Lynx Northern Shifters 3

but it was overflowing with neatly hung clothing and stacks of
    shoeboxes. I gaped in shock. “Ferragamo?”
Dan nodded toward the armoire. I shook my head.
We both stared at the bed.
There was a lot of clearance, given the thing had stairs. I lifted the bed skirt. “Slide under.” The front door opened to the sound of Shep’s charming, lackadaisical voice as we scurried under the
    bed like the fearful intruders we were. I flipped the bed skirt down. There was barely three inches of space to see. Dan lay flat to better watch the hall, although what we would do if we were discovered wasn’t clear to me. I just closed my eyes and concentrated on not hyperventilating.
“Calm down, Romano.”
    I peeked and Dan wasn’t paying attention to the crack of daylight. He watched me. I swear he was laughing. I nodded stiffly. I’d have to accept that I was a source of entertainment for the demented detective.
    Shep’s voice got weaker momentarily—perhaps he’d gone into the bathroom or the kitchen, and another voice, this one female, filled the apartment.
“That’s Estelle. His agent,” I whispered.
She was loud. “I don’t care. You need to do as you’re told or this thing is going to fall through and this is a huge opportunity. You signed a contract, Mac.”
“I know. I don’t think anyone knows.”
“Everyone knows. You could have warned me last night. I had to listen to him rant for half an hour. That bastard will sue us both. Don’t fuck this up.”
They were in the living room. The sound of feet on the wood flooring came nearer. Unless Estelle wore fancy man shoes, that had to be Shep. He went into the room next to us. A door opened. He was changing maybe.
“I’ll deal with it. Caesar isn’t going to tell anyone. He hasn’t yet. And his family doesn’t care. No one else knows. I was circumspect. It was just a stupid thing I did in college. It was years ago. It didn’t mean anything.”
I nearly popped out from under the bed. Dan grabbed hold of my wrist. “Be still.”
Shep went on, “He was pretty insistent. I slept with him a few times, that’s it.”
I opened my mouth, and Dan’s hand slapped down to shut it. “Shh.” I nodded and his hand slowly slid away, his fingertips trailing my chin. Was he petting me?
The click of Estelle’s heels faded, as did Shep’s plodding, well-clad feet.
She snapped, “Who knew back then, Mac?”
“No one. No one except my cousin, Poppy. That’s it. And Ce’s family. That’s all.”
“No one since then, right? I need you to think about your answer because I’d rather be prepared to handle some kind of PR situation than get blindsided. A good offense is the best defense. I want full disclosure. You understand?”
“I…” Shep’s voice wavered, and my breath froze as hope reared itself. Would he do it? Could he? And then that spineless dick lied again. “No one. I’m not…I’m not gay, Estelle.”
Dan snorted quietly next to me. “She’s an idiot if she buys that.”
“As long as we’re clear,” Estelle said and then a door shut. Locks spun.
I lay under the bed, in the sweating darkness, royally pissed. Dan faced me, but his eyes were rolled up—he was listening while I was fuming and embarrassed.
“I think they’re both gone.”
I tried to scurry out from under the bed skirt. Dan grabbed my belt. “Wait. He may still be here.”
I nodded and eased back onto the floor. Dan’s eyes darkened, if that was possible. His frown line had reappeared. His voice turned serious. “How long were you two together?”
“Three years.”
“Man. You sure know how to pick ’em. What a dickhead.”
“It was just a stupid thing I did in college.” My joke was undermined by the depth of Shep’s betrayal. You’d think I’d have grown immune by now. At this point every one of my secrets had been laid bare to the good detective. There was nothing left to hide—which was actually kind of liberating.
We lay still, listening to the hall clock. I wanted to go home and forget this entire day. No. That was a lie. What I really wanted to do was take a hatchet to Shep’s apartment and bust that mother up. Maybe Dan would turn a blind eye?
It was close under the bed. Naturally, there wasn’t a speck of dust, only gleaming floor. It smelled of lemon and Dan’s leather jacket. I hadn’t noticed before, but his cologne was spicy—like cardamom. Sultry and tangy. His beard was filling in, a true five o’clock shadow that framed full and soft lips—the