Juneau Heat (3 page)

She made a
sound of mock annoyance. “Glad to meet with your approval, oh great Kotori.”

 
Birk chuckled at the scowl on Kotori’s face,
and they headed out. The restaurant they’d agreed on was a nice, quiet place,
but driving by the port, Shiya exclaimed, “Oh, I wanted to try that place. They
say you can see planes taking off right beneath you, and it’s a great view of
the water and the ships coming in.”

Birk
hesitated. “Baby, there are two cruise ships at port.” He pointed with his
chin. If we go there now, there’s a possibility of it being crowded and having
slow service. Tourists everywhere.”

“I’m a
tourist,” she reminded him. “Okay, we can go wherever you want.”

She
wriggled her feet in the boots and turned them side to side. “After trusting
you two to selecting my boots, I’m good.”

“Well as
long as you’re good,” he teased.

She smacked
his arm.

They walked
into the restaurant not too long later, and Birk kept his hand at Shiya’s back
as he held the door for her. Kotori followed behind them. Just as he knew it
would be, the place was full, but not overcrowded. The low lighting and the
music worked, in his opinion, along with great food he enjoyed. Besides that,
he and Kotori were good friends with the owner.

“Birk,
Kotori,” came a shout from several feet away. Heads turned in their direction,
and Birk stepped forward to shake Laramie’s hand.

“Been a
while, Laramie.”

“Good to
see you, Birk. You dragged this beast out of the mountains, I see,” his friend
commented, and they laughed together.

From the
corner of his eye, Birk noticed Shiya perk up at Laramie’s choice of words. Did
she think they would slip and admit what they were? He intended to pull her
close to him, enjoy her, and draw her family in. Then he would take them all
down so they would never come to Alaska again. His people would remain safe,
which was his and Kotori’s number one priority. Whether the hunters’
destruction would include Shiya wasn’t clear yet. He’d already broken his
resolve just getting involved with her.

“This is my
friend from outside,” Birk told his friend.

Laramie’s
attention locked on Shiya’s chest, and Kotori grunted a warning from behind
them. “Welcome, little lady. Whatever I have is yours.”

Shiya
tugged her hand free of his when he held it too long. “Thank you.” She cast a
confused glance at Birk. “What do you mean I’m from outside?”

They all
chuckled again at her expense. Laramie was the one to explain. “That just means
you are from outside of Alaska. There is our wonderful state of Alaska, and
there is outside.”

“Meaning
everybody else. Gotcha.” She shook her head in amusement.

Soon they
were provided with a nice table in the corner, and Birk perused the menu. Shiya
did as well, but Kotori always ordered the same meal, so he didn’t need to
look.

Birk
ordered sauvignon blanc for the three of them, and put a hand on the back of
Shiya’s to lean closer to her. “Have you decided?”

Her head
popped up, bringing her mouth dangerously close to his. He remained where he
was, watching the emotions flit across her expressive face, and then raised an
eyebrow when she didn’t say anything.

“Oh yeah,
um, can I get the halibut on a bed of green beans, and I also want salmon
chowder, please. I’ve never had that. I wonder if it tastes similar to clam
chowder. Guess I’ll find out.”

Birk put in
his and Shiya’s order and let Kotori handle his. When Kotori’s appetizer
arrived before the rest of the food, Shiya watched him eat the grilled tiger
prawns with cherry tomatoes. Her interest in the food was so obvious, he picked
one up and fed it to her. Shiya bit into the meat and moaned as she chewed.

“Mm, that’s
so good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I saw you eating.” She stuck a
finger to her mouth and licked a bit of sauce from it. Both Birk and Kotori
caught her wrist and put her hand down. She looked from one to the other.
“What?”

“Nothing,
I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Birk murmured.

When she
was done and had cleaned her fingers on a tissue, she turned to Kotori. “Okay,
so I know Birk’s a vet. What about you, Kotori? What do you do?”

His friend
didn’t hesitate or look away from her face, which told Birk she was special for
him as well. “I own several fishing vessels and supply many of the local
restaurants and a few in Anchorage.”

“Nice.”

Birk’s mind
drifted while they spoke, and he sat in silence, half following the conversation.
His thoughts were more consumed with Shiya and their plans for her. He and
Kotori spoke the truth when they said they’d shared lovers.

A female
shifter had the drive and the strength to take both him and his buddy, but this
was their first time with a human. As an African-American, she was also a
first, because of the low population percentage in Juneau for her race. If he
had found a woman like Shiya who tempted him like she did, he would have
already enjoyed her. Race meant nothing to him, but he had to admit, Shiya’s
smooth cocoa skin intrigued him and gave him fantasies of licking it from top
to bottom. She would give in to their desires, but would she be able to handle
him, let alone Kotori? Maybe it was a mistake to share her when every move she
made, every sound and gesture, reminded him of how much he wanted her. Even
now, he envisioned reaching across the table and ripping her blouse open so he
could see her nipples. To think of holding those heavy globes in his palms
hardened his dick to the point of discomfort.

“Hey!”

Birk
blinked and focused on Shiya’s face.

“Where were
you?” She smiled at him, and he felt a stirring inside. He’d been in love once,
and it turned out badly. He didn’t care to repeat it, ever.

“I’m right
here.” He laid a hand on her thigh and slid it higher. Seeing the desire he
evoked pleased him as he pushed a finger against the spot where her clit hid.
He cursed the jeans for keeping him from the treasure. Shiya bit her bottom
lip, and her lashes fluttered down before she forced her head up. She covered
his hand and pushed it back.

“That’s not
playing fair.”

“I don’t
remember agreeing to fair.”

She turned
to Kotori. “Don’t you think he’s cheating?”

“He cheats
at cards too,” was the rough reply.

Shiya
laughed, and he frowned at his friend. “Thanks a lot, buddy.”

