Behind the Eight Ball (3 page)

Remi groaned loudly.

I held the door while waiting for Remi to stop groaning. “Thanks for eating lunch with me, man.”

“Anytime. Just give me a yell when you’re ready again.”

I waved as Remi drove off. I needed to get my truck and get out of here too. I opened the door to the shop and walked in, fighting not to wrinkle my nose at all the different scents. The stink of chemicals hit me first, and then the odor of humans.

Humans didn’t smell like shifters. They didn’t necessarily smell
bad
, just different. Thankfully the kids out front were almost done with my truck so I could get out of here. Standing at the register, I waited my turn, when suddenly that same scent from earlier came out of nowhere.

It slammed into me, but this time it was stronger. Much stronger. Fresher. It saturated every cell in my body, took me by the throat, and sank its fangs into me. The scent whispered dark, needy things in my ear. My cock sprang up, my balls high and tight to my body.

Mate, mate, mate.

The words echoed in my head. How in the world had I ever thought that scent came from a candle? I was an absolute idiot. I’d waited to find this scent for half my life. I’d finally found it, and I thought the scent came from wax in a
bottle
? Goddess! I breathed deeply. That scent. I had to find the owner of that scent. Excitement tore through my body. After all this time, I’d found the one for me.

“Sir?”

My gaze snapped up.

“Sir? Are you okay?”

My overjoyed excitement turned to ball-numbing horror. There at the register stood a gum smacking, ponytail wearing, more-makeup-than-you-could-shake-a-stick-at bubbly female. A
female
.

Not only that, she looked like she might be eighteen on a good day. What was my goddess thinking? I had no fucking clue what to do with a, with a… barely legal vagina. I liked men. I liked dick. Oh, I really liked dick.

“Sir?”

Smack. Smack. Smack.

“I-I-I….” My eyes threatened to cross.

I was sure that gum-smacking sound would haunt me for the rest of my life. I needed help. No, no, what I needed was for the day to start over. Better yet, what I
really
needed was to have never stepped foot in here in the first place.

A female. What was I going to go with a female?

“Y-You don’t look so good.” She gasped. “Lawson? I need some help here!”

So do I.
I cringed at the high-pitched sound that came from the girl’s mouth.
Kill me now.
Then a sudden thought hit me. Was she human too? Oh no. She couldn’t be
human
. I sniffed, and there below the scent currently driving me nuts was the scent of a paranormal.

It wasn’t a shifter scent, though. I was sure of that. Was it her? Or was that someone else? No, no, it wasn’t the gum-smacking girl. But there was
something
in that shop. Thanks to the other smells—especially that ocean scent—I couldn’t tell what type of paranormal was close by.

That scared the piss out of me. My cat paced in my mind, then let loose a growling yowl that left me gasping and twitching. Oh shit, I was on the verge of either fainting or shifting. My gaze wavered and there was a rush of movement around me. I found myself sitting down. That lovely, salty scent of the ocean wrapped around me, and I tried to concentrate on it. Tried to rein myself in.

“Sir? Can you look at me? Come on now.”

The masculine voice snagged my attention and calmness enveloped me. I looked up into the prettiest gunmetal-gray eyes I’d ever seen. My gaze traveled over the person in front of me.
Oh, look at all that lovely tanned skin. Nice-shaped nose, five o’clock shadow, firm jaw. Kissable lips. Hair cut short on the sides, but take a look at those curls on top. I just want to run my fingers through them.
My gaze dropped.
Broad shoulders with a nice shape under those clothes. Like to see him
without
the clothes.

I returned to those exquisite eyes. As I stared I noticed hints of blue in them, and blue reminded me of the ocean and—and there was that scent. I inhaled. Oh yeah, there it was, and it was coming from the drop-dead sexy man kneeling in front of me, looking so worried.

Reaching out, I cupped the stranger’s jaw. Electricity shot up my arm. “Mine.”

The other man’s eyes widened and surprise flickered across his face. For a second I was sure I saw an answering need flare to life in the stranger’s eyes. I could sit here all day and stare at the man across from me. His features were perfect.

He
was perfect. I wanted him right now—wanted to strip the guy, kiss every inch of his skin, cover him in my scent, and then bury my cock as far as I could…. He moved back, I dropped my hand, and the fragile spell holding me hostage broke.

