by Hayes, Susan
Sinjin cleared his throat before interjecting. “I hate to ask this, Jazz, but when’s the next full moon?”
“That’s an important question, isn’t it? The next full moon rises two nights from now, and once it crosses the meridian, I’ll change.”
“You have the lunar calendar memorized?” Sinjin asked and then gave her a slightly skewed smile. “Of course you do. If I had to deal with what you are, I’d have that information memorized, too.”
“It also helps to buy a very accurate watch.” She held up her arm and tapped her wrist. “Being late is not an option for me.”
She heard Jase snicker softly. “There’s an advertising angle in there somewhere, I’m sure of it.”
“The watch to wear when being late isn’t an option. Werewolf approved. Two paws up.” She couldn’t help but laugh even though she knew the joke was lame. It was amazing how well they had taken in everything she’d told them. That they could joke about it was beyond any expectation she’d had when she’d decided to come see them.
“Exactly!” Jase sat back in his chair and grinned, withdrawing his arm from around her shoulders as he did so and setting his hands back on the table in front of him. She hadn’t realized how much comfort she had drawn from the simple contact. It had been a long time since she’d touched anyone or had someone touch her for more than a simple handshake or while sparring at her gym.
“I am going to suggest you stay with us for the next day or so, Jazz.” Sinjin opened his hands in a welcoming gesture. “Right here, at Paladin.”
Michelle chimed in, “You’ll be amazed at how comfortable it is. There are rooms here that are just like a hotel, and a cafeteria with great food open day and night. If you’re missing your gym time, I’m sure the guys can arrange for you to work out here, too.”
“That sounds amazing.” Jazz glanced at each of them, stunned at their acceptance. “You aren’t afraid of what might happen if I stay here?”
“You’ve managed to live a pretty normal life until now. We’re pretty sure you’re not going to suddenly change all that now.” Sinjin’s smile was genuine. “I’ll start organizing a team to send to your house later today. They can recon the area and make suggestions about security. If you want, they can even pack you some clothing and toiletries.” She caught Michelle throwing him a pointed look, and Sinjin quickly added, “I’ll have Val or Tara do the packing. I know you ladies don’t believe a guy knows how to pack a damned thing.”
“That’s because you can’t,” Michelle interjected and then laughed. “I don’t care what military training you got, the only time you packed for me I ended up with eight pairs of underwear and no pants.”
“Excuse them. They can only go so long without fighting. It’s sort of cute, once you get used to it. Just trust me and don’t stick around for the making up afterward.” Jase slid back his chair and offered her his hand. “I’ll show you the rooms if you like, and we can deal with your hotel while we’re at it.”
She took his hand and stood up before letting go of him with a reluctance she hoped no one else noticed. “I’d like that, thank you. I actually checked out of the hotel this morning, so there’s nothing to deal with there. But I’d like to see where I’ll be staying. And then maybe you could show me the cafeteria? I was too nervous to eat this morning.”
“Then we’ll make the room tour a fly-by and skip on to the cafeteria. Sound good?”
“Perfect. Thank you.” She looked over at Michelle and Sinjin and smiled. “Thank you all, so much. When the team is ready, I’ll give you my keys and the codes to the gate and the alarms.”
“I’ll be going with them. I can grab that stuff after we’ve eaten,” Jase told her.
“You taking point on this then, Jase?” Sinjin asked, not quite able to hide a smile.
“Yep.”
“All right then. I’ll let you know when Tara, Val, and the others are ready.” Sinjin turned to Jazz. “Have a good meal and we’ll talk to you more later. I’m sure there’s still a great deal we need to cover.”
“When the team is at the house, have them grab my laptop. It’s got all my research on it. That should help you fill in the blanks.”
She felt Jase’s hand come to rest in the small of her back, guiding her out of the room and into the hallway beyond. “I’ll get you a new ID tag to replace the one you’re wearing now. Keep it with you at all times and everyone will know you’re supposed to be here.”
