by Jenny Brex
As he neared the development there were no cars around. He could sit and wait, but he didn’t know how much time would pass. He’d do the rest on foot. King parked his truck and scaled the zoo fence. Okay, okay, not a zoo. There was no time to waste. He needed to tell Lexi that he loved her.
Just as he was rounding the bend to her place, he saw a Range Rover pull out of her driveway. That wasn’t her car. His shoulders sagged. His step was a little slower. He made his way to her house, not even sure he was going to knock after seeing the SUV. It had to be the tiger. He was certain.
King trudged up to the front steps and sat. He sighed heavily and then stood, pressing the door buzzer. She probably wasn’t even there.
When she answered, King looked her up and down. Those shoes and that dress…he had his answer.
“King?” she said, surprised to see him.
“Hey, sorry to bother you. I probably should have just called. I’ve been having trouble sleeping-”
“Yeah?” she answered hopefully.
“Yeah, you know, I keep thinking about the court case. Thankfully, I had a hot date last night, and boy howdy did that Audrey know how to party. Sexy redhead, dark auburn locks that come right down to her massive tits. I could bury my face in those all night. And did I mention her nipples? Those things are massive!”
“Stop!” She shouted, not wanting to hear this garbage. Her stomach knotted.
“Whoa, sorry. I thought now that we’re over, it didn’t really matter. I figure you’re like one of the guys and wanted to hear all the gritty details. Boy, that girl can talk dirty…” He hated himself for lying.
“I don’t want to hear it,” she groaned. “What do you want?”
“Do you have any pointers on the court case? I’m going to try to ask for a better percentage and not drag it out in court for so long,” he answered.
“I’m not your lawyer,” she finally said, then slammed the door in his face.
King knocked, then rang the buzzer.
She opened the door and growled. “What, King? What could you possibly want now?”
“How was your date? Nice shoes.”
She glared at him. “None of your business.”
“Those are some insane shoes. Can you walk in them? I’m not crazy about how they make your legs look all lean. I kind of like when they’re meatier, like your thighs. Not that it’s my business, just saying. No overnighter? Saw him pulling away.”
“I’m going over shortly. I wanted to grab an overnight bag, so I told him to go ahead. Thought I’d surprise him with some sexy lingerie, but you know, fuck-me pumps are all the rage so I figured I’d wear heels and nothing else.”
King’s jaw dropped.
“Now, shoo bear. I have an overnight bag to put together. I need to climb onto Ty’s big dick and rock my world. See you, bye.” She closed the door and pressed against it, sliding to the floor. A big, fat lie is more like it, but she couldn’t very well tell him the truth. Not after hearing about his date - Oh, she has massive tits and big nipples, oh, I’m so hot for you. Oh, talk dirty to me, baby. Bitch.
Lexi dropped her head to her knees. She’d made a big mistake. She wrapped her arms around her knees with no intention of leaving where she was. What was the point? Silent tears streaked her cheeks.
Chapter 14
King sulked as he went back to the gate. He pushed the button from inside and forced himself to leave. No point in staying. She’d already decided to move on. Not like he did her any favors with his lies. King shook his head. Why couldn’t he just come out and say what he felt? Why couldn’t he fight for her? His foolish pride slapped him like a wet fish. King made his way to his truck and climbed back inside.
His ego sat on his shoulder and told him he’d done the right thing. Don’t let her make you look like a fool. If a man doesn’t have his pride, what does he have? Screw integrity. Screw the truth. Save face. Go back to your world, stand tall, and be the guy that everybody wants to be.
King didn’t do mushy. Mushy was for the birds.
He’d lost his shot with Audrey, but that was fine. There were plenty of others that waited in line for a chance to get with the big, sexy, charismatic man. Blondes, brunettes, redheads, shifters, hell, even full-breed humans. He was the most likely to get laid, pick up a girl, be flirted with, and everything else among his buddies. They joked about him at the tavern, said that all he had to do was flash a grin at a girl he liked and her panties were already around her ankles.
