MJ looked over at her friend. Corrine had a serene smile on her face, which was completely overruled by the look of mischief in her eyes. Something was up. “You know that’s the second time you’ve mentioned Sam being here this morning. Is there something on your mind?”
“Hmm, what? Oh no, nothing on my mind. I’m just happy.”
MJ didn’t believe her. There was something else lurking in her friend’s head. She was being way too calm for knowing MJ and Sam left together last night. It wasn’t like Corrine to not ask for one single detail about the evening’s events.
“And? You know you want to ask. I can tell. You’re dying to find out what happened between your brother and me. For some reason, you’re trying not to pry and that is definitely not you. Did he tell you want happened?”
God she hoped not. In the past, they may have shared the intimate details of their sex lives and dates, but this time—well, MJ wasn’t sure she wanted the details out there. What happened between her and Sam was private. Special. She didn’t want it to be a topic for gossip.
Corrine kept her back to MJ. The silence between them stretching, turning into tension. Suddenly, Corrine spun around, eyes wide with excitement. “He’s found his mate!”
The blood drained from MJ’s face. “Already?” she croaked out. How did he find his mate already? He just left her house this morning. Wait, he couldn’t mean…her.
“You, Mary Jane Poppy. He came over this morning and declared you were his mate. But I have to say, I’m confused as to why you kicked him out of your house. You’ve been wanting him for as long as we’ve been friends.”
“That’s not true.” The reply was too quick and too heated. Corrine would know she was fibbing.
“Oh yes it is!” Corrine accused. “You were in lust with him the first day we all met.”
“Ha, that’s what you think. I actually thought he was an annoying red-headed toad the first day we met.”
“Is that right, Mary Jane?” Sam’s smooth voice behind her had her jumping out of the seat. She stumbled a bit, knocking into the table. Sam reached out and grabbed her, hauling her in close to his body. His very naked—very hot—hard body.
She gasped in surprise, whether from being swept up so quickly or in reaction to being near Sam again, she didn’t know which. What she did know was that her body reacted. Her nipples puckered, pussy convulsed. Her body knew it belonged to him.
Chuckles from the guys behind him caught her attention. She started to look past Sam, but he caught her chin with his fingers, turning her head so she looked only at him. A slow, sensual grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Now sweet, sweet Mary Jane, you don’t think I’m going to let you get a good look at those naked men, do you?”
She was at a loss for words. Sam’s smoldering gaze snagged every bit of her attention. The men in the background, Corrine, the barbeque…everything might as well not have been there. All MJ could focus on was the man holding her in his arms. The feel of his body pressed against hers. The erection he was pressing into her stomach.
She kept silent for too long. A wicked glint formed in Sam’s eyes. “That’s right. I’m not going to because you’re mine. All of your attention should be on me and only me.”
The words snapped her out of the lust-filled fog she was drowning in. “I can do what I want,” she squeaked out.
Sam snorted before pressing his lips down on hers. Too quickly, he pulled away. She barely noticed the shorts being handed to him from Bodie. He loosened his grip from around her waist and, even though he was no longer touching her and holding her captive physically, she felt an invisible sliver of a tether form between them. Could she finally be feeling the stirrings of Dewasa?
CHAPTER EIGHT
MJ was just putting the vacuum away when she heard a knock on the door. Glancing at the clock, she couldn’t help but wonder who would be coming over at a little after ten on a Sunday morning. She was supposed to be heading out to Corrine’s place in an hour for the weekly get-together. She knew everyone would be on their way there by now.
Maybe it’s Sam. The whispered thought had her heart doing a little dance. Ever since last Sunday, he was there every time she turned around. At work, either his or hers, the grocery store, and even the coffee shop she just couldn’t stay away from. He even invited himself over for dinner and a movie the other night. She had been highly disappointed when he got up to leave, only giving her a heated kiss that she was sure would melt her panties off if it had gone on any longer. Maybe he wanted to head out to his sister’s together. Or pick up where they left off the other night. She would definitely make time for that.
MJ stepped into the bathroom and smoothed her hair down. That was another thing she noticed. Sam liked her hair down and free to his touch, she had picked up on that and was leaving it loose more and more just for him.
Another hard rap against the door had her moving to it quickly. When she opened the door, the breath stopped in her throat.
“Hello, Mary Jane.”
She jolted in surprise. What the hell was he doing here?
Instead of Sam standing on the other side of the door, it was Devon. As usual, he looked polished and professional—even wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots and a white polo shirt. She mindlessly wondered if he ever wore anything really casual, like shorts and a t-shirt with some flip-flops.
She stood there immobile for far too long. Devon reached out and touched her shoulder, jerking her back to the present.
“Oh my god, Devon, um, please come in.” She knew she was turning red with embarrassment, the flush heating her skin and burning in her cheeks. She didn’t know where her manners went when it came to this man.
