Her cell phone rang as she reached for her door handle. The sun-beaten black paint of her old Mustang burned her fingertips and startled her.
“Ouch!”
She no sooner was blowing on her fingers before she dropped her bag and her cell phone with it. The old iPhone dropped hard against the pavement, and the contents of her purse spilled beside it.
“Damn it!”
“Need some help?”
She looked up, squinting her eyes against the harsh sunlight as the silhouette of a man stood over her.
“Wha…?” she attempted to shield her eyes when he bent down and began picking things up for her. “Oh, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled and then winced.
“What is it?”
He handed her cell phone back to her. “It doesn’t look like this thing made it.”
She let out a sigh of frustration when she saw her shattered screen. The voice of her mother lecturing her for not buying one of those expensive cases with shock absorption technology echoed in her mind.
“Oh, great! What else?”
“Not a great day, huh?” the stranger asked.
For the first time, she got a good look at the dark-haired, green-eyed man who was nearly a foot taller than she was. He wasn't the normal type she'd consider good-looking, but there was something about him that let off an air of rugged masculinity that she couldn't ignore.
She brushed a stray curl out of her face and felt the disgusting trace of sweat coat her fingertips, which only proved to her that she probably looked worse than she felt in this damn heat.
“I guess I’ve had better.” She smiled politely.
“I think we all have.” He nodded toward the steps of the Sheriff’s Department. “Pretty tragic news.”
"Yes, it is. Are you a reporter, too?"
“Me? No. Just a concerned citizen. My brother and sister and I run Rocky’s Bar over in Grand Lake. Ever hear of it?”
“Yes. I’ve eaten lunch there a couple of times.”
“You have?” He looked surprised.
“Yes, why?”
“Just seems like I’d remember someone as adorable as you.”
“Oh, well…” She looked down, cursing her fair complexion for always giving her away when she was embarrassed.
“And bashful, too. That’s cute.”
She wasn’t sure what to say, so she smiled at him instead.
“Are you new to the area?”
“Yes. Well, for the most part anyway. I’m from Kansas City. Just moved here about three months ago for a job at the Gazette.”
“Ah. Kansas or Missouri side?”
“Huh?”
“Kansas City? Which side are you from?”
“Oh, sorry. I think this heat is melting my brain. I’m from Kansas. You ever been?”
“Nope. Colorado’s always been my home. Never much found a reason to leave.”
She nodded politely as sweat dripped down her inner thighs. “Well, thank you for your help, but if I don’t get out of this heat, I think I may actually melt.”
He chuckled. “Here, allow me.”
It was a pleasant surprise when he opened her door. It had been quite a while since anyone had done that for her. “Thank you.”
She slid in behind the steering wheel, started the car, and turned on the air conditioner before bringing her attention back to him.
“You stay cool, ma’am.”
“Oh, it’s Kinzey.”
“Very well, Kinzey.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles gently.
She wasn’t sure if it was the sweat or wishful thinking, but for a moment she could have sworn she felt his tongue brush across her knuckles. The thought of it brought heat to her in a completely different way.
“I’m Paul. And it’s very nice to meet you,” he concluded, before returning her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
"Listen, next time you come into Rocky's, ask for me. I'll be sure we give you the five-star treatment—or as much as a neighborhood bar can, anyway." He winked.
“Thank you, that’s very sweet. I’ll keep that in mind.”
He closed her door and waved before turning away and walking toward a truck a few rows over. She tried her best not to stare at his ass, but it was near impossible not to. He had a certain swagger about him. His Wrangler jeans were not tight, but snug in all in the right places, fitting him perfectly.
Paul, whoever he was, looked good enough to eat. The thought reminded her just how long it had been since she’d enjoyed the company of a man. And even longer since she enjoyed one that looked like him.
Her car’s AC did little to cool her off at that point. Her mind had wandered to a naughty place where only her wildest fantasies came true.
She shook her head and wiped her sweaty brow once more, while looking at her reflection in the rearview mirror.
Ugh.
With the way she looked, those fantasies would remain just that. Maybe she'd get herself dolled up and go into his bar one night, so he didn't think she always looked this horrid. But for now, she had a story to write. With the little bit of information the sheriff had given them all, she knew she'd have to do some creative word sculpting in order to please her editor.
"Oh, Kinz…why did you choose this job again?"
Because she loved it. That was why. She might not make any money, might be living in a rundown old shack of a house with barely enough to keep food in the fridge, but for the first time in her life, she was doing what she wanted to do. And nothing and no one could take that away from her.
Chapter Three
The crowd at the bar was buzzing with the news the Sheriff had released at the press conference earlier that morning. Zeke was training one of their newest busboys, a local kid who was spending the summer with his grandparents, while Nova was busy making drinks and flirting with the locals, just like usual, when he walked in.
He nodded to his siblings as he made his way to the back staircase up to the apartments they kept above the bar. The building and business had been in their family since their grandparents had bought it sixty years ago.
