by V. Vaughn
The warmth that fills my heart makes a smile cover my entire face, and I don’t resist the urge to say, “Awww.” Although what he just told me shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the way he’s been so devoted to me in the past two weeks trying to help me get my memory and our life back. I try to imagine how I felt when he approached me in the bar. I was probably awestruck. “And you asked me out?”
He nods. “I don’t even remember who you were there with, but we sat and talked for hours about everything. Both of us nursed our one drink because we couldn’t even be bothered to order more. Bruce and your friend dragged us out of there when the place closed down. The next day we went out for coffee and walked around a bookstore together.”
“A bookstore? Really?”
He nods. “Yeah, why does that surprise you?”
“I don’t know, you just don’t seem the book type.”
He winks at me. “Hey, I read. I’m a learned man.”
I give him a smirk and tilt my head, ready to tease him as I ask, “What’s your favorite book?”
“The Call of the Wild by Jack London,” he says with a sharp nod.
I smile. “Of course, it is. I’ll admit that is a great book.”
His eyes widen and he grabs my arms with a beaming grin.
“What?”
“You remember reading that book?”
I pause and think for a second. “I must have, as I remember cheering hard for Buck.”
“You read that book after we met. I told you it was my favorite, so you read it. But Lexi, I think this is the first thing you’ve remembered that happened after we met.”
Excitement fills me. “Maybe this is going to work.”
He nods with the same hope. “It’s too late today, but what if we go on our first date again tomorrow? We met around lunch time, so we can drive into town around the same time.”
“Sounds perfect.” I snag another cookie and wolf it down.
Tristan gets up to pour us glasses of milk and then returns to eat cookies with me. When I grab my fifth one, he smiles as if he’s impressed and says, “I love how much you eat.” Before I can get embarrassed, he launches into another story. “One time we went to an all-you-can-eat buffet during a road trip to Devil’s Tower and nearly got kicked out because both of us,” he grabs a cookie to hold up as emphasis, “eat a lot of food. You ate three overflowing plates of spicy chicken wings. The entire wait staff watched you eat the last plate like they’d never witnessed such a thing. When the manager stood close with his arms crossed, glaring at us, you suggested that the fourth plate might not be a good idea.”
As he continues his story, I notice the joy in his face. When he adds that we asked the manager where to get the biggest ice cream sundaes and the man happily shoved us out of the place, I reach out to touch his hand.
He glances down at our connection and flips his palm up to thread his fingers through mine. As he begins another story, the warmth of him holding my hand travels up my arm and hope fills my heart. For the first time since waking up in that cold, sterile hospital bed, I feel like everything could be okay. And I pray the reenactment of our first date is going to work, because my feelings for Tristan are growing deep, and I want to have every reason in the world to stay with him.
Chapter 20
TRISTAN
The next day, I wait for Lexi in the kitchen while she finishes putting on makeup and doing her hair for our date. I told her that she had her hair up in a bouncy ponytail and wore jeans and a V-neck T-shirt that really accentuated her amazing rack. She giggled and smacked me on the shoulder for that, and I’m still smiling about it.
Even though it was a traumatic experience when she shifted, the person she’s become since then is so much like the old Lexi it was worth it. I’m dressed in jeans and a maroon button-down shirt. The same clothes I wore on our first date. I was trying to appear casual and relaxed, but I’m almost as nervous now as I was then.
Lexi comes out of the bedroom, just as cute as I remember her the first time we went out, and I smile. “You really are the prettiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
She blushes, which I find endearing, and I want to sweep her into my arms. But it’s supposed to be our first date, so I hold out my arm and ask, “Are you ready to go?”
She nods as she links her arm in mine. “I’m nervous, and I bet this is how I felt that day.”
“Me too. I think it’s perfect,” I say. “And just so you know, the town we are going to is a shifter town. Everyone knows everyone else and what kind of shifter they are.”
