Chapter Two #2
He shrugged. “I remember how much Sarah hurt me and it makes it easier not to get attached. Sometimes my animal needs the release. I need a good fuck and then I’m in better control for a while.”
“Mmm.” She took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “I can’t trust like that again.”
“What was his name?”
“Erik.”
“How long ago?”
“Three years.”
His eyebrows arched up, but he tried to smooth out his face. “You haven’t slept with anyone in three years?”
She scoffed. “Five technically. He wasn’t really into me the last couple years we were together. He was into a waitress named Betty.”
He snorted and she tossed him a dirty look. “Sorry. It’s not funny. Just the way you say things is kind of funny.”
Her look on him now was curious, but instead of carrying on the conversation, she said, “You can go away now.”
Cam shrugged. “You’re a prickly little cactus, Moira.”
“I didn’t tell you my name.”
“It was on your waiver,” he said as he walked down the trail.
“Wait.”
He stopped and turned, chewing the last bite of his breakfast.
“Do you think you’ll ever trust again?”
He thought about it. Really thought about it. “We’re shifters. Break a mating bond and it hurts on a different level. It isn’t just a breakup. I don’t think shifters can just recover, you know?”
She nodded. “Was Sarah a shifter?”
He nodded.
“What kind?”
“Bear. You?”
“Human.” She slumped her shoulders. “Yep.”
“Yep, what?”
“I was the one who got thrown away by a human.”
“Human or shifter, I don’t think it matters.”
“You aren’t going to make fun of me?”
“No. I’ll make fun of your idiot ex though. You’re hot, and he wasn’t hitting that the last two years you were together? The fuck is wrong with him?”
Her face had gone comically blank.
He wiped the crumbs off his hand and did a two fingered wave. “Thanks for the breakfast date, Moira.”
“That wasn’t a date,” she called after him.
“Okay.” He smiled to himself because he was starting to figure out what worked with her. Dip in, say a few things, start to leave. Bait her, walk away, and let her choose whether to continue the conversation or not.
“Cam?”
His private smile grew bigger and he turned.
“Yeah?”
“There’s two more.” She held up the container. “I can only eat one.”
Oh, he liked her. He really did. There was something about her that just called to him. Yeah, she was hot and he could just imagine her all curled up in his bed, but it was something more than just physical. She was challenging, and God, he loved a challenge.
“I can eat a stupid amount,” he told her as he approached her again. “Can I sit, or do you want me to stay over here?”
She bristled and dragged both knees up, wrapped her arms around them and stared at the scenery. “Why would I care what you do?”
He bit back a smile as she scooted over a little to let him sit near her. He liked her a little mean.
“Did you mean what you said?”
“Which part?” he asked, pulling another loaded bagel from the Styrofoam box.
“About the me being…you know…”
“Hot? Yeah. Look at yourself. Lean and lithe, probably like your cat is, perky little tits, great posture, great physique, and your bone structure. Phew.”
She glanced at him fast, and then back to the scenery. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to say all that to one of your customers.”
“You are absolutely right.” He got quiet and chewed away.
“Do you say that kind of stuff to a lot of customers?” she asked. “Not that I care. I imagine you sleep with every girl who comes on your tours.”
“I sleep with zero people who come on my tours. It’s mostly families, and couples and even if they are singles, they are human. I’m not into boning humans.”
“Why not?”
“Because I would break them. Don’t move,” he said, glancing behind her. “There’s a little field mouse.”
The shriek Moira shrieked echoed across the entire mountains.
She bolted upward but Cam told her, “Just kidding!”
She was standing now and shook out her entire body, making a disgusted sound. “I can’t do it. I can’t do the rodents.”
He was laughing in earnest now.
“That’s mean! You…you…fucking brussels sprout!”
At the lame insult, he leaned back with his laugh, and she shoved him so hard, he kept going and fell right off the boulder.
His abs hurt with laughing, and by the time she pelted him in the face with a snowball, he was practically wheezing. God, he hadn’t laughed this hard in so long. The look of terror on her face when she’d thought there was a mouse. She was a cat! She didn’t make any sense at all.
Moira tried not to, but he saw it. He witnessed it. Her full lips formed into a smile that damn-near took his breath away. It was a flash of a smile and then she reconstructed her face to that of seriousness.
“I saw that,” he said around his chuckling.
“I hate you,” she gritted out, settling back down onto the boulder to finish eating her breakfast.
