Authors: SL
much trouble?" She nodded in the direction of the large diner window.
"The weather's nasty and I prefer not to walk."
"It'd be my pleasure." His tender voice wrapped around her like a
warm blanket. He reached over the table and took her hand.
"Anything to help you out, Jac."
"Thanks." Her body was tingling at his unexpected touch. "You're
a real gentleman."
"Shh." He hushed her with a wink. "Don't say that too loud or you
might ruin my reputation."
"Okay. You're secret's safe with me." Jac chuckled, giving his hand
a tender squeeze before she reluctantly withdrew her hand. "And I
really appreciate it, too."
"I'll go warm up the truck." Ray rose gracefully from his seat,
smoothing his hands down over his jeans. "When you're ready, just
come on out. I'll be waiting."
She watched him leave; appreciating the way the faded denim
accented his rear.
Ooo, yummy!
Jac sighed, shaking the vision of
studliness out of her head and quickly packed up her laptop. With a
final sip of coffee, she paid her waitress then headed for the exit.
She couldn't help but smile as Ray's words lingered in her mind.
I'll be waiting.
Was that a lusty promise in his tone or was it her
imagination?
Jac wasn't sure. Somehow, she was determined to find out.
Within the warm cab, Ray switched off the radio and glanced to the
diner door. Any minute Jac would be heading out to the truck. He
drew a breath, attempting to calm his nerves.
He'd felt foolish reaching out and taking her hand. But the heat of
their touch and the silkiness of her hand in his had struck a chord deep
within him. A chord that resonated through his entire being. He
wanted her ... bad. The moon fever was escalating, too. The
heightened lunar energy would only complicate things. And, also, it
was only one night away from full zenith. "I'll just have to keep my
distance," he vowed.
Jac would never understand. Not only was she a stranger, but she
was also human.
Ray cringed. Usually the
sithech
and full-blooded humans didn't
mix. "It'd be like oil and vinegar," he muttered under his breath. "It
just won't work. I got a bad feeling about this." He sighed.
She also wrote for a magazine. That could spell trouble for him in
a different way. Ray's wolf sensibilities were on alert.
Damn. I'd
better watch what I say around her
. He couldn't win for losing.
With a loud squeak, the passenger door swung open. Jac climbed
up into the truck cab. Just looking at her made his resistance weaken.
She looked like an angel in blue jeans. The heady scent of vanilla and
musk filled his senses as she grinned over at him. Her lips were
simply luscious beneath her dark sparkling eyes.
"I'm ready." She gently placed her bag into the floor board and
rubbed her hands together. "Let's go."
"Where's your coat?" he frowned. She was only dressed in an
oversized sweater and jeans. "You're bound to catch a cold running
around like that."
Jac shrugged. "I was too preoccupied this morning. I forgot."
"That's no excuse." He shook his head and reached behind the seat.
Finding his wool-lined, denim jacket, he offered it to her with a smile.
"Here. The temperature's going to dip and you'll be a bit warmer."
She took the jacket and slid it on. "Well, it's way too big," she
observed, pushing the sleeves up. "But it's warm. Thanks."
"Don't mention it." He nodded.
"Are you always this nice to strangers?" She angled her head,
gazing over at him perplexed.
"I'm always nice to strangers," he replied softly. "As long as they're
not too strange."
Jac gave an amused chuckle.
Leaning in a bit closer, Ray let her essence fill his senses. He
wanted to kiss her ... right then, right there. Jac didn't back away. She
smiled up at him. She was studying him with an intense gaze, then
darted her tongue over her lips. The gesture was so tempting, so
inviting. His cock thickened automatically in response.
Before he could blink, Jac placed a tender kiss on his cheek. Ray's
breath caught in his throat.
A horn blasted outside the cab, shattering the magical moment. As
if the kiss had never happened, Jac turned her attention back to her
seat belt. His heart sank a notch. Sharply, he glanced out the
windshield and silently cursed the thoughtless driver, then cleared his
throat.
"Well, we'd better be getting you to the garage." He straightened in
the seat, snapping his seatbelt into place. Putting the truck into gear,
he pulled out of the diner parking lot.
Silence lingered between them as the truck headed down the road.
Despite the briefness of the kiss, his cheek tingled from the warmth of
her lips. It was a sensation that spread from his cheek straight to his
groin. Attempting to banish the wayward thoughts from his mind,
Ray switched on the radio.
"Me and Bobby McGee" filled the confines of the cab. Out of the
corner of his eye, he looked over at Jac, who was quietly swaying to
the music in the passenger seat. Ray exhaled a soft sigh and hoped
the bluesy wailing of Janis Joplin would bring him back to his senses.
The last thing in the world he wanted was to fall head-over-heels for
her. She was not a
sithech
, she was human. And he would end up
with a broken heart.
Jac didn't know what had come over her. One second she'd been
gazing into Ray's indigo-blue eyes, the next second she'd kiss his
cheek.
It must be pheromones,
she rationalized. She'd read recently
online about the effect of male pheromones on the female species. It
was nothing more than a simple, natural reaction.
That has to be it.
Ray's scent permeated the borrowed jacket. Heady musk and warm
spice. The scent was making her libido go wild. No wonder she'd
impulsively kissed his cheek. If it hadn't been for the interruption,
there was no telling what else might have happened. She winced at
the thought.
Business before pleasure
, she reprimanded herself.
