by Alice Cooper
He wasn’t the only shifter in the community. There was a wolf, a cheetah, several owls, an otter, and even a bear, but they were all submissive. He was the only alpha shifter in the town, and he found it irritating when the other shifters came to him for advice. They needed a leader, and he wasn’t willing to step up to the plate. The community begged him to help control them. The shifters, away from their packs, were often temperamental and difficult. Davis was no different, but he wasn’t here for that. He was here to be free.
He should avoid Sage West. It was clear that the beautiful woman would probably cause trouble, and he didn’t want trouble. He should have kicked her out when the first ten boxes arrived, but instead he’d hauled them in and carefully stacked them so they wouldn’t get damaged.
Even their conversation just now proved that he should end this business relationship. She clearly had a chip on her shoulder, and he didn’t need to deal with that, but instead, he’d let it go. He’d even been amused when she snapped back.
People rarely talked back to him.
So he’d keep his distance. He didn’t need trouble. He certainly didn’t need trouble from a beautiful woman.
Chapter Two
She slept soundly for a solid twelve hours. The past few weeks had been filled with gut wrenching sobbing, screaming, packing, and traveling. It wasn’t until Sage’s head hit the pillow in the furnished apartment that she finally realized what she’d done.
She’d left Connor. After two years of dating and an engagement announcement, she’d finally realized what had happened. She’d been swept up in all this talk of mating that she hadn’t even realized that she wasn’t in love with him. She never had been. She’d jumped from a shifter she loved who had never loved her to a shifter who simply loved to control women.
He’d proclaimed her his mate on day two, and she’d been swept away by his declaration. It wasn’t until she realized how many other women he’d been screwing to realize that he’d been lying to her. She wasn’t his mate, and if she’d taken the time to analyze the situation, she would have realized it.
Of course, Connor still wanted to marry her. He’d devoted his best years to cultivating their relationship and making her the perfect woman. So she’d packed in the middle of the night and left. If she didn’t, she knew she’d never leave him. He knew all the right things to say to make her stay.
She was long gone by the time the wolf had woken up, and although he threatened to come find her, she knew he wouldn’t. He had too much pride to drag her back. He’d find a new woman and who knows? Maybe the next one would actually be his mate.
When she’d finally woken up in the strange room, she was alarmed. She hadn’t slept that well in a long time, and she had no idea where she was. But the smell on the strange sheets lured her back into comfort, and she snuggled in them as she tried to decide what to do next.
The landlord, Davis, had agreed to furnish the apartment, but she wanted her own things. That would be step one. Buy her own furniture. Connor had been loaded, and he showered her with gift throughout their relationship, and now she was going to use those gifts to buy her own life.
He, at the very least, owed her that.
She was so excited by the thought of her own freedom that she decided to get started right away. She tossed the unfamiliar sheets aside and put on her slippers before padding down the stairs. As she surveyed the boxes with a sense of glee, she didn’t even think to check the time. Under the silvery glint of the moonlight, she began to unpack her things.
The sound of a drill woke him up. He was instantly alert as he rolled over and checked the clock. Three o’clock in the morning.
Someone was breaking in.
Thinking of all of Sage’s possessions in the store downstairs, he was immediately on his feet and creeping down the stairs. The sight startled him.
She was bent over a box, dressed in black yoga pants and a blue tank-top, and he could see her heavy breasts swinging as she dug through it, muttering to herself.
A shock of desire went through him as she swept her hair to the side, and he stared that the beautiful curve of her neck. He wanted to trace his lips over it and taste her.
“What the hell are you doing?” he roared instead.
She shrieked and immediately held the drill like it was a gun. Seeing that it was only Davis, she relaxed. “Why do you keep scaring me?”
“It’s the middle of the night. Why are you drilling into my store?” he growled.
“What? You’re not a nocturnal shifter?” She shrugged. “Sorry. I wanted to get started right away.”
“I’m a lion,” he said softly. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“I have a problem with you scaring the shit out of me every chance that you get,” she snapped.
“Well I have a problem with you drilling in the middle of the night.”
He watched as her shoulders dropped in defeat. “You’re right. It was rude of me. I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I slept for a long time. I just needed to start moving.”
Davis saw sadness cloud her eyes, and he immediately cursed himself. Why did he have to be so abrasive? He wanted to go and wrap his arms around her, but that would make them both uncomfortable. “I’m used to it being quiet here,” he said gruffly. “I’ll have to get used to is not being so quiet here.”
She put the drill down carefully. “I was putting up curtains, but that can wait until after the sun rises. Is it okay if I continue to at least move some things out of boxes? I’d like to go to the hardware store in the morning for shelves, and I need to know how many to get.”
“That’s fine.” Davis’s eyes wandered over the things she’d already unpacked, and his eyes widened. She had quite a bit of expensive jewelry, a collection of figurines, music boxes, and some hand painted home décor items. “Did you have a shop before?”
She reddened. “No. All of this is personal items.”
Jesus. Clearly, he should have asked for more in rent. “And you decided to move to New Loveland?”
