The Crane Curse Series Complete Boxed Set (Shape Shifter Romance)

by Liliana Rhodes

  "You'll never have to worry about that with me. I've seen firsthand the bad side of shifters and how some of them treat non-shifters. It's not right."

  He patted her hand that rested still on his arm. The warmth and softness of her skin excited not just the bear but him as well. Anytime they touched, he felt comforted, like a familiar blanket surrounded him. But there was more than that. There was the primal need inside of him to take her, to have his way with her, but he would never touch her without her permission.

  "Why are you so different? For all I know, you're just saying that. Let's be honest here, Rafael. You've been in Leeds Point for a couple of years now and you've pushed really hard for me to go out with you. You know I've seen your car drive past my house before."

  "I know, and I'm sorry about that. I don't mean to come across as a psycho," he said, looking over at her and meeting her gaze with a lopsided smirk. "But I came up here to find you. We're meant to be together, Pinky. I know it."

  She laughed and shook her head. "You're not just psycho. More like psy-cohh," she said as she moved her pointer finger in circles next to her ear. "Don't worry, I like crazy."

  "You don't understand, but it's something about shifters. You see, when things were bad, you appeared in my dreams. At first I thought you were just something my head made up, but deep down I knew you were real. I dreamt about you for years before I had to find you."

  "You're lucky my dad is a mind reader and I grew up in a crazy ass town. Otherwise I'd really think you were nuts!" she said with a grin.

  "I'm dead serious. I'd never joke about this."

  He looked over at Pinky and tried to read her face. He never told anyone any of this before, but she made him feel like he could open up to her and she wouldn't judge him.

  She moved her hand off his arm, then looked down. He checked the rear view mirror again and she turned around, then stared out the window before turning back to him.

  "What aren't you telling me? You keep looking in the rearview mirror," she said.

  Rafael sighed then gritted his teeth slowly. Looking down, he saw her hand resting on her thigh and he covered it with his own, glad she didn't push him away.

  "I'm worried we're being followed. I don't know for sure, and maybe I'm overreacting, but that's what's going on."

  "Who would follow us?"

  "His name is Sean Ames. He's a wolf shifter who dated my sister years ago. She was part human. She used to tell me what it was like and how shifters would treat her. She thought Sean was different."

  "Was?" she asked, tilting her head.

  He nodded slowly. His jaw clenched tightly before he spoke. "Sean killed her," he said before swallowing hard. "It happened ten years ago, but nothing ever happened to him. She would've been around your age now."

  "I'm so sorry," she said. She was quiet for a minute, then turned back towards him. "Why is he here?"

  "He wants something. What, I don't know, but he has a lot of hatred towards me. Be careful with shifters, beautiful. One can be the death of you."

  Rafael's bear roared deep within. He clenched the steering wheel, trying to control his anger. He would never tell Pinky the things that scumbag said. She didn't need to know them because he would always be there to protect her.

  As Rafael drove the mountain road leading to Milford, he couldn't help but think about how different it was from the low lands of New Orleans. He missed his home, but he swore he wouldn't go back until Pinky was his.

  "What are you thinking about?" she asked.

  "Home," he said softly.

  "You must miss it. I've never been to New Orleans."

  "Maybe you'll let me take you one day. It's beautiful. So much history there, so much life."

  And so much death, he thought, but he quickly pushed the thought from his mind.

  "Were you a bartender there, too?"

  He smiled as he shook his head. "No. I only work at Night Shift for you."

  "What do you mean?"

  "When I finally found you, I discovered you were a regular there. I wanted to be near you, to get to know you and see you all the time, so I convinced Erich to make me a bartender."

  She smiled and shook her head. He tried to read her face to see if he went too far and said too much, but the sun was setting and he had to keep an eye on the winding road ahead.

  "Well, since we're being so honest, I have a confession to make, too. I started going to Night Shift even more after you started working there."

  "Then why did you always turn me down?" he asked, clasping his hand around hers.

