub I know on Fifth Avenue or if you don’t mind burgers and fries, we can eat here. Maybe do it alfresco by the snow leopards.”
It?
Mind out of the gutter, Mikki.
Ugh, God, help me.
She cleared her throat. “Burgers sound great,” she replied. “But indoors. My teeth are starting to chatter.”
Chapter Five
“So, what do you do when you’re not trying to coax the penguins over the wall?” Nick asked, putting their tray down at a table.
Mikki chuckl
ed. “Nothing as enjoyable as this, trust me.”
The two sat in the back overlooking the frozen garden. The snowy scene combined with the relative quiet made it easy to forget they were at a fast food concession at the zoo.
The café was empty except for a lone cashier and a couple of food service workers. No frazzled parents. No screaming kids. No sticky tables with spilled food.
“No, seriously. I’m interested,” he replied.
Mikki pulled her hat from her head, happy she wasn’t a static mess. “I’m going for a master’s degree in sociology. To pay the bills, I own a little shop downtown. It was a family run business, but since there’s no one left but my brother, I took it over.
She shrugged out of her coat and then unwound her scarf, before hanging the lot of it on the back of the chair. “It’s a lot to handle sometimes, with going to school at night, but hey, anything worth having is worth working for, right?”
He smiled softly. That sentiment would never cross Jillian’s mind, let alone her lips. So far the two were polar opposites, and it was a breath of fresh air to actually talk to someone whose opinions and views weren’t governed by trend and the public opinion mob.
As Mikki sat talking, Nick took in every inch. The way her waterfall curls fell in soft waves past her shoulders, and how its deep auburn shade complemented the rich amber of her eyes.
Only the smallest amount of makeup highlighted her eyes and cheeks, and the effect was natural beauty rather than artifice.
Inhaling, he let his eyes dip to her creamy sweater and the full curve of her breasts. Her scent filled his nostrils. A heady natural perfume that teased his senses when they were outside, but in the warmth of the café it was nearly intoxicating, and his inner wolf clawed at his belly.
“What kind of shop?” he asked, redirecting his focus before he embarrassed himself.
French fry in hand, she thought for a moment. “I suppose the best way to describe it would be eclectic.”
“You mean New Age hoodoo?”
She choked mid-bite. “No. Well, maybe.” Shrugging, she chuckled. “We sell candles and incense and yes, crystals, but our stock and trade are books. Used books. My parents and grandparents were big advocates for reading. They believed books on different topics and ideas were the key to life.”
He nodded, impressed.
“What about you?” she asked. “What do you do when not practicing your stalking skills on unsuspecting women at the zoo?”
Nick smirked at her turn around. “Real estate. I manage a large property in the Adirondacks and handle some here in the city.” He tilted the top of his fountain drink toward her. “Also, a family business. I have an apartment uptown I use as home base, but I go back and forth quite often. It’s a pretty drive, especially in the fall.”
“Real estate.” Mikki inhaled, shaking her head “Not my favorite profession these days.”
“Why?”
She looked at him. “Remember when I said my day didn’t start out great? Well, that was courtesy of a phone call to my new landlord and his management company.”
“Really.” Nick eyed her. “Maybe I can help. After all, it’s what I do.”
She shrugged. “There’s nothing to help. The building was sold, and the new landlord is tripling the rent on my shop. I called this morning, but they won’t negotiate.”
“That’s not uncommon, depending on the building’s location,” he asked, pouring ketchup on his burger. “Is the area up and coming?”
Nodding, Mikki exhaled. “The west village. Primed for gentrification.” She gestured with a French fry. “Anyway. Not your monkey, not your circus. I’ll figure it out.”
“That’s tough. Especially when average flats in your area are selling for a cool half million at a pop,” he added.
She exhaled. “Liking you less and less, Nick.”
“Baloney,” he grinned. “Let me help. I’m not an attorney, but I have one on retainer and he knows his stuff.” Nick fished in his pocket for a pen, pulling out his cellphone to scroll for the contact information.
“Here’s his number,” he said, scribbling the lawyer’s office number and email on a clean napkin. “I know he’s not in his office over the next few days, but he’ll definitely be back by the end of the week. Call him.”
Mikki looked at the napkin as Nick pushed it closer but shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m gonna pass.”
“Why?” he questioned. “I’m happy to help.”
She shook her head again but didn’t argue.
“Mikki, my guy is the best in the business,” he tried again. “He’ll do this for you if I ask.”
Exhaling, she lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I’m sure he will. It’s just—”
“What?” he interrupted. “Is it me?”
