Chapter 36
JASE
“Explain this Alaska job thing to me,” I request.
We’ve ordered our meals and are sitting in a booth, in the corner of the restaurant.
“Dr. Blakely wants me to work for him with the SCC for six to nine months.”
“Doing what?”
“I don’t know much,” she mutters, taking her glasses off and cleaning them with the cloth napkin. ”Said he heard I was a whiz with data and needs help with a special research project. I told him I’d consider it.”
“You wanna do it?”
“I… don’t know. I thought it’d be a good break from everything around home. Now, I’m not so sure.”
“If you wanna do it, we’ll go.”
“We?”
“Obviously,” I say in a mild tone.
“But… buh-but…” she stammers and then lets it hang.
“If you want to do this job, gain that experience, need to do this for your career or whatever, I support it. What I don’t support is the idea of being away from you for months.”
“But the council…” She lets that hang, too.
“A benefit of having seven of us, Bay. The team’ll manage without me for a couple months. I’m not living away from you for that length of time. Not for weeks, not even for days. Not doin’ it.”
“And work…”
I shrug. “It’ll be covered. The guys can jump in and help Grey with the properties.
Tyson’s on the construction crew now, too, and he’s learning plumbing, carpentry, and electrical.
He’s picking it all up quickly. I’ve got savings.
I can handle not taking a salary for a couple months.
Investments are doing well so I won’t really feel it. ”
“I don’t even know if I wanna do it,” she mutters. “I don’t have a job description or any idea about compensation or accommodations. And besides…I’d miss the last two matings and maybe even miss Grey and Stacy’s twins being born.”
“Last two matings?” I ask. “Why’ve you gotta be around for those?”
“For the girls, whoever they are. I’ve been there to support the first four. I want to do that for all of them.”
“Ah.” I say. “Think on it then. If you want to do it, we can make it work.”
“If I want to know more, I’ll reach out to Dr. Blakely for a job description.”
“He’s on his way here so you can ask him in person. Get more information, think on it, and let me know when you decide.”
She wanted to take that job so she wouldn’t have to watch me pair up with someone.
Now that it’s her, that erases her need to get away.
But I know enough about Bailey, I’m not surprised in the least that she wants to be around for Linc’s and Joel’s matings.
She’s always at the center of everything.
I tease her that she’s a nosy, busy bee, but I’ve always known that she genuinely wants to be helpful.
Bailey is the model of what makes our pack a great place to be.
She sips her cranberry juice, but startles, looking around.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing,” she says quickly but her eyes are scanning the space around us.
“You hearing things again?”
She frowns. “Never mind.”
I reach across the table and grab her hand. “You can tell me.”
She shakes her head and stares at my hand holding hers. The meals are delivered and she immediately pulls away from my grip and forks into her salad.
“Who comes to a steakhouse, calls it their favorite restaurant, and orders a salad?” I quip after swallowing my first delicious bite of my rare porterhouse.
She replies, “I can’t eat steak if there’s any red on the plate and whenever I’ve tried to order it in a restaurant, it’s bloody or it’s one step from beef jerky. Never in between. Bleurgh. Besides, this is the best salad ever.”
It’s massive and she seems like she’s enjoying it.
“And they have that warm sourdough bread they serve with the whipped butter, not to mention their mile high carrot cake cheesecake that I really love,” she adds, then goes red-faced. “Though… I don’t really need it.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, waving the waitress from across the restaurant over. “You’re havin’ a fuckin’ salad for dinner. The only upside there can be to that is having room for dessert.”
“This might be a salad but it’s not like it’s for dieters. It’s got candied nuts, bacon, breaded fried chicken, four types of cheese, and it’s over fifteen hundred calories.”
I laugh. “Get the cheesecake. I brought you here because I know it’s your favorite restaurant over here.
I loved their chocolate cake we had on your sixteenth birthday.
I also happen to like your trunk and don’t care about calories.
You shouldn’t either.” I say to the waitress, “We didn’t get any of that warm bread. ”
“Oops, sorry,” she says, giving me a come hither look.
“Bring some for my girl, please,” I direct dismissively because I don’t want Bailey to think I’m inviting this flirting.
