by Jane Godman
“I take it the idea was not well received?” Ged asked.
Lidi laughed. “It was about as popular as a dog at a royal feast.”
“Ouch.” He winced at the comparison.
“But now my father is not able to carry out his duties as the Count of Aras. I must do much of it for him.” She looked up from her glass. “That includes bringing stability to our region.”
“I see. So you wish to be part of the peacekeeping force in that area?”
It occurred to her that she was looking at the man who could destroy her ambitions with a single word. She had come to think of Ged as her friend, but he was also her king. They lived in a patriarchal society where, once he was restored to his position, his word would be absolute. If he forbade her entry into the military, she would be powerless to fight him.
Even knowing that, her pride would not allow her to back down. She lifted her chin determinedly. “I want to become a general.”
“And you couldn’t do that while being married?”
She was still laughing too hard to answer the question when their food arrived. Had Ged seriously thought about what he was suggesting? In their male-dominated world, could he actually picture a situation in which any Callistoya bear shifter would permit his wife to have a career, let alone lead her troops into conflict?
Any further conversation was suspended as they started to eat. Lidi was so hungry her focus remained on the food, and it was some time before she looked up from her plate. She smiled across the table at Ged. “That was delicious.”
A noise in the street outside attracted her attention, making her turn her head in that direction. A group of people were passing the restaurant, and one woman in particular caught her eye. Dressed in a warm, padded jacket, jeans and boots, she was tall and slim. As she drew level with the window, the light shone on the long, silvery length of her hair. For an instant, she looked directly at Lidi, maintaining eye contact for several seconds before moving away.
“Allie!” Lidi was on her feet and moving toward the door before she had time to think.
“What the—” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ged throw a handful of cash onto the table as he hurried after her.
Once she got outside, Lidi paused. The narrow street was crowded, and although she couldn’t see Allie, she knew which direction the other woman had taken. Hitching up her long skirt, she set off at a run. Dodging in and out of the crush of bodies, she scanned the people around her for a glimpse of that distinctive, shimmering hair.
“Lidi.” Ged was just behind her. “What’s going on?”
“It was Allie.” She turned her head to look at him but didn’t slow her pace. “The woman who was in the crowd outside the movie theater in Cannes and on Julien’s boat. She just walked past the restaurant window.”
“Are you sure it was her?”
“Completely. She looked right at me.” They had reached the square and she paused, looking all around her. There were so many people it was almost impossible to pick out just one. “It was almost as if she wanted me to see her.”
“Can you see her now?” Ged asked.
“No.” Her shoulders sagged in defeat. “But it was her.”
He scanned the busy area. “Was she alone?”
“I’m not sure. A group of people went past at the same time, but I don’t know if she was with them.” She shivered as the cold night air hit her. “They weren’t bear shifters. I noticed that much.”
“Whoever she is, and whatever she’s doing here, it seems your mystery woman has disappeared. Standing around here isn’t going to bring her back.” Ged nodded across the square in the direction of their hotel. “Let’s get out of the cold.”
As they walked across the cobbles, Lidi scrutinized the faces of the individuals they passed. Allie was too distinctive to mistake. When they reached the hotel steps, a thought hit her, and she stopped.
“Distinctive.” When Ged raised a questioning brow, she touched a hand to her blond wig. “I was in disguise, yet in those few seconds when we exchanged glances, I’m certain that Allie knew it was me. She found me, Ged, even though we went to all this trouble to hide who I am. How did she do that?”
“I don’t know.” His expression was grim. “But if you see her again, I intend to find out.”
Chapter 9
As they climbed the narrow staircase to their room, Ged had half his mind on Lidi’s mysterious stalker and the other half on the forthcoming conversation about sleeping arrangements.
His decision to book them into one room had been about safety. With the possibility that Vasily’s men might find them, he didn’t want to let Lidi out of his sight. That had been the simple, common-sense explanation. Until the moment that had changed and complicated everything.
Because, having shared one kiss with Lidi, he wanted more. Wanted more than kisses. And he knew Lidi shared that desire. It would be so easy to succumb, to let themselves be carried away on this tide of enchantment. But every time he let that pleasurable line of thought intrude, the tangle of complications pulled him back to reality.
Ged was an intellectual. Although his rescue operations required action, each was meticulously planned. He had been the restraining influence when the members of Beast got up to some of their wilder antics. One of Khan’s jokes was that he and his friends could easily sneak off the tour bus. All they had to do was wait until their manager was reading Dostoyevsky in the original Russian. That was why Ged’s purely physical reaction to Lidi confused him. He didn’t recognize himself as this person who was alight with sensation, who couldn’t reason away these feelings...who didn’t want to. Nevertheless, it had to be done.
“You take the bed.” He closed the door to their room and locked it. Turning, he remained where he was, leaning his shoulders against the wooden panels. “I’ll sleep on the sofa. Oh, hell...”
So much for restraint. It lasted the two strides it took him to reach Lidi and drag her into his arms. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this.”
She uttered a sound midway between a laugh and a sob as she reached up to touch his cheek. “So did I.”
