Changing Her Tune

by Brandy Walker

  Fuck! That was a bad move. Austin was inches from her. His breath fanned across her face, and heat rolled off his bulky body through his tight T-shirt. They stared at each other for what felt like minutes on end when a voice cleared. They both turned their heads in the direction of the noise.

  “I’ll see you in class, Austin,” Declan said, eyeing them both.

  Tess got the feeling he wanted to say more but didn’t.

  Avery grabbed him by the hand. “Night Tess. Remember, fifteen minutes.” She pulled her mate upstairs, leaving Tess and Austin in an overwhelming silence.

  “Listen, Red,” Austin said, breaking the quiet.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want a nickname from him. It was too personal. Too intimate. “Tess. My name is Tess, as you well know,” she interrupted, forcing strength she didn’t feel into her voice. “If you insist on talking to me, the least you can do is use my name.”

  A devilish little grin curved one corner of his mouth. She sucked in a quick breath when a dimple appeared. Damn him and his good looks!

  With so little space between them, she could see all of the details she imagined before. Wavy brown hair. Light brown eyes. Chiseled, strong jaw. He had broad shoulders, thick biceps, trim waist, and long muscular legs. He was her perfect idea of sex in an oh-so-temping package. But not meant for her. He couldn’t be. Whatever happened between them had to be a huge cosmic joke.

  Mate, her cheetah purred. The feline preened and flicked her tail, wanting to get out.

  “I like calling you Red.” He inched forward. Reaching out, he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. His rough fingers scraped against her skin. The light touch almost undid her. Her knees wobbled, trying to give out on her. She was too weak. Physically. Emotionally.

  Tess pressed back against her door. Too close. Don’t give in! Why didn’t she go in her room and lock him out when she had the chance? Good decisions were not her thing. She kept making the wrong ones.

  “Well, I like being called Tess.” It was ridiculous to even argue the point. He would do whatever he wanted regardless of her feelings. In her experience, it was what men did.

  Austin took a final step, brushing against her body. His chest touched hers, lighting her up on the inside. Her nipples puckered while a shot of arousal went straight to her core. Her body tingled from head to toe. She whimpered, the sound escaping before she could pull it back. The body may be willing, but her mind resisted—for the moment.

  Smiling, he slipped a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. His fingers tangled in the length, keeping her head from moving. “I wasn’t on the ball when you walked through the Laundromat doors earlier, but I am now. You can have tonight, Red. I know you need it. To be honest, I need it, too. I’ll see you tomorrow, though, and when I do, you better have that silly idea of going rogue out of your pretty little head. It’s not happening. We’re mates, destined to be together and, like I said, I aim to see it happen. I let you run from me once, but I guarantee it won’t happen again. I play to win. In everything I do.”

  Austin moved quicker than she could think. She was too stunned by the sincerity of his words to do anything but stand there submissively in his hands. The soft press of his lips against hers stirred her blood like nothing had ever done before. Before she could react, he stepped back. “Peaches,” he groaned. “I fucking love peaches.”

  Ryan and Blaire came out of her room then, and without another word, the guys left.

  Blaire looked at her, surprise on her face.

  “I’m fucked,” Tess said with a groan. She turned the handle on her door and slipped back inside without giving Blaire the chance to comment.

  Chapter Three

  Austin sat on Tess’s front porch swing, waiting for her to get home. His patience slipped as the minutes slid by. His day had been a bust. He couldn’t concentrate in class, and the thought of running drills at practice held no appeal, nor did standing in a locker room full of half-dressed, sweaty-ass dudes.

  No, all he wanted was one sweet, peach-scented woman with fire-red hair and lips so soft he could cry. He wouldn’t be stepping back into the locker room until he claimed his mate. At first, he thought he wouldn’t go back until he had his fill, but he realized that would never happen. One simple kiss had destroyed the thought.