He got up and dusted snow off his pants, then poured her a glass of sparkling grape juice. For him, he drank it out of the bottle.
“You are the worst tour guide ever.”
“Only on this tour. Usually, I’m professional. This has been a weird morning.”
“Yeah, well the sucky faces are doing their sucky face thing.”
He glanced over at Birdie and Lance, who were in fact hugging and kissing. Good for them.
“You don’t like public displays of affection?”
“Barf. No. Besides, they barely know each other. They just met on this UnValentine’s Day week. We’re all supposed to be here not being romantic. This is the second excursion they have showed up on.”
“What was the other?”
“Horseback riding.”
“You’re such a hater,” he quipped.
“Yes. Yes, I am a hater. A hater of love, because I know the truth. It’s not real. I’ve had this trip planned for eleven months and twelve days, and then I show up here to see the same dang stuff I see at home.” She gestured to the happy couple.
“Are you jealous?”
“Of a hamster shifter? As if.”
He snorted. “So, what’s the plan for the rest of your UnValentine’s Day?”
“Oh, I have big plans.”
“I bet. What are they.”
“Plans that would blow your mind.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“How about you go first,” she said and he could tell she was stalling.
“I have two ATV tours after this one, and then tonight I’m going to watch my nephew play ice hockey in town, and then I’m meeting a couple of buddies at the bar to ignore this horrid holiday. Now you.”
She rolled her eyes. “That actually sounds not terrible. I bought copious amounts of snacks and am going to lock myself in my cabin and wear humongous pajamas and do my skincare routine and eat an entire forty pack of pizza rolls all by myself for dinner and remain unbothered by anyone. I have three horror movies I want to watch in front of the cozy fire. It is an un-celebration for me, myself, and I.”
“I’m down with the forty-pizza rolls. What time do you want me to come over?”
She huffed a laugh, but he wasn’t kidding. She seemed to figure it out because she frowned over at him. “You aren’t invited.”
He shrugged. “You can come to my nephew’s hockey game with me if you want. My sister’s a battle-axe, but you’re downright mean and you two would probably get along.”
Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t seem to find the words. “What about me telling you about my self-care day makes you think you would be welcome to be a part of my UnValentine’s Day.”
“Um, because I’m a safe bet. You could hang out with me all day and there is zero chance I would grow an attachment to you. You could insult me to your heart’s delight. It doesn’t hurt my feelings.”
“I…” Her frown deepened. “I want to be alone.”
He shrugged again. “I like horror movies.”
“Look, I’m not some booty call.”
He snorted and stood, dusting the snow off the seat of his pants.
“I’m not asking for that. You can hear the truth in my voice.
I won’t push. You’re interesting, little cat.
And mean. And kind of fun. I hate Valentine’s Day too.
We could hate it together, and tomorrow, you can go back to your life and never talk to me again. I can be a memory.”
“Like a vacation fling?” she asked.
“Like whatever you want it to be. How about this. I’ll drop by the Woodpecker Inn at six on my way into town to go see my nephew’s game. If you aren’t waiting outside, I’ll just keep driving. No harm, no foul.”
“No harm, no foul,” Moira murmured. “And no strings attached.”
“I don’t get attached in the first place, and you don’t owe me anything.”
“Why? Why would you want to hang out with me?”
“I don’t know,” he said flippantly. “Your insults make me feel alive. Time to load up. Back on the trail. I’m assuming it’s a no for today, but the offer is there.
” He grabbed the bottle and food container and made his way down the trail toward the ATVs.
On purpose, he didn’t look back, though he really wanted to.
He wanted to see if she was watching him.
He wanted to know if she was actually considering his wild offer.
He never did this. Never. If he picked up a girl, it was for a fun night and then it was done.
He’d never even brought anyone near his sister and nephew since Sarah, and here he was, offering to spend a Valentine’s Day with a strange beauty with a mountain of obvious issues.
He couldn’t help himself.
He really, really wanted her to say yes, but he was learning her. She had to process his question and come up with an answer on her own.
“Hey Cam?” she called.
“Yeah?”
Moira looked somber as she shook her head. “I’m not interested in Valentine’s Day with anyone.”
Disappointment swirled in his chest and made it hard to breathe. God, what was wrong with him? He didn’t do this. He didn’t care.
“I figured. I’ll see you at the ATV’s. The next leg of the tour is a sight. The views here can’t be beat.”
He turned and walked away, but this time she didn’t stop him.
The cat and mouse game was done.