RockMeTonight (4 page)

Sunday morning I looked at his email address. Seeing VC in
the address, I figured he gave me his band email. Too bad it wasn’t his
personal one, in which case I might figure out his name. Wanting to email him
now was killing me. How long should I wait?

“Damn you, Leggy. You should be in my bed right now.”

I paced through my apartment while I looked at his
handwriting. He wrote it in cursive, which I heard was a dying art.

I should wait a few days before I emailed him. No need to
jump all over him like a, umm—
groupie
was the only word that came to
mind.

Leaving the paper next to my computer, I got dressed to go
to a kickboxing class. Maybe working up a sweat would distract me from my
fantasies. Sundays were my longer days in the gym. Instead of rushing to get
home at the end of a workday, I spent several long minutes on the mat doing
floor exercises and stretching out. Ally thought I was crazy as she said
Sundays were her day off, her rest day, and she’d never be caught dead at the
gym on a Sunday. Yet another one of the many differences in how we thought
about things. Funny how you could be so different from someone and get along so
well.

Distraction was not easy to come by today, even during my
class. I went through the motions halfheartedly at first while wondering what
Leggy was doing. But then I forced myself to snap out of it and get with my
workout. I put in extra effort focusing on my form and kicks. No need to let
some crush affect my daily life.

When I stretched out on the mat, my thoughts returned to
Leggy. What an interesting character he was. Computer smart, badass rock star
and literate. With his lean body, I’d be willing to bet he was a runner. Not
that I was looking too closely at his physique—okay, busted. Perhaps just a
little bit. And running into him at a bookstore, a beautiful specimen of a man
among my biggest weakness—books. A turn-on of turn-ons.

Sundays also gave me more time to use the whirlpool and
sauna in the ladies locker room. I took off my towel in the sauna, lay upon it
and closed my eyes. The heat felt almost oppressive at first, but then I grew
accustomed to it.

Naked and alone, guess who I pictured?
His hands running
up my leg. Slowly from my ankle, up past my knee. And then up over my thigh,
finding their way to my inner thigh. Stopping there to circle the soft flesh.
So sensitive that the slightest touch almost made them quiver.

Moving up my body, he planted himself above me. My body
ached with need for him deep within me. But when he leaned in to kiss me,
sensation shot up to my lips. He kissed so light and slow at first it was
almost tortuous. I pressed my lips harder against his, wanting more. Although
he tried to resist my growing hunger for more, he relented, putting one hand
behind my head to pull me closer while he penetrated my mouth with his
exquisite tongue. He kissed me deeper now and my need for him increased even
more. I wanted more from him. I needed more.

Opening my eyes, I scanned the surroundings trying to
reorient myself. Oh yeah, I was still in the sauna. Was I this hot from the
heat or from my fantasy?

I should have taken a cold shower to cool off, but instead I
turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and savored the heat descending
over my body. Again, when I closed my eyes, my fantasies took over. I ran one
hand down over my breast, envisioning Leggy’s intense hazel eyes watching me,
that seductive combination of brown and green that reminded me of the colors of
the forests in the White Mountains. It should be his hand. I ran my hand
further down my torso, down over my belly.

He
should be the one touching me right now. And then
I was there, right there.

No! You can’t do this here. You’re in public. You’re at
your gym.

I turned the water to a cooler setting and rinsed off
quickly.

Back in my apartment, I paced and argued with myself.

You don’t want to chase him too strongly. Think of all
the tail he already has pursuing him.

But what do you care? You’re not looking for a
relationship. It’s not like you can
be
in a relationship anyway. You’re
a strong, independent female with an active, healthy sex drive. You’ve had
lovers before. If you want him as a lover, take control and do it!

On and on it went. Arguing with myself over a guy. Then I
thought,
Fuck it. Stop thinking and take action.

Sitting down at my laptop, I composed an email with
Cara
in the subject line.

