Free Tangling With Topper by Donna McDonald

in?”
    Topper put a teabag in her favorite mug and turned back to face them. She avoided Stark’s gaze, afraid of seeing humor there. She would laugh and that would tell Theo far more than a sultry glance would. The only time she laughed at a man was when she was mind wiping one.
    Theo frowned and took a sip of his coffee. “Actually, what we came up with was something scarier. If the beeberg caught a shifter in its animal form, it could go after it for a host. Stark seems to think that may be why we haven’t found her yet. He thinks maybe she’s got her eye on a shifter and is just waiting for the right opportunity.”
    Topper drew in a startled breath. The possibility hadn’t even occurred to her. No one in Magic thought of shifters as animals—not really. “We need to put out a no shifting ban until the creatures have all been located and caught.”
    “Agreed,” Theo said, rising from his chair. “I’m heading back to the office to do that right now. I’ll let you both know if I hear anything else. Finish making your tea, Topper. I know my way out. Stark—see you later.”
    “Of course, Sheriff.” Stark bowed his head to acknowledge being included in the farewells.
    Theo paused in the doorway. “I still haven’t heard from Alfred. Can you run by and check on him? He’s probably back in his fish bowl, but that would be good to know. I’d go myself, but I figured since you and Stark would be out and about…”
    “Fine,” Topper said. “I’ll check on him today.”
    “Thanks,” Theo said, once again heading to the door.
    She and Stark said nothing more until they’d heard his truck start up and pull away.
    ***
    When the tea kettle whistled, Topper poured the water over her tea bag. She carried it to the table and took Theo’s vacated, but still warm seat.
    “What happened between you and Theo?” she asked.
    Stark felt one corner of his mouth lift. “Males on your planet are very similar to mine. Now that your sheriff feels we are working together, he is no longer threatened by my power as much. However, the peace between us might have been jeopardized if the fire breather had suspected you’d spent the night in my bed.”
    “One of many reasons why I always slept with men who didn’t live around here,” Topper ground out, blowing on her tea to cool it. “Well, I’m glad Theo feels better about you being in Magic. His improved opinion still doesn’t change what we have to do though.”
    Stark nodded in agreement. “Nor does it change how I feel about what happened last night.”
    Topper took a sip and burned her tongue. She was always doing that, too impatient to wait for it to cool to a drinking temperature. “I guess that is true for me as well.”
    The silence between them grew and Topper let it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to talk about last night or not. But obviously Stark did.
    “I must ask this question. Do you now regret giving yourself to me?”
    Topper sipped her tea. Now that she’d burned her tongue, the hot liquid didn’t bother her so much. She looked at Stark over her cup—met his direct gaze.
    “I don’t regret the first couple of times, but the last two or three took their toll on my older female body. I’m surviving this morning, just maybe walking a little funny. Theo didn’t seem to notice, which makes me think no one else will. The dragon misses nothing.”
    Stark rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sure the answer I seek was in that explanation, but I failed to hear it. Let me rephrase—did I harm you in my enthusiasm for you last night?”
    Topper snickered. His concerns about her always made her laugh. She just wasn’t sure why. “No, Stark. You didn’t harm me. I’m just not twenty, so your enthusiasm has me aching in places that I forgot existed. I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.”
    She swallowed hard when Stark reached out and picked up her hand. He brought her fingers to his lips. He was so gallant. Once again she wondered about how