She shook her head, as if my asking had suddenly made it worse. She cried for a few more moments, and then turned to answer me, her pretty face a wreck.
“David is being a total asshole,’ she said. David, her terrible boyfriend, was supposed to go out with us that night. Though he was fun for a night out, the stories she told me about how he was in private were jarring and bordered on abusive.
“I think I'm just going to stay in tonight.”
“Well, do you want me to stay with you?” I offered, moving some of her dark hair out of her eyes. She shook her head.
“No, he’s going to call me back in a little, so I really want to be alone before he does. Calm down and figure things out. No offense.” She looked at me apologetically, but I quickly nodded my head to reassure her. I knew she liked to bee alone when she was feeling terrible.
“It’s okay.” I planted a kiss on her temple. “Just remember, a guy who doesn’t know how wonderful you are doesn’t deserve you,” I said, and she gave me a weak smile.
“Thanks, Jessie.”
I squeezed her body towards mine one last time before getting up to leave.
“Hey,” she called after me. I turned in the doorframe, my hand pausing at the cool metal knob beneath my fingers.
“Don’t forget that the guy who knows how wonderful you are is worth it.” She gave me a knowing look. I smiled and shook my head.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied, but became uncomfortably aware that I was only half-joking. As I left the house and got into my pickup truck, I realized that for the first time since Dalton signed up for the army that I was actually considering the possibility of being together.
I sighed and turned on the radio, hoping to drown out my conflicted thoughts about Dalton. But of course a song from my favorite bad, Fun Aim, was playing, and I couldn’t help but think about him as I hummed along.
You are the stars in my night
You are the bird out in flight
If you’ll be mine
I’ll forever be yours
Just imagining his green/brown eyes and how they offset his tan skin, the softness his smile lent those rugged peaks and planes of his face...it was enough to melt me into goo. It was impossible to get his perfect, masculine countenance out of my mind.
Dalton would be with me forever. He told me that. Even if he was risking his life for something greater than himself, was that really the worst thing he could be doing? Seeing my dad in that strange state reminded me that anyone could be taken from me at any second.
And when I imagined Dalton dying without me ever getting the chance to hold him as my own, that was it. I was supposed to live life in the moment like my little students, who never hesitated to say, “I love you” to anyone, because it was real to them. It was the truth.
Why should I keep denying the truth?
Chapter 5
As I pulled into the parking lot at Bluebeard’s, I felt all the confusion and hurt disintegrate. I was supposed to be with Dalton. In that moment, nothing could be clearer.
I felt the buoyancy of a balloon swell inside of me as I stepped out onto the parking lot. I checked myself in the side view mirror, grinning at my appearance. I was a bit flushed, but just made-up enough for a night on the town. Turning to walk across the empty lot (very few people go drinking this late on a Monday, I was just lucky enough to still be on winter break), I realized that I forgot to text Dalton back.
With a nervous energy fluttering around my stomach, I stuck my hand into my purse in search of my phone. Just as I felt the square edge of plastic, a low, menacing voice broke my train of thought.
“Well, aren’t you pretty?”
My heart fell straight to my stomach as I looked up into a pair of menacing black eyes. The man before me was large as he was tall, and his greasy black hair wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the spread of tattoo ink spiraling up his arm. In another life he could have been handsome, if he hadn’t lost half his teeth and seemed to get a kick out of leering at unaccompanied girls.
Out of shock I couldn’t think of anything to say. I lived in this town my whole life and never had much of the problem in the way of crime. But as a strong chill of discomfort spread throughout my body, I recalled what my mother told me a million times over: don’t go anywhere alone on a week night.
Her paranoia now seemed like thoughtful prudence.
“Well then, why don’t we see if the rest of you is as pretty underneath that dress?” He reached for my wrist and pulled me towards him with a single, crude jerk. My body went rigid and I was completely paralyzed with fear.
No one was out in the parking lot. Maybe if I screamed someone inside would hear me. I tried to open my mouth, but nothing came out. The oaf of a man grinned down at me, as if he knew he had me cornered.
“Why don’t you go ahead and open up that car for me, little miss?”
I could feel every nerve in my body scream. When I didn’t move, a scowl crossed his face.
“I won’t say it again,” he growled, “open the damn—”
A blur shot out in the darkness and I jumped backwards, my senses finally coming to me in a shock of fear. I fell to the ground and straight on my ass, my heart racing in my chest. I heard a loud thump and sat up quickly to see that some large creature was pinning the lecherous man to the floor.
I had no idea what in the world it could be. I heard the stories of bears coming down from the mountains to eat pies left in windowsills, but nothing like this before.
Speechless, I watched in the dim lamplight as the creature moved, then roared. It was a horrific sound, wicked and exciting, just like the roar of a lion. I backed up slowly, hoping that I could get to the bar without the beast noticing.