She gapes at me. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope. Every single one. Even the mayor.”
She blinks at me, like she still can’t believe it.
“Also, word has gotten out that you’ve lost your memory, and no one will be surprised if you don’t remember them. So, don’t worry about any of that.”
Once we get outside, she says, “Okay.” She blows out a breath and rubs at her belly. “My stomach is turning summersaults.”
“Well of course is, it’s our first date.” I tug open the passenger door of my car to let her in. “And you really want me to like you.”
She chuckles. “I guess I do.” She holds out her hand to show me it’s shaking. “See? Nervous.”
I grab her hand and bring it up to my mouth to kiss the back. “You’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She looks up at me with those soulful brown eyes and I recognize the look. It makes my heart skip a beat before she reaches up on her toes to kiss me. It’s light, just a brushing of her lips, but damn if it doesn’t zing right down my body.
I love kissing her and have to resist the urge to grab her and make it more. “Hey, now, you didn’t kiss me on the first date, not until the end when I walked you to your car.”
She laughs. “Sorry. I’m kind of pushy, huh?” She gets in my car and gazes up at me with a coy look that makes blood rush down yonder. “Who knew I was that kind of girl?”
It’s about a forty-five-minute drive to Heartland, and as I start the car, I recall how we would often argue about what music to play as we drove places. She likes pop and I like country. I decide to test her and put on some Kenny Chesney before we hit the road. Lexi sits patiently for one song and then reaches over to turn down the music. “Got anything else? Something catchier?”
I chuckle. “You mean what you like?”
She grins. “It’s got to be better than this.”
I roll my eyes at her and put on some Lady Gaga, pleased that every day more and more of her personality is shining through. Despite not having memories of her life and her past, she’s still the same person. And I’m relieved, because when she first woke up, I wasn’t sure if that was how it was going to work out.
I park on Main Street near the little bookstore that doubles as a café, and I say, “I was early and waiting for you inside. You arrived right on time.”
When we get out on the sidewalk, Lexi looks down at a pretend watch on her wrist. “You better get in there. It’s almost time for me to be punctual.”
“Right,” I say and scurry inside.
“Afternoon Tristan,” says the owner of the shop, a kind older woman named Delilah.
“Nice to see you, Delilah.”
Before we have a chance to exchange pleasantries, the little bell on the door tinkles announcing Lexi’s arrival, and Delilah’s face lights up with a genuine smile. She waves a wrinkled hand at me. “I’ll leave you to it.”
I phoned ahead to let Delilah know what we were trying to do for Lexi’s memory. She approved and was thrilled to help. I smooth a hand down my shirt and recall how nervous I was that day. My stomach even flips a little in solidarity as I smile at Lexi. I let out a sigh. The sun is shining in through the glass door just as it was for our first date, and it backlights her hair as she walks slowly toward me, every bit the angel I imagined.
“Hi,” I say. And yes, I’m a little breathless when I do.
“Hello.” Lexi’s lips twitch as she tries to pretend she’s shy about this, but she fails and a smile fills her face with beautiful radiance.
I’m tempted to drop character too and gather her in my arms. I want to kiss her, peel our clothes off, and engage in way more. But I keep my hands to myself and clear my throat before asking, “Can I buy you a coffee?”
“Sure.”
We go to the coffee bar, and I order myself a regular coffee, sweet and lite, and a cappuccino for her. After I pay, I hand her Lexi her drink. “This is when you take a sip and get foam on your upper lip.”
“Oh, okay.” Lexi takes a sip making sure to get milk on her face. “Now what?”
“Now I spend a few painful moments trying to decide if I should tell you.”
“You’d better have,” she warns playfully.
“I did, and you blushed.”
She giggles and licks the foam from her lip, her delicate pink tongue moving slowly as she gives me a smoldering look. The kind that sends heat to all the right places.
I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but that’s the second time she’s been forward on our date. And I’ve got to say, I really like where this might be headed. “Ahem, ah—we—we walked around the bookstore next.”
