Thorne Bay, Alaska. Virgin forests just waiting to be deflowered, vast expanse of blue water great for fishing, beautiful scenery, fresh air, and cold as fuck in the middle of winter. What was a lion shifter doing in such a climate? Working, of course. And freezing his ass off.
"Fucking hell, it's cold." Yaeger had thought it got cold in Washington, where he worked before, but that was nothing compared to Alaska. He blew on his fingers to warm them. Logging might seem like an odd job decision for a lion, but he liked the manual labor. And the truck. He really liked the truck he got to drive every day to haul the logs back to base once the trees were felled and ready for transport.
"It's winter in Alaska. What do you expect?" was the response he got. "What brings you to Thorne Bay?" the older woman who ran the Pacific Rose B & B he was currently staying at, asked.
"Took a job on a local logging crew, the Thorne Bay Beasts."
"So you'll be here a while. Here's your key. There's a tavern up the street, the Tasty Skull. They serve food as well as booze."
He chuckled. "Mighty obliged, ma'am, I could use a drink." He might have left the South twelve years ago, at eighteen, but he still had his manners.
He stalked into the tavern with one thought on his mind—get food in his belly—but that all went to shit the moment he stepped in the door. The scent of honeysuckle and vanilla hit him, had his cock hardening in his pants, and his lion taking notice. It came from the stunning brunette behind the bar.Matehis lion roared in his head. Fuck. That was the last thing he needed.
He sauntered over and slid onto a barstool. "Hello, beautiful." He watched her nostrils flair and her body stiffen. At least he wasn't the only one affected. "The polite thing to do is say hello back."
"Who says I'm polite?" she countered.
"Ooo, she has bite."
"And I have claws to go with it. What can I get you?"
"Lager."
"Don't mind Frankie, she's a bitch to everyone who hits on her," one of the servers told him in passing. "Which happens to be every man who comes in here."
"That's okay, I like a challenge," he countered. He took his drink and moved to a booth where he could watch her from a distance. He waved down a server and ordered a burger and fries and got a second drink to go with the food. He might not need a mate, but it didn't look like the fates were giving him a choice.
Every time a guy got too close to her, he couldn't stop the growl that trickled from his lips.
"So, Frankie, when are you going to let me take you on a date?" some asshole asked, and Yaeger leaned forward to catch her reply.
"How about never?" she replied.
"Come on baby, don't be like that," the guy said and grabbed her wrist.
Yaeger was there in an instant. He grabbed the guy and growled. "Get your fucking hand off her before I break it," he said as he squeezed.
The guy let go and backed off. "I didn't mean nothing by it," he said.
"You don't put your hands on a lady," Yaeger countered. "Now get the fuck out of here," he added, and let go of him. He watched as the guy left. "You okay, darlin'?"
"I could have handled that myself. I didn't need you coming to my rescue."
"I'm sure you could, but my mama raised me better than that. I wasn't going to sit by while he manhandled you."
"Thank you," she said begrudgingly.
"You're welcome," he told her and returned to his food.
Great. Just fucking great. Just what she needed, some lion coming in and getting all up in her business. She could feel his eyes on her while she worked. After the incident with the asshole who'd grabbed her, he seemed even more intent on watching her. What really pissed her off was how much his presence affected her. Her lynx wanted to roll in his scent. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what her visceral reaction to him meant, and she wanted no part of it.
"Someone's got a secret admirer," one of the waitresses said.
"Huh?" Frankie replied.
"These just got delivered for you."
White lilies. She'd gotten a bouquet every day for the last week. This time, there was a card.