However, the wayward kiss brought a smile to her lips.
Jac's stomach tightened again as the garage appeared over the
dashboard. It was going to be one of those days.
* * * *
daylight. Relieved, Jac listened to the mechanic going through the list
of estimates. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected.
Thank goodness.
Her gaze drifted over the man Ray introduced as his brother-in-law,
Derek Lee.
He wasn't as tall as Ray, but gave off the same assured-attitude that
most of the men she'd met in Heather Grove seemed to project. His
blonde hair was pulled back from his face revealing an intense pair of
hazel eyes.
"There's nothing to worry about, Ms. Hamilton. I'll have you back
on the road in just a couple of days." He smiled, handing her the
clipboard. Drawing her gaze away from the mechanic, she glanced
over the list and then signed on the dotted line.
"Good. I have a deadline to meet and I'd like to be out of town
before any bad weather comes through."
"So, you're in town on business?" He arched an eyebrow.
"Yes. I write features for
The Inside-View
magazine." She returned
his smile, glancing over to the garage office where Ray was waiting
for her. "Heather Grove's a unique little town. Time seems to change
slowly around here."
"Ah, you've noticed that, too." Derek laughed. "Since I've moved
here, it's taken me a while to get used to the slower paced lifestyle, but
I like it."
"I'm a city girl." Jac grinned, shaking her head. "I don't know if I
could get used to it."
Derek took back the clipboard. "If you find the right person, it's
worth it."
"I'm sure." She nodded. "Ray told me you and his sister are
newlyweds."
"Yes, you could say it was love at first sight." A slow grin spread
over his face. "It was like we were meant to be together. I was drawn
to her and now she's stuck with me." Derek winked.
The young man's words echoed in her head as he led her back to the
garage office. Deep in her heart, Jac longed for that kind of
connection with someone. Something earth shattering, profound. But
Cupid never failed in giving her a raw deal in the romance
department. The last guy she dated was the head of
The Inside-View
's
art department and he turned out to be a total jerk.
A cold gust of wind whipped around her. Jac snuggled deeper into
the jacket, letting the musky scent fill her senses. Even though she'd
only known him a very short time, she felt an irritable draw to him.
Girl, that's just your libido talking.
Derek opened the door and
ushered her into the small office space, out of the frosty weather.
Ray was leaned back against a cluttered desk with a Styrofoam
coffee cup in his hand. He was busy chatting with a young, red-
headed woman. Their conversation came to an abrupt stop. Ray
smiled over at them. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc?"
"Not too bad." Derek returned the clipboard to a peg on the wall
beside a NASCAR calendar. "I should have her back on the road
within a few days."
Jac's heart hammered in her chest as Ray's indigo eyes met her
gaze.
"See? What did I tell you? Derek's an ace mechanic. He knows his
stuff. You're in good hands, Jac."
Derek crossed the room, wrapping his arms around the other
woman. "Ms. Hamilton, this is Megan."
"Please, call me Jac." She politely nodded. "Nice to meet you,
Megan."
"Likewise." Megan smiled, her green eyes sparkling in the
florescent lighting of the office. "Ray was telling me you're a writer."
"That's right." Derek grinned. "A magazine writer."
"Oh, really?" Genuine interest shone on Megan's face. "What kind
of story are you writing?"
They'd think she was nuts if she told them about the werewolf-story
idea. "Just a piece on Heather Grove's history and its Scottish roots."
She shrugged, nonchalantly. "My editor thinks the Travel section of
our magazine should feature historical locations."
"What a wonderful idea." Megan smiled. "Our town's loaded with
history."
The hair on the back of Jac's neck prickled. She glanced around the
room. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but she sensed there was an
uneasy sensation stirring in the small room. Butterflies fluttered in
her stomach. It was time for her to leave.
"Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have an appointment at the town
hall around noon. So, I need to head back to the motel to change
clothes."
Before Ray could offer her a ride, Megan spoke up. "I'm going that
way, Jac. I can give you a lift."
"Are you sure it's no problem?"
"Not at all." Megan grinned. "I'm on my way to work at the
veterinary clinic. I can drop you off."
"That'll be great," Jac replied as Megan gave her husband a tender
kiss on the lips.
"Your dinner's in the 'fridge. Just heat it in the microwave. I'll be
home by nine." The red-head turned her attention to Ray, who was
eyeing her with a thin smile. "We'll talk later. Okay, bro?"
"Sure thing." Ray nodded then turned, smiling over at Jac. "And
don't let my sister's driving scare you."
Megan stepped over to the desk and gave her brother a light punch
on the arm. "At least I'm a safer driver that you."
"Who says?" Ray blinked, perplexed.
"Our insurance agent, of course." She grinned, heading for the door.
"I'm ready, Jac. Let's go."
Jac tugged the laptop bag over her shoulder. Whatever it had been,
the sensation had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
It's stress. Just plain old stress.
She took a deep breath, willing
herself to relax and dismissed the uncomfortable feeling.
"Derek, if you have any questions about the car, please call me on
my cell phone." Flashing both men a smile, she turned and followed
Megan out the door.
* * * *
spun around to face Ray. "What the hell was that all about?" His eyes
flashed with anger. "You and Meg were mind-talking ... and in front
of an outsider. What gives?"
Ray didn't turn from the window, shrugging his shoulders. "I was
just reminding sis to be careful what she says to Jac. She's in town