by Thorne, Elle
Kelsey.
That’s why his body was reacting the way it did, why his sensors were going haywire.
Kelsey.
Back in his life. No, not really back in his life, not like before. There was still something there, though. She couldn’t deny it, though he had no plan to ask her about it. Her pulse had quickened when she took his hand. Her breathing had changed, and her chemical reaction to him was the same as it used to be.
Or maybe that’s fear.
Would she be afraid of him because she’d dumped him without a backward glance? Was she afraid that he would hurt her? She should know he would never do anything to hurt her.
Teague noticed his hands were clenched into tight fists and relaxed them, slowly flexing them to bring sensation back.
He slipped into his truck and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
Think, Teague, think.
He couldn’t think. He couldn’t concentrate on anything but seeing Kelsey.
Those eyes, those lips that begged to be kissed. Hips made to be held onto while he rammed deep into her body. Thighs that yielded the sweetest cream when spread. Curves that didn’t stop.
Damn, damn, damn.
He couldn’t think about anything else but their history. The sex had been hot. The passion, the love, all of it was unbelievable.
He felt the vibrations of footsteps, knew without looking that it was Mae and she was approaching.
He opened the door just as she arrived, and turned his head to witness her jump backwards, her hand extended to rap on the window to get his attention.
“Teague! It’s creepy scary when you do that.” She put her hand over her chest.
“Sorry. I felt your footsteps.”
“Hey, a woman could take offense from that.” She smiled, running her hands over her curves. “I’m not that big.”
“You’re not big at all, Mae. You’re just right sized. You know what I meant, so don’t be fishing for compliments.”
Mae laughed. “You shifters and your senses.” She turned serious. “Want to tell me what that was about?”
“You saying you don’t know?”
“I know I hired you to come here to work on my B & B.”
“And you never said why it had to be me.”
“Let’s go to lunch.”
He had opened his mouth to refuse the invitation, not even sure what kind of excuse he was going to come up with, when she cut him off mid-protest.
“Just me and you. Okay?”
He nodded. He trusted Mae, but he wasn’t stupid. The pretty brunette had something on her mind.
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
Kelsey, Astra, and Chelsea were walking out of the hair salon and heading toward the café next door.
Mae glanced at the women, following his gaze. “Let’s drive toward the city. We’ll find a restaurant that will give us some privacy.”
Chapter Five
Mae took a dainty bite of her chicken salad. “I do have a reason for bringing you here for the job.”
Teague took a long draw on his iced tea and waited.
“I can’t have just any contractor working at the B & B because of what the blueprints reveal. There are a set of fake blueprints, but any contractor would be able to find the B & B’s secrets.”
“What do the blueprints show?”
“The B & B has secret entrances that open to tunnels. Those tunnels lead to several locations.”
“Who built those?”
“Grant’s grandfather, originally, I think. It was to protect shifters and some of his wife’s Native American family members.”
“Who uses it? Who knows about it?”
“I do.” She paused, fork mid-trip to her mouth. “I mean, I know about them, I don’t use them. Of course, Grant knows, Doc too, since they grew up together. I’m sure they must have played there when they were little. No one uses them now. I think I’d know. It’s not like we have many shifters in Bear Canyon Valley. Not like we used to have.” She sighed. “Maybe one day, again.”
Teague nodded. He and Tanner had been here a couple of times when they were much younger. Back then the valley had been full of shifters. “Why’d they all move away?”
“I guess things fell apart after Brad...” Mae’s husband. “Without him and no council meetings—nothing... Everyone moved away. Mostly everyone.”
“And now?”
“It’s building slowly. I’m better.” Her smile was wistful.
“You’ve never found anyone...”
Shit.
What was he thinking? He shouldn’t have said that. It wasn’t like he’d found anyone after Kelsey had left. He hadn’t even been interested in another woman. Sure, he’d tried. God knew, he’d tried. The feeling just wasn’t there.
