Seduced by a Shifter (4 page)

Uncomfortable because she wondered what it would feel like to be so wanted.

Unbidden, her gaze went to Ben, only to find him staring at her. Or, should she say, learning her. That was how she felt as his eyes skimmed from her face, down over her throat and breasts, lowering to her legs and feet before traveling back up at a leisurely pace. Not the least bit abashed at having been caught ogling her, Ben flashed a disconcerting smile when their eyes connected once again, a sensual curving of his lips that probably caused women to drop their panties at his feet on a regular basis. Yet Willow didn’t feel ogled. More like appreciated. Desired. And hot. Very, very hot. Except her nipples, which tightened underneath her sweater as if she were freezing.

Face flushing, she looked away.
How pathetic. I’m getting turned on because a gorgeous man looked at me. I have to get my life back.
But what good would that do? Her dancing career was over, her apartment no doubt rented out and her stuff hopefully packed at her father’s. Who didn’t know if she was dead or alive.

Her throat closed up at the thought of her father.

“It must seem unnerving, meeting so many people at once.” Ben’s voice drew her attention. “But we’re all here to help you, Willow. The men you met will act as the eyes and ears in the community, which is why they needed to meet you. Can’t very well help you if they don’t know you.”

Seemed logical, and extremely generous. “Thank you.”

“Since it seems as if Rome has gone to sleep”—Dean gave a disgusted shake of his head at Rome, who lounged contentedly, basking in the heat from the fire—“Why don’t you give us a rundown of what brought you here?”

“Not asleep,
mayor
,” Rome muttered before turning sleepy eyes her way. “It’s okay, Willow. Just tell them what you told me.”

“Need me to knock any heads together, Willow?” Willow was exceedingly thrilled Kaylie choose that moment to return, though it only delayed the inevitable.

The other woman took a circuitous route back to the
sofa, slowing to flick her husband not so gently on the ear. In retaliation, Dean grasped his wife’s hand, allowing her to see his smirk before pressing a kiss on her knuckles. To Willow, their brief interaction appeared as a dance between partners, fluid, trusting. Then Kaylie was at Willow’s side, handing her the pain reliever.

“Thank you.” Willow shook out four, swallowed them with more soda, then didn’t know what to do with her hands.

She nearly jumped a foot when Kaylie covered her fidgeting fingers with a soft hand. “Think of it as recapping a movie you saw recently.”

Willow looked into Kaylie’s hazel eyes and only saw empathy. The feminine contact eased her jittery nerves, the gentle encouragement a valued support that bolstered her resolve.

Gazing into the fire, she took a deep breath. “I went to the studio late one night to practice a routine I was having some difficulty with. While it’s not really acceptable, Shana, the company’s accountant, understood the heavy demands and provided me with a key and the code so I could come and go as needed.”

Willow tucked one foot behind the other on the floor, flitting her eyes to Kaylie and away again, only to become arrested by Ben’s quiet focus. Her tongue flicked over her lips and when his unique eyes darkened, dropping to her mouth, she almost forgot what she was saying. “The, ah, this particular night I entered the back door and went straight to the practice room as usual. But before I could turn on the lights, Shana popped out of nowhere, telling me to hush because our producer, Marg Valen, was there. When Shana pushed me up against the wall to keep me out of sight, I felt a tug on my gym bag. I was going to ask what she was doing but Marg called her name. Next thing I know, they’re making out and Marg takes Shana out the back door, promising a night she won’t ever forget. After I was sure they were gone, I just left.”

“No practice?” Ben asked quietly.

Willow’s forehead wrinkled. “No. I was too shocked. I mean, I didn’t know there was anything romantic going on between Shana and Marg. Didn’t even know Shana or Marg, were, ah, well, you know. And really. Shana is a good-looking woman. But Marg?” She shuddered.

“Marg Valen makes Tommy Lee Jones dressed in drag look hot, and that’s if you can get past the sight of her pointy four-inch nails.” Rome stated his opinion quietly.

Ben made a face. “Got it. Sorry. Go on, Willow. You’re doing great.”

Willow turned back to gaze blindly into the fire. “The next morning the police came by the studio. They told us Shana had been killed in a mugging incident after she’d left the building the night before.” Her voice lowered, tightened with remembrance. “But I knew that to be a lie because I’d peeked out the side window and watched as Marg and Shana got into Marg’s limo. I guess I freaked a little.”

“A little?” Willow caught Rome’s teasing smile in her peripheral vision. “She looked like she was about to lose her breakfast, and that was before she raced off as if the hounds of hell were after her.”

