Caz would not dump his problems onto Vanessa like he did with other women. He would keep them to himself, locked tight until he could deal with them again, and show her a day she wouldn’t forget. He felt the urge to make sure she remembered him for the rest of her life. He wanted his name embedded in her mind, to be whispered upon her lips.
“Go get dressed,” Caz urged. “We can get brunch or something. It is called brunch around this time of day, right?”
Vanessa bit her lip and glanced at the phone on the coffee table. Desperate, Caz snatched it away from her. He reminded her that she should call out of work. This definitely counted as a sick day. She threw her feet to the ground, only a hairs breadth away from him. She smelled like coffee and sugar. He could have lapped it up for days.
Something about her was intoxicating. He couldn’t get enough of it, drinking her up like a man who’d been lost in the desert for days. He needed to get his fill today because, after the date, he would leave her forever. It hurt to think about it, but it was the only thing he could do to protect her.
Vanessa left the room and a string of words came tumbling back to him. Hillary’s voice entered his mind, as did his own. Three days was all he’d been able to buy from the witch. Three days, and his life would be forfeit. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but it was the one that protected his Pack and Vanessa, now that he’d dragged her into it.
No, he didn’t let himself think about it. Instead, he unlocked Vanessa’s phone and searched for a contact labeled as Work.
Chapter Ten
Nessa hadn’t called out of work in years. When Caz called on her behalf, they immediately assumed she was incapacitated. While it was worrying, she felt a bit of wild freedom. For once, she didn’t worry about the profiles downstairs. She didn’t worry about clocking in and out to file paperwork. Best of all, she didn’t worry about napping.
Her cat was wide awake, even if it was enamored with Caz.
“This is a bad idea,” Nessa whispered.
Caz hesitated before pulling her into his arms. The moment they connected, her concern faded. Her cat purred indulgently. It would have been happy in Caz’s arms for the rest of its life, but images of Hillary and Caz shoved their way into her mind.
She knew the witch had done something to Caz, but she hadn’t seen the effects of it yet. Even worse, she knew Caz had promised the witch he’d be hers in three days. The knowledge of his promise was a lump in her stomach when she otherwise would have felt light as air.
“Let me worry about that.”
His hands ran up and down her arm, soothing her, but the worry didn’t fade. Instead, Nessa packed it up and pushed it to the side. Caz wasn’t her problem. He was nothing and no one to her. They’d only met a day ago, even if Hillary saw her as competition.
Nessa had no right to worry about a man who wouldn’t be in her life more than a day or two. Caz had brought this on himself. This was his problem. She could let him worry about his own fate.
Of course, her cat didn’t like the idea. It growled in response and clung possessively to the man beside them. Nessa wanted to admonish the beast. This wasn’t their fight. They would live longer if they kept out of it, but the cat wouldn’t listen. The beast acted as though it already owned Caz.
He belonged to them and she belonged to him.
Nessa shook her head.
“Everything alright?”
“Huh?” Her head snapped up. “Oh, uh, yeah. I’m fine. Just thinking about…work.”
She could tell she was a horrible liar from the look on Caz’s face. His lips pulled into a scowl for a split second. If he didn’t believe her, he didn’t say anything. Caz only reached for her hand and gripped it tight. She hated to admit it, but she liked the feeling.
Nessa liked touching him. He wasn’t her type, she reminded herself. Then again, she wasn’t even sure she had a type let alone knew what her type was. She’d been away from dating for so long that Nessa wasn’t sure she knew anything about herself.
“So, what is this date? It seems like you have everything planned. Wasn’t I supposed to be the one to take you on a date?”
Caz laughed and scratched his beard. She wanted to reach out and touch it. The beard had tickled her face when they kissed. She wanted to know if it would be soft beneath her fingers. Nessa managed to keep her hands to herself, though.
“I’ll let you pay for dessert.”
Nessa smiled despite herself. They walked toward the pier and all the massive shops and restaurants that stood upon it. The smell of fishy ocean water made her stomach growl. “These places are expensive. I hope you aren’t planning on taking me to one of these restaurants.”
Caz only grinned.
He greeted the host as if they were old friends, and they might have been. Nessa only knew that she didn’t recognize the host and that, when she passed him, he didn’t smell like shifter. Only like salmon.
They were seated in a dark alcove, a small candle burning between them to imitate an intimate night time experience. Nessa waited nervously for the menu, knowing she wouldn’t want to order anything from it. If she couldn’t afford to eat here, she didn’t want anyone else to have to shell out that kind of money either.
But, when the host set down two small, single-page menus before them Nessa was surprised. The normal menu was thicker. Instead, this single-page menu listed the fresh catches of the day as the Local’s Fare.
“Did you not know that you could ask for a local’s menu?” Caz was already nibbling on a chunk of free bread.
The menu items were all well below twenty dollars a plate. She let out a sigh of relief and felt her stomach gurgle with hunger. “How did I not know this?”
“I’m glad I could show you something new. Maybe you’ll come here without me someday.”
His words punched her in the gut, sending her hunger away. He already spoke like a dying man. She wanted to reach across the table and kiss him, anchor him to the world he was all too ready to leave behind. Gripping the edge of the table, she reminded herself that Caz was his own man.
