by Renee Rose
I pushed past the fruit and steered to the meat counter. It was damn hard to eat the amount of protein recommended, according to my doctor’s meal sheet. I sighed as I waited for the butcher to come over, so I could order some sausages, but the smell of the raw fish at the far end of the display hit me hard. I gagged before I could even talk myself down.
Oh shit. Where was the bathroom in this place? I spun in a circle, wondering if it was up front by customer service or here in the back, but that only made things worse.
Abandoning my cart, I whirled away from the counter and ran smack into a wall of… tall, hard man.
Big hands wrapped around my elbows. “Hey,” a deep, all-too-familiar voice rumbled. “Becky… hey. Wow. Um… hi. Uh, you all right?”
I craned my neck to look up and... into Clint’s handsome face. My eyes widened in surprise and panic. His nostrils flared as he drew a deep breath, and for a moment, his startled eyes seemed to change from green to grey. I quickly dropped my analysis of the color of his irises because the act of moving my head too fast brought on another wave of nausea.
“Jesus, you look green,” he commented.
For a third time in five minutes, no shit, Sherlock.
I stepped to the left to get around him, but he followed. I shifted to the right as if I were a football tight end trying to get past an opposing linebacker.
“Hey,” he said at the same time as I told him to move.
He didn’t, and that was it for me. I doubled over, heaving, and—God help me—puked a little on Clint’s work boots.
“Oh my God,” I croaked, keeping my head down as I shoved my hand in my purse for a tissue. “Oh God, this is so embarrassing.”
I hadn’t seen Clint in four months, and now I threw up on him. Because of his baby being all sadistic and torturing me from the inside out.
“You okay? Shelby, get her a bottle of water,” Clint barked.
“Yep. Be right back.” The sound of a female voice brought my head up again, just in time to see the gorgeous juice bar girl from the farmer’s market heading away. I stared at how her snug jeans showed off an ass she could probably bounce a quarter off of. Her short puffy coat didn’t hide anything.
My stomach instantly settled. As in a brick sunk in it and held it down.
It wasn’t like I was interested in Clint. I wasn’t! I hadn’t told him there’d been consequences to our hookup a few months ago because the last thing I needed was guy complications. Sure, I’d stewed on that issue for a few weeks. Did I tell him? Did I not? He deserved to know. No, it didn’t matter. We’d left it as casual. A quickie. Nothing more.
I had enough trouble trying to get through my divorce from Todd in one piece. We’d been legally separated for two years, but he wouldn’t sign the papers. Wouldn’t end it. Instead, he wanted to fuck with me. Draw it out. Push up my legal bills in the hopes I’d give up and go back to him.
Yeah, I’d go back to a guy being a dick just to get me back. Todd was dumber than I’d ever thought. I was stuck with him legally until he gave up and just signed.
A wild fuck at the back of Cody’s was one thing, but I didn’t need some other guy making demands of me. They were nothing but trouble.
That was the whole reason I hadn’t gone to Audrey to be my Ob/Gyn. Not only did I not want my BFF to see my vagina or a baby popping out of it—I did have some boundaries in friendships—I was afraid she’d put two and two together and realize who the father was.
Still, seeing Clint with Juice Girl jabbed me with a hot poker of jealousy. Clearly, he and his dick had moved on. I would never have a tight body or even tighter ass. My baby belly and my breasts popped over the last week.
“Let’s get you somewhere you can clean up,” Clint suggested, looking me over.
Thank God I had on a heavy coat and a bulky sweater beneath.
“I’ll just go home,” I mumbled, trying to lurch away. To forget this moment ever happened.
But Clint maintained contact with one of my elbows, following along beside me as if I required his strength to walk.
Which would’ve been nice if I had. Or if I hadn’t just barfed all over his feet.
Gah!
Juice Girl materialized out of nowhere. “Here you go—it’s already paid for.”
Clint snatched it from her hand with a murmured thanks, unscrewed the top and thrust it at me. “Take a sip.”
