by Codi Gary
“No dice, sweetheart. You got knocked out. That means you get checked out.”
He shut the door of his SUV and ran over to the driver’s side. He could sense the frustration radiating from her before he even opened the door, but that was too bad. He’d seen the way she’d tumbled down, and it had been rough. He’d have called an ambulance if he’d had his phone on him.
Xander buckled in and after he turned the key in the ignition, tapped the screen of his GPS.
“If you’re trying to get to the hospital, just make a left and then take a right onto Moonbeam to get to the highway,” she said. “Then it’s another left.”
Xander shut down the GPS and shifted into drive with a grin. “Alright, Garmin, can you repeat that slowly? I’m not from around here.”
He watched her teeth gnaw on her lower lip, but it didn’t stop her gorgeous mouth from tipping up in the corners. Or the slight scrunching in the corner of her warm brown eyes that told him she was trying not to smile.
To his surprise and delight, she spoke in a slow, robot style register. “Make a right onto Meteor Drive.”
He chuckled as he pulled forward and did what she said, thinking it was too bad she was taken. His two older brothers wouldn’t have balked at going after another man’s woman, but Xander hadn’t appreciated his college girlfriend hooking up behind his back. He didn’t like that uncontrollable rage he’d experienced, the strong urge to turn and rip the other guy to shreds.
Xander hated to lose control like that. After he’d found his family had been slaughtered, he’d lost it. He’d found one of the killers easy enough, stuffing dollars down the g-string of an exotic dancer at a shifter strip club a month after their deaths. He’d nearly destroyed the place as he’d beat the other wolf to a bloody pulp. If Xander hadn’t been a long-time friend of the owner’s son, he would have been taken out. As it was, they’d allowed him to drag the shifter from the club, no questions asked.
What he’d done after that was between him and the Gods.
There was no thinking of his family without the wrenching pain that followed, so he buried those memories. All that kept him going was the knowledge that he was going to destroy the animals that tore his family apart.
Then his truck had flipped outside of Denver. He’d been pinned in, unable to shift, and hurt bad. Another vehicle had come around the bend and when the driver stopped and climbed out, Xander had smelled wolf.
Clyde Larsen was able to wrench him loose, and once he’d shifted and healed, Clyde had brought him back to his home and family. Watching the large group of loved one’s joke and mess around with each other had been his undoing. He’d broken down sobbing for the first time, and Clyde had come around the kitchen table and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s good to let it out, son. Grieving is a part of life.”
It was Clyde and his pack who had saved Xander’s humanity.
Clyde’s brother owned the house Xander was renting, and while Clyde and his family had been good to him, he could never forget his strong father, warm, caring mother, or his brothers.
Xander glanced at the beautiful woman beside him. Nothing was going to distract him from finishing what he started.
4
Greer sat in the hospital bed, wearing one of those awkward backless gowns with a warm blanket pulled up to her waist. She’d made Xander leave the room while she changed and was surprised he’d stayed so long. They were just waiting on the doctor to come back in with her scan results. She’d called Sam from the hospital landline and left messages for him on his cell and at work. She hadn’t heard back yet, but she was sure he would be there soon.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” she told Xander for the fifteenth time.
He looked up from the magazine in his hands, an older issue of Cosmo that he’d grabbed from a rack on the wall. She would have laughed at the “Ten Tips to a Better Orgasm” in bold print, but her head was throbbing too painfully.
“And I told you, I’m good. I’m learning all about what kind of skin I have and the proper cleaning regiment I should be implementing. I can’t believe I’ve been using a bar of soap all these years.”
She laughed, she couldn’t help it, then moaned. The guy was funny. Charming. Add that to the rest of his pretty packaging and he seemed just about perfect.
There was a knock on the door and Dr. Peterson stepped in. She was older, maybe mid-fifties, with gray laced brown hair and blue eyes. She sat down on the stool in front of the computer against the wall, facing Greer with a smile.
“I have good news.”
“That’s a relief,” Greer said.
“It is, considering the fall you took. You have a concussion, and some bumps and bruises, but nothing that won’t heal. There were no brain bleeds on your scans. I just want you to rest and take it easy for the next few days. The nurse will come in with your prescription for pain meds in a few minutes. Do you have someone who could stay with you?”
The doctor’s glance cut to Xander, a small smile on her lips that made Greer’s face warm.
“Yeah, I’ll call my friend, Jill,” Greer said.
Dr. Peterson slapped her hands down on her knees. “Excellent. Your primary care physician’s nurse will be contacting you in a few days for a follow up. It was nice to meet you both and be careful next time you go jogging. You should take a friend with you.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The doctor disappeared out the door, and Greer got up from the bed. “I guess I better call Jill to come get me.”
“I’ll drop you at home and she can meet you there,” Xander said.
“Are you sure? Because I know this is really weird and you are being so chivalrous—
Xander tapped her mouth with the tip of his finger. “I need to make sure you get home safe, Greer. If I didn’t want to be here, I’d have left already. Stop worrying.”
