Tall, Dark and Panther

by Milly Taiden

  “You look so happy to be here,” she joked.

  “I hate crowds,” he said, guiding her toward an opening between the people and a man standing by the stage.

  “Noah!” The short, bald man slapped a hand to his chest. “I swear to god if you do that shit to me again, I’ll stop being your agent. What’s wrong with you? Telling me you weren’t coming. Do you know how many Tums I had to take to calm down the ulcer I got from worrying over your too-sexy ass?”

  Maya’s brows rose, and she couldn’t help but smile. The smaller man waved a hand over his face like a fan. She bit back a giggle and cleared her throat.

  “Stop the drama, Claude. This is Maya. She’s your priority while I’m on stage. Do you understand?” he asked, his tone soft and deadly.

  Maya slowly glanced up to look at Noah’s face, expecting him to smile to take the harshness out of his words.

  “Aye, aye, captain.” Claude grinned, offering Maya his hand to shake. “Hello, darling. Aren’t you just so cute?”

  Alrighty then. She shook his hand and glanced around. “I’m guessing tonight is a big deal?”

  Claude’s eyes went saucer-wide. “Oh, honey. He’s the big deal. Noah.”

  “Shut it, Claude.”

  “Let me tell you…,” Claude went on as if Noah hadn’t spoken. “He is a master designer. Comes up with the most amazing concepts. This one we’re unveiling today?” Claude brought his hand to his mouth and made a kiss noise. “A pure masterpiece. Wait and see.”

  She glanced at Noah, noticing the flush across his cheeks. He was embarrassed over Claude talking him up.

  “He exaggerates.”

  “Not even a little.” Claude sighed. “Noah, go on up on stage. They’ve got to set you up with what you need to do. I’ll watch your precious.”

  Noah brought his head down to Maya’s cheek and kissed her at the same time, whispering softly, “I’ll be back soon.”

  She nodded and watched him walk away, her heart filling with more love for him. She’d decided she wanted him to wear a tux forever. It was one of those things she realized made him look fricking delicious.

  “So, you’re the first woman he’s ever brought to one of these,” Claude said, ushering her to one of the front tables straight across from the stage. “He usually just brings Gerri, but she was out of town today.”

  She sat down, her gaze searching for Noah on the stage. He was ruffling through papers with a deep frown. “Gerri couldn’t make it?”

  “I’m sure she would have changed her plans to come if he had mentioned it to her, but he refused. Said he wasn’t coming today. I almost had a mild heart attack thinking about how I would explain that the man everyone was here for…wasn’t here.”

  “What’s so special about this game?” she asked, taking the champagne flute he grabbed from a passing waiter.

  “This game is amazing. It’s really one of a kind. He has given people with disabilities a way to feel like they’re inside the game, living it.”

  “Like virtual reality?”

  He nodded excitedly. “Not just virtual reality. He created a regular video game for them to play. He’s given them something just for them. I am amazed with the outcome.”

  The lights flashed a few times, and everyone started taking their seats. Moments later, the place sat in expectant silence as the lights dimmed.

  “Watch this,” Claude gushed excitedly.

  A giant screen beside Noah turned on, and the previews for the new game came on. At first, since it was a first-person game, she couldn’t tell much, and it was hard to get a grasp of what was happening. But pretty soon it became evident. The video turned into a split-screen showing the game being played by a boy in a wheelchair. She gasped. The teenager handled the main character in the game through motion sensors and a head piece that appeared to transmit his thoughts into motions and action. The video changed to show the same boy using a regular controller to play the game with his hands.

  The video feed stopped, and a light shone at the podium. The crowd stood, clapping excitedly for Noah. He gave a brief smile, his gaze scanning the crowd until he found Maya. Then, his smile turned wider, and her heart melted for him.

  “Thank you for coming this evening. I only have a few things I want to say. I met Josh Lewis a year ago. In the time I’ve known him, he’s taught me that your choices determine the kind of person you are. Josh inspired this new gaming system. He is Forsaken Warrior.”