  "I don't know. I was afraid, I guess. I didn't want to find out you were just like the others. Or for you to become like the others. I…I love all the crazy stuff that happens in Leeds Point. And I love to be near it. That's why I used to go to Night Shift so often. But after you came, I only went to see you."

  "You're a fascinating woman, Pinky Smythe."

  She didn't say anything. He glanced over, slowing the car down, and saw she was looking down at his hand covering hers. Should he move it? No, if she wanted it gone, she would tell him or push it away, he thought.

  "Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

  She shook her head. "You're full of shit, you know that? I was just beginning to believe you, but you went too far."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I'm not fascinating. I'm the most boring person not only in Leeds Point, but anywhere. There's nothing special or interesting about me at all."

  "Then you never stopped to look at yourself. You're strong, you're opinionated, and you speak your mind. When I look at you, I don't see boring. I see unique. I saw how special you were when I dreamt of you. When I saw you in person, you were even better than in my dreams. You're my dream girl, Pinky. I refuse to hear you say that you're anything less."

  They were a few miles from the town when she placed her other hand on top of his, sandwiching his hand between her small hands. It was only her hands, yet the effect it had on him felt much more intimate.

  Rafael looked in the rearview mirror one last time. Whether Sean was back there or not, it didn't matter. He would do anything to protect Pinky and to help her see herself the way he did. She was the woman of his dreams, in every sense.

  Chapter Seven

  The car slowed as they drove into town. Pinky looked at the small, stone-faced shops that lined the street as they rode past.

  With everything going on, Pinky forgot to find a place to stay. She hoped they'd be able to get a couple of rooms at one of the inns or bed and breakfasts, but she knew nothing about them or the area. At a bend in the road ahead of them, Pinky spotted a cottage-style wooden shingle home with several additions attached to it. Squinting, she made out the word 'Inn' on the placard in front of the building.

  "Just pull in up there," she said, pointing. "I'll see if they have any rooms."

  Rafael nodded. Relief flowed through her when he didn't ask her why she didn't make a reservation anywhere. The last thing she needed was for someone to make her feel bad about this trip. She felt bad enough.

  The inn looked like a gingerbread house with its sloped A-frame roof and white accents on the doors and windows. Rafael pulled into a parking space near the door and got out with Pinky.

  "You can wait in the car," she said.

  "No, I won't let you pay for your room. A gentleman never lets a lady pay," he said with his accent pouring through in full force.

  Pinky opened her mouth to argue, but Rafael put his hand up to stop her. Without a word, he walked up the front steps to the entrance. Pinky hurried to catch up behind him.

  The entry room was wood-paneled with thick white crown molding along the baseboards and French doors leading to an outdoor seating area. In the center of the room was a dark red Oriental rug. In the corner opposite the host stand was a white upholstered Victorian couch with dark wood legs.

  Rafael was talking to the receptionist, an elderly woman with overworked platinum blonde hair. Pinned to he
r blouse was a nametag with the name Blanche. Pinky stood alongside Rafael and listened to what was going on.

  "Most people make reservations," Blanche said.

  "Is something wrong?" Pinky asked.

  "I do have a room, but just the one. You're lucky we had a last minute cancellation."

  "Only one room? How is that possible?" Pinky asked.

  Blanche laughed. "This is peak season, dear. It's a lovely room with a queen-sized bed, a lovely settee, and an attached bathroom. You'll find complementary bottles of water, and I just filled the ice bucket in there. I doubt you'll find another room available in all of Milford."

  Pinky didn't need the temptation of sleeping in the same bed as Rafael. She already was finding herself falling for him, just like she knew she would.

  "Do you have a cot? Or maybe the settee can be made into a bed?" Rafael asked.

  Blanche eyed Rafael, her eyes traveling up and down his body. "Now you're a big, handsome fella, aren't you?" she said with a twinkle in her eye. "You wouldn't be comfortable sleeping on the settee, it's much too small."

