Shifters on Fire: A BBW Shifter Romance Boxed Set (27 page)

Weirdest. Lunch. Ever.

They were on the road after a brief stop at the B&B and Al’s house. Mal had tried in vain to check out, but Maybell insisted she would be there for four days. Mal couldn’t wait to meet Christina. There was so much she needed to ask her.

They would probably make it there by ten even with just a few pit stops, too late to do anything except file a police report. At least that was something. Of course what she really wanted to do was stop by her old apartment and deck her ex, but that would hardly help her win her case.

Conversation flowed easily throughout the morning and early afternoon. They talked about school and jobs and all the things one usually talked about in the getting-to-know-you stage of a relationship. Yes, Mal had conceded to herself that that was what she was doing. Starting a relationship.

“It is almost two; I should have fed you by now.” Ornery. That was the word for Al right now. Downright ornery.

“I’m a big girl, Al. If I needed to stop, I would have asked.” Her stomach rumbled as if on cue. Darn traitor.

“I got so wrapped up in the nice conversation I lost track of time.” He reached over and put his hand on her knee. There was no denying him when he was touching her.

“I did too.” Darn hand was moving up. They had been so careful not to touch, and now that he started it seemed liked the flood gates were about to open. She squirmed with need. “We can stop in the next town and get a quick bite if you like.” Her voice cracked as his hand slowly moved up. “They might have one of those gas stations with food.” His hand froze in place.

“I will get you a
real
meal.” He might as well have added
end of discussion
with that tone of voice.

“It’s already getting kind of late, so I thought it would be fast. A real meal does sound good, though.” She hadn’t eaten since his yummy dinner the night before, and she was good and hungry.

“If it gets too late, we’ll get a hotel and finish the drive in the morning.”

“I have to be back Friday.” She couldn’t miss another day before she even began. She simply could not.

“Naw. We get back when we get back. Luke thinks he will be back to work Friday, but last time I saw Christina, she said she would see me on Monday.”

Mal twined her fingers with his. “I don’t understand.”

“Christina usually brings him lunch from the bar on Friday after her book club. If Luke were working Friday, she would have said, ‘See you Friday.’ ” He gave her hand a squeeze before removing his and switching gears.

“What is the deal with Chrsitina?” His hand went back to hers. He needed to get an automatic so she wouldn’t lose his hand every time he needed to shift. “She says things and people just seem to go with it.”

“Christina, she came to our town less than a year ago and made a big impression on everyone. She is also, I guess psychic is the best word for it.”

“Like she reads auras and tells the future and such.” It was weird to think that everyone listened to a town psychic.

From what she read, most true psychics hid their gifts because of the burden placed upon them once people found out. Of course back in the day, they hid it so as to not be burned at the stake, but thankfully times had changed. Most modern people who were vocal about their psychic ability were, sadly, frauds—people who were convinced they had gifts they did not, or those with really weak gifts. Mal always loved reading about the paranormal and for a short while thought she might have some physic related gifts. It turned out she just had an overactive imagination.

“Not really. She draws.” Al switched lanes to pass a double-trailer truck. Traffic seemed to be getting heavier.

“Draws? Like pictures.” That was one type of psychic she knew nothing about. Except those that channeled the dead.

“Why did you just go tense?”

“Does she … you know … channel the dead?” It sounded even creepier aloud than it did in her head.

“Hardly.” He snorted. “Oh,
that
kind of drawing.” And she could almost hear it click in his head. “No, nothing like that. She is an artist and her pictures often tell her things. That is all.”

“Like hidden messages and such?” This was fascinating. She had never read about that kind of ability. As a child she read about them all hoping to find that she had a hidden gift. Alas, she had none.

“You will have to ask her to explain it.” He shrugged his shoulders. He had sculpted muscular shoulders, shoulders that asked to be licked.

Down, girl.

They needed to get out of this truck and get some air before she made an inappropriate advance and they ran into a ditch.

“I just know if she says it, I listen. She’s never given me a reason not to.”

“So I really don’t need to be back to work until Saturday?” She was fine with it if he was right, and she had no reason to doubt him, but her alter ego
Responsible Girl
needed to know.

“Pretty much, or possibly Monday. So let’s get off this exit and find something to eat and stretch our legs a bit.”

“Yes!” she said too enthusiastically as he turned on his signal.

“You were feeling it too. Sorry, maybe if we drive with the windows open?” They pulled to a stop at the end of the short exit. “Left or right?”

There were no signs, so it was a guessing game either way. “Right.” Mal usually picked right. It was easier to turn right than left, although here it looked as though both would be insanely easy since there was zero traffic. “Yes.”

“Yes?” he asked as he made the turn and drove round the bend.

“Yes, I feel it too.” No use hiding it.

