RockMeTonight

by Lisa Carlisle

  “You sure you want to see this?”

  Unable to speak, I just nodded.

  She took off her clothes. I was as fascinated by her body as I always was. Now my curiosity was even more piqued knowing what was going to come next.

  “Here goes,” she said.

  Within a moment, she had transformed into a mountain lion. It wasn’t the slow, scary transformation I’d witnessed last time. It appeared effortless, as natural as raising an arm.

  The mountain lion gazed at me but didn’t move. My eyes scanned the tawny, sleek fur filled with golden highlights like her hair. The brilliant golden eyes. I took a step forward and then hesitated. She nodded. I took another step forward. Very slowly I raised my hand to show her what I meant to do and then I touched her fur. I ran my fingers through the soft coat, watching the trail my fingers made as they skimmed through. She leaned her head down and forward and rubbed gently at my leg the way a house cat would.

  She pulled back and took a couple of steps backward. Then she changed back into Lily, just like that. I imagine she was still Lily in both states, but it would take me some getting used to Lily being inside the mountain lion. No, Lily was the mountain lion.

  “Are you okay?” she said.

  I nodded. Then I searched my mind for words. “Thank you.”

  “Nico, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I know this is early in the relationship and you’re not supposed to bring stuff up like this, but we are in a sexual relationship and I want you to be aware of the risks. If we ever conceived a child, it could be like me. Or not. I really don’t know. There’s still so much about my nature I don’t know.”

  “I appreciate you being honest with me. I’d wondered that myself. But whatever it is in you that fascinates me, I’m sure I’d adore in my child as well. Whatever abilities he or she may have.”

  “You thought about us having children?”

  “I thought about the possibility, yes. I thought about all kinds of crazy things after I learned about you. Then when I came back and you turned me away— No, I don’t want to think about those moments ever again. Now I want to get to know you better. And since you want to get to know yourself better, why not do it together?”

  She laughed. “Good plan.”

  “Let’s get out of these woods and go get a fancy hotel room with a nice big bed. I want to spend the night holding you. And doing other things. I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you too, Nico.” She reached for my hand. “Let’s wash the forest off us first. There’s a hotel nearby that advertises their oversized baths big enough for two.”

  “With a bottle of wine? Sounds like the most promising night ever.”

  “I can’t think of a better way for us to start.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lily

  Nico and I didn’t sleep much that night as we took our time making love. However, I was so blissful having spent the night wrapped in his protective arms I didn’t feel any fatigue. Nico and I said goodbye at the hotel that morning since we both had our cars.

  “I’m going to stop by my mom’s house,” I said. “I’ll see you back in Mass.”

  “I’ll miss you,” he said. He then put his hands on both sides of my head before giving me a long, soft kiss goodbye that would make it impossible to forget him any time soon.

  “I’m so glad to see you, dear,” my mom said. “When the full moon came and went and I hadn’t heard from you, I started to worry. Then you didn’t answer your cell phone and… I don’t care how old or independent you are. I’m your mother and I’ll always worry about you.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I should have called. So much happened so quickly and I’m afraid I didn’t think about it until I left the forest. That’s when I usually come see you and technically I just left.”

  “You’ve been in the forest since the night of the full moon?”

  I nodded.

  “Why?”

  “Oh, where to begin, Mom. Nico. The hunter. The shifters. Nico again.” I put my head in my hand. “I can’t believe how much has happened in so short a time. It’s as if my life has completely changed and I’m not the same person I was when I drove up here earlier this week. I don’t even know if I want to go back to the life I left behind.”

  “Sit down, Lily. This sounds like a major talk. I’ll make us some tea and you can start at the beginning.”

  She went into the kitchen to put on the kettle and I tried to sort events chronologically. She came back with a plate of cookies.

  “Homemade chocolate chip.”

  “Ooh, one of my favorites!”

  “I know.”

  I dug in with relish. She came back with two cups of tea on a tray and sat across from me. I looked at the plate of cookies, proud of my self-control in leaving some for the two of us to enjoy with our tea.

  “So tell me what happened.”

  I started at the beginning, how I took the chance and told Nico what I was, and then continued to when we’d just reconciled.

  “You got shot!” She clasped her hands around her face and then she grabbed both of my hands. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “It was just a graze.” Even though I downplayed the part about the hunter, she still freaked out. Once I reassured her I was fine and she calmed down, she had a zillion questions about Angelo and Katrina.

  “You have to respect their privacy though, Mom. They don’t want their presence known. You have to keep this to yourself.”

  My mom laughed before she quipped, “As the mother who has had to protect the secrets of her daughter all these years, I think I can manage that.”

  “Just making sure. I have to consider all they’ve done for me and respect their wishes.”

  “So how did you leave it with Nico?” my mom asked.

  “He drove back to Massachusetts and I said I’d stop by to see you before I drove back.”

  “It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay the night and drive back in the morning? I’ll heat up some soup and make grilled cheese sandwiches.”

  I really wanted to get back to my condo. It seemed like weeks had gone by since I’d slept in my own bed, although it was only days. But she was right, I could wait another day. And as a working woman who ate far too much takeout, there were few meals I enjoyed more than one made by my mom.