Mae didn’t answer. Instead, she scrutinized him.
He wondered if she knew about Kelsey. How could she? Why would she? Unless Kelsey had ever talked about him with Mae.
“So you don’t want the tunnels sealed?”
“Oh, no. Why would I? It’s like having a safe room. Or an escape route. You never know.”
“I guess not. So you needed someone who wouldn’t ask all the wrong questions. Here I am.”
“And here you are.” She waved her hand as if he’d appeared by magic. “And it’s nice to see you, too. You’re like a nephew to me.”
Teague smiled. He was well familiar with Mae’s nephews. He turned somber. “I’m working with one of your friends...” Knowing his luck, it would be Kelsey. Which meant he’d be walking around with a hard-on and a broken heart.
“Yes, Kelsey.”
Of course.
He kept the grimace that wanted to come out from emerging. Inside, his bear rejoiced.
What the hell, he chastised his bear. She dumped us, remember? Some mate she’d have turned out to be.
Yet, somehow, for some damned reason, he couldn’t stop thinking of her as his mate. “She’s going to be running it.” He grit his teeth.
“Is there a problem?” Mae tilted her head to the side, an inquisitive look in her dark eyes.
Damn.
Could he get out of it? If he said something, would Mae replace him? That would be the answer, wouldn’t it? But what if she replaced Kelsey? Then she’d be unemployed, and he’d feel like shit. Just because she’d hurt him didn’t mean he wanted to turn vindictive and get her fired. “Nope.” He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. “No problem at all.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Mae blotted her lips with a napkin, catching a tiny bit of mayo.
“I’ve met Kelsey before.” Hopefully she’d leave it alone. Just let it go at that.
“Oh?” She wore an expression that said keep going, then waved her hand as if waving him forward.
“When she was in college. It’s not a big deal. No big deal at all. I’ll get started on the job and have it done in no time. Judging from what you told me, I’ll bring my best guys in, and I’d say I’ll be done in a week, tops. Sound good?” One week and he could leave. Vanish, and work on forgetting Kelsey.
His bear grumbled at him, grousing at his decision.
Yeah, well... whatever. Teague had to do what was right for himself—his heart. He couldn’t get carried away with his feelings and his bear’s devotion to Kelsey.
“No, that doesn’t sound good at all.” Mae pursed her lips. “That won’t work. You can’t bring strangers in. They’ll see the entrances—”
“Look, Mae.”
“No.” She folded her arms over her chest. “If I wanted strangers—humans—to be in there, I wouldn’t have called you. I certainly wouldn’t have agreed to pay the prices I’m paying. I insist.”
She didn’t say it, but he owed her. Mae had been good to him and Tanner when they’d lost their parents. He blew air out in a huge exhale. “Fine.” He could still do it in two weeks. He’d work overtime to get it done and then get the hell out of there. “I deal with you. Only.” He
laid the condition down.
Chapter Six
“He’s the one, isn’t he?” Astra said to Kelsey.
The two of them ended up going to lunch alone. Mae had gone with Teague, and Grant had stopped by and picked Chelsea up to go to the city to look at a dress that had come in to the bridal shop.
Kelsey nodded. “Yes, he’s the one.”
Astra and Kelsey had become fairly close since Kelsey came to the valley. Closer than the sister that Kelsey had never had. She’d never told Astra the name of the man who’d broken her heart, but she had told her she was dealing with heartbreak.
“You were together for two years?” Astra asked. “And you knew him really well?”
“Very well,” Kelsey confessed. “Too well. That’s why I had to leave.”
“He’s a shifter,” Astra told Kelsey. “I guess you knew that. That’s why you left?”
Kelsey cocked her head, studying her new best friend. “Yes, I knew he was.” She’d lost her appetite talking about Teague, reliving the past, how much it still hurt to be without him. “That’s not why I had to leave, no. Not at all. I don’t—” She rubbed at the condensation her glass of water had left on the table with her napkin. “Wait. How did you know that he’s a shifter?”