They meandered into a small town. Score, she’d chose correctly.

“Looks like there are a few choices.” They drove through the one block downtown. “Scratch that. We have one choice. How does Betty’s sound?” Two of the three eating places were closed and one looked like it was a permanent state.

“My goodness, I was just thinking how great Betty’s looked,” she bantered back as he pulled into a parking spot.

Betty’s looked more like a coffee shop than a restaurant, but it was open and that worked for her. Al opened her door for her like a true gentleman, but the look in his eyes was anything but. His lust was raw and almost animalistic. It was good they stopped because he really did have it as bad as her, and her ditch scenario was not that far out there.

The door to Betty’s had a bell attached, announcing their arrival. Every single eye in the place turned to them. At first she thought it was being strangers in what was clearly a locals’ place, but the eyes weren’t on them, they were on her. Just her.

Mal looked down, hoping it wasn’t that her fly was open or her boobs were hanging out. Nope, she was put together just fine. Yet, their eyes were still on her as a young man stood and crossed the distance. He didn’t look mad per say, but there was an intensity to his stare.

“Bear.” The stranger looked at Al, who nodded, taking a slight step in front of her.

“Wolf.” The stranger nodded in reply.

“Druid?” the stranger asked, looking at her. She didn’t understand the game. Not. At. All.

“Vampire?” She shrugged her shoulder and his eyes lightened.

“Human?” he asked Luke.

“Mate.” There was that word again. It seemed to make the young man happy, so it worked for her.

“No trouble.”

“Lunch.”

“Welcome.”

“Thank you.” With that the young man turned back to his seat and everyone went back to their meals.

Weirdest. Conversation. Ever.

“Does the counter look good or would you prefer a table?” Al asked as if nothing strange had just occurred. She looked around. There was a nice table for two really close to the door.

“There.” She pointed to it.

“That’s a very good choice,” he said as he led her to the table, stopping to pull out her chair.

It was an order at the counter kind of place, and after seeing exactly two lunch choices, she decided on the turkey sandwich. She reached in her purse to pull out her money and was given the don’t-you-dare look. She was going to have to put an end to that, but not here in front of these very weird people who just might be cannibals. Why cannibals? Because something was off and small towns tended to bring out the cannibal in cheesy horror films.

“I was thinking the turkey sandwich.”

“That’s perfect since the woman at the counter just crossed off the ham.” Al wasn’t even teasing. They were down to one choice. What an odd little place. “Wait here and I’ll go grab turkey before it too is gone. Drink?”

“Water, please.” She was so thirsty, she should just ask for a pitcher.

“They have coffee,” he tempted.

“Water is good.” He looked at her as if assessing something. Darn man thought she was trying to save his money. “I’m really dry from the car air, so I just want water. A lot of water.” That seemed to appease him, and he came back with two turkey sandwiches, some questionable looking macaroni salad, and a piece of blueberry pie.

“They only had one piece of pie left, so I figured we could share. April said it was your favorite.” Huh, they had talked about her, probably after her theft. “Betty said she would bring the drinks over in just a second. She had to go get some ice from out back.”

“It really is my favorite. Thank you.” She took a bite of her sandwich. It was wonderful bread. “I think they made the bread here. It’s really good.”

Al took a bite. “It is. From the looks of things, this is more a bakery than a lunch place, so that would make sense.”

“I think we are the only non-locals here,” she whispered. His hand settled on her knee, sending a sense of calm through her.

“No thinking to it. We are.” He took another bite and gestured for her to do the same.

“What was that all about? When we first came in, I mean.” Her voice was a whisper, and yet she could have sworn the young man from earlier was listening in from across the room, or at least trying. What an odd place this was.

“He was just making sure we were here to eat and not cause trouble.” He took another bite as she tried to make sense of what he just said. “It’s a small town thing.”

“That happens in Cedarville, too?” People had seemed pretty welcoming to her. They also seemed to be expecting her. She always thought rural life would be easier than city life. She was wrong. It was much more confusing.

“Like that, no. But it happens, or at least it used to. You should ask Christina about it. She was new not too long ago. People mean well.”

Drinks were placed in front of them along with a large to-go glass of water.

“Your mate thought you might want this for the road. Anything else you need, let me know. I have some cookies cooling now. They should be ready by the time you are done if you want them for the rest of your trip.” The older woman in front of her seemed to be focused on them leaving. Or Mal was paranoid. Most likely, Mal conceded, it was a bit from column A and a bit from column B.

“Thank you. Cookies for our trip would be lovely.” Mal wasn’t sure even what kind they were, but if it got the awkwardness to end, she was fine with any kind. The woman left and Mal wasn’t sad about that.

“So you will explain all things later?”

“
All things
?” He gave her knee a squeeze, moving it up slightly as he did, removing most of her brain cells. This man was dangerous.

