White Doe [shapeshifter romance / romantic suspense] (3 page)

His
eyes glowed hot again.

"
Sorry about that." Caught off guard, she glanced below his waist where soft denim cupped his sex. She licked her lips. "I'm going to need something until then."

He nodded.

Cheyenne dropped the Jeep into gear and drove off.

A
t her mom's house, she readied for her run with Shane's words ringing in her ears. He loved her. He accepted her after he learned she stripped. Could he love the real her, though? The time had come to quit hiding. To quit being a victim. She needed to take a stand for what she wanted and who she was.

After kicking off her shoes, she sprinted
into the woods.  Stars shimmered above a dense canopy of pine.   Her bones lengthened and her muscles stretched painfully as she dropped to all fours. A second later, her long legs propelled her forward, gaining speed with each stride.

Into the dark. Always alone
.

*
* * *

Tangled sheets scorched
Shane's skin as he rolled off his bed, emerging from a dream of flight. The clock struck midnight. He wanted to shift. Needed to shift. Fatigue kept him human.

Chey consumed his thoughts
. He burned for her more than he did at seventeen. She could've knocked him over with a flick of a long coral fingernail when she revealed she'd been a stripper.
Jesus.
The memory of her full lips around his cock boiled his blood.

I
n less than a day he'd fucked up his chance. Thanks to Dory springing her possessive claws, he'd play hell gaining Chey's trust. When he'd said he loved her, he thought he saw affection in her eyes, only to be replaced with unshed tears. He sensed something weighed on her that had nothing to do with him.

Stretching, he
padded onto the small screened in porch for some fresh air. Smooth concrete cooled the soles of his feet as an autumn breeze caressed his bare skin. Licked between his thighs. Stiffened his cock. Lazily, he stroked his shaft as images of Chey floated behind his eyelids. Naked. Chestnut skin. Lean and beautiful as her sensuous lips trailed over his body.

He bit back a groan as
heat built in his belly. He imagined her long, silky hair sweeping his chest as she straddled him. Another image of gripping her tight round cheeks as he slammed into her sweet pussy from behind.

As he pumped faster
, tension mounted in his balls. They drew tight. What he'd give to come inside of her. Feel her clench around him in the throes of ecstasy. His chest heaved. His hips locked as white-hot current zapped down his vertebrae and ripped through his sac. His release arced in long, thick streams. His mind and body savored the weightless freedom as his head lolled forward.

E
uphoria ebbed leaving his physical need sated, but desire for Chey still rode hard in his gut. Would he ever feel her shudder beneath him? Ever awaken in the comfort of her arms? For years he'd dreamt of those small pleasures. He'd tired of living for the next shift that only quelled a gnawing need for something he couldn't understand.

About
to head inside, he caught a blur of movement on the lawn. He refocused. A deer.
A white doe!

Nona claimed the doe
's appearance was a sign of good luck, like finding a four-leaf clover. Their tribal ancestors preached that a white doe held the spirit of the first-born colonist, Virginia Dare. As a boy, he hadn't believed the folklore until he transformed into a hawk. Now, the idea that the doe might be a shifter seemed more likely. Hunters sought them for their beautiful pelt. Others believed the doe's blood offered immortality.

Slowly, he
inched to the screen door. A waning gibbous moon illuminated her pale, regal stature. She studied him curiously as he glided down the steps buck-naked. He hoped his neighbors didn't wake up.

The doe warily
stepped toward him and sniffed his offered hand. Her large ears swept back, listening. Her dark, wet nose kissed his fingers, feeling as soft as velvet. She drew a slow lick with her tongue that made him smile.

"
So, I'm a salt lick," he whispered.

Her dark
eyes met his, and he froze.

G
reen.

As if
reading his thoughts, she bolted, flashing a flag of a white tail that was quickly swallowed by the night.

Chapter 4

It wasn
't a lie, Cheyenne thought as she filled out an application. She had waited tables before…okay, maybe in combination with a lap dance. Tips would never compare, though. A good night in Florida had earned her five hundred dollars. Hell, she'd be lucky to make a hundred dollars a night at The Black Raven. It appeared to be a locals' hangout from her casual observation. And she loved the ocean view.

T
he stripping lifestyle had grown old. She'd welcomed her mother and Nona's request to come home. Now that she had returned, she realized Shane was more of a factor than she'd believed.

Christ, she could still see his
shocked expression when she told him she had worked as a stripper. The bulge in his jeans signaled he was totally turned on and as sexual as ever. Unfortunately, he had Dory, the biggest slut in the county, still hot after him.

"
You can start now if you like, Cheyenne." The bar owner extended his hand, snapping her back to the present.

"
Jeans okay, Billy?" she asked, returning his handshake as she stood.

"
Honey, you can wear anything you want as long as it's legal."

