Page 18 of Paws and Claws (Saltwater Grove Romances #4)

18

DOMINIC

D ominic checked his watch, waiting for Tabitha to arrive at their usual meeting spot behind The Hex. The afternoon air carried the scent of fresh cut grass and her approaching motorcycle. His lion stirred at her familiar presence, something that happened more frequently these days.

"Miss me?" she teased as she dismounted her motorcycle.

"You're late." He crossed his arms, fighting a smile. "Bruce left the station ten minutes ago."

"Some of us have to look presentable." She adjusted her leather jacket with a wink. "Unlike certain workaholic sheriffs who wear the same button-down every day."

"I rotate between three shirts."

"Living dangerously there, Sheriff."

They fell into step together, trailing Bruce at a distance. Over the past weeks, this had become their routine - following leads, tracking suspects, and piecing together the Hunters' plans. But somewhere along the way, the investigation had become secondary to simply being in her company.

"They're planning something big," Dominic murmured as they watched Bruce meet with two other suspected Hunters. "The way they keep circling the town square."

"Agreed." Tabitha's shoulder brushed his as she leaned closer.

The contact sent electricity through his skin. His lion purred with satisfaction at her nearness. Three weeks ago, he might have stepped away. Now he found himself shifting closer, drawn to her warmth.

"You know," she whispered, "for someone who used to lecture me about proper conduct and procedures, you're getting pretty good at this whole spy game."

He turned to deliver a retort but found her face inches from his. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief and something else that made his pulse quicken. For a moment, he forgot about Bruce, the Hunters, everything except the way her lips curved into that challenging smile.

"We should..." He cleared his throat. "We should follow them before we lose the trail."

"Right." Was that disappointment in her voice? "Can't let them get away."

As they resumed their surveillance, Dominic realized his perfectly ordered life had transformed into something unpredictable and exhilarating. And somehow, he couldn't bring himself to mind.

Later that night, Dominic watched Tabitha scale another fence with practiced ease, his lion bristling at letting her go in alone. These past weeks of also investigating potential lab locations had taught him she was as skilled at breaking and entering as she was at driving him crazy.

"You know," he whispered into his phone, "there are legal ways to do this."

"Where's the fun in that?" Her voice crackled through the speaker. "Besides, your way takes forever. Permits, warrants, paperwork..."

His enhanced hearing detected her soft landing on the other side. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to vault the fence if she needed backup.

"Just be careful." The words came out more growly than intended.

"Aw, worried about little old me?"

"I'm worried about the massive property damage lawsuit when you get caught."

Her laugh warmed something in his chest. "Please. I haven't been caught breaking and entering since I was sixteen."

"That's not as reassuring as you think it is."

Dominic paced the perimeter, scanning for any potential threats. His lion slinked beneath his skin, agitated at being separated from her.

"Nothing suspicious here," Tabitha reported. "Unless you count the owner's taste in garden gnomes. Who needs thirty-seven of them?"

"Focus, Tabitha."

"I am focused. Very focused on how creepy these things are. One of them just winked at me."

Despite himself, Dominic chuckled. "Get out of there before someone calls the police."

"You are the police."

He heard her climbing back over, and moments later she dropped beside him with a flourish. The moonlight caught her purple hair, making it gleam. His fingers itched to run through those wild strands.

"Another dead end." She bumped his shoulder playfully. "Guess we'll have to try your boring way next."

"You mean the legal way?"

"That's what I said - boring."

Their eyes met, and for a moment the air crackled between them. Dominic fought the urge to pull her close, to finally taste those smart-mouthed lips that had been tormenting him for weeks.

Instead, he cleared his throat. "We should head back. Early start tomorrow."

"Right," she muttered. "Can't keep justice waiting."

As they walked to their vehicles, Dominic wondered when exactly this troublemaker had become essential to his peace of mind. His lion already knew the answer, but he wasn't ready to admit it yet.

The following afternoon, Dominic stared at the scattered equipment on the lab table, his lion's enhanced senses picking up traces of chemicals and metal. The forensics team buzzed around him, muttering technical terms that meant nothing to his law enforcement background. His attention kept drifting to Tabitha, who poked at various devices with unconcealed curiosity.

"Don't touch anything," he growled, catching her hand before it made contact with what looked like a modified radar screen.

"Relax, Sheriff." She didn't pull away from his grip. "I know how to handle delicate equipment."

"Like you handled that security system at the last lab?"

"We got in, didn't we?"