He'd get his zest back. He just needed to wash Lexi out of his system first.
He’d head home, park the truck, and shift into his bear. A good long run through the woods, some hunting, and getting back to nature was what he needed. Gated communities were bullshit, fancy cars, a lifestyle smothered by people, ugh. He liked his quiet life on his wooded lot that backed up to the preserve. He could shoot out past his property and launch up into the wilderness. Living close to the preserve had its moments. Open space, the way he liked it – even if those bastards were trying to expand by taking his property. This was his home. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Back home, King pushed himself hard. He dropped down to all fours, shifted, and took off running. Off of his lot, he jutted onto the preserve.
A gigantic bull-moose blocked his path. He stood right in the middle of where King was headed, not budging.
“Come on, out of the way,” King shouted, but the moose just glared at him. Stupid moose. He’d have to break his stride and shoot off around him, but the trees were too close together for it to be a smooth transition. The moose clogged the path creating a bottle-neck. He slowed to a crawl, and then stopped in front of the moose. “You planning on moving anytime soon?”
“Sorry, friend, this path is closed for the time being.”
“Closed? Are you plum crazy? Who closes the forest?”
“I’ve been given strict instructions to block the path. There’s a dangerous situation ahead,” he said, acting like a damn crossing guard.
“And you are?”
“Blocking your path,” he said.
“What’s going on?” Now he was kind of curious.
“Couple of rams are going at it, battering the hell out of each other. Started with the two of them, but then a couple of others got involved. Turned into a riot of rams. A real ram-riot.” He shook his head. “Sorry, buddy, you’ll need to turn back until they wear themselves out. This could take all night.”
“I’ll take my chances,” he said, about to push the moose aside.
“Not smart,” the moose said slowly.
King dropped to the ground and sat. He had no fight left in him. Normally, he’d tell the moose to fuck off and keep running. “Doesn’t matter anyway.”
“What’s got you down, little buddy?”
Kind of ironic. He called Jimmy the squirrel that. Pretty rare for anyone to think of him as little. King rolled to the ground and grabbed his feet.
“Man, what I wouldn’t give to be that flexible,” the moose started.
King rolled to his belly and propped up his face with his paws. “A girl, man. I was trying to shake off a bad night.”
“You want to go at it with the rams?”
“Nah, that’s okay. I’m just going to go home now.” King rolled back up to his feet and wandered down the hill, slow and steady. Everything he wanted, or at least thought he wanted was gone.
***
Lexi sat in the bathtub and cried. She should have just told him the truth. What was the point in lying? Did she want to make him feel bad? She’d been the one who called it off. It was foolish.
She poured a stream of vodka down her throat and dropped the empty bottle onto the floor. At least she’d sleep. She didn’t want to think. She should have started the water and taken a warm bath instead. She knew she’d regret the vodka come morning. At least for now, it softened the blow.
Somehow, she managed to prop herself up and roll out of the tub. She bonked her head on the toilet. Lexi reach
ed up and rubbed the spot. She’d feel it in the morning. She crawled across the floor and pressed against the hallway wall, trying to get leverage and stand. Oh. Standing wasn’t so good. Her entire world spun, leaving her dizzy. Lexi dropped back onto all fours and tried to shift, only the alcohol messed with her. She gave up. It was easier.
She made it as far as the end table in the living room before she passed out. She was about to drunk dial King and give him a piece of her mind. Then tell him how she made a mistake, and how she loved him after all, and that she wanted him back and let her foolish pride get in the way. Instead the sun pushed through the crevices in the blinds and she woke up in a puddle of drool, not to mention a hangover that left her wounded and in bed for the rest of the day. Not a pretty sight.
Having made it through the night and saving face, she decided to sleep the bear and the hangover out of her system. A day rolled up in the covers, chasing away the blues was exactly what she needed.