“Like … the … code.”

He winked at her as she spoke causing her to lose all her words. “Ahh yes,
all things
.”

She was on his lap and his lips against her ear so fast that she didn’t have time to protest. Not that she wanted to. She loved being here with him. She was also a realist. As much as she might love being close to him, it didn’t make her any lighter. “I promise.” His lips brushed her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

“So I’ll just box this then.” The woman was clearing off their not yet eaten lunch, her voice not hiding her distaste that they were there. Not that Mal could blame her. They had to be making quite the spectacle, and for all she knew, this was one of those small towns where all social activities focused on the town church—and this was
not
church behavior.

Mal began to get up from her oh-so-comfy perch on his lap just as the woman returned with their boxes.

“Ummm, thank you.” Mal wasn’t at all sure what the best response to being pushed out of a restaurant was, but seeing as they were being inappropriate, she left it at faux gratitude. The woman simply nodded and scurried back to the man who had originally spoke to them upon arrival. What a bizarre place they were in.

“Time to go, love.” Food in one arm and his other arm possessively around her, Al led them out the door.

Lunch – Take Two

“Would you like me to hand you your sandwich?” Neither of them had spoken since they left town, and Mal needed to get out of her head and back into the here and now. She had gone over everything that happened during lunch over and over again and was getting nowhere. “Or maybe a cookie?”

“No need.” Al’s clipped voice made her uneasy and she squirmed in her seat, angling to have a full view of his profile. The veins on his neck told her all she needed to know. She put her hand on his shoulder and was relieved when the tension seemed to dissipate slightly. “Thanks,” he said.

“For?”

“For helping me just now.” Offering a cookie was hardly help, but the gratitude in his voice told her he saw it differently. Al turned the blinkers on. It looked like they were getting off the highway. “Let’s try again. Lunch? Just us and not in a truck. Preferably something better than a stale sandwich.”

“Yes, please.” They were already on the exit ramp, the question obviously rhetorical. This exit was much more populated than the last and the food signs pointed both left and right. “I vote left this time.”

“Left it is.”

The road was filled with strip malls and every chain place imaginable. They eventually settled on a local pizza joint stuck in the corner of a dingy plaza. Pizza never tasted as good when it was from an upscale place, if you asked her. Greasy dives were always the way to go. Unfortunately, greasy dives often focused on carry-out, and this one was no exception. There was a waiting bench, but no tables.

“Want to eat in the park we saw the sign for at the exit?” The pizza smelled amazing and she really didn’t want to slow their trip down even more by choosing another restaurant.

“That would be perfect, love.” They waited for their pie on the bench, holding hands like a couple of teenage love birds. “I was beginning to feel cooped up in the truck, especially after…”

“The crazy people at the bakery?”

“Yeah, them.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. They had plenty of time on this trip to discuss the crazies. For now she just wanted to enjoy this moment—a moment that ended too soon when his name was called and their pizza was ready.

The park was beautiful. There was a small play area, but they were sitting under a tree far enough away that they couldn’t hear the kids, but close enough she could still see the moms pushing their wee ones in the swings. She imagined that on the weekends this place would be packed.

The pizza was twice as good as it smelled, and they nearly devoured it over small chit chat about college and running a business. She was sure to stay away from discussing Josh. She wanted to enjoy this time getting to know Al. His back was now against the tree and she was snuggled in close. She never wanted to leave this spot.

“I like this,” she absentmindedly said as she ran her fingers along the arm he’d wrapped around her from behind.

“I would stay here all day, if we could.”

Mal didn’t like the connotation of his statement, so she ignored it. Maybe they could stay there a tiny bit more if she just held on tight.

“We should probably get going, as much as I hate to say it.”

“I don’t wanna,” she whined and snuggled in closer, delaying the inevitable.

“I don’t either, love.” His lips brushed the top of her head. “We really should if we want to get to a hotel at a decent hour.”

“I thought we would stay at the apartment.” She felt him tense up behind her. He didn’t like that suggestion. Not one bit.

“I thought your ex was there.” His words were both measured and strained.

“My money paid for it, so I have the right to be there.” Where did he expect they were going to stay? He knew the deal. She had nothing and Josh had all of it.

“And if we stay there, it tells the police and the bank that you are still together.”

Darn logic. Of course it did, but what choice did they really have?

“But we aren’t.” She turned to face him, adjusting her leg so the bottom of her thighs rested on the tops of his. “Besides, hotels in the city are either scary or expensive, and sleeping in the truck would not work well in the city.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He tilted her chin with his thumb until her eyes met his. “We can stay just outside of the city or at a nice place. Either way, we are
not
staying at the apartment.”

“There is no room for discussion is there?”