He watched as she deliberately turned. “Some of these were gift from my ex-fiancée. I’d like to get rid of them. Some of them were things that I’ve made or designed. That’s what I’d really like to sell, but hopefully the jewelry and figurines will pull enough money in for me to start crafting again.”
An ex-fiancée? Clearly they didn’t leave on good terms. After all, the rental office had called to say that a young woman needed a place to stay immediately, and she’d wanted to open up a store. It sounded like a rash decision.
“Do I have to worry about this ex-fiancée coming back for his things?” Davis asked carefully. He felt this insane need to protect her.
She shook her head. “Connor was pissed when I left, but he’s not going to put the effort in to come for me. I left him his ring, and these things are mine to do with whatever I please.
Davis nodded. “Okay. I’m going back to bed, but I’ll help you install the shelves tomorrow if you’d like.”
“That’s not necessary,” she said quickly.
He shrugged. If she wanted to put up her own damn shelves, she could. “Fine. Keep the noise level down. I do have to work in the morning.”
She looked up sharply. “Work? What do you do?”
“I’m a business consultant.”
She snorted, and he raised his eyebrows. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” she said as she looked at him. For the first time during their encounter, he realized that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “You just don’t look like you sit behind a desk all day.”
“See something that you like, Ms. West?” he purred.
She turned beet red. “I’ll be quiet. I’m sorry I disturbed you,” she said stiffly.
She went back to pulling things out of their boxes, and he realized that she was dismissing him. It irked him that she thought she could wave him off like that, but the idea that she was disturbed by him turned him on.
She wanted him, and if he played his cards right,
he was going to have her.
She exhaled softly when he was no longer in her view. God, the muscles on that man’s chest would make any woman wet. Because he was a shifter, she expected he’d be hairy, but there wasn’t a strand of hair on that hard and golden chest of his. It almost seemed to beg for her touch, and if she weren’t standing so far away, she probably would have complied.
His pants had hung low on his hips, and her eyes traveled more than once down the V that peeked out from his waistband. Even Connor hadn’t been so sculpted, and he’d had the best body Sage had ever seen.
Before now, of course.
“Get it together,” she told herself sternly. “Not only are you swearing off men, but you are swearing off shifters. No more. You don’t need a man to make you happy.”
She chanted it over and over again in her head, but she knew her body wasn’t buying it. Only a man was going to ease that ache that had begun between her legs.
And that shifter would have done nicely, she knew.
But for Christ sake, what kind of independent woman would she be if she jumped the bones of her landlord the second night that she was here? A few weeks without sex shouldn’t have made her that desperate.
But it wasn’t the lack of sex. It was that man. And she knew it.
So she buried herself in her work in the hopes of pushing all thought of Davis Weathers out of her mind. Soon, she had all of her things lined up on the floor and stuffed under the counter. From the looks of things, she already had enough to fill the store. She would just need to start figuring out how to display it.
She’d lost track of time, and it wasn’t until she felt the hairs on her neck raise and she whirled around that she realized it was already morning. Davis was dressed in a suit, and he was lounging at the bottom of the stairs as he watched her.
Like a predator sizing up his prey.
She swallowed hard. He filled out his white button up nicely, and because he was not wearing a tie and chose instead to keep the top buttons of his shirt undone, she could only picture what he looked like underneath that suit.
“Undressing me you eyes already, Ms. West?” he asked teasingly.
She jumped. “It’s just a surprise to see how well you clean up, Mr. Weathers,” she said primly.
“Keep staring at me like, and you’re going to be surprised to see how dirty I can be as well.”
She glared at him. “Please don’t let me keep you,” she said coldly. It wasn’t fair how he could affect her so when she barely knew him.
“Please wait until I get home tonight before you start putting up shelves. I would prefer it if you didn’t damage my walls,” he said as he made his way to the door.
She made a face. “How hard can it be to put up some shelves?” she said, but the door was already closing.
Sage fumed as she watched his back retreat. Did he seriously think that she couldn’t put up shelves? Well she would show him.
She didn’t need him, his drool worthy body, or that gorgeous face. He didn’t know her. She had everything under control.
Five hours later, she was staring at the hole she’d accidently made in his wall.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Chapter Three
By the time Davis unlocked the front door, he was ready for a run around the block and a stiff drink. Although he occasionally worked with local companies, he mostly dealt with companies across the country, and some of them deserved to lose their businesses.
They were complete morons.
So when he saw the shelves that were installed on the wall, he stilled. And when his eyes landed on the hole, he felt dark rage unfurl within him. She hadn’t listened, and now she’d damaged his building.
He hissed. She’d been here for less than a week and already she was driving him up the wall. She had completely disregarded his words, and the consequences were clear. He was going to wring her neck. He was going lay into her until she cried. He was going to…
“I’m sorry.”
The whispered apology floored him. As he whirled around and took a look at her red-rimmed eyes, all the rage and anger left him. Had she really cried over a hole in the wall? That wasn’t right.
“It can be fixed,” he said gently. “Don’t worry. The rest of the shelves look great.”
