By the time Davis unlocked the front door, he was ready for a run around the block and a stiff drink. Although he occasionally worked with local companies, he mostly dealt with companies across the country, and some of them deserved to lose their businesses.
They were complete morons.
So when he saw the shelves that were installed on the wall, he stilled. And when his eyes landed on the hole, he felt dark rage unfurl within him. She hadn’t listened, and now she’d damaged his building.
He hissed. She’d been here for less than a week and already she was driving him up the wall. She had completely disregarded his words, and the consequences were clear. He was going to wring her neck. He was going lay into her until she cried. He was going to…
“I’m sorry.”
The whispered apology floored him. As he whirled around and took a look at her red-rimmed eyes, all the rage and anger left him. Had she really cried over a hole in the wall? That wasn’t right.
“It can be fixed,” he said gently. “Don’t worry. The rest of the shelves look great.”
God. She was shaking. “The ladder toppled over, and I swung the hammer as I fell. I’m so sorry. I’ll pay to have it fixed, or I’ll fix it myself. You’ll just have to tell me how.”
She fell off the ladder? His eyes widened. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let me see?” Without thinking, he had her in his arms.
She immediately stiffened, and he released her. “I’m fine. Just a few bruises,” she said awkwardly.
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to figure out what was going on. Why had he reacted like that? And more importantly, why had she? “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Liability and all that,” he lied.
She nodded her head. “Right. No. I’m fine. But your wall is not.”
“The wall.” He turned again to stare at the hole. “It’s not too big. I think with some dry wall and paint, it should be fine. I’ll run to the store and grab some.”
“No, you’ve been at work all day. I’ll do it. It’s the least I can do.”
He nodded his head, and his stomach growled. “Do you think you can pick up some dinner on the way back? I’m starving. We can eat while we work on the wall.”
“Sure,” she said slowly. “What would you like?”
“Meatloaf from Sara Beth’s Diner,” he said automatically. He’d been craving it all week.”
“I’ll just run upstairs and throw some make-up on,” she said quietly. “I’ll be back in an hour.”
He nodded and leaned over to watch her hips swing as she maneuvered up the stairs. God, what had just happened? He would never have touched a female that didn’t explicitly ask him to, so why had he been so eager to wrap her into his arms?
Clearly, he needed to find himself another woman to easy this new ache within him. It would be a long year if he didn’t find some way to distract his body.
Sage tapped her finger on the counter while she waited for her order. She’d packed the supplies she needed in her backpack, and although an hour had passed, she still couldn’t keep her mind off of what had happened.
She’d been a miserable wreck after putting a hole in the wall. Connor would have flipped out, and she could see from the frozen stance and the growls coming from Davis that he’d been livid when he’d realized what she’d done.
But instead, he’d hugged her? That didn’t make any sense. She figured he’d scream at her, maybe even kick her out, but instead she’d seen true worry and anxiety in his eyes. And he’d hugged her. What the hell was that all about?
“You must be the woman renting from Davis. This is his favorite,” the woman at the counter said as she pushed a bag her way.
“Sage West,” she said as she offered her hand.
“Sara Beth,” the woman said as she shook it.
“Oh, you’re the owner? Everyone has said great things about this place! I’m not a great cook, so I’m probably going to be here often,” Sage said with a smile. She hadn’t expected the owner to be so young. Sara Beth couldn’t have more than few years older than herself.
Sara Beth laughed. “I’m one of the few places that offers cheap southern style food. So you’re going to open up a gift shop?”
“That’s the idea. I put a hole in Davis’s wall, so I’m bring him dinner while he patches it up.”
Her eyes went round. “He must have been so angry at that. He’s known for his temper.”
“No, actually, he seemed more concerned about me. I’ve seen a bit of his temper though. Should I be worried?” Sage asked as she paid for their meal.
“Nah. He just gets temperamental with the shifters here. He’s the only alpha the town has, and we have a spattering of outlying shifters here. They’re sort of their own pack, and they look to him as their leader. He hates it,” she said with a smile. “But he helps to keep them in line.”
“So he doesn’t have his own pack? How long has he been here?”
