Chapter Six

Just go home.

No matter how many times Marshall repeated the good advice to himself, he didn’t heed it. Instead, he stood outside the small coffee shop, arguing with himself.

Tiffany worked inside. He’d known it from her paperwork, and he told himself that he hadn’t gone looking in order to stalk her. He’d spotted it on her forms and taken notice, since he passed by the shop from time to time.

The reassurances didn’t work, however, and he found himself frustrated at his foolishness.

He’d walked out of the house and away from her because he’d known better. Whatever she wanted, he couldn’t give to her. So why couldn’t he let it go?

Why can’t I forget about her?

The soft taste of her lips that he’d gotten had left him stroking his cock during the night, picturing how she’d feel wrapped around him and how he could service her through her next heat. He’d spend an hour between those thighs, and instead of ignoring the moans she’d made, he’d make them louder.

So, rather than going to bed like a responsible adult, he’d spent the night like a teenage boy, masturbating to take an edge off that never dulled.

And worse? After working all that day, after a full night’s sleep, after another day at work, he hadn’t shaken loose her memory.

Instead, he’d decided that eight at night was the time he had to have a cup of coffee from that little shop on the corner he hadn’t tried.

The third time a woman stared at him, unease on her features, he realized he had to either walk away or go in. If he didn’t, Sam would end up being called, and he didn’t want to explain to the detective why he was standing on a street corner arguing with himself.

The coffee shop was everything he expected it to be. Small, bright and cheery, with a large display case holding the few pastries left from the day. One other patron sat at a corner table, her fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop, not even looking up when the bell above the door rang.

A swinging door behind the counter opened to show who he’d missed, that blonde hair pulled into a tight bun, blue eyes bright as she searched for the customer who had set off the bell.

When her gaze rested on him, a moment of pleasure flashed in her eyes before distrust took over.

He crossed the small shop to stand at the register, unsure what to say.

“Are you going to say you were craving a cup of coffee?” Her hands went to her hips, all attitude.

Marshall gave her a smile, as though that could wipe away the misunderstanding. “Of course not. I wanted a piece of lemon loaf, too.”

The stupid joke ate up the tension between them until she gave him a smile in return. “You’re lucky you’re charming. Okay, lemon loaf. Do you want something to drink?”

“Cappuccino, please.”

She rang up the order, and he slid his card through the reader on his side. Before he’d finished, she turned her back to him to work on the order.

She moved with a grace that said she was comfortable with the shop and the job. She took the food from the refrigerated case and slid it into a bag, placing it on the counter at the end before starting the shots. As they poured, she steamed the milk, a tap in her foot and sway to her hips that made him think she hummed to herself. The entire thing came together like a dance, and she moved like no one else watched.

She set the cup on the counter, the white foam on top in a perfect layer. “So, how far did you come for this drink?”

Marshall picked up the cup and took a sip. “Not that far. It’s between the hospital and my house. Though, with how good this is, I think I’ll make a stop more often.”

She washed her hands, dried them on a paper towel before tossing it, then came around the counter to his side. A nod at the small table across the shop from the writer had them sitting.

“What are you doing here?”

“You’re not wearing your sling.”

“I tried, but I couldn’t work one-handed. Besides, it’s feeling better.” She leaned back in her chair. “You’re not here to dispense medical advice, though.”

He picked off a piece of the lemon loaf and offered it to her. “You’re right. I wanted to see you.”

She took the offered bite and popped it into her mouth. “You weren’t interested in seeing much of me the other day. In fact, I’ve seen people flee natural disasters slower than you ran.”

He wanted to argue, but she had a point. Instead, he cupped the cappuccino in his hands for the warmth. “I didn’t think it was smart to indulge in anything. After what you went through, and your current troubles and situation with Kieran, allowing anything seemed unwise.”

“I’m a little tired of alphas deciding what’s best for me. I can make my own choices.”

“You can, but I don’t want you suffering for choices I make as well. Kieran isn’t someone who shares, and since you’ve committed to staying with him for a year, it doesn’t seem ideal to start anything.”

