She took a deep breath, and exactly what he was hit her. The scent that filled her head was oh-so-masculine, while the strength of his shifter side registered loud and clear. Her bear wiggled its ears for a moment, considering this new thing.
Well, not its literal ears, because that would have been very uncomfortable.
She had to answer him. Warn him she wasn’t safe yet. Even curled against him, her fingers tangled in his shirt, she was on the verge of breaking apart. If he’d wanted to abandon her at that point, he would’ve had to peel her from his body.
It took all her strength to form the word. “Scared.”
“I noticed.”
She could have sworn he pressed his lips to the top of her head, but she had her eyes squeezed shut, so she couldn’t be certain.
He gave a few more orders, snapping out the words, clear and precise. Lillie felt the fool for not standing up for herself, but there was a line, and she’d gone too close to it. Letting him deal with the others meant she’d be less likely to cause a terrible incident.
When he lifted her in the air like some old-timey maiden being rescued from a swoon, she didn’t protest. With how lightheaded she felt, it wasn’t far from the truth.
All she knew for certain was that as the voices faded, the bells and whistles slowly disappearing into the background, the urge to throw up also faded, and that was a good thing.
He had one strong arm curved around her, another under her legs. Lillie stretched up to clasp his neck, her other hand still buried under his jacket as she fisted the material at his back.
He smelt good. Like the tang of wood smoke mixed with the sharp cut of wintry air. Familiar and invigorating. Sensual and intoxicating. They were still moving forward rapidly. Her bear was no longer about to burst through her skin, but neither human nor beast were ready to relax.
Lillie cautiously opened her eyes, staring first at her rescuer’s chest. At the white shirt that was now crumpled from her clutching fingers. His dark jacket hung open, one of her arms tucked under it, her other hand touching the crisp hairs at the back of his neck.
Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze took in the face of the same man she’d dashed away from earlier. She summoned her meager reserves of courage. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere you can unwind.”
Hmm. If he kept talking, that would help a whole lot. His voice rumbled over her, vibrating deep in her ears and sending ricocheting pulses back and forth over sensitive nerve endings.
He pushed through a door, continuing to move forward at a good clip. Lillie squirmed upright to risk a peek at where they were. One deep breath was all it took to let her know they were now surrounded by shifters.
Which made this room a better place to be, but not much.
Her gaze paused for a moment on a cougar who lay sprawled over a couch, bacon-wrapped scallops being dropped into his mouth one after another by his patient partner in human form.
To their right, outside a long glass wall, was a fenced-in swimming pool, a section of parachute-cloth roof strategically arranged to allow the sunshine in while providing privacy from curious watchers above. Instead of beach chairs, soft cushions littered the edge, and assorted minks, ferrets and bobcats were curled up in the sun. A couple, one in human form, the other paddling big panther paws into the stream, floated on inner tubes around the lazy river.
Paradise arranged for the shifter set.
She took it all in at a moment’s glance, but there were still too many people, and Lillie shuddered, pressing her face against her dark stranger once again.
Jim lowered himself into a chair as he cradled her close. He hadn’t expected this when he’d gone to say hello to his beautiful distraction.
In fact, tracking her down had been fun. His bear didn’t mind a little hide and go seek. But he’d spotted her a moment before she triggered the jackpot. Anxiously looking around as if someone were about to toss a net over her head. And the sheer desperation that had followed—
No, he’d been in exactly the right place at the right time. She’d been on the verge of shifting in public, and that was trouble in itself. He would have helped any fellow shifter in dire straits, but saving his mysterious beauty…
So much for not getting involved.
I have until Friday.
Don’t forget that, his ambition urged.
As if he could forget. He knew what his trouble was. He had a hero complex, that’s what. And since he did, he might as well go on and enjoy it.
He looked down at her, quite happy she’d continued to cling to him. “You feeling better?”
She nodded once before shaking her head vigorously. “Too many people. Too much power.”
Huh. He adjusted her to sit more comfortably, keeping hold of her head so she could only look at him and not into the room. “They’re just shifters. I’m the scariest thing in here.”
She had both hands on his shirtfront, palms pressed to his chest. He liked her caressing him, even if it was through a layer of fabric.