  “Sure. I could spend some more time with you.”

  “I have some news of my own, although it’s not quite as exciting as the events in your life the past few days.”

  “Oh really?” I leaned forward. “What is it?” I picked up a cookie and began chewing.

  “I started seeing someone.”

  I stopped chewing in my surprise. “You did? Awesome. Tell me more.”

  “After we spoke last time you were here, I realized I was being a hypocrite—telling you to go out there and take a chance and not doing it myself. I didn’t tell you the whole truth—well, not exactly. Yes, I loved your father and thought the world of him. He was the love of my life. But his death and his keeping secrets from me hurt me so badly. I swore I’d never open myself up to ever feeling that pain again. Anyway, after you left, I told myself to follow some of the advice I’d been giving you, to let go of my fear and be more open to the possibility of a relationship. Not be so closed off and resistant to one. So I decided to join this century and got online on one of those dating sites. I went on a few dates with different men and had a pleasant time, but nothing really clicked. When I met Jim—the sparks—we both knew. We just knew it was right.”

  The wistful look on my mom’s face was one I’d never seen before when she spoke about men. It gave her a youthful glow and she appeared to have gotten fifteen years younger. Whoever this Jim was, he was rubbing off on my mom in a good way. “Wow, I’m so happy for you.”

  “We’re taking things slowly. I mean, it’s all so new. Who knows if it’ll go anywhere? But I’m telling y
ou—I think there’s something there. I’ve been dating on and off since you’ve been old enough not to need me around as much and I have to say, this is different.”

  “Tell me all about him.” I eased back into the couch and sipped my tea. My mother’s remained untouched as she remained animated, waving her arms as she told me about Jim.

  “His name is Jim Hartwell and he grew up near Portland, Maine. He moved to the mountains just a few years ago. He’s worked in the newspaper industry, but since he moved here, he wanted to get outdoors more. So he instructs at the mountains during ski seasons and works in garden centers the rest of the year. He’s traveled all over Europe and South America and has written a bunch of articles about it.”

  “Sounds like an interesting guy.”

  “I think so.” Her focus drifted off to a corner of the room. Then she looked back at me. “If this doesn’t work out with Nico, you should give this internet dating thing a try.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” I said with a laugh. “Do they have a check box for ‘Can you shift into an animal?’”

  “Hmm, I don’t remember that specific question,” she said with a serious face then broke out into laughter. “Maybe that’s under the Advanced Search.”

  When I made it home, I called my boss even though it was a Saturday. I apologized for being out without much of an explanation, but said there was a personal emergency I had to deal with. She was okay about it, asking all the appropriate questions and backing off when she asked personal ones I chose not to answer. I was out less than a week so I still had a job.

  If I still wanted it.

  While in the mountains, I had time to do a lot of soul-searching. I questioned whether this ambitious career track was the one for me or if I should perhaps try a different life path. Maybe I should go into consulting on my own. Be my own boss. Make my own hours. Not have to explain to anyone when I had to go away during the full moon.

  Who knows? With my newly discovered ability to change at will, maybe I’d want to stay in the forest longer. Sell my expensive luxury condo for something more affordable and buy a small place up in the mountains.

  Next up I had to get back to Ally. She’d texted me while I was away and I didn’t get her text message until I left the mountains.

  Hey Lily, haven’t seen you this week. Are you okay?

  When I called Ally back, she said, “You must have the flu or something. It’s unlike you not to work out during the week.”

  “I was caught up with work and stuff in New Hampshire. And my mother convinced me to stay with her.” I still wasn’t ready to confide everything in Ally even though she was the closest person I had to a friend, besides Nico. Baby steps.

  The biggest change in my life was opening myself up to a relationship with Nico. He agreed to take things slow and to go at my pace so I’d be comfortable and not too pressured.

  As I found out almost every time we were together, once I saw him, it was difficult to leave. We went out to dinner Saturday night, he ended staying at my place, and we spent the day together on Sunday. Waking up to Nico spooning me on a Sunday morning and feeling his naked body against mine was something I could get used to.

  Besides his phenomenal lovemaking skills, I enjoyed his company. After breakfast we put a fire on in the fireplace and read the Sunday paper together. We spent the day hiking nearby to welcome in the arrival of spring, witness the new buds forming on the branches and the earliest green shoots poking up from the ground. We brought a picnic lunch and snacks to keep us fortified.

  It was with a pang of sadness that I said goodbye on Sunday evening. But it was my call. We couldn’t rush into things too quickly.

  “I know you have to play catch-up at work,” Nico said. “But you have to eat. How about I bring over some takeout on Wednesday?”

  “Uh—maybe. I have meetings all day. I might not be the best conversationalist.”

  “Okay, how about Thursday. We can go for a run, watch a movie, whatever you like.”

  “Let’s go for a run around the lake. Then get something to eat. And maybe,” I raised an eyebrow, “we’ll shower off together.”

  He smiled lasciviously. “Saves water, good for the environment.” He touched my bottom lip before kissing me. “I’ll be thinking of you.”