  A second round of applause, much louder and with some whistles thrown in, shook the room.

  “Thank you for being here to debut Forsaken Warrior. And thank you for spreading the word about it. And now, I’d like to introduce to you all: Josh Lewis.”

  The boy in the video rolled onto the stage in is wheelchair. He stopped next to Noah and smiled at him, his face bright with excitement.

  They left the stage to applause and cheers. She had no idea this kind of stuff happened with video games, but she was so proud and happy for him. The smile on her face grew wider by the second. Not to mention the flutters in her chest for such a wonderful man. He’d gone and done something no other human she knew ever had. He’d focused on someone besides himself.

  When he returned to the table, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.

  “Damn, Noah. I’m supposed to be the one the chicks go crazy for, dude,” said Josh. “I hope she’s got a sister.”

  Maya pressed a second kiss on Noah’s lips and pulled back, her laughter untamable. “I do have a sister, but I don’t think she’d be anyone’s type.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

  “If you like women who sport a stick up their behind, she’s all yours.”

  Josh stared at her with wide eyes before breaking into loud laughter. “Dude! Your girl is hilarious.”

  Noah smiled at her. “She’s amazing.”

  Her chest constricted from happiness. Goodness, she loved this man more than she could have imagined. He was kind, sweet, and caring. If that wasn’t enough, he was genuine in his concern for others, and he was fucking amazing in bed. Ah-mazing.

  They sat down to dinner. She took the time to watch Noah interact with Josh. It was like night and day. He’d lost the serious face and turned into a listener and a talker with the boy. He encouraged the kid to create his own games and said he’d happily help Josh market them.

  “Claude is really good at getting people to buy my stuff.”

  Claude snorted and picked up his champagne. “It’s pretty simple when you have such an amazing product. Just wait until they see the one you’ve got coming.”

  She leaned into Noah’s chest, enjoying just being there, cradled by his arm.

  “Have you seen the new game, Maya?” Josh asked, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

  “I haven’t. What’s it about?”

  “Oh, it is amazing,” Josh gushed. “It’s called Shifter Warrior.”

  She nodded, glancing at Noah from the corner of her eye. “Let me guess. Does the warrior change into animals?”

  “A panther!” Josh exclaimed. “How frickin’ cool is that?”

  “That’s pretty amazing.” She smiled. “I bet it’s going to sell like hotcakes.”

  Claude lifted his glass up and smiled. “Let’s all salute Forsaken Warrior and Noah for his amazing imagination.”

  She clinked her champagne glass with his and drank, the entire time staring deep into his eyes. Later, when she got him naked, she’d show him just how special he truly was.

  FIFTEEN

  Noah waved goodbye to Claude and Josh as he got into the limo with Maya. He was glad she’d had a good time. Plus, he’d felt good having her by his side during this launch. Usually, he didn’t care so much, but this game and system had been targeted toward people with disabilities. It was a risk he’d taken to develop something new.

  “How did you meet Josh?” Maya asked, leaning into his side and laying her head on his shoulder.

  “I signed up to be a mentor at
the local hospital.”

  She glanced up at him, her eyes filled with awe and admiration. “Really? That’s...amazing. You are such an incredible man.”

  He barked a laugh. “I’m not special. I wanted to give someone else the hope Gerri and her husband gave me when I didn’t have it.”

  “So you met Josh at the hospital?”

  “Yeah. He’d been in a car accident. His older brother had been driving, and he died on impact. Josh survived but has problems walking. He’ll need more surgery, but it’s not a guarantee.” He let out a breath and pulled her closer into his arms. She pressed her curves into his side. He loved it, loved having her near him, filling his lungs with her scent. Even his panther relaxed knowing she was fine and with him.

  “That’s so sad.”

  “His parents were at a loss. They didn’t know how to reach him. He had withdrawn. His brother was his best friend. So they signed him up to be mentored, hoping that in time, he’d find happiness in life again.”

  “I can see you’ve done miracles.” She kissed his chin and laid her head on his shoulder again.

