Shawn Spring Shifter Seasons

by Raines, Harmony

  “I don’t see the connection.” He sat back down on the bed and looked over Joanna’s shoulder as she worked.

  “This is a lease agreement for a hotel, signed by a subsidiary owned by Gerald Comer. The lease was signed around the same time Wayne took over Jester’s. Coincidence?” Joanna minimized the screen and opened a new window. “Let’s search Google and see what we can find out about the hotel.”

  “Anything?” Shawn asked impatiently.

  “It’s a small hotel.” She tapped the screen. “These are the rooms.” She zoomed in on the images of the hotel rooms. They were clean and functional. “Not exactly upscale but ideal for housing the women.”

  “Maybe we should book a room,” Shawn suggested.

  “Maybe we should.” Joanna checked for availability. “No vacancies.”

  “Can you dig around into the background of the company that owns it?” Shawn asked.

  “Not from here. But I’ll hand the information to my boss. He can get someone to delve deep into the company. We can’t jump to conclusions. We can’t risk alerting Gerald Comer or anyone else involved that we are looking into this. If we do, they’ll close down the operation and move elsewhere.” Joanna took out her frustration by worrying at her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed pink from her hot shower, and her rising anger.

  “Just because we want Gerald to be guilty does not make him guilty.” Shawn spent his life trying not to be prejudiced. When a patient walked through his door, he never allowed himself to jump to conclusions about what might be making them sick based on their lifestyle. He was always thorough and ran all the tests until he found proof.

  Exactly as Joanna did in her work.

  “Yes. We need to proceed with caution. I don’t have a warrant to search the premises, but we can at least drive past the building and take a look.” She grabbed her phone. “I need to call in and keep Trent up to date.”

  “I’ll go shower while you talk to your boss.” He left Joanna talking on the phone and went to the bathroom. After taking a critical look at himself in the mirror, he switched on the shower and stepped under the hot water. After shampooing his hair and washing his body, he allowed the water to cascade over him, washing off the soap and washing away his tiredness.

  By the time he’d towel-dried himself and dressed in clean clothes, he was ready to face the day side by side with his mate.

  “I’ll go for breakfast,” he said as he left the bathroom.

  “We can grab some to go.” Joanna was dressed, she’d brushed her hair and was now packing her overnight bag. “There’s nothing more for us to do here.”

  “What about interviewing Yvette?” Shawn asked.

  “I can drive back when…if we have to interview her.” Joanna looked down at her phone. “My boss has agreed with Fiona’s plan. We’re going the honey-trap route.”

  Honey trap? his cougar asked hopefully, licking his lips.

  “He’s okay with Fiona pretending to be a shifter in need of a baby?” Shawn didn’t like the idea, but Fiona could take care of herself and it certainly would speed things up. If they could link Gerald to the trade in babies, the whole operation would come crashing down.

  “Fiona called my boss and outlined her plan.” Joanna’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know if I like the idea of her going behind my back, but it got the job done.”

  “Even before we link Gerald to the hotel?” Shawn asked.

  “Yeah. My boss is convinced that Gerald is the person behind the corruption we saw with Ostabell. He’s willing to put his career on the line to bring him down.” Joanna shoved her hairbrush in her bag.

  “Are you okay?” Shawn asked, sensing his mate’s mood had changed.

  “I don’t want Trent to risk his career. He’s one of the good guys.” Her voice hitched and she dropped her bag on the bed and went to him. Shawn wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close. “I want this over. I want us to be together and for me to be able to get to know Jane.”

  “Then let’s get back to Cougar Ridge. We don’t have to wait for this to be over for you to get to know my daughter.” He nuzzled her neck as he held her close. “And when this is over, we’ll go on vacation or something, just the three of us.”

  “Are you still worried that Jane’s real mom might claim her?” Joanna asked.

  Shawn shook his head. “No. The circumstances around her birth make me think her mom never wanted her, but if she does, we’ll work our way through it.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “I just hope that Jane’s mom got away from Gerald. That she isn’t caught up in some baby farm.”

  Joanna screwed her face up in distaste. “Me, too.”

  “Let’s go home.” He kissed her cheek and then lifted his head, sensing someone approaching.

  “Fiona.” Joanna groaned. “I forgot to mention she called while you were in the shower. We have to give Fiona a ride home.”

  Shawn laughed. “This will be an interesting journey.”

  “You have a strange definition of interesting.” Joanna went to the door and opened it before Fiona had a chance to knock. “Come in. We’re just packing.”

  “Good. I was going to hang on here and then fly home later. But I’ve already spoken to the doctors at the hospital, so I figured it made sense for us to make our plans on the drive back to Cougar Ridge.” She put her hands on her hips and scanned the room. “I thought you would be packed by now.”

  Shawn chuckled as he fetched his backpack from the bathroom and collected all his stuff. “We’re stopping for breakfast on the way.”

  “Good, I’ve worked up quite an appetite.” Fiona waited by the door while they finished packing and then the three shifters left the hotel, heading for breakfast.

