“Wait just a damn minute. He denied you? Did he give a reason? Trust me, a shifter cannot deny his true mate.”
Damn it, this girl was just trying to be a good friend, but Jag wanted her to go so he could try to explain himself to Lynn.
“I sort of didn’t give him the chance. I was too hurt at the time. Liam, another new friend of mine, was kind enough to explain why Jag said what he did. He doesn’t feel like he deserves me. Or some bullshit like that. We were supposed to talk tonight, but I fucked that up, too.” Lynn sighed, only it ended on what sounded like a soft sob. “He’ll never want to be with me. I don’t even want to be with me half of the time. All most men see in me is a piece of ass, and they don’t look any deeper. I’m not some dumb bimbo, damn it! I worked hard to get through medical school, but all they see is a blonde with a nice figure and a big rack.”
Kitty chuckled softly. “Well, don’t hold back or anything,” she teased.
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s good to get it out before you talk with him. There’s nothing worse than drunken word vomit when trying to have a serious conversation.”
“I don’t think I want to talk tonight. Might not be safe. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret later, you know?”
Jag stepped into the room before Kitty could reply, and her eyes locked with his before narrowing.
“I can take over from here,” Jag said. “Thank you for making sure she got home and for protecting her. I’d never hurt her, but your scent set off my inner cat.” He studied her, noting that she suddenly became nervous, though she hid it well. Too bad he could smell it however faint. “What kind of tiger are you? A hybrid?”
She shook her head, refusing to answer his question. “Don’t worry about it, slick. Lynn, don’t forget to call if you need a ride tomorrow.”
“I’ll see that she gets to work,” Jag replied. “Liam and I will retrieve her SUV, as well.”
The female seemed to know she was being dismissed. She gave him a dirty look before motioning to Lynn, her thumb and pinky making a phone shape by her head.
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t worry,” Lynn piped in.
Kitty left, and a few minutes later, the sound of her car going down the driveway told him they were finally alone. If only he knew what he should do. Lynn sat on the couch, clearly uncomfortable, her eyes drooping a bit, and Jag found he didn’t care if they talked tonight or not. He just wanted to take care of her, and right now, she needed her bed.
“Come on, beautiful. Let’s get you tucked in for the night. We can postpone our talk for another time.” When she moved to rise, he came to her side and scooped her up in his arms. With as much stuff as she bumped into coming in, she’d already have bruises come morning.
His inner cat settled when her arms came up, wrapping around his neck while she allowed him to carry her down the hall. “Thank you,” she murmured.
Jag gave her a little squeeze. “Any time.”
“You don’t have to be nice to me, you know.” Lynn held him tighter as she spoke, as if she wanted to get as close as she could. “I was mean.”
Smiling softly, he set her on the bed but remained bent as he replied, “You weren’t mean. You were hurt. I should have explained myself right away, but I wasn’t thinking straight at the time.”
“But I wouldn’t let you explain,” she sniffed. “I was too busy being a bitch when you were being so sweet. The plants, the wind chimes, all the gifts… I loved them, and I should have thanked you.”
Jag stood over her, Lynn’s arms still looped around his neck, and gazed into her bright green eyes. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was either buzzing or already drunk, and he wondered just how much of this she’d remember when she woke. “Don’t worry about it. You just get some rest.”
“Lay with me?” she asked when he tried to remove her hands. “I don’t want to be alone.”
The fear in her eyes wrecked him. What could she possibly be afraid of? He watched over her by night, and Liam by day. Nothing would get to her to harm her in any way. “I can do that.”
He slid in next to her and was a little surprised when she firmly attached herself to his side, tucking under his arm with her head resting just above his heart. He waited for her to get comfortable and felt her body grow heavy as she drifted closer to sleep. “Comfy?”
“Mm-hmm. Thank you for staying. I know you’ll chase them away.”
Jag stiffened, a small snarl ripping past his lips as he growled, “Who?”
She yawned wide. “The nightmares.”
Now, he understood. His little Lynn put up a brave front, but the alcohol had brought down her walls and had her confessing to her weakness. Admitting she was afraid was one thing, but putting so much faith in him, expecting him to chase away some evil vision in her dreams? It humbled him to know she felt as if his mere presence would be enough. She felt safe with him, and he never wanted her to feel otherwise.
Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in tight, he whispered, “I’ll always chase them away. I’m not going anywhere, beautiful. Just sleep now.”
Chapter Five
Lynn woke to her bed dipping then a warm body cozying up to her backside. She was about to unleash a scream when she heard Jag’s sleep-rough voice next to her ear.
“How do you feel?”
He was here? In her bed?
Holy shit! It wasn’t a dream
, she thought, but answered, “Probably better than I should. What time is it?”
“It’s just after nine. Your work called and left you a message. I have your phone.” He dangled her cell before her eyes, showing the little box on the display. It looked as if she actually had two voicemails.
She accepted the device with a yawned. “Thank you.” Lynn was surprised once again when a glass of orange juice appeared.
“I have a few aspirin for you, too. Do you feel up to eating?”
He was being so sweet, Lynn was loath to admit she only had a small headache. Truthfully, she should be sick as a dog, but she vaguely recalled being woken up periodically and given water to drink.
In her sleepy state, Lynn had assumed it was Sam. “You took care of me last night?” she asked, turning to face him and noting the wary look he wore.
“Yes. You asked me to stay with you, so I did. Do you want me to go?”
“No! I’ve just never had anyone other than Sam look after me when I’ve drunk too much. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. How about if I go fix us some breakfast?”
“You cook?” Okay, she totally deserved the look he was giving her, but the man lived in a cave. “Sorry, that didn’t come out right. I just assumed…never mind.” Lynn felt the blood rush to her face and knew her cheeks must be glowing.
“It’s all right. Don’t worry about it. The truth is I don’t cook much, but I enjoy it.” He shrugged and stood. “With it just being me, there’s not really any point to fixing a really big meal.”
Wondering just how long he’d lived by himself, she’d opened her mouth to ask when her phone started to buzz in her hand.
“I’ll let you take care of that while I get the food fixed. Take your time and come out whenever you’re ready.”
With that, Jag walked from the room, giving Lynn a splendid view. Whether the man was coming or going, the movement of his muscles put on one hell of a show. And she’d been lying in bed with him last night!
Lynn sighed. If only she’d been sober enough to enjoy being pressed up against all of that warm, tanned flesh. He still wore only the knit pants from the previous night, and did he ever fill them out. His solid thighs stretched the material tightly over the most perfect male ass she’d ever seen. Hell, even his bare feet were sexy!
So far she’d managed to keep her cool or at least, she hoped so. A good bit of the previous night was blurry, and now, she prayed she hadn’t said or done something embarrassing.
Her phone fell silent in her hand, and Lynn sighed. There was no way to avoid the ass chewing Sam was sure to deliver when Lynn called her back. Hoping to dodge it for a few more minutes, she quickly typed out a text on her way to the bathroom.
Lynn still wore her clothes from yesterday—something she was grateful for since she’d been afraid she would throw herself at Jag while drunk. Now, however, she was sober and ready to wash away the grime from the previous day. She’d call Sam once she felt more refreshed.
After a quick shower, Lynn threw on some gray slacks and a cherry-red blouse with some layered silver necklaces. A little makeup to give her face some color, some comfy flats for her already achy feet, and she was ready to face the day. Her hair was still a little damp when she finally strolled into the kitchen.
“Wow, it smells great,” she called as she entered the room. Of course, the delicious aromas wafting from her stovetop paled in comparison to the vision that greeted her.
Jag stood over a pan, his bare back a picture of perfection as he moved from what he was cooking to plating what appeared to be fresh-cut fruit. His shoulder-length black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck with a few strands falling about his jaw, and Lynn realized she’d never seen him with it not shadowing his face.
“Everything is almost done,” he replied. “I’ve got eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. I wasn’t too sure what you’d be able to handle, so I kept it light.” He turned, and Lynn nearly swooned.
Her man had been hiding a seriously sexy set of dimples from her. As soon as his eyes found hers, the corners of his lips pulled up. She reached for the doorframe, and he quickly moved the pan from the burner before coming to her.