“Not. In. The. Slightest.” He punctuated each word with a kiss, his tone telling her she had zero chance of swaying him and his lips showing gentleness unlike she had ever experienced before.

“I’m not with my ex.” She needed him to know this. “I’m with you.” She laid her cheek against his chest and inhaled his scent. She had never been one for noticing how people smelled before, but his smell called to her. It was earthy, yet clean with a hint of pine. All aromas she loved.

“Believe me.” He set his chin on top of her head, his voice calmer than it had been. “I know that, or I wouldn’t be this calm.”

“This is calm?” She snuggled in close as she spoke.

“Calm-ish?”

She felt his shoulders shrug. Silly man, he was far from calm. “Hardly, but if we are staying at a hotel on a trip for my benefit, can we at least stay outside of the city?”

“To save money.” He wasn’t asking. He knew her agenda, and from his actions since they met, he didn’t like it.

“Yes.” The words escaped in a whisper. She hated this. Miss Responsible, turned identity theft victim because of her own craptastic choices.

“But I have money.” Poor guy sounded actually confused. He began rubbing circles on her back and she almost lost her place in the conversation. Almost.

“And I don’t.”

“I don’t understand.” His hands stopped moving as she looked up to see him watching her with such intensity she either wanted to strip or run away. Her sexy version of fight or flight.

“This trip is to clean up my bullshit. It is
my
responsibility to cover expenses. When we go deal with your past, you can pay.” He looked just as confused as when she began and a whole lot of nervous. She let out an exacerbated sigh. There was no getting through to him over this. She could see that now.

“I don’t have any …” Mal quirked her eyebrow. “Oh … that’s not really funny.”

“I know. I was just trying to break the tension.” She sat up a little and rubbed her cheek on his. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to do such a weird display of affection, but she had ready decided to simply go for it with Al, so why not?

“I take care of my own.” He repeated her motion, and she wished that they were already at the hotel.

“So you’ve said.”

He shifted his weight beneath her, her immediate thought being that she was too heavy, but when his erection pressed against her thigh, she knew the discomfort might be caused by her, but it wasn’t her weight.

“And I will continue to say it until you understand me.” His lips began to worship her neck. They glided over her skin, paying homage to every spot as he worked his way down to the crux of her neck.

“Does that mean you are claiming me as yours?” The breathlessness of her words attested to the fact that he was touching her in all of the right ways.

“The second you allow it.” He sounded serious. Dead serious. Goodness gracious, she liked the thought of being possessed by him.

“What does that even mean?”

He pulled his lips from hers and gently moved her to the side before he rose and held out his hand to her. Crap, she wanted more kissing. “That means it’s time to go.”

“Arggggg.” She grabbed his hand, letting him help her up. She quickly dusted off the back of her jeans, hoping they weren’t too grass-stained from their stop.

“Don’t growl at me.” He was going for silly, but coming from him, it was so much funnier than it would have been with anyone else.

“You growl all the time.” Mal put her hands on her hips as she tried to hold in her giggles. He did growl. It was sexy and she loved it, but a growl it was.

“You notice that?”

“I notice everything about you.” She stepped into his waiting arms. This was what she had been missing her entire relationship with Josh. This feeling, right here, in his arms. A combination of safe and warm and home and
mine
.

“And I don’t scare you?” The seriousness of his question had her on edge. She never wanted him to fear that. Never.

“You do the opposite. You make me feel safe.” She squeezed him extra tightly, as if to emphasize the truth of her statement.

“You make me feel one,” he whispered against her ear before burying his face in the crux of her neck.

“Code.” She was mostly teasing. True, she wanted to know what his words meant, but she could tell they meant she was important to him and full meaning came in a distant second to that.

“Sorry.” He kissed her neck before he stepped back and grabbed her hand. “I promise. As soon as we get home, I will explain
all things
.” They were headed back to the truck, and after they disposed of the pizza box, he began to speak again. She wondered idly if he had been thinking about his response the whole time or if he, like her, was focusing all of his attention on not climbing her like a tree—or at least the male equivalent of that. “There is a beautiful pond behind Luke’s place. We can make a day of it and possibly catch a swim?”

“You want to take me to a pond in the middle of nowhere to tell me your secrets?” She bumped his shoulder as they walked, their pace now leisurely.

“Yeah, something like that. But said that way, it sounds pretty stalkeresque.” They were now close to the play area and the sounds of laughing children filled the breeze.

“I was thinking more cannibals.” She shook her head as she spoke. It always went back to cannibals to her.

“Oh, I plan to eat you, have no doubt about that.” His breath caressed her ear as his raspy whisper shot need through her core. She needed him … now!

“We need to go.” She had to tear herself away from him before she followed through with her climbing-a-tree impulses. “Or we are going to get arrested for public indecency.”