As he entered his apartment, he licked his lips at the memory of the sweet little redhead he'd met just a bit before. Kinzey seemed like such an appropriate name for a woman who was so damn adorable. He could still taste her on his tongue, her skin salted with perspiration from the hot summer day.
He was pleased she hadn’t pulled away when he’d sneaked a lick of her skin. His primal instincts had taken over, and he’d needed to know what she tasted like. If he didn’t know any better, he would swear she was a mixture of ginger and spice.
An inner growl called to him, and he forced his instincts to simmer down. He wanted her, but he also knew he couldn’t have her. She was human, after all. And the mating of his kind with humans had been forbidden since the dawn of their existence.
Part wolf, part human beings were a myth to most. But to Paul and his kind, it was a way of life. Their life. It was who they were.
While the people of Grand Lake didn't know who they were, other than the Holton children who had run their parents’ bar business for generations, their identities and what they were capable of had been kept a very guarded secret. And that secrecy had been the only way to ensure their survival all these years.
Still, he couldn't help wanting to explore the pretty little thing named Kinzey. When he'd seen her blush through her fair skin, it had hit him somewhere deep inside. He'd wanted to push those innocent boundaries he saw in her eyes and make those cheeks flush from orgasm.
His body was growing tense, his cock hard and rigid. He shouldn't have tasted her. It only made him want her that much more. Damned if he could help himself, though.
A knock on his door shook him from his thoughts. “Come back later,” he shouted.
“No. I need to talk to you.”
“Eve?”
Shit. She was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
Begrudgingly, he opened the door and let her in. “Now isn’t the best time, Eve. Can we talk later?”
She pushed him aside and closed the door behind her. “No, we need to talk.”
“And we will. Soon, I promise. I’ve just got some things on my mind right now and –”
“Look, Paul… you’ve been dodging me for weeks. You’ve barely spoken to me unless we were at a pack meeting or out of necessity. I need, no, I deserve to know what’s going on.”
He bit back a curse, not wanting to get into it with her about their situation. He and Eve had enjoyed each other in the most primal of sexual states more than once, and his parents had thought Eve the perfect mate for him. And for all intents and purposes, she was. He'd be damned lucky to have her as a mate. She was strikingly beautiful, with long, dark hair and intoxicating brown eyes. Her body could make any grown man cry, and she was a wild and insatiable lover. Yet still, for reasons unbeknownst to him, he had been pulling away from her for the past several months because of an indescribable lack of interest in her.
"Eve, I'm sorry. I really am. I know I haven't been treating you that well. That's on me, not you. I've just got a lot going through my mind. The pack. The murders. It's just all a lot to take in, and everyone is turning to me for answers. Can you just try to understand?"
She reached her hand down and took his. “I do understand that. You know I’ve never been one to stand in the way of your duties. I know how important our pack is to you, as well as your legacy. But I’m a woman, too. I have needs. I deserve to be treated with the same respect I’ve always given you.”
Damn it, she was right. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but as the leader of the Racinitine Pack, he held them inside, never being one to allow his inward emotions to show themselves to those he was supposed to lead.
“Look, I just don’t think I can have this conversation right now.” He pushed her away.
He had never liked being backed into a corner. No matter how justified she was in her questions, he wasn't sure he had the mental fortitude to have this conversation with her. He cared for her. She wasn't just beautiful, but she had a remarkable soul and was one hell of a kick-ass fighter whenever he'd needed a sparring partner.
“No, Paul… enough of procrastinating a conversation that we probably should have had weeks ago. What’s the deal?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What’s the deal with us? We had a good thing going for nearly a year, and suddenly you just clammed up on me. You’ve been cold, distant. I could speculate that there was someone else, but you know I’m not the jealous type. I just want answers. Tell me what the deal is. I’m a big girl—I don’t need to be coddled by a man. So just be straight with me already.”
He placed his hands on his hips and let out a sigh. “Do we really have to do this right now? I’m begging you to just give me a little more time.”
She sat down on the bed and crossed her legs. “Now is as good a time as any. You’ve been blowing me off for weeks, and I’d like to know why. Seriously, Paul. What’s going on? Is it another member of the pack? Are you screwing someone else? For crying out loud, be a man and tell me.”
"What? No! Eve, I promise you I haven't been with anyone else. I haven't even wanted to!"
“Then what? Because you and I have always been damn good together. I know it, and you know it. So this doesn’t make any sense. And I’m tired of the games. Just fucking tell me already. Damn!”
"Shit, Eve! Would you give me a break?" He really didn't want to have this conversation, but knew the situation between them wouldn't get any easier if he didn't.
She crossed her arms and gave him one of her best oh please looks. “Paul, have you ever known me to give you a break? Or anyone, for that matter?”
He chuckled a little. Damn if she wasn’t a little spitfire. “No. Good point.”
“I feel like I’m pulling damn teeth here. Just tell me already.”
"All right. You're right. I can't keep avoiding this or you." He sat down beside her and turned to face her. "I know this is going to sound like a real cliché and even shitty line, but it's the truth."