“I’m fine,” Lynn insisted, noting his concerned expression.
He looked her over again with a more critical eye. “You’re going to work?”
“Yes. I have patients to see this afternoon, so I need to be there before one o’clock.” When she moved toward the table, Jag took her hand. Immediately, an intense flutter, like a thousand hummingbirds taking flight, curled low in her belly. Lynn turned to him, meaning to ask him a question, but her movement found the fronts of their bodies pressed together. “I’m sorry, I—”
Jag’s other arm came up around her waist, pulling her even tighter against him. “I’m not sorry, and if you don’t tell me to stop, I plan on kissing you senseless right here in your kitchen. That color looks lovely on you, but the red on your lips is making me a little crazy.”
Oh, my
. What could she say to that? Nothing came to mind, so Lynn did the only thing she thought of. She closed the distance. The warmth of his mouth on hers was wonderful, seeping into her body, his hold on her growing tighter and making her feel bold enough to run her hands up his sculpted chest. His mouth parted, his tongue playing at the seam of her lips just as the front door crashed open.
A split-second later, she was behind Jag as he snarled at the door leading to her living room. That didn’t stop Samantha from barreling in, a scowling Dylan right behind her, an infant carrier in hand.
“
Seriously?
” Sam shouted. “You don’t answer my call because you’re playing kissy-face with Jag? I thought you were dead last night! The least you can do is apologize for giving me my first gray hairs, Lynn.” Turning to Jag, Samantha wagged her finger as if he were an errant child, apparently in full-on mommy mode. “And you, not that red isn’t a lovely color on you, but I’d suggest wearing it somewhere other than your lips.”
Dylan stepped forward, his hand coming to rest on Sam’s shoulder. “Easy, Sam. You’re still upset from last night. Take a deep breath before you say something you can’t take back.” He shot Lynn a wink before smirking at Jag, clearly unaware of how dangerous Sam could be when upset. The woman had a better arm than most quarterbacks and launched whatever was within reach.
“Did you get my text? I sent you one right before I jumped in the shower,” Lynn replied, hoping to calm her friend a bit before things started flying. Literally.
“Oh, yeah, and I see how concerned you were with calling me right back, too,” Sam snapped. “I guess I see where this is going though, and I’m glad you two finally got with the program.” She gestured between Lynn and Jag.
Little Eli whimpered in his carrier, and Dylan set it on the table before unbuckling him. Sighing,
Samantha grabbed the diaper bag and headed to the sink. “You’d better start buying groceries in bulk if you two have kids. I swear I’ve never seen a baby eat so much in my whole life! I breastfeed then have to give him
two
bottles afterwards.”
Lynn was ready to ask a few questions, such as who’d said they’d have kids anytime soon, but Sam put up her hand to stop her. “Before you go there, I pump between six and ten ounces every four hours, but he’s insatiable.”
Dylan came to Sam’s side, kissing her softly on the cheek. “Just like his daddy.”
Sam blushed as Dylan relieved her of the bottle and strolled into the living room. “So, do you need to talk about anything?” Samantha asked.
Lynn didn’t feel the need to confide anything at the moment but figured telling her dearest friend about the previous night would go a long way to mending the hurt feelings between them. “Yeah, but you’ll have to come to my room. I’ve got to fix this makeup and finish getting ready for work.”
Jag still stood in his spot, and Lynn wondered why he hadn’t followed Dylan. Was he upset? Embarrassed? She certainly hoped not, because she wasn’t. In fact, she was rather hoping he’d give her another kiss when he took her to work later. Placing her hand on his arm, Lynn leaned close and whispered, “I’ll be back in a few. Maybe, you could keep Dylan company?”
His eyes met hers, and the iciness nearly stole her breath. He was mad? “I’m going to run the perimeter while you finish getting ready. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
Lynn watched him leave, struggling to keep her tears at bay. She’d thought they were moving forward. Hell, after a kiss like that, most men would be looking for a way to get rid of their company, not taking off alone.
Looking to Sam, Lynn confided softly, “Damn it, I consider myself a strong woman, but that man is wrecking me left and right. I don’t know what I did wrong!”