by Rayne Reilly
“Sounds a bit like Mick.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?” he raised one brow.
“Of course.”
“What happened with Mick?”
Marcy looked a little uncomfortable as she ran her fingers over the smooth stem of her wine glass again. The liquid courage was working, but only slightly. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to reveal to him.
After pausing a moment, she responded, “We dated a couple of months ago…I only went out with him for a couple of weeks. He was a complete dick to me. He was jealous and possessive. I couldn’t stand it. His behavior toward me became so bad that one night he hit me. Unfortunately, we worked together. My boss blamed me for the way Mick treated me. I quit my job so I wouldn’t have to see him every day. It took me a month to find the job with Bear Bones Construction.”
“I’m sorry…” Austin’s jaw flexed slightly.
Marcy continued, “Don’t be sorry. I love my job with Bear Bones. It’s the best job I’ve ever had…I just wish he’d leave me alone and move on. He watches everything I do. The flowers he sent me were just a taunt to say that he knows where I work. He’s cruel. He’s threatened me time and again. He’s got a real problem with shifter men and always tells me he’ll kill me if I date any…then again, he told me he didn’t want me seeing anyone else…ever. I haven’t been on a date since I broke up with him…I hope you don’t think I’m whining. I’m not…I manage okay on my own.”
Marcy grimaced and shrank in her seat a little. She’d surprised herself by revealing so much. Though she felt pretty sure that Austin could take care of himself, after what she had witnessed earlier, she wasn’t sure if she could take care of herself if Mick got her alone. Austin appeared a little distracted as the sound of a cell phone buzzed again.
“I’m glad you’re happy working for us… Men who hit women are the worst kind of coward there is. I hope you don’t think all men are like he is. I assure you, we’re not,” he said.
“I know…most men aren’t like Mick. But because of him, it’s been hard to get on with my life. He just continues to stalk me. It never seems to end. Tonight was pretty awful and I am sorry about that,” she said, frowning.
Austin furrowed his brow and reached across to touch Marcy’s hand that was holding the stem of her wineglass. Stroking it, he offered, “If you ever need help, if he bothers you again, please call me. Any time. Day or night…Okay?” His eyes were warm and filled with compassion.
Marcy felt touched by his sincerity. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She sipped her wine and looked down at Austin’s large hand that was stroking hers. His touch felt comforting. Warmth coursed through her entire body as she gazed up at him to catch him looking at her. The way he looked at her, she found it hard to resist him.
The restaurant staff took away their dishes and returned with their next course. Marcy was silent as she tucked into her salad, enjoying the flavor and the time to gather her thoughts. She’d said more than she had intended. She hoped he wouldn’t think badly of her now that all her secrets were out. She hoped he might be able to understand her reluctance to date anyone right now.
When she looked over at Austin he was looking at his phone. He frowned and put it away quickly.
“Everything okay?” she asked him, not sure if he wanted to share what was going on.
He nodded and smiled, “Sorry to check my phone… I have it on vibrate, but it’s been going off since we sat down… It’s Bern. Apparently there’s been some vandalism at the office.”
Marcy’s eye’s widened. She gasped, “What happened?”
Austin rubbed his chin, “Someone smashed a window out. The alarm company called Bern when they couldn’t reach me.”
He brushed it off with a gesture of his hand. Putting his cell phone back in his pocket, he went back to eating.
“Has that happened before?” she asked. Her face had gone a little pale.
He shook his head, “No. Not for a very long time. It’s nothing to worry about. Bern will take care of it right away. I’m sorry I was distracted. I’m all yours now,” he smiled broadly at her. As the dinner continued, Marcy and Austin realized how much they had in common. Both were quite solitary people that preferred to have a quieter social life with just a few trustworthy friends around them. She found herself even more attracted to him by the time the bill came and they were ready to leave. She didn’t want the evening to end.
***
The evening temperatures had plummeted and it had turned cold. Austin and Marcy left the restaurant and stepped outside. Austin seemed pleased when she put her arm through his to walk back to his car. She appreciated the warmth his body seemed to generate and she snuggled in even closer as they walked. The glasses of wine that she’d had left her feeling a little less inhibited than usual and she hoped he wouldn’t take her home right away.
She had opened up to him a lot more than she had intended, but tried not to think about that. He was easy to talk to, now that they were alone and outside of work. Austin turned to her when they got to his vehicle and surprised her with a question she had hoped for, but not expected.
“It’s still early. Would you like to come over to my place for a while? I have a nice fireplace. We can keep getting to know each other…maybe share some more wine in front of the fire?” he grinned.
She knew she didn’t want the evening to be over yet.
“Yes,” she replied.
They got into the car and headed to his home just ten minutes outside of town. The drive took them along a tree-lined road with homes on one side of it, spaced far apart. They chatted a little more about their lives and interests as he drove. She was much more comfortable with him now and wasn’t feeling any of the anxiety she had been dealing with over the past few months. What she did feel was a sense of anticipation.
Would he expect her to sleep with him? What if he did…would she?
