She flushed at that, ducking her head before looking up to face him again. “That night was awful.” She shook her head. “But I’m glad I was there because I met you. And Lionel.”
“And now all your free time is gone.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t doing much with it anyway.”
She looked around the apartment, and Max suddenly felt a bit self-conscious about the sparse furnishings. He wasn’t here a lot, but he probably should have done more to make it a home and not just a place where he slept.
“What do you do when you’re not working?”
Work more, only after hours with a secret shifter organization.
There were so many things he couldn’t tell her. Another reason he didn’t want to mate with a human.
Yet he couldn’t help reaching over and tipping up her chin so he could look down at her. No one had ever asked this much about him. No one had ever laid their head on him like that.
She was amazing, this human. Her compassion for a dirty little kitten and her interest in a big, grumpy man no one really wanted to be around.
A man who was sleepwalking through life with a shitty apartment and shitty goals and a shitty attitude.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like light was streaming in through the darkness.
He brushed her hair back, feeling the curls spring in his hands. Fascinating. Then he cupped her face and kissed her, bringing his lips down over hers gently, giving her time to move away.
But she didn’t. She just kept her lips pressed to his, sweet and insistent.
She was soft, so soft, and warm in a way that made him feel he was back on Pride Island. He could feel the sun and jungle and mountainous landscapes.
He could feel home.
Even as he was so far away from there, amidst cold streets and crumbling urban decay.
Despite being a human, she was making him feel like a lion again.
He cupped her face as he pulled back from her, seared from his lips to his soul. “That was… That was…”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a smile. “Did I let us get carried away?”
He cupped the back of her neck and kissed her again, more urgently this time. When he slipped his tongue in, she let out a little mewl and scooted forward, wrapping her hands around his shoulders.
God, even her hands were tiny. So soft, so warm. She would be so weak compared to his standards.
But he was a lion. A near god compared to most shifters. He could protect her.
Perhaps mating a human wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps things could work out if she was the right one. Perhaps…
Her hand playing at the top button of his shirt pulled him out of his reverie, and he pulled back from the kiss, arguing with the part of himself that was hard and aching.
He took her hands in his and lowered them between them. No matter how much he wanted, she was drunk. It wouldn’t be right to do anything now, and who knew how she would feel in the morning?
He appreciated this moment with her and loved what it had shown him about himself. That he could open up if it was with the right person.
But if they went any further, he would feel like the criminal his home country had made him out to be.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I should take you home.”
She looked up at him sorrowfully. “Did I upset you?”
“No, of course not,” he said. “But you’re… We shouldn’t.”
She blinked for a second. “Oh, right. I drank.” She fanned her face, slumping back against the couch in relief. “I thought you were mad at me. I mean, that kiss was amazing, and—”
“Of course I’m not mad,” he said, standing and reaching both hands down to pull her to her feet. “It’s just that I work in a club. I’ve seen how alcohol affects people. I like you, Jackie. I’d rather see how you feel about me when you’re able to stand up straight.”
“Being drunk doesn’t change feelings. It just magnifies them,” she said petulantly, swaying slightly on her feet. “But you’re probably right. I shouldn’t have started anything.”
She tried to pass by him, looking irritable, and he caught her around the waist to stop her. She turned toward him with obvious interest, making it so hard to back down.
“Look, stay here tonight,” he said because he couldn’t stand the thought of her going out like that into the night. What about her male roommate? What about—
“But I thought you didn’t want me here while I’m drunk.”
“No,” he said, running a hand through his hair irritably. “I don’t want to do things with you while you’re drunk because that would make me a rapist.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth made a little O shape as she finally comprehended what he meant. Then she smiled. “You really are a Boy Scout, aren’t you? Saving kittens—”
“That was you—”
“Rescuing me from Lock—”
“Anyone would—”
“Refusing to take advantage—”
He let out a little growl of discomfort at her compliments, and she stopped and tilted her head up at him in confusion.
“That’s enough,” he said. “I don’t deserve nearly half of your praise.”
