by Bianca D'Arc
“Oh. Well, yeah,” he agreed quickly, seeming somewhat surprised by her brusque answer. “But I was hoping to see you again. I mean, I’d like to talk to Tina, just to be sure, but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to have dinner with me.”
Chapter Four
For a lawyer, he wasn’t all that eloquent.
And there went her heart again, going pitter-pat. Had he really just asked her out?
“Since this is the only place to eat in town, at the moment, I thought maybe I could meet you here, then talk to your sister before we grab a bite and then maybe take a walk on the beach after?” He seemed nervous, talking quickly when she didn’t answer right away.
Damn. He really did just ask her out. Her. Not Tina. Inside, Ashley raised a mental fist in victory.
“How about we meet here and you can talk to Tina, but then, maybe instead of eating in here, could I offer you the setting of our rooftop garden? It’s really pretty up there. We strung white twinkle lights among the flower pots, and we sit up there at night sometimes, and stargaze.”
Was she talking too much? It felt like maybe she was. Ashley stuttered to a halt and waited to see what he’d say.
He gave her one of those electrifying grins that made her knees wobble. “I’d like that very much. What time is good for you?”
She wanted to say right now, but it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning. She’d have all day to prep and worry and try to get ready.
“Is seven too late?” She picked a time she knew Tina would be the least busy.
If needs be, Ash could take over for a few minutes while Tom talked to Tina. Seven was right in between the dinner crowd and the folks who strolled in for latte and dessert.
Tom’s smile widened. “Seven is perfect. I’ll look forward to seeing you then.”
“Me too.” Not a witty answer, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances. Tom’s smiles made her feel all warm inside, and they sort of melted a part of her brain—the thinking part, no doubt.
She jumped, realizing he was probably waiting for her to get the bread they’d talked about a minute ago. She went back and quickly selected one of the best loaves, packaging it in the special bags they’d had printed, that were both long and wide enough for the special shapes Ashley liked to make. She handed him the still-warm bread across the counter.
“This one’s on the house. Hope you like it. It’s honey walnut.” She felt a little shy all of a sudden. Should she have given him one of the plainer selections?
“Sounds delicious. You know, we bears love honey. And I am particularly fond of walnuts.” He brushed her hand with his as he took the loaf from her, and she swore she could feel little sparks against her skin, like little zaps of static electricity. “Thank you, Ashley.”
His warm, deep voice made a meal of her name. She liked the way he said it.
He stood there for a moment, gazing at her from across the counter, and then, he sort of shook himself and headed for the door. It looked to her like maybe he was reluctant to leave, which made her feel all tingly. Maybe he was as attracted to her as she was to him? Could she be so lucky? Well, he had just asked her out—sort of.
There wasn’t much night life in the cove, so his suggestion about sharing a meal—even if it was in her family’s establishment—pretty much made it a date. Ashley felt that giddiness again. She hadn’t been on a date since all the trouble started back in New York.
She watched him walk away, noticing again what a fine backside he had. These shifters were built to last, every single one of them, but Tom seemed to have that little extra sex appeal that made her want to jump his bones. Not that good girl Ashley had ever really gotten wild enough with a man to jump him. Still, Tom made her think about it. Very seriously.
The bell above the door tinkled as he left, and Ashley sighed, watching him walk down the street. The town lawyer really had a great ass.
* * *
Tom was prompt, which was a good thing for Ashley’s nerves. She’d frittered around the apartment upstairs all day, cleaning, setting up the table in the rooftop garden, and figuring out what to wear. As a result, her entire wardrobe was now scattered all over her room, but the little garden had been weeded and pruned until every leaf shone.
She’d been hanging around downstairs in the bakery for the past half hour, chatting idly with Tina and helping out here and there. The dinner rush—which only consisted of about a half dozen people that night—had come and mostly gone. And then, there he was. The man himself walked in the door.
He seemed only to glance at Tina before his gaze met Ashley’s.
Tom saw Ashley standing there, and every other thought went straight out of his head. His inner bear liked what it saw, which was a first. Never before had his other half weighed in this strongly about a female.
He walked straight up to her, but social convention barred him from doing what he really wanted to do, so he settled for smiling at her and saying hello. If they hadn’t been in public, he might’ve given into his baser instincts and pulled her into his arms, greeting her with a kiss…or more. Whatever she’d let him get away with. As it was, he had to be polite and make conversation, which wasn’t exactly his strong suit.
“You look great,” he said, knowing it wasn’t polished, but at least it was true.
“Thanks.” Her smile lit his world, and he was glad he’d opted to speak the first thoughts that jumped into his head. “You too.” A throat cleared nearby, and Ashley jumped. “Sorry. Tom, this is my sister, Tina. Tina, this is Tom.”
The younger sister stuck her hand over the counter and gave Tom a speculative smile as she looked from him to Ashley and back again. He shook Tina’s hand, but there was no spark. Not like when he touched Ashley.
So it wasn’t a Baker sister thing. It was just an Ashley thing. Good to know.
“You’re the town’s lawyer, right?” Tina asked, letting go of his hand.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he agreed.