She couldn’t allow herself to go there. It was not only too soon to have sex with him…she couldn’t get involved with her boss. Her thoughts were brought back to the car when they reached his property. Driving down a long, slightly winding driveway they pulled up in front of a three-car garage. Marcy’s face betrayed her surprise with the size and style of his home, “Your house is beautiful!” she said, looking over at Austin.
“Thank you. It’s big…and quiet. I had it built to my own specifications…I want a big family one day, so had to build a large house,” Austin said.
Marcy turned to look back at the house. Austin was quiet a moment and then asked, “Do you think you would want kids?”
Marcy bit her lip and paused for a beat before responding, “Yes. I do…several actually…I come from a large family…it’s nice when you’re growing up…to have a full house,” she smiled and walked alongside Austin as he led the way inside. She noticed he smiled brightly when she answered him.
The house had a wraparound porch and was painted a light color. Since it was dark outside, she guessed that it was gray or white. There was a small stone walkway that led from the garage around to the front door. Stepping inside the home, she admired the hardwood floors and modern decor. Her apartment was small and insignificant in comparison. Once they were inside, he took her coat and hung it up in a hall closet. He then removed his suit jacket and draped it over a dining chair that they passed on the way to the kitchen.
“Do you want something to drink?” he asked as he stood in the huge kitchen. Marcy nodded. His home felt comfortable and safe. She imagined herself living there with him; it felt good to think about it. In that moment, she was glad she’d agreed to go with him. It’s all the wine, she said to herself.
They settled on having some more white wine. Marcy watched as he took a chilled bottle of Chardonnay from the fridge and poured them each a glass. Passing one to her, he motioned for her to follow him.
Chapter Nine
Both Austin and Marcy made themselves comfortable on the sofa, turning to face one another as the
y sat. The chemistry between them was strong and Austin found himself even more attracted to Marcy after spending the last few hours with her. He was glad to learn that she too wanted to have a large family.
Biting his lip as they sat down, his desire for her rose in him. He wanted to touch her so badly. Looking into her blue eyes, he wondered if he’d be able to stop at just a kiss. With the way his inner bear had been roaring to get out all night, he wasn’t so sure. He watched as Marcy looked down at her lap for a moment and back at him. She smiled sweetly and licked her lips.
“I’m glad you trusted me enough to come back here,” he joked. “You seemed to be avoiding me since you started working for us,” he winked and reached out to touch her hand in her lap. Her skin felt soft and warm.
She responded by stroking his hand.
“I wouldn’t have come back here if we didn’t work together…and if I didn’t feel it was safe,” she murmured.
Austin’s eyes widened slightly and he nodded once.
“So why have you been avoiding me?” he asked.
Marcy blushed and looked away. Austin reached out with one hand and turned her chin toward him.
She shrugged.
“The truth?” she asked.
He dropped his hand into his lap.
“Always,” he responded.
“I find you very attractive and it’s a bit…distracting,” she said the last word slowly.
Austin’s bear jumped for joy, while Austin stayed calm and cool. He looked at her lips. He tried to ignore the erection growing in his pants.
The room went silent as Austin tried to gauge how she was feeling about their evening. She was definitely a lot more chatty one-on-one and he’d noticed that she hadn’t appeared shy at the restaurant. She looked like she was enjoying herself as much as he was. He felt relieved.
“I’m having a great time getting to know another side of you,” he said casually.
She tucked her hair behind one ear.
“I’m enjoying getting to know you as well. You’re not nearly as scary as I thought you were the first time I met you,” she said, grinning.
Austin laughed. “You were scared of me?”
She nodded.
He shook his head, “My god when I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen…I’m sorry that I came across as scary.”
Marcy looked shocked and suddenly self-conscious.
“Really?” she asked,”I would never have guessed that…I figured I would be the last person to be your type.”
Austin nodded and stroked her hands again, “I’m being serious…in fact, my bear and I think you are pretty spectacular.”
Marcy laughed and flipped her hair off one shoulder, “Yeah, right,” she scoffed.
Austin could see that she was insecure about her looks and he wanted to show her just how beautiful she was to him. The urge to kiss her was strong. His bear wanted to claim her as his mate, as did he. It was taking everything inside of him to hold back. He leaned forward, cupping her face and pushing her hair back with his other hand.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” he said in a low voice.
Marcy bit her lip and lowered her eyelids a little. He could smell her arousal and it was making him wish he could just tell her everything right now. That she was his mate and that he wanted her in his bed, now and every night for the rest of their lives. The feeling inside that she was the one – it was stronger than anything he’d ever felt. He knew it was too soon to say anything. It would probably scare her off.
Marcy responded by tilting her head and moving closer to him. Austin allowed their lips to brush softly against one another. She inhaled and sank into the kiss even more. Her soft lips pressed against his, filling him with need. Her hands were in his hair as he put an arm around her and one hand remained cupping her cheek. The kiss was soft and sensual. He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him.
“I really wanted to kiss you too,”she said softly. She touched her lips while looking at his mouth. He felt himself becoming aroused even more. His throat went dry. He could smell the sweet scent of her arousal for him. Something changed in the way she looked at him. Her soft skin was warm to the touch. He pushed her chocolate brown hair back off her face and leaned toward her again. He took a deep breath, inhaling her incredible, unique scent.
