Island Stripe Pride - Chapter 49: Chapter 49

OMFG. He’s gonna kiss me.
Amber eyes dropped to her mouth, but his face was closed off, void of emotion. Like he was still unsure of his feelings, and maybe he was. She couldn’t blame him.
Toni had dealt Carter a horrible hand when they were younger. Her father was dead now, and the reasons for her trespass seemed so far away. She wondered why she’d ever believed her old man, but it was too late, and no amount of regret would allow her to change the past.
Hell, she should’ve told him to fuck off. She should have run away to be with her heart’s desire, but she’d been so very young. Too dumb and naive to understand the ruthless game her father had been playing. It didn’t matter now. The past was in the past. But her heart still swelled at the sight of Carter Marrow.
After all this time, he was here, and he looked like he was two seconds from kissing the hell out of her. Toni could not think. She didn’t have time to. All she could manage was a whimper and a sigh as his tongue slid into her mouth and his lips crushed hers. Carter cupped her face with one hand, using the other to slide around her back. He pulled her close, bending her backwards as he devoured her mouth.
She’d been kissed before in her adult life, but never like this. Of course not. There was never anyone for her but him. Her heart thudded like a drum at a heavy metal concert, and she felt like she was flying. She held on to him, her nails digging into his biceps, but he did not seem to mind.
Carter moaned into her mouth, like the sound was dragged from him against his will. He pulled her closer, and she went willingly. She would follow him anywhere he led during this tempestuous exchange. And elsewhere if she were being truthful with herself.
“Good morn--- Oh!”
Carter released her and turned to face Gary, her untimely employee with a snarl. The poor guy squeaked and ran to the break room. Toni would have giggled if she could think. As it were, she was breathing like she’d just hiked a mountain.
He turned his head and looked at her, his eyes glowing gold with his Tiger. She’d never seen a more stunning man in all her life. He was so big, so impossibly good looking. She liked his shaved head, his tattoos, the arrogant nose, and plump lips. Carter pulled her upright, gently. Ever so gently. Then he stepped back.
Her wee beastie whined. As a Cottontail, Toni had a myriad of sounds and noises that ranged from honking and snarling when annoyed to purring when content. Her furry half had been purring up a storm when she’d been in Carter’s arms. She resented the distance between them, and so did her human half.
Mate.
Her breath caught in her chest as the softly whispered word entered her brain. She’d been in love with the man forever, but her Bunny wasn’t positive he was hers at least, she’d never said it aloud. Not until just then.
“Um, I, uh, better check on Gary,” Toni said, straightening her chef’s coat and hurrying past him.
Fucking hell.
What was she supposed to do now? That kiss was promising, but it didn’t mean anything to him. Did it? Most likely, he was using her. Getting as bit of payback, isn’t that what they called it?
“Gary?” she called, walking into the break room.
The rabbit was fumbling with his apron and stuffing his small drawstring bag into his locker. He wouldn’t look at her and appeared upset. Dang it. She’d known about his crush, but Toni had not thought anything about it. It was natural, wasn’t it? For an employee to start crushing on his or her boss from time to time.
It had happened before with the summer college kids, but she’d always kept it professional and light. Somehow, she must have missed something, but she would put it to rights. Gary was a good kid, but he was just an employee.
“Yeah?” he snapped.
“You okay?”
“I am fine.”
“Good. You know, about what you just saw, there’s history there.”
“It’s none of my business, Toni. I just work here,” he said and started to walk past her.
“Gary, you don’t just work for me. We’re pals, right?” Toni tried to get him to look at her, but he wouldn’t. Sigh. Stubborn buck.
“Sure. Pals.” Gary repeated and moved away.
He passed Carter without so much as a glance, and the big man raised his eyebrows and turned to her. She saw the question before he spoke it, but just shook her head. Rabbits had big ears.
Crap.
She hated feeling like she’d disappointed the younger man, but that was not her main issue. Nope. It was the six and a half foot tall Tiger staring at her like she was a big juicy steak, and he was starved.
Gulp.
“So, where do you want me?” Carter asked.
In my bed. Preferably naked.
Gulp.
“Uh, how do you mean?”
“Well, I’m assuming we need to hustle to get everything together by Friday. That’s when the first groups will be arriving. There will be an informal dinner, and snacks. The next day we’re scheduled for breakfast, then meetings and conferences, an outdoor barbecue lunch, and that evening there is a formal dinner, a black-tie event. Sunday usually ends with a brunch for all parties before they take off.”
“Oh,” she said, making plans in her head. “Let me just call Mara to come in. You’re right, we’ll have to take the catering truck to the restaurant supply store and a few local farms. They won’t be able to deliver on such short notice.”
“Great,” he replied. “Keys?”
“What makes you think you’re driving?” she asked, one eyebrow raised, but Carter just stood there his hand extended.
“Fine. They’re by the back door,” she huffed and rolled her eyes.
She called Mara who agreed to come in. That day’s special was grilled chicken and Toni could prep the cutlets for her sister to handle easily enough. Once that was finished, she turned to tell Gary she was leaving, but Carter was deep in conversation with the younger male who seemed to beam as a result of all the Tiger’s attention.
Toni understood the feeling. Carter had always had the ability to make those around him feel good. It was a gift most natural born leaders had, though he swore time and again he was no Alpha. Though loners in the wild, Tiger Shifters flourished in groups called Prides. She knew all about Shifter hierarchy, though predators tended to base theirs on dominance and strength whereas prey animals, like Cottontails, relied on cunning and stealth. Rabbits could be every bit as vicious as Tigers. She knew from experience. But it was surprising to see a male such as he, offering praise and advice to the young buck.
