by Rayne Reilly
Even a call to the police had done nothing to help her situation. She was scared of him. His constant threats left her anxious all the time. Forced to change her cell phone number, she then had to face him following her if she went out anywhere.
She knew he was stalking her, but felt there was nothing she could do to rectify the situation. He was unreasonable and angry with her, for not only ending the relationship but for quitting her job. He didn’t like not knowing what she was doing every moment of every day. She was afraid to walk anywhere any more, so she drove instead.
Now he was taunting her yet again. There was no way that he was going to force her out of town or out of this new job. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pushed the horrible memories away and sipped her glass of wine.
At least she didn’t have to see Mick every day at work anymore. Now with the new job, she had a reason to leave her apartment five days a week and that felt good. She wondered what he might do if or when she started dating again. Hopefully, Mick would give up harassing her long before she found someone she’d like to date.
Chapter Four
Austin sat at his desk staring at the paperwork in front of him. There was a knock at the door. Bern peered in seconds later.
“Hi. Do you have a sec?” he asked.
Austin nodded, motioning for his business partner and friend to come in. Bern entered and took a seat in one of the black leather armchairs in front of Austin's large desk. Austin could see that Bern looked concerned about something. “What’s up?” he asked.
Bern forced a smiled, “I just met up with Jake Braeden.”
“How is he?” Austin asked. Like Bern, Austin had known Jake for most of his life. He was a Pleasantville police officer and also a shifter.
“He’s okay. He wanted to give us a heads up about some attacks on women here in town.”
Austin sat a little taller. His voice was filled with concern, “Do they know who’s behind the attacks?”
“The witnesses say it’s a group of shifter haters…human men. They’re attacking women who are known to be dating shifters,” Bern responded.
“Not good news. What are they doing about it? Are there any suspects?” Austin queried.
Bern shrugged. Folding one ankle over his knee, he spoke, “They have a few suspects. The problem is that they don’t know if it’s an organized gang of shifter haters or just a couple of disgruntled boyfriends that have gotten together. There have been at least four attacks in the last few weeks.”
Austin rubbed his jaw and folded his arms across his chest. Pleasantville was a town of over seven thousand people. There was a huge shifter population here. It had been this way for a hundred and fifty years or more. It was the last place Austin would have expected hate crimes against them. Usually, if there was going to be a problem, it was with rogue werewolves or cougars who chose to attack humans. This was something new and it was cause for concern.
Bern ran a hand through his brown hair and continued, “The news is being kept low key, for now. The shifter community is being told because we need to get a handle on this quickly. There is concern that women could end up dead, not just attacked.”
Austin nodded, “I agree. Did he say anything about having volunteers out looking for these idiots? We need to stop these attacks from happening as quickly as possible.”
“Yes. I told him to count us in. He said he would be in touch about doing patrols with other shifters,” Bern said.
Austin let out a laugh and shook his head. Bern’s brows raised. “What’s funny?” he asked.
Austin frowned, “I finally find the one woman that I think is my mate…and I can’t ask her out, just in case she gets attacked…I think she has a boyfriend, but nonetheless I wasn’t going to let that small detail put me off forever.”
“Yeah? Who is this woman? Do I know her?” Bern asked curiously.
Austin grinned, “That sexy new accountant you hired a couple of weeks ago.”
Bern smiled, “She’s got some nice curves, there’s no denying that. She’s a bit on the quiet side though. I like my women a little more extroverted.”
“You mean mouthy. The last woman you dated was mouthy Bern…don’t get me wrong, she was hot. I just didn’t see what you saw in her,” Austin said.
Bern laughed, “Yeah, I guess she was a little vocal. Doesn’t matter, she wasn’t my mate anyway. So back to Marcy, what are you waiting for? Why haven’t you asked her out?”
“Like I said, I think she has a boyfriend and I was giving her some time to settle in first.”
“What makes you think that she has a boyfriend?”
“I don't know, just figured she had one...How is she doing at her job anyway?” Austin changed the subject. He knew that Bern got along well with her and hoped he might shed some light on her situation. Bern smiled and put his hands on his thighs, sitting up straight in the chair.
“She’s great. In fact, she has that department running better than I could have hoped. All the work is up to date…she’s very good at what she does and I can see she likes the job. She’s an intelligent, hardworking woman. I have a lot of respect for her. Especially after everything she’s been through.”
Now Austin was curious, “What do you mean?”
Bern sighed, “She had to leave her last job because of a problem with someone she dated there. Her boss was not very supportive and it sounds to me like she was treated pretty poorly over all. She didn’t tell me a lot, but I overheard her talking to Darla about it. She was honest at her interview and told me that she’d been out of work for a month before we hired her. I liked her right away and I could see that she was more than qualified for the job.
“It isn’t easy finding employees like that. Especially here in town. Now that I know a little more about her, I’m glad we hired her. I know she’s a bit introverted and shy but she’s coming out of her shell a little more every day. Darla has commented to me that she stays in her office mostly…even eats her lunch in there. I don’t honestly think that she’s involved with anyone though.”