She released a low laugh that lacked any humor. “Yeah, well, I don’t think you have to worry about that. Kieran and I aren’t happening.”

The attraction between the two was obvious. The way Kieran had snarled at people, the tension that had run through him as he’d waited for her to wake the night he had stayed at the hospital all said he hadn’t been there out of obligation.

It meant he suspected confusion. Was Kieran trying to keep things professional? Was she? Sometimes physical attraction wasn’t the only thing that mattered. Perhaps they’d found themselves incompatible in some other way?

Instead of saying any of that, he let the untruth remain. “Even if you two aren’t romantically involved, he still has a large say over you and your life. I thought I would be a complication, a point of conflict between Kieran and you.” He sipped the hot drink, let the warmth soothe the tension in him from the conversation. “I thought that, in a year when you were free from the contract, perhaps something could happen.”

“But you’re here now.”

He huffed a soft laugh, then shrugged. “I have less self-discipline than I thought. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and after arguing with myself outside, I finally gave in. You’re hard to forget.”

She didn’t answer right away, and disbelief played across her features.

“Why is that so hard for you to believe?”

She reached over, stole his drink and took a sip. “Because I’ve gotten used to men not actually wanting me. Seems like my lot in life.”

Foam sat on her top lip, and Marshall stopped resisting. What had resisting got him so far? He leaned over the table and traced her lip with his tongue. He cleared the foam, then stole the kiss he’d craved since he’d first seen her.

Tiffany moved with him, no hesitation at all. If anything, she pushed forward, aggressive. His hand went to the back of her neck, pulling her closer, ready to toss the table out of the way and take her—

A loud clearing throat broke them apart. The woman in the corner had stopped her writing long enough to toss a disapproving glare their way.

Marshall fought down the growl he wanted to answer with. Tiffany didn’t need him causing her problems at work.

Well, more problems.

He pulled back, took the lemon loaf and nodded at the cappuccino. “Delicious, but I think my heart rate is fast enough.” He reached into his pocket, fished out his business card and pushed it across the table. “Call me?”

She picked it up and tucked it into her back pocket, a grin across her lips. “Oh, I will.”

* * * *

The lock clicked as Tiffany twisted the key. Her feet ached and her shoulder burned. She should have left the sling on, it seemed, but she’d never admit that. Not to Marshall, and not to Kieran who had frowned when she’d left it at his place.

Still, doing what was normal had centered her. She’d returned to her life, to what she knew. She’d spent the day seeing her regulars, lost in the mindless motions she knew so well.

Being a barista worked for her. She had flexible hours that didn’t require her to wake early, and the tips helped her make ends meet. The work was tiring, since eight hours on her feet could wear anyone out, but she loved the constant moving.

Tiffany had always bored easily, hated sitting still, waiting. The movement of the coffee shop, all the little steps that made up the orders, kept boredom at bay.

Her first day back had gone the same way, though Marshall’s appearance had surprised her. Try as she might, she couldn’t quite get a read on him.

He seemed interested, and that kiss of his… She bit her bottom lip as she thought about it, as she remembered the fleeting taste of passion that had crashed over them both before they’d moved apart.

Still, the few times she’d seen him, he’d always stayed out of reach. He’d speak, but always with a pause, as if he had to measure his words. She got the sense he held things back, that he played the part he thought he should.

The kiss was the only part that had felt real.

Real, and as frightening as it was wonderful.

She’d never have thought something could be both, but it was like getting on a roller coaster, those moments of terror combined with the moments of exhilaration.

The only problem? That car.

The black sedan she’d spotted when she’d opened and again during her break. By the third time she’d watched it drive down the street, she’d been shaken.

Then she’d scolded herself for allowing paranoia to get the better of her.

Randy would not turn her into a coward. No matter what he’d done, she’d not turn into a woman afraid of her own shadow. Fuck Randy, because he couldn’t have her confidence. It was what he’d wanted, for her to be afraid, to think she needed some alpha to take care of her, to give up everything to him.

And she refused. Even dead, he’d win if she did that, if she let him have her in that way.

