Lion Lost & Found, Paranormal Romance (Ghost Cat Shifters Book 2) (12 page)

Vivi bit her lip to keep from laughing at Julianna’s dejected face. She stepped away from the counter and knelt down at Julianna’s side, sliding her hands down her arms. “G’night, sweetie. Don’t forget to put your clothes in your hamper.”

Julianna leaned forward and plopped a noisy kiss on Vivi’s cheek before hurrying to the table to throw her arms around Heath’s waist. He hugged her to his side.

Julianna tilted her face up to him. “Can you come for dinner again soon?”

“All you have to do is tell your mom to ask me and I’ll be here. Now off to bed. Night, night.”

Julianna giggled and scampered off. Once her bedroom door closed, Heath stood from the table.
 

“Okay, what happened?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Vivi hedged. She sensed he noticed she was favoring her shoulder, but she’d prefer not to explain.

“You’re moving like you got hurt. Did you overdue it at work, or something?” He lifted a hand to curl over her shoulder. She managed not to flinch, but she tensed.

His eyes canted down, and he hooked his thumb over the edge of her shirt and pushed it back, slowly revealing her shoulder. He stopped when the ragged edge of the deep scratch came into view. His eyes bounced back up to hers. He repeated his question. “Vivi, what happened?”

She shrugged, feeling annoyed and defensive. “I went out to look for Chris.” Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Having Heath this close sent her body into a tailspin. The air felt loaded—with desire, with the longing to lean into him and let him take care of her.

“I take it you found him,” Heath said softly, his voice low and taut.

She nodded and swallowed. “I did. I just had to know if it was him.”

“How the hell did you get this? Please don’t tell me he went after you. Because if he did, I’ll fucking kill him.”

“I chased after him. I was so pissed. I just… I don’t know. . Finding out Chris was involved just made me sick. I had to know for sure, so I went out there. I chased him and went after him. He fought back, but he bolted once he pinned me. I know he’s a total ass, but if he really wanted to hurt me, he could’ve. He had me pinned.”

She couldn’t quite believe she was defending Chris, but she believed what she was saying. Chris hadn’t set out to hurt her. He fought back. The minute he had a chance to do real damage, he bolted. She didn’t know what was going to come of everything, but Heath going after Chris to avenge an injury she sustained from a fight she started didn’t seem like it would do anything other than make things even messier. In hindsight, she wished she’d told the police she was going out there, so they could have followed her and brought Chris in.

Heath traced the edge of the scratch, his index finger drawing alongside it. He stopped before the fabric of her shirt pulled too much. His breath drew in sharply. She lifted her eyes again and collided with his. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go find him?”

“Because I knew you’d tell me not to go.” A thread of stubbornness rose within her. While one part of her wanted to lean into the protectiveness and shelter Heath offered, another part of her wanted to push against it. She’d been independent for so long, it was hard to let herself rely on anyone. She’d also needed to confront Chris, to try to allay her lingering anger.

He held her gaze, his eyes considering. “I might have wanted to tell you not to go, but I would’ve understood why you wanted to. I just wish you’d told me so I could’ve gone with you. That’s all.” He paused and took a deep breath. “And I’m fucking pissed he hurt you.”

Warmth curled around her heart. Even if it was unfamiliar and she wasn’t quite sure how to handle it, part of her savored his protectiveness and willingness to fight for her. He eased his hand off of her shoulder and carefully adjusted her t-shirt. The room was quiet. The fall wind blowing outside gusted against the windows. The air around them came to life. Vivi’s breath became shallow and hot need rolled through her. She scrambled to hold it at bay. Now was not the time to tackle Heath. Julianna was probably still awake, reading in her room, and Vivi had promised herself no matter what happened with Heath, she would keep it contained from Julianna.

Heath’s hand stroked down her back, sending prickles up her spine and over her skin. He dipped his head to rest against her shoulder. She couldn’t resist sliding a hand up his muscled back and into his curls. He lifted his head, his eyes locking onto hers. “Let me…” he said gruffly before his lips caught hers.

