Three
Nina stepped into the cabin at Gemma’s side. “It’s not much,” Gemma said, “but it’ll hold you for as long as you like.”
A drafting table stood adjacent to the front window, and Nina could already see a modem blinking from a shelf next to it.
“This place has an internet connection?” Nina asked.
“It’s not wireless,” Gemma said, “but it works.”
“I can even get work done here,” Nina mused. “This place, wow. I just can’t get over how perfect it is.”
She looked around the rest of the cabin. It had a front room with a kitchen and tiny dining set to one side, the drafting table at the window near the door, and then a couch and a coffee table at the other. Distressed hardwood flooring, some shag throw rugs. A door led to a bedroom at the back, and Nina walked through. The bed was bare—no sheets or blankets.
Gemma followed her into the bedroom and noticed Nina’s gaze. “I’ve got some extras at my place that I can bring over for you to borrow. Same thing with towels.”
“Thank you,” Nina said. She peeked into the bathroom. The fiberglass shower was stained, but it looked clean at least. Same with the toilet and sink. “This place is exactly what I needed.”
“Great,” Gemma said. “And don’t worry about what Rex said about Jameson. The alpha’s cranky, but he’ll totally love you.”
Nina barely heard her, she was so entranced with the rooms. Maybe she could convince the alpha to let her stay more than just a few days—maybe a week or two. She could get caught up on her reading and on her blog, and post more reviews and get extra steam going with advertisements. She had so many big dreams—more features she wanted to include, more voices, more books. More HEAs. That was what it was all about. Happily-ever-afters for one and all.
Except for Nina.
“So…bags?” Gemma prompted. “I can help you carry things in.”
“Oh, yeah,” Nina said, smiling. “I think I can get it on my own, though.”
“Sure thing,” Gemma said.
But it seemed Gemma didn’t have anything better to do, because she followed Nina right back out to the Chevy and leaned against it while Nina gathered her bags.
“Ooh, Nina’s Romance Spectacular!” Gemma exclaimed, pointing to Nina’s canvas tote. “I love that blog. It’s like…I needed it. I came across it five years ago, right when it was starting up. It was before I found Rex, and I was so freaking lonely and sad it wasn’t even funny. Like, literally. I was depressed. Spending too much time doing a job I didn’t love, searching for Rex, trying to figure out my way in the world. Books were my only escape.”
She stopped to take a breath. Nina opened her mouth to say something, but Gemma was already going again. Nina smiled to herself. She liked Gemma, and she liked her many, many words.
“So anyway, I started reading Romance Spectacular, and it changed my life. I read more romance novels. I started demanding more from myself and the HEAs I saw in books. It was possible, I decided, to find my own HEA. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I was determined as hell.” She laughed, and Nina did, too.
“How long have you been reading the blog?” Gemma asked.
Nina cleared her throat. “Well…I told you my name was Nina, right?”
“Ho-ly shit. No way,” Gemma said. “No way. You’re Nina? The Nina?”
“That’s me.” Nina gave her a weak smile.
“So…that guy you were writing about? That’s you? That’s him, somewhere out there, and that’s why you’re on the run?”
Nina frowned. “Well, not on the run, exactly. I mean. I’m just taking a break.”
“And you’re a shifter!” Gemma said. “This is, like. Whoa. I can’t hardly believe this. Of course you wouldn’t come out over your blog, because, well, it’s a huge secret and everything. But I never knew! Never even suspected. I’m such a fan, though. Wow. I feel like I’m meeting a kindred spirit slash celebrity.”
Nina smiled the biggest smile she’d worn in weeks. “I’m so glad I met you. You are seriously making my day. My month, even.”
“Okay, let’s get you settled,” Gemma said. “Afterward, we’ll have a cookout to celebrate that you’re here. I’ll send some of the guys on a beer run.”
“Sounds great,” Nina said. She still wore that silly grin. She had a fan! She had met a real life fan. It was too cool.
“All right, let’s—” Gemma’s words died on her lips when a big-ass Ford pick-up pulled into the camp, stopping next to one of the cabins. Many of the cabins had little pots of flowers next to them, tiny homey touches. This one was bare on the outside. The door wasn’t even painted the same cerulean blue as the others.
Nina felt her eyes go wide as the biggest, most muscular dude hopped out of the pick-up. Brown hair, maybe a little too long, like he hadn’t cared about his appearance. Bright blue eyes, practically glowing with intensity.
“Rex!” he yelled.
Egads, even his voice was alpha-y. Low. Sexy. Nina reached to the side of her own truck for support. Come on Phil, don’t let me down now. Her knees were totally letting her down, though.
She wanted to crumple to the ground and bare her belly like a wolf to declare she was his. She wanted to lick him. His muscles were clearly defined, even through the long-sleeved shirt he wore. They probably didn’t make shirts for guys his size. Hell, they didn’t make guys his size. Anywhere.
He walked over to Gemma, his gaze flicking over Nina dismissively, before he asked, “Where’s your mate?”
Gemma batted her eyelashes at him. “Why, I don’t know.”
The alpha growled. “Who the hell is this?” He pointed to Nina, and Nina felt all the lust she’d been feeling explode into irritation.
Nina straightened her shoulders. Pointing to herself, she said, “This is Nina Vidal, and this is asking to stay in the empty cabin over there for a few days. This can also pay rent.”
The man blew out a breath of exasperation. “I don’t think so.”
Gemma stomped her foot. “Now listen—”
“I don’t think so,” he said again, his voice quiet with authority.
Gemma closed her mouth.
Rex came out of his cabin and held his hand up in a friendly wave. “Jameson. So glad you could rejoin us. Nina here is going to be staying with us for a few days. Gemma’s already getting her set up in Cabin 5, and it’s gonna be great, don’t you think?”
“No, I don’t think,” Jameson said. “I have my reasons.”
“Now, Jamesers, don’t be rude,” Rex said. “I already told her—”
“I don’t care what you told her.”
Nina stood up to her full height, despite the way her hormones made her want to lie down on the ground and expose her neck to this man. His alpha powers were strong, but she was going to be the feisty, spunky heroine stereotype and get her own way this time.
“Listen,” she said, “I know you don’t want me around because, well, reasons. Reasons which you aren’t sharing, but reasons nonetheless. But I could really use a place to stay. I was hoping a week or two, but if I can just stay three days, I’ll get out of your fur.”
His mouth was a thin line of stubbornness. “Out of the question.”
The alpha’s gaze was burning bright. His nostrils flared as he looked at her, and Nina wondered what it was that had him all riled up. She’d just arrived—she hadn’t been able to piss anyone off yet. Hell, she was going to chip in for the beer run Gemma had planned.
“Gemma, take Nina to the general store,” Rex said, as if reading Nina’s mind. “We need more booze for tonight.”
“Tonight?” Jameson said.
“Nina’s welcome party,” Rex said.
“I already told you, it’s out of the question. She’s just gonna stir up trouble. Am I not the fucking alpha, or what?”
“Oh, you’re the fucking alpha,” Rex said. “But Nina’s going to claim sanctuary.”
Nina opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, but then Gemma nudged her. “Uh, that’s right,” Nina said. “Of course. I’m going to claim sanctuary. I’m doing that now. I’m claiming the hell out of sanctuary.”
At the gobsmacked expression on Jameson’s face, Nina felt one thing only: smug.
No, there was definitely some lust swirled in with that smugness, but she nixed that part quick.
“Right then,” Rex said. “Now that that’s done, let’s get some beer and hot dogs for tonight.”