by Anya Nowlan
“Karen! Over here!”
A mountain of a man cut through the sea of people with ease and enveloped her in a warm hug. It was both comfortable and electrifying, and she found herself leaning into him maybe more than would have been entirely appropriate for a first meeting. Evan released her and grabbed her suitcase with such ease that she started worrying she had packed nothing but air in her anxiousness to get on the plane.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said with a wink as he grabbed her hand and led her to the exit.
Karen was stunned. She hadn’t had time to properly react. Did she even get a “hi” out? Looking down at his hand, she figured that it didn’t really matter. Obviously they were acquainted enough.
Finally, they made it outside, stopping by a shiny red truck. Evan threw her suitcase in the back and turned to face her.
“How was your flight? You’ll probably want to get to the bed and breakfast, freshen up.”
Karen knew she was supposed to say something, but the only thing going through her mind was holy shit! Evan’s hazel eyes practically glimmered in the sunlight, his full lips baring a dazzling, dangerous smile. His white t-shirt clung to his muscles in a way that could have been considered obscene. Karen reminded herself that it’s not polite to drool and tried to pull herself together.
“We experienced some turbulence, but I managed. Let’s go see the accommodations, then.”
Karen’s inner voice was all but screaming at her.
What the hell was that? Why are you talking like a robot? And for god’s sake, close your mouth!
Evan just smiled and held the passenger door open for her.
“Hop in!” he said with a hint of playfulness.
Evan had no problem filling the silence as they drove into town. He had a story or a useful tidbit about most streets and buildings, while Karen mostly nodded, smiled and enjoyed the warm spring breeze coming in through the open windows.
It felt like a dream, being there, with him, leaving all her worries behind. But it was very real, and by the time they arrived at the bed and breakfast, that realization had started to sink in. Karen began feeling more like herself – less flustered, more in control and more used to the man beside her. Evan pulled up to a cozy-looking two-story building, painted pastel blue and wearing the sign Bluejay’s Bed & Breakfast.
“Here we are,” Evan said, getting out of the truck.
He made his way to her side of the car with astonishing speed and opened the door for her.
“I’ll show you inside and introduce you to the owner,” he said.
“That would be great,” Karen answered, still apparently stuck on the vacant pleasantries level of conversation.
Evan carried her suitcase inside to the check-in desk. Behind it, a man in his late fifties was typing away on his computer with mountains of paperwork stacked beside him. He nearly jumped when Evan greeted him.
“Oh, you’re here already,” the man said.
“Excuse the mess, Patty was always better at the business side of things,” he continued, fumbling with the papers and turning his attention to Karen with a sad smile.
Karen looked around the lobby. If she’d had to describe the place, she would have called it romantic with a rustic flair. It gave off a homey vibe, while also looking completely meticulous – the countertops polished and shiny, the pillows on the lounge sofas fluffed, not a thing out of place or a speck of dirt anywhere.
“Quite a place you have here, Mister...” Karen trailed off.
“I’m sorry, this is Joe. Joe, this is my friend Karen, the one I told you about,” Evan interjected.
“Yes, yes, couldn’t shut up about her,” Joe said teasingly. Karen couldn’t help but smile.
“Come on, let’s get the lady settled in.”
Joe led the way to the second floor, stopping at a large wooden door with intricate carvings.
“This is you. You have your own bathroom, there are towels and a robe in the closet, breakfast is at 8,” Joe rattled off.
“Anything you need, don’t hesitate to come find me,” he concluded, walking away and leaving Karen and Evan standing awkwardly in the hallway.
“You probably want to get some rest,” Evan offered, dropping her suitcase. “But I would love to take you to dinner later.”
“Sounds great,” Karen said. “Just give me a couple of hours. How about we meet at seven?”
“I’ll see you then,” Evan responded before making his way back downstairs, throwing glances at her over his shoulder as he went.
She touched her cheek, feeling it flushed.
Of course you’re blushing like a teenager because the hot cowboy showed you in.
Karen opened the door to her room and almost gasped. She grabbed her suitcase and started to explore. It looked more like a suite than a regular room. By the wall on the left was a king size bed, drowning in fluffy pillows. In the right corner, a sitting area set up around an oak coffee table, with a small couch and some very comfortable looking armchairs.
On the wall to her right, above a goddamn fireplace, was a huge painting of a vase of roses, the blooms so real she could almost smell them. The wall facing the door was mostly made up of high windows, looking out into a small courtyard and filling the whole room with soft natural light. Next to the fireplace was a door, which Karen discovered led to a spacious bathroom. There, she was greeted by her own reflection, as almost the whole wall in front of her was a mirror. Under it, a large marble sink with old-timey copper spigots and white wooden cabinets. The lavish bathroom also sported a glass shower stall and a claw foot bathtub.
What kind of bed and breakfast is this and can I stay here forever? she thought.
Karen unpacked and settled into the sitting area, phone in hand. She switched it off airplane mode to call her mom, who was probably on pins and needles, waiting to hear if there would be wedding bells in the future. Karen’s phone started buzzing instantly, one text message popping up after another. They were all the same.
