Summer Shifter Days

by V. Vaughn

  He finally releases his hold, and I take a deep breath to regain my composure as I push back the emotions my heart gave me. If I could, this would be the chance for me to tell him I have no intention of letting my heart rule who I’m with, and that my soul belongs to Alexander. I can’t. But fate has made a decision, so I can safely say, “I am aware my heart loves you. She gives me the emotions, but I barely know you, and I can’t promise you I’ll be able to honor her feelings.”

  “Please allow me the chance to change that.”

  I nod as I tell myself he can try. I desperately want to change the subject before I’m forced to tell a lie. “Then we should get back to the game and your stories. They’re quite interesting.”

  “As are yours.”

  The dice clatter on the board when he rolls them, and he makes his move. I nearly sigh in relief at managing to keep Alexander and me a secret, but I’m afraid this is only going to get harder. I wonder what will happen when Sebastian does discover I’m involved with his brother. I think about how the two of them fought this morning and that Alexander told me he had something to do with my lack of punishment. It makes me think Alexander isn’t powerless with his brother. While I do understand why it wasn’t a good idea to tell Sebastian today considering what happened last night, I have a niggling feeling I’m not getting the whole truth about Alexander’s reasons. My heart sends me a message of concern that solidifies my fear, and it makes me determined to find out why.

  9

  Sebastian wasn’t joking about fast-tracking Kitty. We spent the morning setting up her social media accounts, and now he is taking pictures of me to post. The theme for an erotica author is sexy, and my heart loves the attention Sebastian is giving us. I’m on a faux-fur rug lying on my stomach with my feet up in the air and crossed to show off my red stiletto heels. He says, “Unfasten one more button.”

  The plastic is hard in my fingers as I do as he asks, and I squeeze my arms in to increase my cleavage. I recall the way I did the same for Alexander, and a tremor of desire runs through me as I ask, “Pouty?”

  “Yes.” Sebastian’s gaze drops to my breasts. His breath hitches as his lips part. The heat I see in his eyes makes my insides tremble with desire I wish I weren’t feeling. I picture Alexander instead. While I squirm and bite my lower lip, I imagine Alexander’s hand sliding up my skirt to graze against my inner thigh.

  Sebastian snaps me out of my fantasy. “Very nice.”

  I hook my finger in my shirt and tug on it as if I’m hot, and as his camera clicks, I pretend I’m a lingerie model I used to dream about becoming. The rug is soft on my legs as I roll over onto my back. I recall the way Alexander made me feel the other night, and relive it when I arch up as if I’m in the throes of an orgasm. Sebastian lets out a low noise of what I think is frustration, and suddenly it’s him I’m imagining. I know I should stop, because he’s not the one I want lusting after me. But somewhere along the line, my heart took over, and she revels in his reaction. I slide my hands up my torso, hesitating at the sides of my breasts before I move to thread my fingers through my hair.

  “My god, Margaret.” Sebastian’s voice is breathy, and the whirl of the camera shutter stops. I gaze at him as he asks, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

  Yes. And I’m playing with fire, because the look in his eyes is hungry. As if he wants to— The vision of him sucking the blood from the surfer Lyndsey flashes in my mind, and it’s like a bucket of cold water is thrown on the flames of my desire. I sit up quickly. “Sorry.” I pull my shirt together to button it up. “I was trying to be Kitty.”

  Sebastian clears his throat and glances at the digital display on the camera. “Yes. I think I got plenty of good images we can use.”

  I remove my heels before I stand up, and the rug tickles my toes as I wiggle them in freedom. Our plan is to create teasers for the first book. We’ll use the pictures along with excerpts and author notes to engage readers. “Great. I’d like to get lunch now, but when I’m done, I’ll start finding quotes in the first book to use for the captions.”

  He’s still looking at the camera and mutters, “Okay.”

  My heart fills me with pride, but as I pad my way out of the room, shame fights to win. I shouldn’t be taunting Sebastian when I have no intention of acting on it. I hear Alexander as I approach the kitchen, and when I get there, I discover he’s on the phone. He says, “Complete control of the screenplay, Harry. It’s not negotiable.” Alexander smiles at me as the coffee maker gurgles.