  Shawn would have grabbed breakfast to go so that he could drive back to Jane and hold her safe in his arms. He settled for calling Joey and checking in on them.

  “Is she okay?” Joanna asked as he joined them at the table where their food had already arrived.

  He sat down in front of a plate of bacon and eggs with a side of fluffy pancakes smothered in maple syrup.

  “Yeah. Joey is taking Jane hiking this afternoon so there’s no rush.” He picked up his fork and dug into his food.

  “I’m sure she misses you,” Joanna assured him.

  “I hope so.” Shawn smiled as he ate. “I know I miss her.”

  “You’ll be back soon enough,” Fiona told him. “And one day if ever you decide to tell Jane about her past, you can tell her that you brought the man to justice who hurt the woman who saved her.”

  “You’re that confident Gerald is our man?” Joanna asked.

  “Oh, yes.” She looked into the distance, her eyes unfocused. “I can feel it in my bones. And my bones are very old and seldom wrong.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Joanna

  “I can’t believe Yvette’s mate just walked into her life.” Fiona sighed as she looked out of the window. The mountains surrounding Bear Creek filled the windshield, they were only a fifteen-minute drive away from Cougar Ridge.

  “It does sound like something out of a fairy tale.” Joanna shot Shawn a sidelong glance and he smiled. A small smile that turned up the corners of his lips. Lips she so wanted to kiss.

  Imagine lying in a hospital bed for years and years, and then your mate just walks in and stirs you from a coma. Her wolf rested her head on her paws. There is nothing romantic about it. The whole situation is just sad.

  “It’s more like something out of a nightmare,” Fiona continued. She’d been going over the same conversation for most of the journey. Each time they switched to another subject, she would come back to Yvette and Lance being mates. “If only he’d walked into her life a few years ago.”

  “Are you sure you want to go through with the undercover operation? Exposing your true self to Gerald Comer might not be a good idea.” Shawn steered the conversation away from Yvette. He wanted to voice his concerns while Fiona couldn’t just up and fly away. Or singe hi
s eyebrows with her dragon fire.

  Or give us a tongue lashing, his cougar said drily. Fiona doesn’t have to be in dragon form to be formidable.

  True, Shawn replied. I just want to make sure she knows all the risks. His fears that Fiona might be putting herself and the other dragon in danger hadn’t waned. Fiona, however, was not budging on her commitment to bring Gerald Comer to justice and break the ring of corruption that had led to Yvette’s coma.

  “Yes.” Fiona’s blunt reply was met with a steely stare. “I can handle the man.”

  “I’m just concerned that we are going in there with no real evidence that he is connected to this other than the fact that Yvette suspected him. We don’t even know the details surrounding her relationship with Gerald. Or what proof she might have.” Joanna wasn’t happy about going into this operation so unprepared.

  “Lance is going to talk to Yvette as soon as he can. He’s probably the best person for the job. She might open up to him. Plus, there’s no pressure. She’ll feel safe with him.” Fiona held up her hand to silence Joanna’s objections before she uttered a word. “I know she should be interviewed by the police, but we don’t have the luxury of time on this. If Gerald finds out she’s alive and well…”

  “We have to work with what we’ve got,” Shawn attempted to smooth things over as Joanna took the turn toward Bear Creek. They would all be happy when this journey was over, and they could get out of the car. It had been a long drive and they were all tired and overwrought.

  “I have every confidence in the police and their ability to unearth the proof we need,” Fiona said. “But if we need to, I will go as far as agreeing to buy a baby just so we have irrefutable proof.”

  Joanna’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “Just hearing those words gives me the shivers.” Her resolve strengthened. “I’ll support you in any way I can, Fiona. Above and beyond my job description.”

  “Now, that is a dangerous offer to a dragon,” Shawn told her.

  “I trust Fiona.” Joanna looked at the dragon shifter in the rearview mirror.

  Is she tearing up? her wolf asked as Fiona wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  Maybe. This is important to her. Joanna switched her attention back to the road ahead. “Where do you live, Fiona?”

  “Oh, if you pull over just up ahead, I’ll walk the rest of the way.” She sighed. “I need to clear my head and figure out what I’m going to say to Harlan.”

  “Harlan is your mate?” Fiona asked.

  “He is and he’s worried about me. And I don’t think he’ll be happy that I’m doing this. But he’ll understand.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality. “He always does.” She sighed again. “All those years lying in that bed waiting for her mate.”

  “At least they’re together now.” Shawn reached over and placed his hand over Joanna’s. “Better late than never.”

  After dropping Fiona off, Joanna drove back to Cougar Ridge. Shawn’s house was empty and a quick call to Joey told them that he and Jane were hiking through the foothills in search of rabbits. They wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours but there was food in the fridge.

  “A couple of hours.” Shawn slipped his arms around Joanna and pulled her close.

  She leaned against him and tilted her chin, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I should get some work done. I’d like to figure out some kind of connection, no matter how tenuous between Gerald and these women. Then tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, I plan to drive to the hotel and take a look around.”

