“You do?” She grabbed the counter as her head grew dizzy.
His lips curved into a pitying smile. “You’re trying to find another bank to refinance your mortgage to save your bed and breakfast.”
She blew out a breath. So, he didn’t know about Braxton.
“Kate, I know about your money situation.” He stood up and stepped closer, giving her arm a squeeze. She cringed and stepped back.
“I’m willing to make you a very generous offer for this old place.”
She gritted her teeth, trying very hard to keep her anger under control. “This old place is my home.”
“And it’s falling down around you.” Bigsby’s gaze ran across the kitchen, and his lip curled up over his teeth in disgust. “It doesn’t even have granite countertops.”
“This house is over a hundred years old. They didn’t have granite countertops back then.”
Bigsby shuddered. “I know.”
Had this idiot ever been in a bed and breakfast before? “I’ve kept the house as close to the original as possible. That’s what people expect from a bed and breakfast.”
“What people expect is cheap rates and a continental breakfast.”
“From a hotel.” She narrowed her eyes. “From a bed and breakfast, they expect character and friendliness and a real breakfast.”
Bigsby shook his head. “You don’t even have a pool.”
Kate threw up her arms. “That’s because it’s not a hotel.” She wanted to strangle him.
Bigsby grabbed her hand. “You don’t even have any customers. Face it. You need me, Kate.”
She snatched her hand away.
“Kate doesn’t need you. She has me.” A deep voice growled.
Braxton stood in the hallway, dressed in one of the white robes reserved for guests. The garment was way too small on his large body and the sleeves stopped at his elbows, showing off his colorful tattoos. He held his left arm, though no longer splinted, against his side. Even dressed in the robe, he looked dangerous and lethal. Her heart fluttered in her chest.
Bigsby’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in Braxton’s size. “Who are you?”
Braxton stepped forward. “I think I need to be asking you the same question.”
Bigsby swallowed and tried to force a confident smile. “I’m Oliver Bigsby. I was just checking in on Kate.”
Braxton took another step forward until he was chest to chest with Bigsby. “Yeah, well, you won’t need to be checking in on Kate anymore. I’m here now. ”
A look of disbelief and then outrage crossed Bigsby’s face. Kate bet no one had ever talked to him like that before. He opened his mouth and started to speak, but then apparently thought better of it and slammed it shut.
“I see. Goodbye, Kate.” Bigsby nodded stiffly and hurried out the door.
Braxton turned his assessing gray gaze on her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, unable to speak. Did he always roll out of bed looking this damned hot?
Clearing her throat, she nodded. “Yeah, I am. Thank you for that.”
“Who was that guy?” Braxton narrowed his eyes and for a second her heart melted a bit. It was almost like he was a little jealous.
“Oliver Bigsby. He’s been trying to convince me to sell my home to him for the last few months.” She shrugged and walked back into the kitchen, hoping to catch her breath. Braxton followed.
“He doesn’t look like the B and B type.” He eased himself onto the barstool.
“He’s not.” She placed a cup of hot coffee in front of him and then hesitated. “You do drink coffee, don’t you?”
He raised his eyebrow. “Yes. I do.” He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. “So what does Bigsby want with your bed and breakfast?”
“He wants to tear it down and build another hotel or motel, something cheap and affordable—with a pool,” she spat out the last word. It made her sick every time she thought about it.
“You’ve told him no.”
“Yes, but he knows about my trouble.” Whoa. She didn’t mean to let that slip. She shrugged and changed the topic. “How’s your shoulder?”
His gaze didn’t leave her. “I think we were talking about you, Kate. What kind of trouble are you having?”
Why did he make her stomach tremble by just looking at her with those gray eyes? Even how he said her name made her lose her breath.
“It’s nothing I want to talk about.” She crossed her arms.
Reaching across the kitchen island, he tugged her hand free, his fingertips teasing hers. “What do you want to talk about then?”
Her breath caught and she licked her dry lips. What she really wanted to talk about was him.
He eased back, grimacing as he favored his shoulder. “Let me guess. You want to know about werewolves, right?”
“Will you answer any questions I have?”
He nodded and took another sip of coffee.
She waited a few seconds. “Do you need a full moon to change into a wolf?
“You tell me. Did we have a full moon last night?”