“I’m listening.”
“It’s not you. It’s me.”
Laughing, she covered her face immediately. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting that. Okay, go on.”
“Look, ever since I’ve taken over the pack I feel…distracted. Maybe a little overwhelmed, even. It’s not that I don’t love leading you guys. I love each and every one of you. But some of our pack, well… they’re a handful.”
She grinned. “Yeah, I know.”
“See, so you know what I mean. It’s like guiding teenagers some days with all of their pettiness. And now with these hikers’ deaths to worry about… I don’t know. I just don’t feel like I can be in any kind of relationship right now.”
She gave him a sympathetic nod. “The stress is getting to you?”
"Maybe. I don't know." He got up and began pacing the room. His feet matching the path of worn out floorboards beneath him. "I don't know what it is. All I know is my primal urges have taken a back seat lately." He shrugged. "I'm sorry."
“No. I’m the one who’s sorry, Paul.”
“You? Why are you sorry?”
“Because I didn’t realize you had all this weighing on you.”
“How could you? You know I keep things to myself. I haven’t even told Zeke or Nova. They count on me to be the strong one. I can’t very well have them thinking that their new leader and big brother can’t handle things.”
“You can handle this, Paul Holton. And you will.”
He looked over at her, sitting there with such empathy and understanding in her eyes. “You’re being so incredible about this. What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“That is a very good question. I am quite the catch.” She smiled and winked.
“Eve.” He sat back down beside her and gently brushed her hair away from her face. She truly was an amazing woman and one he didn’t deserve. He should’ve known she would handle it with as much strength as she always displayed. She was one of the strongest female members of their pack. And one that he was proud to lead. “Thank you.”
“Don’t go getting all emotional on me now. Or I’ll tell the others about that night in the barn.”
He grinned. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t I?” She smirked.
Zeke burst into the apartment, interrupting them. “Paul, you better come quick.”
“Zeke? What the hell, man?”
“I’m sorry, but… it’s all over the television.”
“What is?” Eve asked. ‘
Zeke turned to his brother. “Out on the west side of the lake, they found another body. They’re saying it’s worse than last time.”
“Oh, my God.” Eve turned to Paul. “What is happening?”
“I don’t know.” He answered.
Damn it, he had no fucking idea. Whatever it was, he prayed it would end.
Chapter Four
Kinzey had just handed her article over to the editor when she got word of the body that had been found on the western shores of Grand Lake. She didn't wait for approval from her boss or even to see if the story would even be assigned to her. Instead, she grabbed her work bag, complete with voice recorder, notepad, and plenty of pens, then headed out to the site.
She’d expected to find a large crowd gathered once she reached the trail leading to the taped-off crime scene area. Luckily, she’d beaten the other reporters and saw only a few deputies guarding the perimeter while Sheriff O’Keefe talked to the medical examiner.
Stepping closer, she found a fallen tree to stand on while trying to catch a glimpse of the body, which was covered by a black tarp. Being only five feet two inches, she’d always hated her lack of height, but today, more so than normal.
“You. Get down from there,” a deputy called from his watch point at the yellow and black tape.
“H
ello.” She got down from her perch and did her best not to stumble on her way to greet him. “I’m Kinzey Sloane with The Grand Lake Gazette. I was wondering if I could get a – ”
“Ms. Sloane?” Sheriff O’Keefe came up behind the deputy. “No reporters. None. This is a crime scene.”
“Right. I can appreciate that, Sheriff. And I certainly wouldn’t want to impede an investigation.”
“Then don’t,” he snapped back.
“I assure you that I don’t intend to, Sheriff. It’s just that, well, as I’m sure you are aware, being a member of the press I have a right and a duty to report what is happening here.”
“The press? Didn’t you say you worked for the Gazette?”
The deputy, whose name she didn’t bother to look at before, was unnecessarily snarky to her and she didn’t appreciate it at all.
“I’m sorry, Deputy. I don’t believe I caught your name.”
“Deputy Vance, ma’am.”
“Yes, Deputy Vance. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, I’m sure. Now listen, I’m sure the Gazette isn’t as big as The Post or any of the other big city papers out there, but that doesn’t make my job any less important. After all, we both work in Grand Lake, do we not?”
“Deputy, give us a minute, won’t you?” the sheriff asked.
“Yes, of course.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. Now, as I was saying –”
He held up his hand to silence her before she really got started. She was beginning to hate that. Her boss did it to her too, and she wondered whether it was a grumpy old man trait or a Grand Lake trait.
“I heard what you were saying, Ms. Sloane. But we’ve barely begun investigating the death, much less the scene. I’m afraid you’re going to have to give us time to do our jobs before I make any official statements.”
“So you can confirm there is a dead body here?”
"Now, ma'am, you and I both know you heard it on the police scanner or you wouldn't have gotten here so soon." He motioned his head off into the distance behind her. "And from the looks of it, the other vultures are making their way here too, so if you'll excuse me."
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