It could be anyone.”
“He was no good. I’ll tell you that much,” Ryland confirmed, sitting on the couch with a sigh. He ran his hands through his hair. “I could smell it on him. Something about him wasn’t right. Anyway, I had Security escort him onto the ferry.” He turned to Lia. “I’m sure it wasn’t your stalker. He looked too sane. He didn’t look like the sort of person to rifle through panty drawers.”
Soren sat up taller. “Panties? Whose panties?”
“Never mind.”
Clearly deciding he was at the end of his rope, Soren stood and stretched his arms. “This is bullshit. I’m not hiding from some hired thug, and I’m definitely not going to let any more nonshifters run rampant on my brother’s resort. I’m not cowering in here like a girl.” He turned to Lia. “No offense.”
“None taken,” she replied, frowning a little.
“What do you propose to do, Mr. Music? Get all Phil Collins on us?” Ryland asked.
“Ha-ha,” Soren replied. “It’s about time we got badass on these sons of bitches. You know, Ry? I kind of enjoyed shifting with you. I think I’m going to do it again. I’m going to run recon around this place and see if I can sniff out any more of the enemy.”
“Would you like some help, Rambo?”
Soren’s lip curled in distaste. “The only thing worse than that pathetic diss is how dated it is. Watch some new movies, Ry. See if you can tear yourself away from your old VCR tapes.”
Ryland merely grinned.
He stopped grinning when Soren began to take off his clothes, his rakish gaze homed in on Lia. Her eyes widened in what seemed to be embarrassment and she averted her gaze, staring into the fire.
“Soren” Ryland warned. “Could you strip in the other room?”
Soren was blasé as he replied, “Lia’s already seen me in my splendor. Don’t get your big boy pants in a twist, bro.”
Of course Soren wouldn’t be shy taking his clothes off in front of Lia. However, Ryland reasoned with himself, he’d never known any shifter to be shy about getting naked. If they did, no one would ever shift. Still, Soren could be a little less obvious about it.
His brother was doing his best to go slowly to catch Lia’s attention. And she was doing her best to be fascinated by the flames in the fireplace. Soren flexed his muscles, the horny twit, but Lia just looked away. She didn’t look at him once during his garish display even though he was clearly performing for her like a desperate, aging stripper, hankering for that last dollar tip.
Instead, Lia finally turned to Ryland. And grinned.
And in that moment, Ryland realized he liked the nonshifter woman. Flaky as she was. Even though she’d pushed him away. He liked her a lot. He grinned back.
Clearly realizing he was getting nowhere in his perverse seduction routine, Soren huffed and puffed and finished undressing. He yanked open the door and stepped outside. “Don’t wait up,” he muttered to Ryland. Then with a roar, he shifted into a huge wall of white fur and disappeared into the woods.
“Dumbass has no clue he sticks out like a sore thumb with that polar bear fur,” Ryland said.
He looked at Lia when she didn’t respond. She was as pale and limp as a month-old button mushroom after witnessing Soren’s departure. Damn. He’d forgotten how scared she was of animals. He moved to the floor and sat next to her. He reached for her hand and she turned to him, biting her lip.
“Lia, I know we’re not exactly the family pet, but why are you so scared of animals?”
She breathed in deeply. “When I was ten, my mom sent me outside to take out the trash one night. I was bitten by a raccoon hiding out near our trash cans. The thing was rabid, they said. I still have nightmares about all the shots I had to receive. Ever since, I’ve been terrified of animals. Their unpredictability scares me. Even the pets of friends, little cats, would send me running. It’s irrational. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t
“He was no good. I’ll tell you that much,” Ryland confirmed, sitting on the couch with a sigh. He ran his hands through his hair. “I could smell it on him. Something about him wasn’t right. Anyway, I had Security escort him onto the ferry.” He turned to Lia. “I’m sure it wasn’t your stalker. He looked too sane. He didn’t look like the sort of person to rifle through panty drawers.”
Soren sat up taller. “Panties? Whose panties?”
“Never mind.”
Clearly deciding he was at the end of his rope, Soren stood and stretched his arms. “This is bullshit. I’m not hiding from some hired thug, and I’m definitely not going to let any more nonshifters run rampant on my brother’s resort. I’m not cowering in here like a girl.” He turned to Lia. “No offense.”
“None taken,” she replied, frowning a little.
“What do you propose to do, Mr. Music? Get all Phil Collins on us?” Ryland asked.
“Ha-ha,” Soren replied. “It’s about time we got badass on these sons of bitches. You know, Ry? I kind of enjoyed shifting with you. I think I’m going to do it again. I’m going to run recon around this place and see if I can sniff out any more of the enemy.”
“Would you like some help, Rambo?”
Soren’s lip curled in distaste. “The only thing worse than that pathetic diss is how dated it is. Watch some new movies, Ry. See if you can tear yourself away from your old VCR tapes.”
Ryland merely grinned.
He stopped grinning when Soren began to take off his clothes, his rakish gaze homed in on Lia. Her eyes widened in what seemed to be embarrassment and she averted her gaze, staring into the fire.
“Soren” Ryland warned. “Could you strip in the other room?”
Soren was blasé as he replied, “Lia’s already seen me in my splendor. Don’t get your big boy pants in a twist, bro.”
Of course Soren wouldn’t be shy taking his clothes off in front of Lia. However, Ryland reasoned with himself, he’d never known any shifter to be shy about getting naked. If they did, no one would ever shift. Still, Soren could be a little less obvious about it.
His brother was doing his best to go slowly to catch Lia’s attention. And she was doing her best to be fascinated by the flames in the fireplace. Soren flexed his muscles, the horny twit, but Lia just looked away. She didn’t look at him once during his garish display even though he was clearly performing for her like a desperate, aging stripper, hankering for that last dollar tip.
Instead, Lia finally turned to Ryland. And grinned.
And in that moment, Ryland realized he liked the nonshifter woman. Flaky as she was. Even though she’d pushed him away. He liked her a lot. He grinned back.
Clearly realizing he was getting nowhere in his perverse seduction routine, Soren huffed and puffed and finished undressing. He yanked open the door and stepped outside. “Don’t wait up,” he muttered to Ryland. Then with a roar, he shifted into a huge wall of white fur and disappeared into the woods.
“Dumbass has no clue he sticks out like a sore thumb with that polar bear fur,” Ryland said.
He looked at Lia when she didn’t respond. She was as pale and limp as a month-old button mushroom after witnessing Soren’s departure. Damn. He’d forgotten how scared she was of animals. He moved to the floor and sat next to her. He reached for her hand and she turned to him, biting her lip.
“Lia, I know we’re not exactly the family pet, but why are you so scared of animals?”
She breathed in deeply. “When I was ten, my mom sent me outside to take out the trash one night. I was bitten by a raccoon hiding out near our trash cans. The thing was rabid, they said. I still have nightmares about all the shots I had to receive. Ever since, I’ve been terrified of animals. Their unpredictability scares me. Even the pets of friends, little cats, would send me running. It’s irrational. I know it’s stupid, but I can’t
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