by Lola Kidd
“Pearl?” Kelly was looking at her. “Earth to Pearl? Do you want to call Mom before we get food?”
“Oh yeah, good idea.” Thinking about his rock-hard body was throwing her off even more. How long had it been since she’d been with a man? Too long. It had been way too long. She needed to keep her thoughts off his good looks so she could focus.
She took out her phone and FaceTimed with her Mom. George was doing fine. He even recognized her over the phone. It hurt her heart a little to see him and not be able to hold him, but it was fine. It was going to be fine.
She was going to get through this weekend and she was going to thrive. She repeated her mantra to herself a few times. Everything is fine, I’m fine. Nothing is going to go wrong.
Just seeing Nick again wasn’t anything bad, she reminded herself as she and Kelly walked to the front of the restaurant. She could be making a mountain out of a molehill. All of this could be a great thing and not a disaster at all.
He was already waiting for them and stood to greet them.
“Thanks for letting me take you ladies out. You really are doing me a favor. With how packed it is this weekend, I would have ended up eating alone in my room instead of enjoying company for the night.”
Kelly nudged her shoulder. “So you’re in town all alone?”
Nick nodded. “As always. You guys want to get a booth or a table?”
“Booth.” Pearl said. She managed to look up briefly and lock eyes with him. The fire in those eyes made her turn away. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he was thinking.
He held open the door for them and asked the host for a booth. There was only a ten-minute wait surprisingly. As they waited, more people filed in at a steady clip.
“Whoa,” Nick said. “We got lucky. Just missed the rush.”
Their names were called and they went to the booth.
“What are you in town for?” Kelly asked as they perused the menu.
“I’m working security for the beauty pageant.”
Pearl choked on her water and nearly coughed up a lung before she could speak. “You didn’t say you worked for the pageant.”
“I don’t think I mentioned my job at all,” Nick said smoothly. “But I don’t like talking about it too much.”
“Ashamed at how much you like being at the pageants?” Kelly joked.
Nick chuckled. “I actually don’t care for the pageants too much. It can get taxing being around the children all day.”
Pearl sucked in a breath. He didn’t like kids. He didn’t even like kids. There was no way she could tell him about George now. That made this all very easy for her, but it made her heart hurt.
She took another drink of water to disguise her shock. “You know Kelly and I work at the pageants too.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “We do hair and makeup for contestants.”
“Wow. That’s really cool. Is that your only job?”
Kelly nodded proudly. “It is. We’re pretty in-demand. My sister really knows her way around a hairpiece and I can do makeup in my sleep. We kind of stumbled into it, but we really love it.”
“Wow, any beauty tips for me?” he joked. “Seriously, that’s the coolest job I’ve heard of in a while. I always wondered how those kids got their spiffy looks.”
Pearl snorted. “Spiffy? Come on. More like glamorous, breathtaking, beautiful.”
“The makeup and hair is pretty, but I think it’s a little grown up.” He put up his hands. “No offense. I do like it; I just couldn’t imagine letting my little girl do one of these. Seems to take the fun out of being a kid. I wish they had at least one part of the pageant that was more natural. That would go a long way for me.”
Kelly nodded. “You know, I can see where you’re coming from. Even though my job depends on the glam, I do like the natural pageants too. And they do have those by the way. They aren’t as popular, but they exist. Not sure if they have those that are mixed though.”
“This is why I say you should diversify into coaching,” Pearl pointed out. “Our business is going to boom once she listens to me. My sister knows everything about pageants and how to win them.”
“You’re being too kind. And we will for sure be doing coaching in the future. Just need to get the business on more regular hours.”
Kelly gave Pearl a look. Of course. When she’d first brought up coaching it was just before she got pregnant. There was no way Kelly could have expanded the business anytime in the last few months.
“Is there anything for little boys?” Nick asked. “I’ve only ever seen a handful of boys. Are there a pageants just for boys?”
“Nope,” Kelly sighed. “How I wish there were. I would love to be able to get my nephew into it.”
“Oh that’s nice. I wish I had a little niece or nephew to get into the things I like,” Nick said. “How old is he?”
Pearl held her breath. She could see Kelly’s face fall, but all wasn’t lost yet. Nick wasn’t putting two and two together. He had no idea how many siblings they had or what their life looked like. There was no reason this was going to blow her cover.
“He’s fifteen months.”
Nick nodded. “That’s a great age.”
“I thought you didn’t like kids.” Pearl said. “You said being around the kids is draining.”
“They hop those kids up on candy and soda to get them to perform. You know how it is. I love kids any other time. Honestly, I wish I had some of my own. Being a shifter and all, I don’t want to just have kids willy-nilly. I only want kids with my mate, and so far I haven’t had the best luck locking her down. But maybe things are going to change.”
He was looking at her. Like right at her as he spoke about his mate. It sent shivers down her spine. She broke his gaze. “That’s sweet. Lucky woman whoever she is, I’m sure.”
“I think I’ll be the lucky one if I can convince her to be with me.”