“I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em,” she said, shrugging. “But you’re right. I’m drunk.” She let out a small sigh. “I’m sorry for putting you out. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Let’s get you settled in for the night, and we can talk about everything else in the morning.” He placed a hand at the small of her back to usher her toward the hallway, but it was a mistake.
Both of them felt the electric tension when he touched her, and Max had to take a whole step back not to get consumed in what he’d just done.
Her eyes were slightly glazed, and her small pink tongue ran along her lower lip as she gave him a long, slow look. “Hm. In the morning, then.”
She was so different now that he wondered how she would be in the morning. He liked the shy but no-nonsense person she was usually, but he also liked the side of her that showed when she was drunk.
And he definitely wanted to get his hands on her again, when she was sober.
For once, it didn’t matter that she was human. All he really cared about in regard to Jackie was whether she was going to be his.
So he led her down to the guest bedroom and let her change as he went to get sheets. The sooner they went to bed, the sooner they could talk in the morning.
Chapter 9
Jackie groaned and held her head as she woke to the sound of shrieks and then realized it was just her phone.
She groped around for it and unlocked it just in time to see Chad’s name on the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Where are you? You didn’t come home last night. Am I supposed to be some kind of babysitter? The garbage didn’t even go out…”
She hung up on him, unable to deal with one of his tantrums, feeling like a pack of wild dogs was fighting inside her head.
What had she done last night?
She remembered going to the club to see Max and get an update on Lionel. Then she’d gone inside to wait, and Lock had been there…
She’d had a drink.
Geez, she’d had a handful.
She rubbed her temples as she sat up, feeling like her brain had liquefied and was sloshing around in her head. Her stomach churned, and she put a hand over it, praying she wouldn’t throw up.
And where was she?
She looked around the sparsely furnished room with its faded white curtains filtering the early signs of daylight. The carpet was a dull, cool gray. The chair in the corner looked old. The bed was comfortable but had only a simple steel frame. A distressed nightstand painted a mismatched green was next to the bed, and her clothes were resting on top of it.
She let out a gasp as she lifted her covers to look down at herself, clad only in her tank top and some panties.
Though, for some reason, she’d left on her socks.
> She pulled the blankets back up around her tightly and listened to the rapid beating of her heart.
What the hell was going on?
She reached for her phone and sent a quick text to her boss that she wouldn’t be in. She had about a million unused sick days, and she definitely needed one today.
But just as she sent the text, she remembered kissing Max right on the lips.
Her brain, rewinding painfully, also reminded her that she’d cuddled up against him, and before that, she’d played with his hair.
She’d been too drunk at the time to notice but realized now he had stiffened, felt awkward. She’d been too lost in a haze of booze and horniness to comprehend.
She remembered him turning her down, too, and dropped her head in embarrassment. Now she knew where she was and remembered him helping tuck her in.
When she’d gotten hot under the covers, she’d undressed on her own.
Max was probably waiting outside for her to do the walk of shame and go home so he could go to work and get back to caring for Lionel like an actual adult.
Not a horny opportunist like she’d been.
To her credit, they had at least gotten Lionel settled first. Didn’t that count for something?
She groaned again, rubbing her eyes as she remembered how turned on she’d been by his kiss, how disappointed she’d been when they didn’t keep going…
How could she face him?
But just as she was about to try and figure out a way to shimmy down the drainpipe, the door to the room opened abruptly.
She let out a little shriek and pulled the covers around her tightly as Max came in carrying a tray that he nearly dropped when he heard her cry out.
“Sorry,” he said, stepping backward and out of the doorway. “I thought you would need something for the hangover. I should have knocked. I didn’t know you weren’t… dressed.”
Right, because she’d been dressed when she went to bed the night before.
Still, he should have knocked. It was rude to just walk in on someone.
Not as rude as it was to get sloppy drunk and horny all over him…
“Come in,” she said, feeling her voice crack in dryness. “Sorry, you just caught me off guard.” She grabbed her cardigan off the nightstand, wincing when a few threads caught on the chipped wood. She threw it around her shoulders and kept the blankets around her waist as Max walked in with the tray.
Round two.
