The Cougar's Timid Little Lynx (Sweet Water) (8 page)

Luke slammed his fist into the punching bag over and over again, needing to feel the pain and ache from this workout like he needed to breathe. Sweat dripped down his temples, over his chest, and splashed on the floor. He had been at this for the last four hours, and still he felt like he could tear someone’s head off. All he could hear replaying in his head like a broken record was Alice’s tiny voice telling him that she was broken and ruined. He slammed his fist into the red bag again, imagining it was that human fucker that had hurt what was his. The skin on his knuckles split
, and the warmth of his blood sliding down his hands didn’t stop him from going harder and faster. He moved on the balls of his feet as the punching bag swung wildly from the force of his punches. The angry beats of music playing though the speakers overhead couldn’t drown out the pounding of his pulse in his ears, of the force of his breathing. The air sawed in and out of his lungs, and the burn felt fan-fucking-tastic, but it wasn’t enough to ease his cougar’s need to come out and tear some shit up.

It had been a week since he had taken Alice and Joey out
to eat, and he hadn’t seen or talked to them since, well, not that they knew of anyway. It was eating him alive not to hear Alice’s voice, or the sound of Joey’s little giggle. He couldn’t count the number of times he had shifted and run free in the woods only to find himself right at the tree line of where he could see Alice’s house, and her standing at the kitchen window. It had taken a lot of fucking strength, but he had refrained from calling her or going to her. It had taken her a lot to tell him what she did, and he wasn’t going to push her. He knew when she was ready she’d come to him. At least he hoped she would.

The music cut off right before the next start, but when there was that second of silence he heard his phone ringing. He walked over to his iPod and turned
it off before grabbing his phone and staring at the missed call that flashed across his screen. His already pounding heart picked up an even quicker pace as he saw that it had been Alice that had called. After he grabbed a towel and wiped down the sweat from his body, he took a seat on the bench pressed against the wall and just held the phone. His fingers itched to punch in her number, to hear her voice, and know that it was she who had called him because she had wanted to reach out. He lifted his head and glanced around the gym he had built in the basement of his home. He tried very hard to keep himself in check at all times, and although he had never had a problem making sure he was in charge and not his animal, when it came to being in Alice’s presence he felt more animal than man. Every other time before when he felt the itch of animalistic aggression he had been able to come down to the gym and work it off, or even run in the woods, but neither of those helped him since he met his mate, and he knew it was because he hadn’t claimed her yet. It also wouldn’t dim until he had her, every part of her, but Luke also knew that Alice was scarred in more ways than one, and that would take time for her to come to understand that he wouldn’t give up on her.

He wiped his face and chest once more, tossed the towel aside, and took a deep breath. After he dialed her number and put the phone to his ear and started
to think she wouldn’t answer after the fourth ring.

“Hello?” She was slightly out of breath, and Luke couldn’t help but think of how he could make
her
out of breath. They were filthy thoughts, ones he couldn’t help because they slammed into his head as if they had a life of their own, and ones that also made him feel like a dirty bastard.

“Alice, hi.” He heard her swallow, and swore he could feel her smile right through the receiver. “I’m sorry I missed your call.” Luke wasn’t about to admit that he had been surprised as hell that she called.

“I know it’s early.” He looked at the clock on the wall even though he knew it was already eight in the morning, late in terms for him. He had been up since four, working out and trying to get every ounce of testosterone and need to hurt something out of his system. “And also, I’m sorry that it took me so long to call.”

He leaned forward, rested his forearms on his thighs, and looked at the ground. It felt good hearing her say that, because that meant she had been thinking about him, and had possibly wanted to speak with him sooner.

“How about we stop apologizing to each other?” He smiled broadly, and thankfully heard her soft laugh.

“Okay, that sounds like a good idea.” They were quiet for a suspended moment, but Luke didn’t talk, just waited for her to finish what he knew she wanted to say. “Joey has been talking about you all week. I swear there isn’t an hour that goes by that she isn’t brin
ging up your name and how you are the most awesomest doctor in the world, her words not mine.” She chuckled again, and his smile widened, but his stomach also twisted. Was that the only reason she called, because Joey wouldn’t stop talking about him? He had hoped it had been because Alice had wanted to speak to him, but maybe he had been very wrong.

“So, you called because Joey was a little too persistent?” Luke tried to sound light, but there was also a disappointed quality in his voice he couldn’t mask. She sighed heavily
, and he straightened. “Are you okay?”

“That isn’t the real reason I called.” Adrenalin surged in his veins. “I actually have been thinking about you all week, too.”

“Yeah?” He cleared his throat to push away the husky tenor that had taken over.

“Yes. I did a lot of thinking, and would like to see you again. Maybe we can talk about things that aren’t so depressing?”

“I’m supposed to take my niece to the park later today. Would you and Joey like to come?”

“I think I’d really like that, and I know Joey would. She keeps asking when you’re coming over again. She really misses you.”

Luke chuckled, feeling a surge of warmth fill him. “I miss you guys, too.” He clenched his jaw when he realized what he said. The silence that came through the phone was deafening, and he realized how it must sound on her end to hear him say he missed her. They had just met a couple of weeks ago, and she had taken that first step in going to dinner with him, telling him about her painful past, and now calling him. He was going to fuck it up with a few words that wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal to anyone else, but were huge when it came to his mate.

“How about you meet me there at noon?”

He didn’t have to wait long for her response, and that had him grinning like a fool.

“I’d love that.” He told her how to get there, and when he ended the call he felt secure that things might just be okay.