H
e'd been subtle about it, but she noticed him checking her out when she strolled in. She didn't take it personally. An attractive waitress would keep men drinking and make more money for the business.

S
he stashed her purse under the bar and started immediately. The light crowd during the mid-afternoon hour picked up as the day shifters clocked out. She'd finished putting away lunch glasses when the after work, need a brew patrons sauntered in. Most were men. All shapes and sizes. None wore business attire. These were fishermen, utility and construction workers, and the like.

Two buff men in dark blue tees
that read
Keep Back 200 Feet
sat down at one of her tables. Bet no woman could keep back from the hot firefighters. The taller one had ice blue eyes with broader shoulders than Shane. Built like a fire engine, Mr. Ice Blue couldn't distract her from her thoughts of Shane. Since arriving in North Carolina, she hadn't been able to pry him from her mind, or heart.

Had he really ended it with
Dory for good?

To his credit, he
'd called her the day after the funeral and recommended The Black Raven and a few other establishments.

"
What can I get you?" she asked, using her southern accent and fluttering her dark lashes.

"
Bud on tap would be great." The larger firefighter smiled, friendly. His friend responded with the same.

By the ti
me she returned with their beers, a woman with striking amber-blonde hair and smoky topaz eyes sat beside the big hunkasaurus. His baby blues shone with love and lust.

"
What can I bring you?" Cheyenne asked, maintaining eye contact. She'd learned to never let her eyes stray to the man when taking a woman's order, or risk losing the tip.

"
Jack on the rocks, please," she said with a genuine smile.

"
A lady with good taste. In men and whiskey." Cheyenne winked.

"
You're new. I'm Jo." She extended her hand. "The guys will be tripping over their feet to catch your eye. This is Ray," she said, squeezing his brawny shoulder. "And his buddy, Tommy."

"
Nice to meet you." She noticed Jo's hoodie while shaking her hand. "Are you a firefighter too?"

"
Probie at the station in Manteo."

"
Wow." She admired her fortitude.

Adoration lit
her man's smile. "Yeah, she finally came back, after winning all those surfing championships. Now she's running into burning buildings to get her fix."

"
So you were the local who won the Miami Coast Classic a few years ago?" Cheyenne recognized her after Ray mentioned the competitions. "You put OBX on the map. Did you ever try the west coast?"

"
For a while," Jo said. "But something drew me home." She slid her arm around Ray's neck and kissed his tanned cheek.

O
ld sweethearts. The sentiment struck Cheyenne. "Go figure. I came back home for the same reason." She went to fetch their drinks.

*
* * *

Shane slipped off
the latex gloves and washed his hands. His partial overhaul on a Hatteras Sport Fisherman was ahead of schedule. He didn't mind getting his hands dirty, but he detested not being able to get them clean and having grungy fingernails. His boss and co-workers teased him about wearing gloves, calling him Dr. Diesel.

He
'd pleasured Chey with these fingers. He groaned inwardly. Her pussy had been velvet. In the nights since, he dreamt of her beneath him with those long, shapely legs locked around his hips and those green eyes burning with desire for him.

The thought of
those mesmerizing eyes brought the doe to mind. The sighting continued to plague him. Had he imagined those haunting jade eyes? The only other time he'd seen an alabaster doe happened right before she left. The coincidence unsettled him.

He had always heard
rumors among the tribe that shifters existed, though none admitted to the ability. Though Chey and he weren't related by blood, her maternal mother had descended from their tribe. Could she be a shifter like him? If she began shifting during her teen years, it might explain why her mother uprooted them from the Outer Banks. Had Tegan feared for her daughter's life from hunters?

O
nly one way he could be sure.

After work,
he pushed through the door of the dimly lit tavern and scanned for Jim. They usually met Friday nights to shoot pool and scout for pussy. Tonight, he only had interest in beer and hoped Dory didn't show. The Pirates hung out at The Black Raven, and it pissed him off that she'd taken to invading his territory. Her hunt for Pirate cock, not doubt an attempt to make him jealous. Her toxic affections held no appeal to him and he'd warned his brothers.

Shane barely
made it halfway to the bar before he did a double take at the sweetest heart shaped ass in tight jeans leaning offer a table. Long, black hair shimmered down her back, stirring his desire.

Chey.

How many times had she been hit on already? A sprig of jealously sprouted in his gut. Jim sat at the main bar tugging on a cool one. Shane took the seat next to him as a hand cupped his butt cheek and squeezed. Dory?
Fuck.

So
ft laughter tickled his ear. He turned with a scowl, only to meet Chey's devastating smile. His stomach dropped. All his blood went straight to his dick.

"
You were expecting someone else?"

"
Sorry. Thought you were Dory." He grazed her cheek with a kiss. "Hmm…didn't take you long to sweet talk Billy."