She didn’t have to look up to know that he was still looking at her. Kelly kicked her foot under the table.
He couldn’t be talking about her. It was a line he used on all the girls. Talked about finding his mate to get their hopes up. She bet it worked too. Not that he needed any tricks. He was handsome enough to just ask and women would fall at this feet.
Mate. She couldn’t be that to him. They barely knew each other.
Chapter Five
“I have a phone call to make,” Kelly said. “You guys can meet me outside once the bill is squared up. Thanks for a great meal and wonderful company, Nick.”
She popped up and briskly walked away from the table before he could say goodbye. He almost breathed a sigh of relief now that he had a moment alone with Pearl, but he knew it would be a premature victory. The dinner had been great and he’d found out more about both women, but Pearl was being cagey.
There was something she was hiding. Or maybe she was trying to get him off her back. Maybe she wanted nothing to do with him. That was a painful thought, but he couldn’t let it get to him.
Even if she wanted nothing to do with him, he was going to convince her to give him another chance. There was no reason for her to be so standoffish. They had parted on good terms. They had both known what was up the night they shared together. They’d both had fun.
Maybe she didn’t want her sister to know that she’d had a one-night stand? It wasn’t like Kelly was interested in him at all. She’d been trying to set them up for the entirety of the meal. It was painfully obvious, but Pearl wasn’t playing along.
“So, long time no see,” Nick said as soon as Kelly was out of earshot. No need to pretend like they didn’t recognize each other.
Pearl grimaced and tried to turn her frown into a smile. It didn’t work. “Yes. I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Really? Was it so bad? Your sister isn’t here. It’s just you and me. And truth be told, I’d love to do a repeat, or if that’s not cool with you, I’d be down for a repeat of dinner. Except you and me. Just
us. Like a date. I’d love to take you out on a date.”
Oh my God. What the fuck was wrong with him? That didn’t just really happen. He hadn’t just word-vomited his way into asking his potential mate out. He was so, so very much better than this. He was aloof. He was cool, calm, and collected. He was not this guy. What the fuck?!
She raised an eyebrow. “You what?”
“A date. I’d like to take you out on a date. Come on, what do you have to lose? One little date. You’ve already sampled the merchandise and you know I’m worth it.”
He was coming off sleazier than he wanted to sound, but whatever. He was winging it and painfully off his game.
Pearl shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? Seriously? You’re only in town for a few days. If you hate me, you’ll never have to see me again.” That wasn’t going to happen. He would make sure of it. No way was he going to mess it up again.
“I’m not really looking for a serious relationship right now. I have a lot on my plate.”
“Drinks?” he asked desperately. “Drinks tonight. My treat of course. There’s a quiet place we can go and talk. More of a lounge than a bar. It’s pretty upscale for Celebration.”
She wrinkled her nose and looked away. Her shoulders drew up around her neck. He was grossing her out. From the look on her face, the thought of going out with him was the equivalent of smelling dog shit.
“Okay,” she said finally. He couldn’t believe his ears. He had to be imagining it, but her lips were moving. He had actually heard her speak. “But I will not be going back to your room with you this time.”
“Wouldn’t even think of it.” Of course he had, but it didn’t have to happen. As badly as he wanted her, he could wait a little longer to have her again. He motioned for the waitress to bring the bill. “We can leave now if you’re ready.”
Once he’d paid and left a very generous tip, they left the restaurant together. He was strutting out of the place. He was on top of the world. He was with his mate and he was going to make this happen. It was go time.
Kelly wasn’t outside, but a moment after they walked out the front door, she pulled up in the car. Pearl went over to talk to her. He wondered if Kelly would remember that the last time they’d been in town, her sister had stayed with a man. It was bringing back deja vu for him.
The car pulled away and Kelly waved and smiled at him as she passed. He waved back and suddenly felt very nervous. This was actually happening. Even as ridiculous as he’d been, he was getting a chance at his mate. He was actually going to be able to win her love.
He was getting ahead of himself. She’d only agreed to a dinner but really, that’s what he was going to do. He loved her. He did. She was his mate and there was no denying it anymore. He needed to get her to love him too. And she would if she gave him a chance. He just had to calm down and not say anything too stupid.
They walked to his car without saying a word. He was still trying to calm his nerves and she seemed deep in thought. He didn’t realize going to grab a late drink with him was such a moral quandary for her.
“I’m guessing you don’t do this often,” he joked, referencing her words from their first encounter.
“I really don’t. I can’t think of the last time I’ve been on a date.”
“Really? But you’re… well, you’re gorgeous. I know that doesn’t guarantee dates, but I find it hard to believe that not a single man has tried.”
“Thank you. Things are busy at home and I never seem to find the time for myself.”
“All the better you’re coming out with me then. Even though it’s a working vacation, you’re still in Celebration. You can’t come here and not have a little fun.”
She nodded. “I’ve never had a bad time when I’m here. Sometimes a little bored but never a bad time.”
