by Ramona Gray
Cool it, big guy. Daisy doesn’t belong to you.
His inner voice was right, but it wouldn’t stop him from refusing to let Daisy live in an unsafe neighbourhood or building. He’d move out of his own fucking house and let Daisy live here if he had to. He’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
“So, I know I won’t be here that long,” Daisy said, “but we should talk about the cost of renting a room from you. I looked at some local ads and most rooms cost -”
“No,” he said.
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. He could smell her annoyance with him, but it actually made him happy. Better annoyance than fear, right?
“Cooper, let me finish, please.”
“I’m not charging you rent to live here, Daisy. You’re doing me a favour by staying with me, remember?”
She fiddled with the corner of her napkin. “No, I’m staying here because my crappy apartment was condemned, and you felt sorry for me because I was about to be homeless.”
“One hundred percent wrong,” he said.
She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “You’re so stubborn.”
“One hundred percent right,” Cooper said with a grin.
“At least let me pay for my share of food,” Daisy said.
“Are you planning on cooking dinner every night?”
“Probably. If you don’t mind that I do. I like to cook and it’s nice to have someone else to cook for,” Daisy said.
“Then consider it even. I buy the food, you cook it.”
“Cooper.” Her annoyance and exasperation deepened.
“I love to eat and hate to cook,” he said. “I know it’s cliché that a single guy can’t cook, but it’s true. You can call my mom and ask. She tried to get me to be self-sufficient by teaching me to cook as a teenager, but it didn’t stick. You cooking will save me a ton of money on food. I normally order takeout five nights a week.”
“That’s so bad for you,” she said. “There’s so much sodium in the food.”
He grinned at her. “So, you living here will be good for my wallet and my health – physical and mental.”
She picked at her napkin again. “Is it helping, Cooper? Be honest with me. Do you, um, feel better when I’m around?”
“Yes,” he said. “I do. It’s made a huge difference, Daisy.”
“Even if we’re never more than… friends?” She accented the word ‘friends’ lightly and Cooper kept the smile pasted on his face with nothing but pure willpower.
“Yes,” he said. “Just friends is fine.”
It wasn’t fine, but he couldn’t say that to her. It was nice of her to help him out by spending time with him, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t her problem that his lion thought she was his mate. Or that Cooper would go mad without her.
“Are you sure?” She was giving him a look he couldn’t quite read. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was fishing for him to say no. Maybe waiting for him to say something along the lines of, “Actually, Daisy, you’re also required to spread those pretty pale thighs of yours and let me bury my face in what I’m sure is the sweetest fucking pussy I’ll ever taste.”
He immediately sported a hard on and he shifted in his chair, the pressure at his groin taunting him. After what happened in his office on Friday, even thinking about being with Daisy was a mistake. The fear in her eyes had killed his desire immediately. She might have wanted him for a few brief glorious minutes, but the second she was reminded of what he really was, her fear had driven out her lust for him just like that.
He hadn’t been close to shifting but his eyes changing colour and his fangs descending were something that was always going to happen when he was with a woman unless he really concentrated on controlling it. And he didn’t have a chance in hell of controlling it around Daisy. His need for her was too strong, too overwhelming. None of that was her fault, of course, but it was a real kick in the ass that he couldn’t be with her because he wanted her so much.
“Cooper?” Daisy said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he said, forcing his smile wider until his cheeks hurt. “And I have some other, uh, ideas I’m working on so that hopefully you won’t have to disrupt your life much longer.”
“Right.” Daisy stood up abruptly, grabbing her soup bowl and her water glass and putting them both in the dishwasher. “It’s getting late and I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go to bed.”
“Sure, okay. Good night, Daisy.”
“Night, Cooper.”
She left the kitchen, and he sniffed the air delicately, a frown crossing his face before he stood up and put his own bowl in the dishwasher and the leftover stew in the fridge. It had almost smelled like jealousy radiating from Daisy before she left the kitchen. He snorted and flicked off the lights before heading toward his own bedroom. He was an idiot.
He paused outside of Daisy’s bedroom door, tempted to knock and ask her if she needed anything. His lion pushed forward, urging him on, and he raised his hand to knock before thinking better of it.
Staying overnight with him was bound to be stressful and overwhelming and scary for her. He wouldn’t make it worse by invading her personal space after she’d made it clear she wanted to be left alone.
Ignoring his lion’s whining to go to his mate, he walked into his bedroom and shut the door. He brushed his teeth and stripped off his clothes before climbing into bed. He stared at the wall separating him from his mate before staring up at the ceiling. Daisy in the room right next to his was both heaven and hell.
* * *
“Daisy? Why are you up so early?”
Cooper stumbled into the kitchen in, God help her, nothing but a pair of shorts and the most adorable case of bedhead she’d ever seen. She looked away from his magnificent chest and concentrated on pouring her coffee into a travel mug without spilling it.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said. “Go back to bed, it’s early.”
“I just said that.” He squinted at her before dropping into a chair and yawning hugely. “Please don’t tell me you’re a morning person.”