If you wanted to pique my curiosity, you’ve succeeded. So
what is it?

By the way, you’re right. I can’t put this book down.
It’s making me thoroughly unproductive. Thanks a lot.

Lily

I stared at the computer screen for several minutes as if
he’d reply instantly. Regaining a grip on reality, I called Ally to see if we
could meet up for a late lunch. Maybe she wouldn’t work out today, but she’d
definitely pig out on her rest day, as if she needed any excuse.

Forget lunch. I was dropping my health-conscious eating
habits I tried to follow during the week. We’d go out for coffee and sweet
treats to splurge on. I knew a cafe that had the most decadent desserts and the
biggest cookies in town.

And maybe it would get my mind of Leggy for a while.

Leggy

I was reading Milan Kundera’s
The Unbearable Lightness of
Being
on my deck. It was the third time I’d read it and I had a notebook on
hand to scrawl some notes in case there was something I could allude to in one
of my songs. Deep in thought, I was surprised by the vibration from my
smartphone notifying me I had a message. An email from Ligeia Everett, subject
line: Cara.

Lily
. I opened it right away to read it.

Yes! Had I actually pierced through the protective veneer;
she did have some sort of interest in me.

Step one: get her interested in you.

Accomplished.

Now it was time for step two.

Shit.
I hadn’t thought I’d even get past step one. So
now what should I do next?

I’d think about it during a run. I planned to run six miles
this morning, going around the lake. Running always seemed to clear my mind of
all the clutter of work, the band and so on. Perhaps I’d get some insight on
how to get this beautiful woman to go out on a date with me—without having it
blow up in my face.

It was a brisk New England day with an even cooler chill
along the lake. A little coolness wouldn’t deter me though, that’s what
underlayers were for. After I ran half a mile, I warmed up and the cool air was
almost welcome.

Ligeia, Ligeia, Ligeia.

Lily.

Hmm. Something about her that night at that club Vamps told
me she was different, she had more hiding under her pretty surface. She’d been
haunting my thoughts since then, but I thought I’d have to forget her. For one
thing, I didn’t even know her name so there was zero chance that I’d ever be
able to find her. I went back to the club the following weekend hoping to see
her there, but it was no use. She had only been out celebrating with her friend
so it was doubtful I’d ever see her there again. However, I had to give it a shot.

After a couple of weeks, I knew it was time to give it a
rest. She didn’t seem like the type into rock so our paths would never cross.
So when I saw her at the bookstore in Salem, I thought it must only be in my
imagination. I never dreamed we’d run into each other in everyday life. I had
to go up to her and see if it was really her. She was wearing jeans and a soft
pink sweater with her coat thrown over her arm and she had glasses on, but
something about the way she moved signaled it was her. As I approached, I found
out not only was it her, but she looked even sexier in casual clothes than she
did in that hot little plaid dress.

But then, I did have a thing for the librarian look. Prim
and proper in the library and a wild tigress in the bedroom.

When I left the bookstore with not only her number, but also
a hard-on, there was no way Ligeia Everett would be out of my thoughts anytime
soon. First I had to tell her my real name. However, I wanted to do it somehow
clever. Get her interested. Lead to the next step.

As I brainstormed different ideas as I ran, I shot them all
down. Stupid.

Forget it. For someone who spent his free time writing
creative song lyrics, a simple email asking a woman out incapacitated me. Might
as well forget any clever game to play and just be straight about it.

After I finished my run, I replied.

Great to hear from you, Lily.

I’m very pleased to have been the cause of your
unproductiveness. Something tells me you work too much. Am I right?

I took a gamble introducing you to the book. People
either love it or hate it.

How about we discuss it over dinner tomorrow night?

Leggy Bones

AKA Nico Bedrosian

Then I took a long, cool shower to cool off and calm my
raging desire to see her.

