her own sibling, the middle child. Justin had been sending sly looks Ben’s way also. It would be fun to see where that went.
She’d learnt from her time away that you couldn’t judge people by how they looked or any preferences they had. If her brother was interested in Ben, she was a bit surprised but already liked Ben a lot. One thing Cameron had always preached was acceptance. She had a good feeling Dylan would continue with that lesson.
She crossed the street a few stores before RJ’s tattoo shop. He stepped out, holding the door open as another man walked out. The stranger was shorter than RJ but had the same muscular build. His hair was buzzed and the Marine Corps tattoo down his left arm that matched RJ’s had her figuring this was one of RJ’s military buddies.
RJ glanced up when she got to the sidewalk and the smile he sent her was so bright she felt her breath catch. God, he was handsome.
He held out a hand and drew her in up against his body before taking her lips in a sweet, deep kiss. She moaned, pressing closer, feeling him wrap both arms around her waist.
A throat-clearing broke the sexual haze and she pulled back from RJ but didn’t look at the stranger yet.
“I needed that,” she whispered against her lover’s lips.
“Me too,” he agreed and turned her towards the stranger, who was grinning ear to ear.
“This is one of my best buds, Mike Jackson,” he informed her. “Mike, this is Nikki Stratton.”
Mike held out his hand. “RJ’s barely talked about anything else on the phone. It’s funny how your name keeps coming up in every sentence.”
Nikki laughed. “Well, honestly, I’m not gonna complain about that.”
RJ blushed a little and shuffled his feet. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Mike and Nikki shared a laugh at his expense.
“Ben and I finished our articles. They’ll be in the paper tomorrow. I just hope we’re doing enough,” she shared.
“I think it’s a good plan. Uniting both Packs. Even if there is a challenge, maybe the aftermath won’t be so bad,” Mike offered.
“I guess we’ll see soon enough.” She shrugged.
“We’re heading over to the café for lunch, join us?” RJ asked.
Nikki glanced at her watch. She needed to meet Justin in an hour. “Sure, I have time.”
They started down the street. RJ still had his arm around her waist and she enjoyed the casual touch even though she had never been one for public displays of affection. Maybe she just had never been with the right guy.
“So, Mike, where is your Pack?” she questioned RJ’s friend.
“Northern California. I haven’t been back in a couple years. The last mission…made me miss it, though,” Mike admitted.
RJ stiffened against her.
“Mission?”
He shook his head. “That’s something we’ll have to talk about in private.”
“Oh.” Nikki wrapped her arm around his waist. It hit her that she really didn’t know RJ well. Oh, she knew he was loyal to his family, was smart, good looking and hot as hell, but the real part of him, what was deep down? There just hadn’t been time.
He kissed the top of her head. “There’s time,” he whispered.
She hoped there was. But with all of the drama that had happened since she’d come to town, it felt like she’d been there months already instead of just a few days. And she had plans, future assignments that she had moved aside to come home.
She pushed those worries away for now. She had more than enough on her plate. Besides, when this was all over, she wasn’t even sure where she and RJ would stand. She shook the thoughts from her head and concentrated on the story Mike was telling about the mating ceremony he had come from. She listened as she learnt about the town of shifters and the new wolf and bobcat couple.
“A wolf and a bobcat,” she mused. “I bet that was interesting.”
RJ chuckled. “Gray is a good guy. Helped us out with a situation and still managed to get the girl.”
Nikki grinned up at him. She got his
She’d learnt from her time away that you couldn’t judge people by how they looked or any preferences they had. If her brother was interested in Ben, she was a bit surprised but already liked Ben a lot. One thing Cameron had always preached was acceptance. She had a good feeling Dylan would continue with that lesson.
She crossed the street a few stores before RJ’s tattoo shop. He stepped out, holding the door open as another man walked out. The stranger was shorter than RJ but had the same muscular build. His hair was buzzed and the Marine Corps tattoo down his left arm that matched RJ’s had her figuring this was one of RJ’s military buddies.
RJ glanced up when she got to the sidewalk and the smile he sent her was so bright she felt her breath catch. God, he was handsome.
He held out a hand and drew her in up against his body before taking her lips in a sweet, deep kiss. She moaned, pressing closer, feeling him wrap both arms around her waist.
A throat-clearing broke the sexual haze and she pulled back from RJ but didn’t look at the stranger yet.
“I needed that,” she whispered against her lover’s lips.
“Me too,” he agreed and turned her towards the stranger, who was grinning ear to ear.
“This is one of my best buds, Mike Jackson,” he informed her. “Mike, this is Nikki Stratton.”
Mike held out his hand. “RJ’s barely talked about anything else on the phone. It’s funny how your name keeps coming up in every sentence.”
Nikki laughed. “Well, honestly, I’m not gonna complain about that.”
RJ blushed a little and shuffled his feet. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Mike and Nikki shared a laugh at his expense.
“Ben and I finished our articles. They’ll be in the paper tomorrow. I just hope we’re doing enough,” she shared.
“I think it’s a good plan. Uniting both Packs. Even if there is a challenge, maybe the aftermath won’t be so bad,” Mike offered.
“I guess we’ll see soon enough.” She shrugged.
“We’re heading over to the café for lunch, join us?” RJ asked.
Nikki glanced at her watch. She needed to meet Justin in an hour. “Sure, I have time.”
They started down the street. RJ still had his arm around her waist and she enjoyed the casual touch even though she had never been one for public displays of affection. Maybe she just had never been with the right guy.
“So, Mike, where is your Pack?” she questioned RJ’s friend.
“Northern California. I haven’t been back in a couple years. The last mission…made me miss it, though,” Mike admitted.
RJ stiffened against her.
“Mission?”
He shook his head. “That’s something we’ll have to talk about in private.”
“Oh.” Nikki wrapped her arm around his waist. It hit her that she really didn’t know RJ well. Oh, she knew he was loyal to his family, was smart, good looking and hot as hell, but the real part of him, what was deep down? There just hadn’t been time.
He kissed the top of her head. “There’s time,” he whispered.
She hoped there was. But with all of the drama that had happened since she’d come to town, it felt like she’d been there months already instead of just a few days. And she had plans, future assignments that she had moved aside to come home.
She pushed those worries away for now. She had more than enough on her plate. Besides, when this was all over, she wasn’t even sure where she and RJ would stand. She shook the thoughts from her head and concentrated on the story Mike was telling about the mating ceremony he had come from. She listened as she learnt about the town of shifters and the new wolf and bobcat couple.
“A wolf and a bobcat,” she mused. “I bet that was interesting.”
RJ chuckled. “Gray is a good guy. Helped us out with a situation and still managed to get the girl.”
Nikki grinned up at him. She got his
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