Willow ducked her pink face, stared at Kaylie’s hand on hers. “So anyway, that’s when I remembered the tugging on my bag when Shana pushed me up against the wall. When I searched inside, I found a thumb drive.”

Elbows on the chair arms, Rome interlaced his fingers over his abdomen. “A thumb drive implicating the production company as a front for smuggling guns, but nothing specifically pointing to Valen. Enough for a warrant, but not enough to put her behind bars.”

“A ballet company? Seriously?” Kaylie seemed to find the idea hard to believe.

“Um.” Caleb pursed his lips. “Maybe ship large quantities of boxes containing slippers, leotards, those tutu thingys, whatever, to the company when in fact it’s guns. Who would know the difference until the crates were opened and you looked past the false packaging?”

“People who know dancers only buy slippers according to their individual feet measurements and so always special order them. Like Shana.” Willow whispered.

“All right, then. So how does this Valen know you had the thumb drive?” Ben wanted to know.

Willow gave him a deprecating smile. “Did you miss the part where Rome said I freaked and ran to the bathroom?” When his lips twitched Willow continued. “Maybe she knew Shana had given me a key and by my reaction thought I’d been at the studio that night. Anyway, after the cops left, telling us to call if we remembered anything, no matter how slight, I began to panic.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Luckily, Marg canceled practice shortly after, telling us we weren’t being productive and a waste of her time.”

“Nice,” Brandon murmured from his position by the entryway.

Willow’s lips curved in a wan smile. “Yes, she’s a delight. But she held the purse strings, so we all tried to ignore her lousy attitude the best we could.”

Zan grunted. “Not anymore.”

Her reply was noncommittal until Kaylie nudged her, arm to arm. “Then what happened?”

Several rapid blinks to refocus on the story. “Oh. Well. As soon as I got home I used the card Rome gave us and called him. He showed up, took the thumb drive, told me to pack a bag, and, um…” Willow petered out, unable to say more.

No doubt sensing her discomfort, Rome picked up the reins. “The ATF had received an anonymous tip, probably from Shana, and had been keeping an eye on the company for several weeks before Shana’s death. We’d gone to the studio to study everyone’s reaction to the news and Willow’s response raised my hackles. I could practically smell her fear. When she contacted me I wasn’t taking any chances and brought extra protection.”

Rome paused, his eyes glinting with fury. “Only I underestimated Valen’s determination. Just as I reached the stairwell, someone from the apartment at the far end of the hall across from Willow’s opened fire. The bastard must have been watching us through the peephole. One officer went down and because I was too fucking slow, Willow was hit twice before I could return fire and get us down the stairs.”

The thick silence broke when Kaylie softly stated, “I take it the officer didn’t make it.”

Willow only shook her head, not really hearing the conversation going on around her as she lost part of herself to the pain, both physical and emotional, Rome’s words had dredged up.

Kaylie squeezed Willow’s hand, cutting off the memories. “Is there anything medicinal you need?” At Willow’s questioning gaze, Kaylie smiled. “I’m a vet and Zan’s wife is a doctor. If you need more than Tylenol for the pain, you can tell us. We both know the damage a bullet can do and have no problem easing any discomfort you have.”

Willow looked up into those sympathetic eyes and felt her throat thicken. Something about this woman made Willow want to sob in her arms. Blaming it on exhaustion and a real fear of what waited for her in sleep, Willow gave Kaylie the name of the medicine she was almost out of, the one that kept the nightmares at bay.

Mostly.

“No problem. I can get that for you tomorrow.”

“I’ll take it to her,” Ben interjected, clearly eavesdropping.

Willow bit her bottom lip, embarrassed that this big, strong, sexy man overheard her weakness. She didn’t want to be thought of as pathetic. Then with a mental shrug she let it go. “Thank you.”

Ben rose with fluid grace, skirting the coffee table to crouch in front of her. He took her hand in his. “You need anything at all, Will, you let me know and I’ll get it for you.” His promise, the sincerity that glowed in his eyes, caused Willow to blink in surprise.

It also had her looking at his left hand. Ringless.

“Jack just sent a text. The cabin’s ready. Heat’s on,
Rome
,” Caleb made a mocking jab at the agent still ensconced in his cozy chair by the fire like a king on a throne and slid a small black cell into his pocket. “He also stocked the place up with food.”

Willow glanced over at a grandfather clock, shocked to see nearly two hours had passed since she first stepped in the house.

“You must be tired,” Ben’s eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. “Since the cabin’s ready, I’ll take you up there so you can get comfortable.”