“Wow. Thanks, Carter, I get it now,” Gary was saying as Toni strolled in.
She’d changed swiftly from her chef’s pants and coat to a pair of clean leggings and a t-shirt bearing the Any Time Eats logo that she’d had stashed in the office. Both men looked at her guiltily, and she snorted.
Idiots.
“Ready?” she asked after telling Gary to expect Mara any minute to take over the cooking duties of the day.
She owed her sister one, big time. But if this event went off without a hitch, it would lead to more bookings, and just maybe, they could finish the year in the black. Of course, spending time with Carter was a bonus.
“Yup,” Carter replied, and her silly heart soared.
Easy girl, he’s not staying forever, she gently scolded her inner Bunny.
But the animal was not hearing any of that as Carter lifted her into the truck with sure hands on her waist. He paused a moment, his large thumbs caressing the hint of skin that peeked out from beneath her shirt. Toni had better be careful, or she was liable to lose her heart to the Tiger.
Again.
“Okay, let’s talk food,” she said, trying to clear the air between them as he started the vehicle.
“I am not too particular about the menu. We’re Shifters, cutie, we eat everything. Just make sure there’s enough,” he offered plainly.
“Not particular, huh? Well, I am. And since I am the chef here, I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Okay by me. First stop?”
“Let’s go to Jefferson’s Poultry Farm,” she said, and loaded the address into the GPS.
He would be the easiest to deal with, she knew from experience. A Shifter himself, he’d have exactly what she needed, and he would deliver straight to the lodge too.
“How many turkeys and chickens did you order?” Carter asked, scratching his head as he tried to decipher the handwritten receipt.
An impossible task if ever there was one. She snorted and rolled her eyes, making notes on her phone. She already ordered an emergency shipment of beef triple the size of what she used in a month for this gathering. After all, Verona Falls was tiny in comparison and the Shifter traffic a fraction of the groups attending the event.
“Enough to feed a couple hundred Shifters,” was her reply, grabbing the paper.
“If you say so,” he grunted.
They drove to the farmers’ market next where Toni ordered enough fresh veg to satisfy even the most expert herbivore palate. End of summer meant she could make her special caponata with eggplant, plum tomatoes, garlic, onions, celery, capers, fresh herbs, plenty of black pepper and salt, and her homemade agrodolce sauce. Paired with freshly sliced and toasted baguettes, it was sure to be a hit.
They strolled through the huge restaurant warehouse, and she was once again taken aback by how easy it was just to be with him. Carter had offered to help a fellow customer wrestle a couple of cases of oil onto his cart, something that was easy for the Shifter, but he had to remain careful in front of the humans.
The older man was grateful, and Carter was soon back at her side. She’d almost forgotten how thoughtful he was or how kind he could be. She’d been taught all her life that predators and prey didn’t mix. Her father had hated them all with a passion that was beyond her understanding.
“We’ve evolved into something to be admired and respected, but not them. Predators are nothing but animals.”
She wasn’t so foolish as to think all Shifters were as free thinking and accepting as she was. Personally, Toni did not give a flying rat’s ass what a person was, what they ate, or what side of the bed they slept on. Actions spoke louder than words regardless of species, race, gender, creed, sex, orientation, height, weight, and whatever the fuck else folks wanted to separate themselves by.
She was more concerned with how a person treated others than all the other stuff. If someone treated others with, at the minimum, respect then that was good enough for Toni. She reserved judgement until such a time as a person’s actions contradicted their statements. Braggards, liars, and overall dickheads were on her list of people to avoid.
“Hey, are you here with me?” Carter had paused in front of her, his expression priceless. She’d been standing in the aisle for who knew how long, waiting for his return.
“Yeah, sorry.” Toni’s mind had been wandering, and she blushed at his gentle reproach.
“Alright, let’s knock off everything else on this list, then we can get this stuff back to the lodge. I had a text from Bradley and the poultry delivery has already arrived.”
“Okay, sounds good,” she said, determined to get things done.
Carter was rattling her nerves, but she shouldn’t start building castles out of clouds. Whatever her feelings were towards the big, sexy Tiger, he was not hers no matter how her inner Bunny snarled and hissed at the thought.
His life was in Manhattan, hers was here. It would not work out. Logistics and all. She just wished her heart was that easily convinced.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, cutie pie?”
“Who me? Not a thing, Heathcliff,” she said, using another cartoon cat name on him. Carter growled and tugged on her long braid.
“Why don’t you wear it down?”
“Can’t when I’m cooking.”
“You’re not cooking now,” he observed.
“I know, but I’m working, and it will just get in the way. I suppose I should cut it, but I can’t bring myself to do that just yet. What do you care how I wear my hair?” she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t cut it, Toni,” he murmured, pulling her by the hand until her body was flush with his tall, hard one.
“Carter,” she whimpered, falling under his spell with alarming ease and speed.
“I have this dream of you in my bed with that platinum curtain on your head fanned out across my pillow,” he whispered, dropping a quick hard kiss on her lips.
Dammit.
It wasn’t enough, but he was already pulling back, turning down the aisle as if he hadn’t just kissed her in the middle of the store in front of the whole dang world. She was so not a happy camper just then, and neither was her Bunny.