Chapter 8
Wes
Livvie looked up at me with her beautiful blue eyes, confused. “Did you have any idea it wasn’t Sunday?” I asked with a chuckle.
She shook her head. “No. I guess my fever was worse than I thought.”
I’d been pretty worried about her. Enough to call her grandmother to check on her when I sensed her sleeping harder in her cottage. I’d snuck over a couple of times and checked on her without going inside. I was able to sense her presence well enough from the outside.
Alone, shielded by a big shrubbery, I’d felt like a total creep, but I’d been able to focus on her enough to believe the stories about mates being able to delve into each other might’ve been true.
I couldn’t quite do it from outside, but I’d been able to sense she was sick and that it hadn’t been too severe. Until today.
It was a huge relief to see her walking toward me, but I couldn’t explain how she was so much better when early this morning she’d been weak. “You’re feeling better?” I asked.
“Yeah, Nana made me a tea with a bunch of herbs, and it helped tremendously.” Her stomach growled. “I’m starving now, though,” she said with a chuckle. “I might go see if Andy has anything I can snag from the kitchen.”
My tattoo burned as we walked forward. My dragon damn near purred to be near her again, and for her to know I was here, not stalking her from behind her cottage.
The increase in her heartrate as she’d walked up, combined with the slight smell of arousal had been a nice touch as well.
“How are things coming along?” she asked, indicating the frame I’d been helping to build on the addition.
“Well,” I said. “We’re on schedule. I took care of the termites quickly enough that it didn’t put us behind. I’ve got part of the crew working on the inside renovations and the other part on the addition.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around.”
“We were off all weekend, but it wouldn’t matter. You hired us to do a job. I don’t expect you to come here and work for me. Besides, you were sick. That can’t be helped. Happens to the best of us sometimes.” Not me, but I couldn’t tell her that.
“Thank you for understanding,” she said softly as we strolled closer to the kitchen. She’d been looking everywhere but at me since right after I walked up to her.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Livvie asked.
“You can look at me, you know,” I said. “I’d put my shirt back on but it’s soaking wet with sweat. But my chest won’t bite you if you glance at it.” I flexed my pecs, hoping she’d look right then. No sense in wasting an opportunity.
She didn’t look and her face flushed pink. “I wasn’t avoiding looking at you.”
She totally was.
After that, I kind of regretted teasing her, because she seemed really flustered. “Well,” she said in a tight voice. “I should go check on things at the restaurant.”
When she stormed past me, I really did regret teasing her. Damn it. I’d been trying to lighten the mood.
Oh, well. It was still incredibly cute that she’d kept her eyes averted. I headed back over and grabbed my hammer and began swinging it with a renewed strength and a smile on my face.
When it came time for a break, I was starving, even though I’d eaten the lunch I brought with me at lunchtime.
Livvie’d had a good idea about eating something from the restaurant.
I headed over to the kitchen and walked inside after getting a clean shirt out of my truck.
I’d done this job long enough to know to keep some extra clothes on hand.
Not that I would’ve run and put them on earlier for Livvie’s sake.
She could handle a little man chest, maybe without my teasing.
“Hello, I’d like a menu?” I asked.
The hostess handed me one. “We’re take-out only, but you can wait there.” She pointed to a lone table and chair by the door.
“I’ll just take a burger and fries, please,” I said without opening the menu. “Could you let Livvie know I’m here?” I asked politely.
She nodded and disappeared behind a swinging door. Livvie came out a few minutes later wearing a chef’s coat. “Can I help you?” she asked politely.
“Should you be working yet?” I asked, pointing toward her chef’s jacket. “Weren’t you just really sick?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Her voice was a little stiff. Maybe I was pushing too much. “I don’t need a keeper though, Wes.”
The hostess walked back in and wiped down menus, studiously not looking at either Livvie or me.
“Obviously, you don’t need a keeper, but you should’ve called someone to help you this weekend. There’s no shame in being sick.”
Livvie sighed and stared at me. “I’m glad you found clothes. Do you need me to go buy you some so that you don’t have to go naked? I’m happy to help.”
I laughed out loud at her snark. “No, thank you, I’ve got plenty of clothes. You spend your time taking care of yourself.”
Calvin stuck his head out the swinging door, his expression souring as soon as he saw me. “Well,” I said. “I guess you don’t make the best decisions, though.” I nodded toward the wolf. “Exhibit A.”
Anthony never called me back after I warned him about Calvin. But no doubt it wouldn’t be long before Anthony reached out to Calvin and ran him off.
The wolf plastered a big smile on his face. “It’s great to see you back,” he said. “This place was lost without you.”
Unable to stop myself, I rolled my eyes. “She was gone two days. I’m sure the whole kitchen didn’t collapse. If you can’t manage a restaurant for two days without her, maybe you’re not the right person for the job.”
The hostess snorted, then bit her lip when Calvin glared at her.
Livvie sighed. “Are you two sure you don’t know each other?” she asked. “You bicker like old enemies.”
I smiled, showing my teeth. “Feels something like that, doesn’t it?”
Someone walked out of the kitchen with my order in a bag and handed it to the hostess. Livvie grabbed it. “Follow me,” she said through clenched teeth.
“I haven’t paid yet.” I pulled out my wallet.
She headed for the door. “It’s on the house. Come on.”
I shot Calvin a grin as I followed her out, smiling wider when I spotted his dark glare.
Once outside, she shoved the bag toward me. “Tell me what’s really going on between you and Calvin,” Livvie demanded.
Damn. “Guys like Calvin are easy to read. He’s not working here with innocent intentions, Livvie. He’s a scumbag.”
“Tell me what you mean.” She crossed her arms and tapped her toe, like a teacher waiting for a confession from an errant child. It was damn sexy, thinking about her as my teacher.
Whoa. Get away from that particular fantasy. “I mean, you wouldn’t understand.”
She threw her hands up, nearly hitting the bag of food in my hand. “I’m getting really sick of people keeping things from me,” she cried.
“Now it’s my turn to ask what do you mean?” I raised my eyebrows and waited for an answer, though she probably thought it was none of my business.
She just glared at me for a second. “I mean, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Touché,” I said with a laugh. “I guess I deserved that.” Something moved off to the right, but nothing was there.
I was sure I’d seen something out of my peripheral vision.
I stared at the gravel to see if maybe a small animal had burrowed there or something, but it was unlikely.
Animals generally avoided being in the vicinity of a predatory shifter like a dragon, or the pup inside.
When I looked back at Livvie, she was staring at the same spot I had been. “Did you see something?” I asked.
“No,” she said shortly. “Please stop bickering with Calvin.” She gave the gravel one last glance, telling me she had seen something after all, then went back inside.
Something had moved there, and I didn’t sense any animals. Something about Livvie was off. She’d seen something and denied it. Did she even realize?
My suspicions were increased if nothing else.