Tangling With Topper (8 page)

“Besides delaying the search for the green meanies by sleeping in?” Theo demanded.

“Oh, stuff it,” Topper said, not turning around. “Or you’ll be the first ever dragon toad.”

Theo snorted and looked at Stark. “Has Topper threatened to turn you into a toad yet?”

Topper froze and swung around to glare fearfully at Stark who stared at her panic with one eyebrow raised.

“Yes,” Stark said succinctly, his gaze never wavering. “Topper threatened and then I reminded her that her magic didn’t work on me. As I recall the conversation, you and your fire-breathing skills were Topper’s backup plan.”

Theo laughed and drank his coffee. “Well, she’s right. I’d fry anyone’s ass Topper asked me to. Even yours… though I am finally starting to like you… a little.”

“Yes and we were both so worried about your opinion. I could barely sleep for worrying about it,” Topper said sarcastically, turning back to the sink.

She filled her tea kettle with water and put it on the stove to boil.

“So… did you guys come up with a plan while I was sleeping in?”

Topper put a teabag in her favorite mug and turned back to face them. She avoided Stark’s gaze, afraid of seeing humor there. She would laugh and that would tell Theo far more than a sultry glance would. The only time she laughed at a man was when she was mind wiping one.

Theo frowned and took a sip of his coffee. “Actually, what we came up with was something scarier. If the beeberg caught a shifter in its animal form, it could go after it for a host. Stark seems to think that may be why we haven’t found her yet. He thinks maybe she’s got her eye on a shifter and is just waiting for the right opportunity.”

Topper drew in a startled breath. The possibility hadn’t even occurred to her. No one in Magic thought of shifters as animals—not really. “We need to put out a no shifting ban until the creatures have all been located and caught.”

“Agreed,” Theo said, rising from his chair. “I’m heading back to the office to do that right now. I’ll let you both know if I hear anything else. Finish making your tea, Topper. I know my way out. Stark—see you later.”

“Of course, Sheriff.” Stark bowed his head to acknowledge being included in the farewells.

Theo paused in the doorway. “I still haven’t heard from Alfred. Can you run by and check on him? He’s probably back in his fish bowl, but that would be good to know. I’d go myself, but I figured since you and Stark would be out and about…”

“Fine,” Topper said. “I’ll check on him today.”

“Thanks,” Theo said, once again heading to the door.

She and Stark said nothing more until they’d heard his truck start up and pull away.

***

When the tea kettle whistled, Topper poured the water over her tea bag. She carried it to the table and took Theo’s vacated, but still warm seat.

“What happened between you and Theo?” she asked.

Stark felt one corner of his mouth lift. “Males on your planet are very similar to mine. Now that your sheriff feels we are working together, he is no longer threatened by my power as much. However, the peace between us might have been jeopardized if the fire breather had suspected you’d spent the night in my bed.”

“One of many reasons why I always slept with men who didn’t live around here,” Topper ground out, blowing on her tea to cool it. “Well, I’m glad Theo feels better about you being in Magic. His improved opinion still doesn’t change what we have to do though.”

Stark nodded in agreement. “Nor does it change how I feel about what happened last night.”

Topper took a sip and burned her tongue. She was always doing that, too impatient to wait for it to cool to a drinking temperature. “I guess that is true for me as well.”

The silence between them grew and Topper let it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about last night or not. But obviously Stark did.

“I must ask this question. Do you now regret giving yourself to me?”

Topper sipped her tea. Now that she’d burned her tongue, the hot liquid didn’t bother her so much. She looked at Stark over her cup—met his direct gaze.

“I don’t regret the first couple of times, but the last two or three took their toll on my older female body. I’m surviving this morning, just maybe walking a little funny. Theo didn’t seem to notice, which makes me think no one else will. The dragon misses nothing.”

Stark rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sure the answer I seek was in that explanation, but I failed to hear it. Let me rephrase—did I harm you in my enthusiasm for you last night?”

Topper snickered. His concerns about her always made her laugh. She just wasn’t sure why. “No, Stark. You didn’t harm me. I’m just not twenty, so your enthusiasm has me aching in places that I forgot existed. I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”

She swallowed hard when Stark reached out and picked up her hand. He brought her fingers to his lips. He was so gallant. Once again she wondered about how relationships worked on his world.