Her smile hit him like a physical force. His lion rumbled with contentment at their continued contact, and he reluctantly released her hand. These days, every interaction with her felt charged with possibility.

"Sheriff Blackmane?" The lead forensic tech approached, looking puzzled. "We've never seen anything quite like this. The components suggest some kind of tracking system, but it's been modified with..." She gestured helplessly at her tablet. "Well, we're not sure what."

"It's definitely Hunter tech," Tabitha said, leaning over to study the readout. Her shoulder pressed against his chest, sending a jolt through his system. "See these markings? Classic paranormal detection circuitry."

Dominic's eyebrows rose. "Since when are you an expert in Hunter technology?"

"Since I started reading up on them after they tried to frame me." She shot him a look that was pure challenge. "Some of us do our homework."

His lion preened at her competence. "Any idea what they're planning to track?"

"Given the modification to the standard detection array?" She bit her lip in concentration, and it took all his willpower not to stare. "I'd say they're trying to catalog different types of paranormal signatures. Like creating a database of who's what in town."

The implications chilled him. "That would let them target specific species."

"Exactly." She straightened, and he immediately missed her warmth. "But they left in a hurry. Three labs abandoned in two weeks? Something spooked them."

"Or they're getting ready to move." The protective instinct that had been growing stronger since they started working together surged forward. His lion wanted to shield her - shield everyone - from whatever the Hunters were planning.

Dominic's lion prowled under his skin as he walked Tabitha to her door, hyperaware of her every movement. The setting sun cast long shadows across her face, highlighting those mischievous blue eyes that had begun haunting his dreams.

"Want to come in?" She jingled her keys. "I've got some theories about those lab components."

"Lead the way."

Inside, her house was organized chaos still - canvases everywhere, spell books stacked on coffee tables, and the lingering scent of paint and magic that was uniquely Tabitha. She kicked off her boots and sprawled onto her couch, patting the space beside her.

"So, Sheriff." She propped her feet on the coffee table. "Three abandoned labs in two weeks. Either they're running scared..."

"Or preparing for something bigger." He settled next to her, closer than strictly necessary. The lion in him preened when she didn't move away.

"My money's on bigger." Her fingers traced patterns in the air, purple sparks following the movement. "The tracking tech we found today? That's endgame stuff."

"Agreed." He watched those sparks dance, mesmerized by her casual display of power. "They wouldn't leave that behind unless-"

"Unless they already have what they need." She turned toward him, her knee brushing his thigh. "But what triggered the timeline?"

The contact sent a jolt through his system. His lion urged him closer, drawn to her wild magic and fearless spirit. "Could be they spotted us watching Bruce."

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "We're way too good for that to happen."

"We do make quite a team."

"Careful there, Sheriff." She leaned in, her dark purple hair falling forward. "Almost sounds like you enjoy working with a troublemaker like me."

His fingers itched to brush those strands back. "You're not as much trouble as I thought."

"And you're not as boring as I assumed." Her eyes sparkled. "Though you could still stand to live a little."

"I live plenty."

"Says the man who considers paperwork a hobby."

He growled playfully, shifting closer. "I have other interests."

"Oh?" Her breath hitched as their faces drew near. "Do tell."

The air sizzled between them, thick with possibility and unspoken desires. His lion demanded he close that final distance, claim those tempting lips that had been driving him crazy for weeks. But before he could lean in, his phone vibrated against his hip, shattering the electric tension between them.

His lion growled in frustration as he checked the screen. Connor's name flashed urgently.

"Duty calls again?" Tabitha's voice held a hint of disappointment that made his inner beast preen.

"Unfortunately." He stood, already missing her warm body next to his.

"Go catch the bad guys, Sheriff." She walked him to the door. "Don't miss me too much."

His lion wanted to pull her into his arms, to finally taste those tempting lips, but duty won out. "Stay out of trouble."

Driving to the station, Dominic couldn't stop thinking about her. His lion paced, already eager to return to her.

A month ago, these feelings would have terrified him. A sheriff falling for the town's most notorious troublemaker? It went against everything he thought he stood for. But now... now he understood there was more to life than rules and regulations. Tabitha had shown him that.

His lion rumbled in agreement. She challenged him, pushed his boundaries, and made him question his rigid worldview. And somehow, instead of driving him absolutely crazy, it made him want her even more.

"You've got it bad, Sheriff," he muttered to himself, unable to suppress his smile as he pulled into the station parking lot.