  “No. All I did was talk to him. Sometimes parents are too caught up in their own problems and issues that they don’t listen to their kids. Josh only wanted to be heard. He wanted to grieve for his brother, but his parents were being reminded of their lost son. It created a cold void between them and Josh.”

  “Are they doing any better now?” She glanced up at his face again, her eyes filled with worry and unease.

  “Yes. Once I spoke to them and he was allowed to do something in his brother’s memory, things got better for the family.”

  A joyful smile spread over her lips. “I told you. You are a miracle worker.”

  “No way, babe. I just listen. I’m good at that.” Right now, her body told him she was relaxed and happy, exactly how he wanted her to be. He’d seen her stressed out and distant and was glad she wasn’t pushing him away any longer.

  * * *

  It was time to meet her family. Noah didn’t usually give a shit what anyone thought of him, but this was Maya. He wanted those she loved to get along with him. He’d do his best to make a good impression.

  Their drive out to the farm was quiet. He could tell she was tense. He didn’t know if it was because she was nervous over him meeting them or them meeting him.

  “My family is weird,” she blurted out.

  He turned to face her. She gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white.

  “Families usually are.” Not that he had much experience with them, since he had been abandoned by his own and kept to himself even when Gerri tried to pull him out of his shell. Not that it was new. Panthers were solitary creatures. Unless he was around Maya, he didn’t really like being around people. She was different. She calmed the restlessness inside him.

  “Not like mine. My mother and sisters are not like normal people. One of my sisters I barely see since she got married as a teenager. She lives in another state, but her son emails and messages me a lot.”

  “Is that the nephew that likes video games?”

  She nodded, a smile softening her features. “He loves them. He’s come to visit me a few times. I have seen more of him in the past ten years than I have his mother.”

  Ouch. That didn’t sound like a nice sibling relationship. “And your other sister?”

  “She’s the one who has a boyfriend that swears she needs to look how he wants. And mother? That’s another story. She thinks I’m unhappy with my body and that’s why I won’t commit to a man.”

  “That’s not the case, is it?” He knew it wasn’t. In the past few weeks, one of the things he’d noticed about Maya was that she was comfortable in her own skin. She dressed for herself, always wearing what she liked. Whether it was a pair of shorts or a dress, she looked beautiful and radiant because he saw she felt that way.

  “No way! I’ve got curves, and I’m proud of them. Besides, my body has nothing to do with the fact that I hadn’t found a man worth my time. It seems…,” She gave him a side-eyed glance with a grin, “…my luck has changed.”

  He noticed she said “hadn’t found a man,” which made him wonder if she finally saw him in a new light, a long-term commitment light.

  They got to the farm when the sun started to drop in the sky. A chill from the wind swooshed around them as they left the car.

  She came around and grabbed his hand, her gaze filled with insecurity. “Whatever they tell you, just know they don’t know me like they think they do.”

  Interesting. He squeezed her cold hand and marched up the steps of the house with her.

  “Mami?” she called out. “I’m here.”

  An older woman with short, curly hair and mocha skin, darker than Maya’s, strolled out of the kitchen wiping her hands with a towel. “Hi, mi hija.” The woman smiled at Maya and then at Noah with unfeigned interest. “Hello.”

  “Ma, this is Noah. Noah, this is my mother, Luisa.”

  “Hello,” he said, offering the woman a hand. Luisa frowned but shook his hand. He noticed a slight coldness entering her eyes.

  “Is this a friend of yours?” Luisa asked Maya.

  Maya glanced up at him and grinned. “Noah is an amazing video game designer. You’d be amazed at the stuff he creates. He’s got quite an imagination.”

  He noticed she didn’t answer the friend question, which made him a bit uneasy. Maybe she hadn’t changed her mind about where their relationship was going.

  “Well, hello there,” a second woman greeted him from their right. “Who is this?”

  Maya’s smile slipped off her face, and she sighed. “This is Noah. Noah, this is my sister Linda.”

