On Jason's Watch [Paladin Protection Agency 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Hayes, Susan

  “There’s nothing fun about what would happen if I lost control on a metal tube 30,000 feet in the air. What if there was turbulence or an accident? I couldn’t risk it.”

  “Tomorrow I’m taking you flying,” he told her firmly. “It’s time you started living a little.”

  “But…”

  “No buts. No arguments. Trust me, Jazz. I won’t let anything happen.”

  “You really are crazy. If anything happens, you’re the one at risk. I don’t think I could live with myself if I hurt anyone. I know I couldn’t bear it if I hurt you after all you’ve done for me.”

  “You’re not going to hurt me. I’m a big, strong, security specialist, remember?” He grinned, knowing he’d already won. She was going to go flying with him.

  * * * *

  I’m going to go flying. She couldn’t believe he’d gotten her to agree. She’d always been so damned careful, until she’d met Jason. He made her feel like maybe there was something more for her than endless, quiet evenings at home and running her business. Her heart skipped a beat as she remembered the way he’d kissed her. Even though she knew it was a bad idea, she wanted him to kiss her again.

  Really not a good idea, she reminded herself as he helped her into his car. The scent of leather rose from the seat, blending with the faintest trace of his cologne. It was a fragrance she found enticing. It was close enough to the full moon that her sense of smell and hearing were becoming heightened. Both were warning signs that the monster was near the surface and would be harder to control between now and the full moon. And that was without considering that she was about to spend the night alone with the one man who tempted her like no one else ever had.

  They made the drive back to his place in comfortable silence. When he let his hand drift from the gear shift to take her hand, she just smiled and feathered a gentle touch to his palm. There was no sense in denying what was growing between them. She just wasn’t sure how it was going to work. After all, only one of them was even truly human.

  His house was in a quiet suburb, and she realized he lived only a few miles from Paladin. As the garage door retracted, she couldn’t help but laugh as she saw a motorcycle and a jet ski sharing space on the other side of the two-car garage. “Have you ever spoken to a shrink about this obsession you have with things that go fast?”

  “Do not disparage my hobbies! I like to go fast, and you like to beat up on people. Which one of us do you think should be talking to counsellor?”

  She opened her mouth to argue and then threw up her hands in mock surrender. “You may have a point.”

  “Besides, if you make fun of my toys, I won’t let you play with them.” His dimples flashed as he smiled down at her. Then he set his hand on the small of her back, guiding her up the stairs to his front door. “Welcome to Casa Waters. I haven’t been home much in the past week, so don’t eat anything in the fridge. If I bring you back to Paladin with a case of food poisoning, I will never hear the end of it.”

  He let them in and left her to kick off her shoes as he turned on the lights, revealing a home that wasn’t at all what she had expected. Instead of the standard bachelor fare of black leather, chrome, and glass, there were Persian rugs and elegant sculptures of wood and stone. The furniture was stylish but understated, and the walls were decorated with landscapes that appeared to be of the local area.

  Before she could take a closer look at anything, he was back, tugging her into his arms before she could even protest.

  “I have been dying to kiss you for hours now,” he murmured before brushing his lips to hers. His arm locked around her waist and his hands lifted to brush the tendrils of hair from her face before moving back to begin slowly unpinning her hair. She didn’t even try to resist him this time. She didn’t want to. Instead, she moved her hands beneath his jacket and took hold of his tie, using it to coax his face down to hers.

  He kissed her again, lifting her onto her toes as he crushed their bodies together. She felt him tease at her hair as he worked it free of its restraints. The last of the hairpins fell onto the tiled floor with a metallic ping before they skittered away, forgotten. His fingers speared into her hair, and he held her body captive, while his hands kept her close as his mouth claimed hers again, his tongue tangling with hers as he groaned her name.