Austin raised one eyebrow as his lip curled up slightly in one corner. Maybe it was time to get to know his new employee a little bit better.
Bern stood and looked at his friend and business partner, “Just be careful with her Austin. Don’t ask her out if you just want a little fun…I don’t want to lose one of our best employees.” Bern left the office.
***
The rest of the week moved slowly for Austin and he hesitated approaching Marcy to ask her out. Now that he knew that women were being attacked for dating shifters, he was reluctant to put her at risk. In fact, the thought of finding his mate; only to have her be subjected to the danger of attack was very troubling. There was an internal battle waging in him. He wanted his mate, and now. But he didn’t want to have anything happen to her that might risk their future together.
His physical attraction to her did nothing but remind him that it had been months since he’d been with a woman. He was beginning to feel very sexually frustrated. It was getting harder and harder to keep himself and his inner bear distracted. He had to release some of the pressure that was building inside him and soon.
At thirty-three, he was ready to commit to the right person. But there had to be a certain chemistry there for both him and his inner bear. So far he hadn’t found that with anyone that he’d dated in the past. Sheila wasn’t his type, even though she threw herself at him constantly. She was tall and slender with virtually no substance to her. Women like Sheila used sex as a means of control, and to find a rich husband.
He definitely didn’t want any kind of future with her. Besides, he liked women with meat on their bones and curves that left him weak in the knees. Since bear shifters generally had multiple births from one pregnancy, his mate had to be sturdy enough to handle it.
Marcy was that mate.
His mind drifted to more lustful thoughts about Marcy and how he’d like to see her naked body respond to his touch in bed.
There was a knock at the door, pulling Austin from his thoughts. He adjusted himself quickly before answering the door.
“Come in,” he announced.
The door opened slowly and Marcy stood looking at him with a big smile on her face. Her big blue eyes sparkled as she spoke. She had a file folder in her hand.
“Sorry to bother you…I have some papers for you to sign.”
He hadn’t seen much of her since she’d joined the company, other than at the weekly meetings. His office was on the top floor of their building and he tended to not venture down to her department very much. The staff that she was overseeing seemed quite fond of her and spoke highly of her and her work ethic, according to Bern.
She’d spoken up at this week's meeting, updating everyone on her department but she’d barely made eye contact with him. He felt sure she was fitting in with the company very well, but maybe was still a little intimidated by him. He knew that he wanted to spend time with her outside of the office and he hoped that she’d be open to the idea. His inner bear was standing at attention.
“Come on in and close the door,” he said as he eyed her heaving chest. Why was she breathing so fast? He felt himself go hard as he watched her breasts move up and down. She didn’t notice his gaze because she was looking down at the file in her hand. She continued to stand half in and half out of the office doorway. She looked a little flustered and a blush rose in her cheeks as she moved her eyes up to meet his.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he laughed, wanting to ease the tension he saw in her.
“I’m not,” she said as she looked directly at him with her lips pressed together. She walked over to his desk and passed him the folder.
“Have a seat. I’ll sign these for you now,” he said.
She fidgeted a little with her hands after popping the file in front of him.
“I can leave them here…you probably want to get home.”
She stood back and rubbed her hands down her sides.
“I’m in no rush, but if you have to get home to your boyfriend…I understand. I’ll put them on your desk when I’m done,” he said firmly, hoping she would settle the boyfriend issue once and for all. She flinched when he mentioned her boyfriend. Was that fear? He studied her face, while forcing the bear inside him to be quiet.
“I live alone,” she blurted with a stunned look on her face.
“Oh? I thought from your first day here, the flowers – ”
“They were from my ex,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes, “We broke up a few months ago. It’s complicated.”
Frowning, she pushed her hair off her cheek with the back of one hand and let out a small sigh. His bear roared at him to go to her.
He pushed the urge down, wondering if she could feel his want. She began to bite her lip and twirled a strand of stray hair between her fingertips. Their eyes locked for a little too long and he watched as she blushed and turned her face away. He badly wanted to spend more time with her, find out more about her. She wasn’t throwing herself at him, the way some other women did. In fact, she seemed to be avoiding him as much as possible. He was intrigued by her and his attraction to her.
Opening the file folder, he began to sign the papers. There was a long pause.
“So you’re single?” He grinned and raised one brow, looking over at her.
She nodded and smiled.
“In that case, I would like to take you out sometime,” he smiled.
“Really? Isn’t there a rule about dating employees?” She continued to twist her hair with both hands. He could see that her hands were shaking. She looked anxious. Austin put it down to a cute personality quirk of hers and then he remembered what Bern had told him about her. He hoped she’d give him a chance.
Smoothing his hair with one hand he let out a small laugh, “Not a rule that I’m aware of and I’m the CEO…it’s just a date…if you say no, you won’t lose your job…I promise.”
