Fisher (Prince of Tigers, #3) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,10

was as if they’d been made for each other to be friends.

The knock at her door at midnight made her heart race. Piper wasn’t sure if it was from fear or excitement. As soon as she opened the door, her disappointment was overwhelming. The officer standing there smiled at her.

“Ms. James?” She nodded at him, almost too afraid to find out what he had to say to her. “This gentleman here said he was coming to see you. I was doing my rounds here when I saw him driving slowly around the campground. He seems like a nice fellow, but that doesn’t mean much nowadays.”

“No, I guess not.” Then she saw Fisher standing there beside the officer. “Hello, Fisher. You made good time.”

“I did. Thanks for the instructions. I just forgot which campsite you were in.” She nodded at him. When he smiled, Piper felt it warm her like the sun did on her walks. He turned to the officer. “Thank you for your help, Officer. I might well have scared some campers. That was never my intention when I came here looking for Piper.”

As soon as the men shook hands, Piper felt a connection with the officer. It was immediate and profound. She also knew his wife was missing, having left him several weeks ago, taking their son with her. Looking at Fisher, she wondered how she’d been able to know that.

“Officer Faraday, correct?” The man nodded at Fisher. His eyes were glazed over, his jaw slack, like he was in some sort of trance. “Your son is at the hotel on highway seventy-five going north. Exit thirty-eight in Kentucky. There is a Baymont Hotel there. He’s alone but in good health. Your wife isn’t there—she is dead. She overdosed in the next room with her lover.”

As soon as the connection between Fisher and the officer was broken, Officer Faraday looked slightly confused but otherwise fine. He asked Fisher what had happened.

“You were just telling us about the tip you received just now. Something about your son.” The officer nodded and told them how he needed to go to Kentucky to see if it was true. “Yes, that’s right. Good luck. I’m sure your son is just fine.”

When he left them, Fisher looked at her. His face showed concern. Instead of asking him what had just happened, she moved back so he could come into the camper with her. There was the slightest hesitation on his part, just enough that she was sure he was going to leave her now.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking right now. I don’t even know if I want to know. But I would very much like for you to just come in and be with me. Act as if that didn’t just happen to us both.” Fisher said he could do that, but they would have to talk. “I understand. Just not now. All right?”

Fisher climbed the two steps and entered her home. In that moment, the second that he looked at her while standing in the doorway, she knew Fisher was going to be more to her than just a good friend. Turning her back to him, she told him where the bathroom was, as well as the couch that turned into his bed.

“I’m exhausted. I usually go to bed around ten, so being up this late is unusual for me. So, if you can find everything you need, I’m going to go to bed. Alone. We talked about that too if you’ll remember. I’m not a person that—”

“Piper.” Her teeth hurt when she closed her mouth. Piper knew she was overreacting, babbling too, but she didn’t know what to do. “I’m not going to do anything to harm you. Nor will I take anything from you. I’m your mate, as I’m assuming you figured out. You can rest assured that nothing will happen between us until you’re ready. All right?”

“Yes. But I’m confused.” Fisher told her he was as well. “Bad confused or good confused? Because right now, all I can think about is touching you. Having you wrap me up in your arms and make everything better for me. But another part of me wants to turn you out and leave here before anything more happens.”

Fisher smiled at her, and her already mixed up mind went into overload. Taking a step toward him, Piper put her hands on his shoulders, only then realizing how big of a man he was. As soon as he put his hands on her waist,