“Miss Mathers, it’s nice to see you again,” Damon Kincaid said, flashing me a sly smile that reminded me of the snake residing inside him.
“Mr. Kincaid,” I muttered, trying to sound as polite as possible. “I’m sorry, but we’re closed. You’ll have to come back another time.”
“Is that so? Karen said the painting of yours I’ve already purchased would be here after five.” He glanced at his watch, licked his lips, and then lifted his gaze to mine again. “It’s after five, is it not?”
I fought the desire to roll my eyes. Oh, Karen and I were going to have words. She’d set me up. Better yet, she knew me better than she let on. Karen had known I would be late. She’d known I wouldn’t make it here before five to speak with Damon in person so she’d told him to come after.
She was good.
“Then I guess you’re right on time, but unfortunately, I am running late for something important. You’ll have to get a hold of Karen tomorrow. I’m sorry, but I have to go,” I said as I squeezed my way past him, heading toward my vehicle.
“I certainly will, but I am glad I caught you. You’re the person I wanted to speak with anyway,” Damon said, gripping my wrist and bringing me to a standstill. My bear worked her way to the surface at the feel of his touch. I locked eyes with him, knowing she’d made my eyes flash bright. He released me, and a crooked grin sprang to his face. “Relax. I’d like to hire you, Miss Mathers.”
I arched a brow. So, Karen had been right—he did want to commission me for a painting.
“For?” I asked, wondering what he’d ask me to paint.
“A specific piece,” he said, his S sounding heavy as his eyes flashed while his snake surfaced. My bear paced. She’d grown uneasy. Frankly, so had I. “One that requires your special talent to shine through.”
“My special talent?”
Was this his way of telling me he enjoyed my work, but also asking me to step it up a notch for him? Or was he telling me in a roundabout way he knew about my gift?
“I’d like you to paint something for me using your skill of premonition.” His eyes never wavered from mine when he spoke. Instead, his tongue darted out to lick his full lips. It lingered there too long, almost as though he was tasting the air.
My pulse hammered in my ears.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t do those types of commissions,” I said, my throat feeling thick. I took a step toward my SUV, eager to put distance between us, but he blocked me.
Damon’s eyes darkened. “Name your price, Miss Mathers.” He reached into a suit pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. When he unclipped them and began counting, I noticed they were all hundreds.
While naming my price sounded tempting, especially with the sight of so much money in front of me, his whole approach seemed sleazy.
“There is no price, Mr. Kincaid. I don’t do commissions of that type,” I said before sidestepping him and walking to the opposite side of my car. I popped the driver door open and moved to slide behind the wheel.
“Think on it, Miss Mathers,” Damon insisted, his jaw hard set. “I need you to paint a specific picture for me, and I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
“I don’t think so,” I said before closing my door and cranking the engine of my SUV to life.
I pulled away, leaving him in the parking lot of the gallery, staring after me. Our eyes locked in my rearview mirror, and his snake surfaced again. My stomach somersaulted at the sight.
I hoped turning him down hadn’t been a huge mistake.
Chapter Two
The second I passed Earl’s Diner, my stomach twisted and knots the size of my fist formed. My bear nudged me, which I figured was her way of telling me to stop. She was excited to be back. Me, not so much.
All I could think about was how I’d felt when I left.
I cut down the gravel road that led to Gem Creek Campground. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel tight. The only thing that kept my foot on the gas instead of slamming on the brake was Gran. I couldn’t wait to see her, to hug her, and to figure out what the hell was wrong. I hated she’d been so cryptic on the phone. It left too much room for my imagination to run wild.
I glanced at the clock on my dash as I passed by the first cabin. It was after nine. There were lights on inside, but I didn’t stop. Liam, the clan alpha, would understand. He’d know I was eager to get to Gran’s but also eager to avoid his brother Nash. I cut a right at the office and made my way to the three cabins lining the edge of the woods. Two were rentals anyone could book, but the first one—the largest one—was Gran’s.
Warmth centered in my chest at the sight.
I pulled into the driveway and parked behind Gran’s car. My hands remained on the steering wheel, gripping it tight. I drew in a deep breath and then released my grip slowly.
This was it. I was back in Gem Creek.
My gaze traveled to the tiny porch when a light flipped on. I smiled, knowing Gran was about to open the door and greet me. When she did, her smile wasn’t as lively as I’d expected. Instead, it
