by Tena Stetler
“It took you long enough, Mr. Talltree.” Her full lips formed a slight pout as she lifted her chin and tilted her face up to meet his. “Nice to see you again.”
There was no hesitation or apprehension in her lovely features as he moved closer, placing his other hand next to her left shoulder, effectively pinning her against the rock. He wanted to wrap his arms around her lithe, warm body and brush his lips over her sexy pout. But he thought better of it, not wanting to scare her off…not yet.
“Yes, it is.” He let his gaze wander leisurely up and down her luscious body. “Didn’t your mother warn you about the dangers of stalking a stranger at night in the park alone?”
The breeze caught pieces of her long curls as she threw back her head and laughed. It was a musical sound, and her eyes sparkled with pleasure. “Aye, that my mother did. Unfortunately, her advice is in direct conflict with my job description since I’m required to keep the trails safe for everyone…which hasn’t been easy lately.” Brandy’s voice trailed off, almost as if she hadn’t intended to say the last part aloud.
He looked quizzically at her. “That’s kinda cryptic. What do you mean?” He leaned in a little closer.
Brandy waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
Sure there was more to it than that, he saw the determination in her face and decided to let it go for the moment. “Well, now that you’ve got me here, what do you want?”
“Join me for a run before you go to work?” Brandy braced her hands against his chest and looked up.
He could get lost in the depth of those mesmerizing emerald eyes. A little sigh escaped his lips…
The breeze teased his long black hair gently across her cheek. She brushed it aside.
He let one arm fall to his side, while a corner of his mouth curved into a quick lopsided grin. “Sure, let’s go. Any particular destination?”
“No, you lead. I’ll keep up.” She stepped over his foot still blocking her path and moved out of reach.
We’ll see. He set the pace faster than a human could manage. She stayed right beside him. As he increased the pace, Brandy struggled a bit but still managed to stay close. What is she? A human couldn’t possibly keep up with him. Yet he didn’t sense anything unusual about her. Nevertheless, he felt relief at the possibility she wasn’t human. This just might work to my advantage.
When they reached the top of Going-to-the-Sun Road, Brandy bent over at the waist, panting and trying to catch her breath. “That was fun,” she huffed out between pants. “How about tomorrow night, same time, same place?” Standing up, she moved her hands to the small of her back and stretched backward, then side to side. “You’re quite the running partner. It’s been a long time since I’ve been physically challenged.”
“Thanks. I aim to please.” He ran a fingertip lightly across her jaw, then let it trail down her throat, coming to rest just above the rise of her breast. “Can’t make it tomorrow evening. One of the guys has laryngitis, and I have to pull a double shift.” Then a grin took over his features. “It’s kinda hard to be a DJ without a voice. Russ covered for him today, and it’s my turn tomorrow night. How about I call you in the next couple of days, and we can get together?”
Patting his arm, she stared at his offending finger and shook her head. “No. I’ll give you a call at the station. See ya.”
Removing his hand, he said, “Wait,” and reached for her arm, but she slid neatly out of his reach.
She ran up the trail in the opposite direction, then called over her shoulder cheerfully, “You’re going to be late if you don’t get moving.”
Chapter Two
Be Careful What You Wish For
A week passed and then two. Brandy still hadn’t called. Perhaps it is for the best. The last thing Stefan needed was a woman complicating his life. But, damn, he missed her.
Without Brandy to disrupt his routine of running the trails after dark, he made it to work on time or early—though he was a bit testy at times.
“Geez, that makes fourteen,” Cody said, putting his paper down, looking over his half-spectacles with an irritating grin as Stefan breezed into the control room.
“Fourteen what?” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he regretted asking.
“That’s fourteen days straight you’ve been over an hour early for work. What’s the matter? The little groupie lose interest?” Cody threw back his head and roared with laughter. Sobering, he pointed to Stefan’s in-basket. “Seriously, Tracy’s got a shitload of production for you. Guess word’s gotten around you don’t have a life.”
