The Shifter Protector's Virgin (Stonybrooke Shifters)

by Ash, Leela

  Tammy looked at him in disbelief and shook her head.

  Lynx walked forward, his whole presence filling the diner with so much power she didn’t know where to look. She couldn’t meet his gaze, she was too hurt, too humiliated… All she could do was stare at the way his chest heaved under the vest he was wearing and the ripple of his muscles. She had been so enamored the night before that she hadn’t even noticed the tattoos across his knuckles and the ring in his ear. As he approached her, she found herself wanting to get up from the stool and take cover behind the counter. She wanted to make him pay for what he had done, to make him as embarrassed as she had been. But instead she looked up and allowed her eyes to lock with his, and in an instant she was claimed.

  “What are you doing here?” she tried to say angrily.

  Lynx sat down next to her and lay the rose on the counter.

  “I came to apologize,” he said seriously.

  Tammy looked at him deep in the eyes to try and gauge his sincerity. He seemed completely genuine.

  She got to her feet and turned her back to him. She walked to one of the booths in the corner and cleared the condiments and cutlery away to busy her hands.

  “I know you’re mad at me,” he said. “And I really am sorry.”

  She ignored him again and walked around the back of the counter so there was a barrier between them.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said sternly. “We were only talking for what, half an hour? You didn’t do anything.”

  He looked hurt at her dismissal. “I acted out of line,” he said, “And I want to make it up to you.”

  He picked up the rose and held it out to her. It was such a strange sight—this huge, dangerous man with his big strong hands clutching such a delicate flower. It was almost poetic. The rose could easily have been Tammy, ready to get crushed right there in his palm.

  She didn’t reach out and take it, but he didn’t lay it back down, either.

  “We had a connection,” he continued. “Something instant. I’m sorry for suddenly going cold.”

  Tammy scrunched up her lip and tried not to look fazed.

  “I’ll explain it all to you, but I wanted to come down here and apologize and let you know that I want to see you again. I want to take you out, properly…” he trailed off and his eyes moved over Tammy’s shoulder and into the kitchen.

  She turned to see what had caught his attention, and it was Mick, his eyes wide, listening to their every word. Tammy shooed him away and then turned back to Lynx. She could tell that he was certainly sorry.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said sternly, and then she turned and went back to the register, where she picked up her pen and notepad. “Now, can I get you something to eat or drink, sir?”

  A wicked smile flashed over Lynx’s lips. “How about a beer?” he asked.

  “Coming right up,” Tammy grinned cheerily.

  She unscrewed the cap on the beer and passed Lynx the bottle. When he took it from her, he kept hold of her hand and placed the rose inside of her fist.

  “I’m not leaving here until you accept this,” he said with his gruff voice. “And believe me, I mean it. I’ve never got a woman flowers before.”

  Tammy felt herself blushing, and he seemed to like it when she went shy on him. His lip curled with delight and his grip tightened around her wrist. As they looked into each other’s eyes, all of the passion and lust from the night before came flowing back, and Tammy could barely stand it. Her heart was pounding and she couldn’t look away, but she knew he was bad for her… How could she play his games and possibly win?

  “Thank you,” she whispered as she held the rose up to her face and breathed in its sweet scent.

  “No,” he smiled. “Thank you, for giving me a second chance.”

  “Well, I haven’t agreed to that yet,” Tammy said playfully. Lynx seemed to find it funny—he cracked a huge smile and looked down at the beer bottle before taking a deep swig.

  “I can tell you’re going to be the type to keep me on my toes,” he said.

  “Really?” Tammy was genuinely surprised. “I actually think it’s going to be the other way around…”

  Lynx winked at her and sipped his beer.

  “What time do you get off?” he asked hungrily.

  “I’m here for the rest of the night,” she said with disappointment.

  “Close early? I’ll take care of your boss for you…” Lynx suggested.

  As soon as he said it, all Tammy could think of was Marv and Red X and how Candy said one of the bikers had been there threatening him.

  “No!” she said defensively. “My boss is a good man… I don’t need him bullied, thank you.”

  “Hey,” he held up his hands. “Relax… I just meant I’d think up an excuse for you, that’s all.”

  Tammy felt embarrassed yet again. She had to stop jumping to conclusions. She was obviously getting him all wrong.

  “Okay,” she said finally. “I could close in say, two hours?”

  Lynx looked up at the clock on the wall and got to his feet.

  “I’ll be back for you at midnight,” he said with a wink. He walked slowly towards the door and out into the dark with so much swagger it was almost overpowering.

  As she saw him leave, her whole being seemed to be tingling with electricity. Her head was swimming with excitement, and all she wanted to do was scream and clap her hands with joy. She turned to the only other person capable of sharing this moment with her, but Mick was just looking at her with a judgmental expression.

  “Those bikers are trouble, girl,” he said matter-of-factly. “Better take care of yourself.”

