The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) (4 page)

She stopped on the sidewalk and turned to him. “I don’t have a car for you to walk me to,” she said with a half-smile. “I walked to work.”

All he’d meant was to gain another few minutes in her presence because she called to him like no other, but it wasn’t enough. His next words startled him because he wasn’t thinking of anything other than that he wanted more time with her.

“How about dinner?”

Her green eyes widened. A soft breeze blew her dark hair across her face. She brushed it away, her eyes on him the entire time. She appeared to be considering something. “Okay. Dinner. If you don’t mind having it at my place. My dog Daisy would be pretty upset with me if I didn’t make sure she had dinner soon.” A grin spread across her face when she mentioned her dog.

Daniel nodded. “Your place is fine. I’m looking forward to meeting Daisy. Can I give you a lift then?”

“It’s not far, but sure.”

Only minutes later, he was turning at her direction into a short driveway, rising sharply up the hillside. Her home was a charming bungalow painted white with a red tiled roof surrounded with other similar homes. Her yard was overflowing with flowers. As he followed her into her apartment, a deep bark greeted them. Sophia immediately knelt down and wrapped her arms around an enormous dog.

Sophia stood and glanced to him. “This is Daisy,” she said gesturing to a dog who reached her waist. Daisy was stately and gray. She pinned Daniel with a curious gaze, her dark eyes blinking for a moment before she stepped to his side and sniffed his hand. He stroked her head, marveling at her size.

“Is she a Great Dane?”

Sophia nodded. “Yup. She’s a gentle giant. She’s only two, but she’s mellow and sweet as pie.”

Daisy leaned her head into his hand, her gaze soft and warm. Sophia kicked her boots off and hung her jacket by the door. As soon as she started to move away, Daisy followed her. Sophia looked back at him. “Feel free to hang up your jacket.”

As soon as he did, he followed her through the living room and through an archway into the kitchen. The home was warm and inviting. The living room windows faced the mountains with a clear view of the setting sun through a bay window. A sage green couch with throw pillows scattered over it took up most of the living room. Plants were everywhere. The kitchen was small and cheery. A beautifully maintained porcelain stove was the centerpiece. The counters were polished slate. A round table was tucked into the corner.

The last rays of the sun fell through a side window, the light casting a soft glow in the room. Sophia quickly prepped a rather large bowl of food for Daisy who showed her only signs of impatience while waiting. Once Daisy was busy eating, Sophia looked up at him. Her hand rested on the curve of her generous hip. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders. Daniel tried to keep his eyes off of her breasts, but it was damn difficult with her t-shirt stretched tight over them.

“Okay, now that Daisy has dinner, we can talk about what we’re having. How about takeout from the best pizza place in town?”

“Sounds perfect. What’s the best pizza place in town?”

She snagged a menu off the refrigerator, which was papered with menus and postcards, and tossed it to him. “Painter’s Pizza. It’s been around forever. Classic deep-dish pizza when it started. They’ve expanded their choices in the last few years with healthier options to cater to the college kids and the new health craze. They even have gluten free crust if that’s your fancy.”

She plunked down at the kitchen table and gestured for him to join her. After a few moments, she arched one of her dark brows. “Well, what do you think?”

He handed the menu back to her. “Honestly, I’ll eat anything. If you want to go old school with pepperoni, or get fancy with some of the veggie options, it’s fine either way. What’s your preference?”

Sophia flipped the paper menu back and forth in her fingers. “Let’s do half and half. I love pepperoni, but I like to convince myself I’m trying to be healthy sometimes too. Their spinach feta pizza is amazing.”

“Sounds good.”
She slipped her phone out of her pocket and quickly placed their order. While they waited, she stood and opened her refrigerator. “Beer? Wine?”

“Beer will do.”

After she handed him one, she gestured for him to follow her into the living room once Daisy finished eating. The time passed quickly. Sophia was easy and comfortable to talk with. The only distraction was the buzz of electricity that swirled in a current around them. She seemed oblivious to her effect on him while he could barely sit still around her. The pizza arrived, and it was as good as Sophia had promised.