Ignoring him, Stefan bit back a snarl, then scowled, checking the schedule and his inbox. Sure enough, there were ten commercial spots and seven public service announcements. Three of them went into rotation right after his shift. “Crap, what’d you do, piss off Tracy so I have to do all the production work?”
“Nope, I had a few of my own. Apparently, the advertisers want your smooth, seductive voice to sell their products. As I understand it, those are all requests for your voice,” Cody said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Stefan said.
“Talent fee, my boy. You’ll be rolling in dough if this keeps up.” Holding up his hand, Cody rubbed his thumb over his other three fingers. “Want me to take an hour of your shift while you produce the ones that run in the morning?”
“No, but thanks.” Stefan grimaced, then sighed. “I’ll get the morning ones done now and finish the rest after my shift. He turned on his heel and strode toward the production booth. Pausing in the doorway, he looked over his shoulder, about to say something. Damn. There she was again, dancing around the fringes of his thoughts at the most inopportune times.
Cody folded the paper he’d been reading, took his spectacles off, and laid them on the counter. “Stefan, are you sure you’re okay? Seems to me you’re mighty down these days even for you.”
Puzzled at his concern, Stefan studied Cody for a moment. “Yeah, just got a lot on my mind.”
Cody looked him straight in the eye, then glanced back at his paperwork. “Nope, I don’t buy that for one minute. Something is eating at ya. Far be it for me to interfere. Better get cracking if you’re gonna get all the morning spots recorded and entered in the computer before I leave. If you want, I’ll upload them as you get them done.”
“Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks!” Stefan sprinted down the hallway to the production booth. He spent an hour recording the spots and returned to the control room. “All done. Now get your ass out of here. Thanks for the help.” Recording the spots helped get his mind off the red-haired woman, though short-lived it would be, he suspected.
“You got it.” Cody walked toward the door a few minutes after midnight, then turned back to Stefan. “Hey, there’s a softball game at six tomorrow night.” He glanced at his watch. “I guess that’s tonight—with the Kalispell jocks from KBBZ. We sure could use some new blood. They got a bunch of younger guys that can really hit. It’s going to be a slaughter. The game’s at Memorial Park across from the high school, if you’re up to it.”
Stefan lifted a brow in disbelief. “Say what? If I’m up to it?”
“Well, what do you know? There’s life in you after all, kid.” Cody leaned against the counter and gave the thumbs up sign. “See ya there?”
“Maybe.” Stefan smiled at the older man. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Cody pumped a fist in the air and closed the door behind him. The blue light flashed on the control room wall. Stefan cursed. Telephone calls already. Still reviewing the night’s schedule, he grabbed for the receiver. It slid out of his hand, bounced on the countertop, then landed with a thud on the floor. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. It would be just his luck for the boss to be on the other end. “Big Fish. What’s your pleasure?”
Her voice flowed like pure silk. “Got any tall, dark, handsome runners available?”
Without missing a beat, Stefan’s voice lowered to a seductive rumble. “That d
epends on what you want him available for.” The knot in his stomach eased a bit, and he grinned like an idiot at the sound of her voice.
“How about a rendezvous by the rock at dusk? Bet I could outrun you tonight.”
At the spur of the moment, he decided to try a new tactic. “That would be great, but I can’t. How about you come watch our station’s softball team get stomped into a dry mud hole at six tonight?”
“Will you be playing?”
“That’s the plan. Supposedly, the Kalispell team is really good and our team, not so much. Afterward, we could go for a run—” he paused for a beat “—if you’re up to it, or anything else you’re game for. You might even stand a chance to keep up with me since I might be worn out from the game.”
“You’re on. Where’s the game?”
“At Memorial Field, across from the high school on Fourth Street. Can I pick you up somewhere?” he asked, hoping to get a little more information about this female who had invaded his life.
“No, I’ll just meet you there around six. See ya then.” She disconnected the call.
