The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1)

The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) by J.H. Croix Page B

Book: The Lion Within (Ghost Cat Shifters #1) by J.H. Croix Read Free Book Online
Authors: J.H. Croix
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muted lighting.
    She caught his eyes, and her cheeks flushed slightly. He didn’t doubt the depth of feeling and desire between them, yet he was unaccustomed to it. He sensed his recent acquaintance with his shifter self held the answers to the primitive, visceral need coursing through him. It wasn’t simply lust, but lust was certainly the driving force in every interaction with her. From what his mother had told him, he would encounter many shifters in Painter. When he asked her how he would know, she’d told him he would just know. He knew Sophia was a shifter, but damn if he knew how to start a conversation about it.   He elected to keep conversation light.
    “Well, Quinn’s is as busy as you said,” he commented.
    She smiled and lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “It always is. They have good food, good drinks, and good company. Plus, it’s pretty affordable. With the ski and college crowd, there are a few high-end places in town. The locals tend to prefer places like Quinn’s.”
    A woman approached their table with a wide grin. She had dark hair and blue eyes. She immediately leaned down to give Sophia a quick hug before turning her disconcertingly direct gaze on him. She arched a brow and held out her hand. “I’m Vivi,” she said, her handshake brisk and firm.
    “Daniel Hayes,” he replied. “Let me guess. You’re a friend of Sophia’s?”
    Vivi released her hand and laughed softly. “Of course. Though you don’t have to look far to find one of those in Painter.” If he hadn’t seen the evidence of that himself tonight, he’d have guessed it. Her nature was warm, friendly and welcoming—yet another quality that drew him to her.
    Vivi slid into the booth beside Sophia. “Since I’ve never seen you around, you must be new to Painter.”
    Daniel sensed Vivi knew who he was, but she was polite enough to let him tell her. “Depends on what you mean by new. I was born here, but my family moved away when I was only three. I moved here for the summer and maybe longer.”
    Vivi nodded. “Painter’s an awesome town. Do you have any family around?”
    Daniel glanced between Sophia and Vivi. “I’m guessing you probably know the answer to that. No need to dance around it. I know what happened to my brother.”
    Vivi’s eyes sobered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
    He cut her off. “It’s not like it’s easy to bring up my family and how people remember them around here. Painter’s not that big. I’ve had a long damn time to get used to what happened.”
    Vivi’s eyes widened. She nodded firmly. “Okay then. Gotta say, I’m a fan of direct, so I’m glad you just cut through my polite bullshit there.”
    Her blunt comment made him chuckle, which eased the tension that had sprung up at the table. A waitress arrived to take their orders, and Vivi stood up.
    “I’m actually here to work a shift at the bar. Just wanted to say hi since I saw you.” She caught Daniel’s eyes. “If you like burgers, try Quinn’s special. It’s got this amazing barbecue sauce. They make it right here.” At that, she gave a small wave and turned away, jogging to the bar and ducking behind.
    Their waitress was waiting, so they quickly ordered. Daniel decided to follow Vivi’s advice and go with the Quinn’s special burger. “You a fan of the house burger too?” he asked Sophia.
    “Of course! They make a damn good burger here. Nothing too fancy, but delicious.”
    Dinner passed quickly. There were frequent interruptions from other customers. All the while, Daniel could hardly keep his eyes off of Sophia. His cat simmered under his skin. When their waitress collected their empty plates, Sophia glanced toward the door where there was a cluster of people waiting for tables.
    “We should probably go,” she said, nodding in the direction of the door.
    “Probably.” He didn’t mind departing per se, but he didn’t want the night to end. In fact, he was well past any pretense with himself. He

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