What started as a soft kiss exploded within seconds. His tongue swept inside, stroking against hers, before he drew back and traced her lips. He dove in for another fierce kiss, leaving her gasping for air when he tore his lips free of hers and trailed wet kisses down the column of her neck. Hot shivers chased in the wake of his touch. She felt the heat of his palm like a brand where it rested in the dip of her waist. His lips reached the juncture of her shoulder when he stilled and slowly lifted his head. She could feel his hard shaft in the cradle of her hips, which arched into him of their own accord. A hot flush raced up her cheeks when his hand slid down to cup her bottom and pulled her tight against him. A shock of pleasure jolted her when his knee slid between her thighs, exerting a subtle pressure against the very place she wanted him most. With not much more than a kiss, he’d sent need spinning through her and left her drenched with want.

She took a shuddering breath and lifted her eyes. “Um…maybe…”

“I should go,” he said softly, finishing what she was about to say.

She bit her lip. “I don’t want you to go,” she whispered. As soon as the words left her mouth, she couldn’t believe she’d said them. It was that bad. Heath was, well, he was Heath. With things unfolding with him, it was near impossible to hold back from what she wanted.

“And I don’t want to go, but I’m not thinking it’s the best plan for me to do what I want to do with Julianna’s bedroom light still on.” He angled his head in the direction of her bedroom. A thin strip of light was bright under the door.

Vivi grinned. “She likes to read for a little bit before she falls asleep. I don’t fight her on it.”

Heath took a step back. Her entire body pulled toward him. She had to fight to hold herself back from tugging him right back against her. He watched her for a moment before turning to take a few steps to the coatrack. He snagged his coat off of it and shrugged into it. He returned to her and dipped his head for a quick kiss. “I’m only leaving now because if I stay for much longer, I won’t be able to stop myself. Don’t suppose you’ll let me know next time you have a shift at Quinn’s?”

“Tomorrow night,” she said quickly, desperate to see him again as soon as possible.

His mouth hitched at one corner. “I’ll give you a ride home.” His gravelly words sent a shiver through her.

Julianna would be with her mother tomorrow night, so Vivi wouldn’t have to shackle the need coursing through her. She nodded. “Okay. See you then.”

At that, he turned and quietly opened the door. When it clicked shut behind him, Vivi waited as she heard him walk down the porch stairs. At the sound of his truck starting, she locked the door, hugged her arms around her waist and walked through the living room toward her bedroom. She paused by Julianna’s door. “Lights out soon,” she called out softly.

When she didn’t hear a response, she carefully turned the doorknob and peeked around the door. Julianna was sound asleep with her book on her chest. Vivi stepped quietly into her room and placed the book on her nightstand before clicking the lamp off and tiptoeing out of the room. Vivi climbed into her own bed, the sheets cool against her skin. She had trouble falling asleep, her mind spinning over thoughts of Heath and her body still humming from their kiss.

Chapter 11

Heath leaned against the railing on the porch at Daniel’s farmhouse and glanced around while he waited for Daniel. They were meeting to head out and scout for Chris. Every time he thought about the fact that Vivi went out to find him on her own, he swung between fear and anger. She was okay, but it infuriated him Chris had injured her. The sky was overcast this morning and the air held a bite to it. They were well into autumn with winter nipping at its heels. Daniel came out of the front door and took a few strides to sit on the front steps beside where Heath was waiting.

Daniel stared out into the trees before turning in Heath’s direction. “So did you get more details from Vivi about where she saw Chris?”

Heath nodded. “Yeah. Called her this morning. She told me she headed toward the caves along the ridge out that way. Those are a few miles from the old logging road. Shouldn’t take us long. I’m worried he may be on the move, but if we start there, we should be able to pick up his scent.” He paused and shook his head. “I’m still pissed she went out on her own.”

“Don’t blame you, but I see why she wanted to. How bad did he get her?”

“All in all, not bad. I only saw part of the scratch, but it’s an angry slash on her shoulder. She thinks he was fighting defensively because she started it. Based on how she described it, he could have done a lot worse but he took off. Doesn’t matter to me whether she started it or not, if we find him, he’ll wish he hadn’t touched her.” Heath’s lion simmered under his skin. He hoped he had enough control to keep from killing Chris. He pushed away from the railing. “Let’s go.”

A while later, he and Daniel were weaving their way through the trees. Power coursed through Heath in surges. His anger toward Chris was amped once he shifted with primal instinct and drive taking over. They ascended steadily into the mountains, the ground becoming rockier as they made their way up. They reached the area where Vivi had told him she’d encountered Chris. Evidence of recent activity was present, along with Chris’s scent. Heath was slightly surprised at the strength of the scent. It indicated Chris had been in the area within hours. He and Daniel had agreed they would hang close to each other, keeping within sight and sound at all times. The point of today was to bring Chris in, so they needed to be able to easily subdue him if they found him.