“You don’t know how grateful I am to all of you. Not just for believing me, but for everything you’re doing to keep me safe. I feel better than I have in weeks.”
“That’s our job.” He smiled down at her, and she felt as though a pound of butterflies had sprouted wings inside her. He was gorgeous, sweet, and so far out of her league she wasn’t even sure they were playing the same sport. She knew she had to get a grip. He was just doing his job, and she’d be a fool to mistake his kindness for anything more. He was one of the beautiful people, and she wasn’t even the same species as him.
* * * *
He had taken point on this case, and he wasn’t even sure why. Usually it was Sin who took the lead. But from the moment he’d seen Jazz crying on the monitor, Jase had wanted to help her. He watched her reflection in the mirrored interior of the elevator, wondering again how her lush curves and soft appearance could so effectively hide a core of steel. She’d survived a brutal attack only to wake up and discover not only was she an orphan, but a monster. His life hadn’t exactly been an easy one, but compared to Jasmine Masters, he had nothing at all to complain about.
He realized they had fallen into a companionable silence, so as they stepped out of the elevator, he asked, “So what do you do for a living?”
“Oh, I run my own business. My parents both had life insurance, and I was their only child. When I finally inherited, I decided to invest the money in myself. It’s what they would have wanted. I know they loved me, and they would have wanted me to use the money to make a life for myself.” She tipped her head up to smile at him, and he found himself mesmerised by her amber eyes.
“I just realized, you have the eyes of a wolf,” he murmured.
“Actually, I have my mother’s eyes. They haven’t changed. It’s one of the ways you can tell a true werewolf apart from one like me. The trues have yellow eyes when they change. Mine will still look the same in any of my forms.”
“You’ve looked in a mirror to check that?” He couldn’t resist teasing her. “Women! I bet you wanted to make sure you were a good-looking wolf.”
“Guilty as charged,” she admitted with a laugh.
“So, are you?” he asked, suddenly curious.
“I think I’m not bad, for a wolf. I’m skinnier in that form at least.”
“I like the way you look. I confess, though, I’d like to see you as a wolf one day.” He shot her a grin as he added, “Just to make my own comparisons.”
“Maybe,” she answered him with a shy smile that made his entire day. Damn, she was lovely and interesting and fun to talk to. Everything he liked in a woman. And don’t forget, she’s also a werewolf. And a client, he thought as they neared the guest rooms. If his boss, Geoff Remington, didn’t have a rule about werewolves yet, Jase was sure he’d make one up the moment he found out they were real.
“What do you look like in the other form, the one that scares you so much?” He saw her golden skin pale slightly and felt a stab of guilt for having asked. She slowed down and then leaned in closer to him until she was near enough he could see was trembling.
“I look like a nightmare come to life. My nightmare. My eyes, staring back at me from the face of the monster that murdered my parents and nearly killed me.”
“I’m really sorry,” he apologized. He felt like a heel for upsetting her. “I should have never asked you such a dumb question.” Without thinking about it, he reached for her and slid an arm around her waist, drawing her in close to his side. “Next time I do that, tell me to mind my own business
.”
“It’s all right, Jase.” She said his name for the first time, and he liked the way her lips shaped the sound. It seemed right somehow. He glanced up and realized they were at the first guest room door already.
“We’re here. I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping tonight, and then we’ll go get something to eat. I’m buying.” He waved a key-card in front of the door, and the lock flashed green and clicked. “We’ll get you your own key-card later today. For now you can just take a look around.” He escorted her into the room. “It’s pretty standard. You get a bed, television, private bathroom, and all the amenities of your basic motel. Minus the vibrating bed, of course. Remington refuses to spring for them despite my arguments that it would be good for morale.”
She looked up at him and then burst out laughing. “Are you really as bad as you pretend to be? Or is this how you put your clients at ease?”
