the
conversation with her father had been a dream. The supernatural
part of this mess was just a figment of her imagination. Mitch was
real. The kidnapping attempt had been real. But the
other…
It would explain a lot, though, she realized.
Her excellent eyesight and hearing. Her nighttime vision was much
better than those around her, and she always seemed to hear things
several seconds before others. Her sense of smell tended to be on a
par with pregnant women. She was also surprisingly strong for her
size—nothing superhuman, but she shocked people with the things she
was physically capable of doing. Being half tiger might also
explain her affinity for big cats, particularly tigers, and that
elusive something that drew her to the magnificent
animals.
But ordinary humans had that kind of draw to
certain animals, too. There was no reason to think there was
anything unusual about her connection to cats.
Her excellent senses were a little harder to
explain. Until now, she’d never thought much about them. None were
so extraordinary that they hinted at a link to a supernatural
creature. None of her differences were so extreme they made this
shapeshifter business believable.
So why the hell did she believe it?
Groaning, she dropped her head against the cool
window pane. What was she going to do? She had no idea how to deal
with these revelations. She wasn’t used to not knowing what to do.
The sensation was awful.
Straightening, she shook her arms and then
stretched them over her head until her spine popped, trying to work
out some of the building tension. First things first. Bathroom,
shower, and food. Then she and Mitch would come up with a plan. She
needed it to direct her through the next few days. With direction,
she could cope. Maybe in time, she’d learn to come to terms with
the truth about her mother. But that could happen later. Right now,
she just needed to take the next step and survive for another
day.
By the time she got downstairs, Mitch was
already in the kitchen. “Something smells good,” she
said.
He turned when she spoke and smiled. Nila’s
body reacted with a sharp thrust of lust. Her every nerve jumped
with need and anticipation. For a moment, all she could do was
stare. Early afternoon sunshine poured in through the windows, the
light bringing out the sharp hazel color of his eyes and the broad
cut of his features. He wore a t-shirt and jeans, nothing
particularly special, but on his exquisite physique, the simple
outfit was sexier than anything she’d ever seen a man wear. Her
stomach tightened as a wave of awareness moved through her.
Tingling chills covered her skin.
Get a grip, she told herself, breathing slowly
through her nose. It’s not the first time you’ve seen a handsome
man.
Though she had to admit, she’d never met anyone
quite as attractive as Mitch. She wasn’t sure very many of them
existed in the world.
“ Are you hungry? I had some egg
substitute in the freezer and the basics for an omelet. Not nearly
as good without cheese, but I’m afraid it’ll have to do. There’s
bacon, which I know you don’t want but I’m having some, and since I
left a loaf of bread in the freezer, we even have
toast.”
“ I’m starved,” she said as she
leaned against the counter, remaining outside the open kitchen.
Safer to keep some distance between them.
“ Did the shower help with your
jetlag?” he asked without looking at her.
“ Felt great. So did brushing my
teeth.” She kept her toothbrush in her carry-on backpack
thankfully. “Could have used a change of clothes, but washing off
the grubby long haul travel feeling was nice.”
He flashed her a grin over his shoulder. “Sorry
I don’t have anything here that would fit you. We can stop for
fresh clothes on the way to our next stop.”
She nearly groaned in relief. “Thank you. I
really missed my duffle bag when I got out of the shower. Mostly,
it was filled with dirty clothes, but there were at least a few
clean