So, she’d gone on with her day, reminding herself she wasn’t running for once. She was legit. With the contract signed, the registry wasn’t looking for her. She could use her real name without issue.

So why couldn’t she shake the feeling something was coming for her? Why couldn’t she relax?

She walked down the sidewalk toward the parking lot alongside the building. When she turned the corner, however, parked beside her car was the same black sedan.

Tiffany halted, a hidden, dark figure in the car.

It couldn’t be the same car, right?

But, in a parking lot with no other cars, he’d parked next to her. He hadn’t chosen the twenty other open spots closer to the street, but had instead parked so close she’d have to slide by that car to reach her driver’s-side door. While she refused to be paranoid, she refused even more to be stupid.

The head in the car lifted, silhouette moving, and even though she couldn’t see him, every muscle in her went rigid when he looked at her. Whatever instinct inside her that worked to keep her alive told her to run.

Instead of giving in, Tiffany struggled for calm. She patted down the apron wrapped around her. “My phone,” she said to herself, but loud enough for the car to catch it. She let a muttered curse leave her lips before pulling her keys from her pocket and turning back toward the coffee shop.

Let him think she’d returned to grab her phone.

She passed the door, though, rushing around the corner and out of sight. She yanked her phone from her pocket. Her first impulse had her finger hovering above Claire’s name, but Claire had suffered enough for her.

Instead, she scrolled down and pressed the tile reading ‘Kieran.’

“You never call me.”

“I think someone’s following me.” Her words came out choppy, her breathing heavy despite her not having walked far. Nerves alone stole her breath.

“What? Where are you? What happened?” His voice moved away from the phone. Was he putting on his shoes?

“I saw the same car three times today and now it’s parked next to mine. I don’t know who it is, I can’t see, and it’s probably nothing—”

“Breathe slowly, girl, or you’ll pass out. You did the right thing.” The phone shifted, his voice coming from farther away as if he’d put her on speaker phone. “Your work is fifteen minutes away, but I know someone closer. I’ll text them. Where exactly are you walking?”

“Down Fourth, toward Hibiscus.”

He made a soft sound as though he focused on something else but didn’t want her to think he hadn’t heard her. “Okay. I want you to make a left at the next block, then a right. If the person comes looking for you, I don’t want you on the same road.”

“Fucking Randy.”

“What? He’s dead.”

Her fingers numbed from gripping the phone, from the way her heart pounded against her ribs. “I know he’s dead, but I was never scared before. I’m probably running from shadows like an idiot, all because of him.”

“It’s okay. Better to be safe, right? Better to make a mistake and be safe than to ignore the signs and end up hurt.”

She wanted to argue it, but what was the point? He didn’t understand that she’d never been scared before, that she’d always prided herself on being someone who could stand on her own, who didn’t need to rely on someone.

And what happened? At the first sign of anything wrong, she’d called up an alpha like the stereotypical omega she’d sworn not to be.

He ended the call as the engine to his car roared to life. Not having his voice made her edgy, but she followed the plan he’d set. She turned right, one foot in front of the other. He’d show up, and… Then what? She walked quickly as she told herself off for her foolishness.

As she was ready to call back and apologize, to tell Kieran she’d made a mistake, that she’d overreacted, she turned another corner.

And ran into a large body.

Tiffany lifted her knee, but the body twisted to avoid the strike, letting her leg slide up the outside of his thigh. “Settle down, doll,” a familiar voice said. “I’ve seen that little move before, and I’d like to keep my balls in one piece.”

She dropped her shoulders and lowered her knee. She pulled in a deep breath, her chest loosening. It wasn’t that she expected Kane to fix it all, but knowing she wasn’t alone helped. Before she realized it, her fingers that had shoved at his chest curled in to grasp him.

Until she realized, she had no idea how he’d gotten there. “What are you doing here?”

“Kieran texted me. I live right over there, so I was closer than he was. Said someone was following you?”

She hesitated, the words feeling silly. “I don’t know for sure. I saw the same car a couple times, and the car was parked next to mine, and maybe it was all—”

His soft, chastising growl quieted her. “You did good.”

