“Good to know.” Roxy just stared at the glass but didn’t drink. “I don’t know where to start.”
He sipped his beer, then nodded. “I cannot imagine what it must feel like to find out that everything you’ve ever thought was make-believe is suddenly real.”
She stared out at the yard. “It’s overwhelming. And a little scary. And it makes me feel like…a fool.”
He jerked back. “How so?”
She laughed sadly. “I don’t know if I can really put it into words. It’s sort of like I’ve been caught imitating something I have no right imitating. What do I really know about the supernatural world? Nothing. Nothing beyond what I’ve made up in my books. And who knows how much of that is completely wrong or utterly ridiculous or if the supernatural creatures of the world think I’m making fun of them or—”
“I don’t think you should feel that way at all. My mother and her friends love your books. So do half the women in this town. I don’t think that would be true if you were writing stories that didn’t do…our kind justice. From what I read, you did a great job with the supernatural stuff.”
She smiled a little, like she’d forgotten he’d read one of her books. “Are all your mother’s friends panther shifters too?”
“No. Two of them are witches, one’s a nymph and Mrs. Irving is a ghost.”
Roxy turned her head to blink at him, open-mouthed. She stayed that way for a few long seconds. “I have no idea if you’re joking or not.”
“In light of recent events, I don’t think joking about any of this is a good idea. At least not for a while.”
She took an extended sip of her sangria, then held her glass in her lap and took a deep breath. “So ghosts are real. Are there ghosts in this town too?”
“We have a few.”
“What else? How many vampires?”
“A good number. I don’t know for sure. That’s something you should probably talk to Delaney about.”
Roxy put her hand to her forehead and sighed. “I really need to talk to her. In fact, I should text her right now. See if we can get together tomorrow, maybe, if she’s free.”
“That’s a great idea.” He waited a moment while she put her wine on the small center table, then pulled her phone from her pocket. “This is all going to be okay, you know.”
“I’m glad you think that.”
“But you don’t?”
She looked at him. “I want it to be. But I don’t know yet. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m an outsider looking in. Does that make sense?”
“Absolutely. But I hope you don’t feel that way for long. Delaney wanted you to move here, so she had every intention from the beginning of telling you about all of this. She just didn’t right away because you were already under so much stress.”
Roxy opened her mouth, then closed it again and shook her head. “I owe you a thank-you.”
“For what?”
“For tackling Thomas in my yard that night. My divorce papers arrived by FedEx yesterday. I feel pretty certain your intervention helped that along.”
He smiled, and the hope growing in his gut turned into anticipation. Roxy St. James was a single woman. “If I did, then you’re welcome. Hey, what was in that box he brought? Or did you just throw it away?”
“What box?”
“I put it on your dining room table. Or I thought I did.”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember seeing it. But then I haven’t paid attention to much these past few days. I’ll have to look for it when I get home.” Her mouth curved into a funny little half-smile. “I owe you a second thank-you, actually.”
“Really? What’s this one for?”
“That flan. That probably saved you from being killed off in a book.”
He laughed, a loud burst of sound. “Do you do that a lot? Kill people off in books?”
She shrugged coyly, and it felt like they were back to being okay. “Sometimes. It’s a great way to get your frustrations out.”
“I would have thought yours was driving fast.”
Her smile took a wistful bend. “I need to get back in that car, that’s for sure.”
Silence passed between them, then she tipped her head and gave him an odd look. “That Sunday that my fish tank was being installed, I thought I saw a black panther in your backyard. Was that you?”
He sat back, resting his beer on the arm of the chair. “First of all, how can you see into my backyard?”
She pointed a little reluctantly to the playhouse visible on the other side of the fence. “That thing has a loft. Where those windows are. Looks right over the fence. I go up there to write sometimes.”
He smirked. “I’ll have to remember that next time I go commando in the hot tub.”
She rolled her lips in and blushed a little. “Anyway, was that you?”
“No, I was at work that day. That had to be Diego.” Alex shook his head. “It’s generally understood that blatant supernatural activity is not supposed to take place within range of human citizens.”
She shrugged. “Technically, he wasn’t, what with the fence and all.”
“I suppose.”
She stared at the phone on her lap. “Would it be okay if I…saw what you look like when you shift? I mean, if you’re willing. Or if that’s even allowed.”
For the second time since he’d known her, she caused a shot of electricity to zip through him. “You want to see my panther form?”
She nodded. “If that’s okay with you. I already know you’re not like a wild animal that could hurt me, since your—”
“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s a lot like your books, actually.”
She looked up. “Yes, your mom, uh, showed me that side of her at my house. Wanted to show me it was safe, I guess.”
“My mother shifted in front of you?”
“She did. It was very impressive. But I’d still like to see you.”
Wonders never ceased. “Okay then. Just so you know, I can’t speak in that form, but I’m just as aware and in control of myself in that form as I am in this one.” He stood and moved the table out of the way. “Ready?”
Her eyes shone with pure curiosity. “Right now? Yes.”
“Here goes.” He called to the beast within him, and the magic of his kind rushed through him as the change overtook his body.