Kotori
shrugged. “I always tell the truth.”

When a
light of interest shone in Shiya’s expression, he should have known she would
pounce on Kotori’s words. “Do you? Well tell me this.”

Birk
stiffened.

“Are you
married, or do you have a girlfriend? Have you ever slept with a black woman?”

Her
questions surprised Birk. Did she let the opportunity slip by on purpose? She
could have asked Kotori anything, like did he believe in shape-shifters, or was
he one. She could have queried him in any number of ways that would lead her
closer to the affirmation that they were what she thought—polar bear shifters.
Then again, this could be her tactic to make them trust her, to get careless
and let her into their world. If so, she was a very clever woman, and
unfortunately, the knowledge made him want her more.

“No to all
three,” Kotori admitted.

“Does that
cancel the deal?” Birk interrupted. “That we have not been with a black woman?”

“Well
there’d have to be a deal . . .” One side of her mouth turned up playfully.
“But no, it doesn’t. We’re not talking a relationship anyway.”

“How long
can we keep you?”

She
grinned. “I have two weeks—longer if I need it.”

Something
in the way she said “if I need it” made him think her family had pressured her
to get it done. Didn’t she do this kind of thing all the time? He wondered just
how much of the personal information she shared with him was true, and what was
all a part of the hunter’s plan. They had no conscience when it came to getting
what they wanted.

When their
dinner arrived, they ate and chatted about what Shiya wanted to do the next
day. Taking the tram up Roberts Mountain stood at the top of the list. He had
no problem escorting her, but his and Kotori’s goal included getting her into
bed by the next day.

The night
turned bitter cold by the time they left the restaurant. Birk yielded to Kotori
when he wrapped an arm around Shiya’s shoulders and drew her into his side. She
moaned softly, a sound that vibrated along his nerve endings and ended in his
ball sac.

“You’re so
warm, Kotori,” she murmured from his chest, and when they climbed into the SUV,
Kotori took the front seat across from him, putting Shiya on his lap. Yeah,
they would have her tomorrow for sure.

At the
entrance to Shiya’s room, Birk decided to take things to the next level so
there would be no misunderstandings. He stood above her, crowding her space.
She had nowhere to go but into his arms with the door at her back. “I think
it’s time for me to show you what you’re missing.”

“You’re
that confident, huh? I’d heard that . . .”

He leaned
down, bringing his lips within an inch of hers. The warmth of their breaths
mingled, and he tilted his head a little, but waited to claim what he desired.
“You’d heard what?”

She seemed
to change her mind about whatever it was she’d intended to say. “I heard
Alaskan men are bold.”

“Hm, I
can’t speak for the rest. I know what I want, and I don’t hesitate to take it.”

“And if I
said no?”

He grinned.
“You won’t say no.”

Then he
covered her mouth and explored the sweet interior. He cupped her face just
beneath her ear and took the kiss deeper. Sweeping her tongue with his own, he
tangled the two together and showed her what he had in store. A hand around her
waist, he drew her tight to his chest until he flattened her breasts. A cry of
pleasure escaped her, and only then did he raise his head and take a step back.
She reached a hand to her swollen lips, her gaze unfocused, but before she
could recover, Kotori moved in.

He laid his
hands at her waist. “My turn.” She had just enough time make a small noise of
surprise when he raised her off her feet. Kotori crushed her to him, molding
her body to his and giving Birk visions of the two of them taking her—one in
front, the other in back. His friend ran a hand over Shiya’s back until he
reached her ass, and then he squeezed the round cheek until she murmured
against his mouth. He forced her head back and assaulted her mouth with a
hunger Birk knew Kotori fought to contain.

The grip
Shiya held on Kotori’s jacket sleeves went limp, and Birk touched his buddy’s
shoulder. Kotori kissed her moments longer and then set her on her feet. Shiya
wobbled, and Kotori steadied her. “Shall I carry you inside?” he teased.

“Please,
I’m fine. Good night, boys. See you in the morning.”

Birk
chuckled under his breath when she stumbled after opening the door and walking
across the threshold. Once again, he wondered if she could take them both, but
he refused to back down now. One taste had him determined to eat Shiya up.

He and
Kotori returned to the SUV, and Birk threw it into first gear. “You heading
home?”

“No, I’ll
have to visit my grandmother,” Kotori said. The frown on his face told Birk he
wasn’t looking forward to it. Kotori might be head of his family, but his
grandmother could be a handful.

“Think she
knows about Shiya?”

Kotori
swore. “Of course she knows. She always does. I didn’t tell her anything, but
I’m sure she will say the spirits told her Shiya’s from a family of shifter
hunters. Damn it, sometimes I wish she was wrong once in a while. Then I could
get peace.”

Birk
laughed. “Oh, you’re not going to get peace anytime soon, my friend. She’ll
have you married with kids before long.”

Kotori
sneered at him, and Birk shook his head, amused. What would his grandmother say
if she knew they would both share the hunter’s daughter?

“At least
she respects me as the leader—well, around others.”

“Private
lectures, huh?”

Kotori
winced. “Enough to make my ears bleed.”

They rode
in silence for a while as Birk thought over the situation. “She is right,
though. Shiya here means trouble. She didn’t come alone. I smelled a human near
her place tonight, the same scent I picked up outside the restaurant and near a
couple of the shops we visited. It could be a coincidence, but I doubt it.”

Kotori
nodded. “The tip-off we got that the famous Keith hunters coming to Alaska was
right. They always send in someone to scope out the situation, who confirms the
presence of shifters. Then they move in. Backers and investments mean they can
afford to do this full-time and pay off whoever they need to keep it all
quiet.”

Birk
slammed a fist against the steering wheel. A new idea struck him. “If we
capture her heart, she might betray her family.”