“Sounds lovely.” Willow allowed Ben to pull her to her feet, his hold sliding so his fingers folded tight over the back of her hand, now resting on his chest, his thumb a light caress on her palm. It seemed too possessive a hold, the whisper of his touch on her soft flesh too intimate for a practical stranger.

She was about to tug her hand away when Rome suddenly appeared behind Ben, looking far from sleepy. “Not having this conversation again.”

“Then don’t.” Ben dismissed the agent without a glance, then winced as a light breeze tickled Willow’s face and hands. She lifted her eyes up, looking for ductwork, thinking the heater kicked in.

“Gentlemen,” Dean said, his tone low and unyielding, arms folded casually across his chest as he approached the tableau. “I believe Miss Yancy is exhausted. Ben will show you the way to the cabin, Rome, and remain the rest of the evening. Outside,” he stressed the last word, wringing a resigned sigh from Ben, “as added precaution while we finish formalizing our plans.”

Willow thought Rome muttered something like, “maybe it’ll cool him off,” but she wasn’t sure. To her thinking, no one should be outside in this weather. It was
freezing
. But since she didn’t really know these people she kept mum, and quickly found herself hugged by Kaylie, bundled back in her coat and boots, then spewed out into the night in a flash.

Willow almost chuckled, thinking.
Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?

Once back
on the main highway, Rome and Willow followed Ben’s black truck, keeping the taillights in sight as they turned onto a road that climbed high and winding up the mountain. After several minutes Rome spoke. “So?”

Willow turned in her seat to look at him, the dim interior throwing deep shadows on his face. Not for the first time she sensed there was far more to Rome than what he presented to the world. It was akin to what she felt at the mayor’s home, only several times over.

Secrets
, she thought. It was like a roomful of secrets. “So. What?”

He cleared his throat. “You feel okay with this?”

Uh, no. “Not sure, Rome.”

“Overwhelmed?”

She snorted. “Overwhelmed? I think that’s putting it lightly.” Facing forward she tried to straighten her knee, hoping to alleviate the slow burn. Fearful of becoming dependent on pain medication, like her mom had depended on alcohol, Willow always pushed until it was almost too late. Except at night. Then she willingly took the muscle relaxants and the occasional Demerol.

“I think,” she paused, catching herself subconsciously massaging her hip. Maybe a warm bath would help.

“Yes?”

“I think I’m just tired. And overwhelmed. And just need to get some sleep.”

“Well it looks as if we’re here so you’ll soon get your wish.”

Willow squinted out the window. With the moon roughly three-quarters full, a light glow shimmered over the land, tinting the white snow-covered ground and trees with a bluish hue that twinkled with cold fire. Beyond the headlights an area much less populated by the dense growth of pines came into view and they turned into the clearing. Rome braked behind Ben as they pulled up to a cabin.

Her knee once again protested as she stood, swiveling to take in the scenery. The slamming of car doors sounded overly loud in the near silence, setting off soft rustling and complaints of the night forest inhabitants. Beyond the cold and spooky quality of the sudden stillness, Willow had to admit her new home was beautiful, until an owl hooted and she let out an abbreviated girly scream.

“Just an owl,” Ben chuckled at her side, taking her arm and guiding her up the stairs of a single-story cabin. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just curious about his new neighbors.”

“So you say. I don’t believe I’ve ever actually heard an owl before, not in the wild.” Living in a city did have its drawbacks.

Ben pushed the wood door and held it open as he stood sideways just outside the doorway, his eyes a steady heat on hers. “Then this trip may very well hold many firsts for you.”

Something low in her belly tightened. Anticipation or fear?

Then Rome brushed impatiently past them. “Idiot. Did you check the cabin first? No. And you’re letting the heat out.”

The exasperated look on Ben’s face caused Willow’s lips to curve. She followed Rome inside, Ben behind her. “Relax, Rome. You know as well as I do that no one is within a mile of this place.”

Rome stood in the middle of the living area, glaring over his shoulder at Ben. “And sometimes a distraction can skew one’s perception of their surroundings.”

Ben’s eyes tightened a margin. A second later he gave Rome a short nod. “Agreed.”

Willow heard their exchange while peering about the interior. Rustic met charming and gave birth to simple and pleasurable welcome. She let out a sigh and scooted farther into the room.

“On this site we started on the three smaller cabins first.” Ben said as he took Rome and Willow through the interior, explaining how the town hoped to attract additional tourism by providing private and family-friendly accommodations. “Each has two bedrooms and two baths, while the next four will have three and four bedrooms for larger groups or big families.”

Both bedrooms were nicely sized, each containing the same simple and charmingly rustic furnishings as in the living room and kitchen, the beds covered with thick quilts that looked warm and inviting.