  “Nice to meet you, Linda.” He shook her offered hand.

  Her lips tipped up, a hint of flirtation in her smile. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  “Maya, come help me in the kitchen,” her mother said. “Linda will watch Noah for a few minutes.”

  He didn’t like how she ordered Maya with that brusque tone, like she was angry at her over something.

  “Let me wash my hands in the ladies room. I’ll be there in a second.” Maya turned to Noah. “You can sit at the breakfast table in the kitchen if you want to come with us.”

  He nodded, happy she’d given him the option to stay close to her. He didn’t like the idea of being too far apart. His panther certainly didn’t like her mother or sister. They were too cold toward Maya.

  Once she was gone, her mother’s pleasant smile dropped.

  “I heard about you,” she said, her voice a soft hiss. “You’re one of those animal people.”

  “Is he, mom?” Linda asked, her eyes wide with interest.

  “Yes. I don’t want you in my house,” Luisa said. “Get out. Leave my daughter alone. She has enough of a hard time finding a man without your kind going near her. What kind of reputation do you think she’s going to get?”

  Noah’s panther roared. He wanted to argue with the older woman, but he’d known that some humans had reservations and even dislike toward shifters. He couldn’t fight that, so he did as she asked and left. He was a few feet from the car when the front door slammed opened and Maya came rushing out.

  “What are you doing, Maya?” Her mother yelled at her back.

  “You are unbelievable, ma!” She ran to stand beside Noah, folding her hand over his. “This is the first nice man I’ve met in my entire life, and you try run him off?”

  Luisa and Linda stood by the entrance to the house, glaring at them. “He is an animal.”

  “No, mother, he’s not.” She squeezed his hand, and he sensed her anger and hurt at her mother’s words. “He’s a shifter. There is a difference. Bud and the assholes I dated before were the animals.”

  He heard the pain in her voice as she spoke. His panther pushed under the skin, wanting out, but he reined it back. He hated that Maya’s own family was making her feel pain, but he knew his interference wasn’t needed.

  “
You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Linda gave a snort of derision. “You still can’t figure out what makes you happy.”

  Maya’s anger pushed outward and almost blindsided him. “I know what I want. To be happy. To be loved for who I am.” She took a step toward her family but stopped. “Neither one of you has ever made me feel good about being me. Ever. You think that I should settle for what men want to give me and not what I deserve. Fuck that.”

  “Maya!” Luisa gasped. “Watch your language.”

  “No. I won’t be quiet and be made feel like a loser this time. I have always loved both of you hard. You’re my only family. Do you ever wonder why your other daughter never talks to us, mom? I do.”

  He mother’s features turned tight with fury. “Your sister made her bed. Let her lie in it. She made the mistake of running off with some loser when she was a teenager, and I won’t tolerate that. I wasn’t going to allow her back in my house. No way.”

  “That’s so sad. She’s your daughter.” Maya shook her head and glanced at Noah, her eyes filled with pain. “I’m sorry you had to see this.”

  “You are apologizing to him?” Luisa gasped. “What about me?”

  “I think you’re the one who needs to apologize to us, mom. You disrespected a good man. A man I love. One I’d give anything to spend the rest of my life with. You pushed me away with years of insensitivity. Both of you. I’m sorry I ever brought him, not because his species offends you, but because your inhumanity offends me.”

  She turned away from them and headed for the passenger side, handing him the keys. “You drive.”

  Noah helped her into the car and gave her family a final glare when they continued calling out to Maya. He bared his teeth, showing the fangs, and allowed the panther to rise to the surface long enough to shut them up.

  He drove them away from the farm, not saying a word but quietly enjoying the replay of what she’d said. Not only did she say she loved him, something he hadn’t expected, but she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. And she’d come to his defense. Aside from Gerri, no one had ever done that. Women liked him for his money or his body. Normally, he didn’t allow any of them to control his emotions, but this was new. This was different. Maya, with her gorgeous smile and honest eyes, had opened up doors in his heart he hadn’t thought existed.