The Quiet One

30

Harper awoke to an empty bed, she reached over to Regal's side and it was cold. Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her face and looked around. Where could he have gone? She didn't hear the shower going. Maybe he went downstairs? She got up, snagging the t-shirt Regal had left on the floor, it dropped to her knees covering her body.

"Regal?" she called walking down the stairs. Stopping short she saw him sitting on the couch, staring at his computer perched on the coffee table, he was hunched over and typing a mile a minute. She took him in, his hair was disheveled, his eyes darting back and forth. He painted a very attractive picture, her mate working hard on his computer to get to the bottom of who was threatening her.

"Regal," she called again padding over to sit next to him on the couch. He jerked out of his trance and blinked a couple of times at her.

"What are you up too?" she asked, leaning over to give him a good morning kiss, he leaned into the kiss and held her captive for longer than she intended.

"I am finishing up your website. I woke up about two hours ago and you looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you. Yesterday was a stressful day for both of us, so I took my panther for a run and settled down to work until you woke up." He pointed to the screen in front of him and she leaned forward to get a good look. The website was a million times better than the one she had created; already she could see it getting her more business.

"I've never gotten to see your panther," she commented, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I can show you," he offered, and she jumped up with a smile.

"Yes!" Clapping her hands she headed to the front door.

"I can show you here, the space is big enough," he explained. She was grateful, because no matter how much she wanted to see his panther, it was cold outside.

"Perfect. Do we need to move anything out of the way?" she asked, looking around at the couch, two armchairs and coffee table in their living room.

"I can do it in the kitchen," he explained, closing his laptop he walked over to the massive kitchen. Stripping out of the boxers he'd been wearing she watched as he took a deep breath, the air shimmered, she heard a series of cracks and pops and then a black panther was standing in front of her. She gasped, her instinct was to step back, but this was her mate. Taking a deep breath and stepping forward, she reached out to touch his fur. Pulling back at the last second she asked,

"Can I?" His answer was to lean forward and push his head into her hand just like a house cat would. She scratched across his head and down his neck, his fur was coarse and so black it almost looked purple in spots. She took her time running her hands across his body. She walked around his long tail careful not to step on it and back up to his face.

"You are beautiful," she whispered and was rewarded with a deep purr before he changed back.

"That is impressive," she commented as he slipped his boxers back on, slightly disappointed she couldn't stare at his naked body anymore.

"I am glad you approve." He stepped forward and pulled her in for a sweet kiss, not one to fan the flames of lust, but one to say I love you.

"Want breakfast? I make great French toast?" she asked, walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out eggs, heavy cream and butter.

"Sounds perfect. I'll help and make bacon, because no breakfast is complete without bacon," he joked and she laughed. Setting up her ingredients she went to work making French toast, she used thick cut sourdough bread, dipping it in her egg mixture making sure the bread soaked it all up. Setting it on the griddle pan, she heard the pleasant sizzle of the butter and egg connecting.

"That smells amazing, did you put vanilla in it?" Regal leaned over and took a sniff. He was standing to her right working on making crispy bacon. She'd told him the first time he made her breakfast how much she hated soft bacon. She needed it with a crunch or she felt like she was chewing forever. He'd laughed and made her bacon the way she liked.

"Yes, with a touch of sugar to help," Harper answered, she slid the slices of French toast onto a tray and popped them in the oven to stay warm as she worked to make another two slices.

"Do you want coffee?" Regal asked walking over to her brand new coffee machine. It made one cup of coffee at a time using pods of your choice.

"Yes. Can you make me a dark roast, I am still rather tired from our activities last night." Giving him a wink, Harper turned back to flip her bread careful to keep it from burning.

"I don't recall you being too upset with our activities last night." She turned to see him lift an eyebrow at her and she laughed.

"I didn't say it upset me, just tired. This ring it beautiful and it looks old," she commented, holding up her hand to inspect the shining jewels.

"It was my grandmother's, my mom gave it to me when I turned twenty-one and told me to save it for when I found my mate. I had it cleaned up and sized to your finger the day after we met." Turning to look at him, she saw a faint blush spreading down his neck.

"Then that means the day they broke into my apartment?"

"Yes, with the help of your mom I snagged a ring from your jewelry box and called my jeweler up to have it sized." He brought her over a cup of steaming coffee the perfect amounts of cream and sugar already placed inside.

"You are amazing, how did I get so lucky?" He gave her a peck on the lips and shrugged.

"I could say the same, we found each other when the timing was right. I think George knew all along we were mates and waited until he was gone to push us together. I'll set the table, can you bring breakfast over?" he asked, she nodded and pulled the warming French toast out of the oven and plated it, bringing it over to the table she saw the bacon, her coffee, and a bowl of freshly cut fruit waiting on the table.

"When did you cut fruit?" she asked, sitting down next to him, he had taken the seat at the head of the table.

"When I got up, I needed a light snack to get me through my run," he explained and spooned her out some.

"What time are we going to the holiday market for our people?" she inquired, loving the sound of our people coming from her lips.

"After lunch, I thought you'd like to spend some time getting things pulled together here. I can have a moving company ready to pick up everything from our apartment and brought here." He bit into the French toast and closed his eyes.

"This is delicious." Taking another bite he smiled at her.

"I'd like to go through some of my things and we need to get my grandfather's collection out of storage and put away downstairs. I want to stop paying rent on the climate-controlled storage unit," she answered.

"Perfect. Once we finish eating, I'll contact Benson and get our things ready to move. Once that is complete we can get your grandfather's collection. Do you think the van and SUV will be big enough to bring it all over?"

"I should think so, I only kept his rarest books. He wanted me to use some of them to start my store. Will you help me categorize them all too when we get home?" Harper popped a piece of bacon in her mouth and sighed, it was perfect.

"That might take longer than we have. I told Mom and Dad we would be at the market by one. It is eight-thirty now," he pointed out, and she looked at the clock.

"We need to hurry and I need a shower. I can't walk around Black Wood Falls smelling like sex," she remarked and picked up her finished dishes.

"You go shower. I'll clean up breakfast and call Benson." Regal took her plate from her hands and nudged her with his hip toward the stairs. She shook her head, but didn't argue and indulged in a long hot shower.  

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