Rome left to get the luggage, leaving Willow alone with Ben. She swallowed nervously as she trailed her fingers over the wood dresser. “You said ‘on this site.’ Are you planning more cabins elsewhere?”

Ben leaned a shoulder against the door frame of the bedroom, his size easily filling the empty space. “About three miles from here, on the other side of the ski lodge, we’ll do another four cabins. Only those will be one-bedrooms with a Jacuzzi and will be spaced farther apart to ensure privacy.” His lips curled and he gave her a wicked wink. “For those romantic getaways.”

Willow nearly swallowed her tongue. “Oh.” She lifted a hand to her throat, feeling that strange warmth again, and suddenly found any sight but Ben fascinating. Until her eyes landed on the bed. Her eyes shot right back to Ben. “Um. I think that’s a wonderful idea for a honeymoon. I bet it’s beautiful here in the daytime.”

“The nighttime as well, especially when the full moon shines on virgin snow. It becomes a winter wonderland.”

“But really cold. Won’t you freeze out there?”

An easy smile. “No worries. Kaylie gave me a care package before we left and a huge thermos of coffee. And I enjoy the night.”

“I still think it’s a bit harsh to be stuck outside all night.”

Unperturbed at facing a night in what Willow considered the harsh elements, Ben shook his head. “Not all night. We’ll all be in shifts. Mack will relieve me later.” His lips pressed together. “But you’ll be asleep by then.” This said in a low, stern tone.

Confused by what seemed like a demand, Willow took a hesitant step back, right into the dresser. “Possibly. Sometimes I don’t sleep well.”

Ben edged away from the wood frame, moving toward Willow.
Stalked
, Willow thought irrationally, each step slow and steady, like a predator hunting down its prey. With the dresser at her back, she could only watch his approach with wide eyes.

A foot away, he stopped, tilting his head as if puzzling something out. Willow craned her neck to look in his eyes, her five feet, four inches of height placing her nose at the base of his throat. One little step and she could drop her weary head on his clearly capable broad shoulders.

Daunted by that strange and tempting thought, she tightened the hand on her throat and wrapped her other arm around her middle, as if to hold herself back from doing just that.

Ben’s brows, several shades darker than his hair, drew together. “Am I making you nervous?”

“N-no,” Willow lied. “Well. A little. Maybe.”

His frown intensified. “Don’t be afraid of me, Willow. Ever. I would never do anything to hurt you or cause you harm. I need you to believe that.”

Her eyes skitted from his to the doorway. “Yes, well. In the normal scheme of things, trust takes time. However, in my circumstance, I have to rely on the trust someone else I trust has for you, and for all those men I met tonight.”

A long pause. “As I would rather have your trust for a different reason, I’ll just have to earn it.” He lifted a hand to her cheek, ignoring the way she jerked back at the unexpected move. “You look tired.” His thumb, soft as a feather, stroked the bruised shadows under her eyes. “And you have pain in your eyes. I don’t like seeing that.”

Willow could barely breathe and when she did, she took in a lungful of Ben’s spicy scent. Warm, clean, and undeniably male, with a hint of something wonderfully sinful. She licked her dry lips. “A good night’s sleep will take care of the fatigue and those pills, if Kaylie was being truthful about getting them for me, will help ease the pain.”

Ben stepped back, dropping his hand to his side, his smile all genial warmth. “Kaylie’s a good woman. A good friend. She’ll take care of you. We all will.”

Rome re-entered the room then, setting Willow’s suitcase and several large bags on the floor. “I’m going to take a shower and try to warm up. You,” he sent a steely-eyed glare at Ben, “are leaving, and you”—his eyes softened with concern as they lit on Willow—“need to get some sleep.”

Ben shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “You need anything, Will,” he said slowly, disregarding Rome’s attempt to hurry him out the door, “I’m just a shout away.”

Rome slid in front of Willow, blocking her view of Ben. “And I’m a whisper away. Get lost.”

A soft growl, barely discernible, floated in the air. “Don’t try to play the dominate with me, cat. Not even Dean has the ability in this.”

Cat?
Willow frowned. W
as Ben into ’60s lingo? Or was that the ’50s? And what did the mayor have to do with anything?

“Tonight you will ease off. And if you don’t move forward cautiously, you
will
lose.”

A thick silence before, “The...situation is difficult.” Ben stated gruffly.

“I understand.” Rome gave no quarter.

Ben scoffed. “You have no idea.”

Finally she had had enough. Moving out from behind Rome she looked over at Ben, only to draw in a quick breath when his intense gaze fixed on her. “What’s going on?”