  “Screenplay?” I mouth.

  Alexander winks as he grabs his mug, and he walks by me while speaking into his phone. “Yes. We’ll definitely want a presence at the casting calls.” He continues to talk as he walks out of the kitchen, and I wonder if he’s working on a deal for Brock’s books or Kitty’s. I hope it’s Kitty’s, because TV or a movie? Wow.

  I envision walking down the red carpet at the Oscars. I’m in a shimmery emerald-green gown, and when I open the fridge, I imagine it’s camera lights flashing at me. I haven’t had a chance to get to the grocery store yet, so I grab a yogurt. Sweetness coats my tongue when I take a bite, and I picture the lead actress of our show winning an award and thanking me for the great story. When my spoon scrapes against the plastic container, I crash back to earth and search for something else to eat.

  After lunch, I return to the study with my e-reader to gather quotes for the social media campaign. Sebastian is on his computer at his desk. He looks up when I enter. “Would you like to see my favorites?”

  “Sure.” I walk over as my stomach flips with nerves. He has a page full of images and clicks on one. “You can scroll through.” He gets out of his chair to let me sit, and I browse my photos. He edited out my scar and smoothed out my skin. I’m not sure what else he did, but I look amazing.

  He’s beside me, looking over my shoulder, and I gaze up at him. “Were you a photographer at some point?”

  He nods. “Back in the days of airbrushing.”

  “You made me look really good.”

  “No. You’re really that beautiful. I’m just showing you what I see.”

  His eyes shine with his love, and my heart is full of so much adoration my chest hurts. If only the rest of me wanted Sebastian, because he’s head-over-heels for my heart, and maybe me. My cheeks flush with my embarrassment, but I manage to remember my manners and say, “Thank you.” The chair creaks as I stand, and I point toward the couch. “I should—you know.”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  I’m curled up on the sofa with my laptop, recording book excerpts, when Alexander comes in.

  I glance up to see his huge grin. “We’ve got it,” he says.

  Sebastian says, “Well done.”

  I set my work aside as I ask, “TV or movie?”

  He looks at me. “Television. And get this. We’ve got Stephen Harris as a producer.” When I frown, he adds, “He’s won more Emmys than any other producer. We couldn’t ask for a better shot at being the next big thing.”

  Joy fills me as I hop up and rush over to him. He’s really going to make me famous. “This is amazing!” I throw myself in his arms to kiss him.

  Alexander doesn’t return my kiss, and he grips my arms to push me away as he chuckles. “That’s quite the thank-you.” His eyes flash with anger at me, but his voice sounds as if he’s teasing when he asks, “Got one for Sebastian too?”

  “Oh.” I step back as my ego dusts itself off from his rejection even though I know it was necessary. “I’m sorry. I got carried away.” I turn to Sebastian to see his jaw is set as if he’s angry. My heart pangs with compassion for his feelings, but my annoyance over the fact I can’t kiss Alexander in front of his brother wins out. I force out an even tone. “You guys really know what you’re doing. I’m impressed.”

  Sebastian nods and then glances past me to Alexander. He says, “Margaret and I had a photo session earlier today. Would you like to see the images?” His gaze darts at me, and his
lips twitch in what I imagine is the urge to smirk. “I got quite the reaction out of her.”

  Anger bubbles in me, because once Alexander sees the images, I have no doubt he’s going to wonder what happened. I blurt out, “Maybe we should wait until the graphics are done so we can get a fresh reaction to the whole package.”

  Sebastian tilts his head, and I think he’s seen right through me. “Very well. I’ll only show him the ones I’ve set aside for other uses.”

  Fabulous. I refuse to take part in another jealousy war like the night we played pool, so I walk over to get my electronics. “I think I need quiet to work. I’m going to go upstairs for a while and will be back when I’m done.”

  Once I’m in the cheerful daylight of my suite, I do manage to get work completed by pushing the Hart men out of my mind and focusing on provocative dialogue in Kitty’s book. It’s a good task for me, because it helps me become intimate with the work. When I’m done, I check into the social media accounts and work on following people who are relevant. It’s early evening when I finally return to the study.