Astra rubbed her temple. “I just did. I just do. You know about Kane and Grant? Doc, too? You’re Mae’s cousin or something, right?”
Kelsey felt like rubbing her own temples. Hell, she wanted to take that ice-cold glass of water and run it over her forehead to cool down the headache she felt coming on.
She’d known about shifters for almost as long as she’d known Teague. He’d told her early on in their relationship. It wasn’t something she had a problem with. She also knew that Tanner was a shifter. But was Astra saying... “Kane? Grant? Doc?”
“Yeah,” Astra paused. “Never mind. I’m talking crazy here.”
“No, you’re not. So... Kane, too?”
Astra nodded. “I had a problem with it at first. I guess I have a few problems, being my mother’s daughter, and all the stuff that comes with it.”
Kelsey knew that Astra’s mom had died. She didn’t know details, but this ‘stuff’ that Astra was talking about, that was confusing.
She looked around the empty café. “Want to go somewhere private to talk? Like a walk?”
Astra nodded, paid for her lunch, and they headed toward the park at the south side of the road.
Astra started, “So Teague’s the one who broke your heart.”
“Technically, I guess it’s my fault. I’m the one who left the relationship.”
“You left that hunk?” Astra shook her head in confusion. “Not that it’s all about looks, but holy buckets, he’s—”
“Yeah, I know.” Kelsey kicked a pebble out from the sidewalk crack. Teague’s face was imprinted in her memory, seared into her heart. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m all ears.” Astra plopped down on a picnic bench, shoving her light blonde hair out of her face, her crystalline green eyes shining in the bright sunlight.
“How did you know he’s a shifter?”
Astra folded her arms over her chest and squinted as if she was surveying Kelsey. She seemed to be weighing an option.
Kelsey remained silent. If her friend didn’t want to divulge it, she wasn’t going to push. She knew all about wanting to keep some things private.
“It’s complicated. But I guess we both love shifters, so we wouldn’t do anything to hurt them, would we?” Astra looked out toward the forest beyond the park. “You still love him.” It wasn’t a question.
Kelsey didn’t want to voice her reply. She didn’t want to admit to it. “It doesn’t matter what I feel for him. I let him down once. If he knew... I don’t think he’d forgive me. It’s easier to not be with him than to have to tell him.”
“Will you be able to work with him? One-on-one? In close proximity, until the B & B is ready?”
“I don’t have a choice. I’m not quitting.” It was time for her to have a life, even if it wasn’t the life she’d originally wanted—one with Teague. She’d grit her teeth, tolerate it, hope to not give in and tell him the truth. She’d hate to see the pain in his eyes if she did.
No, she wouldn’t tell him anything. She’d keep it professional. She wouldn’t let that tongue, those lips, those eyes, that body, the hardness she knew was beneath his clothing...
No, she wouldn’t let any of that keep her from her goal. The question was, how would she be able to stay at the B & B long-term, after Teague was gone, with all the memories of having seen him there, working on the renovations?
And where the hell was he going to stay? She’d been staying with Mae, but had moved into the B & B a week ago, into the suite that came as part of her salary.
She turned to Astra. “You don’t have to tell me how you knew he was a shifter.” Maybe one day, Astra would want to.
Astra smiled, a tender smile that was laced with sadness. “When you were with Teague, did he get along with his bear?”
Odd question. “I believe so. I never saw or heard any different.”
“Did he ever shift in front of you?”
Kelsey nodded.
“Kane said he refused to accept his bear for a long time. He wouldn’t shift. He said he shunned shifter societies, lived solo, on the fringe.”
“What made him change?”
“He said as he grew older, he made a certain peace with the bear, though he wouldn’t let it out, until he saw a bunch of shifters trying to hurt another shifter, a tiger shifter. His option was to fight them as a shifter or walk away.”
