However, Savannah was not going to give up on him.
“Hi,” he said softly when he reached her.
She smiled up at him warmly. “Hey, Kurt, it’s good to see you.”
He nodded and shifted his feet.
“Will you join me?” she asked.
He glanced over his shoulder towards the counter. Clint and Sara were both leaning over the wide barrier, kissing. “Clint’s supposed to be grabbing me a cup,” he said before sitting across from her.
.
Savannah laughed. “It might be a few minutes then.”
Kurt snorted and rolled his eyes.
“So how have you been? I haven’t seen you much.”
Kurt pressed his lips together. “Yeah, I meant… I wanted to… I’ve been busy at work.”
Savannah was intrigued by the man who sat in front of her stumbling over his words. He had been so confident before.
Kurt shook his head and cursed. “I’ve been busy with a project.”
“You’re still looking into the Church?” she questioned, keeping her voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard. She hadn’t been there when the Church had first arrived in town, but since she’d started working they got weekly updates about it. Sheriff Webb wanted to make sure that all his deputies were on constant guard for trouble.
Not only was his daughter involved with the shifter the Church had kidnapped, but one of his own deputies had been implicated in the crime. It had hit Sheriff Webb hard. He wasn’t going to allow any more trouble in his town.
“Yeah.” Kurt leant back in his chair and seemed more relaxed discussing the threat than anything personal between them.
If that helped Kurt open up to her, she was all for that.
“I think we might have a connection as to why the chapters are popping up where they are,” Kurt told her.
“That’s great.”
“I hope we can get to the bottom of this before there is any more danger to the Packs.”
“We will,” Clint said confidently as he joined them. He passed Kurt a cup of coffee before he sat down.
“That’s good news. I know Sheriff Webb has been uneasy not knowing what they’re up to.”
“After we know more I’ll need to set up another meeting with him,” Kurt continued. “We have a few people gathering more intel, but I think we’re on the right track.”
Savannah’s watch beeped and she glanced at it. She sighed, hating to have to leave in the middle of her conversation with Kurt when he’d finally settled.
“I have to get to the station,” she told the guys before standing.
Kurt looked disappointed for a minute before quickly clearing his features.
“Oh! Kurt,” Clint said with a smile. “Sara wanted me to make sure you were still bringing the salad on Thursday,” he said as if he had just remembered.
“I said I would,” Kurt replied with a frown.
Clint discreetly winked at Savannah. She had to press her lips firmly together to keep from smiling. Clint had just to make sure she knew that she would see Kurt in a few days.
“I’m going to get a refill and I’ll catch up with you boys later,” she told them.
Kurt grunted suddenly right after she heard a sound under the table. She was pretty sure Clint had just kicked him. Kurt moved his coffee from one hand to the other before standing. “I’ll walk you out.”
Pleased, she nodded.
She passed the counter and Sara passed her another cup while taking the empty one from her hand. Sara must have been watching since she had one ready for her. Savannah thanked her friend, glad they wouldn’t have to wait and Kurt couldn’t sneak off again.
Kurt placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked across the floor. Even through her uniform and the thickness of her coat, she could still feel the warmth of his touch.
She had started to crave him, thinking about how his hands would feel caressing her body while they made love. Her face heated and she had to clear her suddenly dry throat.
She thanked him softly when he opened the door for her, letting her slip out first. The cold blast of wind shocked her and her eyes began to water. Kurt wrapped his arm around her waist as he escorted her to the SUV she’d parked in front of the shop.
“It was good to see you,” she said to him when they reached her vehicle.
Kurt moved in front of her. “I’m sorry I’ve been acting so weird. I just didn’t expect…” He waved his hand between the two of them.
Savannah wrapped her free hand around the lapel of Kurt’s jacket. “What’s changed?”
Kurt grinned. “A buddy of mine said some things that made sense. I realised that if I kept my head up my ass I might lose the chance to get to know you better,” he admitted.
Savannah rose to her toes and pressed her lips gently against his. “Tell this buddy I said thank you,” she told him.