  Sebastian is gone, but Alexander is at his desk. He says, “Maggie.”

  “Hey. Where’s Sebastian?”

  “Dinner meeting.” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms behind his head. “Great pictures of you.”

  Heat rushes to my face. “Yeah. Sebastian made me look good.”

  “Good?” He grins. “You’re smoking hot.”

  “You know I was thinking about you, right?”

  “I know.” He waggles his eyebrows. “I recognized the facial expressions.” The wheels of his chair rumble as he rolls back. “Come over here.” I walk over to him, and he pats his lap. “I owe you a kiss.”

  I sit and put my arms around his neck. “Yes, you do.”

  Alexander’s mouth meets mine, and any hesitation he had earlier is long gone as we fall into our connection, and I realize how much I needed reassurance from Alexander that he still wants me.

  When we break apart, I say, “I never got to the grocery store, and it’s getting dark. Want to go for a ride in my sexy car and find a place I can eat? I’ll buy you whatever you’re drinking.”

  “I’d love to. We’ll make it a working dinner because I have something to share with you. Sebastian and I figured out the tour schedule.”

  My skin tingles with excitement. “I’m going on tour?”

  “Yes, Kitty. You are.”

  I take a deep breath as I stand up and can’t contain my happiness as I say, “You Hart brothers definitely deliver. I really am going to live life in a large way, aren’t I?”

  Alexander grins too. “My dear Maggie, you most certainly are.”

  10

  Faint moonlight twinkles on the choppy ocean spread out before us, and the flame of a candle dances between Alexander and me as I gaze out the window of a fancy restaurant. Alexander asked me to wear the emerald-green dress he chose for me the first night I arrived in Port Porpoise, and the silky fabric against my skin adds to the tingle of desire I feel for the sexy man next to me.

  I take a sip of the expensive champagne Alexander ordered for us, and bubbles fill my mouth. “This is so lovely.”

  The restaurant isn’t busy, and the clash of silverware and plates is soft in the background as Alexander reaches for my hand. “We have cause to celebrate.”

  “The television deal is awesome.” I hunch up my shoulders with my silent squeal of excitement. “I can’t believe you landed it!”

  “Yes. There’s that. But what I’m talking about is the fact you’re going on tour in three days and the world is about to meet Kitty Kane.”

  “Three days?” I chuckle. “Do you and Sebastian do anything slowly?”

  His lips turn up in an evil smile. “I do.” He takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth. When he kisses my palm, the cool, hard pressure of his teeth presses against the skin, and I think it was his fangs. A shiver of desire races down my spine. “And I’ll be happy to show you later.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment as heat flushes my cheeks, and I change the subject. “Tell me about the tour.”

  Alexander releases my hand and reaches for his phone so he can run through the itinerary, which has me hitting major bookstores all over the country. I’m going to be traveling for more than a month, and it occurs to me that will make things difficult for Alexander and me to be together. The way he’s talking makes me think I’m doing this solo, and my stomach knots up.

  A waiter arrives with our first course, and the tantalizing scent of butter and garlic floats toward me as he places shrimp in front of me. When the server leaves, I ask, “Am I doing the tour alone?”

  Alexander’s knife taps on his plate as he cuts his food he won’t eat. “Not completely. As you can imagine, most signings are during the day, but Sebastian and I will try to be at any events we can attend.”

  That makes sense, and I imagine the fact they can’t be with me to watch their namesake can’t be a good feeling for them either. “Okay. You’re going to prepare me for this, right?” Alexander’s eyebrows rise as if I’m asking a stupid question, which I am. Sebastian would never send me out to represent him without every detail nailed down.

  He holds out his forkful of food for me to eat, and I take a bite of the spicy tuna. I take a second to appreciate the flavor before I say, “This is delicious. Sure you don’t want some?”