Lexi flicked the clock-radio on and turned the volume low. Ashamed that she was desperate enough for radio company, she burrowed her head under her pillow. Every freaking song was about breaking up. Impossible. She changed the station but it didn’t help. Annoyed, she tore the plug out of the wall and threw the clock-radio across the room.
She tossed up a white flag and called it a day. By morning, she’d be as good as new and ready to take on the world. Lexi allowed herself one-single day of wallowing. She’d done the thing that lasted longer and it did nothing but wear her down. One day. Then she was over him. It was time to get her life back. Time to be the mountain lion that she was. Time to tear her next case to shreds and be the fierce attacker she was known to be in the courtroom. Time to step out and step onto anyone that got in her way.
Chapter 15
Something had to give. King slumped around his home, unable to shake it off. He let too much time go by. After Jake and Denver called to check in on him, he turned off his phone. He had nothing left to say. What was the point?
With three days of whisker growth, and bags under his eyes big enough for the world to notice, it wasn’t looking good. Dished piled up in the sink and nothing was getting done. He’d never been bitten by the love-bug like this before. Usually he was the one breaking hearts.
Things got serious when Jimmy showed up.
King opened the door and found his little friend looking up at him.
Jimmy gasped on seeing him. He went inside.
King pushed the door closed behind him and then dropped into one of his kitchen chairs.
“What happened to you?” Jimmy’s eyes bulged out of his little squirrel head.
“I’m a fool, Jimmy, a complete and utter fool. I let her walk away.”
Jimmy climbed up onto one of the kitchen chairs, jumped onto the table, walked over to King and slapped him hard across his face. His little squirrel hand left a print.
King shook his head. “What was that?”
“A wake up call. Now get yourself together, get cleaned up, and go get her back. That’s an order,” he said in his high-pitched voice.
“You’re right, man. Thanks. I needed that.”
Jimmy nodded, then saw himself out.
There was no time to waste.
King stood up, stretched out his long legs and reached up over himself. Twisting his back to the left, then right, he headed into the bathroom. It was time for a shave. Lathering up his face, he found it ironic that he got rid of his hair as a human, but wanted it as a bear. Of course, if he was a bear all the time, he wouldn’t have to shave. On the other hand, if he was a bear all the time, he would have never met and fallen in love with Lexi.
She was smart, savvy, and amazing. And her curves, dear goodness, her curves knocked him for a loop. He loved a well-padded girl, and she was padded in all the right places. Her hips flared out perfectly, her ass was nice and wide, and the way her tummy was padded aroused him like crazy. Her hourglass figure had extra sand in it. King knew he’d won the lottery when he met Lexi. She was the complete package.
She was soft and feminine, but could be tough just the same. In mountain lion mode, she gave him a run for his money. Though in her human form, she fit perfectly into his arms. He loved that feeling more than any other.
King ran the razor carefully over his face, taking extra care around his chin. He always seemed to nip himself there, and razors had gotten expensive. The rate he wore them down, it cost him a fortune to stay clean shaven.
He checked the mirror to make sure he hadn’t missed any spots, then turned toward the shower to start the water. There was a new skip in his step. He could do this, right? He’d do whatever it took to win her over. The wallowing in self-pity sucked; he wasn’t cut out for it.
The answer wasn’t to move on, it was to move-in. He’d show her he was serious. He wanted them to share a life together. This time, he meant it.
Jewelry. Oh, he should stop at the jeweler before going to see her. He’d bring her a big, fat rock and win her over. He wasn’t into all the baubles and shiny things like she was, but if it’s what it took for her to see he was serious, he’d go that route.
When King finished getting ready, he made his way out to his truck. He’d thrown on a pair of faded jeans that hugged his ass perfectly, and a black t-shirt that clung to his body like a second skin. He knew damn well she liked that outfit, even though she pretended not to. She’d let it slip one time, saying it was him at his sexiest if she wasn’t counting when they were naked in bed together.