“Yeah, I’ll have to do that,” he replied before kissing her more deeply.
Their tongues met in a desperate kiss and she moaned. Kurt tasted so good—coffee and something manly and wild. She had wondered about the kiss she’d missed before. And now she knew.
Oh boy, did she know. He could kiss. His hold was firm but gentle. His mouth moved slowly, his tongue talented as he lapped at her. Her shiver was not from the cold.
He licked at her lips before pulling back. “You better get to work.”
She dropped her head back and groaned. “Damn it.”
Kurt took a step back. “I’m guessing from Clint’s so obvious mention of Thanksgiving that I’ll see you at Sara and Clint’s on Thursday?”
She laughed. “Caught that, did you? Yes, I’ll be there.”
“Good.” He reached over and opened the car door and held onto it while she climbed inside. “See you soon.”
Chapter Two
Kurt rubbed his eyes, growing more and more tired. It had been two days since he’d started looking into Dan Carter and his Church’s connection to the politicians of the five key states. They had to have proof of wrongdoing and conspiracy against the shifters to take to the authorities. They couldn’t accuse high members of Congress without absolute evidence.
He had pictures of the congressmen from Texas and Missouri meeting with Dan Carter. That might be explained away, but the fact that their meeting had been just days before the kidnapping in Riverwood was suspicious.
The shifter who was currently undercover with the Church had also confirmed that he’d seen the Governor of Arizona at one of the gatherings before the Church had invaded Lovington.
The pieces were starting to come together, but Kurt still worried about what plans Dan Carter and the others had. Dan Carter hadn’t been seen since the kidnapping in Riverwood had been foiled.
Riverwood, Kurt’s home Pack, had been plagued with devastating fires that had almost destroyed the town. He and Clint and a few of their closest friends had gone to help.
While rescuing his brother’s mate Todd, Kurt had got his first and only look at Dan Carter, when the man had visited the house where Todd had been held. Right after that, Dan Carter had disappeared.
Even with everything Kurt had managed to put together, there was just no information on Dan Carter. Carter had sent his second-in-command Perry Costa up to Lovington but had never appeared himself. And Perry had been the person responsible for Clint’s kidnapping.
When the shifters had announced their presence, the Council, through Tony, had also shared details with the public. Myths had been debunked for the protection of the shifters. You could not be bitten or scratched by a shifter and be turned into one. Shifters did not transform during the full moon. Shifters did not hunt down humans to eat them.
Still, there were many people who did not understand, didn’t want to get to know the shifters. Friends he’d known for years had turned their backs on him and Clint as soon as they’d found out what they truly were.
They’d been born different. And Kurt loved the ability to shift. He wouldn’t change it if he could. He didn’t know any shifter who would.
Tony had been dealing with the questions longer than anyone. Tony had even confessed to Kurt that some of the more common questions were just foolish beliefs that had been passed down over the years. Tony’s main job back then had been to represent the wolves so that humans who were afraid could have someone to look at and understand that they were just human with a unique gift.
Kurt still remembered watching Tony standing proud in front of the cameras answering one foolish question after another. If it had been him, he would have told the stupid reporters exactly what he thought of them and their inquiries. Tony, however, had handled it with class.
Thinking about the man brought to mind the conversation the two of them had shared days ago. Clint had been teasing him once again about Savannah, and when his friend had gone to check on a few things, Tony had brought the subject up.
Kurt had suspected that there was something going on between Tony and Colt, the shifter who was undercover with the Church. Whenever Colt called in information or Tony spoke about the other man, Tony’s entire demeanour changed. His face lit up and came alive at the mention of Colt.
So when Tony had cornered Kurt, and asked why he was running from his possible mate, Kurt had confided in the man. He wasn’t sure if the instant longing for Savannah was because of her, or if it was a product of the people closest to him finding their own mates.