Roxy jerked back in her seat, her eyes widening as her soft lips parted and a gasp escaped. “Oh. Wow. You are one big kitty.”
Roxy’s first instinct was to tuck her legs under her to put a little more space between herself and the enormous creature now sitting across from her. She’d known what Alex was, but seeing him in his panther form this close was not a sight that anything could have prepared her for.
He was as tall as she was sitting down. Taller maybe. His eyes were as gold as the sun and his fur the most gorgeous blue-black she’d ever seen. His paws were nearly the size of bread plates.
She swallowed, realizing as she did that she’d been holding her breath. “Alex?”
The big cat’s head nodded. Alex’s head. But it was really weird to think of him that way. She lifted her hand to touch him, then on second thought, let it drop back to her lap.
He responded by butting his big head against her knee. The move rocked her back on the love seat. There was no mistaking the power within him.
She raised her hand. “It’s okay if I touch you?”
Again, he nodded.
She reached out, still tentative, but the moment her fingers made contact with the top of his head, she relaxed. There were no words to describe how silky his fur was. It was almost liquid. She scratched and his eyes closed.
He rested his head on top of her leg, the weight substantial.
“This is unreal,” she whispered.
A low, rumbling noise vibrated out of him. The sound jolted through her, tripping a response in her that was as primal as the sound he’d just made. A longing filled her. For what, exactly, she couldn’t say, but part of her felt a l
ittle sad that this wasn’t something she could ever be part of.
“You’re so beautiful.” She smoothed her hand down his head and ran her fingers over the muscles of his back. Power seemed to thrum within him. “I wish I could know what it feels like to be such a magnificent creature.”
He opened his eyes, snorted softly, then backed up. A shimmer of magic, a second of time, and Alex stood before her again. Human, except for the lingering gold gleam in his eyes. “I wish you could too.”
“Thank you for showing me that side of you.”
“Of course. Anytime.” He glanced at the window into the kitchen. “I’m sure it’s time for dinner. Are you ready to go in?”
She got the sense she’d said or done something to make him uncomfortable. She hoped that wasn’t the case, but after the last three days without him, she didn’t have the energy to dig into it. She lifted her phone. “Let me send a quick text to Delaney and I’ll be right in. You might want to fix your shirt. It’s on backwards. I noticed it before but we were sort of busy.”
He looked down, then pulled the shirt off, giving her an up close view of his incredible body. She sighed loudly, unable to help herself.
He got the shirt on the right way and looked at her. “Everything okay?”
She smiled. After days of no Alex, this was Alex overload. In a good way. Mostly. It was just a little awkward ogling him with his mother in the other room. “Everything’s fine. I mean, it’s not that that I didn’t enjoy that, but there’s just so much a girl can take. I am only human, you know.”
His smile faltered for a split second. “I’ll, uh, see you inside then.”
“Okay.” As she texted Delaney about meeting the next day, Roxy couldn’t help but wonder if Alex was disappointed that she wasn’t a shifter too, or if it was something more. Was there some kind of shifter law about humans and shifters interacting? Or being involved? Or maybe something else that might be required of her now that she knew his secret?
Could be a vow of secrecy that she’d have to take. A meeting with the pack? Pride? Clan? Whatever his group was called. Her writer’s brain spun out a thousand different scenarios. Would she have to swear some kind of blood oath? Make a sacrifice? Perform a ritual? Hmm. Could humans and panther shifters mate? And if they did, would she have a baby? Or a litter of kittens? Her phone chimed, and she jumped.
Delaney had responded. They were on for tomorrow.
Roxy took a breath and stuck her phone back in her purse. She picked up her glass of sangria and headed inside. Maybe just for tonight, she could stop letting her brain get the best of her and let her heart do the thinking.
Because her heart wanted more time with Alex. Whatever the consequences.
Three hours later, Alex walked Roxy to her door. She was a little tipsy, perfectly full, and abundantly happy. After the last three days she’d just had, she’d needed a night like tonight. She was in a state of pure bliss, and a very welcome one at that. She started to reach for her house keys, then stopped, wanting more than anything to keep him at her side a little longer. She turned to face him. “You want to come in?”
Gold flared in his eyes. He put a hand on the door behind her and leaned in. “Yes. But my mother’s here.”
“I know.” She wanted to touch him. Again. And with the sangria in her system, there was nothing to stop her. She reached up and trailed a finger down his chest. Too bad he was wearing a shirt now. “But I’m not ready for tonight to end.”
He bent a little and brushed his mouth across the line of her jaw. “Neither am I. But all things considered, rushing the next step might not be the best idea. As much as it kills me to say that.”
She laughed softly, but the scrape of his teeth on her skin turned the laugh into a sigh. “Then you should probably stop doing that.”
“Okay.” His hands went to her hips, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss that took her already-Zen mood to a new level.
Desire wound through her in languid spirals, curling around her limbs in a warm, easy way that caused all other thoughts to leave her head except one. She wanted Alex. Plain and simple.
“You make me crazy,” he whispered against her mouth.