I grabbed it, desperate to escape. “Thanks so much, both of you. I gotta run before I hurl again.”
“I’ll drive you home,” Clint offered.
“No, no, no, no.” I couldn’t seem to stop my lips from saying the syllable over and over again. “I’m okay on my own.”
I was. Completely on my own.
“Probably,” he countered. “But I’m not letting you drive yourself home when you’re feeling this way. Give me your keys, sugar.”
Sugar. He’d called me that at the bar. It had sounded good then and now.
But I wasn’t his sugar. He was with Shelby, and I knew he wasn’t an asshole, so I had to assume he called every woman sugar. Like the mechanic who worked on my car calling everyone honey.
I looked up at him, my embarrassment morphing into something hot and slithery. My ever-tender nipples beaded up in my now too-tight bra. I’d just thrown up, and I was hot for him. Eager for what he had in his pants. And the dark words out of his mouth.
Clint was bossy.
I shouldn’t like that.
Not after Todd’s controlling asshole ways. He’d told me what to do, what to wear, what to buy.
But it seemed a girl never learned because Clint’s take-charge attitude just erased all nausea and left my panties damp.
I had hormonal whiplash. Nauseated one minute, horny the next.
Yeah, as if Clint wanted to get it on with a woman who just hurled on him. Soooo sexy.
Still, I hesitated. Part of me was anxious to escape, especially considering Clint was here with another woman. But he held out his hand and pinned me with that stern dark gaze, and I found myself passing the keys before I’d made up my mind whether to obey.
“What about your groceries?” Clint asked, glancing behind me at my cart.
“I just need to leave,” I begged. “I’ll come back tomorrow and apologize to the manager.”
“Okay. Shelby, would you mind—”
“No problem. I’ll take care of our shopping. Give me the keys to your truck, and I’ll finish up.”
Well.
She was awfully accommodating considering Clint was leaving with another woman. She must really be eager to please. When I glanced at her, I found her eyeing me with curiosity rather than jealousy.
Uh oh. Hopefully they weren’t into threesomes.
Oh, what was I thinking? Nobody was thinking about having sex with me right now. I just puked in a grocery store. On a hot cowboy’s boots.
He was just being a gentleman and seeing me home.
I let him steer me outside, and I pointed out my Subaru. He opened the passenger door and handed me in like I was some kind of elderly woman then walked around, pushed my seat all the way back and climbed behind the wheel.
“Where to?” he asked, looking over at me.
“Listen, you don’t have to drive me.” I opened the glove box and pulled out some napkins, which I thrust at him. “For your boots.”
He took them and leaned down to give his boots a quick swipe. “Thanks. Now, where do you live?”
“I’m really sorry, Clint. I don’t want your girlfriend to be mad.” I couldn’t help myself. I just had to ask. He was a nice guy, and I didn’t want to mess things up for him.
“Girlfriend?” He raised both brows in surprise then his lips twitched. “You think Shelby’s my girlfriend?” He shook his head and started the car. “No, sugar. She was just helping me pick up some things for a family gathering we’re having. It’s too cold for a barbeque but same kind of thing.”
“Oh. She’s—um—family?” Dammit, did I sound way
too hopeful? Did I really think a gorgeous guy like him would be single?
He backed up, lips tipping up again. “Yep, we’re related. I couldn’t tell you exactly how. Second cousins, maybe—I don’t know. But yes, she’s family.”
I sat back, my stomach calm, much of my agitation easing. “Well, she seems really nice.”
I liked her far better now that I knew she wasn’t Clint’s girlfriend. She seemed like a really awesome cousin. Stellar, even.
I gave Clint directions back to the duplex I’d moved into when I first left Todd and arrived in Cooper Valley. Thanks to the crushing weight of his med school bills—yeah, his, not mine—I couldn’t afford any better. I still couldn’t since we were still fucking married, and his debts were my debts.
“What do you think made you sick?” Clint asked. “Stomach flu? Food poisoning?”
