Love at First Mate - Badlands Territory

“Hi!” Josephine skip jogs to Myra and gives her a big hug.

“Hello to you, too,” Myra answers as I glance toward Ragnar, and my belly flips and flutters.

There’s a low throb between my legs, reminding me that in the last twenty-four hours, we’ve both gone from virgins to sex-addicts. It took all our willpower to leave the cabin yesterday morning and head back to Myra’s for breakfast and the photo session for her two dachshunds.

After that, Ragnar made no attempt to hide that from the time we left for our walk to when we returned for breakfast, things between us had taken quite a turn. He never left my side. He had his hands on me, his lips on me and made me sit in his lap, feeding me while we ate.

Myra acted like it was Christmas, cooing and doing these little clapping jumps whenever she looked at us. After we were done there, Ragnar took me back outside, gave me a ride on the back of his grizzly through the woods until we got to his place, where we’ve been ever since. It wasn’t until we showered this morning that he gave me another ride back to Gran’s, we got in our cars and headed into town.

I give Josephine a quick wave as she steps my way with the stranger behind her and before I know it, Ragnar is by my side, his jaw clenched, arm outstretched in front of my hips, putting a barrier between us.

“Who’s this?” He half barks, and Josephine and Myra look at each other with a smile, then at me with sympathy.

“This,” Josephine stretches out her hand between us, “is Brian Phillips. He’s with the Brighton Times. He’s a friend of Aiken’s, and happened to be in the neighborhood. I want him to do a piece on the studio, give the new business a shot in the arm.”

“Nice to meet you.” Brian extends his hand toward me, but Ragnar only growls, making him step back and look at Josephine in confusion.

She holds her hand to the side of her mouth and mock whispers, “Just found his mate.” She jerks her head toward me. “He’s got it bad.”

“Ahhhhh.” Brian smiles. “I understand. I may not look it, but…” He glances between everyone, then to Ragnar. “Leopard shifter. Haven’t found my mate yet, but I get it, buddy.” He raises his hands in surrender and I feel Ragnar relax. “I just want to ask Wynter a few questions, do a short introductory piece for our Arts & Culture department. It will appear in the print paper, as well as our online edition and on our social. The interview won’t take long, then I’ll take a couple snaps of you out front maybe?”

He’s asking me, but looking at Ragnar, who nods on a grunt as his phone rings for the fifth time since we came in the door this morning.

“Excuse me.” He leans down, kissing me hard, tongue pushing between my lips as he lifts me onto my tiptoes as I lose the battle to suppress the high pitched sigh that seeps out, leaving everyone looking away on stifled grins as Ragnar stomps toward the back door, putting his phone to his ear.

Gran and Howard say their goodbyes, heading to the diner for breakfast and leaving me with Josephine and Brian.

“I’m not really dressed for pictures.” I pull my braid down over my shoulder and look down at my shabby t-shirt and oversized jeans.

“You look fine. You look like a photographer. Artistic, natural. It’s perfect,” Brian reassures me, and Josephine nods in agreement.

“You look great.”

Brian asks me questions about how I started in photography, if I wouldn’t mind emailing him some of my recent work, along with a lot of background questions and what my business plans are for the studio.

I try to sound professional, talking about what I envision, but when it comes to business I have a lot to learn, so I just hope I don’t come off as sounding like a child way out of her depth.

“Awards?” he asks, and I’m distracted, unsure what he’s asking.

“I’m sorry?”

He smiles and I see the fierceness in his eyes, but his voice is kind and his manner professional. “Have you won any awards?”

“Yes. Back where I’m from, Bowling Green, when I was fourteen I won my first award in the county-wide photography competition for our school district. Then, the last couple years, I entered some juried shows and won first place, as well as best in show for two state-wide competitions. A few other little things here and there…”

“Wow.” He jots down notes on his pad of paper. “You may want to think about New York or Chicago. Setting up here in the back of nowhere may not be the best use of your talent.”

“She’s not going anywhere.” Josephine comes over and gives me a shoulder to shoulder hug. “Besides, can you see Ragnar in New York?” She rolls her eyes on a hard exhale.