would ever agree to you posing as Jaret Chen’s woman, but I wondered about a boyfriend, or maybe a fiancé back in Ireland.”
“I’ve had both.” She shook hair out of her eyes, still trying to wrap her mind around Lars not being attached. She’d thought it so many times, it had turned into reality.
“Start at the beginning,” he suggested. “It is easier that way.”
“I come from a big family. One sister, but you already know about poor Moira, and four brothers. I’m sort of in the middle of the pack. Mum and Da are still alive, and still married. They moved to the outskirts of Dublin before I started secondary school. Da is a jeweler and a better opportunity opened up for him. Mum plays violin; she got tapped by the Dublin Symphony soon after we moved.”
Tamara considered what else she could share. Her entire family were shifters, but that part had no place here. It was also a reason Lars wouldn’t be interested in her, and not something she could hide, at least not for very long. She clamped her jaws together, her earlier elation fading like a sunset gone bad. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Why not?” He smiled encouragingly. “You were doing fine.”
“I, er, that is, I’m not as free as I was thinking I was.”
He knit his brows together. “Help me understand. That is not the type of thing one forgets.”
“I can’t talk about it.” She let go of his hand as if it were a poisonous snake. “Maybe it would be a good idea for me to spend some time in the cabin.” Unbuckling her seat harness, she stumbled through the cockpit door. Thank the bloody saints she made it all the way to the head before tears overcame her resolve to not break down. She closeted herself inside the tiny bathroom and dropped her head into her hands.
Maybe I should just tell him what I am.
But she knew she wouldn’t because she couldn’t stand to see the horror—or worse, pity—mirrored on his face when she revealed her true nature.
•●•
Lars retreated to his seat from where he’d been leaning halfway across the cockpit. He may not have had much experience with women, but Tamara’s rapid about-face stunned him. Things had been going so well. She’d been warm, funny, half-aroused by his touch. And then it was as if a gateway had slammed shut.
What did I do?
He raked through his memory of what they’d said to one another and couldn’t pinpoint a thing. To divert himself, he extracted data from the onboard computer. They’d be in the air for hours yet. Difficult hours if she remained in the cabin and refused to tell him what was wrong. He could leave the cockpit, but not for long. It was one of the advantages of flying with a copilot.
Her scent lingered in the air. She hadn’t been the only one aroused. His cock throbbed with need. He told it to stand down, but it had other ideas. Worse, as often happened when he was upset, his cat wanted out. He struggled to keep claws from bursting through his fingertips. Shifting in the cockpit was a terrible idea. His cat could do a lot of damage without meaning to.
He searched for a rational explanation. She’d been talking about her family when things had gone to hell. There had to be a connection, but what? He gripped the yoke so hard, the aircraft shuddered, and he forced himself to let go of the controls. The autopilot would take care of course corrections. He didn’t need to do a thing until they got close to Seattle and Boeing Field.
Family. Was there something about her family she wanted to hide? He snapped his fingers. Of course. She held magic, probably shifter magic, but maybe something different. Magic always had a genetic basis, except for the odd lycan who inherited theirs through being bitten. She was protecting her family. Lars took a deep breath. There wasn’t any help for what would come next. He’d have to expose what he was. Maybe if he did, she wouldn’t feel so vulnerable.
He unbuckled his seat harness, started to get up, and then
“I’ve had both.” She shook hair out of her eyes, still trying to wrap her mind around Lars not being attached. She’d thought it so many times, it had turned into reality.
“Start at the beginning,” he suggested. “It is easier that way.”
“I come from a big family. One sister, but you already know about poor Moira, and four brothers. I’m sort of in the middle of the pack. Mum and Da are still alive, and still married. They moved to the outskirts of Dublin before I started secondary school. Da is a jeweler and a better opportunity opened up for him. Mum plays violin; she got tapped by the Dublin Symphony soon after we moved.”
Tamara considered what else she could share. Her entire family were shifters, but that part had no place here. It was also a reason Lars wouldn’t be interested in her, and not something she could hide, at least not for very long. She clamped her jaws together, her earlier elation fading like a sunset gone bad. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Why not?” He smiled encouragingly. “You were doing fine.”
“I, er, that is, I’m not as free as I was thinking I was.”
He knit his brows together. “Help me understand. That is not the type of thing one forgets.”
“I can’t talk about it.” She let go of his hand as if it were a poisonous snake. “Maybe it would be a good idea for me to spend some time in the cabin.” Unbuckling her seat harness, she stumbled through the cockpit door. Thank the bloody saints she made it all the way to the head before tears overcame her resolve to not break down. She closeted herself inside the tiny bathroom and dropped her head into her hands.
Maybe I should just tell him what I am.
But she knew she wouldn’t because she couldn’t stand to see the horror—or worse, pity—mirrored on his face when she revealed her true nature.
•●•
Lars retreated to his seat from where he’d been leaning halfway across the cockpit. He may not have had much experience with women, but Tamara’s rapid about-face stunned him. Things had been going so well. She’d been warm, funny, half-aroused by his touch. And then it was as if a gateway had slammed shut.
What did I do?
He raked through his memory of what they’d said to one another and couldn’t pinpoint a thing. To divert himself, he extracted data from the onboard computer. They’d be in the air for hours yet. Difficult hours if she remained in the cabin and refused to tell him what was wrong. He could leave the cockpit, but not for long. It was one of the advantages of flying with a copilot.
Her scent lingered in the air. She hadn’t been the only one aroused. His cock throbbed with need. He told it to stand down, but it had other ideas. Worse, as often happened when he was upset, his cat wanted out. He struggled to keep claws from bursting through his fingertips. Shifting in the cockpit was a terrible idea. His cat could do a lot of damage without meaning to.
He searched for a rational explanation. She’d been talking about her family when things had gone to hell. There had to be a connection, but what? He gripped the yoke so hard, the aircraft shuddered, and he forced himself to let go of the controls. The autopilot would take care of course corrections. He didn’t need to do a thing until they got close to Seattle and Boeing Field.
Family. Was there something about her family she wanted to hide? He snapped his fingers. Of course. She held magic, probably shifter magic, but maybe something different. Magic always had a genetic basis, except for the odd lycan who inherited theirs through being bitten. She was protecting her family. Lars took a deep breath. There wasn’t any help for what would come next. He’d have to expose what he was. Maybe if he did, she wouldn’t feel so vulnerable.
He unbuckled his seat harness, started to get up, and then
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