Summer Shifter Days

by V. Vaughn

  “Me too.” His brow knits as he lets out a sexy noise. “I’m not going to be able to concentrate now, and it’s all your fault.”

  I grin at him as he backs away toward the door. “I’m happy to hear that.”

  Alexander chuckles before he turns to leave. I let out a big sigh before I grab my new e-reader to get to work. I may not be able to leave the new world I’ve been brought into, but I’m going to make the best of it. The slickness between my thighs as I walk makes me think I’m off to a good start.

  7

  I go to my room to spend the rest of my day reading. A washcloth is rough on my skin as I wash up, and when I slither into a soft T-shirt, I rub the soreness at my hips from being slammed against the edge of a desk. A tiny aftershock trembles in my core. My god. I’m living a romance novel.

  I hug myself as a smile covers my face, and I walk out to my sitting area to research how to get Kitty Kane’s book on my e-reader. Keys click on my laptop as I search, and I find the process is straightforward. The plush cushions of the couch hug my legs as I sink into them and open up the first book.

  I notice right away the tone of the stories is different. The brothers changed the writing style so that I feel as if I’m living it, and I am immediately sucked into a young woman’s life in Boston, where she’s drawn to the two wealthy lawyers she works for. I burst out laughing when the first sex scene is the heroine, wearing a pencil skirt, bent over a desk. I have no doubt Alexander chose that position for me earlier on purpose.

  At lunchtime, I take a break to eat. Bertha made me a salad, and the bowl is cold on my fingers when I remove it from the fridge. As I put a bite of egg in my mouth, I glance around the artificially lit kitchen. I notice it doesn’t feel like a prison today, and I think it’s because of my new relationship with Alexander.

  I turn to the sound of footsteps and see my sexy man walking toward me, and I say, “I was just thinking about you.”

  He grins. “Yeah?” He moves to stand across the counter from me.

  I think about how he and Sebastian both left this morning and I ask, “How do you guys go to meetings in daylight?”

  “Tinted windows.”

  I frown because he still has to get to and from the car. “I don’t understand. Your garage isn’t attached to the house. And how do you walk from the car to your meeting?”

  “We had a tunnel built to get to the garage and own an office building with a parking garage underground.” He keeps glancing at my lunch as he shifts from foot to foot.

  I nod, but my curiosity isn’t satisfied, because now I want to know who they’re meeting with. I don’t get a chance to ask because Alexander says, “Would you please focus on eating?”

  “Why? What are you so jumpy about?”

  “I have something to show you.”

  His fingers drum on the counter, and I’m afraid he might explode with his excitement, so I decide I can finish my lunch later. “I’m done.”

  “Finally. C’mon.”

  I don’t take the time to put plastic wrap over my dish, and I stick it in the fridge before we leave. I nearly have to jog to keep up with him as he leads me down the hall toward the ballroom, but when we get there, he turns to the right and pushes on what I thought was a wall. A secret door creaks open, and cool air blasts at us as he enters into darkness. A light switch flips to cast a faint yellow glow over a staircase. I’m reminded of horror movies where the heroine walks toward evil she refuses to see, and I’m glad Alexander goes first.

  The sound of our feet on stone steps echoes off the walls, and I wonder when this tunnel was built. The damp air smells like the briny remnants of low tide, and I hope it doesn’t suddenly flood. We walk through a long hallway that appears as if it should have candle sconces flickering instead of the bare bulbs. I place us under the lawn between the house and the garage, and my imagination makes me wonder if there are coffins containing ancient vampires sleeping in a dark dungeon down here. When we get to another staircase, I’m relieved to climb up to be above ground again.

  At the door, Alexander turns to look at me, and his eyes twinkle. “I hope you love what I picked out for you.” He throws open the door to the garage. Bright fluorescent lights illuminate an expansive space with multiple cars, but the one I focus on is a black sports car right before me. “No way,” I say as I approach it.

  “It’s an Alfa Romeo Spider. Six-speed automatic-manual twin-clutch transmission, which means you can shift if you want to. Do you know how to drive standard?”

