Chapter 7 Dinner For Two
Dinner For Two
“Why are they shooting at us?” Suzie demanded. “Didn’t they check their target first? These idiots shouldn’t get away with endangering innocent hikers.”
They crouched behind a broad tree trunk, wide enough to screen their bodies. Suzie peered through the undergrowth, straining to catch every sound. Niall had his phone out and was speaking with the local police.
“Stay where you are,” the cop instructed.
Niall gave him directions for their location and hung up after telling the policeman they’d heard one shot.
“Accident or not?” Suzie asked. “Something to do with your honey?”
“The gossip vine is silent, which is unusual. As far as I know, everyone testing the honey for me has adhered to my privacy conditions.”
“What about the break-in at your property?”
“Good point. We reported the crime to the police, but I’ll mention it.
” He scowled, the harsh lines digging into his cheeks a testament to his anger.
His unease. “It seems strange for someone to go to so much trouble. The theft of our samples is more understandable. I can’t believe anyone would shoot at us on purpose. ”
“Stranger things have happened,” Suzie said. “Greed is a powerful emotion.”
Voices carried to them, and Suzie glanced at Niall. “That can’t be the police. I doubt they’re this fast.”
The voices came closer. Niall slowly stood and peered around the tree trunk while Suzie craned her neck to see before rising when four teenagers came into view.
Three girls and one guy. The male caught sight of them first, his startled expression giving way to sly humor.
He nudged the girl closest to him and murmured something too faint for Suzie to hear.
She had a great imagination, though, and her cheeks flamed.
The four walked past, their muffled whispers and laughter continuing until they were out of sight.
“Well,” Niall said, plucking two leaves off Suzie’s hair. “I can guess what they’re thinking.”
“Yeah, exactly what I would’ve assumed at their age.” Suzie straightened her rumpled clothes, part of her wishing that she had been rolling around with Niall.
A masculine shout interrupted their chuckles, and a man in a policeman’s uniform approached them.
“Mr. Sinclair?” he asked.
“Yes,” Niall said. “You were quick.”
“I was a few streets away,” the cop said. “You reported gunfire?”
“We believe the hunter has left because a group of teens just walked past.” He gestured toward the tree. “You’ll find the bullet lodged in the trunk. It nearly hit us.”
“One shot?” the policeman asked.
“That’s right,” Niall said. “It’s possible the four teenagers scared them away, or they were embarrassed when they realized they’d targeted people instead of animals.”
“The no-hunting signs are prominent,” the policeman said, sounding slightly harried when his radio squawked insistently.
“I’ll dig the bullet out, search for shell casings, and if the idiot shoots again in this area, we’ll have evidence to tie him to this incident.
” He paused. “Assuming we can catch him.”
“Thank you,” Niall said, his forehead scrunched in a frown. “Someone broke into one of my properties early this morning. I’ve reported the incident,” he told the cop.
His stillness and the faint thread of worry told her he didn’t think this was a mere hunter. He did suspect it had something to do with his honey production and had ties to the earlier incident.
“This morning? I’ll speak to the person in charge. Please stop by the station to give statements.” The policeman glanced at her before turning to Niall. “You know where we are. Please don’t forget. If the hunter shoots here again, we need ample evidence to charge him.”
“Is tomorrow morning soon enough?” Niall asked. “We intended to go for dinner.”
“That’s fine.” The policeman nodded to two adults who walked past with their two young children. He turned back to Niall, wincing at the spate of police codes squawking through his radio. “Looks as if school is out. Take care.”
“Thank you.” Niall took her elbow and led her back to the path. “Do you want to keep walking, or would you like to return to the castle?”
“More walking,” Suzie said without hesitation. She waited until they were out of earshot. “You think someone targeted us.”
He exhaled, the sound floating heavily in the air. “Yes. Given the number of people walking this path now, it should be safe enough. It won’t be as romantic and peaceful, but the scenery and fresh air are an incentive to continue.”
“You surprise me.” A smile flirted with her lips and gained control.
His brows rose, his hazel eyes glinting with amusement. “You think I don’t have any romance game because I’m a grumpy bear?”
“I didn’t think you’d talk openly about intimacy,” Suzie said, not hiding her surprise. “Most guys don’t. In my experience.”