  The wolf within her stirred, and she tensed. Not yet, please. Let me have this one moment. She closed her eyes and clung to Jase, trying to lose herself in the moment before it was gone. She kissed him frantically, trying to memorize every second, every sensation. She moaned and heard the rumbling note hidden within. She felt the darker half of her nature rise, pushing at her control. She growled low and froze as the sound filled the room. Worried now, she tried to break their kiss. Tried, and failed. Jase wouldn’t let her go.

  “Don’t run away this time,” he whispered and then kissed her again. This kiss was gentler, more complete. His mouth claimed hers with an intensity she had never imagined possible. Passion flared deep inside her, igniting an inferno of needs she had never before acknowledged. This time, she didn’t fight it. Another growl rumbled up from her throat, and she ignored it, ignored everything but the way Jase was making her feel.

  She drew his lip into her mouth and nipped at it, eliciting a groan of approval from him. She felt the world tip slightly on its axis, and she realized he had lifted her completely off the floor and into his arms. He walked them across the house to the living room, settling onto the couch. She found herself cradled in his lap with the solid strength of him wrapped around her. She smoothed her hands up his chest to his shoulders, easing his leather jacket off. He removed it with a hasty shrug, barely letting go of her long enough to free his arms.

  “See, sweetheart? There’s nothing to fear. You’re stronger than you know.” He tangled his hand into her hair and tugged, drawing her head back. His lips touched her throat, dropping a flurry of delicate kisses over her skin. As he reached a spot just under her ear, she had to bite back a whimper of pure need. Thrill bumps chased down her spine, and she heard him chuckle, every note of his laughter rich with male pride. “You liked that?”

  Jazz tried to speak and discovered her mouth wouldn’t work right. Instead, she simply nodded wordlessly.

  “Ask me to do it again,” he murmured, his mouth just the barest fraction of an inch away from touching her.

  “Jase.” She whispered his name, and he blew a puff of warm air over her neck, teasing her.

  “Ask me, Jazz. Say it.”

  “Do that again, please.” She blushed as she said it. The heat of her embarrassment was nothing to the scorching flames that raced over her skin as he first kissed that same sensitive spot and then drew the tip of his tongue across it.

  She was so lost in the raptures of his touch she barely noticed when she growled again. Her body was already on fire, so the warning burn in her fingertips was lost, too. The first she realized her control had slipped was when she drew her hand down his chest and the sound of tearing fabric filled her ears. She froze and glanced between them. She was stunned to realize she’d shredded his shirt with her newly formed claws.

  “Jase!” She was horrified and tried to pull away, but again he wouldn’t let her.

  “Might as well finish the job now,” he encouraged her, his voice husky with desire. He drew her earlobe into his mouth and nibbled at it, his hand taking hers and setting it back onto the tattered ruins of his shirt.

  “You—you’re sure?”

  He moved away from her just enough so that he could look into her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Tear off my clothes, growl, just please don’t stop. Not yet.”

  “When do you want me to stop, then?” she couldn’t resist asking.

  His eyes gleamed with desire, and he gave her a sultry smile that turned her insides gooey. “I’m hoping you don’t.”

  “Oh.” Her heart was beating so loudly she couldn’t think past the thundering in her ears.

  “
I have a spare bedroom, and you’re welcome to use it. But I want you to sleep with me.” He leaned in the few inches between them and kissed the corner of her mouth. “The choice is yours. Just don’t deny what’s between us because you’re afraid of what might happen if you lose control. I’m not.”

  “You should be.”

  “You’re not going to hurt me, Jazz. You need to believe that.”

  The frantic pounding of her heart faded a little, and she found herself nodding. “I want to believe it.”

  “That’s my girl.” He slid an arm under her knees and lifted her higher against his chest. “Hang on tight.”

  She latched onto his shoulders as he stood up, carrying her as though she weighed nothing at all. “Jase? Where are we going?”

  “Bed. I’ve got an idea.” He bowed his head, and she caught a glimpse of wicked determination in his expression, and then he was kissing her again and there was nothing in her mind but thoughts of him.