In the nanosecond it took for Ben’s lashes to close over his eyes, his demeanor changed from frustrated anger to charming rogue. His quick smile only made her more suspicious. “Just guy stuff, sweetheart. You know how men are. Sometimes we act like boys and sometimes,” his eyes flashed to Rome. “We act like animals.”

“Uh-huh.” Men were, in Willow’s opinion, just weird.

Rome remained still, an unmoving statue, his dark brows raised in expectation. “Goodnight, Ben.”

Ben’s hand fisted and he looked at Willow one last time. “Good night, Willow. Sleep well. And remember, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call my name.”

The idea of having Ben at her beck and call gave her a little thrill. The man was built for hot, sweaty sex and Willow briefly, just briefly, wondered how far she could take his open invitation. Heat flushed her cheeks. “Thank you, Ben.”

Ben dropped his chin in a small nod and turned from the room. When he did, it seemed as if something thick and heavy left with him.

Tension
, Willow thought.
For some reason there was tension between Rome and Ben.

She’d unzipped her coat earlier and now took it off, sitting on the bed as she did so. “Want to tell me what that was all about?” she asked, fiddling with the material on her lap.

Rome’s forehead creased in irritation. “I don’t know about that boy.”

“Boy?” Willow’s eyes widened. “He can’t be much younger than you, Rome.”

“Maybe not, but his interest in you might become a distraction we can’t afford.”

Willow was stunned. Ben was interested in
her
? Surely not. There was no way a man like Ben could be single. He might not have a ring on his finger, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a slew of girlfriends. While Willow found him highly attractive—as in melt-her-panties attractive—she had no desire to be one of many. What she wanted, what she’d always wanted, was to be special. Cherished. Treasured. Call her a romantic, but she wasn’t willing to lie down and give her body and soul over to just any man. “I doubt he’s interested in that way, Rome.”

Rome eyed her much as she’d seen her father do when she said something he found ridiculous. “Of course he is, Will. You’re a beautiful young lady. What man wouldn’t be?”

“But not you.” It was more statement than question.

Rome looked horrified. “God, no!” He all but shouted the denial, then followed it up with a wince. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just. You’re like the kid sister I never had. I feel protective of you but not, uh...”

Willow held up a hand to forestall his stammering, smiling with amusement at his obvious discomfort. “I got it, Rome and I understand. And the feeling’s mutual. Only, you’re the big brother I never had.”

His shoulders eased, lips twisting in a wry smile. “That’s a relief. I’d had to be thought of as a younger sister.”

Willow laughed at him and they bid goodnight. As she sat there, mulling over the evening, she heard the shower kick on. It motivated her to unpack, setting out warm pajamas for the evening; folding underwear, sweats, and jeans into the dresser; hanging a few times on the thick plastic hangers she found in the closet.

They could be in Woodcliff anywhere from a week to a month, Willow knew, and while she was desperately homesick for her father and sister, her curiosity had been firmly piqued by the people she met tonight. Most especially Ben.

Finished unpacking, Willow scanned the room. She was still too wound up to sleep, no matter how exhausted she felt. With the shower still running—what was Rome doing in there, anyway?—Willow put her coat back on and made her way to the kitchen, and to the back door she’d spied earlier. She opened it and peeked outside, only to discover in delight the large deck, complete with roof, wood table, and four cushioned chairs. One quick look over her shoulder and she squeezed out the small opening she made in the doorway in an attempt to keep the cold out.

Walking to a break in the railing, she stood at the top of the steps, crossing her arms over herself and staring out into the night. She couldn’t see the cabins on either side of her from her position, but she knew they were there. It comforted her, the knowledge that Ben was probably in one of them, partaking of Kaylie’s care package. Or maybe he was sitting in his trunk, drinking coffee.

An owl hooted, and she jumped again—then grinned at herself. “I come in peace,” she told the owl, her head lifted high, her words no more than a caress on the wind. “I mean you no harm.”

A flash of color caught her eye and she jerked her attention to the ground. It was the glow that made her suck in a breath. The glow of amber eyes set in the large, proud face of a wolf, its fur unlike anything she’d seen before. A dark tan, with hints of brown and bronze that shimmered under the bright circle of a winter moon. The animal sat not five feet from the bottom of the stairs, those amazing eyes never straying as it eyed her with the predatory inclination of its kind.

Willow knew she should be terrified, and a small part of her was. However, a larger part kept her feet still. The wolf wasn’t growling and he didn’t appear thin or mangy. In fact, he looked to be a very healthy creature. The way it sat there, watching her every breath, made her wonder just how intelligent it was.