He kissed her. “I was going to fight it.”
“Me too. Kiss me again.”
He groaned and pressed his lips to the curve of her neck. “Lidi, the fates really screwed up this time. I can’t offer you forever. Even if I knew what that meant...”
She placed a hand each side of his face, holding him so she could look into his eyes. “I may be new to this, but let me see if I’ve got it right.” Even beneath the makeup, he could see she was blushing. “When we are in human form we can have sex, and, like other mortals, it can just be an enjoyable act. Is that correct?” He nodded. “It’s only when we shift and mate as bears that we seal our bond and make a lifelong commitment?”
“Yes, but...”
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “I’ve already told you I don’t want forever. With you, or anyone else. So can we stop talking and get on with having right now?”
He could see the simplicity of what she was saying in the depths of her eyes. Lidi was everything he wanted. And she wanted him. Here and now. Anything else could wait. But the problem went much deeper than he had suspected. Because even though he couldn’t offer her eternity—he didn’t even know if he could offer her tomorrow—this was a fine time to discover that forever might be exactly what he craved.
He reached up to tangle a hand in her hair, drawing back when he encountered the stiff wig instead of her own soft curls. “I need to say one more thing. This is probably important enough to merit a return to our own identities.”
Her smile flipped his heart over. “You’re right. Spontaneity is good, but I prefer you without the beard.”
While Lidi went into the bathroom, Ged moved to the mirror over the dressing table and studied his own disguise. The beard and wig had done their
job, but he would be happy to remove them. He wasn’t sure about the whole villain-in-a-melodrama look.
As he turned away, he became aware of a curious sound. It seemed to be coming from the square outside. Going to the window, he threw back the drapes and stepped onto the balcony. There on the cobbles below him was the dog who had watched their dance earlier. With his head tilted back, the little hound was uttering a low, mournful howl. There was no sign of the Santa hat.
“What’s that dreadful noise?” Coming up behind him, Lidi placed a hand on Ged’s shoulder.
As soon as she came into view, the dog stopped wailing. Wagging his tail, he sat up on his hind legs and waved his front paws at her.
“Oh, how sweet,” Lidi said. The dog gave a single bark in response, as though agreeing with her.
Seriously? Ged stared down at the animal with a bemused expression. He had just decided to throw caution to the wind and follow his instincts. Now he was being upstaged by a dog? Perhaps those legends about canines bringing bad luck to bear shifters weren’t so very far-fetched after all.
“Sweet or not, he can’t come in here.” Ged turned away and started to close the window. The dog immediately commenced his sorrowful howling again. “Is that aimed at us?”
“It looks that way.” Lidi leaned over the edge of the balcony and addressed the dog directly. “It’s late. Go home.”
“I don’t think it understands English.” Ged was unable to hide his annoyance as the animal pranced cheerfully around in a circle before returning to sit beneath the balcony.
“If we leave him there, he’ll disturb the other guests with his crying.” She clasped her hands against her chest.
“If we bring him up here, his death throes will bother them even more.” Although he tried to sound savage, Ged found himself unable to resist the plea in her eyes. His growl subsided into a sigh of capitulation. “I’ll go and get him.”
Lidi laughed as she looped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
When he reached the street, the dog greeted him as if he was a long-lost friend. Jumping up and down with excitement, it tried to lick his hands. “You can stop that nonsense right now.” Ged spoke harshly to it. “If I had my way, your ass would be frozen to the cobbles all night.”
He scooped the animal up under one arm, tucking his jacket around it to hide it from prying eyes. Seeming to understand the need for secrecy, the dog stopped wriggling and remained quiet.
When Lidi opened the door to the hotel room, the dog began to struggle and whine quietly. As soon as Ged released him, he pranced around Lidi with obvious delight. She lifted him up, stroking his long, silky ears and reducing him to a state of instant bliss.
“I don’t know much about dogs, but I think he’s only young.” She looked over the hound’s head at Ged.
“Either that or stupid,” he agreed.
“I don’t know what it is—some sort of intuition, maybe—but I’m sensing that you don’t like him.”
“Lidi, we’re Callistoya bear shifters. If you believe the legends of our homeland, that thing...” He pointed to the creature that was almost grinning with pleasure as she continued to stroke it. “Well, it’s not exactly a lucky charm. Even if you don’t believe the old stories, we are supposed to be lying low and not attracting attention to ourselves. Getting ourselves a pet was never part of the agenda.”
“But he’s so cute.” The dog lolled his tongue out of the corner of his mouth and rolled his eyes. “And, if you think about it, Bruno adds to our disguise.”
“Bruno? The mutt has acquired a name?” Ged asked.
“It’s the Italian word for brown. I think it suits him, don’t you?” Lidi asked. Bruno gave an enthusiastic yelp of agreement.
Even though he knew he was losing the fight, Ged bit back a laugh. “How do you work out that he adds to our disguise?”
“Because we are Callistoya bear shifters. No one would ever expect us to get close to a dreaded canine.”
