I took another sip of coffee, studying the way she wrapped her hair up into a ponytail without ever taking her eyes off the screen. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, maybe some eyeliner and lip gloss, and if she had on some kind of pricey perfume, I would’ve noticed it the second I’d entered the coffee shop. My sharp sense of smell hadn’t dulled with the passage of time.
But there was something about her…
I’d already established she wasn’t a regular customer, but if she was in town on vacation, why would she be working so intently? Maybe she was a workaholic. I could relate.
As she sank back into her work, I lifted my mug to take another sip of coffee. Her gaze suddenly flicked up to meet mine. I raised my mug a little in her direction, and she smirked, picking hers up in solidarity.
I chuckled and took another swig. Obviously, I was too damned lonely because instead of losing my shit about the senator’s threat, I was trying to figure out a stranger in a coffee shop.
Maybe I was just getting too old for this bullshit. I’d sacrificed my entire adult life to keeping the lid on the Department of Defense’s research to shield shifters from being exposed and made out to be bloodthirsty, unstable killers. But there was no second-in-command to take over for me. If I gave up now, all those little boys racing around the Sedona Pack Alpha’s ranch would be rounded up and caged for study. Or worse, exterminated.
If humans were scared, genocide became a distinct possibility.
Talking to this woman might assuage some of this curiosity so I could focus on the task at hand. It wouldn’t take long anyway. I got up and took my empty plate to the bussing station, then carried my mug over to the other side of the coffee shop.
I cleared my throat when I reached her small round table, surprised by the way my pulse thrummed. Maybe I was just out of practice but meeting women didn’t usually make me nervous. I’d been so busy for so long that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even had dinner with a woman, let alone had any physical contact.
She looked up from her computer with no trace of a smile. Her eyes were indigo blue, and her high cheekbones were accented with a few freckles. “Can I help you?”
I raised a brow at her apparent annoyance. Maybe I’d misjudged our connection earlier. “I haven’t seen you here before. I thought I’d say hello.” I shook my head, feeling ridiculous, and dropped the front. “I’m actually having a shitty morning and you distracted me from it. So…thanks for that. Sorry for the interruption.”
When I headed for the door, she sighed. I set my mug on the bussing station by the door and reached for the handle.
“Wait.”
I looked back, and she waved me over. When I got to her table, I didn’t take the other chair. “We don’t have to do this. I wasn’t looking for pity.”
She chuckled and gestured to the chair across from her computer. “Please sit. I could use a break anyway.”
“You sure?”
She nodded and closed her laptop. “Yeah.” She picked up her mug. “I’m Rayne, by the way. And you are…”
“Sloan. Miller Sloan.” I shook my head, baffled at my fumbling. Maybe I was more out of practice than I’d realized. “Sorry. I recently retired from the military. Sometimes I forget I have a first name.”
“I thought maybe you were a spy. You know like Bond. James Bond.” Her smile was refreshing, like the desert breeze just before the sunrise.
I chuckled, shaking my head. The grin curving my lips felt foreign. “Sorry to disappoint.”
Silence spread out between us while I tried to figure out what the hell I was doing at this woman’s table. I should be working on a plan to stop Senator Hanson.
She took another sip of her coffee, and I struggled to keep from watching her lips. When she lowered her cup to the table, she cleared her throat. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a Miller before. Is it a family name?”
“My father’s childhood friend was named Scott Miller. He saved my dad’s life when they were in high school so my dad named me after him.” I rested my arm on the table. “I’m guessing you were born on a rainy night?”
“Not exactly.” She laughed and shook her head. “It’s spelled R-A-Y-N-E. My mom just liked the way it looked.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you, Rayne.” And I meant it. I was stone-cold sober and my world was on the verge of imploding, but I didn’t regret stopping by her table. “Are you just passing through Sedona?”
“Something like that.” She picked up her phone and her smile faded. “Hate to break this up so soon, but I’ve got to run to an appointment. It was nice to meet you, Miller.”
I stood while she slid her laptop in a bag and turned off her mouse. She smiled as she straightened up. “I hope your day gets less shitty.”
The corner of my mouth trembled as I bit back a smile. “It’s already improved substantially.”
She grinned. “See you later.”
I actually hoped I would see her again. “Bye, Rayne.”
When she walked out the glass doors, the morning sunlight shone against her red hair. She got into a silver Toyota Prius and drove away.
I shook my head. Enough wasting time. I had to get out to the ranch and talk to Asher. The Alpha of the Sedona Pack needed to brace himself for the coming storm, if it came to that.
I still had a couple cards up my sleeve, but they might not be enough this time.
CHAPTER 2
Rayne
Java Joe’s shrank in the rearview mirror, and I focused on the road ahead. Was I really driving away from a silver fox who was obviously interested in me? Yep. Dammit. This was supposed to be a new start, but I was still struggling to break old habits. Brushing him off was ingrained in me. I’d spent my adult life keeping myself from getting entangled in relationships. They got in the way of my career goals. Or at least that was my excuse.
The truth was a little harder to swallow. After watching my mom struggle to raise me on her own because my dad had walked out before I was born, I had promised myself that I’d never trust a man enough to be a partner. I’d had brief relationships over the years, but at the slightest hint of commitment, I was out the door.
Pushing them away was instinctive now, and I wasn’t sure how to change that.
Oh well. I adjusted my grip on the steering wheel. I probably saved him from heartache anyway. Miller Sloan. He had a strong name. His posture and gait exuded confidence, but his awkward silences made him seem sincere. He obviously didn’t try to pick up women at the coffee shop very often. And his military background meant he thrived on routine so it was no surprise that the cashier had known his order before he’d even stepped up to the counter.
There was a better than good chance he went there at the same time on the same days and placed the same order.
I groaned as I drove toward my vacation rental. Was I seriously profiling this guy? Maybe there was no hope for me. How could I start a new chapter if I couldn’t ever close the old one?
I parked in the driveway and headed inside to get changed. My “appointment” was with a rock-climbing guide. Today I was going to climb the Red Rocks. I was pretty fit, but I’d never tried climbing before, so I’d arranged for a private tour with an experienced climber who could teach me and keep me from breaking any bones. Hopefully.