This was only a date, a moment away from their lives. It wasn’t a promise of anything lasting. Caz had made it clear, if Hillary didn’t already, that there would be nothing beyond this. The thought didn’t sit well with her anymore. Each passing second brought her closer to him and made her feel like there was no turning back.
Moving forward would be difficult. Nessa was walking on eggshells already. There was a fine line between just friends and something so much more, like a tightrope with hell’s flames burning below. One wrong move and Nessa would fall into the hands of the witch, too.
Hillary had no use for a cat shifter. No one did, really. Her beast was not dangerous. If anything, it was sneaky, and that was about it.
“Hey, Nessa. Can I call you Nessa?”
She bit her lip and nodded. Her name on his lips sent a thrill through her core. It was intimate in the way that rolling in bed with him had been intimate. It didn’t matter that everyone called her Nessa. Hearing his voice drop to a husky whisper as he took another step closer made her feel special.
“Good, you stopped making that face.”
“What?” Nessa asked. “What face?”
“That one! You’re doing it again. You look like you want to set someone on fire. Hillary isn’t here. This is supposed to be the one time we won’t have to think about that.”
Nessa sighed. “How do you not think about something like that?”
Caz set down his menu and looked at her. Without sparing a moment to think, Nessa slid out of her seat and into his. He moved along the booth seat to make room for her, letting her nestle into the crook of his arm. This close to him, she breathed in the musk and motor oil that surrounded him. It was comforting in a way she’d never known before.
The cat purred through her mind. It was content for now. Should anything happen to take the bear from them, the cat would take it on. Stupid, reckless, fearless creature that it was. Nessa was scared
, even tucked into Caz’s arm.
“Everything will be fine,” he whispered into her hair.
But, it wouldn’t be fine. They both know this was a moment that wouldn’t last, and Nessa was starting to feel as though what they had was far stronger than immediate lust.
“Cats like fish, right?” He changed the subject, pulling them away from a precipice Nessa wasn’t ready to jump.
She laughed, half sobbing. Nessa shoved back the urge to cry and tried to smile. “Cats love fish. Especially this one.”
“How about… shellfish? Do cats like shellfish?”
Her stomach grumbled in response. Apparently, not even fear could keep her hunger away for good. Shellfish sounded too good. She could have devoured a bucket of scallops right then and there.
“Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. So, do you want the spicy shrimp or the butter scallops?”
Both. She definitely wanted both but couldn’t find the will to say it. Two entrees were too expensive. She couldn’t afford it and she most certainly wasn’t going to ask Caz to pay for it.
“They sound too good,” Caz said as he watched her face. “How about I order one and you order the other? We’ll share. You can feed me.”
“You are a full-grown man, not a child. I don’t need to feed you.”
He pulled her tighter, their bodies melding into one. “But, I’d like it if you did.”
Her heart flipped in her chest. His face was inches away from hers. All she needed to do was part her lips and lean forward. Even though he smelled like motor oil and musk, he tasted far better. She knew from the kisses they’d shared in her house. The cat inside her would have been happy with devouring him instead of fish.
Before she could decide if she was going to do anything, the waiter appeared. Caz placed the order for them, sending the waiter off into the kitchen once more. Nessa leaned into the Alpha bear. This wasn’t something she could have ever predicted, let alone arranged.
Who would have thought that she and this surly man would get along so well? She liked his stupid sense of humor and the way he cared for people and the way he was willing to sacrifice himself for his Pack. She only wished he didn’t have to do the last thing.
The cat purred that they could change it for him, but Nessa wasn’t ready to take on the witch. There would be vengeance if the cat had anything to say. Nessa, on the other hand, was more reserved. If they were going to do anything, they needed to be careful.
When she looked up at Caz, he was studying her again.
“Your face got really serious for a moment there. What were you thinking about?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. Just work stuff.”
“Like what? Matchmaking? How about we bring up the fact that you held my profile hostage while refusing to match me with anyone?”
Nessa pulled away from him, but he held tight. “I thought I already explained this. You’re a dick, so I didn’t want to have to make anyone deal with you.”
“Maybe,” Caz said, holding up a finger. “Maybe it’s because you wanted me all to yourself. That would explain a lot.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically and broke away from his grasp, making sure her thigh still touched his. “You think far too highly of yourself. I don’t match myself. We talked about this as well.”
They were struggling to make conversation with the dark cloud looming overhead. The cloud had a name, Hillary, but neither would say it. Nessa wanted to pretend she didn’t exist at all. No witch would storm in and take him from her. She wouldn’t walk on Nessa’s property, either.
What they had was a firestorm. The intense need to reach out and touch Caz was all consuming. Her mind flickered between food and thoughts of sex, daydreams of how the morning could have gone had she not pulled away. Her core thrummed in response. The small beast inside her purred with desire, a sound Nessa tried to hide. She told herself this would pass, that it wasn’t Caz doing this to her but the years of abstinence.
Thankfully, their meal came before she had to worry about it too long. Two massive plates of seafood sat before them. Her stomach growled with pleasure. It distracted her horny beast for the time being.