“He can stay here tonight.” Ged gave the dog a stern look. “On the floor. Tomorrow we take him back to Rico and tell him to find his owner.” As he headed for the bathroom to remove his disguise, he got the distinct feeling that neither Lidi nor Bruno were listening to him.
He was right. When he returned to the bedroom, he viewed the scene that met his eyes in thoughtful silence. Lidi had fallen asleep fully clothed on top of the king-size bed. Sprawled diagonally across the remaining space, with his head on the pillow next to hers, Bruno was snoring lightly. When Ged attempted to move him, the dog grunted but refused to budge. For such a small animal he had managed to make himself surprisingly heavy.
With a sigh Ged pulled the bedclothes over Lidi and moved to the sofa. As he pulled off his boots, he gazed at her face. The sweet curve of her cheek and the soft shadow of her lashes had a soothing effect on his troubled spirit. Wearily, he switched off the lamp before curling his long limbs into the small space. It was hard to believe that mere days ago, the only person he’d had any obligation to was himself. Now it seemed he was collecting new responsibilities at an alarming rate.
If he had the chance, would he go back to his solitary, unfettered existence? He uttered a short laugh. Lidi had lifted him out of an emotional fog. Wherever he was going now, at least he could see clearly. How much of the journey she would make with him in the future remained to be seen. But he wouldn’t have missed this adventure for the world...even with the unexpected addition of a troublesome canine.
* * *
Ged came slowly awake to find a wet nose inches from his face. He closed his eyes in an attempt to recapture sleep and banish the image. A soft laugh drove away any trace of slumber.
When he opened his eyes again, he found that Bruno had moved closer. “If you lick me, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
The dog settled for wagging his tail and wriggling delightedly as though they had been reunited after a lengthy separation. Ged tilted his head to look at Lidi, who was seated on the end of the bed. Although she had donned her blond wig, she wore her jacket and boots.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Have you been out?”
“We had to take care of the toilet situation.” She pointed to Bruno.
Ged sat up abruptly. “What if Vasily’s men had been around?”
She indicated her hair. “I was in disguise. And I had my guard dog with me.” She stroked Bruno’s head and he promptly flipped over onto his back, inviting a tummy rub.
“I somehow doubt Vasily’s thugs would be deterred by the presence of a cloud of fluff with butterfly ears.”
“You are forgetting the legend,” Lidi said. “Any self-respecting bear shifter would be scared that Bruno would bring them bad luck.”
“Of course.” Ged got to his feet, preparing to head for the bathroom. “Thank you for reminding me that I have forfeited my self-respect to something with all the intelligence of a cupcake.”
“Just ignore him.” Lidi told Bruno. “I don’t think he’s a morning person.”
Once Ged was showered, dressed and wearing his own disguise, they headed out. Lidi explained that she had used a combination of the ribbons from her corset and one of Ged’s belts to make a collar and leash for Bruno.
“I hope you don’t mind?”
“Not at all,” he said as the dog chewed excitedly on his five-hundred-dollar designer accessory.
Lidi laughed and tucked her arm through his. “I can tell you like him, really.”
For a moment he let himself be distracted by the soft weight of her breast against his bicep and her delicious scent. Then he forced himself to focus. Lidi was enchanting, but standing in the middle of a busy square smiling into her eyes was probably not the best idea when a group of vicious killers were on their tail.
“Let’s find Rico.” He headed toward the stage. “He may be able to h
elp us find out who owns the dog.”
Although it was early and the market was quiet, Rico was behind the stage taking inventory, presumably in preparation for their departure that night. He shook his head when Ged questioned him about Bruno.
“I had never seen that dog before last night.” Rico had the ability to look distracted even when performing the most minor of tasks. “I noticed it on the stage just before you arrived to do your dance, and it disappeared just after you finished.”
“Can you ask around? See if anyone knows who it might belong to?” Ged asked.
Leaving Rico to his paperwork, they went to one of the outdoor stalls and bought coffee and pastries for themselves and sausages and water for Bruno. Taking their breakfast to a bench, they watched the square grow busier as they ate.
“We may not find his owner.” Ged kept his voice gentle as he looked at Lidi’s profile.
“I know that.” She didn’t look at him.
“We leave for Frankfurt tonight.”
“I know that, as well.” She had finished eating, and her fingers strayed to the dog’s head.
“He can’t come with us.”
She didn’t answer, but there was something about the set of her jaw that tugged hard at a point right in the center of his chest.
It’s a damn dog.
Even in ordinary circumstances, that would be his stance. And these were far from ordinary circumstances. So why did he want to say To hell with it and do whatever it took so that that she could keep the dog? Why, for that matter, did he want to give her anything else she wanted? Roses in winter? Ice-skating in summer? If Lidi asked for it, he would move heaven and earth to make it happen. He decided not to inquire too closely into why, since he had a feeling the answer might lead him along a route from which there was no turning back.
He withdrew his cell phone from his pocket. “This place is like a maze, but why don’t I check out a map of the local area and find a park so we can take him for a walk?”