“I wasn’t fishing for a compliment,” Bailey says after the waitress leaves. “And it was rude to eavesdrop in the bookstore.”
I shrug. “Your sweet ass looks damn good in that dress, baby. Even if you wore it to spite me. And you’re not below my league. I’m the jackhole that’s lucky to be here tonight with you.”
She swallows, looking uncomfortable, but then asks, “Spite you?”
“I asked you to wear the gold one so of course you didn’t.”
“I can’t wear that gold one. It has painful memories and aromas attached to it.”
Shit.
I try to recover with, “And to spite me because this one’s even sexier than that one. Feels like a test.”
“A test?”
She doesn’t look amused.
“To make sure I keep my word and don’t claim you before you’re ready. You’re definitely testing my willpower, because I’m envisioning doing very dirty things to you in this dress.”
The girl is back with the bread and looking both scandalized and jealous at overhearing what I just said as she sets it down, face flushed.
“Thanks,” Bailey squeaks.
“Mm hm,” the server replies with clear embarrassment and quickly moves away.
I slice the bread into slices, butter one and pass it to Bailey.
She stares at it like she’s somewhere else.
“You don’t want any?” I ask.
She clears her expression. “I do, actually. Thank you.” She takes it, our fingers brushing.
After she finishes daintily chewing, I fork up a piece of steak and hold it out.
“Their porterhouse is dangerously good. Taste it,” I say, trying to distract her, and also keep her on the edge of her seat.
And I avoid the urge to let my nostrils flare because she’s smelling even juicier than this meat.
She’s been wet since she came down her parents’ stairs and looked at me, and she just had another surge of arousal.
Fuck, I can hardly wait to taste her. Take her in, nude, spread out, and all mine.
She scrunches up her nose. “It’s too rare for me.”
“Best way to eat it. Close your eyes.”
“My eyes already saw it. No, thank you.”
“Suit yourself. Don’t know what you’re missin’.” I shrug and eat it myself.
“Well hello Jase,” a new voice chimes in.
Fuck.
Chantal, a redhead from Drowsy Hollow that I’ve fucked around with a couple times is beside me, eyeing me like I looked at my porterhouse when it got set on the table.
The way Bailey looks at her makes my gut bottom out.
This was the last fuckin’ thing I needed tonight.
“How are you?” Chantal asks, eyes drinking me in. “Did you lose my number?” She wags her finger at me like I’m a naughty boy.
“Lost your number a long time ago. Don’t need it. I’m on a date with my fiancée,” I tell her, my voice and demeanor as stone cold as can be.
Her eyes bounce to Bailey, then back to me and she laughs like I’ve just told a hilarious joke.
My lip curls and I lean toward her making sure my message is clear. I didn’t fuck around with human women too often, but it did happen and unfortunately, those were the ones that were the hardest to scrape off afterwards.
Her eyes land on my throat, on Bailey’s ink. Her face changes to serious. “I see.”
She looks at Bailey with a measuring and also fake-apologetic expression. “Sorry. I thought you were his sister and he was just joking. I mean, engaged? That’s a surprise. Congratulations, though. He and I – we’re just friends.”
“Sure you are,” Bailey mutters, throwing her napkin down on her half-eaten salad.
Fuck sakes. This is escalating quickly.
Chantal shoots me a fake apologetic smile and I shoot her one that says scram.
“I need the restroom.” Bailey’s chair scrapes back aggressively.
I resist the urge to order a double shot of whisky.
***
I pull up to her house. It was an unfortunately quiet ride back. I tried to get her talking, but got short answers. She didn’t want dessert so I ordered it to-go for her and told her she could even eat it in the tub if she wanted.
She gave me a dirty look, but I caught a half a smile when she turned away.
Maybe she’s not as pissed at me as I thought.
I get out and she’s already racing toward the door, trying to get away from me, cheesecake in hand.
I catch her by her empty hand just before she gets it to the doorknob and turn her around before getting her jaw in both hands.
“Jason, don’t,” she whispers, looking panicked.
“No kiss goodnight?” I ask. “You mad about that girl, because Bay…”
“I don’t care about that, Jase.” She looks about ready to cry.