  * * * *

  He was taking a serious chance, and he knew it. The last thing he should be doing is seducing a client. This isn’t just seduction, he told himself. This is something else, something more. If anyone had told him yesterday that he was twenty-four hours away from falling head over heels for a sexy werewolf, he’d have had them committed. But here he was with Jazz in his arms, headed for his bedroom. He was in so far over his head right now he should be panicking, but he wasn’t. Anya, Paladin’s resident clairvoyant, had told him he’d be meeting his destiny soon. Unlike Sinjin, he wasn’t intending to fight his fate. Not when it looked so damned good.

  He carried her into his room and set her back on her feet, already reluctant to let her out of his arms. She stared up at him, and he was stunned by the look of complete trust in her beautiful eyes. No one had ever looked at him like that before, and it hit him like a punch to the stomach. He wasn’t worthy of that kind of trust. He couldn’t be. Not after all he’d done.

  She reached for him, and he caught her hands in his, drawing her in close. I may not deserve her, but damned if I’m going to let her go.

  He kissed her, enjoying her inexperience and her innocence. She had never been with a man. That much was obvious even if she hadn’t spelled it out for him earlier. He liked that he’d be her first. He’d never been with someone of her limited experience. Until now, he’d wanted a partner in pleasure, nothing else. Jazz promised to be something quite different, if he could help her to get past her fear.

  He moved slowly, finding the catch on her zipper with his fingertips. Inch by inch he lowered it, keeping her distracted with his kisses. She rubbed up against him, and he had to stifle a groan as his cock thickened and pulsed, growing hard and heavy. He wanted her so badly it was almost painful, but he knew he had to be patient.

  The dress nearly slid from her shoulders as he finished working the zipper open, and he caught a glimpse of red lace against her skin. Unable to resist, he pushed her dress further down her shoulders, trapping her arms to her sides.

  “Pretty.” He stroked the lace trimmed edge of her bra, watching her breasts lift as she gasped in surprise at his touch.

  “Thank Val and Tara. They packed it. Almost as if they knew I’d need them.”

  “Tara is very insightful.” He tore his eyes from her breasts to smile at her. “She’s an empath and something of a mind reader. I think she had a pretty good idea how I felt about you by the time we were done at your house.”

  “Oh god, really?” She blushed again. The sight of her golden skin darkening made him itch to have her naked so he could watch that blush flow up her body. “So you think this wasn’t an accident? I’ve never even worn it before.”

  “Did I mention my favorite color is red? I think it’s safe to say she knew what she was doing.”

  “I’m never going to be able to look her in the eye again,” she muttered.

  “Trust me, she won’t pry. But if you don’t shield from her, she usually gets a pretty good idea of how you’re feeling. If you want, we can practice our shields together.”

  “I’d like that.” She arched a dark brow at him. “So how do you feel about me? I think it’s only fair that I know if Tara does.”

  “I feel that I really, really want to see the rest of that lace.” He ducked the question and deliberately tugged her dress down to her waist. As more lace appeared, he forgot about going slow and pushed the dress over the sweet curve of her hips and then let it go, watching as it slid down her legs to land at her feet.

  “You were wearing that at dinner?” He could barely believe the vision in front of him. “Holy gods, if I had known that, we’d have never made it to the restaurant.”

  He sucked in a long breath, trying to put the air back into his lungs. When he could speak again, he pointed to the bed.

  “Get comfy. I’ll be right back. And don’t you dare touch that outfit you’re wearing. I haven’t finished admiring it yet.”

  Chapter 6

  She shouldn’t be here. She knew she should grab her clothes and hightail it to Jase’s spare bedroom before this went any further. So why aren’t I moving? She knew the answer to that question was blond, green eyed, and had just stepped into what looked to be a very spacious walk-in closet. She was staying because this was Jase. Because he wasn’t afraid of her, and because when he kissed her, he made her want more than she’d dared to try for in her entire life.

