Page 22 of Shifter For Hire (For Hire 2)

“Leads his people?”

“I’m Declan’s older brother.”

Her mouth fell open, and the beer bottle slipped from her fingers to topple over. A trail of beer spilled across the table, the scent rising to tickle his nose. He hated the scent but didn’t mind the taste. However, he didn’t drink because it made him crazy, what he called deaf, dumb, and blind.

Grabbing the extra napkins the waitress had dropped off, he brushed her hands aside and cleaned up the mess. She watched him in silence. He could almost guess the direction of her thoughts and waited to see what she would say.

“Y-you’re a shifter, aren’t you?” She shivered and hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “And so is Declan. That’s why my sister got in touch with Skip, because he wrote about them—you guys.”

Still he didn’t confirm or deny. He wanted to know how far she would go and if she would run from the restaurant in fear. If she did, he might be able to deny that she was his mate and go on with his life.

She pursed her lips and raised her chin. “Tell me flat out, Gerard. Are you a shape shifter?”

“I—”

“I believe it. Because I’m not crazy. I saw you heal. I saw that hole in your back, and I bet if you took off your shirt right now, the skin on your back would be as fresh and smooth as a baby’s.”

“It could have been because you hit your head.”

“I didn’t hit my head. You protected me.”

The waitress brought over the pizza, and he realized he didn’t order enough. The dragon in him had an almost insatiable appetite. He could devour an entire large pizza without a problem.

He tore off a few slices for Lachelle and put them on a plate then slid it over to her.”

“I thought that was for you. I can’t eat four slices of a large pizza, especially with all this meat on it. You have this plate.”

“I will eat the rest.”

She gaped at him.

He flushed. “Did you want more? I will give you as much as you want.”

She laughed. “You’re greedy but not selfish. I like that.”

“I am not greedy! My metabolism is very fast, and when I fly I use up a lot of energy.”

“Fly!”

He didn’t flinch at her loud exclamation, but when heads swiveled in their direction, she scooted around from her seat to slide in on his side. Without meaning to, he guessed, she brushed his thigh with her own. For an instant, he forgot about the food and stared down at her.

She sat so close. While he had breathed in her scent from the other side of the table, this near, she intoxicated him. He might as well have drank the beer the way his senses spun out of control.

“So you fly, huh?” Her eyes drowned him. He wanted to keep staring into them, but it was dangerous. He might get ideas—with his hands.

Moving over, he coughed and helped himself to a slice of pizza. Concentrating on chewing helped him to keep his hands to himself if not the ideas from flowing through his brain.

“Do you fly without wings?”

She didn’t smell like fear at all now. It was as if she had instantly come to terms with what he was and her naturally assertive personality took over. She slid closer to his side. There wasn’t anywhere else he could go. Embarrassment and shame washed over him that he tried to run in the first place.

I won’t take her, so it doesn’t matter.

Won’t take her? He must be insane. Even as he thought the words, his throat tightened, making it impossible to swallow. He choked and set the pizza down to drink deeply from his soda. The glass emptied far too fast. He started on the other glass, and Lachelle laughed. Her voice was music to his ears, making his nerves tingle and sing. He hated it.

“Go back to your own side,” he snapped.

“Nope.” She picked a slice of pepperoni from a pizza slice and popped it into her mouth. “I want to see your wings. Oh, but wait. Let’s talk about these hunters first. You say they’re real?”

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