I drew in a breath. “Food poisoning, probably,” I said quickly. While Clint might eventually find out I was pregnant, I couldn’t deal with the complications that would bring at the moment. I’d wanted to see him again, but I’d wanted to be prepared. Have a mental script of what to say. Heck, even makeup and maybe not have throw-up breath.
As happy as I was that he and Shelby weren’t an item, that didn’t mean I got to lay claim to him. Or that I even wanted to. His dick would be good, but all of him? All six-feet plus of hot cowboy? I wasn’t ready for that or the complications that went with it.
I would have enough problems when Todd found out I was pregnant. Knowing that asshole, he’d probably try to claim paternity even though we hadn’t had sex in two years. He was determined to cause me as much trouble and delay our divorce for as long as he possibly could. Adding a pregnancy to the legal proceedings was going to be a nightmare.
“What do you do for that?” He glanced over from the wheel.
Seriously? Had he never had food poisoning before? “Oh, you know. Lots of fluids and staying closer to a bathroom than I did. I’ll be fine. I’m already feeling better. Again, I’m sorry about your boots.”
“Stop apologizing,” he said firmly in that same bossy tone that had made my nipples hard at the store. He pulled in front of my place, parked and quickly texted the address to Shelby, so she could pick him up. He turned to look at me, his gaze roving over my face. “What can I do to help?”
“You’ve been a huge help already, but it’s enough.” I opened the door and climbed out, my boots sinking into three-day old snow my neighbor and I still hadn’t shoveled.
Clint surged out from behind the wheel and jogged to catch my elbow, like he was afraid I’d slip.
I stopped and smiled at him. He really was quite the gentleman. The memory of him gallantly riding to my rescue the night we hooked up came flooding back with fondness. “I’m fine. Really. Hey, your nose is looking better.”
He lifted his free hand to touch it as if he’d forgotten, then grinned. “Yeah. All good.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I replied. “I’m good, too.”
“Well, I am worried.” His forehead crinkled. He steered me forward to my door. “I’m going to come back and check on you.”
My heart did a little somersault before I promptly stepped on it.
Nope. Dating Clint was off the table.
Way too complicated, and I knew it was better to steer clear of him from the start because I had a feeling he had a slew of broken hearts in his wake. I didn’t want mine to be one of them.
“It’s really not necessary.”
“Tough. I’m going to come by just the same,” he said firmly, tipping his cowboy hat.
I tried to ignore the clenching between my legs that simple act produced while Clint stepped even closer and stared down at me as if fascinated. He took a deep breath as he studied me.
Oh lordy. I wouldn’t mind a repeat of the night we hooked up.
It had been mind-blowing to say the least. I remembered the feel of his hands on me, the hard press of his body against mine as he held me pinned to the wall. The feel of him hot and thick between my legs. The deep thrust of his dick. The way he looked when he came. How it felt when he made me come.
Shit, I wanted that again. So bad. But I couldn’t, even though my vibrator didn’t compare. That one night had already gotten me in a world of trouble.
If I weren’t worried about barf-breath, I would’ve stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek, but considering my horrific state, I thought it best to simply duck into my place and wave from the door. Shelby had just pulled up in Clint’s truck, so I was home free.
“Thanks again,” I chirped, trying to close the door in his face.
“You can close the door on me now, sugar, but I’ll be by tomorrow to look in on you.” He stepped back.
I waved again and shut the door.
Crap.
Resisting that sexy cowboy had been doable today because I’d puked on his boots. Tomorrow would be a different story.
I wasn’t sure I had the willpower necessary to resist the magnetic attraction I had to the father of my child.
4
CLINT
Mate.
How could I have been so stupid? I’d missed that the hot little nurse was my mate. Four months ago, I’d had my mate in my arms, my dick deep in her pussy, and I’d had no idea. That was one for the shifter record books.
Fuck! A growl rumbled from my chest as I drove out of town.