Her hands lifted and her fingers threaded into his hair. A real live shifter. And he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. “Better you than me,” she whispered back.
He laughed softly, breaking the kiss, but not the contact of his hands on her body. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I should get back. If I leave my mother alone in my house too long, she starts rearranging things.”
“I understand.” She stared up at him, taking him in. Now that she knew what he really was, so much about him made sense. She could see the panther in him, in his eyes, the lines of his face, the graceful movements of his body. She’d seen it before, even decided he’d make a great big cat shifter hero, but to know that’s actually what he was…was amazing. “How long will she be here?”
“Not sure. But if she doesn’t go home tomorrow, you can anticipate another dinner invite. Or maybe we’ll all go out to eat. That might be good. Just don’t make plans, because she’ll expect you to be there.”
“I do have a book to write, you know.” And now that she wasn’t consumed by anger and humiliation any more—and that she knew the supernatural really existed, she felt totally energized to get it done.
“That’s probably the only excuse she’d take.” He gave her hips a little squeeze. “But I’d love for you to be there too.”
She wanted to be with him just as much. But work was work. And she was so behind it frightened her. “Let me see how many pages I get done tomorrow after my meeting with Delaney.”
“Deal.” He kissed her once more, quick and easy. “Night.”
“Night.”
He walked off the porch, but waited at the end of the drive until she’d unlocked and opened the door. She gave him a wave and he took off toward his house.
She went in, locked the door and grinned. It was wild how fast things could turn around. How you could go from wallowing in a miserable funk to floating on happiness. How you could think you were genuinely losing your mind, only to find out that you’d actually stumbled onto the most amazing secret in the world. How you could be married one second then single but involved the next. Life was funny.
Life was good.
She went over to the kitchen counter. The divorce papers were still lying there by the phone with the take out menus. She picked them up to take them to her office, then she remembered what Alex had said about Thomas having a box with him the night of the incident. She looked around but didn’t see anything on the counter or the dining table.
She walked around the table and spotted something peeking out from under the curtains at the farthest side of the sliding doors.
A small cardboard box. Barely the size of three paperbacks stacked on top of one another. She picked it up. No labels or markings, just clear tape keeping it shut. Not much weight to it either. She put it on the table and stared at it.
She wanted to ignore the stupid thing, but her curiosity won out. Well, what did it matter? The divorce was final. Nothing inside the box was going to make any difference.
She got scissors and slit the tape, then cautiously opened the flaps of the box. It was stuffed with white tissue paper. Underneath that was a black velvet jewelry box.
The only jewelry Thomas had ever given her was her wedding ring set. Whatever this was, he’d probably be wanting it back.
Couldn’t hurt to see what it was she’d be returning.
She took the box out, opened it and sucked it a breath.
It was a gold locket, shaped like a book. The letter R was engraved on the front. She pried the two halves open with her fingernail. The slots on either side for pictures held a photo of her—her official author headshot, actually—and the cover of the very first book she’d ever published.
She squinted at the gift, trying to figure it out. It was kind of perfect except for the head
shot. She’d never wear her own picture in a locket. It was also so incredibly unlike Thomas, it was baffling. Had he thought this would be enough to change her mind about him? To get her back? Clearly he’d known better than to put his own photo in there.
So strange. No matter how spot on the locket was, this was a definite case of too little, too late.
Maybe she’d take out the book cover and add a photo of Alex. She snorted. That would be karma, wouldn’t it? Using her ex-husband’s gift to keep her new man close? Sweet justice was what that sounded like to her.
Although maybe it was a little early to have a picture of Alex in a locket. She didn’t want him to think she’d turned weirdly possessive the moment she was single. No, that was too much. For now, the locket would be put away. Or maybe she really should just return it to Thomas’s lawyer and let him handle it. She nodded. That was the best solution.
Decision made. She snapped the velvet box closed and put the cardboard one and the tissue into the recycling bin. As she was doing that, she noticed a folded note card stuck in the bottom flap.
She pulled it out and unfolded it.
Saw this, thought of you.
The handwriting seemed like the same scrawling style as the other note Thomas had sent, and neither one was a perfect match for his penmanship. But in this age of emails and text, how often did she really see his handwriting anyway? And it wasn’t like she had a treasure trove of cards and love notes from him to compare it to.
She tossed the note in the recycling bin too. Again, what did it matter? The papers were signed and the Thomas chapter of her life was over.
She walked to her bedroom, smiling and ready to crawl under the covers and dream. Let the Alex chapter begin.
The buzz of insects filled the sweet evening air with a soft hum, and Alex wondered if Roxy was listening to it too, or if she’d already drifted off to sleep. The fence between their houses blocked his view from the back porch, but he could imagine her fast asleep, a peaceful expression on her beautiful face.
Which led to him wondering what it would be like to be curled up next to her, holding her in his arms. He smiled at the thought. If only his mother knew what was going through his mind. He glanced at her on the love seat next to his chair. Maybe she did. “What do you think of Roxy?”
The Shifter Romances The Writer (Nocturne Falls Book 6) Page 17