by Rayne Reilly
Something was nagging at Austin ever since he’d dropped Marcy off after their date. He’d gotten the distinct feeling that they were being watched. Mick was out there and Austin could sense it. Walking her to her apartment, he had caught the distinct smell of the man he’d confronted earlier that night.
He worried that Marcy's ex-boyfriend stalker was a disaster waiting to happen. Everything inside him made him want to protect her and keep her safe. Before asking her out, he’d discussed it with Bern and both men agreed that if Austin was discreet, she’d be safe. Now that he had taken her out and met Mick in the process, he felt she may be in danger anyway. It was now up to him to keep her safe from harm, whether she liked it or not.
Meanwhile, his feelings for Marcy were stronger than ever now. Their date had been a success and he wasn’t giving up the chance to have a second one. When he had kissed her, it only confirmed to him and his inner bear that she was his mate. She’d even confessed to him that she felt more for him than she should. It filled him with joy, knowing that she shared the same feelings as him.
Unfortunately, because of her experience with Mick, she was reluctant to date someone from work. This was certainly a problem, but not one that he couldn’t overcome. He was not going to give up on them as a couple.
Bern was his oldest and closest friend and he could rely on him to keep things in confidence. Austin sat down with him the day after their date and told him what had happened. Sitting in Bern’s living room having a drink, Austin brought up the details of the date with Marcy. Bern was surprised to hear about Mick and that he’d shown up at her apartment.
“Do you think he’s the one that smashed out our window?” Bern asked. He had one ankle propped over the opposite knee.
“It’s highly likely. Seems a bit too much of a coincidence that it was broken after I kicked him out of Marcy’s building…I don’t trust the guy. He hates shifters…but he was too cowardly to speak to me directly. I’m worried for her safety,” Austin’s jaw flexed. He ran a hand through his hair and took a swig of his drink.
Bern thought for a moment before responding. “I agree with you…this guy can’t be trusted and we need to make sure he doesn’t cause any more problems for her,” Bern said. “What do you plan to do about him?” he continued.
“I plan to keep an eye out for her…I don’t think she wants me to get involved, but I can’t sit back and watch her stop living the life she deserves, just because of him.”
Austin bit the inside of his cheek. His protective instinct was strong, especially knowing that she was his mate. His friend nodded in support and Austin knew that if anyone understood how he was feeling, it would be Bern. Austin preferred his own company to that of large groups of people unlike Bern, who was more outgoing and liked to socialize. Their long term friendship was something for which Austin was very grateful. He knew that Bern would always have his back and he would always have Bern's.
“I agree. I would feel the same way…if you need me to do anything, just let me know...so what do you plan to do to help her overcome her reluctance to date the boss?” Bern asked, trying to ease some of the tension.
A grin spread across Austins face and he raised his brows, “I’m going to show her that I’m serious about going out with her. Starting with taking her to lunch tomorrow.”
Bern smiled and nodded. Austin couldn’t wait to lay eyes on her again at work. She may have been reluctant to continue to do more than kiss him…and he was partly to blame for rushing things. However, the next time he kissed those lips she would beg him for more…much more.
Chapter Twelve
Monday morning arrived and Marcy felt a mixture of excitement mixed with worry over seeing Austin at work. Saying a quick “Good morning” to the receptionist, Marcy went directly to her office to prepare for the weekly meeting. She liked to give herself plenty of time for that, so she set about completing her report right away.
She’d enjoyed her time with Austin on the weekend, but she had stressed about how things would be between them at work today. On the drive back to her apartment, he’d shared his concerns about Mick turning back up at her place. She hoped that he’d finally been run off and would now leave her alone. Though something inside told her that wasn’t going to happen so easily.
She didn’t want Austin to feel responsible for her and she told him so. She had packed a lunch, just as she’d done every day since she started working at Bear Bones. She intended to do that until she felt it was safe to go out for lunches without being bothered by Mick.
Having finished preparing for the Monday meeting, Marcy headed off to join the others. She secretly couldn’t wait to see Austin’s face again. Even his name sounded sexy to her. Seated at the table, she repeated his name over and over in her mind. Glancing down at the notes she'd brought with her, she realized that she'd actually doodled his name without realizing it. She quickly scribbled it out before anyone else could see it.
Squirming a little in her chair, she held her breath with expectation when she heard his deep voice from out in the hall. Austin and several other staff members filed in and took seats around the boardroom table.
"Good morning," Austin said with a wink and a lopsided grin.
“Hey,” she said with a sexy lilt in her voice.
Bern entered the room and sat across from her. He nodded and smiled in her direction. She smiled back, wondering if Austin had told him about their date. Sheila entered the room and stopped on the spot when she saw that Marcy was seated next to Austin. She huffed with exasperation when she noticed that Bern had taken the other seat closest to Austin. Marcy looked at Austin but he was looking down at some papers in front of him. He didn’t take any notice of Sheila or her over-the-top annoyance at not being able to sit next to him.
He began the meeting by mentioning the vandalism that happened over the weekend.