Greer stared up at him as his finger trailed slowly down her lips to her chin. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her…
But he stepped back, dropping his hand back to his side.
“I’ll duck out so you can dress.”
The minute the door closed behind him she could breathe again. What was it about him that made her so loopy?
It had to be the eyes. Or his smile?
She was a hussy, that was all there was to it.
Plus, she was a little irritated with Sam. She’d left several voice mails and called the bank where he worked, hoping one of the tellers could grab him. Only both times, he’d been in a meeting and had told them to tell her he’d call her back. She knew that it was his job, but her calling multiple times should have tipped him off that it was an emergency.
Greer dressed quickly, wanting to get the heck out of there and back home where food and her comfortable couch waited. She’d had a protein bar before her run several hours ago, and her stomach was protesting the lack of sustenance. She caught her reflection in the door glass and winced.
Xander had been kind to call her gorgeous when she looked like a train wreck. Wild, messy hair and dirt streaks across her forehead and cheeks. Why hadn’t one of the nurses said something to her?
She washed her face in the sink and ran a paper towel over it. Feeling less grimy, she smiled when the nurse came in and handed her the paper with her pain medication prescription.
“I hope you feel better,” the cheerful red head in purple scrubs said.
“Thanks.” Greer dialed out for Jill and left her a voicemail to meet her at her place when she could. She stepped out into the hallway and found Xander leaning against the wall waiting for her. She saw several women in scrubs watching him from a doorway, their gazes traveling over his body. She couldn’t blame them. His jacket was tossed over one tan arm, his navy t-shirt making his eyes seem richer and the jeans he was wearing emphasized his long legs. The guy was tall, built, and any girl’s wet dream.
Even mine.
She needed to get a grip on herself and stop being
a lust puppy. She could drool over Chris Pine. He was famous, sexy and completely unattainable.
Xander was within arm’s length and had already admitted to flirting with her. That made the entire situation they were in way less innocent and she was already feeling guilty about her freak out over Sam’s potential proposal.
She needed to be friendly but professional. And stop melting every time Xander smiled at her.
“Hey, I’m ready.” Her voice came out squeakier than usual.
Xander stood up straight and shrugged into his jacket. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved actually, but I will just make something at home.”
“We can grab something,” he said.
“It’s okay. I have a prescription to pick up that won’t be ready for a while, so I have to come back to town anyway.”
“The doctor said for you to take it easy, remember? Why don’t I take you to lunch and we’ll pick up the prescription on the way back to your place?”
Sitting down with Xander for lunch, staring at him across a table with food? Bad idea. “No, that’s okay, really.”
“I insist. Unless you don’t want to be seen with me?”
His teasing had the desired effect and she caved. “You are really being too nice to me. It wouldn’t take very long to go home and get my purse. I should be feeding you after everything you’ve done.”
“You can get lunch next time.”
“You think there’s going to be a next time?” she asked.
He leveled her with those sparkling blue eyes and she forgot to breathe.
“I hope so.”
5
Greer climbed out of Xander’s Bronco when he parked. She’d suggested Moonlight Ridge Restaurant and Bakery because after the day she’d had, she really wanted pie. Pie was her weakness. She couldn’t make it, but damn, she could win any pie eating contest in the county.
They walked through the door and one of the waitresses smiled as she rushed by. “Hey, Greer. Be right back.”
Xander quirked a brow at her and she shrugged. “That’s Kelsey. We went to high school together. Plus, I come here a lot. They have really good pie. The chocolate is to die for.”
He chuckled. “I’m sold.”
When the waitress came back, Greer accepted Kelsey Mackintosh’s hug with affection. Kelsey was a sweet woman with dark hair threaded with teal and magenta streaks, and bright green eyes.
“Let’s get you a table. Is this your new guy?”
Greer blushed. “No, this is my friend, Xander Thorson. I had a bit of an accident this morning and he was there to help.”
Kelsey smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I just figured since you and Sam weren’t together, you’d moved up.”
Greer blinked at her, completely floored. “Huh? Sam and I didn’t break up.”
Kelsey looked as though she was about to fall over with shock. “You…you didn’t?”
“No, what gave you that idea?”
Greer was very much aware of Xander at her back, but her heart was racing too fast, her palms sweating buckets. She had a feeling that Kelsey was about to drop a huge bomb on her and she almost wished she could take back the question.
“He…he’s here with Patty Simcox.”
Greer almost burst out laughing with relief. “So? They work together. It makes sense they would have lunch together.”
Kelsey lowered her voice. “Greer, they’re having more than lunch. They’re making out in the back booth.”
Her stomach dropped out, and humiliation boiled through her bloodstream, burning her skin. Why the hell did he have an engagement ring for her if he was messing around with someone else.
Then something occurred to her. What if the ring hadn’t been for her?
Her emotions warred within her; confusion, anger, and…acceptance? She was embarrassed that he’d made a fool of her, but the one good thing about this whole scenario is that after she confronted him, she was going to be free.
“Right or the left?” she asked.
“They’re in the right-hand side. Just don’t break anything.”
