Free Astrid Cielo by Begging for Forgiveness (Pinewood Creek Shifters) Page A

button and quickly filled in the necessary information, then he sat back
in the computer chair as though he'd run a marathon.   And maybe he had.   That night had changed him
and not for the better.  
    "Andrew?"
    He looked up at
Miranda and sighed.   She had that worried
look on her face again.   This was going
to be painful.
    "Yeah,
sis."
    "What's up
with you?"
    "What do
you mean?"   Evasiveness was the best choice he told himself.
    Miranda's eyes
widened and she waved her hands in the air.   "What do I mean?   Andrew,
you've not been yourself since you arrived, and I thought...well, I thought you
and Aspen were getting a little close, but now that's not an option...is it
that?"
    Andrew closed
his eyes.   Aspen was beautiful.   Pale skin, black hair that framed a heart
shaped face, and a wonderful personality...at least when she wasn't so damn sad
it hurt, but he knew she wasn't the one for him.   She wasn't his mate, and truthfully he saw
her as more of another sister than a potential...wife or mate.
    "I never
saw her like that, sis.   We were just
friends."
    Miranda
propelled herself to sit on the desk and her brown eyes stared into his
own.   It was like she was reading his
soul and all his failures were there for her to see.
    "Look, I know
something is wrong and you know I won't let up until you tell me, so why don't
we just save ourselves some time."
    Andrew shook his
head.   Dammit she was right.
    "I'm not
ready, Miranda, not by a long shot."
    "Well, when
you are, then you know exactly where I'll be."
    Andrew nodded
but didn't smile.   Miranda would know how
fake it was if he did.  
    "Well, I've
got to go pick up my dress," she rubbed her abdomen, "had to have it
let out since the bump is beginning to show."
    Andrew nodded
and Miranda left him.   Too bad his
nightmares hadn't left as well.

 
 
 
     

 
 

Chapter 8

 
    Aspen
settled into the bathtub and sighed.   There was nothing like a bubble bath after a long day--even if it wasn't
as hot as she'd like, but she had a baby to think about.   She didn't know where Gunner got all his
energy, but if he was anything to judge by, then she was in for one wild ride
with her own son.
    She
rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes.   She had work tomorrow and she needed to
finalize all the food orders.   Then she
needed to come up with a summer dinner dish that would bring more business
during the summer months.   Something with a citrusy or grilled taste.   Definitely pineapple.  
    Hands
captured her feet and she jumped nearly falling beneath the surface of the
water.   She opened her eyes to find
Skylar smiling sheepishly.
    "Sorry,
I thought you'd have heard me."
    "Well,
I didn't and you walk like a serial kill... ohhhh my!"
    Strong
fingers dug into her instep and she forgot everything but the male bringing
such ecstasy to her feet.
    "Now
I know how to end an argument."
    Aspen
half-heartedly splashed water at Skylar and moaned when he moved to her ankle
and calf.
    "Tell
me how you and Xavier met."  
    Aspen
leaned back against the tub once more and waited.   Skylar's hands stopped and Aspen looked back
at him.
    "I
just want to know more about you guys. I don't know the first thing...well, I
don't know much.   Hell, I don't even know
your last names."
    Skylar
sighed.   "It's not exactly the
happiest tale--I mean, don't get me wrong I love Xavier, but, well-"
    Aspen
leaned forward and cupped Skylar's cheek.
    "Please?   I want to know."
    Skylar
nodded his lips pressed into a thin line.
    "I
was working a case in south Mississippi when a scent caught my atten -"
    "Wait,
you were working a case?   What exactly do
you do?"
    "I'm
an agent with the Shifter Council's Human/Shifter relations department.   We have two main goals, maintain our secret
and protect humans from shifters who would do them harm."
    "Okay...so
you and a scent?"
    "Right.   I was running in wolf form in the woods
looking for clues about a string of