by J. L. Farey
A growl rumbled in his throat. “I hope you know, you’re driving me crazy.”
She didn’t say a word, just tipped her lips up in a suggestive smile.
Aiden’s hands tightened on her waist. It was time to put them both out of their misery.
“Can we go?” she asked. “Please?”
A shadow of concern touched his face, but he nodded and led her through the crowd and to the elevator.
Neither spoke until they’d left the building and were standing beside the truck.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes. And I’ve loved everything about tonight. Dinner, the club...you.”
He cupped her cheek with his palm. “Same here. I hate to see it come to an end.”
“Who said anything about it ending?”
Their lips fit together like perfect pieces of a puzzle. Slowly, patiently, they rediscovered each other. She loved kissing him. She would have kept on kissing him if not for the sound in the trees.
“What was that?” Tearing herself away from him, Laurel looked from one side to the other.
“What was what?”
“I heard something. Like breaking twigs. I think someone is watching us.” Squinting into the dark, she tried to determine where the sound had come from. But there were so many shadows between the trees and hulking by cars, it was hard to tell if her eyes were playing tricks.
Aiden gave her a quizzical look. “You didn’t drink anything while I wasn’t looking, did you?”
“Nope. I’m one hundred percent sober.” She gave all her attention back to Aiden. “Just like I was one hundred percent in charge of my faculties when I kissed you.”
“Another great kiss,” he said softly.
“I don’t think it’s possible for us to have a bad kiss.” To prove her point, she went up on her toes and kissed him again.
When they broke apart, Aiden grasped her shoulders and put some distance between them. “What are we doing?”
“If you don’t know, I’m doing it wrong.”
He shook his head. “You know what I mean.”
Laurel took a deep breath, then slowly blew it out. It was time to lay it all out for him. “I’m tired of being lonely. And I’m tired of being afraid. Every time I’m around you, I want to stay with you. And when I’m not with you, I want to find you. We haven’t known each other long, so it doesn’t make sense, but I believe we belong together.”
“Laurel, I–”
“Wait.” She put her hand up. “Let me finish. There’s something you need to know about nymphs. About me. We have the ability to make humans fall in love with us. It’s not something we set out to do. It just happens. But sometimes, a human man can also go crazy.”
“You mean, go crazy as in act weird, or go crazy as in clinically insane?”
“Insane. I have no idea if the same is true for shifters, but you need to know there’s a risk.” Laurel looked down at the ground. She was the crazy one, for thinking this would work. “I understand if you want to end this now.”
A gruff laugh pulled her eyes back to Aiden. He undid the top button of his shirt, then pulled out a flat, silver amulet on a thin leather cord.
She looked at it closely. “What is it?”
“When I was trying to resist you, I went to the best jeweler in town. She’s also Fae and has a way with spells of a personal nature. I’ve been wearing this all day.”
“What’s it supposed to do?”
“Keep me from acting like an animal around a woman, even an insanely attractive one with magical nymph love vibes. I can tell you I feel exactly the same about you now as I did without the amulet. So we don’t have to worry about my mental health. At least, not more than usual.”
Laughter bubbled up and spilled out of Laurel. She threw her arms around him and hugged him, squeezing so tight her arms hurt.
“Sweetheart, if you can detach for a minute, there’s something else I need to tell you.”
She moved back, but didn’t let go of him.
Aiden’s eyes, piercing and serious, held hers. “I intend to make love to you.”
Her knees turned to jelly. If she hadn’t been holding on to him, she might have collapsed at his words.
“But not tonight,” he went on. “And not tomorrow. And probably not the next day.”
Her knees firmed back up. “I don’t understand.”
He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “This is the start of something real. Something amazing. And I’m not going to ruin it by jumping into bed too soon.”
She couldn’t resist teasing him. “How about jumping somewhere else? The back of the pickup?”
“Are you sure you’re a nymph and not a nympho?”
She slapped his chest. “No. Those are two totally different things. Although, I do have a distant cousin who’s a nympho. She’s like a third cousin twice removed. But I’m nothing like her.”
“Too bad.” He put his hands on her hips. “Because one day, when I do make love to you, it’s going to blow your mind.”
“Oh, really? So you’re going to drive me crazy?”
“No doubt about it. But in a good way.”
A crash sounded nearby, followed by the sound of running feet.
Aiden turned and looked around. “Okay, that I heard.”
Another thump, then the sound of an engine coming to life. At the edge of the lot, a car pulled out without turning on its lights. In the dark, all Laurel could tell was that it was a sedan.
A shiver travelled across her shoulders. “What’s going on?”
Aiden pulled her close against him. “You were right. I don’t know why, but it seems like someone was watching us.”
6
There was no whistling when Aiden got to work the next morning.
After the incident in the Insomnia parking lot, Aiden insisted on standing guard at Laurel’s place, but she refused. Rather than fight with her, he’d gone home, shifted, then slept next to her house. He woke up for every mouse, rabbit, and frog that needed to vocalize in the middle of the night, but at least he knew Laurel was safe.
Now, fueled by coffee and irritation, he stalked into the office ready to track down whoever was threatening his future mate.