  Instead of leaving, she picked up her dress and laid it on the dresser. It was the only clothing she had at the moment. So if she was going to have to do the walk of shame back into Paladin tomorrow morning, she’d at least do it in an unwrinkled outfit. She heard Jase humming to himself from the other room, and she couldn’t help but smile as she recognized the tune. She would have never pegged him for a Nickelback fan. She curled up on his bed, facing the closet he’d disappeared into, and waited, feeling very underdressed.

  When he stepped back out again, the first thing she noticed was that he’d removed the shredded remains of his shirt. Every lean, muscled inch of his chest and torso was revealed to her gaze, and she couldn’t help but stare. She was distracted enough that it took her until he sat down beside her on the bed to realize he was holding several silk ties in his hands.

  “And what do you think you’re going to do with those?”

  “I’m going to make sure you feel safe,” he answered with a wink that did nothing to ease the knots that were suddenly twisting her insides.

  “How are your ties going to make me feel safe exactly?”

  “You’ll see.” He leaned down and kissed her, one hand molding to her breast as he moved her over, onto her back. She felt the warm weight of him shift above her, his leg resting between her thighs. She gave in to the need to touch him and ran her hands over his bare skin. Her eyes drank in every detail, and when she read the words imprinted on the skin of his right bicep, she couldn’t help but smile. “Carpe Diem. You really do have that tattoo.”

  He lifted his head and glanced over to where her fingers rested against his skin. “I haven’t lied to you about anything, Jazz, and I’m not going to. There are times I have to lie for my job, but I never lie to the people who are important to me.”

  She felt her breath catch in her chest. “I’m important to you?”

  “Hell yes,” he whispered and kissed her again. “I don’t know what this is, but I do know it’s not a fling. So if you’re looking to use me and throw me over in the morning, I’ll be completely distraught.” He made his lower lip wobble and gave her an utterly woebegone look. “I may never recover.”

  “You’re incorrigible.” She nipped his still-protruding lower lip. “I don’t know what this is either, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the love ’em and leave ’em type. Until tonight, I haven’t been the love ’em type at all.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I’m going to take good care of you.”

  “I know you will,” she confessed softly. “I just hope I don’t hurt you.”

  “That’s not going to h
appen.” He sat up just enough to regain the use of his hands, closing them around her wrists as he drew both of her arms over her head. He held them there as he leaned in and kissed her again, his tongue and lips distracting her from what he was doing. It wasn’t until she registered the cool slide of silk snugging up around her wrists that she realized what he was planning, and by then he was already securing her arms to the headboard.

  “Jase, no.” She yanked at her binding, but it didn’t give way.

  “Trust me. You’re afraid you’re going to hurt me. Well, you can’t if you’re tied up, right? No claws this way. And I tied it so that if you change, the knots will loosen off enough you won’t get hurt.”

  “This is your idea of making me feel safe?” She thrashed on the bed, yanking harder this time.

  “Lie still and trust me. If you really don’t want to do this, then I’ll untie you. But I think this is a good idea.” His gaze slid over her body and she couldn’t help but see the hunger in his eyes. “I take that back. This is an amazing idea. You’re gorgeous, a private feast laid out just for me.”

  She managed a derisive and very unladylike snort and glowered up at him. “I feel more like a trussed turkey.”

  “You’re one very sexy-looking turkey. Thanksgiving never looked this good at my house.”

  She burst out laughing, and when she was done, nearly all her anxiety had faded away. “So, now you have me trussed up, what exactly was your plan?”

  He settled his body beside hers and dropped a line of kisses into the valley between her breasts. “My plan was to make love to you until we’re both too tired to move.”

  “And what if I—you know—change?”

  “You’re not going to. But since you seem intent on worrying about this, here’s the deal. You use the safe word, and I’ll stop. No guilt, no questions.”

  “Safe word, huh. And just what is this magical word I’m supposed to say?”

  He lifted his head and grinned at her. “Turkey.”