“Ash said you wanted to talk to me?” Tina went on. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Nell read me the riot act already, but it wasn’t necessary. I get that you guys have a good thing going here, and I won’t ruin it for you—or for my sisters. Are we cool?”
Tom’s head was spinning a bit by the speed of Tina’s words, but his inner bear scented the absolute truth in her words. There wasn’t much guile in this young woman. Tom’s built-in lie detector knew she was on the level, even if she left his human side in a whirl.
“Yeah,” he said, his human thought processes catching up with his bear’s instincts. “I think we’re cool. I can tell you don’t intend to make trouble for us, and most especially for your family.” Tom decided to take it a step further. “You know, now that Nell is part of the Clan by mating with Brody, you two are under our protection too. If you ever have any trouble, you just come to me, or better yet, go to John. He looks out for all of us. He’s the man in charge. Our Alpha. Did Brody explain about that?”
“You mean he’s leader of the pack, right?” Tina said offhandedly.
“Packs are for wolves. We’re bears. We call our groupings Clans,” Tom told her.
“Wolves?” Ashley piped up, sounding surprised. “You mean there are people who turn into wolves too?”
“Duh,” Tina intoned before Tom could say anything. “Where do you think the legends about werewolves come from, Ash? Seriously.” Tina shook her head as she wiped the counter with a dish towel.
Ashley blushed rather becomingly, Tom thought. He decided to tell her a bit more about the world the sisters now found themselves in.
“Wolves, big cats, raptors. There are all sorts of shapeshifters, each with their own hierarchy. But we all answer to the Lords.”
“Like nobility?” Ash asked him, then turned to her sister. “There’s shapeshifter nobility?”
“Sort of, but it’s not a hereditary title. The Lords are always twin Alphas, and the duty usually falls to a different group in eac
h generation. The current Lords of North America are wolves, but we’ve heard rumors that the next generation will be from a bear Clan.” Tom felt a swell of pride knowing that the next Lords would be bears.
“How do they decide which group gets the leadership? Is there a vote or something?” Tina asked.
Tom shook his head. “No. No voting. Identical twins are rare among shifters. When a set is born, we know the Mother of All has chosen them to be the next Lords.” That’s just the way it was. The way it had always been.
“Mother of All? Is that like Mother Nature or something?” Tina asked.
“The Goddess has many names and many guises. I know most of your human religions feature a male deity, but shifters have served the Goddess for as long as there have been shifters.”
“Wow,” Tina commented. “Progressive.”
The bell above the door jingled and Tina went over to assist the newcomers. It was Lyn and her daughter, Daisy. Though most four-year-olds would be going to sleep soon, shifter kids had a bit more energy than their human counterparts, so it looked like mother and daughter had come in for dessert.
Chapter Five
“Shall we go upstairs?” Ashley asked after greetings had been exchanged.
“Lead the way,” Tom answered, knowing he was smiling and unable to stop himself.
He hadn’t been on a date in way too long, and he’d never really experimented with human women. There was something so incredibly alluring about Ashley though…something primal that demanded he get closer to her.
Tom followed Ashley through a door marked private, up a flight of stairs and into a cozy apartment that took up the entire top floor of the building. Everything up here was feminine, with soft edges and colors. It was nice, Tom thought, though his own taste ran more toward hunter green and navy blue.
She kept going, leading him to another set of stairs that took them onto the roof. Tom followed, bemused by what he found up there. The sisters had turned a plain, flat roof into an oasis in the middle of the village. There were planters of every size and shape—most made of wood that the ladies must have built themselves—all over the roof. In the center was a patio table that had been set with silverware and china. In the center of the table, a thermal bag held something warm that Tom could scent was some kind of beef.
A green salad with tomatoes sat under a net cover, and a small rack of condiments lay nearby. Ashley had gone all out, and Tom was duly impressed, though he also felt a little guilty.
“I didn’t mean to make you go through all this trouble, but it looks great, and the food smells great.” He looked at the views in the early evening light. “This is really nice up here.”
“It’s our little getaway. We spend a lot of time up here, tending the plants and just enjoying the sunny days.” She led him toward the table in the center of their magical garden. Fairy lights were woven throughout the planters, lighting the path with a soft illumination.
The salad, Tom learned, had come fresh from the garden, as had most of the vegetables and herbs. Tom admired the sisters’ ingenuity in growing their own fresh produce in a town that didn’t really have much in the way of groceries. Some of the shops stocked various meats, and there was a fresh fish market, but getting fresh lettuce, for one example, wasn’t a high priority for most in the town.
Ashley had made a roast that was cooked to perfection. Some kind of herbed potato dish went with it, along with the salad and a green bean dish that was absolutely delicious. Tom complimented her cooking many times throughout the meal.
“I didn’t mean for you to go to all this trouble, but it was fantastic,” Tom said, as they finished the meal. “Thank you. Next time, I’m going to cook for you.” He gathered his courage, knowing his inner bear wouldn’t allow him to wait. This woman was too special. “In fact, how about tomorrow? I can pick you up and bring you out to my place. I’ve got a huge grill, and I’ve even been known to marinate a steak or two in my time.”
