Josh left Dimitri and went straight to Alanna, knowing Dimitri would want them on the road as soon as possible in order to bring Lainie home to Bull Creek. Of course, Josh knew he still needed to convince Alanna to go with him, and if he was honest with himself, he had to admit, he wasn't sure if she would or not. Sure, they had their legs wrapped around each other for the past three nights, but that didn't mean she'd pack a bag and just hop in the car with him. Did it?With a deep breath, he knocked on her cabin door, hope in his heart and a plea on his lips, not to mention a hard cock in his pants. God, why am I always so fucking hard whenever I'm near her? At first, the fact that he instantly became erect when he thought of her was stimulating, but after a while—and he hated even admitting this—the fact that his cock strained against his pants constantly became quite irritating. Maybe I can ride to Draven Falls naked.Alanna opened the door a moment later, her brows pinched in confu
Lainie took a deep breath as she stepped out of The Enchanted Spoon, her belly full and her nerves a little calmer. The day was slowly being swallowed by the night as evening cloaked the downtown area of Draven Falls. Lamps in the town center started to flicker to life, illuminating the paths of those not ready to call this Monday over. The nightlife was just beginning, and while Monday night may not be as rambunctious as Friday night or even Thursday, there were still plenty of people who would bounce from bar to bar and shop to shop, savoring the sights, smells, and companionship. Lainie could use some of that companionship right about now. She hadn't realized how much she hung around her brother and Josh until they were gone. She had no real friends of her own, most moved away or were busy with families of their own, such as Gavin and his family. Fitz was now married, and even though she knew Mandy in high school, that was years ago, and she didn't even know her that well back then.
Lainie leaned back on her sheriff's car, sipping her coffee, and procrastinating going to work. Two nights of sleeping on Josh's couch had done nothing for her mood. Add to that the sounds she couldn't avoid hearing, thanks to her paranormal hearing, coming from the bedroom he reclaimed to share with Alanna, and Lainie spent her nights tossing and turning. Why the hell hadn't Dimitri told her Josh was seeing someone? A little heads up would have been nice, especially since Lainie had been having fantasies of a reunion of sorts while the two of them were alone in his apartment. Now, someone else was having all the fun, and she was left with a thin blanket and an uncomfortable couch. She blew out a frustrated breath. This sucks."That didn't sound good," Gavin Covington said as he approached from the side. "Someone not having a fun hump day?" He hooked his thumbs into his duty belt as he stood in front of her, head cocked to the side so that his shaggy hair hung to the side, legs spread
Drink!" Alanna shouted just before the three of them lifted their shot glasses into the air and downed the tequila. Lainie felt the alcohol burn her throat as she swallowed, eyes clenched shut as her body shivered from the sharp taste, quickly following the shot with a long swallow of her ice-cold beer. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Josh and Alanna were doing the exact same thing. It was a universal reaction to tequila no matter how smooth."Perfect," Alanna said in a wheeze. "We should do another."Lainie just laughed. "Yeah, you sound like you're ready for another shot." She shook her head as she continued to laugh. This was definitely not the way she intended to spend her Wednesday night, but she was glad for the distraction. And the booze. Alanna surprised Lainie by being so accepting of her and even joining in on the jokes at Josh's expense. The redhead even sat by Lainie on the couch as opposed to choosing to be near Josh. It almost felt as if the other woman flirted wit
Friday was coming to a close, and so far, everything had gone smoothly and without incident as well as without any more sightings of Miles stalking her. Lainie prayed she'd be able to get out of town without seeing him again. She also hadn't seen her father, which surprised her. She thought for sure he would try at least once more to convince her to follow his wishes. The fact that he surrendered so easily didn't seem like her father. He was not one to give up.Alanna hadn't made another move toward Lainie sexually, and the subject hadn't come up again after everyone left that night. Lainie wasn't sure how she felt about it, worried that the alcohol had spoken when Alanna normally wouldn't have said anything. While it was true that shifters were more open about matters such as sex and nudity, they still weren't what other people would call swingers. They didn't stray from bed to bed any more than normal humans; they just were more open about having sex, not caring who knew it, saw it,
Dimitri finished stacking the pile of fallen branches into the firepit, his spirit not into the bonfire that night. One week ago, two people had died right there near the circle of stones he bought as a ring of protection around the giant blaze. Dimitri couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was being silly having another bonfire so soon after the fight last week. He sighed as he tossed another log into the pile. Who would show up? Alanna was gone, helping Josh bring Lainie to Bull Creek, and last week, she was the driving force of bringing the others to his gathering, just in time to keep him from getting killed, actually. Now, who would help him bring people to the bonfire?He stood, stretching, his hands pressing on his lower back. He also needed Josh back to help him with all the heavy lifting. He chuckled to himself as he shook his head. When the hell did I start feeling older than I actually am?"You know, they say laughing to yourself is the first sign of senility," Nathan Landr
Lainie put the final bag in the trunk of her car, ready to just get the trip over. After the latest ambush from her father, the veiled threats from both him and Miles, she just wanted out of Draven Falls and away from anything that had to do with Daniel Everest. Alanna and Josh loaded her car down with more of Josh's own possessions, leaving the bulk of the dishes and household items behind for his sister to use when she returned from her vacation. She would keep the apartment for now, relieving Josh of the burden of getting out of his lease. His family was supportive, of course, and Lainie was just a little bit jealous.By the time they finished all the heavy lifting and showers, the ladies sat around the front room in their bathrobes, towels on their heads, while Josh sat there in shorts and a T-shirt, bare feet propped up on the coffee table. Everyone held a beer, even though Lainie wanted something stronger. "You see?" Josh said after lowering his beer from his lips. "This is how
Dimitri paced outside of the cabin he had prepared for Lainie. They should have been here by now. Josh had called him when they crossed the state line, entering Florida from Georgia, which was almost three hours ago. Had they stopped for dinner and not told him? That would piss him off, since he hadn't eaten anything since lunch, waiting on them.He didn't want his sister to have the same feeling as Josh and he had when they first arrived and saw how overgrown the plant life was around the cabin. Instead, Dimitri spent the day clearing out the shrub around her place, cleaning the inside, and making sure everything sparkled for when she first arrived. He even put a rocking chair on her porch. At least Bull Creek would have a good first impression for her. Of course, with the way things had been lately, that impression could go downhill fast.Dimitri gave up his pacing and moved to the front porch and the rocker he had purchased for his sister. He had just sat down when he heard the rumb