“Cameron once gave me advice on courting women. His counsel—I’d make an excellent husband and father if I stood out from the other men.
” Niall smiled at the memory, and it softened the stern lines of his visage.
“According to Cameron, I have a grouchy expression, which makes people shy away. He told me my enthusiasm shines when I’m interested in a topic, and that’s a good look for me.
He also suggested if I wanted to find a wife, I shouldn’t hide my true self.
Cameron told me I was a romantic and should never conceal my tendencies from someone I cared for since honesty was an asset.
” He ceased talking and grinned at her. Grinned.
The stern lines on his face relaxed, his hazel eyes sparkled, and Suzie’s heart did a rapid pitter-patter. Wow. If he chose, the man had game.
Suzie swallowed hard, feeling the heat on her cheeks. She’d had boyfriends before, but did Niall mean he was interested in her as a close friend rather than her expertise in the office? She was afraid to ask.
However, she needed to know for her peace. “Are you telling me I’m not just a secretary?”
He snorted. “With your forceful personality?” Niall halted and reached for her hand. “Let me remove the guesswork for you.”
Puzzled, she stared at him, but he said nothing else.
He tugged her closer and let his hands slip up her arms to rest on her shoulders.
He grinned down at her, and once again, his grin had her pulse racing.
The man was imposing and driven. It was how he ran his business and became successful.
She liked that about him, admired his business acumen, but this part of the bear was charming and delightful.
Unexpected.
Before Suzie could wonder at this previously hidden facet, he tilted her head and stared into her eyes.
She glimpsed a hint of otherness—his bear—before his lips touched hers in a tentative kiss.
The restraint didn’t last for long. Startled, she gasped, and Niall took advantage, deepening the kiss and infusing passion.
Suzie gripped Niall’s shoulders, hanging on for dear life because this kiss knocked her equilibrium.
Her knees wilted like spaghetti noodles while her feline half basked in approval of her actions.
Yes, let the bear kiss you. Touch you. Heck, her feline self wanted to roll onto her back and show her belly.
When Niall drew back, Suzie gaped wordlessly, her mouth tingling. The men—boys—she’d dated and allowed touching privileges had been nothing, a mere blip on her radar, compared to Niall’s kiss.
She contemplated saying something intelligent and humorous, but her brain let her down, and all that emerged was a breathy “Wow.”
“Exactly,” Niall said, stepping back but holding her right hand. “My bear wanted you from the moment we saw you. It’s a wonder you haven’t heard his demands.”
“Really?” She swallowed hard before she spoke but wanted to give him honesty. “You’re an attractive male, but until now, my feline has indicated nothing either way.”
“And now?”
“She’s interested. So am I.”
“It’s nothing to do with my wealth.”
“I’m too blissed out to be insulted. That is for you to judge. You’re the one who’ll have to decide if I’m a gold-digger or something worse. But I want to remind you I intend to return to New Zealand. I’m happy to do that if you’ll let me go.”
“No.” The sound was sharp and held possessiveness.
“Let’s take this time to become acquainted.
I like you, Suzie, and I don’t say that lightly.
I haven’t met a woman who challenges me like you, and I enjoy your company, whether we’re walking in the forest or working on an element of my honey business.
If I was to search, I doubt I could find anyone who suited me so well.
So please tell me you will stay of your own free will.
See where this magic between us might go. ”
Suzie stared at him, her mouth agape and her eyes wide.
This man was asking instead of ordering her or forcing her to accede to his wishes.
She narrowed her eyes, her brain working through the pros and cons.
She’d wanted to go to university so badly, but Edwina’s absence would take the shine off the achievement.
If she could… “You truly intend to pay me for my work?”
“Fair wages plus a bonus if we get the honey to market on time.”
“And I’ll stay at the castle?” She wanted this doubly confirmed.
“Feel free to use the current room and come and go at your leisure.”
“Can I spend time with my friends? The two remaining ones left from our original group.”
“You’re welcome to invite them to visit for dinner, but you mustn’t tell them about the honey. Just tell them enough to get them to stop asking questions.”
A sneaky thought occurred, and she wondered if he would balk at her suggestion. “What if I told them you were my mate?” She now suspected this was the truth, and the gathering was a brilliant cover. Not one shifter would mention it to a human.