  She dismissed him instantly and grabbed her purse before going into the ladies’ room. She was going to need all the time she had before he came back at midnight to prepare…

  ***

  In the restroom, she flipped her head upside down and managed to add volume to her hair with the hand dryer. When she rooted through her purse, she found that she had several bits of make-up hanging around in there, including the same pink lipstick she had worn earlier that day. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to remind herself that he had seen her at work and still wanted to ask her out, so surely he wasn’t expecting her to look exceptional. Her confidence was going up and down like a rollercoaster… One moment she felt on top of world and ready to open her heart and her mind to a new relationship, and the next she was questioning everything. She couldn’t understand what a man like him could possibly see in her when he was used to such a crazy lifestyle, but then a little voice at the back of her mind told her that maybe that was the point. Maybe he saw something genuine and safe in Tammy… Someone innocent, reliable, and kind.

  “Just keep your feet on the ground,” she told herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had never been one for giving self pep talks, but she figured if she was ever going to do it, this was as good a time as any.

  She opened the door to the restroom and strode strongly back into the restaurant. It was almost midnight, and she couldn’t wait a moment longer.

  “Okay, Mick,” she called back to the kitchen. “Shut it all down. We’re getting out of here.”

  Mick rolled his eyes but started to close down the kitchen. Tammy turned off the lights one by one. She locked the front door and turned the sign to say they were closed.

  “Don’t you think Joe will be mad?” Mick asked nonchalantly.

  “It’s only an hour,” she said. “It’s been dead all evening.”

  “I guess.” Mick grabbed his coat and headed for the back door. “Oh, and Tam,” he said. “Don’t worry, your little secret is safe with me.”

  She smiled sheepishly and waited for him to leave. She didn’t know whether he had meant it genuinely, or as a bribe or a threat, but she didn’t care. As she closed up the diner and locked the back door, she could sense that she was on the verge of something big, and she couldn’t wait to find out what lay ahead.


  7.

  She waited behind the diner and looked up at the stars. It was such a clear night and although it was still warm, there was a definite breeze in the air. It whipped around her ears and blew her hair over her shoulders as she looked up at the heavens. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the moon hung big and full over the mountains to the west. She gripped her purse tightly and walked slowly around to the front of the diner. On the highway, trucks thundered past with a toot of their horns and she was thankful they could see the diner was closed. She had even turned off the neon roadside sign and would explain to Joe the next day that she had heard some strange buzzing coming from it and was worried it may spark and set off a desert fire from being so old.

  She felt like she was waiting there for an eternity. Even though she knew she left the diner earlier than midnight, she began to second guess everything as she waited at the roadside for Lynx. Then she snapped herself back to reality.

  Nothing’s even happened. You’re just going for a ride and a talk, she told herself.

  The more she thought, the more she convinced herself that he was just interested in friendship… Maybe he went cold because he has a girlfriend? But then why would he turn up with a rose?

  The more time that she had to think, the more she drove herself crazy with theories, and when she finally heard the roar of the motorcycle’s engine coming out of the night and over the rise, she breathed out a long sigh of relief.

  He was coming for her.

  And he was near.

  She bit the end of her pinky as she waited to catch sight of him through the darkness. The light at the front of the bike pierced through like a laser and she held her hand up to her eyes and squinted. Lynx spun into the parking lot and the wheels kicked up a spray of dust and dirt.

  “Hey, babe,” he said smoothly.

  Tammy felt a rush somewhere deep inside of her that she hadn’t felt for a long time. She waited for him to come to her, and when she saw him standing tall and proud after he climbed off the bike, she knew again why it was impossible to ignore him. Even if he had upset her the night before, he was there now and taking it all back. And he looked utterly incredible.

  Lynx held out his hand, and she slid hers into it. Hers was so small compared to his. As he pulled her close to him and lifted her at the waist to place her delicately on the back of the bike, she felt a little pulse of fear.

  “I’ve never been on one of these before,” she said as she looked up at him with innocent eyes. “Don’t go too fast.”

  Lynx let out a low laugh as he climbed on in front of her and pulled her arms around his waist.

  “Well, then,” he said as he revved the engine, “I suggest you hold on tight.”

  He kicked the bike into gear and spun them out of the parking lot with a screech of the wheels. Tammy pulled him close and squealed as he joined the highway and began gaining speed.

  “Oh my God!” she cried as she laughed and nuzzled into the back of his neck.

  She didn’t know what she’d been expecting from climbing onto such a powerful machine with him, but the feeling was so exhilarating and exciting, she felt like she was on top of the world.

  “Faster!” she found herself calling to him, and Lynx nodded and pushed the bike harder, propelling them down the highway and weaving in and out of cars and trucks.

  As they flew at breakneck speed, Tammy could barely catch her breath. She clung to him like a child, and even though she knew what they were doing was dangerous, she was loving every second.

  Lynx turned off the highway and started down the quieter streets that led into town. She had no idea where he would take her at that time of night, but she was open to anything. After spending so much of her life being sheltered, she felt like she was finally breaking free.

  He finally slowed as they approached Main Street and, after pulling the bike up towards the curb, turned off the engine. Tammy’s heart was still racing as he climbed off the front and held out his hand for her to join him.