"
His wife is pregnant. Evidently, she miscarried before and isn't supposed to be on her feet a lot. Lucky timing. Huh?"

That smile again
. Her happiness tripped his heart into double time. "So am I to take the ass grab as a thank you for recommending the place?" He narrowed his eyes suggestively.

"
Take it any way you like it, stud." Cheyenne winked. Placed her tray on the bar and gave her drink order.

Jesus
.
With a contented sigh, he turned to Jim who passed him a
you got it sooo bad
look.

Shane
's plans to get drunk and forget his want of her suddenly changed. He'd stay until closing and show her more than she cared to know about him.

Then he
'd see if she still called him stud.

*
* * *

After closing,
Cheyenne counted her tips. Roughly sixty dollars. A far cry from what she netted after stripping. In Florida, she'd saved enough cash to buy a modest home but never did. She'd longed to return to her roots and her family. Since Cheyenne was a child, Nona had groomed her to take her place as medicine woman. Then her life changed.

After pocketing her tips, she gr
abbed her purse and stepped into the cool night. Beside her Jeep, a silhouetted form stood waiting, almost invisible.

Shane
. Tough and hungry.

Her breath caught in surprise
and desire.

"
How about a ride on the beach?" He nodded toward her vehicle.

Danger in his eyes sent a chill
down her spine. "It'll cost you."

"
A free tune-up enough?" he asked, whisking the keys from her hand and opening the passenger's door.

His large form slid into the drive
r's seat. Energy rolled off of him in waves, mostly sexual, but with an undercurrent of tension she couldn't put her finger on. "Would that include a wash and wax?"

"
Honey, you're already waxed to perfection." He lowered his gaze to the apex of her thighs. "But I'd love to detail your interior."

Her snappy comeback vaporized against the vivid image of h
is hard cock de-tailing her.

"
Have you ever had it on the beach?" Shane asked after a moment as he turned onto the highway.

"
Me or the Jeep?"

"
I'm up for either or both," he said, undressing her with his eyes.

Her thong went
damp. Was he serious?

At the next access ramp, he hit the 4 x 4 on the fly button
, and they rolled onto the beach. A partial moon shimmered over the dark ocean, casting heavy shadows over rangy dunes. The tires bogged, and he downshifted then brought the truck to speed. Once they reached Coquina, he rounded to a stop.

"
Let's walk." He snatched her leather coat from the backseat and helped her on with it before tucking her arm tight under his. As they strolled along the surf, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me you got on at The Raven?"

"
Billy only hired me this afternoon."

"
So, did you enjoy your first shift?" His eyes wandered to meet hers.

"
Uh huh, the place is laid back." Even his Pirates brothers acted respectful. She wondered if he'd spread the word. Even if he hadn't she'd learned enough sass during her stripping days to keep even the drunkest men in line.

"
So, nobody grabbed your ass?" he teased.

"
Oh, you loved it."

"
Cop a feel anytime, sweetheart." His golden gaze seared her.

Snaking her hand down the back of his jeans, she offered a tantalizing
stroke. She had glimpsed his darkest desires. Though they'd never fucked, they'd done almost everything else. Would tonight fulfill her longtime fantasy?

Shan
e groaned and yanked her around to face him. His eyes narrowed and went dark. Thick and hard, his cock prodded her belly though his jeans.

Suddenl
y, he let go and retreated.

"
What's wrong?"

His eyes roamed the beach.
"I'm not what you think, Chey." He cocked his head and his brows furrowed.

She read
dread mixed with regret in his actions. "We all have our secrets, Shane." What did he mean? While her mind raced through a multitude of scenarios, she sensed his meaning went beyond her comprehension.

"
I need to show you something." Apprehension hung on his tone.

"
I've already seen it. Remember?" She winked.

He smile
d for a second. "There's more than you can imagine."

"
Oh." Did he fear her rejection? What could he show her that could scare her beyond her own anomaly?

Silhouetted in the moonlight
, he backed further way. Shrugged off his jacket and then his shirt. His dark nipples puckered in the night chill. As he stepped from his jeans his cock sprang rigid and ready.

She
caught her moan before it escaped her lips. He was a dark warrior and she so wanted to be conquered.

He stood stock-still
. Then his face seemed to distort. Crying out, his voice morphed into a howling squawk. In the blink of an eye, he vanished before her eyes.

In his place
, a large hawk with golden eyes and vertical pupils. He hovered on the breeze as she clutched her chest. She stared for several long seconds. Afraid he might disappear like a dream.

Her heart hammered
against her ribs as she extended her leather-clad forearm. The enormous Golden Hawk lighted on the offered perch, leaving his wings extended.

With a forefinge
r, she stroked his warm breast. Her heart raced as fast as his. "Hello handsome."

Lightly, he preened the top of
a wing as if to accept her compliment. With a mighty flap of feathers, he soared off into the night.