Greer appreciated Kelsey’s attempt to lighten the mood, but Greer aimed to cause a scene. Sam sneaking around on her, coming into her favorite restaurant and making an idiot out of her would not stand.
Greer turned to Xander with a tight smile, taking in his somber expression. “Do you mind if we take our meal to go?”
“No.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.”
Greer marched through the restaurant to the last booth on the right. She stopped at the edge of the table, waiting for the two of them to come up for air and notice her. Sam’s back was to her, but Patty’s blue eyes popped open wide as she jerked away from Sam.
“What’s the matter, baby?” he asked, before he turned around. The minute his gaze met Greer’s, all the color drained from his face. She’d always thought Sam was handsome, but now, all she saw was a black-haired worm in a nice suit.
“I guess you didn’t get my messages?” Greer said pleasantly.
“Greer, I—
She held up her hand to cut him off. “No need to explain. I mean, while I was getting checked out in the hospital for a possible brain bleed, my boyfriend was getting it on with his coworker. Nice to see you, Patty. Is that a new shade of lipstick? If it’s one of those long-lasting ones, I’d get my money back because it is all over Sam’s lips.”
Sam’s mouth opened and closed a few times like a guppy. He was obviously trying to come up with some reasonable explanation for why he was sucking face with another woman.
“It’s not what you think,” he said.
She laughed at his lack of creativity. At least he could have said he wasn’t Sam, but his evil twin.
“Oh, please, enlighten me, as to what kind of work emergency requires the two of you to swap spit?”
“There’s no need to be vulgar,” he said.
“Vulgar? Vulgar? I catch you cheating on me in my favorite restaurant, and I’m vulgar?” She was just about to turn and leave but paused to knock his glass over, satisfied when he jumped with a curse as ice landed in his lap.
“How’s this for vulgar. Fuck you both. I hope she gives you crabs.”
She walked back down the aisle of tables and booths, ignoring the shocked and curious gazes following her. So, she might have gone too far making a scene, but his betrayal had stung. Especially when she’d been agonizing over possibly hurting Sam. Seems Sam would have been just fine if she’d been honest with him about finding the ring and freaking out.
Part of her wanted to turn around and ask who the ring had been for, but she really didn’t care. Whether it was for her while he was fooling around with Patty or Patty while he was still with Greer, either way he was a dog, and she deserved better.
Maybe Patty did too, but she wasn’t feeling too charitable at the moment.
The only good thing that had come out of her and Sam was meeting Xander, a kind stranger.
Who happened to be holding a white pie box in his hand.
“Kelsey is getting our food. She told me she knew what you usually ordered, so I hope that’s fine.”
“Awesome. What’s in the box?”
“A Chocolate Death pie.”
Just what she needed. “That is perfect.”
Xander’s gaze locked over her shoulder, frowning. “Don’t look now, but I think your ex just stood up and is looking our way.”
“Eff him with a pinecone,” she said.
Xander let loose with one of those great laughs she’d come to love in the few hours they spent together.
“He’s headed toward us.”
Kelsey came out from the food pickup window and handed them their bag of containers. Then she made a shooing motion. “Run. I’ll hold him off.”
6
Xander thought that Greer was handling her break up rather well considering how fast everything had come about. They had just reached his Bronco when the ex-boyfriend caught up to them. His
date running rather unsteadily behind him, probably due to the absurd sky scraper heels she had on.
“Greer!” Sam stopped less than a foot away from her, his posture full of fight.
“What?” she asked.
“You come at me and make a scene when you’re out with some other guy? You’re a fucking hypocrite.”
Xander’s skin prickled at his tone and he took a step closer to Greer.
“This is the man who found me lying unconscious after I hit my head and took me to the hospital. We stopped for food because…I don’t need to explain myself to you. You cheated. I didn’t. We’re done.”
“I thought you broke up with her last night?” Patty asked.
Sam didn’t answer her, but Greer laughed. “If he told you that, he was lying. I was at his place last night.”
Patty’s pale skin flushed purple. “You lied to me?”
Shocker. The woman was really surprised that a man who would cheat on his girlfriend with her wouldn’t lie to her?
“Can we talk about this later?” Sam said.
“No, I don’t think we can. Do me a favor and lose my number.”
Patty teetered away, and Sam focused on Greer with a vicious light in his eyes.
“You bitch.” Sam reached for her arm and snarled, “You humiliated me!”
Greer tried to shake him off, but Xander could see his grip tighten. An unexpected growl escaped him, and his wolf rustled just below his skin. The anger and resentment radiating off the other man was exasperating his beast and he wanted him gone.
“Take your hand off her,” Xander said softly.
Sam, oblivious to the danger he was in, snapped, “You aren’t even a part of this so shut the fuck up.”
With lightning speed, Xander wrenched Sam’s hand from Greer’s arm and tilted his fingers back until he dropped to his knees, whimpering.
“I’m going to let you go and you’re going to walk away. After that, you’re to stay away from Greer. Understood?”
When Sam opened his mouth, Xander could tell he was going to protest, and he increased the pressure. Sam finally yelled, “Fine, shit, let me go!”