Meanwhile, he soaked her in. The fall of her dark hair that swung down her back, her emerald eyes, the delicate arch of her brows, her bow-shaped lips, and the lush curves of her body. As the evening passed, one thing came into sharp focus. He wanted Sophia fiercely. He didn’t know if it was his recent acquaintance with his shifter side, but desire pounded through him in a way he’d never experienced. Though the events of his life had precluded relationships in his recent history, he’d had a healthy interest in women and dated plenty before that. But whatever he felt for Sophia burned hot and fast. His mind grappled with it, telling him he needed to pace himself and not move too quickly.

Daisy had fallen asleep on the floor, stretched out and dead to the world. Sophia stood from the sofa and reached to take his plate, her fingers brushing his. Electricity jolted through him, the power so strong he wouldn’t have been surprised if he saw sparks. Her breath drew in sharply. The plate wobbled in her hand, but she held onto it. Lust coursed through him, the power of it almost overtaking him. He shackled it. The lion side of himself he’d only come to know recently simmered under the surface of his skin.

He stood and followed her to the kitchen, leaning against the wall. When she turned away from the sink, she remained where she was by the counter, her hands curling around the edge. He pushed away from the wall and took a few steps in her direction, stopping several feet away. “Look, I, uh, don’t mean for this to come out of the blue, but I want to kiss you—like I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone before.”

Her green gaze slammed up to his. She swallowed, and he could see her pulse fluttering in her neck. Her hands slowly uncurled from the counter, her arms falling to her sides. She took a step in his direction and stopped. “How…?”

He shrugged. If he let his mind run the show, it was like static interfering. If he let his feelings speak, he knew with certainty that whatever lie between him and Sophia was special. Even if he’d only just met her. He held her eyes. “I don’t know how. I just know I feel something with you I’ve never felt before, and I don’t want to pretend like it’s not there. I won’t rush. We can take our time. I just thought maybe I should be honest about it from the start.”

Chapter 4

Sophie stared at Daniel, her eyes taking him in—all tall, dark and so sexy she nearly melted in his presence. If she hadn’t been certain he was a shifter, she knew he was now. The intense energy, the primal pulse of desire pounding between them—only that kind of energy came from a shifter. She sensed he was as thrown by this as she was. Yesterday, he’d walked into her coffee shop and taken her breath away. When he’d appeared again today, it was as if flames flickered between them in every moment.

When he asked her about dinner, she elected to invite him here because Daisy was her best radar. She figured a casual dinner could be just that, or she could learn if Daniel passed Daisy’s inspection. He passed with flying colors. Daisy tended to be standoffish if she was uncertain about anyone new. She’d immediately been comfortable with Daniel. Sophia looked over and Daniel and wondered if she was out of her mind. She was seriously considering kissing this man. Her brain started to chatter.
You have too much going on. You can’t do this. You have to help Heath, you’re busy with the store, you need to be there for your parents… Okay, how about you shut the hell up? Remember what Vivi said? No excuses before something even happens. All he said was he wanted to kiss you. It’s just a kiss. What’s one kiss?
As she carried on with her internal debate, she could imagine what Vivi would say.
Maybe a distraction is just what you need.

She shook her head sharply, trying to knock the chatter into silence. Daniel cocked his head to the side. “Am I missing something again?”

Her cheeks got hot as she shook her head. “No, uh, just…” Her words trailed off, and she flushed deeper. “What do you mean ‘again’?”

His mouth hooked up on one side. “You shook your head when I saw you yesterday, and I hadn’t even asked a question.”

A giggle bubbled up. She felt silly because both times she was trying to shut her damn mind up. All because Daniel had this unreal effect on her. It had been a solid year since she’d kissed anyone. She’d never enjoyed the world of dating. It was annoying trying to weed through who was worth it and who wasn’t. In the tight-knit world of shifters, there was another layer to navigate. Shifters didn’t always pair up with other shifters, but the hope was always there. The last few years had torn at the fabric of trust in the shifter community with the smuggling network that had sprung up in Painter. It was a small fraction of the community, but the betrayal ran deep. No one knew who to trust, which made any consideration of relationships nearly impossible. It passed through her mind that perhaps she had reason to doubt Daniel. Her gut reacted powerfully to that. She might not know him well, but the cat in her trusted him completely. That itself conflicted her. Just because the primal side of her trusted him didn’t mean she should just dive in. Yet, it was so rare to feel that trust combined with the deep sense of longing he elicited.