“Are you going to go look?”

“I wish. I’d like to see who it is and explain it ain’t a good idea to fucking scare you, but I can’t exactly leave you here while I do it.”

“So, what now?”

“I’m gonna take you over to my place to wait it out, and Kieran’ll take a look. If someone is following you, it’s best to get you off the street.”

The words hit her along with the reality of being in a closed space with him, in his space. “Your place?”

“Scared?”

“Should I be?”

Kane laughed before tossing his large arm around her. “Yeah, you probably should be.”

Leaving the man who had frightened Tiffany behind tore at Kane’s pride, at his feeling of possessiveness. He wanted to go to that car, to pull the asshole out through the window and beat some manners into him. Sure, figuring out why he was there mattered, but dealing with having frightened her seemed paramount.

The wide, frantic set of her eyes had torn at him. She’d faced off against the attacker in the apartment building without a second of thought, without hesitation or fear. So, that someone had caused this reaction in her?

He tried to keep it off his face, but doubted it worked.

He threw the deadbolt on his apartment, closing them in together. Having Tiffany off the street helped him regain his temper.

Until he turned to find her in the middle of his studio apartment, standing beside his fold-out bed with its shitty comforter. Girl didn’t belong in a place like that, and for a man who didn’t give a shit what people thought, the idea of her seeing how he lived bothered him. He’d never needed much, so most of the money he made got saved.

When she looked like she was about to say something, Kane took the initiative. “The fuck were you doing out alone, anyway?”

She took a step backward. The moment her heel hit the floor, however, she stopped as if the idea of backing away chafed. “I have a life, you know.”

“A short one if you pull shit like that.”

“Shit like that? I went to work, Kane.”

He went to argue but couldn’t find a single thing to say back. She was right, but he hadn’t bitched because she’d endangered herself. He’d bitched because he’d rather she be pissed than see how uncomfortable he was.

Instead, he gave her a snarl and moved into the tiny kitchen. He opened the fridge, pulled out two bottles of water and tossed one to Tiffany.

Girl caught it with ease, though her look could have gelded him.

Seemed she held grudges.

Still, she twisted the top off and tipped it back. The bob of her throat as she swallowed drew his stare. Without meaning to, his brain took a nose-dive down the gutter. He pictured the way her throat would do that when he slid his cock down it, when he used that long blonde hair of hers like a leash and had her take every last inch of him. She’d swallow around him to help with the gagging, just like the way she swallowed down that water.

He realized she’d lowered the water, and her gaze locked on him. Caught.

Kane shrugged and drank his own water, trying to downplay the way his dick throbbed and how his body threw off pheromones.

“Thank you for coming.” The words ripped from her like a consolation prize as she sat on the edge of the unmade bed, the only place to sit since it served as his couch as well.

“Course. Should know me well enough to know I’d fucking help you.”

“Why?”

He sat on the bed beside her. “What do you mean?”

“Why help me? Why do any of this?”

“We’re friends, ain’t we?”

“We’re going with friends? Because what you had pressed against me didn’t feel like just friends.”

“Maybe you don’t have the right sort of friends, then.”

She stretched back, setting her water on the nightstand. “So, you’re going to keep lying? I’m so sick of you alphas. You like to pretend you’re tough, but the bunch of you are cowards.”

“I ain’t a coward, doll, and I suggest you rethink calling me one.”

“Why? You want something, but you’re too afraid to go for it. I might not be as big as you are, but at least I actually risk things.”

He growled low in his throat, a rumble to warn her off the conversation.

The more she pushed, the more he wanted to push back, and neither of them needed that. Hell, they were already on a bed, and it wouldn’t take much to get further.

“Growl all you want—it doesn’t scare me. You sound like a yorkie having a hissy fit. Your bark is bigger than your bite.”

“You ain’t never seen my bite.”

Her gaze dropped down to his crotch. “Well, maybe your bite is big enough, but you have no idea how to use it.”

That was it.

Kane was on her in a heartbeat, taking her lips with his. He slipped his tongue into the warmth of her mouth, because fuck foreplay and teasing. She’d challenged him and he was all up for proving himself to her.