She leaned toward him and pressed her lips against his. As the kiss deepened, her lips parted and his tongue found hers. He tasted her sweetness. With both hands he held her face to him, letting out a low growl. The feeling of her fingers entwined in his hair again, made him throb with desire. He hungered to show her what she meant to him. They lingered with the soft, passionate kiss, keeping them close enough to feel each other's body heat. She slid her hands from his head once more and as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended. Marcy pulled away and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes glistened.
“What’s wrong?” Austin asked. Too fast Austin…too fast.
“I can’t…” She sat back, pointing at the space between them, “I want to, but I can’t…” she cried.
“What do you mean? I’m not expecting anything from you…that’s not why I asked you back here. I promise I would never hurt you,” Austin said calmly.
Marcy reached out and put her hands on his forearms. He looked at her, trying to gauge how she was feeling.
“You don’t expect me to have sex with you?” she asked skeptically. He shook his head, a little too emphatically.
“No…Don’t get me wrong, it’s been way too long since I’ve had sex…but I would never take advantage of you or any woman, like that. I’m sorry if I came across that way,” he finished. He was beginning to regret having kissed her at all. The aching in his balls was a reminder of how long it had been.
Marcy’s brow furrowed and Austin felt her body suddenly tense, “I hope you understand…I love my job and I don’t want to jeopardize it. I really like you, maybe a little more than I should. But we barely know one another and I usually am not so forward on first dates – ” her voice was speeding up a little.
Austin interrupted, putting a hand out to touch her cheek he smiled, “Your job is not going to be affected by our dating. That’s not how this works. You are a valuable employee that we don’t want to lose. I like you very much and I want to get to know you…I just moved too fast…I’m sorry.”
Austin felt a surge of pain in his chest. He needed her, not just physically but in every way. She was his mate. He knew it deep within. He also knew he couldn’t force her to do something she wasn’t ready to do.
“It’s okay. It’s not like I tried to stop you… I've wanted to kiss you all night…but if we continue...” she didn’t finish. She looked down, frowning. He could tell that she had just talked herself out of being with him. He would just have to prove to her that she was meant to be with him.
Chapter Ten
When they reached Marcy’s apartment later that night, Austin had insisted on walking her right to her door to make sure she got home safely. Marcy felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of another kiss when they said goodnight. A second kiss with him would definitely send her over the edge. She had barely been able to pull away from the first kiss they shared. She was already berating herself for creating the temptation to be with him. The kiss was unlike any she’d ever had. There was a spark there that she couldn’t explain. She felt drawn to Austin, yet it was too soon to trust how she truly felt. Wasn’t it?
When they reached the door of her apartment and she unlocked it, she held her breath. Turning to face him, she avoided any long eye contact. He stepped closer and smoothed her hair before leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She closed her eyes and felt the rush of warmth in her body from his touch.
“Goodnight. I’ll see you on Monday,” he whispered, as he pulled away and put his hands in his pockets. Marcy smiled, feeling slightly awkward. He was being so good about everything. She’d been able to see his arousal back at the ho
use and yet he didn’t get angry. He didn’t try to manipulate her. He accepted that she wasn’t ready to be intimate. The guy was incredible.
“Thank you for tonight. I had a great time,” she said. She stepped backwards into her apartment, not taking her eyes off the man that made her heart flutter the entire night. Austin turned and walked down the hall. She went inside, locking the door behind her.
As Marcy got ready for bed, she thought about the toe curling kiss they’d shared earlier that night. For a brief moment, she’d given in to her feelings before pulling back. He’d even admitted to having feelings for her. She couldn’t believe that someone like Austin had actually called her beautiful. Her heart soared at the memory of his words and his touch.
She paused as her rational brain kicked in… The truth was, she loved her job and really didn’t want to jeopardize it. Her last relationship had left her unsure of her own ability to judge people correctly. Like it or not, she just couldn’t get her hopes up. It was too soon to think about getting into a relationship, even if it was with an incredibly sexy bear shifter named Austin. Settling down to sleep, she drifted off into another vivid dream about him.
Chapter Eleven
Prior to his date with Marcy, Austin and Bern had spent several nights in the past week patrolling the parks and streets with the local police. They’d come across only one scene where a woman was being targeted by shifter-haters. The woman had been grateful for their help. The man that was threatening her had gotten away and the attacks had continued. The males in the shifter community that were dating human women were getting increasingly worried that the attacks would escalate into murders. Patrols were increased as more shifter males stepped out at night to keep an eye on their community.
After talking with one of the women who’d been attacked, Austin found that the attacks seemed to be targeted to specific women. It seemed that the disgruntled men carrying out these vicious attacks, were a small group ex-boyfriends who had been dumped by their girlfriends for shifters. They were a loosely organized group of about eight to ten men who spied on each other's ex-girlfriends and attacked in groups of two at a time. Austin was concerned that Mick was part of this small group. He hated that Marcy was being stalked by this lowlife.