Shifters on Fire: A BBW Shifter Romance Boxed Set (26 page)

Al’s face became almost scary. Anger was flowing off of him, even as his thumb gently massaged the back of her hand.

“I’m guessing you know what happened next.” The anger was immediately gone even though it still showed on his face. They needed to touch on that in a few minutes. First she needed to get it all out. “He was promoted to huele bicho because he stole my credit card after I told him I was moving, maxed it out, and then found a bank statement and somehow managed to empty it as well. I have a few hundred dollars in cash and almost five dollars left in the account. I only have a room at the B&B because—”

“You will stay here.”

“Check that alpha crap at the door, buddy. You can bring it out during naked time all you want, but that is the only time I want to see it.” She met his eyes. There were storms brewing in them. “That is, if you still want me after all this.”

“Not a question.” He pulled her onto his lap. “Continue.”

“So as I was saying, Ms. Maybell wouldn’t take my money and pretty much strong armed me into taking the room. She said Christina told her I would need it for four days, whatever that means. I’m hoping that I can figure out how to get my money back by then.”

“Is that why you turned me down about staying here?”

“Oh, silly man, you never asked me to stay here; you told me.” She saw the light turn on. It would have been hilarious if today hadn’t been a cluster eff of mass proportions.

“Well the point is moot, anyways.”

“How so?” With all the badness was whirling around in her head, she couldn’t add to it by not asking him to start clarifying his code.

“Christina said you were staying at Ms. Maybell’s for four days.” Because that answered nothing.

“It’s late. I’m tired and not one hundred percent sure this isn’t all a dream. Walk me home?” She started to get up and he gave her one last squeeze before letting her up and joining her.

“I would be most honored, ma’am.”

Mal appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood.

They walked silently, his arm wrapped around her shoulder and hers around his waist. It was still early by most people’s standards, but she was tuckered. When they got to the B&B, he gave her a peck on the cheek and turned to walk home. He was at the corner when his absence hit her. Hard. In her mind, she knew that feeling this way wasn’t rational, but she needed to shut down her brain for a while.

She ran as fast as she could and was not even half way to him when he stopped and turned around.

“Stay,” she let out before she even reached him.

“Always. You only have to ask.”

“This is me asking. Just hold me tonight. Make me feel safe.” Somewhere inside her, the needy chick popped out, but at this point she couldn’t give two hoots. She needed this. Here. Tonight.

“Malory, it would be my honor.”

They walked back to her over-flowered room, climbed into her rose covered bed, and held each other until sleep came. No words were needed. This was not about the lust and heat that was palpable between them. This was about something more, and that terrified her in both the best and the worst possible ways.

Meeting the New Boss in the Most Awkward Way Possible

What started as a magical morning of snuggling turned into a hair pulling scream feast as soon as she called her bank. They kept insisting she wrote Joshua a check from her account. She told them every which way she could think of that it was not her signature. Their response was always the same: her signature was on the check and they don’t get in the middle of domestic disputes.

The credit card company was just as bad. All of the items purchased were either sent to her address or were used to pay utilities, utilities that were in both their names at the time. It looked like the ass-hat’s utilities were now prepaid for the next six months. Who knew companies would allow that? Somehow, that had the company agreeing to shut down her card, which was now useless anyway, but not agreeing to allow her to use her fraud protection until she had police reports.

“Arrrggggg!” she screamed into her pillow, hoping she didn’t disturb any guests who might still be sleeping.

Mal had to be at her new job in ten minutes, and all she wanted to do was to drive back to her old apartment and confront her asshole ex. It looked like that would have to happen soon, since those police reports were the only way she was going to get things straightened out. The jerkface probably assumed she wouldn’t want him in jail and would let it go. He was dead wrong.

Mal grabbed her keys and purse and made a beeline for the front door. If she were lucky, she would be there with a few minutes to spare. Al had drawn her a map before he left that morning and it seemed like a pretty straight shot.

Saying good-bye this morning had been far from easy. Al offered to stay and help her sort out this mess, but it was her mess and she wanted to fix it on her own. If she had known all of the obstacles she was going to face, she most likely would have taken him up on his offer.