  Rafael turned to Pinky and lowered his voice. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I can sleep in the car."

  "No, no. We're both adults. It'll be fine."

  "So you'll be taking the room? If you're really in a jam, I wouldn't mind offering my bed to you," Blanche said as she gave Rafael a wink.

  "We'll take the room," Rafael said, ignoring her.

  He handed her his credit card. She swiped it, then read the name on it. She looked up at him and then back at the card.

  "Goodness! Are you really Rafael LeCroix?" Blanche asked.

  She reached over to a small pile of knitting and magazines behind the desk and pulled out a back issue of Architectural Digest with Rafael's name on the cover. Holding the magazine up, she grinned stupidly as she batted her lashes at him.

  "I'm a big restoration fan. You should spend some time up here, I'm sure you'd find a lot of wonderful projects."

  "Thank you, Blanche, but I'm not here on business," Rafael said.

  He grabbed the key and his credit card from her, slipped his arm around Pinky's shoulders, and followed a sign with room numbers on it.

  "Restoration?" Pinky asked. "That's what you did before coming to Leeds Point?"

  "Yes, I'm an architect and I specialize in historic restorations."

  "But you took a job as a bartender?"

  He nodded.

  "So you could be near me?" she asked, stunned.

  "That's right."

  They walked in silence the rest of the way down the floral wallpapered hall to the room. Pinky tried to understand how Rafael could leave New Orleans and his great life down there just to find her. It didn't make any sense.

  She stayed in Leeds Point because she had to. She needed to be there for the nursery school and her parents. If she had been able to have any other life than there, she would have left a long time ago. And when her father said he expected her to take over a mysterious group called the Talisman, she didn't think she would ever be able to leave Leeds.

  Pinky sniffled, still feeling the guilt from her father's disappearance. Combined with her desire for freedom, it weighed heavily on her. She was stuck. Stuck in Leeds Point, stuck doing whatever her parents wanted. It didn't matter that she was an adult, she didn't have a choice in what she did.

  Rafael pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. A heaviness filled her chest as she thought about her life and how Rafael had left everything to find her. She didn't deserve someone like that.

  "You should go home," she said softly as they entered the room.

  "What are you talking about?" he asked.

  The room was simple with white walls, a light wood floor, and a black wrought iron bed with a white floral bedspread that dominated the room. In front of the window was a black swivel chair, a small desk with an ice bucket, a couple of water bottles, and drinking glasses. Pinky dropped her bags on the ivory settee along the wall leading to the bathroom.

  "You had a great life down there. You had a real job where you were on magazine covers and you didn't have to spend your nights serving beer to a bunch of animals."

  He laughed, but then his face changed to a sad smile. He pushed Pinky's bags aside to make room for her to sit, then knelt in front of her and took her hand.

  "I wish I knew how to explain it to you. Yes, I had a great life in New Orleans and I do love it down there. But things changed after Clare passed. I was a different person, aimless. Yes, I did great things with my work, but my life wasn't complete. When you entered my dreams, you gave me hope. I finally saw that life had more to it than loss and pain."

  "But it was just a dream. You don't know me. I'm not some woman in a dream, I'm real."

  "That's what I can't explain. Shifters have their fated mates, some believe it, others don't. I can't say I was ever the romantic type to believe such a thing existed. And I'm not saying you're my fated mate. I think you're something more."

  Pinky shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about this. I have enough to think about with my dad missing and my mother falling apart."

  Rafael nodded and stood. His shoulders slumped slightly as he put his bag down on the desk and stared out the window. Pinky wanted to hold him, to apologize for whatever it was she did, but she couldn't. She didn't want to think about how she showed up in his dreams or anything as crazy as that. She was finally away from Leeds Point and wanted to just lose herself and forget about all her troubles.