Lexi covers her mouth to hide a grin, and I think she knows exactly how her flirting is affecting me. We wander around the shop to browse the books and crafty knickknacks that Delilah also sells.
We turn a corner and run into a woman with long hair that’s so blond it’s almost white. “Lexi,” the woman cries as she reaches out for her hands. When Lexi appears confused, she says, “Oh, pardon me. I heard about your accident. I’m Fiona, and we lunch together from time to time.” She tsks. “You poor thing, we must get together when you’re feeling better.” She practically sings out, “I’m going to need your help again this year for the charity ball!”
“Hi, Fiona,” Lexi says. “Nice to—ah, see you.”
I imagine Lexi is a bit overwhelmed and say, “We’re headed to the horror section,” as I tug Lexi along.
“Ciao!” Fiona calls after us.
I whisper once we’re out of earshot. “Fiona’s a Persian cat shifter,” and Lexi snickers, getting exactly what I mean.
We run into more than one resident after Fiona, and they all offer pleasant greetings and well wishes. By the time the fourth person comes up to us, though, Lexi’s smiling and thanking people as if she’s enjoying the attention. It’s obvious everyone loves her and wants to help, and I imagine Lexi feels good about who she is. This fills me with happiness too. It’s great to be supported by the entire community.
As we wander, Lexi picks up books to check them out. She grabs one and elbows me. “Taming Shifter Fur by Rosemarie Hastings,” she says as she flips it open to the table of contents. “How to keep sheep curls looking good. How to brush your tiger’s coat.” She gives me a playful look. “We should get this for you.”
I laugh softly with her, and she puts the book down to pick up another. “Oh, this one looks good. Building Your Backyard Tiger Shifter Playground. She hugs the book to her chest and grins at me. “We should definitely pick this one up.”
“I already have one of those,” I say with a twinkle in my eye. “But it’s indoors.”
She lets out a small gasp, but I notice an evil smile as her cheeks pinken, and she sets the book down. “What kinds of things did you learn about me on our first date?” she asks as she takes my arm.
I tuck her in close and explain how she told me she was born in California and raised by her aunt. She moved to Heartland, Wyoming, four years ago because she’d heard it was a friendly town for shifters, and she wanted to be someplace where she didn’t have to hide who she truly was. But she was shocked by the cold during the first winter and questioned her sanity a few times before she began to settle in.
“Do I like the cold any better now?” she asks.
I shake my head. “You tolerate it, and it has gotten easier now that you know how to dress to stay warm.”
She squints at me. “Layers?”
“Finally, something I taught you is coming back,” I tease. We’re back at the entrance of the book store, and our coffees are long gone. I glance at the door. “It’s the end of our date. Ready to go?”
She nods, and we walk outside to my SUV. She stands by her door and asks, “Is this where we kissed?”
“Yes. Except it was your car I walked you to.”
Parting her lips, she lifts up on her toes and drapes her arms over my shoulders. “I bet this was my favorite part.”
Our lips meet, and I slide a hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss. It’s sweet and sexy, and she even lets out a tiny purr like the first time we kissed.
When we break apart, Lexi steps back and scans me with her gaze. She coyly says, “That was some kiss, Tristan. Exactly how far did we go on our first date?”
It was quite a kiss, and my jeans are now tighter in some places than they used to be. I wish I could tell her we went all the way, but I won’t. I sigh and avoid the question by pulling her in for another kiss, and I hope she’ll be on board with rewriting history too.
Chapter 21
LEXI
After he gives me the kind of kiss that makes me curl my toes and want more, Tristan says, “I’d love to tell you that we went further on the first date, but the truth is we waited until the fourth date before we had sex.” I think he wants more too because his voice is husky when he adds, “Not that I was counting or anything.”
