"Yes, all the time," she said with a relieved sigh.
"I'm Lucy," she said, holding out her hand.
"Mary," the girl said.
"Nice to meet you," Lucy said, shaking her hand.
"You too. Let me show you to a table," Mary said, and grabbed some menus.
"Thank you," Lucy said as they followed her to a table.
"Thanks," Mike whispered in her ear as he helped her into her seat.
"No problem. I had a feeling she didn't mean anything by it. I saw her face when you reacted."
"I guess I'm a little nervous," he said with a weak smile.
"Don't worry, you aren't the only one."
"Okay, let's figure out what we want and try to relax," he said with a smile, feeling a little better knowing he wasn't alone in his feelings.
"Sounds good," Lucy said, and picked up the menu.
Mike tried to figure out what he wanted, but kept looking at Lucy. Her menu was on the table and she was looking at it so intently. Her face was scrunched up like she was confused. She was so cute.
"How about pizza?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh, pizza sounds good," he said distractedly.
"Are you sure? You can get something else if you want to."
“I’m sorry, I was distracted. Pizza sounds great. Do you want an appetizer?”
“What were you distracted by?” she asked, sounding a little confused.
“You,” he said simply.
“Oh, do I have lipstick smeared or something?”
Why would she ask that? “No, you look perfect. That’s what distracted me.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you sound so disappointed?” he asked.
“Because no one’s ever thought of me that way. I can’t help but wonder if you’re just saying it.”
Mike walked around the table to kneel in front of her. “I’m not just saying it. I think you’re the most beautiful person in the world.” Lucy’s cheeks turned a nice shade of red. She tried turning away from him, but he stopped her and gave her a quick kiss before returning to his seat. “Now, back to dinner. Would you like an appetizer with your pizza?”
“Bread sticks, please,” she said, lifting her menu to cover the smile he could see forming.
“Cheese?”
“Yes please.”
“Okay, now that you have that settled, I think there’s something I should tell you about myself.”
He watched as she put the menu down and the merriment of earlier faded. “What? Do you have a secret girlfriend hidden somewhere?”
“No, I didn’t tell you everything about my parents. My mother specifically. It’s nothing bad, just something I thought you should know.”
***
Lucy’s heart dropped with his words. Was something wrong? His mother was gone, so what could he tell her that would be so bad?
“What is it?” she asked.
“My mother, she was a writer.”
She just looked at him. That was it? That was what was so bad? Wow! Why would she care? To her it was great that he knew what he was getting into. But still, really? “Okay.” He kept looking at her as if he were expecting a reaction. All she wanted to do was laugh. “What was her name? Maybe I’ve read something of hers,” Lucy said with a big smile. She was so proud of herself for not laughing at how serious he was being.
“Sarah Talon,” he said with a frown.
“Sarah Talon? Wow, um, I hate to tell you this Mike, but…”
“What?” he said, before she had a chance to finish.
“Well, she’s one of my favorite authors. I’ve read all her books. She’s actually the one who got me to start writing.”
“You met her?” he asked.
“No, but she was inspiring. I was really upset when her books stopped coming, and I’d always wondered why,” she said sadly.
“I’m glad she was able to do that. She was a great person.”
They sat in silence until the waiter came over to take their orders. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, just reflective, which probably wasn’t something great for a first date.
“How’s Lexi?” Mike asked, breaking the silence.
“She’s Lexi. No, she’s fine and wants me to come up and visit her soon.”
“I think you should. You two seem really close,” he said with a smile.
“I will, I just don’t know when. Definitely when this book is done.”
“You know after this one’s done, there’s going to be another, so don’t wait too long. From what it sounded like when you were talking to your dad, it’s been a while since they’ve seen you.”
“I know, you’re right,” she said with a sigh. Why did he have to be right?
“So, how’s the book going?”
That was something she could talk about for hours. She loved talking about her books. She didn’t know if Mike knew what he was really in for. “Good, but I took a little bit of a break from it. I ended up having this great idea for a short story. I wanted to get it down on paper before I forgot it, so that’s what I spent all afternoon on.” That wasn’t too bad. What she really wanted to tell him about was the war that was currently going on between her characters, and how much she was loving it.
“Really? What’s it about?” he asked.
“You’ll have to wait and see. I’ll give you a copy when I’m done,” she said with a smile.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, and she really thought he was. It was a welcome surprise.
“The book I’ve been working on is almost done. I think I keep saying that, but it really is. I’m working on the final battle – well, war – and I can’t wait to be done with it. I’ve always wanted to do some novels for adults. I love writing young adult, but sometimes you have to censor things. I keep trying, but I can’t seem to come up with any ideas for it.”
“You’ll get it. I have faith in you,” he said with a smile.
Chapter 16
Mike pulled into Lucy’s driveway and looked at her as he put his truck in park. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. She was so beautiful and there was something about her which made her glow. He couldn’t explain it, but he never wanted to see it disappear. He climbed out of his truck and helped her out. He knew she could slide out, but his truck sat high and he really needed to touch her. Lucy put her hands on his shoulders and kept them there after he’d put her down. He couldn’t help himself – Mike needed to kiss her. She was too tempting: those soft lips which she just wet.