  “You don’t want me to tell you what happens to it later if I do.” I nod and keep myself from imaging things that would turn my appetite. He says, “The first signing in Portland is in the evening, and Sebastian and I will be there for your debut. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  I take another bite he offers me and then hold up my hand. “That’s enough. I’m never going to get my dessert if I finish both of the appetizers.” Alexander also ordered an entree I said I was interested in, and I know what I’ll be having for meals tomorrow.

  He leans in close. “But watching you eat is so sexy.”

  His voice reverberates through me, and I swallow my mouthful down with a gulp. “I’m not going to make it to dessert, am I?”

  “I know better than to get between a woman and sugar.” Alexander moves to pick up his drink.

  Our dinners arrive, and I twirl the noodles of my beef Bolognese around my fork as I say, “I’m going to miss you so much when I’m on the road. It’s not going to be easy for us to be alone with Sebastian around.” I imagine trying to sneak around with Alexander when it’s likely we’ll all be in a large suite together. My fork clatters on my plate when I set it down. “Sebastian and I are on good terms now. He told me stories when we played backgammon like we were old friends, and you saw how well the photo shoot went. Are you sure we can’t tell him about us?”

  Alexander sighs. “Maggie. Please don’t push this. You won’t like the results.”

  I sigh too. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me why.”

  He smiles at me. “I don’t suppose you’ll stop asking.”

  “Nope. So you might as well spill it.” I put a bite of food in my mouth.

  He shakes his head. “Sorry. You’re just going to have to trust me on this. It’s best we keep our relationship a secret a while longer.”

  I pout, and Alexander cups my chin. He brushes his lips against mine. “Let’s get through the tour, and then we’ll see how things are.”

  “If you think I’m going to dump you once I become famous, then you’re wrong.”

  “Even if that Thor actor leaves his wife for you?”

  “How did—” I remember the Hart brothers did extensive research on me and apparently know almost everything, right down to my movie-star crush. “You’re safe. He’s too old for me.”

  I take a sip of my champagne as I wonder if Alexander is worried about my true feelings. While he didn’t seem to be bothered by the photo shoot images, maybe he was jealous and hid it from me. I reach over and place my hand on his arm. “I don’t know how to describe this without so
unding like one of your books, but I really believe we were meant to be together, Alexander. I’m not going to be swayed.”

  “I feel it too.” He holds out his palms, and I place my hands in his. “I love you, Maggie.”

  I inhale sharply, and my chest gets tight. My heart beats faster, and it may be because she’s upset, but my soul wants to scream how happy I am from the rooftop. I say, “I love you, too.”

  Tears fill my eyes, and Alexander smiles at me. “Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

  I nod, because I’m afraid my voice would crack if I tried to speak, and my emotions would spill out. I think about how it wasn’t very long ago I came to the Hart brothers wanting an adventure. I discovered a world I didn’t know existed. One that made me long for more and reach for the stars. And now I can imagine more than I’ve ever dared to dream.

  When the waiter arrives to ask about dessert, I decline. I gaze at the man I love and say, “Let’s go home.”

  Alexander drives us back to Port Porpoise. As we pull in the driveway, I notice the half moon is low in the sky, and it reminds me of the first time I kissed him. When we walk toward the house, I take his hand and say, “Let’s go down to the cliff. I want to listen to the waves.”

  He squeezes my fingers. “It isn’t too cold for you?”

  I tug my thick wool wrap around me, and a cool breeze flows around us. “I’ll be okay.” I glance at the tall wrought-iron fence and recall how Alexander jumped over it easily. “Is it fun being a vampire?”

  “Fun?” He chuckles. “I suppose it is in some ways, but there are things about being human I miss. Watching people you care about grow old and die is hard.”

  My heart is sad at his words, and I think about Sebastian losing Elizabeth. She died too young, and that would cause anyone pain. But no matter how long I live, I will die before Alexander does, and I imagine what our relationship will be like when I’m older. I gaze up at him when we stop by the cliff. As a heart transplant recipient, I can’t depend on decades of life. But I do plan to get older, and I wonder if he’ll still love me when I do. Moonlight shines in his eyes, and I ask, “Can we really work? Aren’t you afraid of me leaving you behind one day?”