CHAPTER TWO
A soft hand stroked Lia’s cheek. Her eyes blinked open to find Max gazing back at her. His eyes sparked with desire as he looked down at her with a longing that she felt deep inside her own stomach. Max leaned down and pressed his lips tenderly against hers. She closed her eyes again enjoying the scent of him as it enveloped her, sweet yet masculine as he wrapped his arms around her. His fingers ran through the long curls of her hair and he held her there so that she could not pull away from him. Her mind spun with desire.
When she opened her eyes again she found that she was alone, staring up at the off white ceiling of her bedroom. Heat burned in her cheeks as she realized she had been dreaming of the handsome stranger who had saved her life. She took in a long deep breath as she realized that she was panting like a dog on heat.
Glancing at the clock on the bedside table she saw that it was only 5:00am. She pushed back the covers and slipped out of bed to head into the bathroom. She stood in front of the sink and splashed cold water upon her face in an attempt to freshen herself up. When she stood again she found she was looking at herself more closely in the mirror than she usually did.
Her pale skin was brighter than usual and the black circles under her eyes did not seem so big. The plushness of her lips drew her eyes then and she lifted her fingers to touch them as she remembered how it had felt to kiss Maxwell in her dream.
“Stop thinking like that!” she told herself as she switched off the bathroom light and headed back into the bedroom. Throwing herself back down onto the bed, she pulled the covers over her and turned her face into the pillow, closing her eyes in an attempt to get back to sleep for an hour or two.
After tossing and turning for over half an hour she realized that it just wasn’t going to happen and so she clambered back out of bed and headed back into the bathroom to turn on the shower. A warm stream of water would help to wake her up fully for the day ahead.
She pulled off her night clothes and stepped into the cubicle. The water streamed down over her and she closed her eyes enjoying the warm feel of it. Soon steam filled the room and the smell of lavender enveloped her as she poured shampoo into the palm of her hand and began to lather it up in her hair. The smell helped to calm her nerves at having to go back to work to pay for the small apartment she was living in yet she knew she could not go back home. She knew she could not return to the life she had once lived with the man who had beaten her to within an inch of her life. The thought of it made her shiver with fear.
Lia stood outside the apartment building at 8:30am glancing both ways in the hopes of finding Maxwell walking toward her. As she looked at her watch her heart began to sink into her boots as she wondered whether she had been stood up. She glanced both ways down the street again and when she looked to her right there he was, walking toward her with a spark in his blue eyes.
Lia felt her heart leap into her throat then as he came to stand in front of her, “I’m sorry I’m late,” he told her as though he had seen her glancing at her wrist watch, “I had a small problem with my keys.”
“It’s alright,” Lia shook her head, “I haven’t been waiting long.”
“Shall we?” Max asked as he held out his arm to her and gestured for them to take a walk. Lia smiled warmly to him and linked her arm in his remembering how he had saved her the night before, remembering how his blue eyes had sparked as he’d held her in his arms on the concrete.
“So, where is this café you spoke about last night?” Lia asked as they began to walk down the street. She had not been in the city long and she had not had a chance to explore. All she’d been able to do was get a job and set herself up in her small apartment to get away from the violent relationship she’d been in before she’d left her home town.
“It’s just around the corner,” Maxwell assured her, “I’m sure you’ll love it.”
CHAPTER THREE
They arrived at the café just ten minutes after having left the apartment building. It was a small building compared to most of the large shops and office buildings of the city and Lia instantly loved it. There was something of a homely touch to the café that warmed her heart as Max held open the door and gestured for her to step inside.
She did so and he came in behind her as a young woman appeared from behind the bar. She gave Max a warm smile as though she had served him many times before and then headed over to another table to fill the mugs of another young couple who were already eating.
Maxwell led Lia over to a window seat where he pulled out the chair and gestured for her to sit. It was a gentlemanly gesture that she hadn’t expected and Lia found herself grinning like a school girl as he sat down opposite her. “Order anything you like,” Max told her as he handed her a menu, “It’s on me.”
Lia couldn’t help but think then how her ex had always told her she couldn’t eat whatever she wanted how he had told her that she was chubby and needed to cut down on her carbs. She remembered how he had once hit her for ordering too much while they were out for a meal. She remembered how her cheek had bruised and stung for more than a week. The thought of it made her shake and for a moment she felt as though she was going to burst into tears.
“Are you alright?” Max asked as he reached across the table to place his hand on top of hers. Lia looked up at him as she realized that the fear must have been playing across her face. She cleared her throat and nodded as she realized that wasn’t going to happen now. There was no way Max would hit her. He had no reason to. Carl would never have jumped in front of a moving car for her. Max was nothing like Carl and that made all the difference.
“I think I’ll just have some toast and a coffee.” Lia said as the waitress came to take their order.
