“How about this?” Damon looked directly at Lillie. “You guys have fun for the morning, set up whatever show you want to see tonight, and after lunch, meet me in the shifter lounge. Then we can do that fun thing I planned.”
No way could Jim protest when Lillie bounced on her heels with excitement. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Damon.”
“Yeah, Damon, that sounds just peachy keen.”
His friend gloated with maximum gloatingness. “I’ll see you there.”
“Wait.” Lillie stepped forward, her arm stretching behind her as Jim refused to release her fingers. She glanced at their locked hands, a frown building on her forehead, and he reluctantly set her free. She turned back to the wolf, her chin tucked down but her voice crystal clear. “You were very kind to me this morning. Thank you.”
“No problem, darlin’. You’re very easy to be kind to.” Damon pretended to tip a hat then turned on his heel and left.
Jim glared after him. The only thing remotely country about his friend was the barbeque sauce he put on his burgers.
Then Lillie caught his hand, pulling him toward the register, and that small touch was enough to settle his frustrations. “I need to pay for my things, then maybe we can look at the shows.”
They were back in the shifter lounge, tickets in her pocket for a performance of Cirque de Soleil. The brand-new bag Jim had insisted on buying her was tucked safely into a backroom, guarded by a smiling mink shifter who’d backed off flirting with her as Jim hovered protectively.
She wondered briefly why she was still with him. What she should have done that morning was switched to another hotel, or at least gone back to her hotel room and stayed far away from the temptation of Jim.
In fact, that had been her intention when she snuck out of the room, but within moments of reaching the lobby, she’d been overwhelmed with the arrival of a group of Japanese tourists and the sheer number of bodies milling about.
Her hiding spot had been discovered within minutes by Damon. And while she wasn’t as comfortable with him as Jim, the protection he offered was too soothing to turn down.
Her debate had continued right up until Jim asked her to spend the day with him. Now that she’d actually experienced Vegas, she knew she had little chance of managing everything on her short-term bucket list on her own.
There really was no downside to spending more time with him. He was gentle, which she appreciated. Even as he led her to the back of the lounge, his broad body created a wall between her and the rest of the shifters.
The strong hand on her back guiding and protecting.
If it came down to it, she could find a way to defend herself, but it was nice to allow him the task.
“Do you know what Damon has planned?” she asked.
“Not entirely, but if I have to guess, I’d imagine from the outfit he got you to buy, and our plans for the end of the week, we might be going for a ride.”
Lillie glanced up. “What are you doing at the end of the week?”
“Long-standing bet. It’s something Damon and I started years ago. Friday we’ll be taking off for the hills for a bit.” He held her close, pausing to allow a large party to pass.
She breathed a sigh of relief. That worked well with her plans. Now she could relax and not have to worry about having to sneak away. Friday would be perfect for the next stage in her journey.
Then the other part of what he’d said struck. “A ride. Like, horses?”
Damon waved to them from the corner of the room, and they headed in his direction. “Motorcycles,” Jim informed her.
The idea sounded fabulous, but she was uncomfortable about inviting herself along. Still, she kept quiet. There would be time to protest later if necessary.
The wolf shifter smacked Jim on the shoulder in greeting, reaching out to take Lillie’s hand and pull her close enough he could drop a kiss on her cheek. “Glad to see you could make it.”
Jim reclaimed her, tucking her against his side and growling lightly.
Damon raised a brow. “Just being friendly.”
She couldn’t restrain the words from popping free. “I would hate to see how you’d react to someone who wasn’t a friend giving me a kiss.”
Both men offered her horrified looks. Damon, as if he’d just witnessed a mauling, and Jim, as if he’d just torn someone apart. It didn’t freak her out nearly as much as it should have. They were shifters, or more accurately they were shifter males.
There was a certain predictability built into such beasts.
…but it was time to change the subject.
Lillie bumped her enthusiasm up to five hundred, turning to the table and the piles of clothing stacked on it. “Looks as if you did some shopping of your own.”
Damon nodded. “Some things are necessary to make a great idea even greater.”
The grizzly shifter at her side shuffled forward and poked one of the piles. “Why don’t I trust you?”
“Because you know me,” Damon teased. “But this time, what you see is what you get. I thought if we were going to do a bike race for the challenge, we should fully enjoy the moment.”