by Marie Fraser
“Yeah, yeah,” Cade said. “So, how’d last night go?”
“Fine,” he said, not elaborating.
“I’m guessing, since you’re so descriptive, things didn’t quite go the way it would have, had I taken her home.”
“Probably not,” Danny replied, his irritation already on the boil.
“Well that sucks,” Cade answered. “She wouldn’t put out huh?”
“Oh, she was more than willing to sleep with me.”
“So what the hell happened?”
“Did it ever occur to you that sex shouldn’t just be something we do for fun or release?”
“Not really,” Cade said, opening the fridge, grabbing a beer and leaning against the counter in the galley kitchen as he popped the top. He took a long draw before he spoke again. “I don’t get you, man.”
“Alert the media,” Danny said, knowing full well he was taking out his frustration on his brother.
“No, I’m serious. You bring home a gorgeous, obviously willing woman and you act like you have to walk her down the damn aisle first or something. Hate to break it to you, but sometimes, sex is just sex.”
Danny pounded his fist on the counter. “I know that lots of people use sex for all sorts of reasons. Their own selfish, self-seeking reasons. I just…I don’t ever want to be used like that again.”
“Ouch,” Cade said, a grin splitting his lips. “Still letting Lily bait you, huh?”
***
Cade was ready when his brother’s fist plowed into his face. Still, the force knocked him back a step before he rebounded. He ducked under the second punch and caught Danny in the ribs, knocking the air out of him. Danny was a scrapper, but Cade knew he was always the better fighter. Grabbing his older brother in a headlock he took the opportunity to talk, uninterrupted.
“Look, bro. I love you, but you’ve got to stop letting that slut get to you. She used you and yeah, sometimes that sucks, especially when you felt more for her than she obviously did for you. But let it go, man. Get over her, because until you do, there ain’t a woman alive who’s going to get with you for more than a few quick rolls in the sack.”
“Let me go,” Danny said, no longer struggling.
“You good?”
“I’m not going to hit you again, Cade.”
“Good,” he replied. “I’d seriously have to hit you back if you did.”
Danny grinned. Leave it to his kid brother to bring him out of his funk. “It’s not that I think about Lily often. But when it comes to sex, I just…I don’t ever want to make a woman feel the way I did.”
“Not all women are looking for forever, bro.”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it has to be cheap either.”
“Enjoying sex for the sake of enjoying sex isn’t cheap,” Cade chuckled. “And it doesn’t cheapen it just because you don’t want to offer the girl a diamond ring and happily ever after.”
“Yeah, but-“
“No buts,” Cade said, holding out his beer in gesture. “If sex had to mean something every time, do you think hookers would be employed?”
That comment made Danny laugh. “Probably not,” he smiled, tinking his beer with his brother. “You staying?”
“You cooked didn’t you?”
***
Rebekah busied herself with her book store, It’s My Pleasure. Nothing dulled the mind like inventory; tallying numbers, inputting ratios, it sucked. Still, without it she wouldn’t be ready when the time came that a customer wanted a second copy of In the Age of Love and Chocolate by, Gabrielle Zevin.
“Mail call!” Rebekah heard as she came through the hallway and into the lobby where the reception desk was located. The massive room sported several stations where people could curl up with a book. She could also admit that her assistant’s idea to add a coffee shop, and small café on the perimeter of the store had been genius. They’d nearly tripled their traffic and therefore their sales, when the eatery and java stop opened.
“Hey Frank,” she said, giving the old man a kiss on his papery cheek.
“Hey Bekah.” She helped Frank lift the heavy boxes that contained inventory she’d have to tag and put up before the next day started. Then she offered him his usual cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich on the house.
“My Estelle gets so jealous that I eat here every day.”
“Then you’ll have to bring her by for breakfast on your next day off.”
“I might just do that,” he smiled. Lifting his coffee cup the old man gave Rebekah a wink. “Thanks, as always.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
The old man laughed as he walked outside.
“You’ve got a visitor,” Abby, her assistant said with a raised eyebrow.
Rebekah turned and felt her belly clench. Danny stood in the lobby looking around, absorbing everything. Then his bright eyes met hers and she felt nothing but cold fury. “Welcome to It’s My Pleasure.”
“Quite a place you have here,” Danny said.
“I like to read,” she said. “It seemed an easy choice to open a bookstore.”
“For some,” Danny said, shaking his head in agreement. “Not many people would be quite so successful, I’m assuming of course.”
“I’m successful enough,” she smiled.
***
Danny had a moment to think that she was frighteningly beautiful when she was pissed. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
“Here is fine,” she said, motioning to the room in general. Biting back both his embarrassment and his pride, Danny nodded.
“Alright then,” he said on a sigh. “I have reasons, which I didn’t want to announce to the public, why I chose not to take you up on your offer the other night.”
“Oh?”
“Sex is something special to me. In my opinion it’s not something you engage in just for the sake of rolling between the sheets. It should mean something more.”
“And this is a deal breaker for you? That I wanted to sleep with you simply for the enjoyment of sleeping with you?”
“I…yes, dammit.”