The woman pursed her lips. “I guess near five years now. We’re pleased to have him.” She leaned in close. “He is gorgeous, isn’t he?”
Sage laughed nervously. “He is easy on the eyes. Thank you for dinner. I expect you’ll be seeing me quite often.”
“Enjoy! Tell him I said hi,” she said with a wink, and it became clear to Sage that Sara Beth had a thing for Davis. She felt a surge of jealousy streak through her, and she frowned.
Where had that come from? She didn’t have any say on who Davis was with. She’d just met the man.
And as she watched Sara Beth visit a table of women, they all turned to stare at her. Clearly, quite a few of the women had a thing from Davis. And that didn’t sit well with her at all.
Davis finished the first round of paint before stepping back to eye it critically. It was matching the rest of the wall nicely. He turned to see Sage brushing paint across the shelves. She’d chosen a light grey that stood out rather beautifully from the white.
“Nice job,” he said gruffly. “Ready to take a break, and eat?”
He watched the brush shake in her hand, and he smiled. He made her uneasy, and he expected it wasn’t because she was afraid of him.
“Just a minute,” she said clearing her throat. “I want to finish this shelf.”
He walked behind her and pressed his body to hers. She gasped when he took her hand and began moving it from side to side. “Even strokes,” he said in a low voice. “You don’t want one side to be darker than the other.”
When he wrapped his hand around her waist, she immediately moved. “Okay, I think I’m ready now,” she said in a shaky voice.
He felt bereft when she moved away, but his stomach growled, and he watched as she put the plates of food in the microwave. “Sara Beth seems nice. She seems very interested in you,” Sage said quietly.
Davis rolled his eyes. Sara Beth and a few of the other local woman had made a few passes at him, but he avoided them. He had his fun when he went on out of town trips to avoid the drama that sometimes came with bedding a woman. Clearly Sage had picked up on Sara Beth’s crush and was fishing for answers.
“I go there quite often for food,” he said, smiling wickedly. If she didn’t want to come out and ask if he was seeing someone, he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of answering.
“Is she married? I’m sure if the food is as good as everyone says it is, some man must have snatched her up,” she said as she laughed awkwardly.
He leaned against the wall, amused. “No. She’s not married.”
She took one plate out and popped the other one in. “Is she dating anyone?”
“Sage, if you want to date Sara Beth, all you have to do is ask her. I don’t think she swings that way, but it wouldn’t surprise me,” he said with a wicked smile.
“Oh! No, that’s not what I meant at all. I like men,” she said, flustered.
“Then why were you asking?”
“I’m just trying to get to know the locals,” she said as she handed him his plate.
He grabbed her hand. “If you want to know if I’m dating someone, all you have to do ask,” he said in a low voice. “And for the record, I’m not.”
She jerked her hand away. “That’s not what this was about.” He could tell she was lying. She was blushing and avoiding his gaze. “Why don’t we eat at the counter?”
He followed her and put his food down. His lion wanted to be fed, and he was craving more than meatloaf. He wanted her on that counter while he ravished her. While she had her back turned to him, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed up against her again. She fit him perfectly, and he could only imagine what other ways she would fit him.
Instead of stiffening, she softened against him. “You feel it too,” he whispered. “The tension in the air. Is your body responding like mine is? Are your nipples taut? Is your pussy wet?”
“Inappropriate,” she muttered, but her breath was heavy, and as he placed his lips on the side of her neck, her head rolled to give him more access.
Her skin was warm beneath his kiss, and he darted his tongue out to taste her. She moaned, and, feeling encouraged, he pulled a hand up to brush her breasts over the fabric of her top and bra. Her hips began to sway, and he wanted more. Slipping his hand under her shirt, he made his way up until he could feel her over the thin fabric of her bra.
“Sage,” he whispered. “I want you.”
She gasped and pushed him away. When she spun again, he saw the panic her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t do this.”
“Sage,” he called out, but she grabbed her food and raced up the stairs. He heard her shut the door and lock it before he even realized what was going on.
“Damn,” he muttered. He’d made his move too soon, and now she would probably be moving out before the night was over with. Frustrated, he left his food on the counter and went outside to take a walk.