“Really? Do tell.” Her answer was flirty. Tom took it as a good sign.
“I even have the beginnings of a small wine cellar,” he told her with a knowing nod as he raised his glass to her. She’d paired the roast with a very nice red wine that he truly appreciated. Wine was one of his little hobbies.
“I’m impressed. Are you going to offer to show me your etchings next?” She was still flirting with him. A tiny bubble of joy rose up from the center of his being. He couldn’t remember having this much fun with anyone in a good, long time.
“No etchings, but I do have a studio overlooking the cove. In fact…” he said, getting excited as he looked at the view from the rooftop, “I’d love to paint the cove from up here sometime. It’s a unique perspective, and the light is phenomenal.”
They’d moved to sit on a bench the sisters had placed at the front of the roof where they could look out over the cove. The dusk had given way to dark, and the only illumination was the soft twinkle of the fairy lights in the garden behind them, the dusting of stars and quarter moon overhead, and the occasional flutter of the lights from a ship out at sea.
The cove itself wasn’t large or deep enough for any serious docks. There were a few small boats, at least one of which was used exclusively for fishing by the same shifter who owned the fish market. He supplied everyone who didn’t want to do their own fishing. The other boats belonged to various residents who enjoyed occasional sport fishing or just sailing along the coast.
“You could,” Ashley said softly. “I mean, I don’t think my sisters would mind if you wanted to use our garden as your studio for a little while. I’ve seen some of your work in the gallery next door, and it’s very powerful.”
She’d seen his art? And liked it? That touched him more than he thought it would.
“I never really painted much before coming here,” he admitted. “But I’ve discovered a passion for it.” He had to laugh. “I thought John’s idea of disguising ourselves as artists was a little nuts at first, but the man has vision. A lot of us have discovered hidden talents and a real joy in creating things. It’s somewhat therapeutic, and while my inner bear doesn’t truly understand the point of it all, it does appreciate beauty. Painting calms the beast a bit, which is a nice added benefit. Having so many of us living in such close proximity could have been disastrous otherwise. Usually, we don’t group together like a lot of other shifters do. Mostly we just have our small family units as part of a larger Clan that we see every once in a while, but we don’t all live together in the same place.”
“So this place is a sort of social experiment,” Ashley mused.
“In more than one way,” Tom agreed. “John’s also managed to turn us all into artists. That was a pretty massive undertaking in itself. I honestly thought—if anything—we’d have an entire community of chainsaw carvers.”
Ashley laughed, and the sound warmed Tom’s soul. There was something so enchanting about this woman, and he wanted to get closer to her.
Trying out one of his rusty moves, he put his arm along the back of the bench, behind her. When she didn’t object, he relaxed, enjoying her nearness.
“Brody carves with a chainsaw,” she said quietly, her tone amused as she moved closer and practically snuggled into his side.
“Don’t get me wrong; I like your sister’s mate. Brody and I go way back. But applying the term art to those tree stumps he attacks with a chainsaw isn’t something I care to do. Besides, all he does are self-portraits.” Tom liked being close to Ashley. She smelled divine, and his inner bear grumbled happily in the back of his mind.
“He does seem to carve a lot of bears,” she allowed.
“Look closer. They’re all the same bear.”
She chuckled, and he felt a small sense of triumph that he’d been able to make her laugh. Brody’s ongoing series of self-portraits had become something of a running joke within the Clan.
“Just think of all those poor, ignorant tourists, totally unaware that they’re stuck with a self-portrait of your b
rother-in-law on their front lawn.”
This time, she laughed outright. Tom liked making her laugh. He enjoyed the cheerful tones of her amusement and the way her eyes lit up.
Unable to let the moment pass, Tom followed his instincts and leaned over to cover her smiling lips with his. Their first kiss, and it was one of joy.
It quickly turned into something much sultrier as she turned into his arms, and he drew her against his body. She tasted of the peppery wine they’d had with dinner and her own unique essence. He couldn’t get enough.
Tom’s inner bear wanted to lick her all over and learn her different tastes, but it was too soon for that. He counseled the grizzly to patience while his human form got to know her responses, cataloging each one and learning what made her tremble.
Her passion was as quick to ignite as his, which was good. It meant they were a good match, and that she was as attracted to him as he was to her. So far, so good.
Tom lifted her legs so they stretched across his lap. She let him move her around to suit his mood, her cooperation making him want to growl in victory. She was with him. She was part of this seduction, this initiation, this getting to know each other.
Her tiny hands roamed over his back and then his shoulders and arms, learning him, testing the feel of his muscles against her fingers. He damned the cloth that separated his skin from her touch, but he had to be patient. She was human. He had to let things progress at a slower pace. He didn’t want to scare her off.
She was quickly becoming much too important to him for him to mess this up. He told himself again, to be patient. And when she pushed eagerly at his clothing, he wanted to go with her instincts and get them both naked on the roof, under the stars.
But he heard noises in the apartment below. It was late. Tina had closed the bakery and was making a lot of noise—probably to give them fair warning that she was in the apartment.