“There you are. Good, good,” he nodded. “I thought you were going to pass out there for a moment. Do you have any medical issues I need to know about?”

“I… no. I don’t, no. I’m, ah, wow.” I pushed my sweaty hair back off my face and looked around. Now I knew what a bug under a microscope felt like. There was too much attention on me, and while I liked attention, I didn’t care for this kind. “I’m sorry. Really, I’m sorry to cause such a ruckus.”

“No problem. Are you sure I don’t need to call an ambulance?”

That was the last thing I needed. “Please don’t call one. Really, I’m fine now. Thank you.”

“Um, what’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Heller Wirth.”

“I guess we have your vehicle?”

I wanted to smack myself. I’d totally forgotten why I was sitting here. “Uh, yeah. The black 2011 Rocky Ridge Chevy Silverado that just finished up.”

“The one all chromed out?”

“Yeah.”

The guy whistled softly. “Sweet truck. It’s done too, so that’s good. Oh, I’m Lawson, by the way. I’m one of the shop’s owners.” Lawson stood and held out his hand. “Let’s get you finished up so you can get on home.”

I took Lawson’s hand. A tingle ran up my arm, through my body, and made a beeline to my cock. I was tempted, so tempted, to jerk Lawson down and cuddle him. My cat wanted to rub his scent all over the man.

Had I felt Lawson’s hand tremble too? Was he affected? I stood and took another deep breath. Yup, that was a mate scent. Thank the goddess it wasn’t from the female I’d smelled.

“Are you sure you’re up to driving?” Lawson asked. “You’re still a little pale.”

“Oh, I’m fine, thanks.”
Rattled as hell, but fine.

“You sure are.”

I watched as blood rushed to Lawson’s face, those cheeks heating with color. Warmth curled in my chest.
How cute!

“I, ah. I mean, um, I’m sure glad you’re fine.” Lawson cringed. “Better. I mean I’m glad you feel better. Oh, good grief, shoot me now. Right this way, then.”

I swallowed my laugh. That pink tint to his skin was nice. I’d like to see how far down it went. I followed him to the register, admiring the tight ass in form-fitting jeans. My head was still spinning thanks to all the scents and my excitement. I’d found my mate!

Anticipation flooded me. I couldn’t wait to lick him from head to toe. We stopped at the register, which was by the door. I waited as Lawson checked my ticket and found the key I’d left to my truck. I needed to get the man’s last name.

Then I needed to…. A woman entered the shop and the open door let in a breath of fresh air that churned up the various scents of candles, chemical cleaners the carwash used, body odors of the humans, the scents of hairspray and perfumes, a paranormal scent I couldn’t place, and the ocean.

That wasn’t the only thing churned up.

“Wow.” Lawson held out the receipt and the truck key. “That’s a cool breeze. Oh, also, if it rains in the next twenty-four hours, bring your vehicle back and get a free wash.”

The fresh breeze had definitely cleared the scents strangling me and let me get a good whiff of the man named Lawson—who was a human. Human. The knowledge hit me like a tornado-propelled two-by-four.

My head pounded and my stomach roiled. How in the name of the goddess had I missed
that
? I was rattled and excited, but this wasn’t some insignificant detail.
Oh no. No, no, no. Not this. It can’t be. It just can’t be. Not a human. Not. A. Human. Anyone would be better.

My mouth watered. I swallowed, hoping I wouldn’t throw up here in the middle of the damn store. “Ah, ah, thanks, but I won’t be back.”

Lawson frowned. “But… is there something wrong? Did we do something wrong?” Lawson waved at the truck sitting outside ready to go. “You haven’t even been outside to see your truck, so… I don’t understand. What did I… ah, I mean, what did…. I mean…. Please, if I can, I’ll fix it.”

I snatched my key, careful not to make contact with his skin. “You can’t fix it, sorry.”

“Sorry?” Lawson let his hand fall. “I…. Yeah, so am I.”

The way his voice broke cut me in half, and that pissed me off. I slammed out the door and stumbled to my truck, horror dogging my every step. A nasty glare cleared the kids from around my truck.

Everywhere I looked there were humans. I wanted to scream, wail, and plant my fist through something. I jerked the truck door open and climbed in. The hair on my neck stood up, and almost as if drawn, I glanced out of the driver’s window.

