Rafe ran the perimeter of Jasmine’s property. Twice he’d had to lay low while hikers trampled through the woods. It posed a risk to Rafe and his family, but what concerned him more was the danger to any unfortunate human who might stumble over Jon. History proved he had no problems with murdering innocents. Rafe doubted time had changed that.
He shifted into his human form, then pulled his clothes out from under a bush where he’d stashed them. Once dressed, he jogged the last few feet to the open yard.
Kade met him halfway. “What did you find?”
“No scent markings, but I did find paw prints.”
“So he is masking his scent completely.” Kade cursed. “Where did he get his hands on that drug?”
“I’d like to know too, but we have other concerns.”
“Yeah. Finding him before he goes after Jasmine or her kids.”
Rafe glanced in the direction the hikers had gone. “True, but they’re not the only innocents we need to worry about. Humans use these woods for hiking.”
“And we both know Jon has no problem with murder.” Kade rolled his shoulders. “We’ll get him. He won’t get away this time.”
“You’re right about that.” Rafe just hoped they did so before Jon killed any of the humans in Jasmine’s town.
Rafe pivoted and made his way to the house. He found Jasmine in the kitchen talking to Mira. They had their heads bent close and were giggling over something. Jasmine turned with a smile on her face, but the grin drooped before she forced it back in place. The bitter trace of fear tainting her scent exposed the reason behind her fake smile. He had a long way to go in earning her trust which meant he had a long way to go before he even brought up mating him.
He leaned over the counter separating them and ran a hand down her arm. “Hey, beautiful. I missed you.”
“Oh Jazz, it must be love. Rafe never used that tone on me when we were lovers.” At Jasmine’s widened eyes, Mira gasped and covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…I mean, we’re not…”
Rafe flicked his gaze to Mira. “Get out. Now.”
Mira hurried from the room.
Jasmine turned to the stove. She stirred a pot of chili with quick flicks of her wrist. “Any sign of Jon?”
She wasn’t going to ask about Mira? Rafe took in her stiff back and inhaled. Too many different emotions flavored her scent for him to judge her mood. He walked around the counter separating them, took her hand and carefully pulled back her fingers from the ladle. He turned the heat off on the stove, and dragged her unyielding body against his.
“This is not the kind of jealousy I like.”
“I’m not jealous.”
She lied. Her sharp tone, along with the anger darkening her eyes told him the truth.
He kissed from her shoulder to the spot below her ear. She shivered but pressed her lips together. No breathy sigh.
“Liar.” He laved her skin until she swallowed hard. A much better reaction. He nibbled along the length of her throat then soothed her with his tongue. “There’s no reason to be jealous of Mira. She’s a friend, always has been, even when she shared my bed.”
“Friend with benefits, huh?”
He’d heard of the human expression, but Mira never quite fit that role either. She had only ever come to him when she needed love and reassurance or when the loneliness had gotten to be too much. He’d never sought her out. He didn’t think the distinction would matter to Jasmine.
“In a way, but we haven’t been intimate in many years.” He turned Jasmine in his arms and ran a hand over her back. “Nor will we ever be again. I don’t want another lover. Only you.”
She rolled her eyes but not before he saw the warmth in them. His declaration had pleased her. “Compared to Mira, I’m plain, and you haven’t known me long enough for my personality to have anything to do with it.”
“You’re beautiful. Not plain.” He pressed his lips to hers to stop her denial. “And mine. Mira never captured my attention. You have.”
“Is that true?”
The soft brush of her lips sensitized his mouth. Before he could answer her, she curled her fingers around the back of his neck, holding him in place, and kissed him slowly. The soft stroking of her thumb over his skin skipped energy down his spine, arousing him quicker than he’d thought possible.
Her attention focused on him was welcome, but other needs surfaced the longer they kissed. Those involved Jasmine on her knees, taking him to the brink.
He swept his hands over her rounded butt cheeks, squeezing each one, but Jasmine caught his lower lip between her teeth. She gave it a sharp tug, then released him. “And whose bed will you be warming tonight? I didn’t invite you into mine.”
She might’ve kissed him, but she hadn’t let go of her jealousy.
“No, but”—he skimmed his hand over her lower back and inched his fingertips past the waistband of her shorts—“you’ll accept me when I come to you. Won’t you?”
“You play dirty. I don’t like it.”
“Yes, you do.” He gave her a knowing look. “Otherwise you wouldn’t have let me seduce you earlier.”
Half-lidded eyes met his. A small smile graced her face, but it was the wry kind, not one of pleasure. He tensed and waited for her words, knowing they wouldn’t be ones he wanted to hear. The satisfaction in her eyes was bittersweet. “Okay, you have a point, but I think we need to clear some things up. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes. I suppose you have a question for me?” It could’ve been any number of things but the scene with Mira had likely spurred this moment.
