Shifters Storm by Tia Didmon
Chapter 5
Nick made it an entire block from the restaurant before he took Evie’s hand. It was only a few blocks from the clinic he’d rented, and he loved Florence. The locally owned deli, coffeehouse, and ice cream parlor with personal residences on the second floor gave the area a small-town feel.
Fast-driving cars and squealing brakes deterred from the welcoming displays of the storefront windows, and the smell of fresh bread drifted in the air, causing them to inhale as they approached the bakery.
He paused at the welcome sign. “Can I interest you in a dessert?”
Evie licked her lips. “I would love to, but I shouldn’t.”
Nick frowned. “Why? The cinnamon buns and pies are amazing in this place.”
Evie patted her hips. “I love sweets, but they love me, too. If I even look at a cinnamon bun, it goes straight to my hips.”
Nick looked her over suggestively. “You could use a few extra pounds.”
She looked at him as if he were nuts. “I struggle to stay fit. You don’t want to be slow if you get caught in a pen enclosure with an angry animal. I rarely have issues, but I like to feel confident I can get away if needed.”
Nick chuckled. He should have known her concern about weight gain was animal-related and not a sense of vanity. Everything about his mate surprised him. “Fair enough.”
Her heartbeat jumped as he pulled her closer to him. His arm slid around her waist as his own heartbeat synced with hers. The radiant glow of her cheeks and the uneven fall of her chest alerted him to her arousal. But while she was attracted to him, his cat all out worshiped her. If he allowed his beast to have its way, he would’ve abducted Evie before dinner and had her trapped beneath his body, moaning his name by nightfall.
He enjoyed walking with her so much that it disappointed him when they arrived at the clinic. He unlocked the door, moving aside to allow her to enter first.
The dim lighting in the hallway camouflaged the steps of the office entrance. Evie tripped on the first stair, falling forward in the darkness.
Nick grabbed her, pulling her against his body and trapped her against the wall. Fear of her being hurt was so overpowering, he had responded with his cat’s reflexes. His thigh nestled between her pelvis. He could hear the quick staccato of her heart, feel her embarrassment, and smell her fear. But he couldn’t let her go.
The need to feel her body against his was primal. The faint scent of lavender and honey tantalized his taste buds and spurned his instinct to mate. His voice dropped an octave. “Are you alright? I didn’t realize the lighting was so bad in here.”
She cleared her throat, clutching his shoulders. To hold him against her or away, he wasn’t sure. “I’m fine now, thank you. I would’ve had a face full of stairs if you hadn’t caught me.”
His cat hissed in his ear when he let her go. He needed a distraction from the temptation of her body. “Tell me about your position at the zoo. What is your relationship with your boss?”
She took a deep breath as if she appreciated the reprieve he had given her. “Ulrich has been amazing. He’s taught me so much in such a short period of time. He is never too busy to answer my questions or look at my proposals.”
Nick glanced up the stairs. “He sounds like an excellent mentor, but I was talking about Kevin Kallan.”
Evie frowned. “Kevin is the owner of the zoo, but I rarely see him. Ulrich is my boss and in charge of my training. He makes the day-to-day decisions for the zoo.”
“You have no contact with Kevin?”
Evie shrugged. “He is protective of his employees and his animals, but I don’t see him often. He recruited me in my last year of university. I was lucky. I had this job lined up before I graduated. Much to the dismay of Mrs. Deighton.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know why she hates him?”
Evie shook her head. “I don’t know the specifics, but I imagine it’s a business deal. Kevin has a reputation for being a shark. He buys corporations on the brink of bankruptcy and dismantles them.”
Nick rubbed his chin. “My family has had previous dealings with Kevin. I wish that being a shark in business was the problem. It’s the legality of his business that concerns me. The zoo may be one of his legitimate businesses, but I doubt it.”
Evie’s eyes hardened. “I thought you had a business proposal. I didn’t realize you were just going to slag my boss. If you think, smack-talking Kevin will get me to work for you, then you’re sorely mistaken.”
Nick put his arm against the wall when Evie turned to leave. “I shouldn’t have said anything without proving it to you first. Would you like to know why Mrs. Deighton hates Kevin?”
The uncertainty and confusion on Evie’s face concerned him. Nick had the urge to scoop her up and run. Hide her from the monster she worked for. She swallowed hard. “She told you?”
“Her son worked for Kevin. He has an experimental program that enhances men’s reflexes. Mrs. Deighton’s son had an adverse reaction to the treatment. He died within days of being injected with the serum.”
Evie placed her hand over her mouth. “She said nothing. That’s awful.”
“It is. Keep in mind these experiments are not government approved. Mrs. Deighton has only her son’s word that this happened. She has no proof.”
Evie glanced between the door and the stairs as if she were unsure which way to go. Nick wanted to tell her that the path she needed was right in front of her, but he had given her no reason to trust him. His outburst about Kevin hadn’t endeared him to his mate. “I’m sorry about her son. She said it was an allergic reaction.”
Nick nodded. “It was, in a way. I’m sorry if I came off too aggressive. I feel very protective of you, but I didn’t mean to offend you.” His fingers traced her shoulder, needing the contact. The urge to kiss her was overpowering, and with her pained expression of indecision, he decided not to fight it.
He leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek before he whispered in her ear. “I think you’ll find I’m an attentive boss and will not only listen but attend to all of your needs.”