  The beast in him wanted to wallow in her scent. Drink it in until he drowned in it. Then he wanted to mark her and warn off every man who attempted to get near her. The cheetah was still pissed off their scent wasn’t on her. It didn’t understand why they didn’t stay with her the previous night and why they weren’t with her that very moment. The creature was not alone in those thoughts.

  The entire day he itched to get back over to her place. To touch her soft skin. Coax smiles and soft, breathy laughs from her as he kissed every inch of her body. He ached to make love to her over and over again, claiming her as his own.

  The feelings were the same as the night before, only heightened from the time apart.

  The need to be near her bad enough the night before, he’d contemplated sleeping in the Jeep when they were kicked out of the town house. Ryan thought of joining him as well, but they came to their senses when the temperature dropped into the thirties.

  An ominous feeling it would get much worse before it got better ricocheted through him, setting off warning bells. The previous night’s events remained prominent in his mind, an indicator of the direction the relationship could go if he let it fester.

  Nothing about the evening had gone well. He thought maybe the time between her rushing off and them getting to her place would be enough for her to cool off a little, or at least help her come to her senses. It hadn’t. Not even when a gun had been pointed at his head would she acknowledge him as her mate.

  Fuck. It didn’t have to be difficult. He had been as surprised as Tess had been to discover they were mates, but he gotten over it a hell of a lot faster than she had. Once he pulled his head out of his ass, he was prepared to get to know the woman. Why couldn’t she do the same? They were fated to be together. Their destinies intertwined for the rest of their lives.

  The bits of information Blaire had volunteered about Tess gave him a better idea of what might have been going through her head. He had done nothing but think about it when he wasn’t obsessing about what she’d feel like beneath him. From what he figured, she didn’t trust guys. Being confronted by one who didn’t give you the time of day until after he learned the hot chick wasn’t meant to be his—yeah, it could piss off a woman. He’d fucked up and, unbeknownst to him, fed into her man-hating feelings.

  According to Blaire, Tess had been through a recent breakup, hurt and humiliated by some geeky band guy she had been dating for three years. It hit her pretty hard, and she’d spent the last couple of months taking refuge in her room, listening to music, and shutting everyone out. To include the people she lived with.

  He hated to break it to his beautiful mate, but he refused to be shut out. If he needed to find band boy and pummel him for hurting her, then he’d do it. It would take an iron will not to break his freaking neck, he was sure. He wasn’t opposed to doing it if it made her feel better. No one should get away with hurting his mate.

  Austin snorted at the quick transition he made from freewheeling dude to wanting to tackle his mate and handcuff her to his side. To show her he was there for her through thick and thin or past ex-boyfriends and onto loving him.

  He knew from his dad that finding a mate could change a person in almost an instant, but Austin hadn’t believed him. He thought a person would need to spend more than twenty minutes in his or her mate’s presence for anything to have an effect.

  How wrong he’d been, and how right his dad had been.

  The old man would get a kick out of knowing Austin agreed with him. He would also be thrilled to know Austin had at last found his mate.

  Pulling out his cell phone, he glanced at it and checked the time. Two in the afternoon. It didn’t look lik
e Tess or anyone would be home soon. It was a good time to call the old man while he waited. He hit the speed dial for his dad and heard one ring before he picked up.

  “Hey, son, how’re you doing?”

  The jovial tone had Austin smiling. “Hey, Pops. I’m doing pretty decent.”

  “Good. Good. You know, a couple weeks and it’ll be winter break. I hope you’re prepared. The girls missed you at Thanksgiving and are pretty excited to see you. They have a ton of things planned. Lots of food, games, and ice skating.”

  Austin chuckled. He’d been bummed he couldn’t make it home either, but he had a project to finish and wanted it done before the big bowl game. He didn’t doubt his younger sisters, fourteen-year-old Sara and fifteen-year-old Kati, were driving the old man crazy with planning and shopping. They loved the holidays when he got to come home. What could he say? They adored him, and the feeling happened to be mutual. He would do anything for the imps—within reason. “I missed coming home, too. School work had to come first. I want to be able to concentrate strictly on football when I come back. Please say they’re making pumpkin pie for me.”

