To Catch a Snake: Book Three - Supernatural Bounty Hunter Romance Novellas (7 page)

Chapter Eight

Ling flicked her eyes to Marcus and pulled his jacket around her a little more tightly.

He pulled up outside her house and calmly turned to look at her. “I’m sorry about what happened at the restaurant.”

She felt her cheeks burn bright red. After she had lost her sweater, it made it half way around the restaurant before the rotating belt completely jammed and burst into flames. The sprinklers turned on, the fire brigade arrived…
it was a mess.

Ling was asked never to return to Yummy Fish.
Although, it wasn’t said quite that politely.

Marcus graciously gave her his jacket to wear, and offered to drive her home.

“I’m sure they have insurance…” he began before a chuckle escaped his lips.

Ling whipped her head to look at him in surprise. In spite of herself, she started giggling too.
Alright, it had been kind of funny, in a tragic kind of way.
Tragic in that she couldn’t seem to get anything right in front of Marcus. She was usually more confident, more together than this. There was just something about Marcus that turned her into a total idiot.

In spite of the embarrassing nudity, the fire and the manager of the sushi restaurant shouting at her in Japanese, she’d actually had a nice time. And Marcus had stood up for her and calmed the manager down; or at least scared him into not screaming at her. It was a shame to end the night so soon.

“Would you… would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”

He smiled at her, and her sex fluttered and… she shrieked in alarm as his phone vibrated against her chest.

Marcus reached over, trying his hardest not to laugh at her. His hand delved into his jacket pocket, liberally grazing her ample breast.
Good lord, her cheeks were going to be red for the rest of her life at this rate!

He answered it, never taking his penetrating gaze off her. His jaw ticked and he placed his hand over the phone.

“I’m sorry; I have to go.”

Ling deflated a little as her panda whined. She sincerely hoped he wasn’t going to meet another woman! “Something wrong?” she asked casually.

“It’s just work; I don’t always keep normal hours.”

“Rain check?”

“Sure.”

She opened the car door. “Your jacket…”

His snake rumbled at the thought of seeing her in only her bra again, but Marcus thought it was prudent to behave. “You can give it back to me tomorrow.”

She beamed at him, her cheeks dimpling, making her look angelic. But when she spoke, her throaty voice was anything but sweet. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

He watched her curvy frame slip out of the car and admired her slinky walk until she disappeared into her house, giving him a finger wave before shutting the door.

He almost panted at the sight.

“Hello? Marcus?”

He sighed and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello Detective, you’re working late.”

Wyatt let out a long breath into the phone. “Yeah, no matter what you do, people just keep on breaking the law.”

“You’d be out of a job if they didn’t,” murmured Marcus, watching the lights flicker on and off in Ling’s house as she moved from room to room.

Wyatt chuckled wearily. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry to call this late, but I thought you’d want an update on Meyerson, the python.”

“Go ahead,” he murmured as he watched a light flicker on at an upstairs window. For a moment, he caught sight of her pulling the curtains closed. He imagined she would be undressing right about now. She was probably slipping out of his jacket… His snake hissed pleasurably at the thought of her surrounded by his clothes and his scent.

“Some patrol officers saw him at a gas station; he was driving an old RV, real junker apparently. He was with this woman, who was, and these are not my words, ‘some spaced-out, hippy chick.’ The junker didn’t have license plates, so the cops tried to talk to him, and that’s when they realized who he was. But…” Wyatt let out a long, irritated breath. “The hippy chick set a small fire in the restrooms; the cops were distracted, and they drove off.”

Marcus arched an eyebrow. “Apparently the woman wasn’t that spaced out.”

“They didn’t pay for their gas either.”

Marcus stared at Ling’s window. “Master criminals.”

“But, it looked like they were heading out of town if that’s any consolation.”

“It is,” Marcus replied absently. Honestly, he’d barely given the python a second thought. Too many other, much more appealing thoughts were running through his mind.

“Well, take care, man.”

“I will; thank you.”

The lion shifter ended the phone call.

Marcus considered his next move. He could make a last ditch attempt to find Norman again; he could go home, or he could knock on Ling’s door. He knew which way his beast was leaning, but he was unsure.

He wasn’t imagining it; she was interested in him. She could be his if he wanted. And lord, he did want her. But he still had niggling doubts about trying to start a relationship with Ling. He didn’t think he or his snake could handle the fall-out of a bad relationship again. And if he lost someone like Ling…
it would be devastating.

It had been a dumb urge to kiss her, but he couldn’t help himself. He should have just carried on and followed the camel shifter; he should have just minded his own business. Logically, he knew that was true, but the memory of her soft lips pressed against his, of her delicious taste and her clutching hands were amazing. No, he could never really regret that.

Although, he sort of wished he had punched that fucking mongoose for good measure.
How dare that mongoose touch his woman!

Marcus groaned; no, she wasn’t his, and he didn’t have any plans to make her his.
At that moment.

Wrenching his gaze away from her house, disregarding the grumbles of his irate snake, he drove away. He decided to go for option number four; he would go to the gym. After a few hours, he would be too tired and too drained even to think of the lively little panda.
He prayed.

*

Ling sifted through her closet. Damnit! A whole closet full of clothes and nothing to wear!
Or at least, nothing suitable.

She needed something that would impress Marcus. She needed to make him forget about the blender debacle and the sushi restaurant faux pas. It had to sophisticated, yet sexy, conservative yet raunchy, professional yet playful…
yep, she needed a magic dress.

