FMR

by SL

  and in walked Jac Hamilton. Ray's heart flipped in his chest. He

  licked his dry lips. His skin prickled. He glanced over at Bruce, who

  was watching him intently from under an arched eyebrow.

  "What?" Ray narrowed his gaze.

  You know what, you big, bad wolf, Bruce conveyed with a smirk.

  His buddy loved to use their sithech-mind link to communicate,

  especially when ribbing him, then cleared his throat. "Even though

  I'm off-duty, maybe I should go over and check – "

  "Oh, no you don't." Ray's voice sounded like a feral growl, even to

  him.

  "Okay." Bruce held up his hands in mock-surrender. "You do it."

  Ray sighed then nodded. He glanced over to the booth where Jac

  had taken a seat, her laptop open and her fingers pecking away at the

  keys.

  She appeared better rested; the color of her aura glowed bright in

  the diner's light. Jac slipped on a pair of glasses, and then scanned the

  flat screen, totally unaware of his gaze.

  Summoning up his nerve, Ray slid back the chair and rose to his

  feet.

  "Good luck, man."

  Ray grunted in response then made his way from the table through

  the crowded diner. His senses were acute; his focus was only on Jac

  as he stopped in front of the booth. He waited. She didn't look up.

  Finally, he cleared his throat.

  Like a sleeper awakening from a deep sleep, she glanced up and

  blinked. The illusion of her eyes behind the glasses reminded him of

  an owl. He half-expected her to say, 'who'. However, much to his

  relief, she didn't.

  "Oh! Hi Ray! I didn't hear you walk up."

  "Good morning, Jac." He grinned. "Mind if I join you?"

  Jac was pleasantly stunned to see him again. And so soon, too.

  She quickly removed her glasses. "Uh, sure. Please sit down," she

  offered, shifting the computer aside to view both the screen and Ray.

  Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as he slid into the

  booth. For a tall, well-built man, Ray moved with an easy grace. Jac

  recalled the lusty encounter in her dream. She blushed. Surely, it

  wasn't him, she mused. We don't even know each other.

  "Is something wrong?" He angled his head, giving her a curious

  gaze.

  And what a gaze it was. His eyes were a deep, rich indigo-hue that

  totally mesmerized her. Suddenly, the room felt warm ... very warm.

  Jac shifted in her seat, attempting to regain her composure.

  "Uh, it's nothing." She managed to give him a reassuring smile.

  "You just remind me of someone."

  "That's funny," Ray chuckled. "I don't think you've meet my twin

  brother."

  "You have a twin? How cool!"

  "Yeah, he lives here, but travels around a lot." Ritchie has a bad

  case of wanderlust." Ray sighed.

  "Ah! Ritchie's the adventurous type, huh?"

  "You could say that," Ray nodded, then glanced over to her laptop.

  "I see you're already busy this morning, huh?"

  Jac noticed Ray had smoothly switched subjects, but went with the

  flow. "Yeah, it's a part of my morning routine. I always check my

  email with my first cup of coffee. Speaking of which, I haven't got

  my coffee yet." She frowned, glancing across the diner at her

  wayward waitress.

  "I'll go remind her." Ray rose from his seat. "I think Mary Lynn's

  preoccupied with Bruce at the moment," he added, flashing a wicked

  smile.

  Before Jac could protest, he swaggered over to where the blonde

  was chatting with his buddy. Taking advantage of the free moment,

  Jac scanned down the flat computer screen.

  Damn! More spam! She tapped the 'delete' key until an email

  caught her attention. The subject read 'Meeting'. It was from her

  editor. Clicking open the electronic letter, Jac scanned its contents.

  He'd arranged an interview for her with a public relations manager in

  the town hall at noon.

  Just what's Frank getting me into? Jac wondered, sinking her teeth

  into her bottom lip. I can just hear it now. 'Excuse me, mister PR

  manager; do you have any werewolves running around town? Yeah

  right.

  "Here you go." A husky drawl drew her attention back to Ray as he

  placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. The heady aroma

  filled her senses as she flipped the screen down on her laptop.

  "Thanks." She reached for the plastic tray of sugar and creamer. "I

  can sure use a good cup before I head over to the garage and check on

  my car."

  "Your Volkswagen's in good hands. The mechanic's an ace." Ray

  grinned, adding with a wink, "He's also my brother-in-law."

  "Oh, really? How convenient." She smiled then sipped her coffee.

  Ray's mere presence made her feel better. It radiated a unique sense

  of steadfastness and comfort, stirring something inside her. And that

  something hadn't been stirred in a long time.

  She sat down her coffee cup and eyed him thoughtfully. "So, tell

  me, Ray, what do you do for a living?"

  "I'm a construction supervisor. We've been working on an addition

  to the elementary school, but the weather's been unreasonable lately."

  "Ah, so that explains why you're not at work." She nodded toward

  the window. Gray, fluffy clouds loomed in the morning sky, blocking

  out the sunlight.

  "Yep, cold and wet," he agreed, shaking his head. "It's not good for

  working outdoors."

  Jac glanced down at her watch. "Oh, geez! Where does time go?"