“Topper—in my whole long life, I never lost control with a woman until you. The entire time I was talking to your fire breather, all I could think about was if you were going to hate me when you awoke. I was unable to enjoy the food your dragon insisted on making for me.”

Topper set down her mug with an exasperated thump, sloshing tea over the side. “I don’t know what kind of females you’re used to on Glacier, but I would have stopped you if anything had been a problem. But I didn’t
want
to stop you, so I didn’t. Now I’m paying a tiny price for my overindulgence this morning, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about repeating everything we did. Earthlings are like that. We’re excessive, especially women who’ve found a man who makes love to her the way she’s always dreamed a man would.”

Stark swallowed hard and sighed. “It relieves me to hear I pleased you.”

Fed up with explaining something that still had the capacity to make her blush despite her age, Topper stood and leaned over the table. She grabbed Stark by the shirt front and yanked him close enough to put her mouth on his. He let her kiss him, his mouth relaxed and compliant under her exploring one. Moaning, she bit and sucked his bottom lip, before making herself turn loose.

Sighing after she let go, Topper lowered herself back to the chair and picked up her tea again. “Did that answer any remaining questions you might have?”

“Yes,” Stark whispered, his voice husky with renewed arousal. “Yes, my lovely witch, I believe it did.”

Topper nodded, swallowing nervously at the possessive look in his eyes. Stark looked like he was ready to drag her back to bed. She really needed to learn to control herself better. Maybe when Stark went back to his planet—until then, she’d just have to deal.

“Good. Now that we got that straight, where are we going to start our search for the beeberg?”

As they left her house, Topper sighed in resignation. There was no use putting off what she didn’t really want to do, but neither she nor Stark had any idea where to start. The town was full of shifters. All the witches owned familiars of some sort. What else was she supposed to do?

“No matter how much I wish I could put it off, I need to go check on Alfred,” she announced.

“The person the sheriff mentioned?” Stark asked.

“Yes,” Topper replied. “And someone I recently disappointed. We had dinner and… it didn’t turn into more. Alfred didn’t take it well.”

Stark nodded. “I know how that feels. I’ve had to turn some females away because they just didn’t appeal to me—some because they were mated. Those who left unsatisfied did not speak well of me.”

Topper snickered. “I’m sure the ones who got to stay more than made up for that with their glowing reviews.”

Stark shrugged. “I never thought about it. Some left before I woke. No one complained. Occasionally, one returned hoping I was ready for a mate again. I made no promises because I had no intentions of keeping any of them. They knew when they stayed that what I offered was only temporary.”

“Gee… am I supposed to feel sorry for you because all those women wanted you?” Topper demanded, laughing at his sad tone.

“No,” Stark said, turning his head to her. “But after last night, I suddenly understand why I withheld my true self from them.”

Topper laughed. “Stop—okay? I already confessed to wanting a repeat. You don’t have to work so hard to flatter me.”

Stark grabbed her arm to stop her from walking. “Do you not recall what I said to you our first time? The crystals danced on your skin for me. You are my chosen one.”

Topper pulled free and started walking again. “Crystals? I’d call you crazy, but being a witch, I have no right. I guess you being an alien explains well enough why I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Before Stark could say more, twin flashes of red ran across the path in front of them.

“Look—it’s the jaguar’s dogs. Get them!” Topper exclaimed.

She started running after them, only to see Stark pass her as his long legs raced ahead. He was like some sleek animal himself, all muscle and speed, and exhibiting a strength she found astounding. She slowed to a walk after a minute, promising herself she was going to start using that freaking treadmill Lacey had given her when she’d turned fifty. Apparently, the occasional safari or white water river rafting jaunt hadn’t helped her stay in great physical health.

Between Alfred’s house and his neighbor’s, there was an alleyway. She caught up with Stark there. He had both of the giant mastiffs gripped behind their necks and dangling in front of him. Those dogs had to weigh over a hundred fifty pounds each, yet Stark held them like they were mere puppies. How freaking strong was he? No wonder she was sore all over.

