Antonio stuck to her like glue after that, and when his eyes weren’t on her, they were looking around at his fellow leap mates with unabashed suspicion.
Logically, it had to be a shifter who poisoned her. How else would they have known which shampoo to poison? They could scent the vanilla and jasmine on her. It was just dumb luck that Mary used it before she did.
It came close to being her, though. When Hester came back from her day at the beach, she had showered but hadn’t washed her hair. She almost had but decided against it. She was very much resolved to stay and catch the cowardly, low-life son of a bitch, dick-headed jackass who was after her, but even she couldn’t deny a slight tremor over how close she kept coming to danger. Only a slight one, mind - her cheetah wouldn’t allow anything larger.
Mary was itchy, but with a homemade remedy from the leap healer along with some soothing cream from Sadie, she was okay. She just couldn’t stop scratching her head. Tomas had to hold her hands to stop her. In fact, he insisted on holding her hands.
Given what was happening, Hester was a little surprised at how much she enjoyed the next few days. She should have been worried, should have been concerned about the inept poisoner who was clearly after her – and managed to move around the compound easily without leaving a trace – but she actually enjoyed herself. Naturally, she complained a lot about Antonio never leaving her – she had to keep up appearances – but she liked the attention.
Once his fury died down, he was his usual charming self. Maybe a little more watchful, but still funny and sexily tempting as hell. As much as she enjoyed it, the nights were especially difficult knowing that he was sleeping on the other side of a door. Plus, it was a complete drag to have to haul about three pieces of furniture to and fro in front of the door to make sure she didn’t sleep walk and open up said door to demand he ravish her senseless during the night.
Maybe she liked the attention from Antonio because it was so unusual to anything she’d previously had. Okay, her mother’s attention had at times been scary – but she meant with a male. She’d dated men whose various careers were the most important things in their lives – even if said careers were going nowhere. But all she’d ever done was focus on her own career, so she’d thought it was natural to be with males who did the same. Except hers was a career that she didn’t actually like that much.
It was nice to be with a male who wasn’t texting or checking his e-mail throughout every meal they shared. A male who was actually listening to everything she said, instead of just concentrating on what he wanted to say next. With Antonio, she felt like she had his undivided attention, and like she was the most important person in the world. It was one of the things she love… liked about him – really, really liked.
Antonio was probably supposed to be working, but instead he was helping her in the office. After she finished sorting out the paperwork, she had thought about giving the place a scrub. Daniel, on a brief visit, said he would find a leap female to do it, but Antonio snorted and said he could do it himself. Together, they got it done in no time. Daniel hadn’t been around for a few days, and Hester was glad. He was kind of creepy – she kept catching him staring at her. But Antonio seemed to make him uneasy and Roberto had given him plenty of work elsewhere, so he was staying away. Either that or he was afraid they would make him clean something if he returned.
Roberto wasn’t surprised to see Antonio in the office, or that Daniel was absent. Hester filled him in on everything she had done and explained her new filing system. See, this one was based on actual dates and the alphabet – unlike Marta’s half-assed system, which was based on how much or little she disliked the thing to which the paperwork pertained.
Hester tapped her fingers on the desk, still slightly annoyed that the job wasn’t entirely complete – because the paperwork wasn’t complete.
“I couldn’t find some of the land or house deeds that should be here. I have other paperwork about them – like previous rental agreements for the houses, but not the actual deeds. I’ve been meaning to ask Daniel, but I haven’t seen him for the last few days. Here’s the list of what I think is missing.”
Roberto grunted and took the list, giving it a cursory glance. “I will speak to him.” He nodded at her and started turning away, before abruptly stopping and clearing his throat. “Your assistance has been helpful.”
Antonio raised an eyebrow and gave her a comical look. That was about as close as she would get to a thank you from the taciturn prime, and by golly, she would take it!
“You’re welcome,” she said expansively.
He looked at her for a few beats, probably trying to work out if she was being sarcastic, before nodding again and leaving.
“Boy, I hate it when guys get all mushy.”
“Hessie, you got words instead of a double grunt,” chuckled Antonio, “he’s virtually welcoming you to the leap.”
“Mmmm hmmm.”
Hester eyed him speculatively, but she couldn’t find anything in his relaxed demeanor. It was a reminder that she hadn’t agreed to stay in the leap, and she wondered if he was trying to gage her answer. Her cheetah mewled. Honestly, she had no idea what her answer would be.