“Good morning, dear.” Maybell popped out of nowhere, directly in her path.

“Morning, Ms. Maybell.”

“Saw Al leaving this morning. He’s a good man and will make a good mate.” Maybell stepped around her and continued on her way, not even pretending to wait for a reply.

“Yeah, well, all right then. I’m off to work. See you tonight.” Mal continued to walk to the door, knowing she was speaking to no one at this point.

Turning the corner toward her car, she was greeted with those eyes. The ones she saw every time she closed her eyes. He was leaning against the driver’s side door, a coffee in each hand.

“I come bearing gifts.” He pushed away from the car, meeting her halfway. “How do you like your coffee?”

“Black normally, but I’m not super picky after the morning I had.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, wishing it could be more. “I missed you, which I know sounds bizarre, but there it is.”

“Not bizarre at all. Here.” He handed her the coffee. “Black, no sugar, just as me lady prefers.”

“Thank you. I needed this.” She took a step to her car, leaving him in place. “What?”

“We are actually walking. Sorry, I should have started with that. Luke actually got called into town for a meeting, so I told him I would bring you by his office here instead.” Al offered his arm and she took it. He didn’t seem to be in too big of a rush to get to work.

“So … umm … why did you talk to Luke about me?” There. She said what was on her mind.

“Because he’s my best friend.”

“Was he … you know … mad that you were dating the help?” She needed this job now more than ever, but it wasn’t worth pitting Al against his friend. She had skills. It would all work out. At least, that is what she had been reminding herself all morning.

“You are hardly the help, and I can assure you he is quite happy about it.”

“I’m sure.” She just shook her head. There is no way that her new boss, the one she literally had to beg for a chance, was going to be happy she was already making kissy faces with his second. Not a chance. The best she could hope for was that he was ambivalent.

Mal went to pull away from Al as they approached the steps. He was having none of it.

“What?” His voice was thick with something she couldn’t quite place.

“I have to go to work, and it would be …” He stopped and turned her, forcing their eyes to connect. “You know, inappropriate. On a good day he probably doesn’t want fraternization, but I just drove here yesterday. Yesterday.” His eyes held hers in place and her body started to react. Not the way to start a new job. “So, yeah, walking in announcing that I picked up a random guy my first night in town is—”

“Not random.”

She could have sworn he growled as he spoke, but his lips on hers stole all thought from her brain. His kiss was possessive and, goodness help her, she savored it. She wanted this man. It was crazy and probably so very wrong, yet it was not something she could deny. She opened her mouth in invitation and he took it. She pressed against him, feeling every inch of his body against hers, and it left no room for doubt. He was as needy right now as she was.

Mal wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, fearing the kiss would end too soon, but the darn coffee was in the way. Where was a shelf or coffee table when you needed one? All thoughts of propriety and making a good impression on her boss were gone as she wrapped her free arm around his waist—so very close to his delectable ass. His kiss left her lips, now making the journey down her neck. Goodness help her, the whimper she heard was coming from her. She was a hot mess of hormones.

“So, Al …”

Mal felt herself pushed slightly backward and looked up to see a man slapping Al on the back, wearing a huge smile. Her cheeks burned from embarrassment, and she pulled away trying to look nonchalant, quite aware that she wasn’t succeeding. “I guess I see what Christina has been keeping from me. Here I was thinking it was baby stuff.”

Crap on a cracker, this was her boss.

“Hi, I’m Malory, your intern.” She pushed all the confidence she could muster into her voice and held out her hand in an attempt to regain some of her dignity. The plan backfired as both men broke out in laughter. Not a mere chuckle, no—they were bent over as if their stomachs ached from laughing so hard. Where the heck was a hole to crawl into when she needed one? Instead, she hid behind drinking her coffee.

“So where is the office?” She chose to ignore the laughter, not that it would make it go away. She wasn’t even sure what was funny.

“Oh.” Luke pulled himself together quickly and now held a professional face as Al moved to stand behind her, so close she could feel his heat. “It’s over there, but I just got a call from Christina. Apparently we ‘need’ to make a run into the city for something or another.” Seeing this big manly man making air-quotes almost distracted her from the facts at hand. Almost.