She met his questioning gaze. “Look, you’re a nice guy, Nick—”
“Ugh,” he cut her off with a quick wave. “Spare me the ‘you’re a nice guy, but’ speech. You strike me as a no-games kind of gal. If you’re not interested, just tell me.”
She blinked, unsure. “That’s not what I meant. I’m totally interested, Nick.” She blew out a quick breath, and color stained her cheeks. “Look, we’re obviously not the same sort. You’re Upper West Side and I’m Greenwich Village.” She gestured toward his clothes. “You’re brand name and I’m the corner thrift shop.”
“Wow,” he pulled a paper napkin from a chrome holder on the table and wiped his mouth. “You might be no games, but I’d never have pegged you for a snob.”
Taken aback, her lips parted for a moment, speechless. “Didn’t I just tell you my crappy landlord is evicting me from my shop so he can make bank on the location? I think that qualifies me as the farthest thing from elitist.”
“On the face of it, yes. Or at least that’s the popular view,” he agreed.
She snorted. “On the face of it, and all the way through.”
“Really. Then consider this,” he posed. “Without even giving me a chance, you already assumed I was a certain type, simply because of where I live and work and that I have a lawyer on retainer. You judged me because of a preconceived notion. You put me in a stereotypical box without knowing my story. Now turn it around. If I did the same to you, you would be offended and your judgment of me validated.”
He shrugged, continuing. “Bias goes both ways, Mikki, but I won’t take offense. Instead, I dare you to challenge your own prejudices, and go with what I know your scent already tells me. You want to get to know me better.” He leaned in, his eyes on hers. “As much as I want to get to know you. So, let me help with this landlord thing. It’ll give you a chance to see me in action.”
“I don’t know, Nick.” Her expression was unsure, as if his turn around argument upended her downtown versus uptown theories.
Nicolas paused, eyeing her softly. “Are my lawyer and I too conventional for your free-to-be-me ancestors?”
“No, of course not.” She shook her head. “Is it so wrong for me to hesitate on this? You offered your attorney’s services, not cab fare home.”
He pushed the napkin with scrawled contact info even closer to her tray. “Not at all. In fact, it shows me I was right about you. You’re not only beautiful, you’re smart, too—regardless of what you think of me and my clothes.”
“Nick—”
He grinned. “Hey, you’re the one that brought it up.” Taking her hand, he folded the scribbled napkin into her palm. “When it comes to my attorney, though, the law doesn’t care where you live or where you buy your clothes.” Nick winked. “No matter how sexy you look in your vintage hippie.”
High color stained her cheeks. “Do you always call in favors for total strangers?” she asked, meeting his gaze head on.
“Only when that stranger loves the zoo in winter as much as me. Look, my lawyer owes me a favor. I’ll be happy to make an appointment with him for you.”
She exhaled gently, giving him a half shrug. “If you’re sure, th
en. I don’t want to impose. Like you said, we just ran into each other.”
He ran the edge of his index finger over her knuckles. “Yes, and I plan to keep running into you until you decide to let me catch you.”
“That so?” She used his earlier words, ignoring another inner fangirl squeal.
Grinning, he nodded again. “Yep. Totally so.”
A small flutter of sparrows circled the low branches in the garden outside the window behind their table. They landed in a cluster to peck at a feeder near the iced-over fountain.
“You seemed engrossed with the birds at the Polar Circle. Are penguins part of your gene pool?” he asked.
“Okay, random much? Why would you ask that?” She pulled her hand back to finish eating, leaving the folded napkin with the lawyer’s info on the tray.
He shrugged. “I’m curious. I’ve never met anyone who had more than two kinds of shifter blood in their lineage. I always assumed any more would weaken a dual nature to the point of being moot.”
Mikki took a bite of her burger and chewed. “To be honest, I never really thought about it.”
“I imagine the laws of genetics would apply.” He swirled a French fry in a blob of ketchup on his tray. “One trait is always more dominant to the others. Is there one species in your lineage you identify with most?”
She considered him as she chewed another bite. “I don’t know. No one’s ever asked me that before.”
Putting her hamburger on its open foil, she picked absently at the seeded bun. “Have you ever had the urge to, you know—”
“I’ve had plenty of urges in my life, Mikki,” he teased, plopping a fry into his mouth “You’ve got to be more specific than that.”
At his double meaning, she lifted her eyes from her burger. “I meant the urge to shift, smart ass,” she replied. “What’s it like?”
“Like?” he responded with a laugh. “You mean you’ve never shifted?”
“No, and it’s not funny.”
“I guess it’s like breathing in and breathing out. Natural—” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Actually, I take that back. It’s not like breathing. It’s more like sex. The more you do it, the better it gets.”
Torn Between Two Alphas: Howls Romance Page 3