  While I buried myself catching up at work and unwinding at the gym, I realized how much I missed Nico too. Wouldn’t it be nice to see him at the end of a workday? Like he said, a reward for a hard day’s work?

  Thursday took a long time to come and it ended all too soon. Only a few short hours together wasn’t enough. For someone who was used to spending so much time alone, finding someone who I wanted to spend more time with was a new experience.

  After our run, we dropped the Thai takeout food on the counter. Panting from our run and covered with sweat made us think of another kind of hunger so we fumbled to remove our clothing to get into the shower as quickly as possible. We spent much time lathering each other before Nico took me up against the shower wall, an experience I thought was overrated up until now. Perhaps it just needed the dynamics of the right person and the right position. Nico leaned on me against the shower wall after we had both climaxed and the water rained down upon us. We recovered in each other’s arms for so long that the hot water ran out and then we hurried to get out of the shower before the water turned us to icicles.

  We dried off and went back to our takeout, needing to reheat it in the microwave since it had gotten cold during our extended shower session.

  “Wow, we packed a lot of quality time into a few short hours,” Nico said. “I’m glad you agreed to see me.”

  “How about dinner tomorrow night?” I suggested.

  He looked surprised, but pleased. “I’d love nothing more than that. But I can’t. We have practice. We have a show on Saturday night at that club Vamps. Remember that club in Cat’s Cove where we met?”

  How could I forget? I nodded.

  “Will you come? You can bring your friend so you have someone to hang with.”

  “I’d love to. Until Saturday.” I kissed him slowly as if trying to imprint the feel of his lips into my memory.

  When I saw Nico at Vamps Saturday night, my heart raced.

  He noticed me and smiled in a way that shot thrills through me.

  He was mine. I was his. He knew my secrets. No more deception was necessary.

  He walked over to Ally and me. After saying our hellos, she recognized someone she knew from the gym and excused herself to go say hi.

  Nico said, “I’m glad you’re not playing any tricks today and you came like you said you would.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Tricks?”

  “It’s April first. April Fool’s Day. The guys have been playing tricks all day.” Then he gave me a lingering kiss. “Here’s the hello I wanted to give you, but not in front of Ally. You look delicious.”

  The long, fitted, black number with purple accents was a good choice then. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.”

  “I doubt there’s anything I’d not like to see you in—or out of.”

  “Sweats are okay then?” I teased.

  “No.” He shook his head and laughed. “No sweats, please. You can’t hide a body like that from me.”

  “All right, I promise. No sweats.” I kissed him. “Unless I’m sick. Or feel like crap.”

  “I make a mean chicken noodle soup. Recipe that dates back to the old country.”

  “You cook?”

  “Sure. When I have the time.”

  “How come I haven’t benefited from the experience?”

  “Because I’ve wanted to spend my free time doing other things with you besides cooking. I’ll cook dinner for us this week, okay?”

  “Looks like I lucked out with the right guy.” I smiled. “Caring. Sweet. Can cook. And hot as hell.”

  “I could say the same about you.”

  “Except the cooking part. Some of my attempts at experimental cooking have ended disastrously.�
�� I laughed. “So what’s going on here tonight?”

  Nico got an excited glint in his eye as he spoke. “It’s going to be a great night, Lily. A few weeks ago, I talked to the owner of the club about VC coming back. Some guy named Tristan Stone.”

  “Is he super tall?” I asked. “Dark, longish hair?”

  “Yeah, you know him?”

  “No. The first time I was here I overheard someone say he is the owner.”

  “Anyway, I asked if we could come back.” Nico was waving his arms around animatedly as he retold the story. “Said we thought the club and crowd were great and we’d love to play our new song for the first time here.”

  “I’m guessing he agreed.”

  “Yes. He was actually quite cool about it. Said how VC is exactly the type of live music he’d been working on bringing into the club.” Nico slapped one hand on the other as he said “exactly” and I tried not to giggle over his enthusiasm. “How the crowd loved us. How his girlfriend and her best friend are huge fans and they all had a great night the last time we played. How cool is that, Lily?”

  “Phenomenally cool. I’m so happy for you.”

  He kissed me again. “I’ve gotta go get ready for our set. Don’t leave, okay?”

  “Of course not.”

  I wandered around the club looking at the signs for upcoming shows and saw VC’s poster hanging among them. I bought a drink, a Poe-inspired one called Sepulchre by the Sea. A few minutes later, Ally returned wearing a VC tank top over the black one she had on.

  “Nice shirt.”

  “You should be wearing one. I still can’t believe you’re dating the singer. That’s insane.”

  “Maybe I will tonight. Wear the tank top with a black lace thong. That should get Nico’s attention.”

  Her eyes bulged as she stared at me then her face spread into a giant grin. “Check you out. I like this new Lily. Not so uptight.”

  “Hardy har har,” I said in an exaggerated tone. “But seriously I have you to thank for meeting Nico. You brought me here the night I met him.”

  “I’ll accept your thank-you. Even though you complained about there being a band playing that night.” She looked up toward the stage and laughed. “Looks like that worked out to your advantage.”