Regardless of how much he tried to convince himself she didn’t matter, couldn’t matter, the knot in his gut told him differently. That woman is mine resonated through his head.
Over the six-hour shift, he must have looked at the clock more than a dozen times. Finally, the sun peeked over the horizon and a skinny kid with freckles walked in the control room door. “Good morning.”
Stefan glanced up, raising a sleek black eyebrow. “Morning. Where’s Russ?”
“Had a business meeting. Asked me to cover for a couple hours.”
“Good enough. It’s all yours.” Stefan grabbed his coat and strode out of the control room door.
He meandered the quarter mile between the station and his log cabin. Climbing the three roughhewn stairs leading to the wrap-around porch, he stared down at the half-log steps. I’ve got to replace these before someone trips on them. After examining the steps, he sat down in one of the bright-blue Adirondack chairs to watch the sunrise. Feet propped on the railing, ankles crossed, he settled back in the chair.
The quiet life he’d created didn’t take into account social events with warm-bloods. Nor courting a woman so intriguing that thoughts of her danced around the edges of his mind constantly. The frosty air of the early morning gave way to a crystal-clear view by the time the sun cleared the horizon. A pink glow spread over snow-covered mountains. He loved his little corner of the world.
After a couple hours on the porch, he pushed up from the chair and sauntered into the cabin. Tossing a load of work clothes in the washer, he spent the rest of his day in between loads of laundry and working on the problem areas in his latest song.
Late afternoon, he showered and downed a warmed pint of blood to make sure his thirst was under control before leaving for the game. His gut told him this outing could be a mistake, but like other times in his life, he’d do it anyway.
Arriving at the field half an hour early, he stepped out of his truck and scoped out the area. Russ and Cody were already there along with several other people he knew by face but not by name. Socializing had never been high on his list of priorities. Though his bloodlust was completely under control, staying to himself was a safer option for everyone. Yet here he was testing the boundaries again, and for what? He slammed the truck door and strode across the field. I can do this.
“Hey, you made it,” Cody said, punching a fist in the air. He turned and beamed a look of triumph to the others. “See? I told you he’d come. He’s not antisocial, just likes to keep to himself. Huh, kid?”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.” Shrugging, Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets. Being out in a crowd made him edgy. Though he couldn’t remember the last time he’d fed from a human involuntarily, the bloodlust remained a strong part of him. I’ve endured and inflicted enough violence to last several lifetimes.
The wooden bleachers filled with friends and family of the Whitefish team. Across the field, sitting on blankets and folding chairs, was another group of much younger people. “Are those Kalispell players?” Stefan nodded toward the group, sizing up each person.
“Yep, you can see why I said a slaughter.” Cody laughed. “Now that we’ve got you, they better watch out.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. You haven’t even seen me play.”
“Son, that’s a given.” Cody clasped his shoulder. “Just look at you. A natural born athlete is what you are. Our team is up to bat. Let’s go.”
Stefan raised a dark eyebrow and stared icily at the hand on his shoulder.
Cody quickly removed his hand and tucked it into his pocket.
By the fourth inning, the score tied at two apiece, and Whitefish players had the bases loaded.
“You’re up, kid,” Russ shouted to Stefan.
“Knock ’em in,” Cody bellowed from somewhere behind him.
Stefan walked onto the field and watched the pitcher nod in agreement to whatever signals the catcher was sending. Feet a shoulder-width apart and bat poised in ready position, he watched the ball streak toward him. With a crack, he sent the ball out of the field, making the score six to two. Huh, maybe a little too much effort on my part. Better dial it back next time. Stefan jogged around the bases.
“Wow! Can you pitch as well as you hit?” Russ shouted as Stefan passed third base, headed for home. The Kalispell team was up.
Scanning the bleachers from the sideline, Stefan found Brandy sitting in the front row, clapping and cheering loudly. Something inside him churned uncertainly, a feeling long forgotten. Ignoring it, he smiled and waved to her.
She jumped to her feet, held two thumbs up, and yelled, “Way to go, Stefan!”