“It’s being investigated,” he concluded, after telling the rest of the staff about it. Marcy wondered if he’d assumed Mick had done it. The thought had crossed her mind but she never said it out loud.
As the meeting continued, Austin added, "The time is approaching for the annual Christmas party. Bern has just informed me that it’s going to be at Paul’s Bar and Restaurant. I hope everyone will join us." He looked directly at Marcy as he spoke, "Its always a fun time and a chance for Bern and I to thank the staff for the hard work they've done all year."
There was a slight buzz as several of the people began whispering about the upcoming party and the holidays. A couple of minutes later, the meeting broke up. Marcy waited while everyone filed out. Sheila hovered for a few seconds until she realized that Marcy wasn’t going anywhere. She sauntered out with her nose in the air. Austin took his time rising from his chair, realizing that Marcy was hanging back.
“So did you have a good weekend?” he asked, grinning at her. Marcy felt her face flush as she remembered the sexy dream she’d had about her and Austin.
“I did,” she murmured.
“Great. Let me know when you’re ready to do it again,” he grinned.
Marcy didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t expected him to say that. She wasn’t sure that going out with him was the best move forward, even though she liked the idea of seeing him again.
Austin stood and Marcy followed suit. Almost as if he sensed her hesitation he asked, “Let’s have lunch today?”
Marcy thought for a moment. The problem was that she found him so damned irresistible. After hesitating, she thought, What could it hurt? It wasn’t a date, after all.
“Um, sure,” she said and left to go back to work until lunch time.
The morning had flown by and Marcy worked hard to remain distracted. She was tidying her desk just as there was a knock at her door.
"Come in," she said.
The door swung open. Austin stood with one hand in his pocket and the other on the door handle. Her eyes moved quickly from his head to his toes and back up again. His shirt hugged his muscular body just
right. She licked her lips unconsciously. Damn.
"Ready to go?" he asked casually.
"Yes," she said, grabbing her purse to follow him out.
***
It had been so long since Marcy had eaten out in town, that she forgot how enjoyable it could be. She hadn’t really focused on how much of her life she had altered because of Mick. She found Austin's presence comforting, even though they’d only known each other for several weeks. She was glad he was so nice to be around, unlike other people she’d worked with in the past. It was easy to talk about work with him and she felt as though he respected what she had to say.
She also noticed that her anxiety hadn’t reared its head since the night of their first date, when Mick showed up. Just being around him at work, she realized he was treating her like a real person. She wished now that she hadn’t of spent nearly a month avoiding him. Maybe we can be friends, she thought as they walked back to the office side by side.
When they returned to the office, they passed Sheila in the hallway. She glared at Marcy as she walked by. Marcy said goodbye to Austin and headed to her office. As soon as she put her purse away and sat down, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” she beckoned.
Sheila opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.
Uh-oh. Marcy was glad the desk was between them, Sheila looked pissed.
“What’s up?” Marcy tried to sound chipper, in spite of her reservations about what was to come. Sheila walked up to Marcy’s desk and peered over at her, seething with jealousy. She stuck one finger out, pointing it directly at Marcy, who stifled a groan.
“I’m not sure what kind of game you're playing…I had my sights on Austin long before you showed up here,” she said. Seriously?
“Is that so? What makes you think I have my sights set on him?” Marcy said, hoping to diffuse things.
Sheila’s face reddened. “Don’t play games. We can both see it…he’s one of this town’s most eligible bachelors and I intend to make him mine,” she leaned forward, her voice menacing.
Marcy let out a single laugh and put her hand to her mouth. Quickly she blurted, “I am not interested in marrying Austin, he’s my boss. Besides, he only asked me out to lunch…” She didn’t want Sheila to know anything about her date with him. It was none of her business. She really didn’t like this woman, at all.
“You should stop kidding yourself that it means anything. He doesn’t want you…he told me so himself.” She said, placing her hands on her hips and standing up straight. Her eyes betrayed her face. She was threatened by Marcy. Austin had never said such a thing.
“No offense, but I don’t think he wants you either,” Marcy said.
Sheila recoiled in shock. “If you would stop interfering, he’d see that I’m the best thing for him!” she stammered, pushing some stray bottle-blond hair from her face.
Marcy smirked. “I’m not doing anything. If you think you are the one he should be with, then go for it. I’m not stopping you.”
Sheila blinked and stared at Marcy.
“He certainly isn’t going to date someone like you anyway,” she spat.
“Someone like me?” Marcy said. Austin happens to think I’m beautiful, but whatevs’. She started to grin and stopped herself. Sheila waved her finger up and down in front of Marcy and made a face that looked like she had just sucked a lemon. Marcy folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Sheila. Marcy’d had enough now. This skinny bitch is delusional.
“Get out of my office…now.”
Sheila snorted. “You better back off,” she continued, “He doesn’t want you. He’s mine. Don’t even think about crossing me.”
She glared at Marcy and turned to leave, closing the door behind her.