“Talk about the other side of the coin,” Birdie said when she saw him. “You look like you went through a war.”
“Not yet. But I may start one before the day is out.” The office was more empty than usual, with no one at any of the three desks. “Where’s Wade?”
“I sent him to The Hallowed Bean to grab some donuts. I was having a hankerin’.”
Just as well. It would give him time to do some detective work on his own.
Aiden sat behind the desk and fired up the computer. First, he checked the Nocturne Falls data base for any reports of stalkers or peeping Toms. As he expected, there were none in the last five months. He widened his search, using the same parameters in surrounding towns. There were quite a few, but none of them seemed to fit what had happened at the club.
There wasn’t a lot to go on, and in a town that catered to tourists, canvassing the neighborhood and asking if anyone had seen a stranger wouldn’t do much good. So where did that leave him?
“Back to square one,” he muttered.
Maybe a walk would help. Even better, a walk to the coffee shop.
“Be back in a few minutes,” he called out to Birdie, who was preoccupied with removing a paper jam from the copy machine.
It was a short walk to The Hallowed Bean. Aiden got there just as Wade was about to walk out.
“Whatever you do, don’t get a donut.” Wade held up a big, pink box. “I got us plenty.”
“Birdie informed me. I need coffee. Real coffee.”
It only took a few minutes for Aiden to get to the head of the line. “Hey, Sally,” he said to the redhead behind the counter.
“Hi, Officer Morris. Your usual?”
“Yeah, but better give it a shot of espresso.�
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Her eyes widened as she wrote his name on the side of a tall paper cup. “Ooo, long night?”
He nodded. “Probably a long day, too.”
After paying for his coffee, Aiden moved to stand by Wade. “You don’t have to wait for me.”
“Oh yes I do.” Wade lowered his voice. “Something happened yesterday that you’ll want to know about.”
Before he could give more details, an energetic young woman with a blond ponytail bounced up to them.
“Hey, it’s you,” she said to Aiden. “Hi!”
“Hi.” She seemed to know him, but he didn’t have a clue who she was.
As if she read his mind, she grinned and smacked her forehead. “Like you’d remember me. Duh. I’m Karen. I waitress at Guillermo’s.”
At least now he had a clue. “You served us last night, right?”
“Yes!” She was so enthusiastic, he may as well have answered the million dollar question on a game show. “When I saw you here, I just wanted to say thank you for last night. I’ve never gotten such a generous tip before.”
Poor kid. The locals must be getting stingy. “You’re welcome, but it really wasn’t that much.”
“Are you kidding?” Her eyes bugged out. “Thirty dollars? That’s more than half of your bill.”
Now Aiden was really confused. He’d left her a ten dollar tip, and he’d added the twenty dollars for the photo.
Karen was still talking. “It made me feel so good. Most folks don’t realize how hard it is to be a waitress, but you really made my day.”
A suspicion had begun to form, but he didn’t want to say something to make Karen realize she hadn’t received the biggest, most awesome tip of her life.
“Well, you gave us great service.” Aiden smiled. “By the way, do you ever have a photographer come around to the tables? I’m just wondering for the next time I bring my girlfriend there.”
Karen’s eyes lit up, probably in anticipation of her next big tip. “No, sorry. The night manager suggested it once, but the boss shot him down. Said, everybody and their uncle has a camera on their phone, so why would they pay for a picture? I’ll tell him you asked, though.”
“Officer Morris!” Another barista held up his coffee as she called out his name.
After another quick ‘you’re welcome’ to Karen, Aiden took his coffee and he and Wade walked outside.
“What was that all about?” Wade asked.
As succinctly as possible, Aiden filled him in on the man who took their picture at the restaurant, and the person who seemed to be following them in the club parking lot.
“Do you think they’re related?”
“I’m beginning to wonder.” Aiden took a swig of coffee. “What was it you wanted to tell me?”
“Yesterday, when we were out walking our beat, a man came into the office and talked to Birdie. He was trying to find a friend of his. He was pretty sure she’d come to Nocturne Falls. Said she drove a VW Bus and her name was Laurie Barks.”
Every muscle and nerve in Aiden’s body went on alert. “Damn. Why am I just finding this out now?”
“Because it didn’t seem like a big deal, so Birdie forgot to mention it when we came back. She only remembered this morning because she wanted donuts, and yesterday, she told the guy where to get coffee, so it jogged her memory.”
“Now I’m sure it’s all connected. It’s too many coincidences.” Aiden hoped the guy had given Birdie his name. If not, he could at least get a description.
They walked back into the station. Wade set the donut box on Birdie’s desk then followed the sounds of banging and swearing until he found her.
“Woman, what in the name of all that’s holy have you done to the copier?”
“It has a paper jam.” She pointed her finger at the machine like it had committed a crime. “I’m fixing it.”
“If by fixing you mean neutering, then I agree. Never mind.” He took her by the arm and helped her navigate the minefield of copier parts on the floor. “Aiden needs to talk to you.”
Aiden started talking before she had a chance to sit down. “I need you to tell me about the man that came in yesterday looking for Laurie Barks.”