Kalispell held to six runs. Whitefish scored eight, winning the game for the first time in several years. Roger, the captain of the visiting team, walked over and shook hands with Russ.
“That’s quite a player you got there. Is he on your staff, a relative, or a ringer?” Roger asked, grinning.
“Stefan, come over here,” Russ called. Stefan strode over to where Russ was standing. He grasped Stefan’s shoulder. “This is Roger, the program director for KBBZ. Stefan does overnights.”
Roger clasped his hand in a friendly handshake. “You cold, kid? I’d think you’d be burning up the way you played.”
“Oh, my hands are always cold.” He slid them in his pockets. “It’s nice to meet you, Roger. Better luck next time.”
Roger cocked his head, apparently listening to the timbre of Stefan’s voice as he talked.
Checking to see if he was a ringer or actually worked at the station, Stefan surmised.
Satisfied, Roger grinned. “If you’re still playing for them next year, our team will have to actually practice. It was a pleasure.” Roger paused for a beat, then shrugged. “Any chance you’d consider coming to work for KBBZ?” He laughed, but the look on his face was half-serious.
Russ frowned. “What the hell are you doing, Roger?”
A flush creeped across Roger’s cheeks. He cleared his throat. “Only kidding. Don’t get your feathers all ruffled.”
Stefan watched the uncomfortable banter. Politics no different than…“Nope, I’m happy here. Thanks for the offer.” Stefan nodded to Russ and jogged off the field to the bleachers where Brandy was waiting.
As he came around the fence, she bounced on her toes, and rushed over. “You were fantastic tonight. Seems you are a man of many talents,” Brandy said, batting her long red lashes at him.
“There are lots of things you don’t know about me,” Stefan said flatly, scenting the adrenaline in her system as her nerves ratcheted up a notch. Her excitement made her blood so much more enticing. Adrenaline-laced blood is delicious. His position with the Vampire Council had provided many opportunities for such blood.
“That makes you all the more intriguing, doesn’t it?” She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes, her heart gal
loping inside her chest.
Her heartbeat was the last thing he needed to hear.
Russ strolled up to join them. “Wow, what a game. Great job, Stefan. You’ll be a regular player on our team from now on, right?”
Cody chimed in, “Damn right, huh, Stefan?”
“Maybe.” He slung his arm around Brandy’s shoulders as she tightened her grip on his waist. “Brandy, this is Cody, a jock at the station, and Russ is the station manager. Gentlemen, this is Brandy.”
Cody and Russ said in unison, “Nice to meet you, Brandy!” Then grinned at each other and laughed at their timing.
Giving a quick nod toward Brandy, Cody asked, “Is she the reason for your sunny disposition today?” Then he turned his attention to Brandy. “You been MIA for the last couple of weeks?”
Brandy hesitated, glancing up at Stefan. “Aye, working a lot of hours. By the time I get home, grab a bite to eat, I fall into bed. Why?”
“Stefan can be antisocial, but recently, he’s been downright difficult. We didn’t get too close, afraid he’d bite our heads off for no reason. His mood ranged from sullen to downright foul. Okay, not that bad, but we’d appreciate a warning next time you’re going to pull a disappearing act.”
“Shut up, Cody, or I’ll show you foul,” Stefan snarled, taking a menacing step toward Cody.
Brandy giggled, leaned over, and whispered in Cody’s ear, then snuggled into Stefan’s shoulder.
The last thing Stefan needed was her warm body crushed against his, heating up more than just his skin. Oh, hell, who am I kidding? I like the feel of her warm body. Stefan wrapped his arm around her waist and maneuvered her away from the group toward the secluded tree line.
She tilted her face up, bringing her mouth just a breath away from his. “Still wanna run?” She leaned closer and brushed her lips lightly against his throat.
Her neck was bared, blood pulsing through her veins, so close, so fragrant. His fangs started to unsheathe. His claws poked at his fingertips while thirst burned in his throat like wildfire.