“Alright,” Rebekah said, infuriating him. When she turned away, his temper whipped out.
“Is that it then?” he all but growled. “You walk away as if there wasn’t something between us?”
“As far as I’m concerned there isn’t,” she said, turning back. He checked his temper and put it on simmer.
“So you didn’t feel anything when you kissed me?”
“I’ve kissed a lot of men,” she said simply. “I feel things for most of them. Obviously not the right combination of things as I’m not happily settled down. But feelings are like that, they come and go.”
“I’ll give you something that comes and goes,” Danny roared. His mouth was on hers, before he even realized that he’d yanked her against him. Hot and angry, he plundered, needing her surrender and just as quickly stepping back, mortified at himself. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry, Rebekah.”
Before he made an even bigger fool of himself, Danny walked out of the bookstore, ignoring anyone who might want to stop him on his way. So lost was he in his thoughts that he didn’t even noticed Rebekah, chasing him down the street.
“Danny!”
Turning, he finally noticed her just as she careened into him. “Jesus,” he said, catching her as she tackled him. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she said, breathless.
“Rebekah, I meant what I said. I had no right to put my hands on you.”
“No you didn’t,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it.”
Danny looked up into intelligent, dark chocolate eyes and wondered that he didn’t just spontaneously combust. He’d expected to see heat, desire maybe; but he hadn’t expected to see patience, understanding even. “Where do we go from here?”
“First, we’re going to get off the damn sidewalk so people stop staring,” she smiled. “Then, we’re going to lunch, you’re buying. After that, we’re going to figure out what’s be
tween us so we don’t go around acting like a couple of small-brained idiots.”
“Okay,” Danny said, grinning. “How about Oakley’s? It’s not too far, we can probably walk and they serve a hell of a burger this time of day.”
“Alright.”
***
Rebekah wondered at the Danny she was seeing now. He seemed miles away from the man in the apartment, although he was still gorgeous. Confident and easygoing, he was all gentleman. They ordered their lunch and she waited for their server to leave before she spoke. “So who hurt you?”
“What?”
“I’d venture a guess that you’re the only man I’ve ever come across who wouldn’t take a drunk girl up on her offer for guilt-free sex. The only reason I’m thinking you didn’t, that it has to mean something more to you; is because someone, somewhere in your past hurt you.”
Rebekah watched as his eyes, so wonderfully green spilled into a deep, brooding blue. Lust swam hot in her veins and only good breeding kept her in her seat. “I was seventeen,” Danny said. “Her name was Lily and I was crazy about her.”
Rebekah listened to the whole sordid tale, her heart aching for the young man who’d had his heart ripped out by a careless female. “No offense to her, but Lily was an idiot.”
Danny grinned. “Yeah well, she’s been gone from my life a long time and still I can’t seem to clear my system.
“Maybe you should try something new,” Rebekah said. “It might help give you a new perspective.”
“That’s the thing. I like sex, but I also like that it means something. I don’t want a woman who’d sleep with me just for sex.”
“Oh,” Rebekah said, inexplicably hurt. Why should it matter to her when the guy had already proven he wasn’t interested? She gave him a careless shrug. “Well, to each his own.”
He laid his hand over hers and she looked into fluorescent eyes. “I didn’t mean any offense, Rebekah.”
“None taken,” she said, lifting one shoulder to brush off the hurt that wouldn’t go away. “I like sex. It’s not something I’m ashamed of.”
“Maybe we could try again? Get to know each other without the buffer of a good buzz to interrupt?”
“Sure,” she said, not committing to anything.
“I heard the local theater is putting on a play.”
“You don’t work?”
“Oh, I do. I’m just off this six months. I took a much needed sabbatical. I needed a break after three years of straight work. Six contracts in a row and I was beat.”
“Must be nice to just take six months off.”
“Oh,” he smiled. “I worked hard for this break. Nearly died when a brush fire flared up into something larger. If it wasn’t for my crew, I’d be gone.”
Gripped, Rebekah encouraged him to keep talking. “I was caught inside the so-called ring of fire. Surrounded, I could feel the heat and smoke building, layer by layer. I was exhausted by the time I’d cut down my first tree, laboring hard to breathe. Fifteen minutes and I was crawling on the ground to survive. My crew got me out.”
“How?” she asked, riveted.
“Honestly?” he grinned. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me,” she challenged, arching one slim eyebrow to make her point.
“Alright,” Danny said, still smirking. “They taught me how to shift.”
“Shift what?”
“My body,” he said. “Before then, I only had an inkling of what my body was capable of. I…I’d never attempted to shift into my wolf.”
“Your wolf?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “Once I did that, I was able to leap through the fire to safety. Singed a few hairs, but all in all I was okay. They treated me for smoke inhalation and released me that same day.”
“Are you hearing yourself?”
“Of course,” Danny said, biting off a chunk of French fry. “And if I recall, I told you you wouldn’t believe me.”
“I expected something extravagant, but you want me to believe that you can shift into a living, breathing, bare your teeth and all, wolf?”
“I can show you,” he smiled. “If you want.”