That’s when I saw it—a shining mane in the dull light of the parking lot turning towards me.
“What the,” I muttered lowly, my eyes widening in disbelief at what I was seeing. Because before me was a lion. It couldn’t be, and yet it was.
I thought for a second I must have been hallucinating. But as the man on the floor groaned, I realized that I couldn’t have been making up any of it. Something was definitely happening. Something scary enough that it was making me shake. Then the lion started shifting its body, moving away from the toppled man. I tried to take a step back, but was once again frozen in my tracks.
This is it, I thought, I’m going to die.
I closed my eyes tight, wondering briefly how my death would go over in the papers—“Midwestern Girl Gets Eaten by Lion!” But then I felt a warm nudge beneath my hand. I opened my eyes, and to my complete and utter amazement, saw the lion’s large and regal head was beneath my fingers.
It purred, moving its head beneath me. I was completely captivated, and too scared to pull away. The guy groaning and writhing on the pavement snapped me out of the moment.
For whatever reason the lion met my gaze. I couldn’t explain it if I tried, but I somehow recognized those honey-colored eyes, rimmed with a lick of fire.
They were Dalton’s.
I knew it made absolutely no sense, but the lion nodded its big head, as if to confirm my thoughts.
“But how?” I wondered in disbelief. The lion moved forward and waited beside me so that its torso was at my side. It lingered there, looking at me expectantly.
In utter disbelief, I gave in and clambered up onto the beast, pulling my arms around its thick, sinewy neck. I buried my face into its gruff mane and it was off, shooting out through the thicket of trees that lined the parking lot.
Before long I lost myself in the rhythm of his moving body, the potent musky scent of his fur. The night air moving around me was somehow deliciously calming as I grew to accept the strange circumstances.
I was lulling off to sleep when the animal beneath me suddenly stopped. I clung to his neck to keep from falling, and lifted my head to find that we were just outside my house.
I gasped, dropping off his back and inspecting the white home and the beige trim, illu
minated by the outdoor lighting. It was mine all right—and thank God Shannon's car was gone and the house was otherwise pretty secluded. I had no idea how I would explain this to anyone.
I looked down to the lion who looked remarkably like Dalton and was struck by the absurdity of the situation all over again. Was this giant, ferocious predator that nearly killed someone moments earlier expecting me to let it in my house?
Could it even expect that?
“Do you...want to go inside?” I asked him, feeling slightly foolish as I suggested it. He stared at me with his yellow eyes, the intensity growing in a way that inspired fear in my stomach. Then he hunched over, pulling his face in towards his chest as he roared savagely.
I fell back on my ass like a dolt, my eyes still entirely fixed on the creature as he lengthened in some ways and shrank in others, his fur pulling into his body until nothing was left but the smooth skin of man.
I trembled uncontrollably, at once horrified and entranced by the shocking scene before me. The lion was becoming a man. I didn't understand it, or what was even happening really, but I couldn't deny what I was seeing: the beige, feral limb of a lion turning into the thick, masculine cut of a thigh. The soft, downy breast hardening into a chiseled, tanned chest.
It was Dalton, just like I had expected. But he was panting and entirely nude, poised on all fours on the grass.
I turned away in embarrassment. Even through my utter astonishment, I could still feel the hot sting of shame.
“Sorry about that,” he said, his voice heavy with labored breathing.
Without turning to look at him, I responded in an unusual falsetto.
“That’s alright.”
I felt him come closer, the heat of his body was radiating outwards. Then he placed two fingers gently beneath my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“Hey,” he said softly, “it’s me.”
I looked into his gorgeous face and knew without a doubt that it was really him. Even in my most vivid dreams I couldn’t capture the veracity of his beauty. He lifted me in his arms towards his chest, and I pressed my face into his bare skin. I closed my eyes and inhaled, accepting for a moment the strangeness of it all and losing myself in the salty musk of his body.
When we reached the front door, he kissed my forehead lightly.
“Can I have the key?”
I opened my eyes and smiled at him, letting go of his neck to find he had an incredibly sturdy hold on my body as I searched through my purse for the house key. I handed it to him, and with one arm he held me while he opened the door with the other. He then carried me through the house with ease, and I kept my gaze on the perfect curve of his neck as he moved me towards my bed.
He laid me down gently, stretching his body over mine so that he could gaze down at me. His hazel eyes bore through mine, causing me to go damp between my thighs.
“You’re calmer about this than I expected.”
I flushed, the absurdity coming back to me with his accusation. His sexy demeanor calmed me all too quickly.
“Oh trust me, I’m freaked out,” I assured him quickly. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”
His grinned widened and my heartbeat picked up again. I could feel the ringing of my pulse in my wrists where his fingers were brushing them lightly.
“I guess I do,” he said in a low, sultry voice. “I thought your dad told you about us.”