He rubbed at his chest and heat flared in her belly. Jesus, she needed to get control of herself. But it would be really great if the man would put a damn shirt on. She considered saying something to him before dropping the idea. This was Cooper’s house. If he wanted to walk around in nothing but a pair of shorts, it was his right. It wasn’t his fault that she was suddenly acting like a horny housewife.
“I’m not,” she said. “I’m definitely not. But I have to take three buses to get to the office in time for eight so -”
“You’re not taking the bus.” He yawned again. “Is there any coffee left?”
“Yes.” She poured him a cup and handed it to him, barely registering that she didn’t flinch or jerk away when their fingers touched.
He took a sip of it and she pulled some milk from the fridge and set it on the table in front of him.
“Thanks, Daisy.” He poured some milk in and sipped at the coffee again. “Jesus, even your coffee tastes better than mine.”
She glanced at her watch before grabbing a container of stew from the fridge. “I put some stew and a couple of biscuits into a container for you for lunch. I’ll see you at the office.”
His long fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her gently to a stop. Instead of fear, an almost overwhelming amount of lust went through her. Cooper’s nostrils flared and she flushed dully. He could smell her lust, she knew he could, but it wasn’t like she could control it.
Sure you could. You could think about how Cooper looked with glowing eyes and fangs, and how it would feel when he used his sharp claws to shred through your chest cavity.
Normally those types of thoughts sent adrenaline rushing to her body and brought on her fight or flight instinct. But today… nothing. Cooper wouldn’t hurt her. He just wouldn’t. And honestly, she could kick herself for her reaction when he kissed her on Friday. So, his eyes had ch
anged colour and he showed a little fang. He was a lion shifter…it was bound to happen, right?
Who are you and what have you done with the real Daisy?
He dropped her wrist. “You’re not taking the bus. You can drive in with me.”
“I don’t want to be a bother or -”
“You’re not,” he said. “There’s no need for you to take the bus to and from work when you can hitch a ride with me. And you can borrow my truck anytime you want for personal errands or whatever until you find a new car.”
“Well, thank you, that’s very nice of you. I appreciate the rides to work and the offer to borrow your truck but I’m not getting another car. I don’t want a car loan and I don’t have enough cash to buy one so, I’m investing in a bus pass and a good pair of shoes.” She forced a smile at him and tried to pretend that she wasn’t almost crushed with shame at the poor state of her finances.
“No,” he said and then took another sip of coffee.
“What do you mean no?”
“You’re not taking public transportation. I’ll help you find a decent car and loan you the cash to buy it.”
“Um, like hell you are,” she said.
He shrugged. “You’re not taking public transportation, baby. It isn’t safe.”
“It’s perfectly safe,” she said. “Thousands of people take the bus, Cooper. And now that shifters avoid me, I don’t -”
“Humans can’t smell my scent,” he said.
“I’m not afraid of humans.”
That stubborn look crossed his face and he shook his head with a finality that was kind of cute. “My mate is not taking the bus. End of story.”
She popped her fists on her hips and glared at him. “Your mate will take the bus if she wants to, Cooper Brooks.”
He studied her and when he began to purr, she shook her head. “Don’t you dare try and… and sweet-purr me into getting what you want.”
His purr turned into a laugh. “Sweet-purr?”
“You know what I mean,” she said. “I appreciate you wanting to keep me safe but taking the bus is not some precarious mission that puts me in mortal danger.”
He leaned back in his chair and shrugged lazily. “Fine. If you want to take the bus, you can take the bus.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Gee, thanks for your permission.”
He laughed. “You’re welcome. When you buy your bus pass, grab me one too, would you? I’ll stop at the ATM and get some cash for it on the way to work.”
“What? Why do you need a bus pass?”
He gave her an adorably innocent look. “Because I’ll be on the bus with you.”
“Cooper, you… are you being serious right now?”
“Yep.”
“You’re going to get on the bus every time I get on the bus?”
“Yep.”
“Oh my God. You realize you’re being a total ass, right?”
“Yep.”
She covered her mouth with her hand and manufactured a small coughing fit to hide her stupid grin. She wanted to be annoyed with him. Wanted to act like she was pissed off that he was going all macho lion shifter on her, but the truth was… she liked it. When was the last time someone had looked after her? Growing up in foster care, she’d been treated more like a cheque than a child. More often than not, she couldn’t count on any of her foster parents to take care of her beyond her basic needs of being fed and clothed.
She had Megan, of course, but it wasn’t the same as having parents or a partner who loved her. Her loneliness, her need to have someone who loved her and cared for her, had blinded her to Jeff’s true nature. And even though she’d been the one who looked after him in the relationship, she’d told herself that when push came to shove, Jeff would be there for her.
Only, he hadn’t been there for her. He hadn’t loved her or cared for her the way he was supposed to. The only thing he’d cared about was her good credit and trusting nature.