This isn’t over.
Karen’s stomach dropped. The sender’s number was unknown, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out who they were from. Her e-mail was full of the same message.
Even hundreds of miles away, I can’t escape this jerk, Karen thought bitterly.
But I bet a nice dinner with a sexy mountain man will take my mind right off that twerp.
Karen grinned, remembering how Evan’s muscles rippled under his t-shirt. He had definitely left a great first impression. Karen rifled through her selection of dresses.
Time to bring out the big guns, she thought slyly.
Five
Evan
After Evan had left Karen at Joe’s to get settled in, he made his way to Maisy’s for some coffee. When Maisy had brought him his “black, two sugars, just how you like it,” he started thinking back to the day he had just had.
Karen’s profile had only had one picture of her, and while he had already pegged her as gorgeous, the photo hadn’t done her justice. The sunlight brought out the tiny freckles on and around her nose and made her red hair shine like fire.
Her perfectly pink lips looked so full and soft that thoughts of kissing her filled his head the moment he saw her. And while that cute little dress would be considered modest by most anyone’s standards, it hinted at deadly curves underneath. No one had ever accused Evan of being the touchy-feely type, so when he greeted her with a full-on hug, he had surprised even himself. He just craved being close to her.
She didn’t seem to mind or pull away, at least.
That car ride to Bluejay’s, on the other hand, could have gone better. Totally out of character again, he had just kept blabbering on and on. They had clicked so well online and, for whatever reason, he felt extremely comfortable around her. He also wanted her to know about this place, his home. He wanted it to be familiar to her, welcoming.
But you’re supposed to ask questions about the other person, not go on about your own stuff, right?
He decided he could make it up to her over dinner. There were so many things he didn’t know about her and he was intent on changing that.
Forgetting about his coffee, Evan leaned back in his seat slightly, shaking his head. Seeing her in person had been damn good, but who was he kidding, he’d known she was going to be the end of him after the first text.
Love at first text has a certain ring to it, I guess, he mused.
“Pretty sure that coffee’s gotten cold there, honey,” Maisy said, leaning next to his booth with mild concern in her tone.
“Yeah, I guess I got a little lost in thought,” Evan responded sheepishly.
“Something wrong or something right?” Maisy asked.
“Hoping for the latter. Any restaurant recommendations?”
The fact that he hadn’t thought about where to take Karen hit him like a mallet to the face. He felt incredibly dumb for not having planned anything out yet.
Maisy perked up.
“No TV dinner tonight? Who’s the lucky girl?” she asked.
“She’s not from around here. A city girl,” Evan responded, trying to sip his coffee and spitting it back in disgust when the cold liquid hit his tongue.
Maisy laughed.
“Better not bring her here, then. How about that Italian place that just opened? I’ve heard it’s good.”
“Thanks, Maisy,”
“Yeah, yeah, what would you do without me,” Maisy said, walking over to another table, a gentle hint of a sigh in her tone.
Evan abandoned his coffee and went for a quick run to clear his head, but not before he called Pierre’s and made a reservation for two.
When he got back to his apartment at around five, giving him plenty of time to shower and get dressed, he still felt like he was rushing against the clock. He opted for dark gray slacks and a black button-up. For the first time in a very long time, he felt like giving a damn about how he looked and the impression he made.
He arrived at Joe’s at six thirty and waited anxiously in the lobby. Evan’s head was full of swirling thoughts, the things he wanted to know about her and the things he wanted to tell her colliding.
He had been sitting in the lobby for about ten minutes when he noticed Karen coming down the stairs. All his worries flew away when she saw him and smiled.
She was wearing a dark red dress that hugged her ample curves in all the right places. Her wild curls were tamed in an up do, some flyaway tendrils framing her heart-shaped face. Evan just wanted to sit there for hours and drink her in. Instead, he got up and embraced her, whispering, “You look amazing,” into her ear. A faint blush colored Karen’s cheeks, making her even more irresistible.
The drive to the restaurant was pretty intense. Evan had to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road but still kept stealing glances at her. However, it seemed she was not unaffected by him, either. She sat as close to him as she could, brushing up against his arm, smiling every time she caught him staring at her.
They talked about this and that – Karen’s latest job, her first impressions of Sweetwater, Evan’s family, how long he’d been living in the small town. The conversation continued to flow freely at the dinner table. Karen talked about her childhood, growing up on her grandparents´ farm. She said she loved the fresh air and easygoing nature of Sweetwater.
Evan told her about his brothers, how they stuck together after their father and Alpha of the Grimpaw clan died. Karen seemed curious about the shifter lifestyle but mostly refrained from asking questions and let him do the talking. When it came to work, Evan casually steered the conversation in another direction.
Not yet, he thought.
“What do you want to do tomorrow?” Evan asked as they were finishing their desserts.
“Oh I don’t know, something outdoorsy? Gotta work off all the pasta,” Karen said with a little smile.
“We could go hiking. I know a great trail. The view from the top is breathtaking,” Evan suggested, adding, Almost as breathtaking as you, in his thoughts.