  He doesn’t wait for me to answer as he rattles off more specs, and I don’t listen. The metal of the fender is smooth under my fingers as I drag them along the sides. It’s the sexiest car I’ve ever seen, and I have to pull my jaw up off the floor to ask, “Can I drive it?”

  Alexander rushes over, and the door clicks open when he pulls on it. “Of course! This is your new car.”

  I nod as I gaze at the rich black leather interior. I lower myself into the seat and stare at the instrument panel before me. “Oh my god.” I glance up at Alexander. “This is like a dream. I—” I shake my head because I can’t even fathom how much money this must have cost. “You don’t think this is too much for me?”

  “What? Of course not, Maggie.” He scans my body with his gaze as his grin widens. “I was going to get red, but it wouldn’t do with your hair. You’re going to turn heads in this car.” He steps back and hits a button on the wall. The garage door groans open as he says, “The tank is full. There’s money in the glove compartment as well as a copy of your license. Take it out for a drive, get an ice cream, cruise by the beach. I don’t want to see you back here for at least an hour.”

  “But don’t you want to come with me?”

  “Can’t. The windows haven’t been done yet.”

  The engine hums softly when I turn it on, and I twist around to back out of the garage. When I get outside, the sun is bright. I flip the visor down to see a pair of sunglasses is clipped to it, and I smile as I remove them. Alexander thought of everything. The plastic is cool on my nose when I put them on, and I wave at him before I swing around and shift into drive to leave.

  My shock has made way to excitement, and while I wait for the gate to open, I flip on the radio. Classical music plays, and instead of switching over to pop, I decide it’s appropriate. I step on the gas to hear the engine roar, and the car hugs the road as I make a quick turn to speed away.

  I opt not to go through town where I might see someone I know, and I go around and head toward the next city up the coast. I have to keep checking my speed, because the car rides so smoothly it’s easy to go too fast. I let out a squeal as it hits me again that this is my car. This sexy black machine that makes me feel like a racecar driver belongs to me!

  Pangs of hunger make me think about my salad I barely touched, and I remember the fried clams I was going to get yesterday. The next exit is coming up, and my blinker ticks as I move over to the right so I can get off and follow Route 1. I’m sure I’ll find a seafood place along that road where I can stop for lunch.

  I see a sign that advertises a marina with a restaurant, and I hope enough people are putting their boats in that the place will be open. I turn onto the road that will lead me to water. Luck is on my side, because when I get to the marina, I discover I was right, and gravel crunches under my tires as I pull into an empty area to park. I want to leave enough room on either side of my new car to make sure nobody dings my door.

  I step out and glance around. Boats covered in white plastic fill a field next to a wooden building painted blue. The tap-tap of a hammer makes me glance up to discover a man working on the roof, and as I walk toward the restaurant, the odor of gasoline floats toward me. I walk up steps to get to a deck that has a royal-blue fabric ceiling and clear plastic sheets hanging down to create temporary walls. They can be easily rolled up when the temperature rises to a comfortable level. There are a few tables with customers, and I notice a sign that reads Seat Yourself. I want conversa
tion, so I make my way to the bar and take a stool where I can look out over the water.

  An older woman approaches me, and her smile lights up her face when she speaks. “It’s a beautiful day to be out, isn’t it?”

  “It really is. I already know what I want.” I order fried clams and ginger ale, and when she walks away, I gaze out over the ocean. The sky is cloudless, and I can see for hundreds of miles. It makes me think all the obstacles of my life are clearing out of my way.

  I glance down at the fancy Alfa Romeo keychain sitting on the bar and smile. A thump surprises me, and I glance up to the waitress, who put a plate of fried food in front of me. Her human smile makes me flash to the friends I made as she says, “Enjoy.”

  Sadness fills my thoughts as I lift a clam to my mouth. I bite in and find it’s hot enough to burn. I take a sip of my soda, and the carbonation along with the searing heat of my food makes my eyes water. Those friends aren’t something I can have.

