Blackstone Ranger Charmer - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,7

as she looked up into sky-blue eyes.

How long she stood there—mouth hanging open, saying nothing, book slammed up against his chest—she wasn’t sure. But it felt like an awfully awkward, awfully long time.

He flashed her a smile that made him look even more handsome.

Oh my God, he has dimples, she groaned to herself, because of course he did. When the good Lord showered the world with all the good-looking genes, his parents must have gone outside with buckets in their hands.

“Uh, hi,” he said. “Nice …” He glanced around, his gaze immediately dropping to the statue guarding the front door of her trailer. “Nice gnome.”

Chapter Three

Gabriel wanted to smack himself in the head. Nice gnome? Smooth, Russel. Real smooth.

But he didn’t know what to do or say because how were you supposed to talk to your mate?

Shock was an understatement to describe how he’d felt at that moment when his lion recognized her as his mate. It roared at him to claim her. Even as she backed away from him, it only excited that raw, primal part of him.

But then he sensed real fear in her—and that just wouldn’t do.

He needed her, to see her, know her. Why was she afraid of them? Why did she hide behind her dark mane of hair? His lion couldn’t understand it.

When she turned her face to him, he was immediately struck by her clear hazel eyes. Light green with flecks of gold. He could stare at them all day, watch the light play in them. Wondered how they would look when she was happy. Or filled with desire while she was pinned under him.

Then he realized why she was turning away—those webs of scars on her cheeks. Burn scars likely, and he was suddenly filled with sadness because his mate must have endured so much pain. He could only imagine what it was like, and all he wanted to do was reach out and hold her and tell her it was all going to be okay. Wanted to shield her from anything else in the world that could hurt her.

But then she ran away. From him.

Why? His lion roared with fury and confusion.

And frankly, he couldn’t figure it out either. Nor could he figure out what to say to her, so he decided to just continue with the absurdity that was slowly becoming his life. “Um, so, your gnome …”

“Huh?”

He cocked his head at the garden gnome next to the door.

“You mean, Fred?” she asked.

“Fred? That’s his name?” he asked incredulously.

“Is there a problem with Fred?”

“No—I mean, I was thinking he would have some kind of whimsical name. Like … Mr. Peablossom or some shit like that.”

“I’ve never really thought of it.” She crinkled her nose. “He just seemed like a Fred.”

“Have you always had Fred with you?”

“Kinda. I, uh, took him from my last house in Chicago, and he came here with me.”

“So, you’re from Chicago, huh?” he asked. “I’ve never been, but I heard they have good pizzas.”

“Wait a minute … How did you find me?”

There it was again; the fear in her voice. He could almost taste it in the air, and it made his lion mewl in distress.

When he didn’t answer, her dark brows snapped together. “D-did Rosie tell you—”

“No!” he immediately denied. “She wouldn’t do that—not to you. I have my ways.”

Rosie had been furious with him for scaring her away. “Gabriel Russel, what have you done?” she had fumed when she marched into the kitchen and realized Temperance was gone. “You scared my best employee away.”

“I’m sorry,” he had said. “But she’s mine.”

“Yours?” J.D. had asked.

“What are you saying, Gabriel?” Damon chimed in. Gabriel didn’t even realize he and Anna Victoria had joined them in the kitchen.

“She’s my mate.”

Rosie had stood there, shocked. “I had no idea.”

“Please, Rosie,” he had begged. “Tell me where she lives. I need … I need to talk to her.”

The fox shifter had hesitated. “I can’t do that. You know that would be violating her privacy.” She blew out a breath and cocked her head slightly toward the row of employee punch cards next to the clock by the door. “But I’m going to turn around and leave the kitchen, so I won’t see you doing anything you’re not supposed to, like looking at the addresses printed on those cards.”

“Thanks, Rosie,” he had beamed.

It had been easy enough to find her card, since Rosie had mentioned her name, and the cafe didn’t have a lot of workers. Temperance Pettigrew. Sunshine Woods Mobile