“That sounds great. You’ll pick me up in the morning?”
“Of course. You ready to go?” Evan said, taking care of the check.
Karen nodded and they made their way to the exit.
The night was uncharacteristically warm for early spring and they decided to take advantage of it and walk back to Bluejay’s. Karen slipped her hand in Evan’s, making his heartbeat accelerate. They strolled down the street in comfortable silence. Evan walked her up to the steps of the bed and breakfast, hesitant to let go of her even when they were standing in front of the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning?” Karen said, a slight question in her voice.
“You definitely will,” Evan responded, looking into her bright emerald eyes.
“Well, I guess I…” Karen started.
But Evan couldn’t resist any longer. He needed to know if she tasted as good as she looked. He slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her close.
Karen’s eyes widened in surprise, but after a second, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Evan cupped her chin with his free hand. She leaned into the kiss, closing her eyes. Evan softly placed his lips on hers, starting out with light, probing little kisses. Karen let out a sigh, driving Evan over the edge.
His kiss grew deep, needing, unrelenting. Karen pressed herself against him, matching his fervor.
They didn’t stop until they both ran out of oxygen. The air around them was full of electricity. They stayed wrapped around each other for a while, panting.
“I would love to see where this is going,” Karen said, out of breath. “But I think I need to tread cautiously on this one. I’ve jumped into things before and it never ends well.”
“I understand,” Evan replied, dipping his head down and leaving a trail of kisses on Karen’s neck.
She melted in his hands like honey.
Good to know he hadn’t lost his touch.
“Oh my god,” Karen mumbled. “You better go before I rip off your clothes right here on the street,” she said, gasping.
Evan almost trembled at the thought.
“As you wish,” he said cheekily, releasing her and taking a step back.
Karen’s cheeks were pinker than usual, her lips slightly parted and a bit swollen. Evan’s bear gave a low roar, the growl reverbing through him.
Ours.
“I’m gonna go take a cold shower now,” Karen giggled, smiling with slight embarrassment.
“Thanks for the mental image,” Evan said with a wink.
“Get out of here already!” Karen laughed.
Evan turned around and started walking back to his car. The smile didn’t leave his face until he fell asleep.
He should have guessed that nothing could be that easy.
Six
Karen
Karen closed the door behind her and made her way to the bathroom. She was giddy with excitement and unspent sexual energy. The whole night had been great – the conversation, the food, the lazy hand-in-hand walk back…
But that kiss was just something else. He quite literally made her weak in the knees. She would have loved to feel more of those strong hands on her body, but it was a first date after all. Not that she was into those what you can and can’t do on which date type of rules. That was nonsense to her.
Do what feels right, she always thought. But there was no point in rushing into things. While they had talked like old friends, Karen having conquered her awkwardness, she still didn’t know him well enough to jump into bed with him. No matter how much her body wanted to.
She kicked off her heels and peeled off her dress.
The cold shower thing is such a popular saying, there’s gotta be some truth to it, right? she thought, stepping into the stall.
Once refreshed, Karen wrapped herself in the robe she found in the closet and pulled out her laptop. She sank into one of the armchairs by the coffee table a
nd checked her e-mail with slight dread.
No new messages.
Her phone had been unusually quiet as well, save for a few calls from her mom. She couldn’t tell if that was a good sign or not.
But there was nothing from the temp agency either, which made her a little nervous. Even though Evan said Joe was going to give her a discount, she didn’t know how long she could afford the fancy room. Joe definitely hadn’t mentioned anything about prices. She decided to talk to him in the morning.
Karen rummaged through the closet, glad she had thought ahead and packed some Wyoming-appropriate clothing. She even had her running shoes with her, despite the fact that she hadn’t run in ages. She used to love it – the way it cleared her head and made her feel strong – but somehow life had gotten in the way and there just didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. She was looking forward to the hike and using her muscles again.
Karen woke up to her alarm at seven thirty. There was a text on her phone from Evan, saying he would pick her up at around nine, if that was okay. Karen responded with a quick, Can’t wait! She brushed her teeth, got dressed and made her way downstairs for breakfast.
The dining area was mostly empty, save for one canoodling couple and a man in a business suit reading the newspaper.
Guess it’s still off-season.
She picked up some fruit and eggs and bacon from the buffet and took a seat near one of the windows. It was a beautiful morning. When Joe came around to see how everything was going, she waved him down to her table.
“How’s your breakfast, pretty lady?” Joe asked with a smile.
“Delicious, thank you. There was just something I wanted to ask. We never really talked about prices and you put me in such a gorgeous room –” Karen started.
“I’m gonna stop you right there,” Joe said, holding up a hand.
“Evan is like a son to me and I haven’t seen him this excited in a long time. It’s hard to tell with him, but I’ve known him for a long time now. He may not let on, but that boy has a lot of hurt in his past. I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but he already told me he would take care of the bill. Not that I want his money, but he is one stubborn son of a bitch. And please, don’t let him know you know any of this, I just didn’t want you to worry,” he said.