****

Alice sat on the bench beside Luke and watched as Joey and Amelia, Luke’s niece who was an adorable little red fox shifter, took turns going down the slide. The day was beautiful, with a light breeze
, which every time it blew by gave her a straight shot of Luke’s scent. He smelled masculine and wild, with an undertone of citrus. He was laughing at something the girls were doing, and Alice looked at him from the corner of her eye. He was so handsome, so big and powerful, that sitting beside him had her feeling like she was all female. She didn’t feel like the frumpy, overweight size sixteen mom that had wide hips, a too round belly, and thighs that touched. She also noticed the way he looked at her when he thought she didn’t notice. It was full of heat and want, had goose-bumps popping out along her skin, and made her feel arousal for the first time in years.

“I’m glad the girls are getting along so well.” Luke turned and stared at her, but his smile slowly faded as
he no doubt saw the arousal that had claimed her and refused to leave.

“Yeah, I’m glad they are.” Even she could hear the breathy quality in her voice. The desire for Luke had been instantaneous when she had first seen him walk into that exam room, but it had lacked the oomph
it had right now. Over the past two weeks, where he had consumed her thoughts, made her open her eyes and see that Joshua was still holding her down, her arousal had grown from a light simmer to a full-blown forest fire. It took over, became stronger with each passing second, and increased so drastically when she was in his presence that she couldn’t even breathe. Around Luke she felt beautiful, and the way she saw him look up and down the length of her body, not leering but more appreciating her, had her uncomfortably wet.

“Alice
.” Her name was a low, deep rumble that came from his chest, and she felt it right into her body. Between her thighs pulsed, ached, and the need to be filled by him had her entire body growing hot. Luke looked down at her lips, and as if on instinct she licked them. The desire to lean forward, to allow herself the luxury of taking what she wanted, bringing her mouth to his, and forgetting everything else, was right there for the taking. But as she started to lean forward, saw the way Luke’s eyes snapped up to hers because he knew exactly what she was about to do, a voice broke the hazy fog of want that had seemed to consume both of them.

“Luke, are you going to introduce me?” Alice pulled back sharply and looked up at the gorgeous red fox shifter. The wind blew by again
, and Alice picked up on the familiarity between this beautiful female and Luke. This was his sister, and her pale blue eyes were trained right on Alice. Luke cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, and when Alice looked at him she couldn’t help but smile that he was just as affected by what had
almost
happened as she was.

He cleared his throat and looked over at
the red fox. “Alice, this is my sister, Talia. Talia, this is Alice…” She knew he was on the verge of declaring her his mate, but even if he didn’t say the words that didn’t mean Talia couldn’t sense their connection. She was a shifter after all. Aside from the scent that they shared the same blood they looked nothing alike. Where Luke had blond hair and blue eyes, his sister had fiery red hair that fell to her waist in waves, and eyes so pale blue they almost seemed translucent.

“They’re pretty freaky, huh?” Alice felt her face heat at the fact she was caught staring quite rudely at his sister, but when she blinked to clear her head and saw Talia smiling, some of that humiliation faded. There was a warmth that emitted from the red fox shifter, one that
actually had Alice’s lynx rising up a bit from curiosity.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”

Talia shrugged and gestured for Luke to move over. She planted herself on the bench between them and turned her full attention toward her. Alice moved over an inch, feeling a little cramped, but not at all uncomfortable as Talia clearly appraised her.

“Now worries. I am used to the looks. Besides, I know my eyes are unusual.” She grinned again.

“Mom, look at what I can do.” Talia turned, and Alice followed suit. Amelia started doing a series of off-balance cartwheels, which had everyone clapping when she was done. Joey looked amazed, with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. That had Alice smiling, because seeing that look of wonder on Joey’s face was priceless. “Uncle Luke, come here, come here.”

Alice watched Luke stand up, but before he made his way to the girls he turned and looked at her one last time. There was still residual heat in his gaze, a promise that what had transpired between them wasn’t nearly finished. When his back was to her once again and he was striding away, Alice let herself breathe. Talia turned and looked at Alice.

“I’m really glad to meet you, Alice.” Talia faced forward, and there was a pregnant pause between them.

“Me, too, Talia.” Alice looked at the girls and watched in amusement as Luke showed them how fast he could go across the monkey bars. It was hilarious to see a guy of his size, one that could touch the ground
, instead reach up to grip the bars, just to appease two little girls’ request. His muscles bunched as he moved across the bars, and Alice clenched her thighs together as she saw the hard muscles flex beneath the thin material of his shirt. His fingers were long as he gripped the bars, and his forearms, so thickly corded with muscles and veins so prominent, flexed with his every move.

“He’s a really good guy.” Alice tore her attention away from Luke and
the children to stare at Talia. The red fox shifter was looking right at her. “He was screwed over by this bitch a long time ago, and although he acts like everything is fine, he can’t hide his true feelings from me.”

Joey squealed in delight
, and they both looked over at the kids. Was Talia saying he was still in love with someone from his past? And if so, why did that make a painful ache to settle behind her ribs, right in her heart?

“Yes, he is a good guy.” They watched him in silence as he started taking turns in tossing the little girls in the air and catching them. They screamed in excitement, their faces aglow with happiness.

“I won’t tell you what happened to him, because I know he will when the time is right, but,” Talia turned and faced her once more, “he is a really, really good guy, and he will be the best mate to you imaginable.” She smiled, and it was a mixture of sadness and relief. “I’m glad he finally found you, Alice. It’s been a long five years for him.” With that she stood and called out for Amelia. The little girl whined for a minute, but after Luke got down on his knees and gave her a big hug, she ran off with her mother. Talia and Luke spoke much too quietly for Alice to hear. Talia looked over at her, smiled kindly, and then walked off. Alice thought about the woman who had hurt Luke, and she felt sadness and pain for him. What could some female have done to him that made a male so big and powerful to feel helpless? And she had sensed that sadness deep inside of him, one he tried to hide but that she still picked up on.