  His dad chuckled, and the sound relaxed him. He worried about all of them while he was away, but it couldn’t be helped.

  “You know they are. It’s been a good season for your team. I’m surprised you aren’t working out or practicing. Need to stay in tip-top shape.”

  Didn’t he know it! More important things were going on and needed his attention first. Playing football would be in his life for a few precious years. His mate—she was forever. At least he hoped it was.

  “Austin, you okay?” His dad’s worried voice came over the line. “You got a little quiet on your end.”

  He didn’t like doing it, but he lied to his dad. “Yeah, I’m fine. Coach gave us the day off.”

  His dad grunted on the other end. Austin didn’t know if he bought it, but as a high school football coach, his dad knew giving players time off would be a good thing. Constant hard work could break a kid, but at the same time, they needed to be pushed to get better. It was a fine line to walk.

  “A day off and you thought you would give your old man a call? I’m flattered.”

  “More or less.”

  “Uh-huh. How ’bout you tell me why you really called? Not that I’m not happy you did. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  His dad knew him too well. Austin called on the weekends when he had more free time. They would talk football, classes, and recap their week. He should have known a Friday afternoon call would raise a few reds flags. “I have some news.”

  “Really?” his dad asked, wariness in his voice. “Good or bad?”

  The slight edge of fear laced his dad’s voice. The man didn’t do well with bad news—ever. When Austin’s mom got sick, his dad disappeared—literally—for a few days, and when he came back, he walked around in a fog for a time. Having two young daughters aged ten and eleven years old at home helped bring him back to the land of the living with the rest of them. They needed him, and it was fortunate for them all it hadn’t taken his dad too long to figure it out.

  “I think it’s good.” Real good, as a matter of fact. He never thought one way or the other about finding his mate. Figured it would happen when it should. It occurring during his senior year, he was damn lucky. He’d be able to start the next chapter of his life with his mate. They could forge their way into the world outside college together.

  “Okay. Hit me.”

  Austin took a huge breath and let it out. “It’s about a girl.”

  “Oh boy,” his dad said as if he expected the worst. A creaking noise filtered through the phone, and Austin guessed his dad took a seat at his desk.

  He sucked in another big breath. Other than last night, he hadn’t said it out loud again. Thought about it, sure, but not said it. His heart beat a little fast, and that sick feeling he got right before a game cramped his stomach. Say it and get it over with. Like ripping a Band-Aid off. “I met my mate last night,” he rushed out.

  Dead silence greeted him on the other end. No breathing. No background noise. Stillness settled around him as all the sound in his vicinity drifted away as well. Austin could almost feel his father’s shock through the phone. Could he have gotten it wrong? Would finding his mate upset his dad?

  When deep bellows of delighted laughter rang through the tiny receiver, Austin had his answer.

  “That’s fantastic, son. What’s her name? When do we get to meet her? Is she a shifter? Are you going to bring her home for winter break? How long do you think you’ll wait before the claiming ceremony?”

  “Hold on, Dad, you’re going way too fast. We met for the first time last night.” Austin laughed, and the nausea in his stomach dissipated.

  Before he could say anything more, a noise at the door grabbed his attention. Tess stood in the open doorway, looking confused by his presence. The sweet scent of peaches washed over him, tugging him in her direction. The need to touch her, to feel the connection threading between them, was a powerful urge he had to resist. For the moment.

  “Hey, Dad, I need to let you go. I wanted you to know since it’s a pretty big deal and say you were right. I knew right away. I’ll call you again later, so we can talk more.”

  “Oh, is she there with you? Put her on the phone. I want to talk to her.”

  “Um, yeah she’s here, and, no, I won’t be putting her on the phone,” Austin said, studying the guarded look passing over her face. “I’ve got a little bit of work to do.”