God. She was shaking. “The ladder toppled over, and I swung the hammer as I fell. I’m so sorry. I’ll pay to have it fixed, or I’ll fix it myself. You’ll just have to tell me how.”
She fell off the ladder? His eyes widened. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let me see?” Without thinking, he had her in his arms.
She immediately stiffened, and he released her. “I’m fine. Just a few bruises,” she said awkwardly.
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to figure out what was going on. Why had he reacted like that? And more importantly, why had she? “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Liability and all that,” he lied.
She nodded her head. “Right. No. I’m fine. But your wall is not.”
“The wall.” He turned again to stare at the hole. “It’s not too big. I think with some dry wall and paint, it should be fine. I’ll run to the store and grab some.”
“No, you’ve been at work all day. I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do.”
He nodded his head, and his stomach growled. “Do you think you can pick up some dinner on the way back? I’m starving. We can eat while we work on the wall.”
“Sure,” she said slowly. “What would you like?”
“Meatloaf from Sara Beth’s Diner,” he said automatically. He’d been craving it all week.”
“I’ll just run upstairs and throw some make-up on,” she said quietly. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
He nodded and leaned over to watch her hips swing as she maneuvered up the stairs. God, what had just happened? He would never have touched a female that didn’t explicitly ask him to, so why had he been so eager to wrap her into his arms?
Clearly, he needed to find himself another woman to easy this new ache within him. It would be a long year if he didn’t find some way to distract his body.
Sage tapped her finger on the counter while she waited for her order. She’d packed the supplies she needed in her backpack, and although an hour had passed, she still couldn’t keep her mind off of what had happened.
She’d been a miserable wreck after putting a hole in the wall. Connor would have flipped out, and she could see from the frozen stance and the growls coming from Davis that he’d been livid when he’d realized what she’d done.
But instead, he’d hugged her? That didn’t make any sense. She figured he’d scream at her, maybe even kick her out, but instead she’d seen true worry and anxiety in his eyes. And he’d hugged her. What the hell was that all about?
“You must be the woman renting from Davis. This is his favorite,” the woman at the counter said as she pushed a bag her way.
“Sage West,” she said as she offered her hand.
“Sara Beth,” the woman said as she shook it.
“Oh, you’re the owner? Everyone has said great things about this place! I’m not a great cook, so I’m probably going to be here often,” Sage said with a smile. She hadn’t expected the owner to be so young. Sara Beth couldn’t have more than few years older than herself.
Sara Beth laughed. “I’m one of the few places that offers cheap southern style food. So you’re going to open up a gift shop?”
“That’s the idea. I put a hole in Davis’s wall, so I’m bring him dinner while he patches it up.”
Her eyes went round. “He must have been so angry at that. He’s known for his temper.”
“No, actually, he seemed more concerned about me. I’ve seen a bit of his temper though. Should I be worried?” Sage asked as she paid for their meal.
“Nah. He just gets temperamental with the shifters here. He’s the only alpha the town has, and we have a spattering of outlying shifters here. They’re sort of their own pac
k, and they look to him as their leader. He hates it,” she said with a smile. “But he helps to keep them in line.”
“So he doesn’t have his own pack? How long has he been here?”
The woman pursed her lips. “I guess near five years now. We’re pleased to have him.” She leaned in close. “He is gorgeous, isn’t he?”
Sage laughed nervously. “He is easy on the eyes. Thank you for dinner. I expect you’ll be seeing me quite often.”
“Enjoy! Tell him I said hi,” she said with a wink, and it became clear to Sage that Sara Beth had a thing for Davis. She felt a surge of jealousy streak through her, and she frowned.
Where had that come from? She didn’t have any say on who Davis was with. She’d just met the man.
And as she watched Sara Beth visit a table of women, they all turned to stare at her. Clearly, quite a few of the women had a thing from Davis. And that didn’t sit well with her at all.
Davis finished the first round of paint before stepping back to eye it critically. It was matching the rest of the wall nicely. He turned to see Sage brushing paint across the shelves. She’d chosen a light grey that stood out rather beautifully from the white.
“Nice job,” he said gruffly. “Ready to take a break, and eat?”
He watched the brush shake in her hand, and he smiled. He made her uneasy, and he expected it wasn’t because she was afraid of him.
“Just a minute,” she said clearing her throat. “I want to finish this shelf.”
He walked behind her and pressed his body to hers. She gasped when he took her hand and began moving it from side to side. “Even strokes,” he said in a low voice. “You don’t want one side to be darker than the other.”
When he wrapped his hand around her waist, she immediately moved. “Okay, I think I’m ready now,” she said in a shaky voice.
He felt bereft when she moved away, but his stomach growled, and he watched as she put the plates of food in the microwave. “Sara Beth seems nice. She seems very interested in you,” Sage said quietly.
Davis rolled his eyes. Sara Beth and a few of the other local woman had made a few passes at him, but he avoided them. He had his fun when he went on out of town trips to avoid the drama that sometimes came with bedding a woman. Clearly Sage had picked up on Sara Beth’s crush and was fishing for answers.