Luckily, Antonio’s mother showed up before that question really arose, and the woman grabbed their joint attention. Unlike her usual jeans and t-shirt, she was in a dress and actually wearing makeup. After saying hello, she waited with baited breath for comments. In particular, she eyed Antonio worriedly.
Antonio was peering at his mother with a frown firmly slapped on his face. Apparently, he wasn’t used to the makeup either and was trying to figure out what was different.
Hester winked at her and Maria let out a breath.
“I’m going into town,” said Maria, “and I wondered if you wanted to get some lunch again.”
“Well, I just ate a whole bag of chips…” rumbled Antonio.
“He did as well,” put in Hester, rolling her eyes at how the male could stay so fit and gorgeous considering the junk food he ate. Not to mention his mother’s butter laden cooking.
“But I could eat.”
“I was talking to Hester,” said Maria patiently.
Antonio gave his mother a steely look. “Hester isn’t going anywhere without me.”
Maria was about to object when Hester interrupted.
“Sounds great, go bring the car around,” she ordered Antonio.
“It’s right outside.”
“Then, just go sit in it.”
His brow crinkled but Hester just gave him a sugary-sweet smile, and he went, looking vaguely confused.
Hester took Maria’s arm. “It’ll be fine; I’ll distract him while you talk to Roman.”
Maria blushed immediately – just the bear’s name seemed to have that effect on her. “What makes you think I want to talk to Roman?”
Hester didn’t bother answering, just raised her eyebrow and grabbed her purse. “C’mon, I haven’t eaten since I had three apple fritters for breakfast. I’m wasting away!”
*
“Where has my mother gone?” rumbled Antonio.
He sat down heavily and looked around the restaurant suspiciously, glaring at any unattached male as if they had been the one to abduct her. A few of them shrank under his look. Hester had to admit she didn’t hate it. Her cheetah kind of liked grumpy, growly Antonio.
“How should I know?” she asked spreading out her hands and widening her eyes into a mask of innocence that didn’t fool him for a second.
His gaze swung round to her and narrowed. “I think you do know.”
Hester had to purse her lips to stop herself from smiling. She was considering the best form of distraction when one literally walked into the restaurant. The tall, male lion shifter immediately caught the attention of many customers, and not just because he was wearing flip-flops and still had sand in his hair. Nope, his golden skin stood out a mile away, plus he was at least half a head taller than all the humans in there.
“Oh hey, isn’t that Brodie!” she gushed, sticking her hand up and waving exuberantly.
“What?!” snapped Antonio looking around wildly.
“Yoo-hoo!” she called as irritation snaked its way over Antonio’s face.
Brodie caught sight of them and started making his way in their direction, only hampered slightly as he stopped to say hello to a few townspeople he clearly knew. Plus, there was an onslaught as the single, female ladies all tried to throw themselves at him.
“Maybe he should join us for lunch,” she suggested with that air of fake innocence that made Antonio’s eye twitch.
Her cheetah chided her for teasing him, but it was just so easy!
“No!” growled Antonio loudly, making the couple at the next table jump a foot in the air. “I’ll go see what he wants.”
He stood up a little violently, making the cutlery rattle.
“Really?” cooed Hester, enjoying herself immensely. “Don’t you want him to come and sit next to me, I could squeeze up, and we could sit together, shoulder to shoulder…”
Antonio’s eyes flashed to gold, and a grim smile found its way onto his face. “I see what you’re doing; you’re trying to distract me about my mother.”
“Ummm hmmm.” Hester picked the cherry out of her drink and popped it in her mouth. Antonio’s whole body rippled lightly and his arousal shot up five notches.
“I see Brodie’s wearing a shirt today,” she taunted. “Shame.”
Antonio growled in exasperation and left with the warning for her to stay put, and a few grumbles about half-naked lion shifters. His stomps made severe ripples in her water – the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Jurassic Park.
Hester picked up the water and sipped at it. He was just so deliciously easy. She wondered if this spark of jealousy would mellow over time, like after they’d been together for ten years and already had four brats. She hoped not; she liked it. Hester coughed, almost choking on her water at the direction of her thoughts. Her cheetah gave her a prim mewl, and Hester quickly looked out the window of the restaurant, searching for a distraction – which she thankfully found.
