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SEVEN
REIKA
Heart thudding in her chest, panic hissing at the edge of her nerves, anxiety jabbed at her as she and her driver cruised through the streets. She was using the very last of her tip money on this, and she had no way to get home.
Grimly, she considered walking all the way back. It took the edge off her fear that something had happened to the crazy … but deliciously handsome … young man.
Her mind lapsed into a brief contemplation of Owen as the Uber driver inched closer to the mysterious location. Owen seemed far too erratic to get involved with, which was a shame. He was cute with his long reddish hair and his deep amber eyes that shimmered like liquid gold.
The muscles don’t hurt either.
She grinned to herself. All this was completely irrelevant since he could be on the bottom of the bay. Even though she feared that he was, something inside her just expected him to be at the address he left her with. As if the two of them just weren’t done yet.
And never will be.
She shook off her confusing thoughts, focusing once again on her issues with getting home. She tried to avoid shifting whenever she could, out of fear that another pack would smell her and out of courtesy not to freak the humans out.
Maybe Mr. Hotshot Stunt Double would be able to give her a lift. She chuckled sarcastically to herself as she got out of the Uber, looking up at the windows of a small inn with some hesitation.
Reika couldn’t be absolutely sure he was there. In fact, the longer she thought about it, the more likely it was that he wasn’t here and that he had died in the fall. Again, she felt a moment of extreme panic where she almost called the authorities to start looking for him, but she couldn’t dismiss the idea that he really was waiting for her inside.
Grumbling, she headed around the side of the building toward where the pool probably was. His message said to meet him at the pool in the back. All the rooms had balconies that faced the beach. Mr. Hotshot Stunt Double had good taste.
Or he used to if he’s dead.
She felt her heart skip a beat, and she shrugged it off. The guy was rather bold to have her come to a small hotel to meet him. She could always shift and bite him if he tried anything she didn’t like.
She really didn’t want him dead. She wouldn’t want to see anyone dead, but she had this intense feeling that she wanted to get to know Owen and that she’d be missing out if she didn’t.
At the same time, his thrill-seeking attitude did nothing to impress her. If he grinned at her with that way-too cheeky smile, she might punch him in the face.
Reika jogged up the sidewalk toward the gate in the fence, looking around the deserted pool area. The best thing to do would be to get this finished as soon as possible. She still hadn’t figured out exactly what she was going to do if he wasn’t here.
How long was she expected to wait? If he was dead on the bottom of the bay, she’d be waiting an awfully long time.
Screw this! Who does he think he is, putting me through this?
When she stopped in front of the gate, she eyed it warily as if it might be a vicious predator. There was nothing for it now. She tried to open the latch finding it locked. Of course.
A lump formed in her throat, forcing tears into her eyes. Reika struggled to control her emotions, but it was no use. If he didn’t open the gate, she was going to crumple like a cardboard castle in the rain. She might even be tempted to dive into the bay and look for him herself.
Reika tried to swallow the lump in her throat, blinked hard to cover her tears, and then called out his name.
To her astonishment, he was immediately there on the other side. It seemed to take an eternity for the gate to swing all the way open, and now the lump in her throat grew to an incredible size as she literally choked on her own emotions.
Owen was standing there, dressed in a robe and dry as if he hadn’t even gotten wet. Reika didn’t know how this could be … she’d seen himjump… but he looked relaxed and casual as if he hadn’t left his room all day.
His eyes shone even in the darkness, and she could pick out the tints of red in his hair. His expression was mischievous and playful, and, just as she’d feared, he was wearing that overly cocky, self-satisfied grin.
Reika leaped forward and flung herself into his arms, pressing her body against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Feeling his heartbeat against hers sent relief coursing through her, his warm body comforting her with the knowledge that he really was okay.
Then, the rest of her emotions caught up with her. Reika jumped back, digging her fingers into his shoulders as she glared up at him.
“You stupid, damn fool!” she snapped. “You scared me half to death! Tell me how you survived that jump!”
Owen’s grin widened. The light in his beautiful eyes shimmered as if his emotions ran beneath the surface of the deep-copper pools of his irises. Slowly, with emphasis, he looked down at where her hands had a firm grip on his arms.
Reika gasped and jumped back, letting go of him. She hadn’t meant to touch him, but now that she thought about it, it was like she hadn’t been able to stop herself.