  “That was wild,” she laughed as she slipped her hand into his and climbed down from the bike. “My heart is about to burst out of my chest.”

  Lynx smiled and pulled her along the sidewalk towards the convenience store, which was the only thing open on Main Street that time of night. The automatic doors slid open, and Matt, one of the workers there, looked up and was panic stricken for a moment before he noticed Tammy.

  “Hey, Tam,” he called to her. She waved back at him shyly.

  Lynx pulled her along to the refrigerators at the back of the store and held her hand as he picked out a crate of beers.

  “What would the lady like?” he asked with a smile.

  Tammy shrugged and was about to say she didn’t know when he leaned forward and collected a bottle of chilled white wine. He held it up to her, and she smiled.

  “You’re a classy girl,” he said. “I’m guessing you didn’t enjoy that whiskey I got for you last night.”

  Tammy smiled and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She hadn’t liked it, but she was never going to admit it to him.

  At the cash register, Matt stared at them as if he couldn’t figure out what on earth was happening. Tammy pretended as if there was nothing at all interesting about her standing there with one of the outlaws. As they turned and left, she waved again over her shoulder and just hoped to God he wouldn’t let it slip to her father or Dean. The last thing she needed was the third degree from either of them.

  Lynx held onto her hand, and they walked slowly across the road and out into the back streets of Slate Springs. Tammy never would have walked down there alone at night, but with Lynx by her side, she knew she was safe. The town wasn’t the kind of place where bad things happened to the locals, but you could still never tell. And with all the rumors of what the bike gang brought to town, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

  “I stumbled across this place one night,” he said as he gripped her hand tight. “I needed to get out of the clubhouse just to think for a while, and I ended up riding down here.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You’ll see,” he looked down at her and smiled.

  As they turned the corner, the streets opened out and in the middle of four connecting roads was Springs Park. Tammy looked up at him and smiled.

  “You’d never been to the park before?” she asked sweetly.

  “Never had reason to. I’m not from around here.”

  Tammy smiled and let him lead her into it. They walked across the grass, and she kicked off her shoes so she could feel the wetness still clinging to it softly from the sprinklers.

  “Where are you from?” she asked as he sat down on a bench and pulled a beer free from the cardboard case.

  “Is it important?” He cocked his head to the side playfully.

  She decided to try a different approach. “Well, have you been here in Slate Springs long?”

  He nodded slowly and then took a swig from the bottle.

  “I’ve been here a very long time,” he said sadly.

  She recognized the same look in his eyes from the night before and knew that she couldn’t bare for him to dismiss her again. Whatever had happened to Lynx, Tammy was obviously reminding him of it or was bringing it back to the surface. She picked up her shoes and went over to sit down next to him.

  “You know, you were right about our connection,” she said. “But if you don’t tell me what the matter is, I’m just going to keep thinking you don’t really like me.”

  “I think we’re just alike, that’s all,” he said with the same sadness. “What you talked about last night brought something up that I hadn’t thought about in a long time.”

  Tammy cast her mind back and tried to remember how their conversation had gone, but she’d just told him a brief summary of her life and didn’t really understand how that could have moved him so deeply.

  “My mother,” he said finally, as if reading her mind. “What you said last night about you being rais
ed by your dad and your brother… Well, it just kind of struck a chord.” He took a swig again and wiped his forehead.

  “In what way?” She moved closer to him.

  “I was on my own for a long time,” he said. “Foster homes… Horrible places… I didn’t have a family until I found the Forsaken Riders, and when I moved in with them, it was the first place I called home.”

  Tammy felt her throat tighten. She hadn’t been expecting such an honest confession.

  “I’m only telling you this because I realized how I acted yesterday, and I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t genuine,” he turned to look her deep in the eyes. “I like you a lot,” he said. “But I guess I’m still battling some of my own demons.”

  Tammy reached out and let her fingertips graze the top of his knuckles.

  “I know how it feels to feel alone and lost,” she said quietly. “I know what happened to me isn’t quite the same, but I know how it feels to lose people you love.”

  Lynx tensed up and shook out his shoulders.

  “I shouldn’t have said anything,” he said gruffly.

  “Why shouldn’t you?” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Maybe we’re more alike that we realized. Don’t people always say that the ones who walk into your life come for a reason?”

  Lynx nodded his head slowly and smiled. “I guess they do.” He looked down at her.

  As she looked up at him and at how stunningly attractive he was, she saw his eyes held so much hurt and emotion. They were so blue and deep, it felt as if she could fall into them and get lost forever. Lynx was nothing like she expected him to be… He was strong, yet sensitive. He was powerful, yet could be soft. He was a real man, and yet he wasn’t afraid to be honest about how he was feeling. Tammy squeezed his hand again and wished she was a little bit closer.

  She unscrewed the cap on the wine and took a sip straight from the bottle. The air between them was heavy with silence and although she wanted to ask him more about what had happened to him in his past, it was hardly a great way to start their first date.