Shifter Town 3 - Big Cats Don't Purr (10 page)

“Home sweet home,” Mace said, not a small amount of teasing in his voice as he pulled the car to a stop. Sawyer opened the door and slid out, pausing just long enough for the pair of roughhousing cubs to spot her.

“Sawyer!” The older of the two cubs screeched and barreled head-first into Sawyer’s waist. She scooped the girl up and spun her.

“Gilly.” She put her back on her feet and placed a smacking kiss on her forehead. “You’ve gotten big.”

Another kid barreled into her side and Sawyer stumbled to the ground laughing.

It felt good to be home.

Then she glanced back at the car and saw Rift and Kinsey staring out at her from the back seat, and she wanted to protect them both. Help them find a place as safe and warm as this. Help them build a home.

She swallowed back the sudden lump in her throat.

Damn. She was falling too far for Rift Callahan and his daughter. They were just a job, a rescue mission. But as often as she told herself that, her heart still resisted.

They were already more than that. The question was, what was she going to do about it?

Chapter Nine

Rift watched as Sawyer rolled around on the grass, the kids giggling as she ruffled their hair and gave them kisses. He could almost see her with their kid, cradling the little bundle in her arms. A soft, motherly smile on her face. Her amber eyes aglow with pride.

Then she glanced up at him and the look in her eyes stole his breath in a rush. He wanted this, more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life, and for a split second, it seemed she wanted it too.

“You ready for this?” Mace asked from the driver’s seat.

Rift startled out of his reverie to look at Sawyer’s brother. Hell, probably not. He glanced at Kinsey, who sat leaning against the door, her head out the window as she watched Sawyer. She’d never truly been a part of a pride before.

Rift saw the flash of longing on her face before she stuffed it back under the familiar façade of teenage indifference.

But she deserved this.

He’d never wanted to be a pride male before, but his daughter deserved the chance to be a lion in a lion’s society. Jenna had never bothered to give her that, but Rift, he could find a way. Would find a way.

“Yeah,” Rift said and put a hand on Kinsey’s shoulder. “Time to get out, kid.”

“Not a kid,” Kinsey muttered, but she opened the door and hopped out, Rona still clutched to her chest. Rift followed her.

“Ohhh, a kitty!” One of the kids yelled and ran towards Kinsey. In an instant they were surrounded by kids of all ages, some even Kinsey’s age, all asking to pet Rona.

“Love your hair,” one of the girls crooned. “I wanted to dye mine hot pink but dad threw a
fit
.”

Rift watched as Kinsey relaxed, smiling, and felt, for the first time, that he was doing something right for her.

Mace stepped up behind him and clapped him on the back. “Now the fun part begins.”

Rift started to twist away, to tell Mason Reyes to back off, and then he saw the bear of a man coming out the front door and thought better of it.

There weren’t many men out there that could make
him
feel tiny, but shit.

Sawyer turned, saw the man approaching and grabbed him in an enthusiastic hug before he could continue toward Rift. There was nothing friendly in those dark amber eyes, but the moment Sawyer’s arms wrapped around his waist the man relaxed a notch.

It’d have made Rift feel a little better if a small army of lions wasn’t pouring out of the large mansion in front of him and the one next door to it. Mace turned his head and nodded a greeting to someone behind Rift. Rift spun, tense, but the older man standing there just gave him a passing look.

“Hey, Dad,” Mace said, referring to the older man in Sawyer’s arms. “Brought her home safe and sound.”

Her father. Rift turned back to get a better look at the older lion. He had a good few inches on Rift, but age left him with a little less bulk in the shoulders and more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He laughed a lot, Rift decided, and a glance around showed him exactly why.

Gaston Reyes was surrounded by family, and plenty of it.

“Damn, I missed you, girl,” Gaston said as he hugged his daughter again. His gaze cut to Rift, and then back to her. “Though I look forward to hearing the story behind this. In private.”

“It’s not much of a secret.” Though the way she said it told Rift she was holding something back. “I, uh, joined up with the Cane Creek pride in eastern Texas for awhile. Saw one of the females had a kid she was hiding right before the pride males caught wind of it. They aren’t nice to their women...downright brutal, really...so I took the girl and ran. Found her father, who hadn’t even known he was a father.” She tilted her head towards Rift. “But we’ve had some rough luck and could use a place to hide until trouble blows over.”

“I still want the rest of the story later,” Gaston said softly, but turned his focus to Rift.

The man that had been behind Rift and Mace stepped past them to ruffle Sawyer’s hair. “As do I. Though I don’t like the thought of a rogue male anywhere near our pride.”

“Rulon,” Sawyer whispered, and the man, who had to be one of her many brothers—he had her nose after all—gave a short sigh.

“I didn’t say I was against it, just that I didn’t like it.”

“Nor do I,” Gaston said.

Sawyer leaned forward to kiss her father’s cheek. “Are we welcome or not?”

“For the time being,” Gaston said, his eyes shifting to Rulon. The other lion didn’t seem nearly as inclined to agree, but one by one the other pride males relaxed. Mace grinned from his position propped against the car.

He tilted his head in Rift’s direction and whispered, “Now, just don’t overstay your welcome, and you’ll be fine.”

One look at the growing pride around him and Rift knew that would be easier said than done.

***

It didn’t surprise Sawyer at all that her father had transformed her old room into a guest room. Space in pride housing was limited enough, and a vacant room needed a purpose, plus, they’d been lamenting the lack of a guest room for as long as she could remember.

She stared at the bed, the flower comforter oddly reassuring against the excited squeals sounding from downstairs. A soft thump sounded behind her and she turned to see Rift set the pile of clothes her father had given him on the dresser behind her.