Lawson was staring at me from the window by his register. He looked confused and sad. The insane need to get out and go back in there hit me. I wanted to comfort Lawson, hold him close, and tell him it was all okay, that I hadn’t meant to act like a jerk.

I was halfway out of the truck before I caught myself. Almost like a moth drawn to a flame, Lawson left the register and stepped outside. He looked alarmed. My cat was yowling, an eerie sound that made me want to put my hand over my ears. Not that it would do any good.

Lawson took a step closer, and I yowled desperately. Shock followed closely. I had the insane urge to slap my hand over my mouth. Did I really just make that sound? What was I thinking?
Out. Out. Out.
Now.

My cat was furious, scratching at me inside my mind. This was punishment for me walking away from my mate. That yowl—that wasn’t a sound a human would make, and I knew that. Dolf would skin me for my lack of caution. If the human got near me, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.

Nothing good I’d bet. I jerked my leg in and slammed the truck door, nearly catching my foot. Not my most graceful moment, for sure. Squealing the tires, I was never so glad to pull into traffic as I was then.

Too bad I couldn’t leave what prompted my flight behind so easily.

Lawson

STUNNED, I
watched the sexy stranger drive off. Hell, “drive” didn’t quite cover it. More like ran off in stark-raving fear and
—
this confused me—disgust.
What just happened?

“Dammit,” I mumbled.

“Hey, Lawson, what’s going on?”

I turned to look at my business partner, Janelle. “Well, I’m not entirely sure. There was this guy—”

Janelle elbowed me in the ribs. “Isn’t there always?”

“Hey, now, careful with that.” I poked Janelle back. “Damn pointy thing’s lethal.”

One of Janelle’s eyebrows disappeared into her short, kinky black hair. “Sweetie,
that’s
not what’s lethal about me.”

“Oh, I’m totally aware.”

Janelle stared into the street. “So any particular reason we’re out here staring at the pavement?”

“Well….” I ran a hand through my curls. “Can’t speak for you, but I’m out here because this guy came in, damn near passed out in the store, eyed me up, then ran off. One second he was all hot and bothered, then the next… nothing. He turned cold. So he got in his truck like he was going to leave, and then he looked at me. Just looked at me.”

“Strange.”

“I’m not to strange yet. Just wait. Anyway, he started to get back out. It was as if he couldn’t make up his mind. So I stepped outside and… I don’t know.” I gestured at the parking lot. “He damn near slammed the door on himself trying to get out of here. Oddest thing ever.”

“Oh reeeeally?”

“Well, oddest thing to happen to me today.
You’re
the oddest thing ever.”

“I’m the oddest?” Janelle patted my cheek. “Oh, if you only knew.” Then she frowned. “Actually….” She discreetly sniffed. “Huh.”

“Oh, now what? I know that look.” I hunched my shoulders. “Shit.”

Janelle pursed her lips, frowning at the street. “Why don’t we continue this in your office?”

“Aw, man, really? In the office? Nothing ever good comes from talking to me in the office.” Forget hunching. I was now cringing. “I don’t wanna.”

“Oh yes, yes, you do.”

“Oh God, no, no I don’t.”

Janelle took my hand and led me back inside. I stared at the back of her head. Her hair was a mass of corkscrews that barely touched her shoulders and her skin was a beautiful smooth mahogany. At five foot five, she had a rocking figure both sexes noticed, and she took full advantage of that. She was a good friend and a beautiful woman.

She was also not human.

A year after I graduated college, my job transferred me to New York City. I was crashing with friends, and we’d gone out. After drinking enough to sink a ship, dancing until I was ready to fall over, and making out with a tall, dark-skinned sexy guy named Marshell, I ended the night in his bed.

I became friends with not only him, but his sister, Janelle. The three of us spent a lot of time together over the next year. There was affection there between Marshell and me, but I knew he wasn’t the love of my life. Good thing. One night after we made love, three masked men broke into their house. Janelle was out on a date, so just Marshell and I were home. They attacked us.

Well, they attacked Marshell.

I was just collateral damage. Beat to hell and back, they left me bleeding on the floor while they tried to kill him. That was horrifying, yes. But more so was when he revealed wicked-looking fangs and blue snakelike eyes.