Lily

When I read Leggy’s email asking me out, I wanted to respond
right away with a resounding YES! How long had I been thinking about this guy?
It was about time we spent a little time together. But tomorrow night was a
full moon and I wanted to get up to the White Mountains in time. Plus with the
snow expected to fall, I had to allow extra time.

Reluctantly I wrote back, “I have to go out of town for
work. How about next weekend?”

When my phone rang an hour later with a number I didn’t
recognize, I hoped it was Leggy—no, his real name was Nico—and not some
telemarketer trying to sell me something.
Nico, what a sexy name. One that
rolled off my tongue.

“How many weeks has it been since we first met, my sexy
little bookworm? And you’re keeping me waiting even longer?”

I giggled despite myself, thinking how uncharacteristic that
was since I played the grown-up, professional businesswoman at work. In fact I
didn’t recognize this flirtatious side of me. “Now that’s something no man has
ever called me before. One more week won’t kill you. Heightens the
anticipation.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Any higher and I might
explode.”

“You may be building me up too much, I’m afraid I’ll
disappoint you.”

He laughed. “Impossible. So where are you off to?”

How much should I tell him? “I have a client in the White
Mountains.”

“That’s only a couple of hours away. Why would you leave on
Sunday?”

“Uh—we have some—work to do. Early Monday morning. Plus you
never know what will happen with the snow. They say an inch, you get six. And
people drive like idiots. I figured I’d get there early so I don’t have to get
up at the crack of dawn.”

How did this guy get me to babble?
I was typically a
woman of few words and definitely not one who gave details about my personal
life unless I absolutely had to.

“Sounds like fun.”

“Not really. But work is work.”

“So next Saturday. How about we go to Rockport for dinner?”

“Perfect. By the way, I like your real name.
Nico
Bedrosian
. Much nicer than Leggy Bones. It doesn’t seem to fit with your
accent though.”

“It’s not English. My parents are Armenian and my mom liked
the name Nico. And don’t bash the stage name,
Li-gei-ah
.”

“Ha ha. Funny, you have an English accent, not an Armenian
one.”

“I was born in Bristol, England. Lived there until I was
thirteen and then we moved here.”

“And eventually became a famous rock ’n‘ roll star.”

“Hardly. So what about you? Did you grow up here?”

I hated telling people too much about my upbringing. Too
many questions always set me on the defensive. “Yes,” I answered quickly, my
heartbeat escalating. “Well, I have to pack. See you next week.”

“O-kay,” Nico said, sounding puzzled. “Have a good trip.”

It was a good two hours or so from Boston’s North Shore to
New Hampshire’s White Mountains. I put on an Adele CD and sang along. As I
drove north, I passed many skiers and snowboarders driving back south. I really
should pick up skiing, I thought. It might make the winter more bearable around
here.

Don’t you spend enough time in the mountains?

True. It was where I grew up, and remained my favorite place
to change. Many mountains to choose from; many forests to hide in. If I wanted
to drive a little farther and get away from my usual habitat, I’d go to the
Green Mountains in Vermont.

I called my mom before I lost a signal in the mountains.
“I’m driving through Conway now. See you tomorrow morning, okay?”

Since we had a client in the area, I’d set up my meetings
around the full moon when I knew I would change. That way I didn’t have to take
an unexplained day off work. I could visit with clients and hit two birds with
one stone. Even though my mother lived not too far away—and I didn’t need any
place to sleep after I changed—I always booked a hotel room near the hiking
trails. That way I’d have somewhere to change or freshen up. Moreover, I didn’t
want to raise any eyebrows at work as to why I wasn’t turning in travel
expenses.

I passed signs for the ski mountains, a big draw for
visitors to the area and something I’d learned to avoid. Too many people
frequented those mountains year round and not just during ski season. Now that
the mountain owners added all kinds of adventure activities, I had the tourists
to avoid as well as the hikers and mountain bikers—and the dreaded hunters.
Hunters were the most dangerous predator for someone of my nature. Luckily the
White Mountains still had plenty of untouched forests to cloak someone like me.
However, hunters ventured farther and farther in for small game and furbearers
this time of year. If I were spotted, surely I’d be captured, if not killed, no
matter what part of the hunting season it was.