Looks like he has his own stalker, Marcy mumbled to herself. Marcy unfolded her arms and put her elbows on her desk. Any thoughts of dating Austin were just that. She wasn’t prepared to act on them. How could she? Look at the crap she’d have to put up with! She liked her job and that was what she was going to focus on. Sheila could have him, she wasn’t interested in fighting over a new man. He’d made it pretty clear that he liked Marcy and she liked him, but it wasn’t the right time for them. Sheila was just trying to stir the pot. Little did she know, that Marcy had already decided to back off dating him anyway.
Chapter Thirteen
The next day at work, Marcy brought in her own lunch to eat at her desk. She wasn’t going to put herself out there, just to have more potential issues with people who didn’t like her. People like Sheila and Mick. She was definitely not ready to be in a relationship yet. She didn’t want to get hurt or have to leave her job.
That meant no more lunches with Austin and especially no more dates. She hoped he wouldn’t ask her out for lunch again. They had enjoyed their lunch together yesterday and she’d gone away from that thinking they could be friends. That was before crazy Sheila had a go at her for being around Austin. Besides, Marcy thought, There’s no way I could ever be just friends with him.
She had to keep things strictly professional and avoid him as much as possible. When he appeared at her door midday to ask her to lunch, Marcy pretended to be working at her computer and ignored him for a couple of moments, so she could make her lie believable.
“Wanna go to lunch?” he asked happily.
Marcy bit her lip and refused to make eye contact.
“I’m too busy, I can’t.”
Liar.
Instead of leaving, he stepped inside the office and closed the door.
“You need to eat. Bern tells me you’re caught up on everything. Surely you can spare a half hour?” he asked. Marcy stopped what she was doing and looked at him.
His eyes looked confused and a little sad. She hadn’t intended to hurt him. Biting her lip, she shook her head. “I’m fine, but I really can’t spare the time,” she snapped a little too quickly. She glanced at her monitor, hoping he would just go away. He put his hands in his pockets and then removed them again.
“What’s wrong? What has happened between yesterday and today? I thought we had a nice lunch yesterday and that you were feeling okay with the way things were going between us?” he asked softly.
Marcy rubbed her chin and sat up a little more straight in her chair. Just be honest. She sighed.
“There is no us and I don’t think there can ever be anything between us,” she murmured.
She watched as Austin stared at her, his eyes narrowed, his jaw flexed.
“Oh?” He sat down in the chair in front of her desk and placed his hands on his thighs.
Just go before I change my mind, she thought. Marcy felt her stomach do flips as she spoke again knowing it was a lie, “It was a mistake, going on a date. I’m just not…it won’t work,” she said as she looked down at her desk. She was playing with a pen that was lying on top of it, twirling it in circles on the desk.
Austin leaned over the desk and stopped her hand from moving.
“I want the truth. What’s really going on? I know you feel something for me. Why are you pretending you don’t?” he asked calmly.
Marcy thought for a moment before responding. She couldn’t lie anymore, “I do have feelings for you. I can’t explain how I can have them so strongly, when I barely know you…but I do.”
Austin furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I like you too Marcy, very much. I’m also very attracted to you…and I want to get to know you better. I can’t do that if you run scared every time I get close to you,” he said firmly, ”What’s made you change your mind about going out with me?”
She paused and swallowed hard. Just tell him. She pushed her hair over her shoulders and sat up a little taller. “Yesterday after we got back from lunch, Sheila stopped by my office.”
Austin’s fingers pressed into his thighs, as his jaw clenched, “Is that right? What did she say to you?”
“A few things…mostly sh
e ranted about how you belong to her since she had her sights on you since she got here. She tried to say that you told her that you weren’t interested in me. Then she finished off her tirade with a threat, telling me I'd better stay away from you.” Marcy paused and quickly added, “The whole thing just made me think of Mick and I don’t want to be caught up in another crazy person’s drama…I really think she’s unstable and don’t want to deal with that here at work.”
“She had no right saying any of that,” countered Austin. “She’s lying, you know that, right? I told you the night we went out that she won’t take no for an answer. She doesn’t stand a chance with me and never will. I understand now why you’re freaked out. I promised you that your job wouldn’t be affected and I mean it. I would never lie to you, I want you to know that,” he said.
Marcy nodded. “It’s okay. I knew she was lying. I’m glad you understand. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to just tell you that in the first place. I didn’t want you saying anything to her.”
Marcy felt a swell of emotion inside her. He seemed to be pretty pissed off at this turn of events. Everything about him revealed him to be a decent and honorable man. She wanted to get to know him even more, but her fear was still in charge. She frowned, “I don’t want any more drama in my life. I really like this job and won’t jeopardize it…” She felt tears threatening to spill.
Austin stood. His voice was smooth and gentle, “If you aren’t interested in dating me right now, that’s fine. I won’t push you. Right now, I’m just asking you to lunch. You need to eat.”
Austin’s voice was filled with compassion and disappointment. Marcy tucked some hair behind her ear. Her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. She hid her face in her hands. Austin moved around the desk to put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up from her hands.