“Wait,” Storm said, frowning at me. “There’s no reason for you to—”
“Just how well do you know Jax?” King asked, his voice eerily soft now. I could sense his wolf, and that made my own wolf prepare for battle. Protect, he insisted.
But Storm didn’t need protection. He wasn’t in danger from his brothers. They might be irritating, but that was because they cared for him, and me getting into a fight with King would ruin any chance we had of seeing each other again.
King glanced toward me and growled. I prayed he wouldn’t start anything. I would defend myself, and as powerful as he looked, I was sure I could take him, but if more of his brothers joined in, I wouldn’t be able to come out on top without injuring them seriously. Storm wouldn’t thank me for harming his brothers, no matter how pissed off he was.
“Back off, King. I want to speak to Jax alone.”
King shook his head. “Not until I have an explanation of—”
“Later,” Storm said.
King didn’t move, but Storm’s expression softened. “Please just let me handle this.”
King sighed, obviously more easily swayed by Storm’s imploring look than his annoyance. “I’ll give you a few minutes, but that’s all.”
After the door closed behind him, Storm looked back at me. “Hi.”
“Tell me you didn’t know I was interviewing with your brothers?” I hated to think he’d deceived me, but—
“No. I never would have done that. I knew someone was interviewing today for a bodyguard position, but I had no idea it was you. When I met you at Tooth and Claw, you were just a hot-as-fuck stranger.”
I couldn't help but smile at that. “I didn’t know either. I wouldn’t have left the club with you if I did, and now—”
“We can work with this.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“King thinks you’re perfect for watching me when I want to break away from them. I can pretend I’m going out, but I’ll really be with you.”
That was so tempting, but sleeping with an employer wasn’t right. Even if I would cross that line, King had made it very clear that relationships between the guards and the people we were protecting was forbidden and would result in immediate termination. “I can’t be your bodyguard and…”
“Sleep with me?”
“Among other things.”
Storm raised his brows. “Are you saying you’d rather guard me on my way to be with someone else?”
I growled. Mine. The thought of Storm with someone else had my claws trying to extend and my fangs descending. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a few calming breaths. How did this man have me so off balance?
“I take it that’s a no,” Storm said.
“The easiest way to solve this is for me to resign.”
“And then leave town and never see me again.”
The idea of that sent pain knifing through my chest. My wolf howled. Stay. But how could I? “Storm, I—”
“You’re not going to resign. You’re exactly the sort of person we need working here. Someone we can trust. Someone strong but kind. We’ve been looking for the right person for a while. Even Shadow likes you, and he’s skittish around most people.”
I wondered what had happened to the youngest of the Howlers, but I wasn’t going to ask, especially not now.
“I’m glad I was able to make him comfortable. My unit did a lot of rescues, and I had to learn how to get terrified people to trust me quickly if I was going to get them to safety.”
Storm laid a hand on my arm. “I would trust you to do anything.”
He had. Without even knowing me, Storm had trusted me with his body, trusted me to hurt him just as much as he wanted to be hurt, and dear Goddess, I wanted to do it again.
That couldn’t happen if I stayed, but if I left, who would protect him? Someone with far less skill than me. Someone who wouldn’t value his safety like I did. King had explained that their family had plenty of enemies, and the lion shifters were scheming against them. They wanted to take control of the shifter council King headed, which was composed of the leaders of the most powerful shifter groups in the city. They controlled the local black market, but King was working to bring them more legitimacy and move away from criminal activities that harmed others, no matter how lucrative they might be.
What if the lions came after Storm, and I wasn’t here for him?
My wolf snarled inside me, desperate to convince me to stay. Protect. Mate.
Was my wolf right? Was Storm my mate? If so, how could I leave him? But if I stayed, I’d have to keep my hands off him because if we were caught together, I’d be sent away.
Storm moved until he was standing right in front of me. Then he took my hands in his. “Please stay.”
I couldn’t deny him. “I will, but if I do, we can’t… I can’t sleep with you again.”
Even as I said that, I saw the heat in his eyes, and my body responded to it. Denying myself—denying us both—was going to be the hardest thing I’d ever done.
He let me go and stepped away. “As long as you’re here, we can take things slowly and see what we can work out.”
I frowned. “There’s no working things out if I’m employed by your family.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to be sure you’re not the one who accompanies me the next time I leave Tooth and Claw with—”
“No,” I growled. I gripped his wrist, squeezing until he gasped. I knew it was wrong to tell him we couldn’t be together and also prevent him from being with anyone else, but my wolf didn’t believe in fairness.
“Your wolf doesn’t like that idea,” Storm gave me a wicked smile.
“He doesn’t, but he’s not controlling things.”
“No, you are. And I’ll let you. I’ll let you control this if you promise to stay.”
I narrowed my eyes, sensing a trap. “You’ll let me control what, exactly?”
“Us. I’ll let you decide when you’re going to give in to what’s between us. I know you feel it too, but I’ll submit to what you want.”