Her panda yipped encouragingly. Well, whatever she wore, she couldn’t look any worse than she already had. He’d pretty much seen her at her worst… she hoped.
She dreaded to think how it could get worse.

Her phone trilled, and she eagerly grabbed it to answer.
Maybe it was Marcus!
She was annoyed at how disappointed she was to find Carly on the other end.

“Hey, how was your date?” asked Carly smugly.

Ling put on her bubbliest voice. “Oh! Perfect, he was such a gentleman. He’s so sexy, and he owns a yacht, a penthouse apartment and a holiday home in Aspen!”

Carly gasped. “Really?”

“Of course not!” snapped Ling. “It was a blind date my mother set up - he was a train wreck!”

“I’m sorry you had a bad night,” she said soothingly.

Ling’s panda mewled; she wouldn’t say it turned out to be a bad night exactly.

Carly changed the subject. “I actually rang to ask if you can give me a ride to work.”

Ling pulled a blue wiggle dress out her closet; it would do. “Aren’t you catching a ride with Jackson?”

“He already left and my car won’t start. Please? Pretty please?” she whined.

Ling rolled her eyes.
As if she would actually say no!
“Oh, alright, you know I can’t resist that little voice.”

Ling could practically hear her smirking. “I know, so see you in ten minutes?”

She looked down at her state of undress. “Umm, better make it thirty… or rather an hour.”

Carly agreed, and they said their goodbyes.

Ling dressed quickly, or at least what was quick for her, and artfully applied her make-up. She rooted around her dressing table before frowning.
Where the heck had that gone?

Her favorite necklace was a string of pearls; they were beautiful and made her neck look so elegant. She just couldn’t seem to lay her hands on them. Admittedly, they were a present from Myron for her 28
th
birthday, but that didn’t detract from how much she liked them. And there was no way she was going to do something crazy like give them back to him.

She sighed; they would have looked great with her blue dress. Still, they’d probably turn up. She settled on a gold chain and made her way downstairs.

She stopped by her fridge and frowned at the contents. Nope, the grocery fairy still hadn’t turned up. Nor, the cleaning fairy, the fridge reeked. Very, very carefully she pulled out a box of Thai takeout and sniffed.
Bleurgh!
Her panda growled at her for that.

She threw it and several other varieties of takeout boxes into the bin. For good measure, she gave the fridge a spritz of her perfume.
Yep, much better.

Instead of braving the cupboards, she left to collect Carly. She figured she would pick up something on the way to work. She couldn’t imagine Carly objecting to stopping by Hola Sunshine for a breakfast burrito. Ling guessed that, by now, Carly had given up on her diet and was ready to eat some real food.

Ling pulled up to the trailer park and Carly skipped into the car carrying a massive purse.

As she drove, Ling asked if she minded stopping for breakfast.

Carly grinned. “This is perfect, I know just the place, turn left here.”

“Better than Hola Sunshine?”

“Much better.” Carly looked Ling up and down. “You look nice, who are you all gussied up for?”

Ling flushed and concentrated on the road. “No one.”

“Ummm hmmm. I’ll bet it’s for Logan – he’s sexy, right?”

The panda let out a tiny snarl. “It’s not Logan; it’s Marc…”

“Marcus?! Were you going to say Marcus?”

Ling attempted nonchalance. “So what if I was?”

“He’s a snake!” Carly cried in alarm. “And he’s old and weird.”

“He is not old or weird! I’ll admit he isn’t an arrogant, violent and uncouth wolf shifter, but not all of us can be so lucky!”

Carly crossed her arms and stared out the window, sullenly. “I’m sorry, okay; I didn’t realize how much you liked him. Forgive me?”

Ling pursed her lips but soon softened. “It’s fine; I didn’t realize how much I liked him either. And I’m sorry about what I said about Jackson. Forgive me?”

Carly snickered. “Sure, it’s all true anyway – I call him those things all the time.”

Ling smirked;
apparently love wasn’t blind
. She cut her gaze to her best friend who was eyeing her again. “What?”

“Don’t you have any flat shoes with you?”

Ling’s brow creased both in curiosity and worry. “No, why?”

“No reason; turn right here, and pull over.”

Ling duly did and frowned when she saw they were parked outside a seafood restaurant called The Happy Clam. “I don’t think this place is even open yet.”

Carly shrugged and got out the car, dragging her purse. “Let’s just take a look.”

Reluctantly, Ling followed. Something was going on; she just wasn’t sure what yet. But at least it couldn’t be any worse than her surprise 21
st
birthday party. Carly was supposed to get her to the venue, but got mixed up, and they ended up at a gentleman’s club,
the patrons were very handsy…

Carly motioned for her to follow as she strode into the restaurant. It was empty, but there seemed to be music coming from the kitchen. Quietly, Carly reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, some mace and a stun gun.

Oh, crap! Carly was here to collect a bounty, and had dragged an unwitting Ling with her. Her little beast whined.

Ling grabbed her friend. “What the hell?” she whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me this is what you wanted to do?”

Carly blinked at her. “Would you have come if I did?”

“Of course not!” she hissed.

“Then you just answered your own question. Now, pipe down while I scope the place out.”

No way was Ling staying there. “I’m gonna wait in the car.”

Carly gave her a pleading look. “No! I need you; I can’t do this on my own.”

Ling groaned. She didn’t want to stick around, but she didn’t want to leave her friend there either. “Why isn’t Jackson here helping you?”

Carly scowled. “Because he wouldn’t let me help, he’d do it all himself and hog all the glory.”

“Glory? What freaking glory? We should leave.” Ling took her hand and tried to pull her to the exit, but Carly wouldn’t budge.