“But I start today, sir.” Because adding sir on the end made her seem professional, even after their first meeting over tonsil hockey interruptus.

“Actually, Luke, I was hoping she could start in a couple of days.” Oh, her blood was beginning to boil, and not in the let’s get naked way. “It turns out she left some things back in her home town that need dealing with.”

“And you would like to escort her, I assume?” Why did Luke sound bemused, and why were neither of them conferring with her?

“I would like to start today, sir.” Firm and to the point. She was, after all, the subject of the discussion at hand.

“She likes to make her own way.” Al stated as if that explained it all.

“And she will, but not today.”

She had already pretty much stalked Luke, so dropping to her feet and begging him to let her start right then was not the best plan, but it crossed her mind. Twice.

“Malory, Christina called, so I need to go. Chances are since it’s a baby store run, and it will require putting together a bunch of crap, making tomorrow not work really well either.” He must have seen the panic cross her face, because he quickly added, “Since this is not your fault but mine, and you can’t work without some training. The days will of course be paid.”

“I understand.” She was so not taking a handout her first week. “And you don’t need to pay me when I don’t work. Maybe I can make it up on the weekend?”

“Very well.” Luke answered after looking at Al first, their close relationship obvious. “Since you will be working the weekend, best take my second up on his offer.” Yep, he and Al knew each other too well, and they’d just managed to get her into a no way out situation. Crapity crap. She was dealing with Joshua today.

“Thank you, sir.” Might as well call uncle. Arguing would only make things worse, and sadly, she knew that was possible.

“Cut the sir crap. Just call me Luke.” He pulled his phone out of the pocket, checked it, and put it back inside. “That was Christina. It appears there are coupons and we are bringing the truck.” He fake sighed. Mal smiled at his obvious excitement. “The
truck
. Remind me: aren’t babies, you know, small?”

“They are,” Mal humored him. “See you on Friday?”

“Yes, and be sure to bring your portfolio. I think I have an idea we should try with that code you were talking about.” Mal almost lost it right there. He had seemed to not even really want an intern, but she must have read him wrong. She wanted to high five everyone.

“Will do.” Mal hoped she schooled her face. She watched as Luke walked away and Al closed the distance between them. His front was to her back now and it was probably for the best. No one but her should be seeing what she felt pressed against her back.

“It looks like we have the day off.” His breath was hot on her neck. “Let’s get my truck, and we can go take care of the huele bicho.”

“It is a good twelve hour drive.” If they left now, they wouldn’t make it before the bank closed. Not even close.

“Then we best be getting on our way.”

She rolled her eyes. Men.

“I have to work Friday.” She might have messed today up, but she was going to bring her A game Friday. Luke liked her code. Goodness, even to herself she sounded like an über geek at that thought.

“As do, I.” He grabbed her hand and started walking. Her logic seemed to evade him.

“There is really nothing I can do without evidence.” That was the sorry truth of it. He seemed to know exactly how to play things so he wouldn’t get caught.

“The forged check is evidence for the police report. The police report should work for the fraud charges. And your insurance should cover the theft once those are in place.” Insurance. She hadn’t thought of that. She had renter’s insurance, car insurance, and because it was cheaper to add an umbrella policy than it was to just have those two separate ones, she had that as well. This could work.

“How do you know all of this?

“Helping to run a town means dealing with a whole lotta bullshit sometimes.”

She had forgotten about that side of small town life. Of course he would be doing all those things. Everyone would. It wasn’t like a city where everyone had their own task and nothing else.

“Fine we can go, but I’m paying for gas.”

He growled. Yes, growled. She was sure of it this time.

“Or not,” she conceded.

“Not.”

Smack.

“Hey!” She tried to sound indignant, but her voice mimicked the pornos her ex was so fond of. Not watching with her of course, but on his own while she did homework. Ass-hat.

“Hey nothing, you liked it.” Yes. Yes, she did. Goodness help her. “Now let’s get you a bag and get to my truck. We have a long drive ahead of us.”