My nose had been freshly broken the night she and I hooked up at Cody’s, and I hadn’t been able to smell, but still—shouldn’t I have known?
Yeah, I’d been attracted to her from across the room, but so had lots of other guys. Including the one who’d punched me.
Prickles ran all down my arms, across the back of my neck thinking about it. Becky was my mate, and she’d been alone, unprotected while I’d been away. I hadn’t even had any of the other pack members watching out for her. Nothing from me.
Nothing. I was the shittiest mate ever. I wanted to beat the shit out of something, pissed at myself for not being there, even when I’d had no idea. It made leaving her behind now even worse.
I’d breathed in her honeyed scent at the meat counter in the fucking grocery store, and I knew.
My wolf had howled and preened with joy.
She’d been sick! I’d attentively driven her home, ensuring she was safe. What kind of mate left? Walked away when she was clearly feeling poorly?
Me.
As I drove my truck up the mountain to the pack cabin for our meeting, I ignored the curious glances from Shelby, who was probably smart enough to put two and two together. And stay silent.
A wolf didn’t get that interested over a human puking in the grocery store for nothing.
Now that I reviewed our interaction at the bachelorette party, all the signs were obvious. How I’d lost control when that asshole had tried to pick her up. How satisfied I’d been when she’d gone with me into the storage room. How satisfied she’d been when we were finished. How I hadn’t wanted it to be a one-time thing.
But it had never occurred to me that she might be mine.
Mine.
And now, it had taken all my willpower just to walk away from her and get in my truck when Shelby had pulled up in front of her place. Claiming a human wasn’t the same as claiming a she-wolf. They didn’t recognize you by scent. They had different ideas about how partnerships with the opposite sex were formed. Becky had no idea she was mine. Even worse, all she probably thought of me was the quickie she’d had at Cody’s over the summer.
She wasn’t a quickie. Sure, we’d had one, and I’d walked away. I’d been gone pretty much the entire time since, dealing with enforcer shit. There had been no opportunity to revisit the connection we’d had. To see if there was more.
It was a coincidence we’d bumped into each other at the store. Coincidence she’d thrown up on me. I’d blocked her path not knowing… fuck, my mate was sick! That was going to torture me all fucking night until I got eyes on her again and could verify she was fee
ling better.
Yeah, I’d had to leave. It had been obvious she’d wanted me gone, embarrassed at being sick on me. I didn’t give a shit about that. I was in this with her, throw up and all. She just didn’t know it yet. Like Audrey and Marina before her, she knew nothing about shifters. What I really was. What she meant to me.
Which only had my frustration ratchet up another notch. The further I drove away from her, the angrier my wolf got. I had to figure out what to do because she was fucking mine, and I’d take care of her. In fact, I might need to get a place in town, so I could keep a closer eye on her. Even if she wasn’t ready to accept me as her mate, she required protection. Seeing her sick reminded me of just how vulnerable she was.
Protection.
Oh, fuck.
Reality hit me like a brick in the temple.
How could a council enforcer possibly mate? I’d already written it off as a bad idea. I’d gone into the role with my eyes wide open, knowing the danger, the threat to my life. My job had zero rainbows and unicorns. It was all silver bullets and neck snapping.
The assholes I hunted had zero problems with hurting those who I cared about to get back at me. Hell, being mated to an enforcer all but put a bullseye on a female’s back. It would be especially bad with a human. She was so vulnerable. One punch from a vengeful shifter could snap her neck. And humans didn’t have regeneration capabilities. She would die.
I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to her.
Hell, I already wouldn’t be able to ever sleep again for fear something could happen.
Dammit.
I’d just found my mate, and I couldn’t have her. The safest thing for Becky was for me to stay away. Her own mate was her greatest threat.
Fuck!
I pulled in front of the pack cabin and backed around, so the tailgate faced the front porch to unload the supplies for the meeting and dinner afterward. It was a new moon, but I was as agitated as I’d be at a full moon. I smacked my hand on the steering wheel, and Shelby just watched then climbed from the truck.