If I were killed while in animal form, would I remain that
way? Or change back? Wouldn’t that be a surprise to humans? I hadn’t revealed
my secret to anyone outside of my immediate family. Not even Ally, who knew me
better than most people, knew my other side.

I checked into one of the bigger hotels where I could remain
somewhat anonymous, but with easy access to the mountains. I rotated between
three or four so as not to establish too much of a pattern. Besides, I wanted
to be near my territory. Mountain lions tend to pick an area and mark it as
their own. Although I wasn’t technically a mountain lion because I spent most
of my time in human form, it was one of the traits that stuck.

Then I headed out into the mountains. With only a small bag
to hide my belongings, I set up on one of the hiking paths. No point in
bringing a tent or sleeping bag, which was useless once I changed.

The mountains were beautiful with the soft blanket of snow
that had just fallen. When we had feet of it, forget it, only the skiers and
snowboarders were happy. With a light coat like this, maybe an inch or two that
clung to the branches on the trees and gave them the magical glow of a New
England winter, it was difficult for anyone not to be entranced. Of course,
they didn’t have to take their clothes off in this. Luckily I withstood cold
temperatures better than most people—another characteristic of my dual nature,
I suppose.

I hiked halfway up one of the mountains and veered off the
trail, venturing deep into the woods. Once I thought I found a secluded spot, I
listened for the sounds of any humans or animals nearby. My hearing wasn’t as
acute as it would be shortly, but it was sharper than most humans’.

I found a relatively barren patch of forest floor, flat
enough for me to lie down upon when the time came. When I looked up at the
darkening sky, dusk had settled in and the stars were faintly visible through
the thickness of the trees. Then, through an open patch amid the treetops, I
saw a translucent glow. The moon. A stirring rose in me, indicating the change
would come soon. I removed my clothes as quickly as possible and stuffed them
in my bag, hiding it under some nearby branches. Every inch of my skin
responded with goose bumps to the cool winter night air and my nipples hardened
into tight little peaks. Within a few moments, my body adjusted to the
temperature and the goose bumps subsided. Still, I was reluctant to kneel, but
it was necessary since I knew what was coming. It was never easy, no matter how
I braced myself to prepare.

When the change began deep within, I groaned. My insides
squirmed as bones and organs reshaped. I flipped over onto my stomach, clawing
at the ground through the snow in response to the agony of the conversion. I no
longer felt the piercing bite of the cold snow beneath me. Instead I wanted to
bite into the snow to stifle a scream. If anyone heard me, it would make a bad
situation worse.

I saw my fingernails narrow and extend into sharp points. My
hands contracted and filled out, covered with a pale fur. As they converted
into paws, my vision changed as well. My visibility wasn’t as clouded by the
darkening sky; I saw sharp outlines of my surroundings. My body completed the
transformation from woman into feline. I pushed myself up to all fours. The
urge to scream came over me, but I controlled it.

My mind was the last to make the change. I no longer thought
as a human, but as the animal I’d become. I was still me enough to know better
than to attack people I knew, but there was no doubt that I was now a predator.
I stalked through the forest, aware of all of the familiar sights and sounds
around me. And the primary thought was finding prey.

Seeing moose or bear out here was commonplace. I gave them
their space and they gave me mine. However, this time I encountered something
I’d never seen out here before. A hundred feet or so away stood two mountain
lions watching me. I stared back. Nobody made a move. I didn’t get the sense
they wanted to harm me—or even approach. After we appraised each other for a
few more moments, I turned away and dashed into the woods.