“How exactly am I supposed to share a room with you and not overstay my welcome?” He pitched the words low, secretive, but it was the look in his eyes that he really needed to hide.

Damn that man. He knew how make her shiver with just a look.

“Kinsey’s bunking with Penny isn’t she?”

Rift nodded. “She’s happy to find someone her age here. I don’t think she’s had that many friends.”

She’d had one while Sawyer had known her, and she hadn’t been another shifter. No, this was probably Kinsey’s first time experiencing what it was like to be surrounded by a pride. Maybe it was Rift’s, too.

“Feeling out of place yet?”

His grin turned wolfish. “I’m still standing, and that counts for something in this place, I would think.”

Sawyer let out a bark of laughter and shook her head. Oh, how right he was. Sawyer couldn’t think of a time a rogue male had been allowed inside Boulder Pride. Rogue males were usually trouble, and that was something her father would have never allowed.

“Especially considering how much I smell like you,” he said softly and Sawyer could feel her heart start to pound.

One kiss, one tantalizing kiss, and she wanted more than she’d ever dare admit from him.

And as if he could read her mind, Rift pulled the door shut behind him and closed the distance between them. One hand found the back of her head, his fingers buried in her hair, and he pulled her toward him. Sawyer stopped him with a hand on her chest.

“We should talk.” But she didn’t even know where to begin.

Relationships weren’t exactly on the table for anyone working under cover. But especially not one with someone she was supposed to protect. Rift and Kinsey, they couldn’t be anything more than a job. Because the moment her heart got involved, her thinking could cloud, her resolve weaken. She needed to be able to do what was best for them, even if they didn’t see it.

Rift’s eyes were hooded as he stared down at her. “I’m not sure I agree.” His thumb played at the back of her neck, massaging. “Not when I see the look on your face right now.”

Sawyer closed her eyes. “I just...I don’t need this right now.”

“This?”

“Us.” Sawyer tried to step back but he held her in place. “You, me, something more than just a woman helping your daughter.”

“You and me? We’re already something more.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers before she could protest. Just a light touch, but it was enough to sear every pathway in her mind with the memory of this moment. She knew what he said was true. Knew it and was still going to walk away.

“I have to go have a word with my father.”

And Sawyer pulled away from him and slipped out of the door, even when she longed to turn around and pull him back for a real kiss. The kind of kiss he’d only hinted at.

Fisting her hands at her side, Sawyer strode toward her father’s study, thankful for the excuse. It hadn’t been a lie. She needed to talk to her father. But she needed to call Lennox, too. And she hoped like hell her boss figured out a solution soon, because Sawyer was losing this battle.

Falling in love with Rift was getting easier and easier, and it was the one thing she couldn’t afford to do.

***

Rift leaned his against the wall to keep himself from following. She needed space. Room to breathe. He got that, but damn. Something was making her hold back. And he wanted a chance to figure out what it was; otherwise, he was going to lose her to that little voice inside her head that kept talking her out of them.

Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath. Boulder Pride. He’d never thought he’d ever step anywhere in the entire state of Colorado. Damn well had never thought he’d be standing in the middle of the pride. With a grunt he shoved off of the wall and headed into the hall.

He found Kinsey downstairs in the living area, Rona on her lap. A girl her age sat on the couch next to her. “Dude, I would kill for your hair but my dad would totally shit—”

“Grace,” a male voice chided and the girl cringed.

“Sorry, Dad.”

Kinsey caught Rift looking and grinned. Hell. He probably should have lectured her on her swearing. But who was he to talk? Rift shrugged under her stare and Kinsey’s smile just stretched wider.

Then a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and Rift went still. Every muscle in his body suddenly locked for a potential fight.

“We should talk,” the other male said and Rift slowly tilted his head to get a look at the man.

He was as tall as his father, with short black hair, closely cropped to his skull in a military cut. His nose had been broken in multiple places, and there was a scar that ran the line of his left cheek. He looked like a man who’d seen his share of brawls.

But it was the look in his cat-gold eyes that told Rift he’d seen more than a few barroom brawls. “Rift,” he said quietly and extended his hand, offering the other lion a sign of respect. Of trust.

Sawyer’s brother grasped his hand. “Rulon. Door’s that way.”

He tilted his head in the direction of the foyer and Rift could take a hint.

“Rift,” Kinsey called as he stepped for the door and he paused. He saw the worry in her eyes. She’d barely had time to get to know him, but he and Sawyer were all she had right now.

“I’ll be right back.” He winked at her. “Did you feed Rona?”

“Yeah.” She gave Rulon a worried look and the other lion softened.

“We’re just going to have a chat. I’m not out to hurt your father.”

That finally eased the tense worry on her face and Rift felt the anxiety curled in his gut abate. Making his way outside, he let the cool Colorado night air settle the edge of the beast inside him. Despite what Rulon had told Kinsey, most male lion-shifters didn’t simply talk. There were almost always claws involved.

He heard Rulon step out onto the porch, the wood creaking under his weight, and Rift turned to see the other man leaning against the wood railing. Calm, collected. Then again, this was Rulon’s pride. He had five other men at his back.

Rift was just Rift.

“I don’t want any trouble for this pride,” Rulon said and there was no missing the growl in his words. The lion just under the surface.

He looked Rift dead in the eyes, all brutal challenge, but Rift couldn’t bring himself to look away.

Looking away was a weakness he couldn’t afford here. Even if meeting Rulon’s gaze was stupid, probably fatal, cowering wouldn’t help either.

“I don’t either.”

“I don’t want any trouble for my sister, either.”

The muscle in Rift’s jaw flexed. “Sawyer’s a big girl. I think she can take care of herself.”