He couldn’t say anything nice about the town. It wasn’t his favorite place on Earth. “So you’ve been out of the dating game, but are you open to the idea of dating?”
“You are really on this dating thing,” she chuckled. “I don’t know. Maybe. I guess if the right person came along I’d be okay with trying it. It’s just really hard being a single...a single business owner and all. I don’t have much time to give to someone and my schedule is all over the place. I feel bad that I can’t be more all-in. You know?”
He nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I don’t have a home base so it can be hard to date anyone. I don’t think I’ve dated in more than a decade. Not seriously anyway.”
It was much, much longer than that. But she didn’t need to know exactly how long he’d been single. If she knew it was more than twenty years, more than thirty, it would probably freak her out. She would think something was wrong with him. He didn’t want to scare her away since she was already a little skittish. He needed this to work. He had no idea what would happen to his animal if he didn’t make this stick.
“So you just do one-night stands?”
He looked at her sharply, but she was smiling. It was a joke. He laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, that’s kind of all I have time for. I mean, I don’t have a home. Kind of hard to have a full-time girl when you live like a hobo.”
“You could do long-distance? Then eventually move in with her. She could be your home base.”
“That could work, I guess. But first I’d have to find my person.”
He didn’t look at her as he spoke, afraid his eyes would reveal all the words he was hiding in his soul. She was his person. She was going to be his home base. And every day he would come home to her and their cubs. That was going to be his life. It had to be.
“But I also won’t be doing this whole travel thing for much longer,” he said deftly, changing the subject. “Like I said, I want to settle down and live in one spot.”
“Any preference on the spot?”
“Not really. I can be anywhere my mate is. I’ve been all over this country and there isn’t a single place that doesn’t have some beauty to it. Have you traveled much?”
She nodded. “I used to. Our business takes us to wherever the pageants are. But now with the baby I haven’t been able to get out as much. I haven’t been to an away-pageant in almost two years.”
The hairs on Nick’s arms stood up. “The baby? Do you have a baby?”
Her face flushed red. “That’s what I call my puppy. He’s my little man. I know, laugh all you want. I’m one of those lame people who treats their dog like he’s their child.”
“What’s his name? Can I see a picture? I love dogs. If I didn’t travel so much, I’d totally get one.”
He hoped his voice sounded calm. His chest was tight and his breathing was shallow. He hoped he wasn’t going to have a heart attack.
She said baby. Like a human baby. At the table, her sister had mentioned a nephew.
Did Pearl have a little boy? And if she did, why was she keeping it a secret? It didn’t matter if she was a single mom for one-night stands. There was no reason she would have mentioned it to him. But what if she was married with children?
If she already belonged to someone else, then this was all a waste of time. He didn’t mind being a stepdad, but he couldn’t be a homewrecker. He may as well drop her off at her hotel, drive to the ocean, and walk in. This night was turning into a complete disaster just when he thought it was all going to turn out in his favor.
Chapter Six
Pearl’s mind was spinning. She was desperately trying to think of something to say to get him off her case. They were in the parking lot of the bar now. She looked at him and dove across the seats. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him passionately and deeply. This was sure to shake him up a bit. Get his mind on something else.
But as much as she hated to admit it, it wasn’t all for distraction.
The moment her lips touched his, she remembered the feeling of his hands on her body. The night they shared had easily been the best sex of her life, and it was impossible to forget.
She liked to think it was because it was novel. But kissing him now, she knew it was because he was skilled and they had chemistry. They matched. Their bodies fit together oh so perfectly.
When she pulled back from the kiss, his eyes were still closed. He bit his bottom lip and then opened them slowly.
Screw it.
She gave him her best bedroom eyes and lowered her voice. “Want to skip drinks and head back to your hotel room for a redo?”
He took a deep shaky breath. “I would fucking love that. But something tells me that I’ve just stumbled onto something even more important than getting you in my bed for a second time.”
She put her hand on his thigh and gave it a little squeeze. “You’re seriously turning me down?”
“I just want to see a picture of that puppy you love so much.”
His hard cock was almost touching her hand. He really wanted to get some alone time with her. She didn’t know how he was able to control himself and tell her no.
She wanted this. More than anything in this second, she wanted him. Just to feel him inside her again. Her lust had taken over and driven all logical thought from her mind. She knew afterward she would still have to deal with this mess. But at least then she would be able to think clearly.
Was there any way to turn back time and suggest this before they even left the restaurant? This would have been the start of such a fun night instead of the dumpster fire it was about to become.
And it was her stupid fault. She had spilled the beans. She hadn’t had an adult conversation with people outside her family in so long, she had slipped up.
“Fine. Fine.” It was no use trying to deny it anymore. Whatever was going to happen was going to be. She took out her phone and pulled up a picture of her and George. “Not a puppy obviously.”
He snatched the phone out of her hand. He zoomed in George’s face. “His eyes. His eyes...”
“Just like his father’s,” she said softly.
Nick looked at her, his eyes shining. “Mine. Is he my son?”