  ***

  Pinky woke and rubbed her eyes as she tried to focus on the time on the clock on the nightstand. 3am. The full moon lit the room, making it easier to see. She pulled her t-shirt that was riding up her waist back down and stretched her bare legs out under the sheet. Yawning, she sat up and looked on the floor where Rafael earlier laid a comforter down to sleep.

  Pinky sighed, looking at his makeshift bed. Rafael was on his back, one arm above his head. Near the window, his jeans hung over the desk chair with his shirt, and Pinky wished she had been rude enough to watch him undress earlier. He rolled onto his side and groaned. He didn't look comfortable.

  Reaching down, Pinky shook his shoulder gently. "This is stupid. Get in here," she whispered.

  "You sure?" he asked with a yawn.

  "Yes, just get in."

  "I promise not to touch you," he said.

  I wish I could make that same promise, Pinky thought.

  Pinky pulled the sheet back and Rafael got into the bed and lay on his side facing the wall, staying close to the edge. His breathing grew rhythmic and she knew he was asleep. Pinky lay on her back and stared at the ceiling.

  What was she doing? Lying in bed with her was the most gorgeous man she had ever met. And he ended up being the sweetest, too. She had given it up to lesser men, why not have a little fun with this one?

  Moving onto her side, she took the time to admire his body. The moonlight accentuated each line and cut of his powerful body. She wanted to trace each groove of his muscle with her fingers, to feel the strength and hardness of his body coupled with the smoothness of his skin. Sliding a little closer, she reached out and barely touched his shoulder with her fingertips. He groaned again so she rested her hand on his shoulder, cupping the rounded muscle.

  "I think I tweaked it on the floor," he said.

  She began massaging his shoulder. Kneading his firm arm and neck with her hands. Rafael rolled over to face her, propped his head up with his hand, and looked at her with a lopsided grin.

  "I'm not a piece of meat, you know," he said, reaching out to push her hair back from her face.

  "Well, I don't know, Blanche looked like she was ready to eat you up. I had no idea architects had groupies like that."

  "Unfortunately, they're all like Blanche. Frankly, I don't think I could keep up with her."

  He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Pinky's. When his lips touched hers, the room and everything else melted away.

 
"And that's no way to massage a shoulder, you're doing it all wrong," he said, grinning.

  "Oh, am I? Well excuse me!" Pinky said with a laugh.

  "Let me show you. Lay on your stomach."

  Pinky tried to hold back a giggle as she rolled onto her stomach. Rafael sat up and ran his hand over her t-shirt.

  "This has to go," he said.

  "But you promised not to touch me," she said, teasing him.

  "And you woke me up. You must pay. Now take off your shirt," he said, his voice stern.

  He slid her shirt up while she lay on the bed. She wanted to come back with something witty or cute, but with his voice serious like that, she got turned on even more. She lifted herself to move the shirt up higher, past her breasts, then pushed it off over her head.

  Starting at her waist, Rafael slid his firm hands up her back, then closed his hands over her shoulders and kneaded her muscles. The pressure from his hands made her entire body relax, and she melted into the bed.

  She felt the sheet slide down and hid her smile in the pillow. Mentally, she gave herself a high-five for choosing the pretty red satin panties instead of the plain cotton ones.

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk," he said. "These have to come off, too."

  "Ha, I should've known you just wanted me for my body. You're just like all the others, aren't you?" she said with a grin, looking at him over her shoulder.

  "No, I'm different. I'm a bear, and you know what they say about bears."

  "What?"

  "Once you have a bear, nothing else can compare," he said, chuckling. "So, are you going to take them off or do I have to do all the work?"

  She tried to hold in a laugh. "I think you have to do all the work."

  He slipped his fingers under the delicate elastic of her panties, and she lifted her hips to help ease them off. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes in anticipation of the massage. Her heart raced in her chest.

  Lying beside her, he leaned close to her ear. "You're mine now," he whispered as his hand squeezed her behind.

  His voice was deep and commanding again. She felt the small hairs at the back of her neck stand, and it sent goose bumps over her flesh.