  Anxiety clutched in her gut. Without a car, getting around town was

  hopeless. Then, genius struck. She smiled over at Ray and cleared

  her throat. "Uh, Ray, can I ask you a favor?"

  "Yeah, sure." The corners of his mouth turned up into a wide grin.

  "Whatcha got in mind?"

  Oh, if he only knew! Jac drew a deep breath, struggling to clear the

  erotic images in her head before she spoke.

  "I need a lift to the garage. Could I get a ride over, if it's not too

  much trouble?" She nodded in the direction of the large diner window.

  "The weather's nasty and I prefer not to walk."

  "It'd be my pleasure." His tender voice wrapped around her like a

  warm blanket. He reached over the table and took her hand.

  "Anything to help you out, Jac."

  "Thanks." Her body was tingling at his unexpected touch. "You're

  a real gentleman."

  "Shh." He hushed her with a wink. "Don't say that too loud or you

  might ruin my reputation."

  "Okay. You're secret's safe with me." Jac chuckled, giving his hand

  a tender squeeze before she reluctantly withdrew her hand. "And I

  really appreciate it, too."

  "I'll go warm up the truck." Ray rose gracefully from his seat,

  smoothing his hands down over his jeans. "When you're ready, just

  come on out. I'll be waiting."

  She watched him leave; appreciating the way the faded denim

  accented his rear. Ooo, yummy! Jac sighed, shaking the vision of

  studliness out of her head and quickly packed up her laptop. With a

  final sip of coffee, she paid her waitress then headed for the exit.

  She couldn't help but smile as Ray's words lingered in her mind.

  I'll be waiting. Was that
a lusty promise in his tone or was it her

  imagination?

  Jac wasn't sure. Somehow, she was determined to find out.

  CHAPTER 4

  Within the warm cab, Ray switched off the radio and glanced to the

  diner door. Any minute Jac would be heading out to the truck. He

  drew a breath, attempting to calm his nerves.

  He'd felt foolish reaching out and taking her hand. But the heat of

  their touch and the silkiness of her hand in his had struck a chord deep

  within him. A chord that resonated through his entire being. He

  wanted her ... bad. The moon fever was escalating, too. The

  heightened lunar energy would only complicate things. And, also, it

  was only one night away from full zenith. "I'll just have to keep my

  distance," he vowed.

  Jac would never understand. Not only was she a stranger, but she

  was also human.

  Ray cringed. Usually the sithech and full-blooded humans didn't

  mix. "It'd be like oil and vinegar," he muttered under his breath. "It

  just won't work. I got a bad feeling about this." He sighed.

  She also wrote for a magazine. That could spell trouble for him in

  a different way. Ray's wolf sensibilities were on alert. Damn. I'd

  better watch what I say around her. He couldn't win for losing.

  With a loud squeak, the passenger door swung open. Jac climbed

  up into the truck cab. Just looking at her made his resistance weaken.

  She looked like an angel in blue jeans. The heady scent of vanilla and

  musk filled his senses as she grinned over at him. Her lips were

  simply luscious beneath her dark sparkling eyes.

  "I'm ready." She gently placed her bag into the floor board and

  rubbed her hands together. "Let's go."

  "Where's your coat?" he frowned. She was only dressed in an

  oversized sweater and jeans. "You're bound to catch a cold running

  around like that."

  Jac shrugged. "I was too preoccupied this morning. I forgot."

  "That's no excuse." He shook his head and reached behind the seat.

  Finding his wool-lined, denim jacket, he offered it to her with a smile.

  "Here. The temperature's going to dip and you'll be a bit warmer."

  She took the jacket and slid it on. "Well, it's way too big," she

  observed, pushing the sleeves up. "But it's warm. Thanks."

  "Don't mention it." He nodded.

  "Are you always this nice to strangers?" She angled her head,

  gazing over at him perplexed.

  "I'm always nice to strangers," he replied softly. "As long as they're

  not too strange."

  Jac gave an amused chuckle.

  Leaning in a bit closer, Ray let her essence fill his senses. He

  wanted to kiss her ... right then, right there. Jac didn't back away. She

  smiled up at him. She was studying him with an intense gaze, then

  darted her tongue over her lips. The gesture was so tempting, so

  inviting. His cock thickened automatically in response.

  Before he could blink, Jac placed a tender kiss on his cheek. Ray's

  breath caught in his throat.

  A horn blasted outside the cab, shattering the magical moment. As

  if the kiss had never happened, Jac turned her attention back to her

  seat belt. His heart sank a notch. Sharply, he glanced out the

  windshield and silently cursed the thoughtless driver, then cleared his

  throat.

  "Well, we'd better be getting you to the garage." He straightened in

  the seat, snapping his seatbelt into place. Putting the truck into gear,

  he pulled out of the diner parking lot.

  Silence lingered between them as the truck headed down the road.

  Despite the briefness of the kiss, his cheek tingled from the warmth of

  her lips. It was a sensation that spread from his cheek straight to his

  groin. Attempting to banish the wayward thoughts from his mind,

  Ray switched on the radio.