That’s right—my father did tell me about his ability to shift into a lion. He told me about Dalton and Eric too. But of course, I thought he was going senile.
Dalton let out a small chuckle. “I can tell by your face that must have not gone over well.”
“No,” I admitted, “I kinda thought my dad was going crazy. Actually, I thought he was going really crazy.”
I felt a little ashamed of my admission, but Dalton seemed more amused than anything. “This is who I am,” he said, “and there are a lot of crazy things about it.”
I shuddered, and his light eyes flashed with something dark and delicious.
“I love it,” I said, a strange courage taking me over my as I clawed my hands into his knotted back. “I love you. I know I rejected you, but I realized earlier today that you are everything I need in life. Even if lose you. I accept you as you are. Even as some weird lion transformer thing that should honestly freak me out more than you do.”
Dalton laughed again, true happiness lighting up his normally sullen face. “And I accept you as you are. A slightly neurotic, timid, and gorgeous woman full of strength and compassion. The day you marry me will honestly be the happiest day of my life. Next to this one.”
“What happens today?” I said, nearly breathless with anticipation.
“Today’s the day I imprint on you and make you my mate. Forever.” He looked so fierce, so determined that it was like I could feel his yearning shoot through me. Like a hard, magnetic pull that flowed between us.
“And how will you do that?” I half-whispered, his face inching near mine.
“Like this,” he replied in a soft growl before pressing his lips to mine. I swear as soon as he kissed me the lights went out in my mind and I could see nothing, only feel a burst of passion within me, engulfing every nerve in my body with a scorching flame.
His hot tongue caressed mine as it searched the hidden corners of my mouth, desperate for my taste. I pulled my fingers into his bare back harder, delighted by the taut muscle that wouldn’t give to my insistent clawing. I felt his cock hardening against my thigh, suddenly reminded that he was naked. I gasped and pulled away from the kiss in shock.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, and when I didn’t immediately respond he seemed to understand. He smiled sheepishly. “Hey, you can’t blame me. This is just what you do to me.”
Flustered by his response, I shook my head slightly. “It’s not just that…” I started, at a loss for the right words. But after he showed me who he was, I knew there was no excuse to hide the truth from him.
“It’s just that...well, I’m a virgin,” I admitted in a small, pathetic voice. I was suddenly struck by fear, wondering if he would even want me anymore.
“Is that all?” he asked, his lip curling up as he fought a smile.
“Well...yeah. Does that mean you don’t want to be with me?” I responded, slightly surprised by how nonchalant he was being about it.
“What?” his eyes widened as if I had suggested he should kill his own mother. “I mean, no, of course not. Dammit, Jessica. I love you. That means I want you all to myself. The less competition I have the better,” he growled lowly. I thought of the man in the parking lot and grimaced.
“Don’t worry,” I replied. “You don’t have any.”
He kissed me once again, fiercely, but this time with a succinct sweetness. “Sorry, I just can’t help myself. There’s no way I could stop touching you if I tried. But we can hold off on sex until you’re ready,” he said earnestly, planting another quick kiss on my check.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, running my hands along the ridges of his firm body. I wanted him, that was for sure. There was no way that I could deny the strong pull of passion within me.
“I’m ready.” I opened my eyes and gave him the most earnest look of my life. I realized then that he was the one I was waiting for, the reason I had never had sex before. The reason I denied every man that came my way—they weren’t him. Simple as that.
Dalton studied me before responding. “No,” he declared with a shake of his head. “Not yet.”
“Why not?” I half-pouted, having been so resolved in my decision that I couldn’t help but be disappointed.
“Because.” he lifted himself off my body, sitting up against the edge of the bed and keeping a hand rested on my left thigh. “There’s something I have to do first. Do you have any of those old clothes I gave you for gardening?”
“Yes…” I said slowly, more than a little confused for the umpteenth time that evening.
Chapter 6
Walking hand in hand down to my parents home was a million times more romantic than I ever could have thought it would be. Her small hand in mine, the constant covert stares, the half smiles that hid eager flashes of teeth.
I knew then that she really would be my forever. It was her unbridled enthusiasm, the way her body finally said “yes” to me that let me know she meant what she said back there, lying in her room—she truly accepted me.
More than accepted me. She wanted me. Wholly and completely.
She squeezed my hand and looked up at me with those perfect, coffee brown eyes. I couldn’t contain the joy brimming inside of me. I bent down and kissed her cheek quickly and stealthily, as if filching a secret.
She giggled, and the light melody of her voice soothed my anxiety. Nothing could ruin the perfection of this moment; this was the night we would come to remember for the rest of our lives.
Finally, we made it to my place where my parents car was missing from their driveway. I remembered with some satisfaction that they had decided to go out to dinner with Rob while I spent the evening at the bar.
Her Shifter Soldier (BBW Erotic Romance) Page 3