“Wow. You got them,” Topper said, unable to stop herself from stating the obvious.

Stark chuckled. “They were a lot easier to catch than the thetta bears on Glacier, and are much lighter to carry. Look on their stomachs. Do you see a dakkari attached there? I can’t let go to check properly.”

Stark lifted them high and dangled both whimpering dogs in front of her. Topper dipped her head slightly and searched their undersides. Sure enough, there was a good size dakkari attached to each animal. All four limbs and most of the face was now buried beneath the fur and not visible anymore.

Topper turned away and stepped back, covering her mouth to give herself a moment. She took a couple deep breaths to fight her stomach’s reaction, then turned back to Stark.

“Sorry. I got a bit queasy there for a second. Normally, I zap things that make me feel like this. They’re there. Did we get to the dogs in time to save them?”

Stark lowered one dog to the ground while lifting the other. He turned it toward him as best he could. He studied what was left visible of the dakkari.

“We might be able to save the host creature, but there will be some damage to the animal after we disconnect them. The level of damage depends on how deeply the dakkari has gone into the creature’s vital organs.”

Topper winced at the grossness, but nodded. “Okay. More than I ever wanted to know, but I guess that can’t be helped. So the beeberg must be nearby, right?”

Stark tightened his grip on both animals, looked around, and nodded. “Yes. We need someplace to secure these two. If possible, we need to keep them nearby so the beeberg doesn’t get concerned. She will know if we take them too far away.”

Topper held up a finger. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”

She transported herself and landed with a flash in front of Theo’s desk. Purple sparks of magic flooded the air and had both her and Theo coughing.

“I’m nervous. Sorry, Theo,” Topper said in apology, waving a hand.

“Damn it, Topper. One day you’re going to scare me into roasting you.”

She wanted to laugh at Theo’s complaining, but there was no time. “Call Malcolm and tell him to bring the containment van to the alleyway next to Alfred’s house.”

Theo’s brow wrinkled. “You mean the one we had made to hold first time shifters?”

“Yes—that one,” Topper confirmed with a nod. “We found both dogs and two of the missing dakkari are on them. We still have to look for the beeberg. Stark says we need to keep the dogs close at hand until we find her.”

“Okay. I’m on it,” Theo said, picking up the phone.

Topper lifted a hand and when she lowered it, she was back in front of Stark. “A containment van will be here in two minutes. Can you hold them that long?”

Stark’s eyes twinkled. “Yes. They will not struggle much because they know it could mean their death. I am what on your planet would be called an apex predator—probably the highest form here outside of Frost. I imagine that is the reason your dragon sheriff has been so concerned about me, though I understand he was merely acting on instinct. I’m sure Theo is used to being the top species here in his dragon form.”

Topper blinked, stunned by Stark’s comment. There was no doubting he was different from most human males, but after sleeping with him, she had forgotten he was an alien.

She watched him holding the massive dogs like it was no big deal to do so. She would have had to use her magic. So far Stark hadn’t had to do anything outside of what seemed everyday ordinary for him.

“Humans are the top species on Earth,” she declared firmly, crossing her arms as Stark smirked and turned away to hide his amusement. “Don’t give me that condescending look, Stark. I meant what I said. Dragons are not the top species here. Theo just thinks he’s hot shit. That doesn’t mean he actually is.”

Stark chuckled, grinning at Topper’s crossed arms. “I see self-delusion is another planetary trait Glacierans share with Earthlings.”

His knowing smile made her stomach flutter. Snorting, Topper put a hand over her midsection and rubbed. “I can’t believe you think you’re an apex predator. Next thing I know, you’ll be telling me that your people are superior to mine in every way.”

His full out laughter made her frown. Was the arrogant alien laughing at her or with her? She couldn’t tell. She didn’t like it either way.

“You seriously can’t think that, Stark. I was joking, damn it.”

Still laughing at the witch’s irritation over his honesty about the rest of her planet’s inhabitants, Stark turned when he heard a rolling transport approaching. What more proof could he offer Topper? Earth didn’t even have levitating transports yet.