"Probably a bit of both. Where did you learn how to change a tire?" She threw her coat on the table and headed for the kitchen. "Coffee?"
"Sure." He followed her, rubbing his hands together. "I've been up on the land before—I wasn't lying. Taken a few odd jobs here and there to learn about things. Changing a tire isn't that complicated."
"So, you weren't lying to Danny?"
"Not all of it," he confessed, leaning on the island as she made up the two mugs. "You'd be surprised at how many shifters come up on land and mingle with humans."
She handed him a mug before retreating back to the living room, taking up her spot in the rocking chair.
Alec returned to the couch, putting the mug on the coffee table. He leaned back and stretched his arms out along the back of the sofa. "Would it help you if I talked a bit about myself?"
"Probably." She glanced at the mantel clock sitting atop the fireplace. "Actually, I need to put the turkey in. It'll take a few hours to cook, so…"
"Christmas dinner," he prompted.
A sharp laugh bubbled out of her. "You do Christmas?"
"I do dinner. And breakfast, and lunch and snacks in between." He rose and offered a hand to her. "Let me help you—then we'll talk while waiting for dinner." Alec paused. "If you don't mind the company. I know we told Danny I was staying, but if you'd rather I leave…"
"No." She fought to keep the sense of relief out of her voice. "I wasn't really looking forward to eating alone this year. Please, stay."
***
It didn't take long—the turkey breast she'd picked up at the local store went into the oven after being liberally sprinkled with spices. The sweet potatoes were scrubbed and cut, prepping them to be boiled—the green beans cleaned and set up to be steamed near the end of the cooking, keeping them sharp and crisp.
Afterwards, Alec settled back on the couch. He'd been very helpful, his proximity to her in the kitchen only kicking her curiosity up another notch.
"So, what do you want to know?"
"Everything."
If I'm going crazy, let's go all the way...
By the time they settled down at the table for dinner, her head was spinning.
"I can't..." She passed him the basket of store-bought rolls. "I can't believe whole families of otter shifters are out there. And others..." Her head was spinning with the sudden realization that her world had irrevocably changed. "Why tell me all this? Isn't there some law about revealing yourself to humans? I mean, I've read books..." Her voice trailed off as she studied his wide grin.
"You're not the first one who's discovered our people. We've been around, long before your ancestors came to this land. Go ahead—write a book, post a message, put a video online. Who would believe you?" Alec filled his plate with the delicious food. "My people, we've dealt with this sort of situation before. If you called the authorities, I'd follow through with what I said before—I'd leave or claim you were dreaming about it or having some hallucination. I'm not going to change on command." He struck a pose, flexing one bicep, the t-shirt straining to contain the tight muscle. "I've got some pride."
She sputtered on her water, choking back a laugh.
***
The half apple pie she'd bought from the grocery store was just enough for them to gorge on, finishing up a fine meal.
Alec joined her afterward, sliding into the domestic routine with ease—collecting the plates, sliding around her to fill the dishwasher. She could feel the heat emanating off his body, the musky scent almost intoxicating.
Get it together, woman, she berated herself. For all you know, he's got horrible fish breath in the morning. Or worse, a wife and children swimming around somewhere, worried about where he is.
She waited until they'd gone into the living room and settled on the couch with coffee before asking her next question.
"Are you okay staying? I mean, if you have responsibilities back home..." she added, the words tumbling out of her mouth.
Smooth, her inner voice giggled. Nice way to ask if he's got a wife and kids.
Alec leaned back into the cushions. "No, no one's waiting nervously for me to return. My family—we tend to wander a lot. Sometimes we don't bump into another shifter for weeks at a time, running the rivers and streams."
He studied her with dark, caramel-colored eyes. "So, I guess you're stuck with me for the time being."
Perhaps it was the coffee, but she could have sworn her heart fluttered.
"Ah... I've got the extra room. You're welcome to it, as long as you want." She kept a firm grip on her coffee mug, forcing her pulse rate down. "You said you've got other skills. Aside from changing a tire, what can you do?"
"You'd be surprised." He tilted his head to one side, one edge of his mouth twisting up. "I'm very talented."
The smirk shot right down her spine to her core, the low heat simmering in places she thought she'd forgotten over the past few months.
"You knew enough to make Danny think you really were a family friend." She had to say something to defuse the ticking bomb he'd triggered inside her. "How did you get that information?"
"I've been around this area for a bit." A shadow crossed his face. "Patty used to come down to the water, toss bread in for the ducks."
"And Dad yelled at her for it." Cass hesitated, running back through her memories. "Were you one of the otters I've seen in the river over all these years?"
"One of them. We get around." Alec rolled his shoulders back. "Been hanging about for a decade or so."
She frowned. "How old are you? How long do your people live? Why come around here?"
"Not much longer than humans. And we come because you've got some interesting things down at the bottom of the river." He rubbed his hands together. "I love the shiny things and so do the rest of my family. We stop on by now and then to check on what's been thrown in and what we can dig up." Alec gave her a dazzling smile. "Let me tell you what we've found…"
Cass rocked back and forth in the chair, wondering what celestial being had decided her life was too boring and decided to toss a hot, handsome man into her life.
Chapter Four
By the end of the first week, she was sure she'd lost her mind.
The regular bar patrons had taken to Alec, finding him a fresh ear for old, ancient stories. While the bar didn't have a kitchen and didn't offer much more than snack food, Alec managed to whip up various tasty mixes with store-bought nuts and cereals, keeping the bowls on the bar filled.
He was also a fast learner—within a few days, he'd memorized most of the mixing lists and could make a great martini for Alice, who came in every day after work for her favorite drink before heading home. The senior licked her lips every time she saw Alec, and Cassie suspected it was for more than just the super dry drink.
The cover story they'd agreed on, that Alec was a friend of the family who had come to pay his respects and decided to hang around for a while, held up. Most of the regulars didn't care, as long as he kept the drinks coming.