“Oh, him. Well, he was looking for his friend. He described her and her vehicle. Asked me if I’d seen her. I said I didn’t remember seeing her, but nobody could forget that van. I saw it in front of Pandora’s office, so I told him that probably meant his friend was settling here.”
Aiden’s heart sunk, but he couldn’t blame Birdie. If she’d realized she was talking to a stalker, the creep would be in one of the holding cells already. “Did he file a report?”
She shook her head. “He wasn’t reporting a crime, just looking for a friend.”
“Okay. Do you remember what he looked like?”
“Oh sure. He’s about 5’10”. Bald. White mustache and beard. Looked a little like Santa, only he was way too skinny and not close to happy enough. Probably in his sixties.”
In his sixties. It went off like an alarm in his brain.
“Birdie, this is really important.” Aiden spoke softly, as if a loud noise might scare the memory away. “Did he tell you his name?”
“Sure did. It was, let’s see.” She tapped a finger against her lips. “I remember thinking it was like the singer... Dillon. That’s it. His name was Dillon.”
* * *
Laurel couldn’t wait to tell Horatio that tonight was the night. Finally, she’d get him out of that tub and into the ground where he belonged.
She pulled her hair back in a quick ponytail and practically skipped out of her bedroom. Bailey sat up and cocked his head.
“Surprised to see me in such a good mood? Well, get used to it. I expect a lot more to be happy about from here on in.”
Laurel headed for the door, but Bailey walked in front of her, blocking the way. She tried to go around, but he moved with her, still between her and he door. That was weird. He never moved more than he had to.
“Look, you know I’ll win this game, so let’s just go outside and enjoy the day, okay?”
If it was possible for a dog to frown, that’s what Bailey did. But the next time she moved for the door, he stayed put.
When Laurel stepped onto the porch, the toe of her sneaker hit something. It was a package the size of a book wrapped in brown paper.
“Huh. I didn’t think they’d deliver packages out here.”
She picked it up and turned it over, examining all the sides. It was addressed to her, but there was no return address. And there was no postage. She squealed with excitement. It must be from Aiden.
She tore off the wrapping and tossed it aside. Behind her, Bailey whined.
“Don’t be jealous just because I got a gift and you didn’t.”
It was a frame. Laurel turned it over, and the smile died on her lips. There was a photograph inside. She and Aiden sitting at a table, heads close together, laughing and happy. But scrawled across it in angry, thick black ink was a message. No deceit cuts as deep as that done by your Love.
Bailey growled. He never growled.
Laurel dropped the frame. It bounced off the porch and hit the ground. Bitter laughter assaulted her ears. She looked up, and there he was. He was an old man, but something about him was familiar.
“Dillon.”
“How sweet. I was sure you’d forgotten me after all these years.” He walked toward her, his gait steady, if a little stiff.
It was almost too much to take in. She was on the verge of tears, but she fought them back. Dillon hadn’t come for a pleasant reunion. It was important to remember that and keep her composure. “I never forgot you.”
He stopped by the bus and gave the side a fond pat. “You kept it. Which makes sense. A vintage vehicle is worth so much more than a vintage man.”
“That’s not true.”
“It was a mistake, you know.” He continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “Keeping the bus. All I had to do to find you was trace th
e VIN.”
It hadn’t occurred to her that he would want to find her. “I didn’t know you had it.”
“Come on, Laurie, you’re not the only one who’s sentimental. We bought it together. I kept my copy of the paperwork.” He sneered. “You didn’t leave me a lot to remember you by.”
Regret squeezed Laurel’s chest making it hard to breath. She’d made so many mistakes with Dillon. If only there was a way to undo them, but there wasn’t. All she could do was try to make amends with the man standing in front of her.
“I’m so sorry.” She came down the porch stairs and stood at the bottom. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but you have to know I never meant to hurt you.”
He took a few steps closer to her. “How convenient that you can blame all your transgressions on your ancestry.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re a nymph. You almost live forever, you drive a man crazy, then you run off to the next one.” He chuckled as her mouth dropped open. “Don’t look so surprised. I’ve had forty-eight years to figure it out.”
And forty-eight years to obsess over what she’d done to him. “If you know about nymphs, then you know why I left. When I realized that being with me was affecting your mind, I had to go. You should have gotten better.”
“Well, I didn’t.” His voice became louder. “How could I when the person I loved left me? You didn’t even leave me a note. And you took my car!” He was screaming now, and he hit the side of the bus three times.
Laurel jumped. It didn’t make any sense. He should have improved. Unless... She’d always assumed his mental state was because of her. But what if he’d been unstable to begin with? What if it hadn’t been her fault after all?
“Please, Dillon. Let’s just talk about this calmly, like–”
“Like what? Adults? What would you know about that? This,” he pounded his chest, “this is what an adult looks like. Old. Wrinkled. Tired. Look at you. What do you know about being an adult?”
The more they talked, the more agitated he became. It occurred to Laurel that he might become violent. Even though he was old, she didn’t doubt he could do some damage if he wanted to.
“I’m going inside now.” Carefully, she moved toward the porch.