He’d tried to convince himself he liked being a bachelor but it had been a lie. He didn’t—he wanted someone to come home to every night. He’d spent weeks talking himself into fighting what deep down he really knew. He wanted Savannah. He just wasn’t sure why.
And that was what had really been bothering him.
Tony had given him some sage advice. There was only one way to find out—man up and spend some time getting to know Savannah. If what he felt so strongly was still there then he needed to step up and decide what to do.
One look at Savannah that day in the coffee shop and Kurt had known that Tony was right. He’d been flustered at first and that initial reaction shocked him. He’d never been tongue-tied before in his life. Luckily she hadn’t called him an idiot and taken off. He’d got his act together and they had managed a decent conversation before she’d had to go into work.
The kiss they’d shared in the cold morning air had heated him plenty. His cock hardened at just the memory of her lips against his, her soft body wrapped tight in his arms.
He dropped his hand to his lap and rubbed. Oh yeah, he couldn’t wait to see her the next day at Clint and Sara’s Thanksgiving dinner.
Now that he’d decided to wrap his head around starting a relationship with Savannah, his body and the wolf part of him wanted to hurry.
Kurt unsnapped his jeans and fished his erection out. He was already hard and leaking just thinking about Savannah. He stroked himself firmly, thinking about what he wanted to do with her. He wondered what her mouth would feel like wrapped around his cock. He ran his thumb over the head of his cock, gathering up the liquid. He craved the feel of her hand on him just like his. He pumped faster, longing to bury himself deep inside her wet pussy. He moaned at that thought, his cock straining in his hold. He wanted to lose himself inside her.
His hips snapped up and finally, with the picture of Savannah under his hard body, he came. He milked his cock until he was completely spent then relaxed back into his office chair and grinned. If he could come so hard from just fantasising about being with Savannah, the actual act might just bring him to his knees.
He couldn’t wait.
* * * *
Savannah stepped into her shower stall and sighed with relief as the hot water flowed over her. The expected cold front had hit and she was frozen to the bone. Even the heater in her vehicle while patrolling hadn’t seemed to be enough as she’d had to keep getting out and talking to people.
Normally she enjoyed checking on residents at the edge of town. She had reconnected with several people whom she had grown up with. But on a cold night like tonight, she was just exhausted. Tired, cold and miserable.
She’d made it a point to visit every house to make sure they had plenty of firewood and gas, wanting to be sure the residents of her town would be okay if they lost power. She’d checked generators and taken count of numbers of family members just in case.
On her way back home, she’d driven by the big compound that the shifters resided in. She’d checked in at the gate and had been assured they were prepared for anything Mother Nature brought them.
Since she knew that Kurt had recently moved out of the compound and into a house close to Sara’s but had to admit she had been hoping for a glimpse of him. She’d driven back to her own house thinking about the handsome shifter.
But she would be seeing him the next afternoon when they had Thanksgiving dinner over at Sara and Clint’s, though, so she did have something to look forward to. She hoped to find a little alone time with Kurt.
Savannah picked up her scented shower gel and poured a liberal amount onto her shoulders and chest. She started to rub the vanilla-scented soap into her body before closing her eyes and leaning back against the shower stall wall.
Truth be told, she’d been spending too much time fantasising about Kurt when she was in the shower, driving or lying in bed. Okay, she was constantly thinking about having Kurt buried inside her and the two of them going at it.
Sex was a great stress reliever. Sex with Kurt? That, she knew, would be earth-shattering.
Thinking of Kurt’s touch instead of her own, she ran her hands around her breasts to pull at her nipples. The result was an arousing zing that travelled from her nipples to her core. She followed the feeling with her fingers to tease at her clit. She rubbed, lifted one leg up, playing with herself.
Oh, that was good.
She hummed, pressing harder against the little nub. She wanted Kurt’s hands on her like this. God, how she wanted him!
Savannah braced one foot against the wall as she slipped her hand lower and fingered her folds. The tip of her finger entered her pussy easily. She pushed in deeper.
It had been a while since she’d had a lover. And her fingers were no substitution for a nice, hard cock.