  His dad chuckled. “She didn’t fall for your charm, did she?”

  “Not one bit.”

  “Your mother, bless her soul, was the same way. Good luck. You’ll need it. Consider groveling if necessary. It worked for me.”

  “Thanks for the advice. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Love you, son.”

  Austin said good-bye and ended the call. He stood and slipped the phone into his back pocket, never taking his eyes off Tess.

  He took the time to get a good look at her, to see her without the distraction of the bet, the disastrous events of the night before, or the others watching them like they were animals in a zoo. She appeared nervous, fidgeting and rocking from foot to foot. Her long red hair flowed midway down her back, swaying ever so slightly with her movements. The slim black, rectangular glasses she wore emphasized her golden-brown eyes. Glossy, peach-colored lips beckoned him to come closer and taste her.

  When their future children asked, he wouldn’t be able to tell them what she wore the night he met their mom. Today though, he would remember every detail of her standing there, a dark red top that dipped at her cleavage, giving him a peek of creamy skin and firm breasts. Jeans clinging snug to her hips, thighs and legs. His mate wasn’t a tiny little thing like Blaire. Tess had dips and curves and, damn, they looked good on her. His body tightened in anticipation for what would come. Desire and attraction shot through him, setting his blood on fire. Why he hadn’t noticed her beauty the evening before, he didn’t have a clue. But he was fully aware of her and her lovely attributes now, and he wanted everything she would give him.

  He resisted every instinct telling him to sweep her in his arms and carry her away. Deep in his bones, he knew he needed to take his time with her. Entice her into relaxing around him, liking him.

  He must have been staring too long; she cleared her throat before crossing her arms over her chest, plumping her breasts, unconsciously teasing him.

  He raked his gaze over her body. Damn. Why have I never seen her before? When he got to her face, she didn’t look the least bit happy.

  “Hey,” he said, trying to put on his most nonthreatening smile.

  “What are you doing here, Austin?” She puffed out in irritation.

  “I came to see you. Thought we could spend some time together.”

  Her lips pinched together in disapproval. “Why?”

  “Come on, Tess, we’ve been through this. We’re mates.”

/>   “Just because the animal inside thinks that, it doesn’t make it true.”

  He swallowed the snort trying to come out. The animal clamoring for its mate meant precisely what she tried to deny. He wouldn’t laugh in her face. There was no need to drive her to like him even less than she already did. He kept his features free of expression. “Really?”

  She looked away, her forehead furrowed. “Okay, not the smartest thing to say. I know we act on instincts, and when the inner beast perks up and says someone is our mate, we have to listen. I won’t concede to us being mates, though. Not yet. We haven’t spent more than thirty minutes together, and five of those involved you lusting after another woman. There is no way our cheetahs got it right.”

  “At least she said yet,” he mumbled under his breath. And she had a point, one he questioned, as well. It gave him an even bigger reason to spend time with her. “Listen, I would be wary if I were in your shoes, too. It has to be hard to trust what’s going on inside when someone you cared for dumps all over you, hurting and humiliating you. Let’s spend the weekend together and try to figure out if our shifter side is right. I promise we won’t do anything you don’t want.”

  Austin realized he’d said something wrong when Tess’s eyes rounded, her glasses emphasizing their size. Sparks of gold burst through. “That little bitch. She is the worst goddamn friend ever! What the hell did Blaire tell you?”

  He wanted to tell her Blaire didn’t say much of anything when the sound of a door slamming in the back of the house had Tess turning around. She stalked away with him hot on her heels. Please don’t be Blaire. Ryan will kick my ass if the girls get in a fight. He didn’t want to have to break them apart. It may sound hot and sexy to a horny guy, but once a guy watches his sisters rolling around on the ground, pulling each other’s hair, then he jumps in to stop them and gets kicked in the nuts for his efforts, it loses all appeal.