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Stretched out with an arm behind his head and the rest of him as limp as his well-used dick, Rory ran a hand up and down Siofra’s arm. They’d been lying here for ten minutes as he tried to figure out some plan on Baatar.
One that didn’t involve destroying Siofra’s trust by Rory contacting his boss.
In the other room, his phone dinged with a message.
Siofra announced, “I’m taking a shower. You stay here or I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”
“Quitter.”
Laughing, she climbed off the tall bed and fished what she needed out of her new suitcase. As she made her way to the bathroom and closed the door, he glanced at the time.
A few minutes past six. What would she want for dinner?
He went into the living room to where his pants were piled on the floor and dug out his phone.
A missed text message from Scarlett, the investigator.
With so little time to find Baatar and wanting to help Siofra, Rory had asked Scarlett to find out what she could about Baatar based upon Siofra’s description. Scarlett had scowled, telling him his boss had asked her to search Vermont with no specific intel, just go look.
For that reason, getting any message from her was unexpected.
It would be nice if Scarlett found out Baatar was somewhere other than Portland so Rory could get Siofra out of the city. Her text just said to call, so he did.
“You found me,” Scarlett said, not acknowledging her name.
“This is Rory. Do you have something on Baatar?”
“Oh. Didn’t recognize your number. Maybe. There’s a rumor that bounty hunters in Vermont captured someone who fits the description of a big guy with a beard, acting strange, not exactly human and with a load of power.”
“Sounds like him.”
Scarlett crushed his enthusiasm at finding Baatar quickly when she added, “He escaped, which is saying something considering he had to fight shifters.”
“No kidding. He’s that strong?”
“Could be or just an insane person with power, which makes him hard to combat. Sort of like a human on drugs walking into a hail of bullets and still standing. If this guy is Baatar and he gets cornered, you need to watch out. Sounds like he snaps and his power amps up.”
Dammit. That did sound like the man Siofra hoped to have answer her bulletin board message.
Rory glanced at the still-shut bathroom door. He turned his back, keeping his voice down. “Have you had any luck with the tiger my boss is looking for?”
She didn’t answer.
“I’m trying to help,” he said encouragingly.
“Why do you want to know?”
The cooling system kicked on, making a bit of noise, then quieting down. With so little time to talk before Siofra came out, he ignored everything and pushed on.
He said, “I might have a lead for you on the tiger.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said. If Scarlett reported this to Rory’s team and boss, that would be out of his control, thus allowing him to keep his word to Siofra. The boss needed a heads-up, but he could never face her and lie about calling this in.
He walked a tightrope of trying to do right by her and perform his duty. Before he said too much, he asked, “Have you been given any other directions on hunting the tiger beyond that first meeting?”
“No,” Scarlett said, but qualified, “I do have a lead.”
“Really? Great.”
“Not so fast. I won’t tell you a thing if you’re going to call it in to your boss and screw all my hard work.”
There went any hope he had of Scarlett informing the Guardian. She’d boxed him in as much as Siofra had, but he was either in or out on something like this.
He said, “Agreed. I think Baatar could be the tiger shifter we’re hunting. If he is, we have to bring him in.”
“Baatar as in Siofra’s brother?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. I’ve got a tip on a Sumatran tiger who shifts.”
The Guardian had not mentioned that he searched specifically for a Siberian tiger shifter, probably to keep from limiting the information Scarlett would bring him.
Scarlett asked, “What makes you think Baatar could be a tiger shifter? When Siofra told me where she was going with you, she never mentioned her brother was a shifter.”
Rory couldn’t tell Scarlett too much, because Baatar could be a Gallize. He said, “I’m telling you more than I should right now. If he is the one we’re after and you help me, I’ll make sure you get full credit.”
“What about Siofra? Does she know you think this?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to say anything to her until I know more.”
“Where are you two?”
“Portland, Maine. We’re trying to make contact with Baatar. We got jumped by a Black River pack wolf yesterday.”
“Are there more?”
“Maybe, but that one can tell no tales.”
“Good,” Scarlett said, making it clear how little she cared for that pack. “I’m west of you, just over the border in New Hampshire. The Sumatran tiger shifter was reported captured in Vermont as well, but the bounty hunters were on the move and heading to Maine. It’s thought they’re gathering exotics for a shifter auction. I’m heading over to Portland and should be in your area in two hours. Text me if you get anything new. I can be mobile fast.”
“Will do if you’ll do the same for me.”
“I will. I give few people one chance. Don’t screw it up.”
Siofra’s shower was still running.
Rory tossed his phone on the bed and opened the bathroom door to join her. A cloud of steam hit him.
He took a moment to enjoy the seductive look of her naked body with steam billowing around her as she washed her hair. Moving fast, he slipped in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She tensed for a moment.
“It’s me, baby. Who else are you expecting?”
She relaxed and patted his hand. “I was just deep in thought.”
Truth.
“Let me give you something more relaxing to think about.” He nuzzled her neck and kissed her shoulder.
“Maybe later. I’m a little sore and tired.”
Lie. He stilled, wondering what was going on with her, but he had more to learn about this woman and would give her the time she needed. “That’s absolutely fine. Let’s get done and order some food.”
“Yum. Can’t wait.”
Not the whole truth.
He shook it off, determined not to be the grouchy shifter who snarled about everything.
But when she moved out of his embrace and hurried out to dry off on her own, he had serious concerns that something was going on.
Rushing through his shower, he was out, dried off and dressed by the time she finished drying her snowy locks.
He lifted the in-room dining menu. If anything grabbed her attention, it was ordering food. “What do you want for dinner? Then we’ll watch a movie.” He didn’t want her to think he only wanted to be between her legs.
Siofra meant more to him than a romp in the sack.
He shouldn’t have let this happen, but in truth he didn’t know that he could have stopped it once they met.
She said, “Whatever you decide for food is fine by me.”
Closing the menu folder, he said, “What’s going on? I’ve never been involved with a woman beyond one night of sleeping together, but I like being with you and I want to do this right. Please don’t make me guess what’s going on in your mind and don’t hit me with ‘fine’ as your only answer.”
Giving him a frosty glance, she said, “I told you I have a lot of things on my mind. Will Baatar get in touch with me before we have to leave? What will I do if he doesn’t? What will happen if he does? I have to be prepared for every possibility. I’ve never been in a true relationship either, but you aren’t looking for a mate and I can’t stay beyond giving your boss everything he’s requested.”
Mine. He couldn’t stop that from playing through his mind and feeling it in his soul. He would never push her to do something she didn’t want, but ... she hadn’t said she would not mate.
He’d have to wait until Baatar was safe and talk to her then. He’d tell her what she meant to him and explain that he had to fix the problem with his jaguar first, but he’d been wrong about not wanting a mate.
Maybe once he had her brother safe ... shit, her brother had to go to the Guardian if he was the tiger shifter.
There were so many hurdles that could block him from her.
Siofra said, “Just give me some time right now, okay? That’s all I’m asking for.”
He could do that, but it felt like she was pulling away and he didn’t care for the panic he felt at that possibility.
He sucked at knowing what to say or do right now, but he gave it a shot because she needed to be reassured. “Sure. I know being in this hotel room is confining. Just relax and I bet you have a message waiting when the store opens.”
She smiled and nodded, but her eyes were bleeding sadness.
Why?