“And for you Mr. Moray?” the waitress asked as she turned her attention on him, smiling at him as though he was the only man in the room. Lia could see why. He was very handsome and she found herself swooning over him to though seeing the waitress do so had her feeling jealous. The little green beast awoke in her stomach and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying something.
“I’ll have my usual please Nancy.” Max told her as he handed her the menu he’d been looking over even though he seemed he’d already picked what he was having.
“Great,” she smiled even more warmly at him and Lia was sure she saw a little dribble at the corner of her mouth, “I’ll be back in a moment with your coffees.”
Max turned to Lia as soon as the waitress turned away from the table, “So Lia, what is it that you do for a living?” he asked her giving her his full attention.
“Well, as you already know I work at the bar,” Lia explained.
“Something tells me there is more to you than that.” Max raised his eyebrow as though he was intrigued by her lack of willingness to talk about herself.
“Well I’m afraid your instincts are wrong,” Lia shrugged, “I moved to the city a few weeks ago and only took the job to keep hold of my tiny apartment.”
“So what brought you to the city?” Maxwell asked the question that Lia had been dreading. She could not bring herself to tell him that she was running from a violent relationship that had almost cost her, her life. Instead she simply shrugged and shook her head as the waitress appeared by the table again with two mugs of strong coffee.
“I just wanted a change of scenery, that’s all.” She told him, hoping that he would take it as an answer and let it go as she picked up her mug and lifted it to her mouth hoping that it would hide any sign of her lie, “So what is it you do for a living?”
Maxwell seemed to tense at that question. It seemed she was not the only one who had her secrets. It was something that intrigued her as she took a long sip of coffee.
“I work for a company that handles personal security,” Max explained, “After I served my time in the Navy I decided to put my skills to use within the city.” Lia was even more intrigued by his words. What could he possibly be hiding?
They spoke for several minutes before th
eir meals arrived. Nancy placed them on the table, never once taking her eyes off Max and Lia felt the jealousy burning in her stomach. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from saying anything.
“Would you like some more coffee?” Nancy asked as she saw that Max’s mug was almost empty. Max nodded and Nancy disappeared again, reappearing a moment later carrying a jug of coffee. She stared directly at Max as she poured the coffee into his mug yet it seemed that his eyes were fixed on Lia. She couldn’t help but smile as she noticed his lack of attention toward the pretty waitress. It gave her a little relief from her jealousy.
All of a sudden Max jumped up out of his seat. When Lia looked down she could see why. Nancy had been so intent on looking at him that she had overfilled the mug and it had spilled out onto the table and spread until it had spilled onto Max’s knee.
“Oh my goodness! I am so sorry!” Nancy gasped as she covered her mouth with her free hand, “Let me get you a napkin.” Lia couldn’t help but notice the flash of anger that washed over Max’s face. For a moment he looked almost bestial in his anger as though he was going to yell at the waitress. Lia couldn’t help but remember how her ex-partner had often had the same look right before he struck her.
It forced her to flinch away from him, her appetite completely gone as Nancy reappeared with napkins to help him clean himself up. She leaned down and began to wipe at Max’s jeans as though she wanted more from him than just to help him clean the coffee away.
“Please, I can do that.” Max protested as he took the napkins from her. He turned to Lia and asked, “Would you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course.” Lia replied with a nod and she watched as he disappeared in the direction of the rest rooms. As soon as he was gone, Lia found herself standing up. She could not allow herself to be drawn in again. She had seen the anger in Max’s eyes. She knew exactly where it would lead. All men were the same it seemed, unable to control themselves when it came to their anger.
CHAPTER FOUR
She left the café as quickly as possible, slipping down the side of the building into the alleyway to take a roundabout route home so that Maxwell would not be able to follow her back. As soon as she did so she began to regret it. Her heart stopped and sank into her boots as she came face to face with the man she had hoped never to see again.
Carl, her ex-partner, reached out and grabbed hold of her before she had a chance to turn and run. When she opened her mouth to scream he slammed his hand down over her lips and pulled her back against him.
He forced her roughly against the brick wall of the building and she felt the stone graze her cheek. He pressed himself hard against her pinning her against the wall so that she could not move.
“Why did you run from me?” he whispered harshly in her ear, “Why did you leave me?” as he spoke Lia could smell the foul odor of alcohol on his breath and she knew instantly that he was drunk. He pulled hard on her hair, forcing her head back so that he could look into her eyes.
Lia tried to wriggle free of him but his grip on her hair was like iron and whenever she moved it pulled painfully on her scalp.
“Let me go.” She begged him in a whisper, unable to speak any louder for the fear that lumped in her throat. She felt tears begin to stream down her cheeks as she waited for him to hit her, knowing that it was soon to come.
All of a sudden there were footsteps rushing down the alleyway toward them. They were not the footprints of a man but rather a beast, the thudding of paws on the cobbled floor. Carl was suddenly ripped away from Lia, the weight of his body removed so quickly that she stumbled backward.
