Read Online Hour of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy #1) by Cherise Sinclair - Free Book Online Page B

pulling him to her like a dog on a leash. Odd that a human‘s scent could be so attractive.
    However, he really had overstepped the bounds of politeness. ―I‘m very sorry, ma‘am.‖
    She made a sound in the back of her throat, almost a growl. ―Call me Vicki. You make it hard to stay pissed off, you know.‖
    ―There‘s a mercy. I‘m Alec.‖ He took her tray and set it onto the bar, then patted his newly acquired stool. ―Take a break. Give your feet a rest.‖
    ―In this crowd? Fat chance.‖
    After glancing at the orders on her tray, he slid the tickets down the bar to his brother.
    Calum gave him a narrow-eyed look, but held silent.
    ―It‘ll take him a few minutes to make those fancy wine coolers up,‖ Alec said. ―Must be from that bunch of yuppies by the window.‖
    ―Dead on.‖ She eyed the stool with such longing it broke his heart. Forgetting she wasn‘t Jamie, he moved to pick her up and set her there. She knocked his arms away with a pair of hard cross-blocks.
    ―Ow.‖
    She winced. ―I‘m sorry. My ribs are sore, and… I didn‘t mean—‖
    ―Who beat you up?‖ The words escaped before he could recall them, and damn, he hadn‘t even had a beer yet to act so addle-pated.
    She slid onto the barstool slowly, obviously stalling. ―No one. I was clumsy and had a bad fall.‖
    Sure she did. ―Now I don‘t mind being told, ‗That‘s none of your business.‘ But I‘ve been a cop a long time, and the one thing I truly hate is being lied to.‖
    Flushing, she turned away.
    Having made a bit of a study of liars, he appreciated that she didn‘t protest her innocence like a chronic liar would do. ―Thank you, Ms. Vicki,‖ he said softly.
    She shrugged, set up her tray with the new drinks, and waded back into the crowd.
    As he watched, she dispensed the glasses, each to the correct person, and took more orders.
    Her gaze danced across the room, the tables, and he could see her calculating who needed a drink, who to check on next. He‘d known from the quickness of her responses to him that she was smart, but now, he realized she was cannier than he‘d figured.
    He frowned. The expert fighting skills Calum had mentioned weren‘t easily acquired and showed she had discipline and determination. Apparently she hadn‘t been anxious about getting a job. She had no family here.
    What‘s she doing in Cold Creek?
    * * *
    After locking the cash into his safe, Calum walked back into the main room. Almost done for the night. Only the little human waitress remained.
    She‘d managed her first day quite nicely. As he wiped down the bar, she picked up the last few glasses from the fireplace mantle. Moving rather stiffly, wasn‘t she? He felt a twinge of guilt. He‘d had her start on the busiest day of the week. Then again, she‘d been invaluable. Rosie couldn‘t have kept up. The waitress had staggered out an hour ago, muttering about retirement in her rough voice.
    Calum drew two beers and cleared his throat. When she turned, he said, ―Let us celebrate your first successful evening. Come.‖ He led the way to the fireplace. A fire elemental lay curled on the glowing coals. The salamander looked up hopefully, but Calum shook his head slightly.
    He wouldn‘t be adding more wood this late.
    After setting their drinks on the table, he sat on one couch.
    She took the couch across from him and picked up her beer. ―This is a nice way to end a busy evening.‖
    ―Indeed. After this much activity, it can be hard to settle.‖ He studied her before taking a drink. ―Have you been a waitress before?‖
    ―Oh, I‘ve tried my hand at some of everything,‖ she said lightly. She had a low voice like brushed silk, pleasant to the ear.
    And he could recognize evasion when he heard it. Would she recognize persistence? ―Are you a native of our state?‖
    Her eyes narrowed a little. ―‗Fraid not. I was an ambassador‘s brat. Lots of states, lots of countries, lots of homes.‖
    ―That‘s a hard life