  I take another sip of my drink and hold it in my mouth long enough this time that sweet flavor coats my tongue. I think about Alexander, and happiness returns. I’m in love with my soulmate, I’m about to be known as a famous author, and my plan to live life in a big way is finally happening. It really is a beautiful day.

  8

  My first ride in my new car was for far more than an hour. After I ate lunch, I drove by the beach and got out for a short walk. I passed through a coastal downtown so I could watch people’s reaction to my car, and I spent an embarrassing amount of time imagining being famous enough that people recognized me. When I’d had enough flashiness, I headed home. It’s late in the afternoon when I walk across the lawn and let myself into the Hart mansion.

  I’m in such a good mood that when I get inside the dark foyer, I barely notice the blanket of cold darkness I usually feel. I’m sure Alexander wants to hear how my ride went, so I go to the study and find the door is open. Sebastian is at his desk when my knuckles rap softly on the door, and he looks up at me. “Margaret.” He sits back with a smile on his face.

  “Thank you so much for my new car.” I glance over at Alexander, who is coming toward me.

  He asks, “Did you get a speeding ticket?”

  I grin at him. “No. But it was because the cops mustn’t have been out. I never realized I had a lead foot.”

  “It’s hard not to in a car like that.” He stops at a respectable distance. “I’m glad you enjoy it.”

  “Enjoy it? I love it.” I step forward before I realize I can’t hug him. “I—I may find an excuse to drive every day.”

  It occurs to me that I’m too focused on Alexander if I’m supposed to be hiding our relationship, so I turn to Sebastian. “It was nice to know I wasn’t going to be stranded every time I stopped somewhere. Thank you.”

  I glance back at Alexander. “Thank you both. It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.” I suddenly remember the last time I said that. I place my hand over my heart and quickly correct myself. “Well, almost the best. A new heart kind of tops everything.”

  “Yes.” I turn to Sebastian as he speaks. “That heart of yours is something to be eternally grateful for. She brought you to me, after all.”

  I know I should drop my gaze, because the look in Sebastian’s eyes is full of so much love it makes me feel like I’m cheating on Alexander. But I can’t, because my heart is longing for Sebastian as he looks at me. The rest of me is uncomfortable, and I’m not sure what to do with the overwhelming mix of feelings. I clasp my hands to keep them from shaking and manage to break eye contact with him. I look at Alexander in an attempt to anchor myself. “I need to get back to reading, but I wanted to let you both know how grateful I am.” I back away toward the door as I say, “It really was a generous and kind gift. Thank you.”

  I move quickly out of the room and hope it appears to be from my excitement instead of the need to escape. I can’t get to my room fast enough, and when I shut the door, I lean against it as if I can close out the situation that has my emotions in turmoil. I didn’t realize how hard it would be for me to keep my feelings for Alexander secret. Or how difficult it’s going to be to maintain openness toward Sebastian.

  Backgammon. I let out a groan, and my head thuds on my door as I let it fall back. I’m supposed to spend my evening with Sebastian, when I’d much rather be driving around with Alexander in my new car. A sexy scene of what we could do in my vehicle flashes in my mind, and I let myself fantasize about it before I face reality again. I have no doubt Sebastian is going to flirt with me tonight. How am I going to get through that?

  I push off the door to wander over to my couch, and I plop down on it. Acting isn’t one of my skills, and neither is lying. I recall the way Alexander gripped my hand so tightly when he told me Sebastian can’t find out, and I know I’ve got to find a way to get through my evening without giving anything away. I let out a big sigh and pick up my e-reader. The light flashes as I turn it on, and I decide I can worry later. Right now, I should get back to work, and I pick up my story where it left off.

  I manage to finish the book in time for a late dinner, and afterward I throw on comfortable jeans and loose cotton shirt in an effort to look more like a friend than a love interest for my evening with Sebastian. I’m pleasantly surprised to see he’s equally casual when I get to the study. A fire is crackling in the fireplace, and while he’s wearing a button-down shirt, it’s not starched to perfection, and his jeans are distressed by design.

