A Sinful Trap (Three Sinful Wishes 2) - Page 14

“Don’t say it.” That word had brought nothing but shame and sorrow to the Lockes since the day he was born. “We choose our path, no one else. We don’t put all our trust into the hands of a single shifter or human.”

“But you do want her.”

So much it brought him physical pain. “You would, too. She’s hard to resist.”

“Can I meet her?”

Cam’s throat closed on an instinctive denial. There would be no way to avoid it and he didn’t want to. Not really. But it was too soon. “Wait a few days for me to regain my footing and I’ll introduce you myself.”

Davide frowned at that, but looked away in acknowledgment and lowered his head back to Cam’s chest. “Maybe we should have purchased that dance club in Switzerland,” he mused sleepily. “Deter’s been depressed since we changed our plans. You know how much he loves to dance.”

“A few months’ delay. That’s all this is. We’ll find our answers and give Bailey Wagner a refurbished inn to call her own. Maybe with a security system. Then we’ll move on like we always do.”

His words tasted like ash and felt like a lie. No part of his wolf wanted to leave this place or the mate he’d just found. But what choice did he have? The shifters under his protection couldn’t stay anywhere longer than a year. Not if they didn’t want to be challenged for settling on land without pack or permission. It was an archaic rule, but one that was enforced without exception.

And then there was Davide. What would mating mean for their relationship? He couldn’t stay. Not even for her.

Bailey. Bailey. Bailey.

Chapter Four

“Any missives for me, Miss Bailey?”

Bailey sat back on her heels next to the flowerbed she’d been working in, squinting up from beneath her well-worn cowboy hat to look at her guest. “You know what? I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask me that before, Ms. Littleton. I like it. Makes me feel like I fell into an Austen novel.”

The woman blushed pleasantly, as Bailey knew she would. The truth was she’d only seen the movies, but the private school librarian didn’t need to know that.

She gestured toward the pounding coming from the roofline above their heads. “No missives, but we’ve got all this noise to make up for our lack of correspondence, so there’s that. I’m really am sorry about this. At least it’s an excuse to be outside and enjoying the beautiful day.”

Ms. Littleton had mentioned that she didn’t get out much, and since she’d come to the inn last week, she’d continued that trend, spending most of her time in her room or on the back porch at night, gazing at the stars and listening to her space noises.

“Stop apologizing or I’ll feel guilty about the discount you’re giving me. It’s better the work gets done than the roof falls down around our ears.” Her hand fluttered to the wide brim of her sunhat as if she were unsure about its placement. “I’m glad you’re finally getting some help around here. I’ve never seen one person do so much. The landscaping, the indoor repairs, the laundry... You’ve been working yourself ragged since I arrived, and we’ve hardly gotten the chance to speak. That’s why it was lovely to share a breakfast table with you and the Olyphants this morning. Ava is a gem.”

The reminder had Bailey struggling to keep her smile in place. She’d woken up this morning to four short texts from Cameron Locke informing her of his plans for the day. Plans that included hiring the woman currently cooking on the brand-new stove that was delivered to Bailey’s kitchen. There was also a trio of women armed with cleaning supplies who’d be coming once a week, as well as two men currently pounding away on her roof.

He’d said he was going to be hands on, and he hadn’t lied. Or wasted his time on trivial things, like discussing those hiring decisions with her. He hadn’t answered her calls either, which meant he knew she wouldn’t appreciate his behavior.

Breakfast was delicious. And Ava—the best cook in town, who hadn’t been able to get a job outside of that sleezy sports bar where she made appetizers for ass-pinchers—was so happy with the hire that she couldn’t stop hugging Bailey between servings. As if it were her idea.

As if she’d be able to afford to keep her once Locke left for greener pastures, no matter how much she wanted to.

“Are you okay, Bailey?”

“I’m fantastic,” she said swiftly. Ms. Littleton didn’t need to know about her injured pride. “But I am hoping you’re going to use this mayhem as an excuse to finally go on a pink jeep tour.”

The jeeps were a staple of Sedona. Their drivers took tourists through town and off the beaten path, showing them ancient ruins and heritage sites as well as the red rocks of the Coconino National Forest. Bailey knew most of the guides personally, so her timid guest had nothing to worry about. Not because they were perfect gentlemen, but they knew better than to mess with one of her guests.

Tags: R.G. Alexander Three Sinful Wishes Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2025