“Oh, I’m usually much worse than this. Ask Sin. I’m on my best behavior right now.” He knew he was pushing his luck, but he just couldn’t resist adding, “Any time you want to see proof I’m a bad boy, you just let me know.”
He wasn’t sure who was the more surprised when she nodded and softly said, “I think I’d like to see that.”
“You really ought to be careful what you wish for, sweetheart.” He reached out and stroked his knuckles along her jaw. Her skin was as soft as he’d imagined, and he could feel the heat of her blush as her cheek darkened beneath his hand. He ignored the warning bells going off in the back of his mind and let himself get lost in the amber depths of her eyes. “Just how bad do you want me to be?” He let his thumb graze over the plump swell of her lower lip.
“I want you to be yourself, Jase.”
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s a very bad idea.” He leaned down and kissed her before he had time to think. Her lips were plump, with a lingering sweetness that made him ache to taste her more thoroughly. With an act of will that was almost painful, he lifted his head and ended the kiss before he pushed her for more.
She was staring up at him with a look of surprise and desire, her eyes almost glowing from beneath their veil of dark lashes. The blush on her cheeks had deepened, making her caramel-tinted skin appear even darker and more exotic. The silence stretched out between them, and he started to worry if he’d upset her. Just as he was about to apologize, she gave him a shy smile that blossomed into a grin that made his heart beat a little faster.
“I don’t think that was a bad idea at all,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. He brushed his thumb over her lips again and resisted the temptation to pull her into his arms and kiss her properly.
“I’m glad to hear it,” was all he managed to say before she tipped her head slightly and nuzzled into his hand. She brushed a kiss over the pad of his thumb, and it was like a bolt of lightning sizzled from that delicate touch right through his body. “Do that again and you’re going to get a more thorough demonstration of just how bad I can be,” he warned her gently. He’d never been good at resisting temptation, and damned if she wasn’t the most tempting woman he’d met in a long time.
He saw her eyes widen, and then she was moving away from him. Just far enough that he couldn’t touch her any longer.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and for a second he could have sworn her eyes were filled with tears that vanished the next time she blinked.
“Don’t you dare be sorry!” He resisted the urge to reach for her, part of him aware that something else was going on here. “Believe me. I’m not at all sorry I kissed you.”
“But you’re so…” She trailed off and made a sweeping gesture that encompassed him from head to toe. “And I’m so, not.”
“Did you just compliment me and put yourself down in the same sentence? No, don’t answer that. I know you did.” He couldn’t believe this beautiful, brave woman had no idea how much she was affecting him. “I’m just me, and you are gorgeous.”
“I’m a monster,” she argued, and again he caught the glimmer of tears.
“You’re not.” He had her wrapped in his arms before either of them had time to say another word. He stroked her hair and drew her in close, pleased to finally be able to offer her the comfort he’d been aching to give her since he’d seen her crying on the monitor. She melted into his arms like she was born to be there. He lowered his face to the crown of her hair and just held her, waiting. He knew what self-loathing felt like. There were times he regretted the choices he’d made and what those choices had done to the man he’d once been. His time in Iraq and Afghanistan had left him with memories he’d rather not face. The scent of jasmine filled his nose, and he realized she wore her namesake as a perfume. The spicy floral scent suited her.
She finally stirred, and he felt the tension leave her as she tipped her head up to smile at him. “You’re not a bad boy at all. In fact, I think you’re a very good man.”
“Hush, don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my reputation, saying things like that.”
Her eyes met his, and for a moment, he felt like she was staring straight into his soul, past his jokes, the glib responses, and past the walls that only a handful of people had ever managed to breach. He waited for her to turn away from him. To push him back so she could escape, but instead she twined her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“Your secrets are safe with me.”
“Same here, beautiful.” He gave her a last squeeze and then let her go. “If you approve of your accommodations, why don’t we go find something to eat?”
She stepped out of his arms and nodded. “I really am famished.”
