He held her hand whenever possible.
For the next six hours, as she took him all over the mountainside, ate their picnic lunch and explored town, Tyler listened and made the appropriate responses. His company was lovely and enjoyable, but it was the sweet caress of his thumb over her knuckles at unexpected moments that made Caroline’s heart keep up a constant flutter.
Out of the public eye, like when they’d been admiring the city from the high lookout, he’d stood close and wrapped an arm around her. Sat beside her and uncapped her water bottle when it got stuck. Nuzzled his lips against her hair and basically acted swoon-worthy.
Once they hit town he’d become a little more distant, putting on what she was beginning to recognize as his “formal face”. She could understand the need—they weren’t alone. They weren’t in a vacuum, and he had an image to uphold that he’d probably set on fire just being with her. They met bears in the museum, in the bookstore. Everywhere they wandered men in formal suits and ladies in expensive clothing stopped Tyler to chat for a few minutes.
She joined in when necessary, but otherwise watched. Listened. Admired Tyler working magic on his peers. He had a way with them, making each clan feel as if he knew their specific needs and how he could help them move to the next step.
Caroline wondered if appreciating his politicking skills made her twisted.
They were headed back to the Moonshine Inn when she recognized yet another couple walking toward them from the previous evening’s gala. Both eyed Tyler’s casual jeans with something close to shock.
Shock, maybe even disgust. She swore the gentleman sniffed as he glanced her over, but spoke to Tyler. “Harrison. Enjoying your free day, I see.”
“As I hope you are.” His outside might not look as shiny as they expected, but Tyler’s manners remained impeccable as he bowed slightly to the lady of the pair. “Mrs. Nakusp. Did you receive your invitation for tomorrow from Caroline yet?”
Lynn, that was it.
“You need anything, Lynn, you be sure to let me know,” Caroline offered. “If you don’t have a swimsuit with you, I can recommend a wonderful shop here in town.”
Tyler squeezed her fingers in warning. Caroline kept her smile to polite levels instead of grinning like a banshee.
“Oh, that would be lovely.” Lynn twisted toward her husband. “If you don’t mind.”
Mr. Nakusp had continued to make a thorough examination of Tyler and Caroline, especially their linked hands. He looked partly repelled, partly intrigued. At Lynn’s words, however, he shook himself and faced her, his body and voice softening as he answered. “Of course I don’t mind.”
Caroline gave directions, and the two couples parted, headed in opposite directions.
“You are damn good at that.” Tyler guided her around a crowd gathered outside a coffee shop.
Underestimated again? “I’ve worked in customer service for years, what did you expect?”
He stopped, and she had to pause as well, since he still had her fingers trapped in his. “That wasn’t a negative comment. I’m seriously impressed. You’ve been marvelous all afternoon. Thank you.”
“Mr. Nakusp didn’t seem to know if I was a pet of some kind or not.” Caroline shrugged, deciding to ignore it like everything else she had no control over in the shifter world. She pulled out a set of keys and shook them. “You want to sneak into the hotel the back way?”
Tyler tugged her against him, right there in the street. “I don’t want to sneak anywhere with you. I want to walk right out in the open. Are you not getting that?”
Whoa. “Where did this grumpy attack come from?”
He glared, then stepped away, their hands separating. “Never mind.”
Caroline resisted rolling her eyes.
A squeal of excitement rang from her right, and Caroline looked up in the nick of time to brace herself before being tackled by her sister.
Caroline squeezed Shelley tight before a low growl warned her to check on her boyfriend.
Sure enough, he’d misunderstood and overreacted, probably to protect her.
“Oh, Tyler.”
She released Shelley and swung to the side where Shelley’s partner had Tyler smashed against the wall. She bet it wasn’t often Tyler ended up at a physical disadvantage, not with his considerable size. Only appearances were tricky things in shifters…
Caroline glanced around the lobby quickly, relieved no humans were in sight. “Hi, Chase. This is my new boyfriend, Tyler Harrison. Tyler, that’s my sister’s beau.”
Tyler’s eyes were wide as he stared at the massive cougar paw pinning him in position. The rest of Chase remained human, his short blond hair standing in a spiked mess, his expression focused and firm. Only his arm had shifted into the cougar that was one of his animals.
“Caroline.” Chase held out his other hand and squeezed her shoulder in greeting. “Your new boyfriend seems stupider than your last. I don’t know that he’s an upgrade.”
“Chase, don’t be rude.” Shelley stepped in front of Tyler and examined him, tilting her head to the side as she considered. “I think he’s cute.”
Good grief. Caroline hoped Tyler wasn’t about to explode with frustration before she could fix this mess. “People, can we take this somewhere private? With all body parts human and accounted for?”
Chase pulled away and obediently put all his bits and pieces back to fully human. Tyler moved immediately to place an arm around Caroline’s shoulders.
She bit her lip and stared at the ceiling, attempting desperately not to start laughing because if she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop. “Come on, we can visit in Tyler’s suite.”
Light conversation carried on around them as they made their way to the upper floor.
The living space of the suite seemed overly full, but that might have been because four Alpha males occupied the close quarters. Justin had been waiting for them, a smirk on his face as he unlocked the door then retreated into the room. Evan sauntered in right before Caroline could shut the door, his satisfied grin making her fingers itch to whack him a good one. Which she wouldn’t do in public out of respect, but it didn’t make the urge any less tempting.
“You haven’t had enough interfering, I take it.” She closed the door more firmly than needed.
Evan patted her shoulder as he passed. “Hey, no need to get snippy. I’m not judging or saying anything about outdoor sexual escapades.”
Of course, that’s the moment everyone else chose to be silent, so Evan’s words echoed through the room.
Caroline twisted to examine her companions. Five sets of eyes stared back with various levels of amusement in them. Two bears—Tyler and Justin. Two wolves—Evan and her sister. A crossbreed cougar/wolf in Chase, and her, the lone human. Once again.
Fuck it.
She waved a hand at Justin behind the bar. “I need a margarita. You know how to make one?”
Tyler paced to her side. “We haven’t had dinner yet.”
His fingers slipped into hers, and she sighed. His attention was lovely, but her sister’s expression, and Evan’s, and all the rest of it made her tired. Too many explanations, too many questions.
Her life had become far too complicated.
“Sit down. I’ll order dinner then us guys will stay way over here, minding our own business while you say hi to your sister.” Evan grabbed the phone. “Justin? Make my margarita a beer.”
“You got it.”
Shelley patted the couch beside her. “Come on. Ignore them and tell me what’s happening. Shaun was