She realized that while she’d been thinking, Cooper had stood and poured her a glass of water. He handed it to her, and she took a small sip. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She studied his bare chest, beyond tempted to trail her fingers through that light layer of golden coloured hair. Jeff was the first and only man she’d slept with and he’d waxed his chest on the regular. She’d asked him once to let his chest hair grow in and he’d given her a look like she’d asked him to put a hive of bees on his head.
“So, we stopping at the ATM for cash for a bus pass or not?” Cooper said with a small grin.
“No,” she said, “but you’re not buying me a stupid car.”
“That’s fine, I can compromise,” he said. “If I can’t give you a ride somewhere or my truck isn’t available for you to use, I’ll pay for a rideshare.”
“That’s not a compromise,” she said.
“Sure, it is.”
She huffed out an angry snort and he grinned and purred to her. She watched in fascination when his blue eyes turned a dark yellow and his voice deepened and thickened into a rasp. “Our mate is adorable when she’s annoyed with us.”
It was his lion speaking. She knew that instinctively and while it made her a little nervous, she was more captivated by the little flecks of blue she could see in the dark yellow of his iris. Were those flecks of blue always there or –
“I’m sorry, baby.” There was remorse in Cooper’s voice, and she blinked in confusion when he backed away, the dark yellow turning back to blue. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t,” she said. “That, um, that was your lion, wasn’t it?”
He hesitated and then nodded. “Yes.”
“I didn’t know your cat side could talk.”
“It’s more like they talk through us, it’s kind of hard to explain. It doesn’t happen very often, to be honest.”
His pupils turned to slits and she waited patiently until he returned to her. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind if you talk to your lion around me. You know that, right?”
He didn’t reply and she flushed. “Okay, I used to mind because it made me nervous. But it doesn’t anymore, I promise. What did your lion say to you?”
He looked a little embarrassed. “Nothing important.”
“Does he talk a lot to you?” Daisy said.
“Depends on his mood. In general, no. But if he wants something, he never shuts up about it.”
She smiled. “Lusa told me that if a shifter talks a lot, then normally their cat is talkative too. She said Boone’s cat probably talks all the time to him and Wes’s cat probably barely says two words in a day.”
“That sounds about right.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m gonna have a shower and get dressed.”
“Do you eat breakfast?” she said. “I could make some pancakes.”
His stomach growled and he grinned at her. “I love pancakes.”
“All right. Um, before you go to shower, should you, uh, mark me again?”
When he didn’t say anything, she cleared her throat. “I figured it would be better to do it here than at the office.”
Red was creeping up his neck and she could feel her own flush of embarrassment when he said, “I don’t need to mark you today. You’re still covered pretty heavily in my scent.”
“Oh, okay. Right. Well, uh, I’ll start making pancakes then.”
“Thanks, Daisy.”
She made herself smile at him. “You’re welcome, Cooper.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I seriously can’t believe you’re living with a shifter. And not just a shifter but your boss.” Megan’s voice was too loud, and Daisy glanced at the wall that separated her bedroom from Cooper’s before making a shushing motion.
“What? I thought you said he went to bed.” Megan lowered her voice.
“He did,” Daisy said. “But our rooms are right next to each other.”
Megan cocked her head. “Is there a
lock on your door?”
“Yeah,” Daisy said.
“Are you using it?”
She blinked at her. “No, of course not. Why would I?”
Megan’s face broke out into a broad smile and Daisy could see her clapping her hands even through the small screen of her phone. “Daze, babe, I’m so proud of you!”
“For what?”
Megan leaned forward until her lips were all that were in view. “You are sleeping in a room right next to a shifter and you’re not locking the door, you’re not afraid, you’re acting like it’s no big thing, girl. Why the fuck do you think I’m proud of you?”
Daisy laughed quietly. “Well, thank you. I’m not trying to burst your bubble here, but I think it’s more to do with who the shifter is. I’m still afraid of shifters.”
She stretched out on the bed, propping the pillows behind her back, happy all over again to have a bed to sleep in instead of a stupid air mattress on the floor. “Today at work, Chase came into the supply room when I was in there and I didn’t realize it. When I turned around and saw him blocking the door, I almost had a damn panic attack. I was definitely shaking, and I know he could smell my fear because he started apologizing and practically ran out of the room.”
She sighed. “I felt so stupid. Chase is a really nice guy. Cooper makes him cover reception during my lunch hour and he never complains even though it isn’t really his job. I think I hurt his feelings when I got so scared.”
“Small steps, babe. Small steps. Three months ago, you would have started screaming if he was in the room with you, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Megan smiled at her. “I’m really sorry that your shithole apartment got condemned and your shithole car broken into, but I’m also really happy that you’re living somewhere safe.”
“It is nice to have a bed again,” Daisy admitted.
“You gonna invite your boss into that bed?”
“Megan!” Daisy glanced at the wall again. “You know I’m not.”
Megan shrugged. “No, actually I don’t. You’re living with him, cooking him pancakes for breakfast, and driving to and from work with him. Hell, you’re practically fucking engaged at this point.”