“I will not risk being caught by your brothers because then I can’t be the one who protects you.”
“And you’re the best?”
“Damn right.”
Take. Claim. My wolf insisted, but I couldn’t go down that path. I also couldn’t walk away. “I’m staying, and I’m holding you to your promise to let me be in charge.”
Storm smiled. “I promise to do as you say. May I call King in now so he can rant a bit and then tell you your responsibilities for the rest of the day?”
“Are you going to tell him exactly how well you know me?”
“Later, yes. But don’t worry. Your job is safe. King is stubborn and difficult, and he wants to control everything I do, but I’ve learned how to sway him when I really need to.”
I had no doubt that was true.
7
Storm
The last few weeks had been hell. I’d confessed to King that Jax was the man I’d been with the night I’d “disappeared.” Predictably, he’d snarled and ranted. He’d threatened to kill Jax and then to fire him, but eventually, he’d admitted—more or less—that he was being an asshole. I’d chosen to be with Jax without any coercion whatsoever, and Jax was perfect for the job.
King had told Garrett, and I’d gone through the whole thing again, although with less claws, fangs, and posturing, and more cold logic. But dealing with my stubborn, arrogant brothers was easy compared to what had been going on since then. I’d told Jax I would let him have control, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t planning to tempt him. I wouldn’t ask him directly or force his hand, but I never said I didn’t know how to be a bit of a brat.
One morning, I pulled on a pair of tiny green running shorts. They looked like they were at least a size too small, and the color made my eyes appear bright green instead of their usual hazel. I messed with my curls until they looked as soft and inviting as I wanted them to. Then, wearing nothing else
but my running shoes, I sought out Jax to let him know he needed to accompany me on an early morning run.
I saw the muscles in his throat flex as he swallowed hard when I approached him. His eyes were dark with heat, but all he said was, “Yes, sir.”
He jogged a few feet behind me, never breathing hard during the ten-mile run through the trails that led into the forest. I glanced over my shoulder numerous times, but he never met my gaze. When we got back to the house, he said, “Will there be anything else?”
I wanted to grab him and shake him. I knew what he was feeling. How could he act so distant?”
“No, but you shouldn’t go in without stretching.”
He sighed, but he didn’t contradict me. I angled myself perfectly, bending over so my ass was on display, sitting down and opening my legs wide, then oh so slowly sliding forward until my torso lay against the ground. When I sat back up, I caught him staring.
“I never miss a chance to stretch. I wouldn’t want to lose any of this flexibility.”
He coughed and looked at his watch. “I think I’m supposed to… um…”
I’d gotten a reaction, so I took pity on him. “Go on. I’m headed in.”
I’d thought I had things moving in the right direction, but the more I tempted him, the more stoic he became. I decided to try seducing him with food.
A few days after I had taken Jax on the run, he accompanied me to visit one of our suppliers, a tiger who could be rather temperamental. When we returned home, I motioned for Jax to follow me to the kitchen.
“Mara, our cook, made brownies today. She used to make two pans, one with icing and one with caramel drizzle, but we all eat them so fast she had to start making two pans of each. I could eat a whole pan of them myself easily.”
He frowned. “I probably shouldn’t—”
“Yes, you should.” I took his arm, intending to pull him there, but the shock of the contact froze me in place. We stared at each other until I let go and stepped back. “I’d really like you to try them.”
“Then I will.”
I felt slightly steadier when we reached the kitchen. Jax had felt the jolt that ran between us. It had startled him as much as it had me. That was a good sign, right?
Mara had texted me a few moments before to let me know the brownies were ready, but someone—my bet would be on Bryce—had already been into them. Fortunately, there were plenty left. I cut us several of each. “Let’s take them to the library,” I suggested. It would be quiet there, so we were more likely to have a chance to talk than here in the kitchen.
Jax eyed me warily. “Just while we eat?”
For as long as I can get you to stay. “Yes. I can pour us some coffee too.”
“I’ll get the coffee. You like cream and sugar, right?”
“How did you know?”
“I’ve been watching you for weeks, Storm.”
Watching me, learning my habits. Obsessing over me, like I had over him?
I pulled out a tray and set the brownies on it. Jax added the mugs, and I started to lift it, but Jax took it from me. “You don’t have to do everything, Storm. I’ve got this.”
Warmth spread through my chest. I liked serving people, helping them, but I also liked when Jax did that for me. I knew all the reasons why spending time with him was a bad idea. I didn’t want to have to argue with King about my relationship with Jax. I certainly didn’t want Jax to leave, and I doubted a few minutes together enjoying some brownies would really change anything. It would only make me long for him more when he went back to ignoring me, but that didn’t mean I was going to give up this chance to be with him.
Jax followed me to the library. I closed the door behind us and gestured toward the table and chairs in the alcove created by a bay window.
“This is a beautiful room,” Jax said.
“It’s my favorite place in the house. I probably spent more hours of my childhood here than anywhere, except maybe the woods.
“Did you read a lot?”
“Yes, I still do.”