They scoured the area around the boulders and caves in the rocky cliff before following Chris’s scent. They initially climbed higher into the mountains where the trees began to thin out, but the trail of his scent looped down, leading back toward the old logging road. A soft rain began to fall. A short while later, a motion in the distance caught Heath’s eyes. He froze, Daniel abruptly stopping at his side. Through the trees, they could see an old shed, likely built years ago to store tools for the loggers when they were working in the area. A man stood beside it, smoking a cigarette. Heath couldn’t tell from sight that it was Chris, but he recognized his scent from the other day. He swung his head to the side, indicating he would loop around and approach the shed from the far side. Daniel would wait here to close in from this side.

Heath’s lion was rumbling to let loose, but he forced himself to maintain control. He didn’t want Chris to get away today, so he had to keep his anger in check. What he wanted to do was bolt straight for him and take him down. Instead, he moved stealthily through the trees, his fur dampening from the rain falling steadily now. Once he got to the far side of the shed, he zigzagged through the trees. He could see Daniel slowly approaching from the other side. He was surprised Chris hadn’t sensed their presence yet, although the cigarette smoke likely obscured their scent. A few more seconds and he was close enough. Chris turned his head.

Heath leapt through the trees with a low growl. Chris shifted instantly, his cigarette falling to the ground and snuffing out in the rain. The next few moments were a tangled mess of claws and snarls. Daniel closed in, but he held back. Heath knew Daniel was giving him the chance to take Chris down on his own because that’s what his lion needed. Chris was a strong cat, but an untrained fighter. Heath had years of fighting in lion form on his side, along with years of military training that honed him into top condition. It had only been recently he’d regained his full strength after the accident, but now energy and adrenaline pulsed through in waves of pure power.

Chris fought defensively, backing up into the trees and leaping into branches to dodge. Heath followed him onto a sturdy pine branch and backed Chris against the tree, snarling and growling. Chris tumbled off the branch with Heath following. He took advantage of Chris’s shaky balance and knocked him off his feet, pinning him. With Chris struggling mightily under him, Heath bit into his neck, the taste of iron seeping into his mouth. He held on, shaking his head slightly when Chris tried to resist until Chris’s body relaxed under him. Heath kept seeing Vivi flinch in his mind, that subtle reminder of the small damage Chris had inflicted on her. With anger pounding through him, he kept a firm grip on his human mind to keep from tearing Chris’s throat out.

Daniel approached and waited at Heath’s side as he slowly eased his grip on Chris’s throat. Heath’s breath misted in the cool, rainy air of the forest.

***

Vivi leaned against the counter at Mile High Grounds and reached out to curl her hand around the cup of coffee Sophia slid across.

“There you go. House coffee with a shot of espresso,” Sophia said with a grin.

Vivi took a welcome sip and sighed. “Oh God, that’s so good. I can’t get warm today. I’m like that whenever it’s rainy in the fall.”

“Me too,” Sophia replied as she twirled her hair into a knot and stuck a pen through it. Her hands fell to the counter and she angled her head to the side. “So how come you didn’t bother to tell anyone you went off to look for Chris?”

Vivi sighed, feeling defensive and annoyed. “Look, I just needed to know it was him. I wasn’t out there to take him down or bring him in. I know I should’ve said something…”

Sophia cut in. “Yes! You should have.” She nodded her head vigorously for emphasis. “We agreed last year we wouldn’t go out alone like that. Maybe you didn’t want to involve Heath, but you could’ve at least told me. You know I’d have gone with you. You’re damn lucky you didn’t get hurt worse.”

Vivi took another sip of coffee, savoring the warmth and flavor. Guilt pulsed through her. She knew she’d be pissed if the situation were reversed. She hadn’t been thinking too clearly when she’d gone out to find Chris. She’d been afraid anyone she mentioned it to would tell her not to go, so she’d kept it to herself. She looked into Sophia’s concerned gaze and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I got all worked up in my head and just had to find out if it was really him. I didn’t think he would hurt me. I know Heath’s pissed about it, but honestly Chris didn’t start the fight. I did. Sure, he fought back and pinned me, but even though he had a chance to do worse, he took off.”