  He gets up from the couch when I enter the room and asks, “What would you like to drink tonight?”

  I fear alcohol would only make it more difficult to hide the truth from Sebastian, so I ask, “Do you have any ginger ale?”

  “I do.” He pulls open the small refrigerator, and ice cubes rattle in glasses as he drops them. He pours himself soda as well before he brings the drinks over and hands me mine. “I must confess, it’s been a long time since I’ve played backgammon. You’ll need to be patient with me.”

  “It’s been a while for me too. It was one of the games I used to play in the hospital.”

  “Does it bring back painful memories for you? Because we can play something else.”

  I shake my head. “No. Anything that kept my mind off my health is a fond memory.” I recall how my mother would play with me for hours, and I taught many other heart patients the game as well.

  The coffee table hums over the carpet as Sebastian drags it closer to the couch. I take a seat on one end of the sofa to sip on my ginger ale as he opens the board with a click.

  “Tell me about your adventure today,” says Sebastian.

  As I relay my afternoon to him, we slip into easy conversation, and unlike when I’m learning about writing, his questions are designed to get me to share more instead of make me think.

  When I describe how at one point I sped past a guy in a decked-out pickup truck to show him up, Sebastian chuckles and then tells me a story about driving a Fiat so fast he buried the speedometer. He said that meant he was going well over one hundred sixty miles an hour. I stare at him in shock when he describes how he blew by a cop who didn’t even bother to try to get him.

  My heart clenches with pain at his story, and the dice rattle in my shaker cup as I recall my donor died in a car accident. A chill runs through me, and I say, “I hope you don’t drive that way any longer.”

  Sebastian’s face pales, and I wonder if he got so caught up in telling tales he just remembered how the love of his life died. He speaks softly. “No. And I never will again.”

  I want to know about the woman who gave me my heart, but I think he needs to offer the information when he’s ready. I notice his glass is empty, and I stand up. “Would you like more ginger ale?”

  “Elizabeth,” whispers Sebastian. My heart stops as he looks up at me. “You wanted to know her name.”

  Tears burn at the back of my eyes, and I feel intense grief as I fight the urge to hold him in my arms to provide comfort. I sit back down. “That’s a beaut
iful name.”

  “She was a beautiful woman.” He smiles. “She had long dark hair straight as a pin.” He reaches for one of my curls and wraps it around his finger to study it. “She tried to style it in those swirls that were the fashion, but it would never stay.”

  “It’s funny how we want what we don’t have. I’ve always wished for straight hair that would behave.”

  He stands up and lifts our glasses off the table. “You share many similar qualities. She didn’t behave any better than you do.” He turns to smile at me. “I’m not sure why I’m tortured with such strong-willed women.”

  “Perhaps because the docile ones aren’t as much fun.”

  He chuckles as soda fizzes in our glasses while he pours. “I decided to speed things along with Kitty Kane. We’re going to release the first book next week.”

  “That’s exciting. What do I need to do?”

  “Kitty needs to become present on social media. I fear you know far more than I do, so tomorrow we’ll work on that together.”

  “Of course.”

  He hands me my drink and sits down close enough our knees touch for a moment. “I look forward to you teaching me for a change.”

  My heart flutters as the light scent of his cologne reaches my nose. “You’ll have it figured out quickly. It’s not rocket science.”

  Sebastian takes my hand, and I jerk before I can stop myself. He squeezes a bit tighter as if he has no intention of letting me pull away. Warmth fills my heart at his touch, but the rest of me isn’t quite so thrilled. “Margaret. I brought you here because you have Elizabeth’s heart.” I stiffen at his confession even though I already knew this. He holds on tighter. “I have an unfair advantage. I was already in love with you before you arrived.” Now my heart is practically melting, and her feelings are trying to overtake my good sense. He says, “I know she’s only part of who you are, and I won’t press you to return my feelings. Let’s take our time to get to know each other and let fate run its course.”