Jax put the tray on the table, and we each settled into one of the chairs.
He was practically drooling as he studied the plate of brownies. Asking Mara to make them had been a great idea.
“Which one should I try first?” he asked.
“It’s hard to say. Are you a caramel fan? Bryce would devour anything if you put caramel on it. I’ve seen him eat a whole pan of these seconds after they came out of the oven. He just stood at the counter and shoved them in his mouth. But while I think they are exquisite, I like the iced ones best.”
Jax reached for one of the ones with icing. When he bit into it, he groaned, and my cock responded to the sound. Once he swallowed, he said, “This is the best brownie I’ve ever tasted.”
“I told you. Mara is amazing.”
“Everything I’ve eaten here has been fantastic, but these…”
“Try a caramel one.”
Jax did, and the look on his face as he tasted it was so much like the way he’d watched me as he’d fucked into me, filling me up, that my cock grew fully hard. Watching him eat brownies should not be so hot, but I’d known it would be because I’d remembered the ecstasy on his face when he’d eaten the chocolate cake at the hotel. “Do you love everything chocolate?”
“It’s one of my weaknesses.”
“As far as I can tell, it’s your only weakness.” I barely managed not to run my hand over his biceps. Goddess, his arms were gorgeous.
He snorted. “Hardly, you are my—”
My heart sang. I was one of his weaknesses.
Jax shook his head. “I didn’t mean—”
“You’ve done a much better job staying away from me than you have with these brownies.”
“The consequences are different. A plate of brownies means a little bit of extra time at the gym. But being with you is…”
There was so much I wanted to say, but this wasn’t how I wanted our time together to go.
We ate our brownies in silence for several moments. Then, needing to get us back on track, I said, “Do you read much?”
“I do, actually. We had terrible internet access where I was last stationed, so reading was one of the few entertainments we had. We’d get boxes of books from the States, but we couldn’t be choosy.”
“What was your favorite book that you read there?”
Before answering, Jax reached out and rubbed his thumb across my cheek close to the corner of my mouth. I held my breath as his touch sent heat through me. I wanted to turn into his touch, grab his wrist, and suck his thumb into my mouth.
“You… um… you had icing on your face, and I…”
“Thank you,” I said, my voice shaky.
We stared at each other for a few seconds, but he didn’t kiss me like I’d hoped.
“Your… um… your favorite book?”
“Oh, right. You’re probably going to laugh, but—”
“No, I would never laugh at you for what you like.”
His eyes widened slightly, and I was sure he was thinking of how he’d told me he’d never mock me for my desires, just like I was.
He cleared his throat and continued. “One box contained a wolf shifter romance series. I was the last one to pick that day, and it was all that was left. I read the first one, and wow, it was filthy, but also so good. I flew through the series and then read them again. I re-read them last week.”
“What’s it called?”
Color bloomed across his cheeks, and it made him even sexier. I wanted to kiss him so badly.
“The series is called Wolves of Arundel, but—”
“I love that series. It’s so hot.”
“You’ve read it?”
“Tons of times. I’ve got it here.” I walked over to one of the bookshelves and crouched down so I could open the doors of the cabinet at the bottom. I had to lift a few stacks of paperbacks out of the way, but I found the right ones fairly quickly. I pulled out all five books and brought the
m back to the table. “See, here they are.”
Jax picked one up and turned it over in his hands. “When I read this, it was the first time I realized I might enjoy spanking a man.”
We had to be fated for each other. “Same for me. I mean, I was thinking of being spanked.”
Jax stared at me, eyes filled with heat. I held still, not daring to break the silence, but after a few seconds, he turned away and picked up his coffee mug. When he’d had a few sips, he said, “If these are some of your favorites, why are they hidden away in a cabinet instead of on the shelf?”
“You know how you thought I might laugh at you for reading them?”
He nodded.
“I thought my older brothers would laugh, so I hid them.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
Jax was right. Even if they did laugh, this was my home. I had just as much right as any of my siblings to put my books—no matter the genre—on the shelf. I scooped up the books, walked over to a shelf that had a few wolf statues on it, moved one, and set up the series in its place. “There.”
“Much better,” he said.
I started to reach for another brownie and realized they were all gone. Jax winced. “I didn’t mean to eat that many, but they are just—”
“That good. It’s possible there are still some left if all my brothers haven’t found out about them.”
“Do you want me to get you another one?”
“No, I’m fine.” As good as the brownies were, being with Jax and sharing things we were interested in was much better. I felt more settled inside than I had since the night we’d spent together.
Silence stretched between us for a moment, and I was afraid Jax would insist that he needed to go, so I asked the first question that came to mind. “What are you doing tomorrow? You have the day off, right?”
“I do. Denny asked if I want to go see a movie with him, so I might do that.”
“You should. I really like Denny.” And he’s straight, so I knew there was nothing there but friendship.
“Me too. He’s fun to work with.”
“So what’s your all-time favorite movie?”
Bodyguard's Bite Page 6