Kelsey wasn’t all that close to Kane. He was the silent type, but from what she’d seen, he was an honorable, good man. “So he saved the tiger shifter?”
Astra nodded, her eyes turning a deep Bermuda green. “To think I used to hate shifters. Now, I can’t imagine life without Kane.”
Kelsey remembered thinking the exact same thing about Teague—until the day she’d made the painful decision to leave.
Chapter Seven
Teague slipped out the back door of the B & B and headed straight for the forest it backed up to. He shifted as soon as he had the cover of the trees, and began a lope. It might have seemed aimless to a casual observer, but he knew what he was doing—blowing off steam, letting that pent-up energy leave his system.
He’d probably need to do this a lot if he was going to be seeing Kelsey during the next week. Or two weeks.
Even if he didn’t have to talk to her personally, the fact that she’d be on the property, working, in sight, that luscious ass of hers tempting him—her beautiful, creamy curves, even when they were hidden by clothing, would drive him to distraction.
Yep, he imagined he’d be on the prowl in the forest quite a bit. Too bad he couldn’t seek release with a woman—any woman. But he couldn’t. Neither his body, nor his mind, nor his heart, nor his bear was able to replace what he and Kelsey had had.
He growled in frustration, swiping at a tree trunk with his paw, leaving gashes in the bark. He shook his bear head, reared up on two legs and roared in anger and loneliness.
“Is it helping?”
Teague whirled around to face the human, his claws and jaws at the ready. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he never knew when he was in bear form if someone would try to hurt him.
He knew that face. He shifted, launching himself at his old friend.
“Grant.” He gave the other man a hug.
“Teague. It’s been a long time.” Grant looked him over. “You look... well. But you don’t sound very well, old friend.”
“Oh, that.” Teague tried to blow it off.
“Hey, I know that emotion well. Until Chelsea and I bonded, I was out here frequently, doing much the same. It’s a temporary fix, though. You know the permanent fix, right?”
Teague didn’t feel like talking about women—one woman—Kelsey. It was a moot point. She’d decided two years ago that she didn’t
want him. He nodded, hoping Grant would get the hint.
Grant must have, because he gave Teague a look. “I’m glad Mae called you to work on the B & B. I didn’t want to have to deal with strangers finding the old tunnels. Glad to have you in the valley.”
“I’m not staying.” Teague wanted to make that clear. “I’m just here to help out. Then I have to get back home.”
“We’re having dinner tonight. All of us. You’re coming, right? Eight o’clock.”
“Mae mentioned it. I may pass on the whole dinner thing. It was a long drive.”
“Astra and Kane are coming. Doc, too. He left the valley for a while, after his wife died. Ugly circumstances. I’m not letting you slide. No way.”
“I don’t know. Maybe not.” Teague still wanted out of it. Even though Grant hadn’t mentioned Kelsey’s name, he felt sure she’d be there.
“You can’t disappoint Mae.” Grant clapped him on the back. “It’s a short walk from the B & B. Right by the salon. We have a private room reserved.”
Grant shifted into his bear and took off at a quick pace with a glance back over his shoulder, his brown eyes intense in his grizzly face.
Well, damn.
Teague still didn’t want to go. He shifted back into bear form. Now he had even more frustration to run off.
Chapter Eight
Kelsey looked in the mirror. She turned around, looked at her profile from the side. Not bad. She wiggled in her jeans, adjusting them, moving, trying to get comfortable in them. They were like a second skin. What the hell was she thinking, digging them out of the bottom of the box? She hadn’t worn these jeans in ages.
Yeah, ages. As in two years. Since the last time she’d worn them for Teague. He’d loved these jeans, loved the way they flared out over her ass, emphasizing her curves. Would he still like them?
Why the hell do I care? What am I trying to do, rekindle it?
She looked at the thread that held the button in place. It wasn’t the original thread.