She let out a small chuckle and tilted her head slightly. Now she was studying him. He held her gaze.
“So?” he asked. She thought for a moment longer, then shrugged.
“Okay. Yes,” she said.
He thought he saw a glimmer of something in her eyes. Was that hesitation? Worry? He meant to find out all he could about Marcy Wright. She’d come into his life for a reason and his inner bear was telling him she was worth getting to know.
Chapter Five
Nearly a month at her job had gone by at Bear Bones Construction. The job had turned out to be a perfect fit for her. She had quickly caught up on all the customer accounts and overdue work that had been waiting for attention. Her staff seemed to like her and she was forming work friendships that made going in each day, a lot more rewarding.
Her personal life outside of work had not really changed at all, however. Mick was still finding ways to taunt her and make her feel unworthy of any real happiness. She was also sure she’d seen him parked outside her building a few times.
She knew that she was her own worst enemy when it came to some things. Her constant worry about every little thing that might happen seemed to be a deciding factor in her decisions now. Especially since Mick had been such a poor choice in a boyfriend, if you could call him that. She reminded herself that if Mick hadn’t have entered her life, she would not have this job now. She just wished that he’d leave her alone to live her life. Instead, he was still watching her every move, every day. She shuddered at the thought.
One work relationship that occupied her thoughts the most was with Austin. Something about him made her feel a sense of excitement and intrigue. On several occasions including the weekly meetings, he had approached her to chat about how things were going. Each interaction left her feeling flustered and turned on. It made no sense to her and it only confused things more. She barely knew the man, but felt an odd connection to him. She was unsure how he felt about her, but was pretty clear on the fact that she thought he was pretty damn amazing. He was an incredible looking man with style.
She felt self conscious around him. Her hesitancy to be around him was not helped by the fact that she was scared of the thought of getting involved with anyone again. Not that she felt she had a hope with Austin, but a lady can dream.
It was Austin’s job to sign things that weren’t done electronically and she’d delayed going to his office for as long as possible. She reasoned that it was her lack of a sex life that made her feel less than professional feelings toward him and therefore it was her responsibility to avoid making a fool of herself with him. Marcy needed to deal with Austin directly if she was going to do her job properly.
It was late one afternoon when she’d finally worked up the courage to go to his office to get some papers signed. Austin still intimidated her a little, though she knew it made no sense. Her few interactions with him had been professional and he was always friendly toward her. He almost always seemed to be studying her during their interactions. It was as though he was looking into her very heart. This puzzled her and also excited her a little.
She had no idea what Austin was really like, of course, and she preferred it that way right now. Her active imagination and fantasy life took care of filling in the details when she was home alone at night. At home, in her mind, he was the most incredible lover she’d ever had. She would lie in bed at night imagining herself running her hands down his sculpted chest. The mere thought of his body filled her with desire that she found hard to ignore.
Marcy picked up a file folder off her desk and headed up the flight of stairs to Austin's office. By the time she reached his floor, she was out of breath from taking the stairs. Her anxiety level was high as she walked toward his office door. She worried that she would make a fool of herself around him like she usually did. It seemed that every time he looked at her, she felt like she wanted to leap on him and kiss him passionately, among other things. That was something that she couldn’t allow herself to think about in front of him, let alone do. Going out wi
th someone from work was a really bad idea. There was no doubt that she found him incredibly attractive. Part of her was grateful that he probably wasn’t attracted to her anyway.
She rushed toward his office door, secretly hoping he had left for the day. That way, she could leave the file on his desk with a note. She knocked on his door and waited.
Her heart jumped into her throat when he responded. She was still slightly out of breath and a little hot, from the jaunt up the flight of stairs. Biting her lip for a moment, she entered his office. Feeling a little flustered at the way he was looking at her, she could feel her cheeks tinge with embarrassment.
By the time she left his office, she was shaking her head in shock. She let out a breath of air and hurried downstairs to her office. He asked me out…on a date. What am I going to do now? Meeting Austin on her first day of work, the thought never crossed her mind that he would ever ask her out. In fact, it was the last thing she would have thought might happen.
Chapter Six
The weekends were pretty quiet for Marcy. Ever since she had left her old job, she started spending more time alone on the weekends. Every night was spent on the computer or in front of the television.
Her long time friend, Amara, lived in the city and they spoke every week, although she hadn’t seen her in months.
Alone with her thoughts, she went through every scenario she could imagine…if she dated Austin. In each one she’d determined that it would end with him breaking her heart and she would have to leave what was becoming the best job she’d had since…well, ever.
It was hard to imagine anything good coming out of dating someone from work. Even if things went well on a date with him, Mick might carry through on his threats toward her and whoever she went out with. The risk was too high. At least it seemed that way to Marcy.
It had been a few days since Austin mentioned taking her on a date. Fortunately, she had managed to avoid being around him, since he rarely came down to her department. Except for the Monday morning meeting where she avoided eye contact and rushed out right afterward.