Chapter Eight #2
Just this time yesterday, he’d been leaving Svenson and Sons, relieved to no longer be working with Janice now that she’d found her suspects.
Barely twenty-four hours later, and he couldn’t seem to shake the uncomfortable stirring in his gut at the thought.
It was almost amusing when he thought about it: he and Janice had spent only a couple of days together working on her case, and now here he was, all but pining for her.
Get yourself together, he told himself.
It didn’t work. It hadn’t worked the last ten times he’d tried, either. The more time passed, the more she seemed to occupy his mind. And Theon knew it had to do with the kiss they’d shared.
Now that he thought about it, that had been his doing. He could’ve held himself back and continued their argument, or even walked away to a corner of the barn to put some distance between them.
But nooo. He’d followed his urges and done the worst thing he could possibly have done when trapped inside a barn with the woman who’d broken his heart. Kissing her had been a mistake, and a dumb one at that.
Still, he couldn’t pretend it hadn’t felt like heaven.
Even now, he could still almost feel her against him, taste her lips on his.
The way she’d responded to his kisses, moaning and gripping him as she let him claim her mouth, had almost driven him completely wild.
It had been a shame to have to end that.
Maybe it was for the best that they’d been driven apart.
But as much as a part of him understood that, another part of him burned with unfulfilled need.
And that was where things got even more complex. Because this wasn’t just about the kiss. This wasn’t merely lust. It wasn’t just his loins that throbbed when he thought about her.
Theon skidded to a halt between two trees, turning his head this way and that for a moment before taking off eastwards.
He could hear and smell other animals in the woods.
No humans, thank goodness. These woods were populated mostly by wolves, deer, and the occasional bear.
If anyone spotted him, it wouldn’t be long before news about a jaguar sighting spread through town.
And right now, he had enough on his plate.
He let his thoughts stray back to the day before, in Svenson’s barn. Looking back on it, he was glad he’d made the decision to bring up the topic of their relationship. If he hadn’t...well, he never would’ve gotten to understand how things had felt on her end.
Breaking up with you was hard for me. This whole time, he’d figured she’d merely been looking for an excuse to leave him. He’d figured she was no longer interested in him, or that she’d found someone else. But the reality was, he’d driven her away without even knowing.
And now it was over between them. It had been over back then, when she broke up with him, and it was over now. He doubted they’d be bumping into each other anytime soon, unless...
If you still love her, you should go after her. Bryon’s words hit him immediately, and he almost slowed down in his tracks. Perhaps the man was right. He knew where he’d messed up with Janice, which meant he knew what to do right if he ever got the chance to.
The problem was, what were the odds that he would get that chance?
How was he even supposed to bring it up with her?
Hey, Janice. I know we’ve been broken up for the past three months, but after spending a couple of days working on your case with you, I think I realize why you broke up with me, and I’d like to try again and be a better partner to you—if you’re interested, of course.
It was clear and direct. But something told him she wouldn’t react too favorably to it.
He powered faster, leaping over a cluster of upraised roots and pivoting to the right the second he touched the ground. A squirrel leaped out of his way, scattering dead leaves in its wake as it scurried to safety.
Hey, Janice. I know we agreed we’d stay out of each other’s lives now that this case is over, but I’ve been doing some thinking, and I think I’d like to get back together with you... No, that wasn’t quite it, either.
Theon groaned inwardly. If he weren’t in jaguar form, he’d have given himself a smack on the forehead. There was no point in practicing a speech. He’d have to go to her and simply tell her exactly how he felt, and hope for the best.
And what if she says no?
This time, he did slow down, coming to a stop a few feet before a tree.
His heart thudded, almost loudly enough to fill his ears.
What if she did refuse to get back together with him?
What would happen then? They’d go their separate ways yet again?
Even the thought alone was painful. He might as well not even try.
But what if she wanted him just as much? From the way she’d kissed him back in the barn, he knew she was still attracted to him, but what if she also wanted more than that? What if she wanted more with him? Hope swelled in his chest.
He’d never know unless he told her how he felt, what he wanted. Wasn’t that what Bryon had said?
The sun was sinking lower, the golden glow dimming all around him.
Theon looked around again at his surroundings, then took off again, sprinting until he reached the edge of the woods.
He slowed to a halt at the base of the tree where he’d stashed his clothes, then shifted back to human and threw them on.
Glancing around him to make sure no one had seen him, he stepped out of the woods, hopping over the low fence that separated them from Green Sanctuary.
He headed straight for the big white house and was nearing the porch steps when he realized there was a black vehicle parked outside the building that hadn’t been there when he left the sanctuary earlier.
It took Theon a moment to realize it was a Toyota. It took him another to realize who it belonged to.
His heart almost stopped beating. Sitting behind the wheel was the last person in the world he’d expected to show up at the sanctuary. The second their eyes met, she climbed out of the car, a coffee clutched in her hand.
“Janice?” he croaked. “I thought...?”
He’d figured she would keep her promise and keep out of his way. He’d figured he’d have to go looking for her to tell her his feelings. What was she doing here?
It didn’t matter. Now was his chance to express himself. He cleared his throat, suddenly wondering whether he shouldn’t have practiced a speech after all. His words seemed to fail him; he gazed into her face, feeling his breath catch in his throat.
She blinked, those lovely green eyes staring back at him. “Hey, Theon.”
Something about the way she was looking at him made his heartbeat accelerate. For the next few seconds, neither of them said a word. Then they both spoke at the same time.
“I wanted to tell you—” he began.
“I was wrong, Theon—” she said at the same time.
Wrong about what? What did she mean? His heart gave a hopeful leap, and he fought back a grin. “You go first.”
Janice took a deep breath, letting out an audible sigh. “I was wrong. About those teenagers, I mean. It wasn’t them that attacked those ranches.”
Disappointment speared through his gut then, and he gave himself a mental kick for feeling that way.
If anything, he should be happy to hear that those kids weren’t dangerous criminals.
Still, he’d assumed Janice had come to talk to him about something else.
He pressed his lips together. Hadn’t she been thinking about the same thing he had?
With some difficulty, he brushed the emotion aside. “I see.”
She took a step toward him, and he felt his heart nearly go into overdrive. The look on her face was uncertain. “I know I said I no longer needed your help, but I was wrong about that, too.”
“You want my help again.” She didn’t need to answer that. She wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t need it.
“I know I’m asking for a lot, but—”
“I’ll help you.”
She blinked at him in surprise. Theon was just as stunned.
The words had come out before he even knew what he was saying.
But he might as well help. Her case wasn’t over yet, and if there was a chance that helping the woman he wanted might get him in her good graces again, he’d be an idiot not to take it.
“I’ll do it,” he assured her.
Janice nodded. “Um...okay.” She frowned down at her cup for a second, as though trying to confirm that it was just coffee she’d been drinking. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He tried for a grin. “So what now?”
She cleared her throat. “I think I’ve got an idea what’s responsible for these attacks. What do you know about gnomes?”