  “Tomorrow can wait. Your doctor recommends that you eat and relax first. Then you’ll be ready to face whatever comes our way.” He went to the fridge and pulled open the door. “There is a casserole.” He inhaled deeply. “Smells good.”

  “I think I’m too stressed to eat.” Joanna leaned back against the counter and rubbed her hands over her face.

  “Then let’s take care of my second suggestion first.” Shawn closed the fridge and came toward her.

  “Are those your come-to-bed eyes?” Joanna asked, the heat rising in her body despite her intention to work.

  “This is my come-to-bed body.” He unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off his shoulders, leaving it draped over the back of a chair.

  Joanna giggled despite herself. “Whatever did I do without you?”

  “I don’t know. And luckily, you will never have to figure it out since I am never going anywhere.” Shawn curled his arm around her and pulled her close.

  “I like the sound of that.” Joanna wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. There was no denying her need for him and maybe being close to Shawn was what she needed to take her mind off work.

  He’s our inspiration, her wolf said happily.

  He’s our everything. A brief image of Lance sitting by the side of Yvette’s bed slipped into her mind. His devotion to Yvette was inspiring. He would be there every step of the way during her long road to recovery.

  We owe it to them to find out who hurt her. Joanna’s wolf was right.

  Maybe I should get to work now. Joanna eased herself away from Shawn, but he tightened his grip around her waist and held her close.

  “Let go of work. Just for a few minutes. Let your brain switch off and go with the primal need to make love to your mate.” He was deadly serious, his eyes dark with desire as he looked into her eyes.

  “If that’s what the doctor orders.” She cupped his cheek with her hand and kissed his lips.

  Shawn groaned as she grazed his naked chest with her fingernails. Leaning down, he scooped her up into his arms and held her close as he left the kitchen and carried her upstairs. “Just in case Joey and Jane come back early.”

  “Yeah, never want Jane to walk in on us having sex.” Joanna needed to get used to having a child around. “I’ll make a mental note never to swear in the house either.”

  “You’re a woman who likes to cuss?” Shawn asked as he leaned down and placed her on the bed.

  “Only when absolutely necessary.” She slipped her hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him down onto the bed. “Like when a case goes wrong, and someone gets away with a crime.”

  “I can understand those circumstances,” he murmured as he kissed her neck.

  “I try not to let things get personal but when my team has worked so hard and gathered the evidence…it’s tough.” She arched her back as he nipped the sensitive skin of her neck and cupped her breast with his right hand and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “Damn, I want to get naked with you.”

  She didn’t want her clothes to be a barrier between them. Joanna needed to feel his skin against her skin, to lie with him naked and caress his body. When she lay with Shawn, the connection between them went deeper than the physical act of sex. When he touched her, it was as if he touched her soul.

  But she’d settle for him touching her body. He slid his hand under her sweater and pulled her bra cup down, before tweaking her nipple between his thumb and fingers. Her inner muscles clenched, and her stomach contracted as a small sigh escaped her lips.

  Joanna wanted him inside her.

  Unbuckling his belt, she undid his pants and pushed them down over his hips. Shawn hooked his thumb through the belt loops and wriggled out of them. Then he turned his attention to her clothing. Tugging the hem of her sweater, he pulled it up over her head and cast it aside as if she would never need it again.

  Her shirt and bra soon joined her sweater somewhere on the floor, leaving only her black pants. Shawn knelt next to her, his fingers no match for the buttons. Gently easing her pants down over her curvy thighs, he leaned forward and kissed her soft exposed skin, blazing a trail down her inner thighs, lingering over her knees, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin as he leisurely undressed her.

  Joanna threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging roughly as he licked her calf while his fingers stroked her feet as he finally pulled her pants free. She’d always been ticklish on her feet, but this
was no time for laughter. This was no time for pulling away from her mate and telling him to stop.

  Shawn kissed his way back up her legs, lingering between her thighs to lick her intimately. Joanna eased her legs apart and arched her back, offering herself to him. She’d give him every part of her. Anything he asked as long as he didn’t stop.

  One finger, then two, slipped inside her, his thumb brushing over her mound as he moved in and out. Her orgasm came fast and hard, she couldn’t fight it, she didn’t want to fight it. Her breathing grew rapid and her heart thundered in her chest as he used his fingers to bring her to the edge of pleasure and keep her there until she was utterly spent.

  “Wow.” She kissed his mouth as he slid up the bed and rested his head on the pillow.

  He grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a wow before.”

  “Good, that means you’ve been saving the good stuff for me.” She stroked his cheek, her eyes locked with his. “I know it’s soon after we met…”

  “But you love me?” he asked hopefully.

  “I do.” Her eyes misted with tears. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I don’t care where in the world we live. As long as we’re together.”

  He rested his head on his elbow and studied her face. “Where did that come from?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s a thing we have to talk about, but you and Jane have your lives here and I’m willing to fit in with that.”

  “There are other hospitals.” He stroked her soft belly and tendrils of desire unfurled with each touch of his fingertips.

  “I want children, Shawn.” A bolt of uncertainty hit her like lightning. “Or is that something you don’t want? You have Jane…”