Although humans claimed to have seen mountain lions in the
White Mountains, the sightings hadn’t been confirmed. I’d certainly never seen
any. I stayed deep enough in the woods to avoid humans, especially
trigger-happy hunters. Now I saw proof there were mountain lions out here.

As long as you leave me alone, we can coexist in peace.
Just stay out of my territory and I’ll stay out of yours.

I ran deeper into the forests.

Angelo

“She saw us,” I said.

“Crap. I know.”

Katrina and I had been out hunting in our animal forms, but
changed back to our human ones after we saw the woman. We’d noticed her coming
up here several times since we moved into the area. Always during a full moon.
We didn’t know her name or anything about her.

Katrina said, “I was starting to wonder if she’d be back. We
haven’t seen her in a few months.”

“Her territory is large enough that we could easily miss
her. Or maybe she went somewhere else.”

Katrina gave me a doubtful look. “Where else would she go?
She clearly marked her territory here.”

“Maybe she’s being cautious. Switching locations to avoid
being detected. Remember, if you want to avoid being tracked—“

“Vary your route,” she completed with a wag of her finger.

“You listen well,” I said, mussing up her dirty-blonde hair.

Katrina and I lived in a small log home in the mountains,
deep enough in to avoid human contact and shift close to our home, yet get into
town to buy the things we needed. We moved here from California a few years ago
since the forests out there were getting too crowded for our kind. So far we’d
remained undetected. After about a year, we saw another mountain lion. We
didn’t think mountain lions lived out here so we suspected she might be like
us—a shifter. We tracked her, staying far enough behind so she wouldn’t sense
us. Sure enough, when she went to sleep we saw she had changed into a woman.

We were not the only shifters here in the mountains.

Katrina and I debated whether to approach her or not. One of
the reasons we moved here was that the numbers of both shifters and mountain
lions were growing so rapidly that it was becoming dangerous to live in
California. With our increased numbers, hunting of mountain lions was being
permitted in certain locations. Not good.

We came to New Hampshire to live alone in the woods. Away
from people and other shifters. But something about this woman reached out to
us. She seemed so alone. Not at all sure what to do with her nature.

Katrina brought up our discussion. “Do you think we should
approach her now? I mean, she clearly saw us.” She leaned toward reaching out
to the woman while I was more hesitant. Why confront someone who might not want
to be found?

I thought about the many points of our discussions before I
answered. “Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“I still don’t think she’s ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to know there are more like her.”

Katrina sighed. “Wouldn’t you want to know you weren’t
alone? That there were others like you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. We were raised in a pride until
we were old enough to go off on our own. Who knows how she was raised? She’s
the only other shifter we’ve seen here and we only see her alone. Perhaps that
was by choice.”

“Maybe it’s because she doesn’t know there are others.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think she’s ready. She doesn’t
seem to welcome the change. She seems to resist it. I think she comes here to
hide. And then goes back to humans in human form.”

Katrina ran her fingers through her hair. “I think we should
make contact. What’s the worst thing that will happen? She’ll tell us to get
lost?”

“Not yet, Katrina. She probably thinks we’re mountain lions
she ran into. She doesn’t know we’re shifters. Let’s hold off for a little
longer.”

“Until when?” Katrina persisted.

“Until we get some sort of sign.”

“What kind of sign would we get if she doesn’t even know
we’re shifters?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll see that she’s searching for
answers instead of hiding. I’m not sure. But I still believe now is not the
right time.”

Katrina made a noise that sounded like
humph
. When I
looked at her, she was staring at me boldly, hands on her hips.

“Don’t look at me like that, Katrina. You know hunting with
you already turns me on. But seeing you here naked and looking at me like that
sends a thrill through me that I might not be able to control.”

“Then don’t,” she said, giving me a coquettish look that
called me to her.

I reached her in two steps and crushed her lips with mine,
penetrating her mouth with my tongue while I ran my hands down her back and
around over to her breasts.

I pulled away. “You’re not seducing me to get me to change
my mind, are you?”