A small smile tipped Devon’s lips. “I probably should have called first to let you know I was on my way, but I was afraid you would find an excuse not to see me if I did.” He moved into her living room and looked completely out of place, unlike Sam. Devon’s entire body was stiff, tension vibrating off of him. She couldn’t help but wonder, yet again, why he was interested in taking her as his companion. He looked so unhappy to be in her home.
Closing the door, MJ went to the kitchen. The overpowering urge to put space between them foremost in her mind. “Would you like something to drink? Water? Coffee?”
“I’d love some coffee.”
MJ nodded her head. Picking up the coffee pot, she poured out what was left, and started a fresh pot. The automatic motions kept her nerves at bay, as she waited to find out why Devon was currently standing in her living room.
The last time she talked to him, which had been a couple of days after her birthday, he apologized for not calling to wish her happy birthday on the day, stating he had been delivering twins at the hospital. She honestly never expected a call, so an apology wasn’t warranted in her mind.
The coffee maker sputtered a couple of times and, not knowing what else to do or say, MJ filled two mugs, doctoring hers just the way she liked it, while leaving his black.
MJ looked between the couch and the table, not knowing where they should have whatever conversation was about to happen. She just couldn’t imagine sitting on the couch with Devon and relaxing.
She walked over to the table, set the mugs down and looked to Devon. “How about we sit here?”
Devon did the same thing she had just done. A glance at the couch, then a glance at the table, he seemed to come to the same conclusion. He waited for her to take a seat, and then sat in the chair next to her.
MJ was a little surprised he didn’t take the chair across from her. He was always so formal, and not particularly cold, but distant. She assumed it had to do with losing the love of your life, and making the decision to move on. She recalled hearing people whisper that he was trying to replace his wife too soon while others said it was about time.
Devon took a sip of his coffee, made a sound of approval, and set the mug back down. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”
MJ chuckled and placed her shaking hands o
n the table. She had no idea why she was nervous, but she wasn’t getting a good feeling in the pit of her stomach. “The thought has crossed my mind. I will hazard a guess that it has something to do with us. Did you change your mind?” The voice in her head silently hoped so.
“No. I’m sorry, but I haven’t.” Devon tilted his head and seemed to study her. “Would it really be that bad being married to me?”
MJ felt ashamed. Devon was a nice guy, but she could never picture them together as a couple. “No. It wouldn’t be that bad. It just seems like this isn’t what you want to do. That I’m not the person you really want to be with.”
A pained look flashed through Devon’s eyes. Of course she wasn’t the person he really wanted to be with. He would rather be with his dead wife and mate.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I know you would rather have your wife back. I just feel like I’m a very poor substitute. That you’re forcing something you don’t really want. You never seem happy when you are with me. If that’s the case it’s going to translate into a very unhappy companionship. I would think you would want to at least like the person you were tying yourself to for the rest of your life.”
Devon laid his hand on top of hers. The heat of his skin seeped into her and, instead of the all consuming lust and need she felt when Sam did the same thing, she felt—nothing. Just a hand resting on top of her own. Like a friend would do to provide comfort when giving you bad news.
“I’m sorry if that’s what you’ve thought. I do like you. You’re a nice woman. I’m just anxious to move on and not having your decision, well, it’s messing with me some. I know this isn’t easy for you, Mary Jane. I came because I haven’t changed my mind; I need to know your answer. If we are to twine our lives, our Jiwa, then there are things I would like to get done before I announce my intention in regards to you at the Gathering.”
Was he serious? The Gathering was only three weeks away. She thought she had until sometime during the semi-annual event to make her decision. She needed to stall him while she figured out what to do. How she could put him off a little while longer?
“You’re right, this isn’t easy. I know you’re only trying to do what you think is best for you and your children; and in some very strange way for me, but I haven’t made any decisions. I need more time. Time I thought I had, actually. You said I had until the Gathering.”
“No. I said by then. You’re still torn between your heart and your head. Did you and Sampson ever explore your feelings?”
MJ blushed and turned her head away.
“I’ll take that to mean yes, and since I don’t see the man staking his claim on every second of your life, then I can only guess that you did not feel the mating pull toward him.”
MJ’s lips started the tremble. Tears formed in her eyes, and it was all she could do to hold them back. She didn’t want Devon to see how devastated she was that she didn’t feel anything. Yes, she was sexually attracted. Yes, she was in love with Sam. But she couldn’t let him take her as a mate when she couldn’t say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was her mate. She would never put him through a one-sided mating. It would kill him and, in the process, kill her.
Devon squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry, Mary Jane,” he whispered. “Believe me when I say, I know how much you wanted him to be your mate. I would have gladly stepped aside and wished you the best if it had worked out for the two of you.”
MJ whipped her head around in shock. She never thought she would hear those words from him. She felt a tear slip down her cheek. He reached up and gently wiped it away. The tenderness and compassion she saw in his eyes caused a couple more tears to fall. She didn’t care that he saw her cry now. Those words from him gave her a glimmer of hope. “Do you really mean it, Devon? Would you just step aside and let another man claim me? You would set the silly personal debt my parents owe aside?”