Rebekah had never been one to step away from proof, especially something as outrageous as a wolf-man. “Alright. Time and place?”
“My place, tonight, eight. I’ll cook you dinner.”
“Deal,” she said, holding out her hand. “It’s how I do things.”
Chapter Three: Proof
Danny had dressed for the occasion. He was wearing his favorite boot cut jeans and a faded New York Yankees t-shirt. His dark brown hair was stuffed under a baseball cap sporting the same teams’ logo. He answered the door with his voice. “It’s open.”
“Hey,” she called, setting her purse on a stand by the door. “Your apartment is nice. I guess I didn’t notice so much last time.”
“You were almost asleep by the time I carried you up here.”
“Sorry,” she blushed. Danny had a moment to think she looked riotously beautiful when she was embarrassed.
“It wasn’t a big deal. Letting you sleep it off.”
“Right,” she said, obviously feeling out of place. “It smells great, whatever you’re cooking.”
“I decided on filet mignon with au jus sauce, fresh green beans with bacon and roasted mashed potatoes. I also sautéed some mushrooms and onions in case you liked those too.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “I figure we should eat well, since I’m cooking.”
“Do you always cook like this?”
“No,” he grinned. “Most of the time it’s grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.”
“Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”
“Exactly,” he agreed. “But, since it’s our first real meal together that we didn’t buy, I figured I’d try to awe you.”
“You succeeded.”
“Good,” he said with a nod. “There’s beer or champagne in the fridge, whatever you prefer. Wine glasses are in the cupboard above the fridge.” Danny couldn’t help looking when she stretched to get a glass. Her shirt rose up to show off a lovely bit of well-toned, creamy belly. “I suppose I should ask, whether you’d like to see me shift now, or after dinner.”
“Now,” she said. “Then we’ll have plenty to talk about after.”
“I should warn you, I’ll be naked, when I shift back. Perils of shifting in public.”
“We’re in private, as far as I know.”
He chuckled. She had a sense of humor and wasn’t that sexy? “That we are.” Danny put a lid on his green beans, turned off the burners for the au jus sauce and the steak and stepped into the living room. “Whatever you see or hear, the only thing you have to remember is that I won’t hurt you, ever.”
“I believe you,” she grinned, crossing her arms as if she didn’t really believe anything was going to happen.
The shifting, as always, started in his eyes first. Hazel eyes turned to a beautiful tan, shimmering out of focus as pain raced through his body. Dropping to his hands and knees, he jerked and groaned as shoulders slid back and arms lengthened into legs. His ribs rose up and widened to accommodate larger lungs and the majority of his wolf’s internal organs.
Hips turned inward and legs thickened in the thigh area and grew thin in the calves ending in massive paws with sharp nails. The last change was the bushy tail that now wagged back and forth.
***
Rebekah had never seen something quite so crazy. In a matter of seconds, a grown man had literally gone to the dogs. Now she was facing a huge, hairy dog who looked like he could kill her in one leap. She squealed and jumped back when he rolled onto his back and stuck his feet at her. “Oh, I wish I knew whether you could understand me.”
She laughed when the dog rolled over onto his stomach and tilted his head at her, his large tongue falling out of his mouth as he panted. He whined and nudged her with his nose. “I’ve never seen anything quite so odd and cool. Can you
turn back into a man now?”
She watched in awe as he did just that, standing naked where he’s just been laying. Wincing, he turned and headed to the fridge. Rebekah just stood there, gawking, when he chugged a gallon of milk. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his mouth. “I’ve never done well with the change, especially coming out of my wolf.”
“You understood me,” she said softly. “You knew what I said.”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “I have ears. I just can’t talk like you when I’m on all fours.”
“But how?”
“I’m not about to dive into the logic or how I do what I do. I just am. I can’t tell you how it all works. But when I’m stalking around like a hairy dog, I’m still a man inside. Just like I feel my wolf when I’m walking around like a man.”
“Do you like raw meat and things?”
“When I’m a man, I prefer rare to medium-rare. As a wolf, I can eat just about anything without it hurting me. That doesn’t mean that I don’t cringe a little inside.”
She grinned. “So beef tartar might not be on the menu when you come out of your wolf?”
“Probably not,” he grinned, grabbing a beer as he pulled on his t-shirt. “You want one?”
“Sure,” she said. She had a moment to appreciate how he filled out a pair of jeans as he turned to dish up their plates. They ate amicably, enjoying conversation as sexual tension hummed around them.
“So when did you know you could shift?”
“I didn’t,” he said. “Until my first fire season. I had no idea how to bring out my wolf. When the guys on my crew showed me I was seriously in awe. Inside I was jumping up and down, going ballistic. But when I shifted back I got sick. Then they started pumping protein into me, along with sugar.”
“I can imagine it takes a lot out of you to contort your body that way.”
“It does,” he smiled. “I got tested one time, to see just how many calories it burned. Just the shifting, especially coming back to a man, burns somewhere around fifteen thousand calories. The longer I’m in the wolf, the more I burn. Thankfully I can only shift to that one animal. I can’t imagine how I’d survive if I could shift into multiple animals.”