“Then it’s time to introduce you to the cafeteria. Think of it as feeding time at the zoo. Don’t disturb the other animals and keep your hands at your sides at all times.” He offered her his arm in a gesture of chivalry, pleased when she curled her hand over his arm. An almost overwhelming sense of possession hit him, and he knew the first man who so much as looked at her was going to get his head torn off. She was his. Or she would be, soon. Shit. I’m in serious trouble. He headed for the cafeteria level. Sin was never going to stop laughing at him if he fell for a client.
Chapter 3
“Jeez, are you sure this is the right address, Val?” Jase stared out the window at the wrought iron gates and the house beyond. No, not a house, a fucking mansion.
“I’m sure. This is the address the client gave us.” Val leaned her tall frame out the window of the company-marked SUV and punched a code into the security panel. As the gates slid open, she dropped back into her seat with a crow of triumph. “See? The code worked, too. Quit backseat navigating, Jase. We’re at the right place.”
Tara glanced over at him, and he knew she was sensing his emotions. Having an empath on the team was great, until she started reading the team instead of focusing on the bad guys. He shot her a dirty look, and she gave him an apologetic shrug.
“Not my fault you’re projecting, Jase. I keep telling you to work on your shields.”
He heard Val snicker as he stepped out onto the driveway. “A new girl, Romeo? What happened to what’s-her-name, the blonde?”
“Her name was Amy, and she decided that she wanted someone who didn’t drive too fast, work too much, and travel too far away from her.”
“So, anyone who wasn’t you, then,” Val commented and hopped out of the vehicle.
“Like your love life is any better, Valentina.” Jase knew he would pay for using her full name, but it was always worth it to see her reaction.
“Play nice, you two, or I’ll never be able to get a read on things here,” Tara broke in before Val could do more than snarl in Jase’s direction.
“Why don’t you and Val do a quick sweep of the grounds and I’ll start with the house? Then I’ll head outside while you two pack for Miss Masters.”
“Yes, sir.” Val grinned as he flinched at the second word.
“Don’t you start doing that, too, Val! Damn it, I hate being called sir.”
“She
knows,” Tara muttered as she tapped Val’s arm and pointed to the far side of the house. “C’mon, let’s get going before it starts raining again.”
Once he was alone, Jase walked around the SUV and stared up at the house. “Oh, I run my own business.” He repeated Jazz’s words of earlier and then shook his head. “I think she understated the situation slightly. She’s not an entrepreneur. She’s a damned tycoon.”
He took her keys out of his pocket and unlocked the front door, moving quickly to punch in the alarm codes once he was inside. Then he started looking around, already making notes of where her security system could be improved. They’d have to have all the upgrades in place before she’d be able to come back. He wasn’t going to let her step foot in her home until he knew she’d be safe here. He’d just about finished his assessment of the first floor when Tara’s voice intruded into his mind.
“We’ve found something, Jase. You’re going to need to see this.”
“I really hate it when she does that,” he grumbled and grabbed the secure radios they all carried. “Tara, we have radios for a reason.”
“Sorry, force of habit. Val and I are at the fence line, northeast corner. The client’s had company out here.”
“Be right there.” If Jazz’s fan club had been inside the fence, things were a lot worse than she had suspected. He didn’t let himself think about what might have happened if she hadn’t spotted the one watching the gate last night and wisely driven away.
It was two hours later before they made it back to Paladin’s offices. They’d found wolf prints and human footprints at two different locations inside the fence. Some fresh and some were older, already partially washed away by the last rains. There was no sign they’d managed to get past the house’s security system. After Jake was done working his technical wizardry, the place would be a fortress. Still, they’d gotten too damned close, and Jase didn’t relish having to tell her what they’d discovered today.
Once they were all back at the office, he left Val and Tara to finish up the report and headed for Jazz’s room with the suitcase the women had packed for her in his hand. After wearing the same clothes all day, he was pretty sure she’d be thankful to have options again.