She peered into the parking lot where Maria was currently talking to Roman. Hester had spied Roman arriving in his truck and had urged the older woman to run out and talk to him before he caught Antonio’s attention.
They were at the steak house again. Antonio had proved difficult to shake while they were looking in a few of the town shops, so they had given up and decided to get something to eat. Luck was on their side, though. When Roman pulled up, Antonio had been away from the table, talking to the owner of the restaurant, which is the only way Maria had managed to make her escape.
Hester watched approvingly as Maria threw back her head and belted out a laugh; Roman flushed with pleasure. Hester doubted what he said was that funny – she doubted anything had ever been that funny – but judging by his face, Maria had reacted the way he was hoping. Maria may not exactly have a lot of experience when it came to flirting – her only real experience being with a jaguar shifter who kidnapped her – but instinctively, she knew what she was doing.
Roman’s enormous grin could probably be seen from space, and Maria moved ever so slightly closer to the huge male. Hester watched as his body tensed slightly before shivering with pleasure. Male shifters were all alike.
It certainly looked like it was going well between Maria and Roman. Hester just lamented the fact that she couldn’t hear what was happening. Roman leaned down slightly, and Maria looked a little nervous. She must be asking him for a date, but Hester couldn’t be sure. Oh, if only she could read lips.
She glanced away in annoyance, knowing that by the time she returned, Antonio would be back and she wouldn’t have the chance to grill Maria for details.
Her eyes arrested on a familiar figure. Was that… yes, it was Daniel. He was lumbering out of a truck across the road from where Maria and Roman were having their little tête-à-tête. He seemed to freeze as he caught sight of Maria, but her attention was completely taken by Roman – she didn’t notice the jaguar shifter. Daniel hustled away in the opposite direction and the truck drove off.
The windows were tinted so Hester couldn’t see who was inside – not that she exactly expected to recognize them. But there had been a logo on the side of the truck, a large V. She doubted it had anything to do with the leap. Their main business was the timber mill, and they just named that The Jaguar Mill – she imagined if she tried to explain brands and logos to Roberto he’d just give her a hard stare and walk away.
Daniel sure was acting oddly. If this was something to do with the leap, why did he seem so alarmed to see Maria?
Her cheetah flicked her tail as Hester turned it over in her mind.
Didn’t Antonio say that a company called Vertigo was trying to buy the leap land? She recalled she had seen Daniel in a truck earlier in the week – different truck but she was sure it was the same symbol. But why would Daniel be hanging around Vertigo when Roberto had made it clear the leap was to have nothing to do with them? But then, maybe Roberto had sent Daniel to tell them to clear off, to get out of town. She didn’t know what was going on, or if that even was a Vertigo truck.
Pretty big coincidence if it wasn’t. Tell Antonio urged her cheetah, but Hester hesitated. No, she didn’t like Daniel – she thought him weak and weird and sexist, but he was still second in the leap. If she started throwing around her suspicions and accusations and she was wrong, it would look bad for Antonio. While she may not be staying with the leap – her cheetah huffed – Antonio had to live there.
Maybe she should check out a couple of her facts first. Her eyes alighted on Maria’s phone, peeking out of her purse.
Surely, she could just borrow it for a few minutes – to do a few internet searches. Antonio said the females weren’t supposed to have phones or wi-fi while they were ‘kidnapped’ – that it was ‘tradition.’ Hester rolled her eyes and muttered a few curses about stupid traditions. She guessed the reason for the tradition was to stop them from calling for help during the first flush of their kidnappings. But, it wasn’t like that was her intention. She was intent to stick around and find the total douche trying to kill her. After that… she wasn’t so sure.
Her cheetah let out a small yowl and impulsively, Hester snatched the phone. Before she could get anywhere, the waiter arrived, and she looked up to see Antonio making his way back to the table.
Quickly, she stashed the phone in her jacket pocket, thinking she would slip away to the bathroom later and use it then.
She told the waiter to give them a few more minutes as Antonio sat back down, a grumpy expression on his face. She was about to ask him what the lion shifter wanted when Maria returned, a happy smile adorning her flushed face.
Antonio scowled and opened his mouth. Hester knew he was going to harangue her, so she decided to step in.
“Isn’t Brodie joining us for lunch?” she said, giving him a playful smile.
Antonio looked like he was going to explode, and he was immediately distracted.