Lowering his mouth to hers, he about fell to his knees as her taste assaulted him. He could taste the wine and pizza, but under all that was Lucy. He was in heaven. She pushed her hands into his hair and pulled him closer. She couldn't seem to get enough of him either. He pushed her into the side of his truck and rubbed his erection into her. She was warm and welcoming. He hoped he wasn't being too forward. Lucy pulled back and took a couple of deep breaths. Maybe he was wrong. He hoped not.
"Inside," she said in between breaths. He nodded and picked her up. He couldn't wait. He had to get her dress off and be buried balls deep inside her. When he tried to open the door, he realized it was locked. Go figure, she'd lock her door when she left the house.
"Keys," she said, handing the set to him. He bent down and kissed her again, groaning when she pulled back. He put the key in the lock, only to find it was the wrong key. Damn, he had to get her inside! She reached down and took the keys from him, slipping the right one into the lock and opening the door. He walked inside and as soon as he had the door closed and locked, he was pulling her dress off.
His jaw dropped as he took in the matching bra and panty set. Black lace – he loved it. It stood out against her creamy skin. He was frozen, just staring at her. He was brought back to the moment by her unbuttoning his shirt and reaching under it to feel his skin. Her hands were so soft. Lucy leaned forward and captured his lips, and he melted into the kiss, unwilling to let her go, and pulled her closer and picked her up. She
wrapped her legs around him and held on tightly. He walked her into her room and gently set her on the bed.
Before he could unhook her bra, she pulled his shirt over his head and started kissing his neck. She didn't seem to be able to get enough. He finally unhooked her bra, releasing her beautiful breasts. He latched onto one as he moved his hand down her stomach and felt the warmth of her pussy. He felt his pants give as she unbuttoned them, releasing his cock. He couldn't wait to feel her hands on it.
"Oh God!" he moaned as she pulled him free and gently stroked, running her thumb over the head. Before he could stop her, she was on her knees and taking his dick in her mouth. He'd never felt anything better and would have done anything to get her to do that for the rest of his life. Then she moaned. He almost came. It took all his will to hold back. "Wait, Lucy, wait.”
***
Lucy looked up at Mike and saw the fight for control he was having. She couldn't help but be proud of herself. She’d done that to him. She just hoped he wasn't stopping for another reason. As she stood up, she pulled her panties down and looked at Mike through her eyelashes. She didn't know how sexy it really was, but it had seemed like it would be when she’d read about women doing it. It must have worked because he picked her up and mashed their mouths together in a searing kiss.
He flipped her on her back again and slammed his mouth onto hers. He seemed like he couldn't get enough. It was a heady feeling. She felt him moving around on her and looked to see him trying to push his pants down. She tried to hold back a laugh. He looked like a fish floundering on land. She covered her mouth with her hand, but couldn't hold back the laugh.
He stopped moving and looked at her. "What?" he asked. She couldn't say anything; just laughed. They were both acting like high school kids. He must have figured it out and started laughing with her. He laughed as he rolled onto his back, pants around his knees. That just made her laugh harder. He was hot and hung, but the image of a grown man with a very hard dick, naked except for the pants around his knees, was very funny.
Before she could take another breath, he had his pants off and was on top of her, kissing down her stomach. That turned her laughing into a moan, and her hands went back into his hair. If she kept it up, he'd be bald by the end of the night. He kept moving down, touching her pussy and spreading the wetness around. The man was a god in bed. She couldn't wait to have him inside her. She had to feel him. She reached for his shoulders and pulled him up to her. "I want you," she moaned into his mouth.
Lucy spread her legs as Mike settled between them, lining himself up. He felt huge. He put his hands on the bed beside her head and started pushing in. She thought he was big when she had him in her mouth; now all she felt was full. The pleasure of him filling every inch of her. It was wonderful.
***
Mike couldn't believe how good it felt being inside her. She was warm and soft. She was perfect. When he was buried balls deep inside her, he stopped moving. He wanted to revel in the feeling of her muscles surrounding him. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer. He couldn't wait any more. He had to move. He hoped she was okay, but based on the look on her face, he was sure she was. She was so beautiful. He leaned down and kissed her as he slowly pulled out. He could feel her muscles trying to keep him inside. When he pushed back in, she moaned into his mouth. He had to watch her. He had to see the pleasure on her face. He pulled back out, creating a rhythm, and watched the ecstasy on her face. Her head was thrown back, her lips slightly parted, her eyes closed.
She must have sensed him watching because she opened her eyes and looked into his. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she pulled him closer to her and let out a long moan, enjoying the feel of him. He reached down, pinching her nipple, feeling her arch into the touch. He wanted to see that look on her always. It was perfect.
He could feel his release coming. He couldn't believe he was coming that fast. He had to make sure she came before him. He had to feel her muscles clamping down on him. He bent down and kissed her again as he quickened his pace. Lucy screamed out her release as he felt her muscles clamping down on his cock. That tipped him over the edge, and his release took him over as he yelled out Lucy's name. He fell on top of her as he came down from it, but was careful to not put too much weight on her. After he caught his breath, he pulled Lucy close, not wanting to let her go. The sound of her breathing lulled him to sleep.