She nodded. “So I shouldn’t be jealous of Mira because she’s from your past?” She waited until he agreed. “And when I see the two of you together I shouldn’t imagine what you looked like naked and tangled in passion. Is that what you’re telling me? Because it’s over. The past.”
“Yes. Mira and I are over.”
“And you realize I have a past too, right?”
He didn’t want to think of her with other men, but he nodded, knowing she had a point to make.
“And you believe me when I say I’m no longer sexually involved with my old lovers?”
“Yes.”
“And if you see me with one, you’re not going to flip out and tell me I can’t talk to him or remain friends with him, right?” Wide-eyed, she blinked at him. “Because that wouldn’t be fair.”
She’d led him exactly where she wanted him. No way could he refuse her and not come off as an jerk. He cleared his throat. “I won’t stop you from remaining friends with other men, if that’s what this is about.”
“It is, but only partially.”
“What’s your other reason?”
“Punishment, I suppose.” She pursed her lips. “Every time I see Mira, I’m going to think about the two of you. I’m a big girl, and I’ll get over it, but it’s not fair that you won’t suffer with the same problem.”
Rafe’s cats stirred. They wanted to study Jasmine through his eyes. Something about her words, or maybe her scent, had made them wary. He didn’t think she lied, not exactly, but she wasn’t being completely honest either.
Rafe thought back to her reaction when she’d entered the room. She’d been nervous, slightly afraid even, and she hadn’t even known about Mira then. Something else about him had upset her.
He studied her for some clue. She watched him just as carefully. Trying to read his expression? Yes, that was it. She was testing him.
“I’m assuming you’re still friends with an ex-lover?” Rafe finally asked.
“Yes.” She covered Rafe’s crotch with one hand, then slid the other over his bottom, down the center, between his butt cheeks. With a single finger, she pushed against his jeans.
“Jasmine.”
“Yes, Rafe?” she purred.
“What are you doing?”
“Just giving you a visual of what I used to do with my very good male friend, the one I refuse to lose.” She moved her hands to his waist and tipped her head back. A challenge shone in her steady gaze. “And just so you know, I only have one male friend.”
Josh.
She slipped from Rafe’s embrace and washed her hands at the sink. Rafe focused on her motions and ignored the angry snarls from his cats echoing in his head.
A door creaked open. Josh’s scent drifted to Rafe, and Rafe’s tiger slammed into his chest, demanding to be released. He fought the animal. No way did he want to do anything to encourage Jasmine to seek out Josh.
Jasmine draped the towel over a shoulder and faced Josh. “Hey, I forgot to tell you. I dug out the old photo albums you asked me for a couple of weeks ago. Found some great pictures of when we went to the prom and all those dances. I thought maybe we could sit out on the swing after dinner and look at them.” She licked her upper lip and dropped her gaze to skim the length of Josh’s body. “You know, remember old times.”
It was too much. Rafe reached for her, but she ducked and scrambled to the other side of the counter. She had the audacity to waggle her finger at him.
“Now, now, I don’t have time for any of that. Dinner is almost ready, then Josh and I are going to reconnect. I’ve had to keep all my friends at arm’s length over the past few years.” She flashed another grin. “That is okay with you, isn’t it?”
Rafe leaned against the counter at his back and crossed his arms. “Sure. It’ll give me time to talk to Seth and Levi about us.”
The color drained from her face. “About us?”
He nodded. “I want to make sure it’s okay with them that we’re involved. You know, get their permission. I don’t want them to be upset when they realize I’m sleeping in their mom’s bed.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. What if this doesn’t work out?”
He cracked his jaw. “Then we part ways gracefully. We’re grownups. We’ve both already proven we can remain friends with an ex-lover, but I don’t think it’ll come to that.”
“You’re pretty confident in yourself, aren’t you?”
He closed the distance between them, but didn’t pull her into his arms. He pressed his lips to hers and just…breathed. A few seconds, that was all, and he eased back, but it was long enough to remind them both they were connected. The hint of awareness in her eyes proved she felt their growing bond too.
“No, I’m confident in us. I’ve waited a very long time to find a woman like you. I’ll do what I must to win your heart, and if that means welcoming Josh to our dinner table every night, I will.”
It sure didn’t mean he’d be happy about it, but such was life.
He glanced at where Josh stood silently watching the exchange. “I want to talk to you after you’re done reminiscing with Jazz. Evan found out some very interesting things while he was talking to some of the humans in town.”
“About what?”
“Your brother.” And the debt Tony had amassed over the past year gambling on cage fights.