Page 12 of Lion's Crossing

I jolted awake, sure I heard someone in the room with me. As I glanced around, I couldn’t see anyone, but a new panic filled me. I had no idea where I was. The space around me wasn’t my bedroom and definitely not a hotel room. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to recall what had happened the day before. I’d left for Saramto, gotten on the train, and it had broken down. Yes, and Linc had sat beside me. After the hotel had canceled my reservation because I was late, Linc had invited me to stay at his place. Yes, that’s where I was. His guest room. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. Nothing bad happened.

Yet, none of that explained how I’d gotten to the bed. The last thing I remembered, I was on the couch, watching a movie with Linc. Absolutely nothing after that. Had I sleep-walked in there? Or had someone carried me? I wasn’t under the covers, but a quilt—the one I believed had been at the foot of the bed—had been draped over me.

My skin tingled at the thought of Linc carrying me in his arms, of being that close to him again. Though part of me wished he’d stayed in the room with me, or even taken me to his bed instead.

I shook away those thoughts. It was time to get up and gather my things before I had to leave. My stay in Linc’s guest room was only for one night. I couldn’t dwell on what could have been but had to leave and find another place to stay before going sightseeing. My itinerary waited, though it would be changed slightly to account for finding new accommodations. I had no time to waste.

After visiting the bathroom to relieve myself and wash up, I changed into a light-blue button-down shirt and a pair of khakis before making sure all my belongings were back in my suitcase.

I opened the door and wheeled my case out into the living room. Still a bit groggy, I sniffed the air to see if Linc was up or had made coffee. I needed a caffeine jolt before I got my day started. I didn’t see the pop star-turned-producer anywhere, but my deer suddenly alerted me to danger. Over by the sliding doors that led out to a balcony, a burnt-orange-haired lion with a full brown mane paced back and forth. I gasped, and that’s when it turned toward me.

I had to run. Either back into the guest room or out into the hall. Yet, my feet refused to move, frozen on the spot with no chance to get them to propel me in any direction. The lion sniffed the air before it licked its lips. Then it charged at me. I closed my eyes and braced for its attack.

Instead of feeling teeth clamp down on me, or the force of the body of a lion as it knocked me over, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Good morning.”

I flicked open my eyes and jumped back, finding Linc directly in front of me. He was naked except for a thin and very short towel he held around his waist.

“Sorry.” He stepped back, giving me a better view of his wide, hard chest and thick thighs.

I suddenly wanted to lick him and see if he tasted as good as his scent.

“I haven’t shifted in a while, and my lion was getting restless.” He stared at his feet as he dug his toes into the carpeted floor. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Gulping away the last of my fear, I grabbed the handle of my suitcase. “It’s okay. You normally don’t have anyone else here that you need to worry about. And I’m leaving now anyway, so you can shift back.”

With his free hand, he reached for my suitcase and ended up grazing his fingers over mine. “Not yet. I mean, I thought we could go for breakfast. My treat. I just need a few minutes to change.”

“But… I don’t want to take any more of your time. You’ve already been a gracious host and bought me dinner.” The more time I spent with Linc, the more I yearned for something that could never be. I needed distance from him to get my mind right again, to focus on my time off instead of him. “I have a tour scheduled at ten that I can’t be late for.” I didn’t, but he didn’t need to know that.

“Oh.” He frowned with a soft sigh. “Well, let me get dressed and I’ll drive you downtown. Maybe I can at least buy you a coffee before your tour.”

“Sure.” I had no idea how I was going to get back to Main Street from his place anyway, so I was grateful for the offer. But seeing him disappointed I’d refused breakfast, played into my longing for him I kept trying to push away.

He came out of his room a few minutes later in a pair of black slacks and a black, cotton T-shirt. Unlike when I traveled with him the day before, he wore a thick gold chain around his neck, multiple gold rings, and two gold studs and a gold hoop in each earlobe. He’d slicked his hair back with some kind of gel or paste and sprayed on a cologne that masked his delicious scent. It all made him look like the celebrity he was and reminded me of the huge gap in our social statuses.

I wheeled my case toward the door, ready to leave him and all my never-going-to-happen fantasies behind.

“Wait.” Linc grabbed my suitcase. “Do you have a place to stay yet?”

I shook my head. “I’m going to find a hotel to stay at first thing. As soon as my tour is over, they should be able to find mean available room. I’m going to start with The Vista and go from there.”

“Will you leave your suitcase in my car?” He tapped his fingers on the sides of his legs. “That way, you don’t have to drag it with you on the tour or pay to store it somewhere. When you do find a place, you can text or call me then come get it. I’ll give you my number.”

My chest tightened with a feeling I didn’t recognize. Why was he being so nice? “I’m sure you’ll be plenty busy today.”

He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, though it was to me. “You can leave it here if you like, and I’ll tell the doorman to let you in and give you the code to my place.”

Whoa, he was willing to give me the code to his apartment? Was that supposed to be a joke? We barely knew each other.

“I…I think leaving it in your car is a better option. Thank you.”

He smiled and shook the key fob for his car. “Okay, let’s get going.”

I glanced into the apartment one more time, taking in all the features I would never see again or ever have in a place of my own, before stepping out the door. I slept well and was glad to not have to scramble to find a place to stay at the last minute, but I needed to get back to the vacation I’d planned, not the one that went off the rails started by a broken-down train.

Chapter Fourteen

Linc

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