“If you won’t feed me, can I feed you?”
“What?” Nessa laughed nervously.
Caz speared a scallop with his fork and raised it while he waited for an answer. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling off balance for the first time in her life. For years, she’d watched couples act like this when they came to thank her for matching them. She’d never understood the intimacy between them, even with such small gestures.
Now, her heart raced with anticipation. Caz lifted the fork closer, his hand beneath it to catch the butter that dripped down. She parted her lips. Her eyes met his just as she bit the scallop from the fork. Their gazes held, a slow smile curling across Caz’s lips.
Even though there was food in her mouth, she hungered for his lips again. How had she gone from a spinster to a hormone crazed teenager so quickly? An odd sense of bravery overwhelmed her.
Caz pulled back, but she reached out for his hand and licked the butter from his palm. His eyes fluttered as her tongue ran over the sensitive skin. An arm snaked behind her and yanked her into his body again. Where their skin touched, a fire raged.
“You are a wicked kitten,” Caz growled. He speared a shrimp with his fork before raising it in her direction.
Greedy for more than food, she opened her mouth. Right at the last second, he popped the shrimp into his own mouth. Nessa’s jaw dropped.
“I see how it is.” She reached for her own fork. “You won’t betray me like that again.”
Nestled in his arm while they enjoyed giant plates of seafood, Nessa didn’t know if she’d ever been happier. The bubble of candlelight in the dark corner kept away any thoughts of what was happening outside the restaurant. There might be a witch waiting to destroy them both, but Nessa could pretend she had a happy future for a moment.
“If you could do anything in the world,” Caz asked. “What would you do?”
Nessa ate another spicy shrimp while she considered her options. As a packless shifter, she had more freedom than most. She could explore the world as long as she kept away from the bigger, more aggressive packs. Instead, fear of those shifters had kept her in her safe little corner of the world.
“If I didn’t have to worry about predators, I’d visit the Grand Canyon and take a million tacky tourist photos. After that, I’d visit the largest ball of yarn in the world. To be ironic, of course.”
His laugh was deep. It rattled her insides, trying to shake up everything Nessa kept closed tight. This was the last place she thought she’d ever find herself, and it was the happiest. For once, she didn’t think about how happy her friends were. She didn’t see the smiling faces of mated couples and feel any kind of bitterness.
“Oh, and I’d do it all in your car. I liked the convertible a lot more than I thought I would.”
“Who says you can have my car? That thing is my baby. Until I find myself a mate, no one will be closer to my heart.”
They both laughed, the sound filling the room before fading. Nessa felt something stir inside her. She wasn’t sure what it was, unable to decipher the feeling. It had no words, nothing recognizable, yet it felt as familiar as her own heartbeat.
“I could steal it,” Nessa said, turning back toward the conversation even though the feeling nagged at her mind. “I’ve never stolen anything before, but it could be fun. You wouldn’t know it was gone until it was too late.”
“How could you steal it without me noticing if you’ve never stolen anything before?’
“I’d get Monica to help. She knows a little bit about cars.”
Caz grinned and hugged her close. His embrace was warm, and she had to admit she liked the feel of her cheek pressed against his chest more than she should have. It was comforting, like falling into your favorite chair after a long day. His touch warded against everything bad that happened out
side the glow of the candlelight.
“Oh, I know. I’d have sex in interesting places.” Her cheeks warmed at her own words, but it was true. “I’ve only ever had vanilla sex. Always in the back of a car or in bed.”
“Back of a car?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. Those were the high school days. Guys I never should have slept with.”
Caz growled. His fingers tightened on her, almost possessively. “We could find some fun places. Some fun positions.”
Nessa’s body lit with an all-consuming fire as she thought of the things they could do. Her mind fed her imagery of things she didn’t even know she knew. None of them seemed possible, but she was almost willing to give them a try.
Almost.
The date with Caz had been nice, but something about it felt impermanent. Perhaps it was Hillary’s presence. The witch loomed over their heads. Even though they’d found a dark corner and shrunk the world to just the two of them, there was no ignoring the woman who’d claimed Caz or the nightmare she’d wrought for Nessa.
Hillary would not want Caz and Nessa trying any of those fun positions. She wondered why. Was it love that brought Hillary crawling back to him? It was hard to imagine love manifesting as anything like the insanity that was Hillary.
Caz gently shook her shoulder. “You went quiet on me. I didn’t mean to offend you. If this was just a…” His lips moved as he tried to find the right word. Finally, he cringed dramatically. “If this isn’t going to end…if I assumed something was going to happen…I’m going to shut my mouth before you find a window to throw me out of. I don’t think I could handle a defenestration.”
“That is a very big, very obscure word for a gear-head.” Nessa hid her smile behind her fork, unable to hold it back. Not only was Caz a big, burly hunk of sexy man, but he had the kind of humor Nessa liked. He was silly for the sake of being silly. In this case, she thought he might have joked to hide his own pain.
She wanted to give this a try. His presence gave her the kind of happiness she never thought would belong to her. It made her want to hold him tight and keep him forever. The urge was strong, stronger than anything she’d ever known before. It scared her.
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