“Don’t give it another thought. The only female I’m interested in is you.”
She swallows and looks at me, eyes coasting over my face in a way that I really fucking like.
“Been dying to kiss you since that basement,” I say softly, thumbs grazing her cheeks.
“Well, I’ve got you beat on that one,” she mutters.
And I’m flying high right now because she’s talking in the present tense instead of like she was, as if all her feelings for me are gone. I want to whoop and punch the sky in victory right now that she’s thinking about how long she’s wanted me to kiss her.
“We don’t have to keep waiting.” I lean in.
She backs up and now her back is against the door and I’m no longer touching her face.
“Please let me kiss you.”
She shakes her head.
“No?” I check. “Because of that unfortunate interruption at dinner?”
She rolls her eyes. “What happened at dinner wasn’t a surprise, Jase. I’m sure it won’t be the last time, either, since you evidently sown those wild oats all over the general geographical area.”
“That’s not fair, Bay. Forget her; she means nothing to me. Let me kiss you goodnight.”
“Please don’t,” she whispers.
“Okay,” I say, blowing out a breath and stepping back.
And fuck me, but she looks torn. Wait… disappointed?
She pulls in a big breath and lets it out slowly.
“You want me to bring the books in or should I drop them at our place?”
She frowns and looks unable to make a decision.
“They can stay in the truck tonight. Let me know tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I have plans for us tomorrow, too.”
“I don’t get a chance to catch my breath?” she asks, looking exasperated.
“Do I make you breathless?” I ask, smiling, about to offer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
“A thousand dollars worth of books, a neck tattoo of my name, and my favorite restaurant? You’re laying it on a little thick, Jason.”
“You just wait n’ see how thick I lay it on you,” I rasp.
Heat flares in her eyes and other places besides.
It sure isn’t easy to hold back. What would she do if I kissed her anyway? Would she pull away? Would she melt?
I talk myself out of it.
“And I’m gonna work hard to keep you breathless. I promise.” I lean closer, close enough to kiss her. I say, “I’ll dream about that kiss tonight. Maybe I’ll get to have it tomorrow.”
“Maybe not,” she counters.
“Tell me one thing,” I request.
“What’s that?”
“Tell me if it’ll be your first kiss.”
Her gaze narrows. “Don’t be cocky.”
“You’re not gonna answer?”
I shouldn’t have pushed my luck.
“How many times did you kiss Chantal?” she asks.
“Don’t think I ever did,” I say with a shrug.
Bailey looks disgusted.
“Don’t remember. Don’t care. She’s in the past. You’re my future, Bay.”
“Don’t be corny. Sorry to disappoint you, Jase, but… actually no I’m not sorry to disappoint you.”
I bristle as I search her face. Disappoint me by not answering or disappoint me, meaning I’m not her first?
“Goodnight,” she says. “Thank you for the books, though we know you were, in fact, trying to buy my affection.”
“No, babe. Thank you. Because I got almost as much joy out of watching you forget your problems while you picked them out as you did doin’ it. Maybe more.”
I step back, preparing to leave, though I fuckin’ hate it and everything inside me is fighting, telling me to take what’s mine, telling me it’ll fix everything.
I know better. I know I’ve got to play smart here despite my itchy gums and the way it feels like my wolf is pacing, rattling my ribcage because instinct wants to take over.
She looks at me and seems like she’s about to say something, but changes her mind.
“I have no right,” I say. “No right to be upset if I’m not your first kiss or the first to touch you the way I’m dying to touch you.
I’ll get over it because I’ll be your last. You’re my last and you’re the only one that matters.
I really want to kiss you, Bailey, but I’ll let it go for tonight.
Pick you up at the library at five tomorrow. ”
She sighs, looking aggravated.
I turn and leave.
***
The instant I’m out of my truck, I’m shedding my clothes and shifting.
My cock hurts. My nuts feel like they weigh a hundred pounds apiece.
And my gums are itchy as fuck. I need to run this off.
I need to howl at the moon. I need to summon patience.
Because there was definitely a minor thaw tonight.
I have to take that as a win so I don’t drive back there, drag her home, and rut her until we’re both half-dead from exhaustion.