He swallowed down her startled gasp, his weight on his elbow as he pinned her and shifted his other hand down her side. He moved over her ribs, over the curve of her waist where it dipped in, over her sexy hips where they flared out. When he reached the waistband of her black jeans, he undid the button. The zipper flew down next, and he found her warm skin above the line of her panties.

Soft lace separated him from his goal. He nipped her bottom lip as he pulled back to gaze down, to see the strip of skin between her open pants and her shirt.

Pink? Her panties were fucking pink lace. It drew a laugh from him because of how not surprised he was.

Of course she’d go with something so ridiculous. She wasn’t a simple girl, and no matter how tough she kept proving herself to be, she managed to look like sheer temptation.

He moved down to curl his fingers into the waist of her pants, then met her gaze. “You ready to throw in the towel, doll? Ready to admit this shit is a bad fucking idea, like I been saying from the start?”

Her blue eyes hardened, and instead of an answer, she wriggled her hips to work the pants down in his hands.

That spark of fire inside her had him growing harder. He yanked the jeans down, tossing her shoes fuck-knew-where before letting her jeans join them. Her spread her out beneath him in nothing but a shirt and those tempting panties. He wanted to remember it forever, to look back on it once she’d realized how stupid it was, when she’d dropped him flat on his face and he’d need it for those nights.

He’d never had much patience, though, so the first roll of her hips had him pulling free the panties, too. Drenched, and smelling so sweetly of her.

Her legs parted as she let him pull them off, but it caused him to catch sight of something.

Kane grasped her hip and rolled her, getting a look at her ass despite her yelp of confusion. “You want to tell me who left marks on you?”

Her body tensed when he stroked over the red finger marks left on her ass. He’d fucking take apart the asshole who—

She moaned. Fucking moaned.

It was the best sound, throaty and loud and breathless. She did it again when he repeated the motion, and that told him, didn’t it?

Whoever had left ’em, she’d enjoyed the fuck out of getting them.

His cock jerked, pre-cum leaking from it. Sure, he wanted to snap at whoever had touched her, whoever had gotten to pull those sounds out of her, but at the same time? Damn if he wasn’t turned on by the idea of someone spanking his troublesome omega. He pictured her over the lap of an alpha, tears running down that pretty face of hers, ass up and turning pink.

“Kieran.”

Of course, it was him. She was living with the fucker, so it shouldn’t surprise Kane this ended up happening. Still, he stroked the marks again like he could claim them, like they could become his and not Kieran’s, until he rolled her to her back and ran two fingers up her cunt. “So, you two are fucking?” He gathered her wetness on his fingers before seeking out her clit, before rubbing it without mercy.

Watching her struggle to think was too much fun.

She shook her head, her back arching up against the rough treatment. “We aren’t.”

“Really? Because you had a lot of say about what ‘just friends’ do and spanking your ass ain’t one of them.”

“He didn’t want to.”

That had him slowing the touch, gentling it. “He didn’t want to?”

Her gaze moved away and fuck the shame that colored those cheeks. “He walked out after he did that. He didn’t want more.”

Kane grasped her chin in one hand to force her gaze to his, his fingers still working her clit. “He didn’t even get you off, doll? Well, ain’t that rude?”

“He thinks I’m too young, too inexperienced.”

“How much experience is it that you got?”

“None.”

The word drew everything to a still. His fingers froze and his breathing halted. None? This delicious, seductive girl beneath him was a virgin? How the fuck was that possible?

Suddenly all the ways she gave in, the longing, the surrender, it all made sense. Girl was beyond needy—she was fucking desperate. She had instincts inside her going crazy, craving something she hadn’t yet tasted.

“Are you going to stop now?” She didn’t try to hide as she asked, a challenge in that voice, but all the bravado didn’t change the truth.

She expected him to stop.

Hell, maybe I should.

It’d take a stronger man than him to pull away with his finger on her cunt and her taste on his tongue.

“Nah, doll, I ain’t going no fucking place until I have you screaming my name.”