“I’m fine,” he lied. “Though I’ll be better once I change and hunt.” He studied his son. Garth made a snuffling sound and moved. Relief flooded Eric. Maybe she was right. Maybe his boy was just teething.
“I’m trusting you with my son.” Even as he spoke, he couldn’t believe what he was saying. He meant it, too, he realized. JJ, his landlord, was one of what his father used to call “good people.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him,” she said, smiling. “We’ll be upstairs. I’ve got the perfect chair.”
“Then let me carry up his diaper bag and portable crib.”
Once everything had been set up, she smiled. “Now go. Run and hunt. I promise you’ll feel much better once you’ve changed. Especially if it’s been a while.”
He nodded and then impulsively kissed her cheek. The instant he did it, he knew he’d made a huge mistake. Wide-eyed, she stared at him, while a rose color suffused her entire face.
Her scent—lavender—lingered on his lips after he moved away. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, and hurried out the door before he did anything even more foolish.
* * *
Cheek still tingling, JJ watched from her window as Eric headed across the clearing toward the woods. With the full moon reflecting on the snow, she could see him outlined clearly, his parka dark against the glowing, magically pure whiteness.
Though she knew he hadn’t meant anything with that casual kiss—on the cheek, no less—every fiber of her body had strained toward him, as if he were a lure she was unable to resist.
Luckily, she’d frozen in place instead of swaying toward him. Her blush had been the only sign of how his simple gesture affected her. Hopefully, he had no idea. Her secret attraction must remain just that—a secret.
Glancing at the still sleeping baby, she sighed. She’d need to be careful with these two. Both of them had the power to come dangerously close to stealing her heart.
Again her gaze drifted back to Eric, who was nearing the edge of the trees. Aching to be with him, she stood there until he vanished into the woods.
Her kind did best with others. They were called The Pack for a reason. But she’d always shape-shifted alone. Maybe it had been her natural reticence, but she hadn’t been up for being around a group of people when she turned human again, battling a fierce arousal. She’d often wondered what it would be like, for curiosity’s sake. She’d heard there were some groups for whom privacy was an option, who were not into random sex with strangers, but she’d always been afraid to take a chance. Though she’d often considered the idea, in the end she knew she did better alone.
Or so she’d told herself. Now, watching a gorgeous hunk of man on his way to shape-shift, she wanted nothing more than to do the same at his side.
Of course, assuming he was Pack. Why wouldn’t he be, when 90 percent of the shifters she knew were wolves? There was no way to find out for sure, unless she accidentally came across him changing. Which was extremely unlikely to occur.
She sighed, unable to keep from imagining him as he transitioned from his animal form back to human. As always happened with their kind, he’d be fully aroused. Her body heated, the desire she’d experienced the night before back in full force.
And then she remembered he’d kissed her on the cheek. The cheek, not the lips. The kind of kiss a man gave to his mother or aunt or sister. Or friend.
That was what they were. Friends. She needed to constantly remind herself of that and she’d be fine.
She must have dozed, sitting in her armchair with a still slumbering Garth next to her. Eric’s tread on her old wooden stairs woke her; no matter how quiet anyone tried to be, the third and seventh steps squeaked.
After pushing herself up and out of her chair, she pulled the door open before he reached it.
“Hey,” he whispered. Even in the shadowy hallway, his blue eyes blazed. As he stepped into her living room, she could feel the satisfaction and coiled up energy rolling off him.
His inner beast had gone quiet. No longer restless, most likely sated by a run and a hunt. “How’d it go?” she asked, even though the question seemed unnecessary.
“It went well,” he said. “Very well. I feel much better. How’s Garth?”
“He slept the entire time you were gone. His color looks good. I checked his temperature one more time and it was the same. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Relief shone in her tenant’s face. “I really appreciate this.”
Mercilessly, she kept her gaze trained on his face, not daring to let it dip below his waist, though she badly wanted to see if his body revealed his certain arousal.
“I’d better go.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “See you tomorrow.”
When he bent to retrieve the portable crib, she got a great view of his nicely shaped backside.
Giving herself a mental slap, she dragged her eyes toward the baby, where they needed to be.
“He’s not moving,” Eric said, panic edging his voice. “JJ, Garth isn’t moving. I don’t think he’s breathing.”
“What?” She reacted without conscious thought, reaching for the infant and lifting him up to pat him soundly on the back. He gasped, his eyes flying open.
And then he let out a cry, a screeching sort of wail, so wonderful she sagged in relief.
“Garth.” Eric snatched him from her. “Baby boy?” Which only made him cry harder.
Trembling with relief, JJ reached into the crib and located the pacifier. She handed this to Eric, who held it to Garth’s mouth. Latching on and suckling wildly, he instantly ceased crying.
“What the heck was that?” Eric asked, bewilderment and panic lacing his voice. “I swear, I put my finger under his nose and he wasn’t breathing.”
“I don’t know.” Privately, she wondered if Eric had imagined it. “He must have been deeply asleep.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “I’m so glad he’s okay.”
“Me, too.” The fierce tone told her how much the man meant it.
Aware she needed to be careful, she took a deep breath. “Earlier, you said he was full-blooded. If so, you know illness wouldn’t kill him.”
“I’m aware.” The shortness of Eric’s answer told her he was angry at himself for overreacting. “And while it’s true such a thing might not kill him, death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen to our kind. Think of a soul trapped in a nonfunctioning body. I’ve seen that before. A fever can cause brain damage.”
Slowly, she nodded. “I haven’t ever thought of it like that.”
“It’s because you’re not a parent.” He had no way of knowing how much those words stung.
All she could do was nod.
“What a night,” he continued. “I’m going take him downstairs now and get the both of us ready for bed.”
Good. Because maybe then she could sit down before her legs gave out from under her.
Apparently, he felt the same way. After jerking his head in a brusque nod, he grabbed the diaper bag and portable crib, then turned and left.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, JJ dropped into her chair, her entire body shaking. Had Eric imagined everything in a moment of overprotective panic, or had Garth really stopped breathing?
Truth be told, she didn’t know. Personally, she tended to lean more toward imagination, because every time she’d checked on him, the baby had been fine.