King hummed along with the radio as he drove into the next town over. His own didn’t have a jewelry store. He parked his truck across the street. In a town this size many of the smaller shops didn’t have parking lots and relied on street parking.
King climbed out of his truck. Before he could take another step, a car came barreling down the avenue and rammed into King and the side of his truck. The drunken driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel.
King crumpled onto the ground in a heap.
***
Six weeks had passed. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t wallow and she didn’t. She dove into her work, and as much as it pained her to realize she had a shot at happiness and then threw it away, she accepted life as it was. Boring. Work. And more Boring.
King’s appeal was coming up. She wasn’t going to check-in, but figured if she snuck into the back of the courtroom after it started, he wouldn’t realize she was there. Only the court date came and went and he never showed. His appeal was denied.
Lexi’s stomach tangled like a ball of yarn. Something was wrong. He wouldn’t give up that easily. He was stubborn, and he loved his home. Her lip twitched. She fought with herself all day not to call him. So many times she almost picked up the phone, but finally, she had to.
When she rang his number, it simply went to voicemail. She hung up, not leaving a message. No point. It wasn’t her business. She tried to ignore the fact that he never answered. Maybe she should have left a message. King was a fighter. He wasn’t a ‘no-show’ kind of guy.
Lexi drew a deep breath and dialed his number again. Damn, still no answer. Frustrated, she paced across the floor. She needed answers, but it’s not like she was going to drive up to see him.
***
In the car on the way up to see him, she realized that she’d fallen right back into her old patterns. How was she supposed to get over the damn bear if she kept seeking him out?
Nope, don’t do it. Walk away, girl. Lexi turned her car around and went back home.
She’d move on. She should have never gone to his court date in the first place. In fact, moving out of the state might be the smartest thing she’d considered doing in a while. Yes, she had a good job. Yes, she lived in a nice community, but she felt stuck. Lexi saw her life turning like a wheel. Nothing changed, no matter what side was up or down. But like every other choice in life, she gave up. Moving took too much effort. She’d have to sell her house, and would probably lose money on the deal. She’d need to f
ind another job, and she liked the one she had. And then there was the not knowing anybody in a new area. She’d finally met some friends in her new town, and leaving the area again would force her to start over.
Lexi ignored the nagging in her gut for two more days. When there was still no answer, she got in her car and headed north. Something was wrong. Sure, she didn’t leave any messages, but her number had to have shown on his caller ID.
He was probably ignoring her. She hated being ignored. Nothing pissed her off more. Of course, it just made for another excuse to go see him and give him a piece of her mind. She’d been worried for no reason, and it was because he was being a stubborn, old bear who refused to call her back.
Lexi followed the familiar highway back to her old stomping grounds. When she rounded the curve to King’s house, she noticed his truck wasn’t there. She could sit and wait, but who knows how long he’d be out.
Lexi continued past his house and went into town. She could get a bite to eat in the meantime. A couple of double-cheeseburgers, a basket of fries, maybe a steak, some quesadillas – sometimes she hated having a mountain lion appetite in her human form. People looked at her funny. Thankfully, the tavern she was heading to had been around for a while. The bartender, if it was the same guy as before, knew her.
She parked her car near the bar and went inside. Glancing around, she noticed Hank wasn’t there. It was a different bartender – a woman. Great. She sat at the counter and placed her order. She cut it down to size. She wasn’t sure if the woman was a shifter or not. “I’ll take two double mushroom and Swiss burgers, I’d like my fries well done, and…no, that should be it.”
The woman looked at her strangely, then double-checked her order. “You want two double burgers? Two patties on one burger, or two patties on two burgers.”
Lexi held in her hiss. “Two doubles. You’ve got a problem with that? I’m hungry.”
“Nope,” she said and rolled her eyes to the side with a smirk. “Anything else, or will that be all?”