She made an impulsive decision. With Daniel’s eyes on her, she closed the distance between them and stopped inches away. She tried to remember what he’d last said, but she couldn’t. When she angled her head to look up at him, he stepped another inch closer. “Does this mean…?”

She nodded before he could finish his question. The air around them heated as he remained still. Her belly fluttered and heat flooded through her limbs. In slow motion, Daniel lifted a hand and stroked it into her hair, sliding his palm to cup the side of her face. His thumb coasted across her pulse. His blue gaze seared into hers as he leaned forward. Her entire being arched into his touch, seeking more. Fierce need raced through her. His lips landed softly at the corner of her brow. He feathered kisses across her face, each one sending sparks of electricity in its wake. Hot shivers coursed through her. Finally, his lips met hers. His kiss started soft, but quickly shifted to hot and deep when she gasped into his mouth.

The depth of her need was answered by his kiss—slow, deep strokes of his tongue tangling with hers. His hands roamed over her body, his touch strong and sure. Her low belly clenched. Hot, liquid need swirled in her center. She flexed into his touch, her hands running over the hard planes of his body. Their kiss went on and on. Her cat shimmered underneath, nearly purring with satisfaction at the feel of him under her touch.

When he finally tore away, her breath came in heaves. Her sex was drenched with need, and she most certainly did not want to stop. They remained where they were. Daniel’s palm was resting on her low back, his other hand laced in her hair. Her head came to his shoulder, and she could feel the pounding of his heart against her. She tried to gather herself, the fuzz in her brain slowly clearing though her want for him didn’t abate in the least. A tad bit of reason prevailed, reminding her that maybe slowing down a bit would be wise. He stepped back a fraction, his hand sliding free of her hair. He tucked a few loose locks behind her ear, sending shivers in the wake of his touch.

Just a kiss was the understatement of the century.

***

Sophia knocked quickly on the kitchen door at her parents’ house before stepping inside. Her parents lived in the home where she grew up. It was located a few miles from downtown Painter on the edge of a small valley. Their home was a farmhouse built when her great-grandparents moved to Painter from Maine over a century ago. The home was elegant and simple, a colonial style farmhouse painted a soft gray with green trim. As she stepped into the kitchen, the sun was falling in bright rays through the tall windows, casting a sheen on the polished hardwood floor. The kitchen had been updated with new stainless steel appliances though it retained its original charm. Her mother had given Sophia her love of plants. The kitchen had ferns hanging in the corners and flowers on the windowsills.

“Hey Mom!” she called as she walked inside.

She heard a muted reply and followed it down the hall to the study at the front of the house. Her mother was standing up from her desk as she entered. Lila Ashworth’s hair was almost black and streaked with silver. It swung about her shoulders as she walked toward Sophia. Her eyes were dark brown and usually held a gleam of suppressed mirth, though that had been all but extinguished in the last year between Heath’s car accident and subsequent problems. The fog had started to lift and then Heath had been arrested.

Lila walked to Sophia and slipped her hand through Sophia’s elbow. “I meant to be finished up in here. I’ve been grading papers all morning, and I’m ready for a break. I thought we could have a snack in the kitchen.”

Sophia walked alongside her mother back to the kitchen. Lila immediately put out a small tray of cheese and crackers on the table, along with a pitcher of lemonade, and sat down across from Sophia at the small table tucked into an alcove of windows. The flower filled backyard stretched out in view.

“I thought you weren’t going to do any teaching this summer,” Sophia commented as she filled the two glasses her mother set out with lemonade.

Lila lifted one shoulder in a small shrug. “I wasn’t, but then the high school called because the teacher they had lined up to cover the summer school English classes quit. It’s only two days a week. It keeps me busy, so that’s a good thing,” she offered with a wry smile.

Sophia held her mother’s gaze for a long moment. “Any word from Heath?”