  "Me and Bobby McGee" filled the confines of the cab. Out of the

  corner of his eye, he looked over at Jac, who was quietly swaying to

  the music in the passenger seat. Ray exhaled a soft sigh and hoped

  the bluesy wailing of Janis Joplin would bring him back to his senses.

  The last thing in the world he wanted was to fall head-over-heels for

  her. She was not a sithech, she was human. And he would end up

  with a broken heart.

  Jac didn't know what had come over her. One second she'd been

  gazing into Ray's indigo-blue eyes, the next second she'd kiss his

  cheek. It must be pheromones, she rationalized. She'd read recently

  online about the effect of male pheromones on the female species. It

  was nothing more than a simple, natural reaction. That has to be it.

  Ray's scent permeated the borrowed jacket. Heady musk and warm

  spice. The scent was making her libido go wild. No wonder she'd

  impulsively kissed his cheek. If it hadn't been for the interruption,

  there was no telling what else might have happened. She winced at

  the thought. Business before pleasure, she reprimanded herself.

  However, the wayward kiss brought a smile to her lips.

  Jac's stomach tightened again as the garage appeared over the

  dashboard. It was going to be one of those days.

  * * * *

  The damage to the Volkswagen didn't look too extensive in the

  daylight. Relieved, Jac listened to the mechanic going through the list

  of estimates. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected. Thank goodness.

  Her gaze drifted over the man Ray introduced as his brother-in-law,

  Derek Lee.

  He wasn't as tall as Ray, but gave off the same assured-attitude that

  most of the men she'd met in Heather Grove seemed to project. His

  blonde hair was pulled back from his face revealing an intense pair of

  hazel eyes.

  "There's nothing to worry about, Ms. Hamilton. I'll have you back

  on the road in just a couple of days." He smiled, handing her the

  clipboard. Drawing her gaze away from the mechanic, she glanced

  over the list and then signed on the dotted line.

  "Good. I have a deadline to meet and I'd like to be out of town

  before any bad weather comes through."

  "So, you're in town on business?" He arched an eyebrow.

  "Yes. I write features for The Inside-View magazine." She returned

  his smile, glancing over to the garage office where Ray was waiting

  for her. "Heather Grove's a unique little town. Time seems to change

  slowly around here."

  "Ah, you've noticed that, too." Derek laughed. "Since I've moved

  here, it's taken me a while to get used to the slower paced lifestyle, but

  I like it."

  "I'm a city girl." Jac grinned, shaking her head. "I don't know if I

  could get used to it."

  Derek took back the clipboard. "If you find the right person, it's

  worth it."

  "I'm sure." She nodded. "Ray told me you and his sister are

  newlyweds."

  "Yes, you could say it was love at first sight." A slow grin spread

  over his face. "It was like we were meant to be together. I was drawn

  to her and now she's stuck with me." Derek winked.

  The young man's words echoed in her head as he led her back to the

  garage office. Deep in her heart, Jac longed for that kind of

  connection with someone. Something earth shattering,
profound. But

  Cupid never failed in giving her a raw deal in the romance

  department. The last guy she dated was the head of The Inside-View's

  art department and he turned out to be a total jerk.

  A cold gust of wind whipped around her. Jac snuggled deeper into

  the jacket, letting the musky scent fill her senses. Even though she'd

  only known him a very short time, she felt an irritable draw to him.

  Girl, that's just your libido talking. Derek opened the door and

  ushered her into the small office space, out of the frosty weather.

  Ray was leaned back against a cluttered desk with a Styrofoam

  coffee cup in his hand. He was busy chatting with a young, red-

  headed woman. Their conversation came to an abrupt stop. Ray

  smiled over at them. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc?"

  "Not too bad." Derek returned the clipboard to a peg on the wall

  beside a NASCAR calendar. "I should have her back on the road

  within a few days."

  Jac's heart hammered in her chest as Ray's indigo eyes met her

  gaze.

  "See? What did I tell you? Derek's an ace mechanic. He knows his

  stuff. You're in good hands, Jac."

  Derek crossed the room, wrapping his arms around the other

  woman. "Ms. Hamilton, this is Megan."

  "Please, call me Jac." She politely nodded. "Nice to meet you,

  Megan."

  "Likewise." Megan smiled, her green eyes sparkling in the

  florescent lighting of the office. "Ray was telling me you're a writer."

  "That's right." Derek grinned. "A magazine writer."

  "Oh, really?" Genuine interest shone on Megan's face. "What kind

  of story are you writing?"

  They'd think she was nuts if she told them about the werewolf-story

  idea. "Just a piece on Heather Grove's history and its Scottish roots."

  She shrugged, nonchalantly. "My editor thinks the Travel section of

  our magazine should feature historical locations."

  "What a wonderful idea." Megan smiled. "Our town's loaded with

  history."

  The hair on the back of Jac's neck prickled. She glanced around the

  room. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but she sensed there was an

  uneasy sensation stirring in the small room. Butterflies fluttered in

  her stomach. It was time for her to leave.

  "Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have an appointment at the town

  hall around noon. So, I need to head back to the motel to change

  clothes."

  Before Ray could offer her a ride, Megan spoke up. "I'm going that