“First off, this personal debt, they are the only ones who see it that way. I know my father had feelings for you mother at one point and that’s why he did what he did. I only mentioned it so you could see that becoming my companion would relieve them of that feeling. I know you want to see your parents happy; with the weight of that imaginary debt lifted, they would be.”
MJ snorted. She felt her parents were going a little overboard on the debt thing too. Of course, she wanted that for her parents, but did it have to mean sacrificing herself? Memories of why they felt indebted raced through her mind and she had to shut them off.
Devon, completely unaware of her thoughts, talked on. “Second, if Sam were your true mate…yes, I would never stand in the way of that. I didn’t let it stand in the way of mating with my wife.”
“What? Why would someone stand in the way? From everything I’ve heard, everyone loved her and thought the world of her. The entire community mourned her loss.”
“What most people don’t know, or just plain refused to acknowledge, was that she was human. There are still people out there who don’t believe in mating outside our species. What they forgot was that, at one time, we were all full-blooded human beings. The shifting gene dormant until two people with the same mutated gene reproduced. It helps that we are drawn to someone of the same species, but there are times when it doesn’t happen. Like in your parents’ case and my own.”
MJ’s hand flew up, covering her mouth as she gasped. A light turned on in her head. “That’s why your children have green eyes.” She had wondered about his kids’ vibrant green eyes, but then just let it go. She, herself, had blue eyes. She wasn’t anywhere close to being a normal shifter, so to her, it was another one of life’s oddities.
Devon snorted and smiled. It was the first time she heard something so improper come out of his mouth. “That’s the first thing that came to mind? No questions about why I didn’t just try to find a Tiger shifter? No words about mating within my own species?” He paused for a moment. “But then, you would never think something like that, would you?”
MJ shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, there is no normal, so I didn’t think twice about it.” She canted her head to the side. “Do you think they’ll be shifters?” How strange if they weren’t, a member of a founding family not having a legacy. Sure, they would carry his name, but as far as their standing within the shifter community, they wouldn’t have one.
“It doesn’t matter one way or the other. They are my kids, and I love them no matter who or what they are. That’s the reason I think you’ll make a good companion for me. Overhearing your parents talk about your situation was like someone dropping the answer to all my prayers right in my lap. All of those nights I asked for guidance to help my children were finally answered. You know what it’s like to be different. If they don’t shift when they hit puberty like most of our kind, then you’ll be there to reassure them that there is nothing wrong with being different. That they are normal.”
“I like to call it unique.”
A slow grin kicked up one corner of Devon’s mouth. MJ couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was when he smiled like that. She shook her head to clear the thought away. Just because she found him handsome for a split second, it did not mean they should be together.
They both sat in silence, lost in their thoughts. Devon, for the first time she had seen, almost looked happy. The stress lines around his mouth went away, his eyes shown a little brighter, and the aura around him glowed just a little bit. MJ couldn’t help but wonder if he was thinking about his wife and children. He seemed to relax little by little, taking sips of his coffee.
A couple of minutes went by, and she was sure he had forgotten his earlier line of questioning. When he finished his coffee, he set the cup down and focused on her again. Apparently, he hadn’t forgotten.
“Are you prepared to make a decision? You agreed that if there were nothing between you and Sampson, you would commit to me.”
“We’re back to that already?”
“Yes,” he said, leaning back in his chair, getting comforta
ble “Let’s try this a different way. Let’s look at it logically.”
MJ snorted. “I don’t see how that’s going to help. I don’t mean to be rude or ungrateful, as my parents seem to think.”
Devon quickly interrupted her. “They don’t think you’re ungrateful. They just want the best for you.”
MJ couldn’t help the roll of her eyes. “Yes, but you do realize I’m twenty-five now and they no longer have any say about what or who I do?”
Devon’s lips thinned. He gave a quick nod of his head. “But you still feel obligated to help them out, and what they ask?”
She did and she didn’t think she needed to answer that. He knew he was right. “Anyway, the only reason I’m even still entertaining this idea is because I told you I would consider it. I don’t go back on my word.”
“That is a strong ethic to have. There’s another reason, though. One you don’t want to give voice to.”
Wasn’t he the perceptive guy today? MJ hesitated, deciding he deserved her honesty. “Yes, there’s another reason.”
“You believe your parents might actually be right. You didn’t feel the mating pull and you’re afraid you won’t ever have a true mate. I’m your chance to have everything you’ve dreamed about, a home and family to care for. I can see it in your face anytime I talk about the kids. You get this wistful look full of longing. You want to be a mother. I can give you the instant family. With the kids being so young, it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine they would come to think of you as their mother. The only thing I’m not offering is love, though. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.”
MJ hated that he was right. She was afraid Devon might be her only chance to have that fairy tale dream of the white picket fence and the family that went with it. Sure, Sam said he would give it to her, but without being true mates, it would break her heart more and more the longer they were together. She wanted to feel that ultimate connection with him and she didn’t.
Claiming More (Tiger Nip) Page 7