***
“I want you to watch the girl’s house. The one he was with last night. There’s plenty of room there for him to run, so I’m thinking he’s going to want to be close to her, but still be able to stretch his legs,” he told Paul.
“Yes sir,” Paul answered.
“Good. Again, keep it quiet. I don’t want anyone knowing how hard it is for us to get a wolverine.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good,” he said and turned in his chair, dismissing Paul. He heard the door close and leaned back in his chair. He never thought this would be so hard. Catching a shifter could be difficult, but he was trained in apprehending them, as was Paul. It really should not be this hard to kill one wolverine. The last ones weren’t that hard to shoot. He would not accept failure. He would kill this wolverine. He was the leader of the Hunters; he would not fail. He refused.
Chapter 17
It had been two days since Mike had seen Lucy. He was starting to think that maybe he was bad in bed and that she didn’t want to see him again or something. She wouldn’t be ignoring him if it weren’t true. He’d been working, so he hadn’t had a chance to see her, but he was off tonight. Bill had gotten tired of listening to him and had told him to go find out what was happening and not to come back until he had done so.
A part of him was saying she’d probably got caught up in her book. She did say she was getting close to finishing it, but still, she should have called him or something, right? Bill kept trying to tell him she was probably working, but he wouldn’t listen. She still could have taken two minutes out to call him. He knew what the life of a writer was like – he’d grown up with it. He knew they tended to shut out the world when they wrote. His brain was telling him all that, but his heart was saying something different. He hadn’t really liked anyone before. He’d had one night stands and that kind of thing, but he’d never really dated. He honestly never thought he would ever like anyone like he did her, or that he would ever have a serious relationship. Keeping his secret was hard enough anyway, but throw in a relationship with a human and it became murder.
Mike decided to go for a walk to clear his mind. He didn’t want to seem too demanding when he went over there. It had been only two days, but that was two days away from Lucy with no word from her. Two days of waiting. He really needed to clear his head before he went over there. He walked through the streets of Lilly Town, nodding to people, saying hello, and having idle chit chat. The thing about Lilly Town was that it was a very small town. It didn’t take him long to make a full circle around it, and he still had Lucy on his mind. He had to see her, even if it was just to drive by her house and make sure she was okay.
Emily had been keeping an eye on her, so he knew she was really fine, but he needed to see her to make sure. Emily tended to be a loner. She’d spent the one night in the house, but she couldn’t take any more human contact. She’d stop in the house for a shower, but other than that she stayed in the woods, perched in a tree. Climbing into his truck, Mike took a deep breath. He didn’t want to speed over there and demand answers. No, he didn’t want to seem desperate as he went there. He needed to calm down.
***
Lucy had been staring at her computer the whole day. She was so close – the last chapter – but there she sat, not sure how to end it. She wanted to turn it into a series, but wasn’t sure how to set up the next book. Should it have a cliffhanger or should it just have a happy ending?
Mike might have something to do with it, though. She couldn’t seem to get him off her mind. She tried, but she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’
t left her with his number. She liked him, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he didn’t want to put up with her, so had just never left her a way to contact him. And she hadn’t heard anything from him. He didn’t have her number, but he knew where she lived.
Looking back at her computer, Lucy tried coming up with an ending. She really did. She even stuffed her face with Skittles and turned her rock music up, trying to drown out any other thoughts. It didn’t work. She needed a break. Maybe that would help her clear her mind.
***
Mike pulled into Lucy's driveway, but when he got out, he smelled something. It didn't seem right. He hadn't been at her house a lot, but it just didn't fit. He knew Emily was in the woods behind the house. He was surprised she hadn't called to let Bill know. Well, she was a cat, so he shouldn't be that surprised.
Shifting, he quietly but quickly stalked across Lucy's back yard. He didn't want to alert the owner of the scent or Lucy to his being there. He couldn't risk her getting hurt. He wouldn't risk her getting hurt. She was too important. He stuck to the tree line, hoping Lucy wouldn't look outside and see him. The trees would keep him hidden to an extent, but it was still daylight. They helped only so much.
He continued following the scent, getting closer to the owner of it. He smelled Emily. He knew she knew he was there. He could hear her moving around. Nothing particularly noticeable, but he could hear the leaves crunching, although they sounded like they could be from any animal in the woods. Shifters are predators: they know how to stalk their prey. Emily came up beside him in her tiger form and stalked with him, giving him backup. He pinpointed where the scent was coming from. He started walking toward the scent when he heard a door close. Fuck! Lucy had seen him!
***
Lucy looked up from her game and saw a wolverine stalking across her back yard. She was surprised, but for some reason, she wasn't afraid. Even when the tiger joined it. She just wondered why they were stalking across her back yard. Picking up her phone, she called Bill.
"Hello."
Lucy's Wolverine (Lilly Town Shifters) Page 8