I laugh, and my belly flips as I wonder if I counted too. Once we’re both strapped in the car and he starts to drive, I get bold. “I want to skip ahead to date four.” When he looks over at me, I lower my voice to a sexier tone. “Are you okay with that?”
His eyebrows go up, and another car’s horn blares before he darts his gaze back to the road to swerve back into our lane. He chuckles. “Does that answer your question? But, Lexi, are you sure you’re ready for that step forward?”
Hell, yes! My lion screams in my head. But I don’t need her help. My human side is completely convinced it’s the right thing to do. Besides, maybe hot sex will help me remember him. I say, “There’s nothing I want to do more.”
Tristan presses his foot down on the gas, making the engine rev with the kind of passion I’m feeling, and using his tiger reflexes, he drives faster than he probably should to get us home.
Before I can do more than get my seat belt undone, Tristan yanks my door open and scoops me up. I let out a squeal as he carries me inside, but I love it. He kicks his bedroom door open and deposits me gently on my feet. His nostrils flare as his chest heaves, and he gazes at me with so much heat in his eyes I practically combust. “Lexi,” he says in a breathy voice as he takes my face in his hands.
“Tristan.” I let out a whimper of need as I clutch at his chest, and we crush each other with a kiss. I purr as he sweeps his tongue over mine, nipping and suckling on my lips. And then it turns hungry and almost desperate before he moves his mouth down my neck, tugging on my ponytail to get better access.
I inhale the scent that permeates his room. It’s his scent, human mixed with the musk of his tiger, and my lion wants bathe in it. Any concerns I had about us being awkward disappear, because he wants me as much as I want him, and nobody cares who leads the way.
Our hands fumble as we work on stripping each other of our clothes. We manage to remove shirts as Tristan pushes me back toward his bed, and when the back of my knees bump against the mattress, he drags his tongue up my neck to my ear, making tiny hairs stand up on my skin. He whispers, “You are so damn sexy.”
I let out a little sigh at his words, and his hand caresses my breast. My nipple pushes against the silky fabric of my bra, and pleasure races to my core when he rubs a thumb over the hard, sensitive nub. His touch inflames me, and a ball of heat swells at my center. I reach back to unhook my bra because I want his hands on my skin.
The moment t
he garment falls to the floor with a soft whoosh, Tristan’s mouth is on my breast, and he pulls a moan from my lips before I croak out. “All your clothes off. Now.”
Tristan chuckles and rises up to strip off his jeans as I remove mine. Before I can wiggle out of my panties, he pushes me back on the bed, and I bounce on the mattress as he lets out a growl and crawls over my hips to grab my underwear in his teeth. He must have managed to extend his tiger incisors, because he slices through my panties, tugs them off me with his mouth, and tosses them aside. The motion is the sexist thing I’ve ever witnessed, and my insides are trembling in response. His eyes are dark, and his lips are ruby red as he licks them with a hunger that makes me whimper. “Please, Tristan.”
I have no idea what I’m asking for, but as he gazes down at me, his eager and ravenous look makes me think he does. He drops to his knees and nudges my thighs open to spread my legs. “Oh, god.” I let out a small cry when he dives in, and I’m breathless as he works me over with his tongue.
Intense, untamed heat surges throughout my body. Every inch of my flesh quivers like a live wire as Tristan lavishes his attention on my pussy. Suckling, lapping, and nipping at my clit, again and again until I cry out. I thrash beneath him before I manage to grab hold of his hair and grip it for a wild ride. And just when I don’t think I can take any more, I lose myself in the spiraling abyss of my orgasm.
As I quake in the aftermath, he lifts his head and locks his gaze with mine. His eyes have a yellow glow, very much like his tiger. And my lion pushes forward to answer his unspoken call. It unnerves and excites me.
“You taste so damn good, Lexi,” he says in a gravelly voice that resembles a growl. He moves between my legs again and lifts my feet to put my legs over his shoulders. “As I recall, you’re just getting warmed up.”