Winter’s Caress(Brac Village 19)(2)
Dasani slid his phone into his pocket and had turned, ready to head to Kevin’s, when he froze. He swallowed around his heart, which had lodged in this throat. “N–nice bear.”
There was a very large, very hairy bear standing in front of him. Dasani started to shimmer away when the bear shifted into a human.
“Hold on there,” the guy said as he grabbed Dasani’s arm. “Don’t go shimmering away. Not until you tell me why you’re spying in the woods behind my house.”
Dasani’s gaze snapped to the ranch. The former leader of his tribe lived there. If Ahm found Dasani here, what would the Shadow elf do? Ahm was now one of the Ultionem leaders. That made Ahm one scary guy.
“I was just—” Dasani couldn’t think. He couldn’t come up with a plausible explanation.
“Fine,” the man said. “You can tell Pa why you were hiding in the woods.”
“No, wait!” Dasani struggled to get free. He wasn’t sure who Pa was, but if this guy dragged him to the ranch, not only would Ahm find him there but his lust interest as well.
He’d been desperate to meet the guy, but now that he was heading there, Dasani felt faint. He was still a virgin and had never flirted with a man in his life. Heck, he’d never even been kissed.
If he was forced to the ranch, he’d have to confess why he’d been hiding in the woods.
“I just lost my way,” he lied. “I’m sorry about trespassing.”
The bear shifter eyed him for a long moment before he said, “You can’t bullshit a bullshitter.” He grabbed Dasani around the waist and carried him as though he were a dang football.
Panic set in. Dasani shimmered away, taking the bear shifter with him.
“Whoa,” the guy yelled and then cursed. “What on earth did you do that for?”
They ended up in Pride Valley. More accurately, in Kevin’s backyard. It was the only place Dasani could think to go under such duress.
“Look, you little evil elf,” the man said. “My mate is going to put his foot up my ass if I don’t pick him up from work. If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to keep Curtis’s foot as far from my backside as possible. I’m not about to hitch a ride, so take me back.”
“I can’t,” Dasani said as he hung from the man’s meaty arm. “I can’t let you take me there.”
“So,” the guy said, “you really were spying.”
Dasani sagged in the guy’s arms. “Yes.”
“If you got some diabolical plan to hurt my family, I’m going to tear you limb from limb.”
The threat had Dasani lightheaded. “I wasn’t planning anything,” he said in earnest. “I was just—” This was more mortifying than if he’d been caught by his lust interest. “I was just watching one of the guys on your ranch.”
The stranger set Dasani on his feet. “Care to tell me why?”
Because he fascinates me beyond measure. “Do I have to?”
The guy crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Duh, yeah.”
Worrying his hands, Dasani looked away, too embarrassed to look at the guy when he said, “’Cause I like him.”
The guy chuckled. “So, you’ve been spying on my house because you like a ranch hand?”
“But you can’t tell him!”
“Which one?” the man asked.
Dasani frowned. “Which one what?”
“Which guy?”
“The one with the dreamy blue eyes.” Duh.
The guy snorted. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“His hair looks dark blond until the sunlight hits it. Then it turns into the color of spun gold. When he smiles, his eyes light up. He’s strong and heavenly, and he’s a white tiger.”
The guy gaped at Dasani. “I think you bypassed like and shot to lust.”
Boy, was that the truth.
The man stuck his large hand out. “I’m Chauncey Lakeland.”
Dasani shook it, noticing how Chauncey’s hand swallowed his. “Dasani.”
“Hey, I drink you,” Chauncey said.
“You what?” The bear shifter was one strange character.
“The bottled water.” The guy shook his head. “Never mind.”
“If you say so.” Maybe he should run from this weird man.
“All right, Dasani,” Chauncey said. “Now you have to take me home. I wasn’t kidding about Curtis putting a hurtin’ on me.”
“Only if you promise you won’t force me to go to your ranch.”
“Why hide in the woods?” Chauncey asked. “Why don’t you just tell him that you like him? His name is Winter Bourne.”