Etienne (The Shifters of Shotgun Row Book 1)(42)

I’d been stayin’ with Etienne for most of a week now, and our schedules had been running polar opposite. I still got to see him, snuggle with him, and have some meals together, but tonight was all ours. Neither of us had work the next day, thanks to Gina, and that meant we could let the night go wherever it may lead, and if I had anything to say about it, it was going to lead to mating.

“Sure thing, boss.” Gina gave me a thumbs-up before going back to stacking coffee cups as I walked out of the main area and into the kitchen to give one last look around to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.

Meemaw had been gone since the Bruno incident, and it’d been driving me bonkers, so when she popped in front of me just as I was finished and about to leave, I was more relieved than anything.

“Scared the poop outta me.” I wanted to hug her so badly. “I’ve been missin’ ya.”

“I had things needed a doin’, sweetheart.” She was looking to the side of me as I spoke, and I followed her eyes, half expecting to see another ghost, but seeing nothing of interest instead. She was just avoiding looking right at me, which meant she was hiding something. Some things even death didn’t change, and dimes to dollars, she believed it was for my own good.

“Care to add some details?”

“Not so much.” She looked back to me. “Where are you off to?”

“Going to Etienne’s.” I almost said “home” and caught myself just as the words formed on my lips. I might technically be a guest there, but no part of it felt like I was anywhere but home, not even the lack of real cookware.

“Moved on in, I see.” She winked as she spoke.

Meemaw always could see far more than I intended her to, especially about my personal life. It still creeped me out the way she infused innuendo into her simple comment. Just no.

“Ewww, can you not?”

“No mating mark, though.” She pointed to my neck before tapping her chin with her pointer finger. “Hmm, unless it is someplace hidden.”

“Are you trying to make me blush?” Or die. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“Looks like I’m succeeding.”

“It’s not like it’s hard.” I cringed at my use of the word hard in this context. Great, now everything was sounding like sex in this conversation—with my grandmother. “And yeah, Etienne is mine, but there’s no mark yet.”

“Cold feet? You could do worse than a gator.”

“My feet are toasty, thank you very much.” As was everything else before I started having that conversation with my grandmother. “And the discussion is officially over.”

As if on cue, I heard a car door slam right near the back door.

“That sounds like him.” Meemaw smirked.

“It is. I should go.” I always hated saying goodbye to her, never knowing which time would be the last time and knowing it was near.

“Wait. I wanted to tell you something. I wasn’t just here to shoot the breeze.”

“Meemaw?” I scowled, wishing she had spoken up earlier.

“Ignoring you.”

The door opened and Etienne came in and must’ve realized I was in the middle of something because he came up behind me, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me back to him, but spoke not a word.

“I came to tell you not everything you see is as it appears.”

“What does that even mean?” It was nice to be able to talk to her with someone else in the room. Not as nice as if we all could have a conversation together, but it was still freeing.

“It means what I said. I shouldn’t even tell you that much.” She looked to Etienne and back at me with a smile. What was that about?

“And why not?”

“Reasons.” Her favorite I’m not gonna tell you ever. “Quit ignoring your mate.”

“My mate can wait. Finish.”

“Your mate can wait what?” Etienne asked, his curiosity finally getting the best of him.

“Sorry, I was just talking to—” And just like that she poofed away. “Stinker dinks. She’s gone.”

“I didn’t mean to scare her off.”

“You didn’t. She was just all weird.” I rolled in his arms so I was now facing him. “I’m mad at you.”

“Why is that?” He spoke into my ear. Oh, he knew where I was going with my faux anger.

“You’ve been here over thirty seconds and have yet to kiss me properly.”

His lips took mine, and all was right with the world.

Home.

Mine.

Love.





Etienne

“I have a surprise for you,” I said after she’d thoroughly studied my lips with hers.

“A surprise? Like bigger than the ‘I turn into a gator’ one?”

I had to show her my gator one day. Maybe if she saw how massive he was, she’d stop picking on me about it.

I bent down once again, grabbed her hips, pulling them into mine, and whispered in her ear. “No, I’m trying to woo my female. Tonight is our night. I’m trying to be a good Southern boy here. Besides, I want you willing and ready after tonight’s over.”

A moan burst from her lips as I finished speaking, and I took the moment to suck on her earlobe and pumped my pelvis against hers, making sure she felt how ready I already was for her.