When she turned her eyes fell upon the creature that had ripped Carl away from her. The man cowered on the floor as the huge black bear towered over him, its jaws dripping with saliva as though it was hungry for his flesh. Lia tried to scream but it stuck in her throat and choked her as she raised her hands to her mouth in utter shock.
The bear continued to tower over Carl baring its teeth as though it was ready to sink them deep into his flesh. Then it turned and began to walk toward Lia. Its mouth closed and its eyes glinted in the dim light of the alleyway. Lia stood paralyzed, pressing her back firmly against the wall as the creature sauntered toward her.
Her heart thundered in her chest as it reached forward and pressed its face into the palm of her hand. Lia felt a spark of electricity run throughout her body from her fingertips as the bear’s fur brushed against her hand.
“What the hell is that thing?” Carl demanded as he stumbled to his feet. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the bear hard as though he was struggling to believe his eyes. Lia found herself feeling the same though her heart was slowing as she realized that the bear was not going to hurt her.
A loud growl erupted from its throat then and it turned its blazing eyes on Carl, snapping its head around so fast that it made him jump. He turned and ran, disappearing down the alleyway, the smell of alcohol fading along with him.
As soon as he was gone the bear stepped away from Lia. She watched it closely wondering exactly what it was going to do next. Though she could never have imagined that there would be a bear within the city, she was even more surprised by what it did next. Its body began to shift and change. Its front legs shortened while its hindquarters began to lengthen and straighten out. The fur began to shrink as though sinking deep into the skin and then he stood before her, a man of blue eyes and dark hair, handsome as ever she had seen him. The sight made her breathless as her mind tried to register exactly what had just happened.
“Please don’t run,” Max told her as he raised his hands as though in surrender. He could clearly see the fear still shining in Lia’s eyes. Her heart still thudded against her ribcage as she thought over and over again of what had just happened. She could feel herself shaking uncontrollably and felt as though her legs were about to give in on her, “I won’t hurt you.”
“Wha…what are you?” Lia stammered unable to stop her jaw from shaking as she spoke. Her hands tightened into fists as she attempted to control herself.
“I’m a shifter,” Max sighed, “A bear-shifter.”
“How is that even possible?” Lia asked. Part of her wanted to run but the other part wanted answers. She knew he deserved the right to explain after having just saved her life for the second time in as many days.
Maxwell shook his head, “The truth is I don’t know the answer to that. I was born this way but I have never used my gifts to harm anyone,” he explained as he took a step toward her. When she flinched away from him he did not press on, “I protect people. I always have and I always will.”
Lia knew in that moment that he was telling the truth. She knew now that he would never hurt her. When he took another step forward she did not flinch away from him. “Can we go somewhere a little more private to talk?” he asked as he glanced down the alleyway toward the street where people had begun to walk up and down on their way to work or shopping. Lia was about to refuse and leave when she realized that’s not what she wanted. She wanted to get to know him better; she wanted to give him the chance that she would never have given another man.
“We can go back to my place,” She told him, “But if you try anything I will call the police.” She looked at him sternly hoping that he would understand what she meant. Maxwell smiled with amusement as though he found her threat funny. “I would never hurt you” he said.
CHAPTER FIVE
As soon as they returned to the apartment, Lia set to work making coffee in an attempt to make herself feel the least bit normal again. She was still shaking, her mind running over and over what had happened in the alleyway. Even worse than being attacked by her ex-partner was the secret that Maxwell had revealed so abruptly to her.
As though he sensed her shakiness Max stepped forward and placed his hand gently on her arm, “You should sit down. I’ll finish that.” Lia shook her head yet as she did so she felt dizziness overwhelm her. She was mentally drained, unable to hold herself up on trembling legs. Max wrappe
d his arms firmly around her as she found herself leaning against him for support.
“I…I’m fine.” She protested as she attempted to pull away from him only to feel her knees wobbling even more violently.
“Come on,” Max ordered as he began to help her toward the next room, “Let’s get you over to the sofa.” He almost carried her all the way through the apartment before helping her down onto the sofa. She leaned back against the cushions feeling herself shaking.
Max sat down beside her and placed his hand over hers on her knee, “Are you sure you are alright?” he asked, “You are as white as a sheet?”
“How can you ask me that?” she demanded suddenly feeling angry. It was his fault she felt so weak, “I feel like I don’t know which way is up. I feel like I’m drowning.” She felt the panic rising in her chest as she thought again of what had just happened. It seemed that she had no idea of the world she truly lived in. If a man could transform into a beast then who knew what else could be possible.
ROMANCE: ALIEN ROMANCE: Captured by the Alien Dragon (Alpha Male Alien Abduction BBW Romance) (Bad Boy Shifter Fantasy Romance) Page 45