He looked gorgeous this morning, as always. She wondered if the guy ever took a drink. Ever cut loose. Ever did anything but look perfect and tempt women and glare at people like they belonged under his shoe.
Had he even enjoyed their kiss?
As he pulled a chair over to the bed and sat on it, she bit her lower lip. The tension in the room made the air as breathable as a humid July day. If she had to guess by the way he was avoiding her eyes, she’d say he could feel it, too.
“Here,” he said, handing over a glass of orange juice. His hair was held off his face by a headband, but it didn’t diminish his manliness at all. If anything, all the beautiful brown and blond dancing in the morning light made him appear more powerful. He looked like a warrior, hair pulled back for battle.
He was wearing a blue zip-up sweater over gray sweats, and she didn’t think he’d ever looked hotter.
She took the glass of juice and sipped it, reminding herself to calm down. As Max set a plate on the bed with a couple donuts and some milk on it, she felt her headache return.
Her panic over seeing him and his sheer physical beauty had made her forget about anything else for a second.
“Eat,” he said, nudging the plate closer. “It’ll help. And drink lots of fluids.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” She rubbed her stomach, wondering if she’d be able to hold down anything while she was so nauseous.
“No,” he said. “I work later this evening, but I’m fine caring for you now. It’s my fault you got drunk anyway.”
She furrowed her brows and studied his stoic, handsome face. There was a wrinkle just above his straight nose, probably indicating how much time he spent scowling.
His eyes were a gorgeous gold. She’d wondered if they were light brown before, but she could see the orange ring around the center now.
His lips were full, carved at the top in a way that made her want to run her finger along them.
And then she realized what he’d said was totally off.
“Wait, what? How are you responsible?”
He frowned, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair and folding his arms. “I let you go with Lock. I should have had Benny take the door. I shouldn’t have let you go in there.”
She waved a hand. “I was safe. I mean, he owns the club, right? If he was a rake, someone would know, right?”
Max just leveled a glare at nothing in particular and shook his head.
She giggled and pulled off a piece of donut. “You really don’t like him.”
“No,” Max said. “I guess he’s a necessary evil.”
“Why?”
“He has money,” he said with a shrug. “Well, he has a lot of money, and Benny needed someone with money. And connections.”
“To what? Men who think they’re rock stars?”
Max grinned at that, and she noticed his teeth were perfectly white and his canines were just a little pointed. “You should tell him that yourself.”
She flushed, picking up another piece of donut. When it hit her mouth, it was perfectly soft and fluffy, and she let out a little moan. “So good.”
His eyes were fixed on her lips, and his posture grew rigid again. She almost stopped chewing as the tension in the room rippled.
“I mean, where did you get them?”
“I made them,” he said. “One of the only things I can make. I heard grease can soak up alcohol.”
She smiled at him. “I don’t know, but I do know I feel almost instantly better.”
“Did you sleep okay?”
She nodded. “I think so. I don’t remember much, other than stripping my clothes off when I got hot.”
He bit his lower lip, and she tried not to squirm as the tension returned again.
She took a few more bites, sipped some orange juice and some milk, and set down the plate, taking a deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry if I was any trouble last night. I was drunk, and—”
“I know,” he said flatly.
She fixed a look on him. “You know, you aren’t making this any easier.”
“Sorry,” he said, looking away. “I just meant there’s nothing to apologize for. I know you were drunk.” His eyes darted back to her, and she noticed just how long his lashes were. They lent just a touch of softness to his very hard, tanned face. “I suppose I’m curious if you regret it now that you aren’t.”
She shook her head. “Hell no. I’ve probably been wanting that since I met you. Doesn’t everyone?”
“Maybe,” he said, shrugging a massive shoulder. “I don’t care if they do.”
“But you care if I do?” She straightened slightly against the headboard.
He studied her for a long moment, and the strange color of his eyes reminded her of some kind of powerful animal. A cat maybe. Just the way he looked at her.
“Yes. I do.”
She sighed and nodded. “Well, that’s good. I like you. Of course I like you. You helped me and Lionel, you’re super hot, and—”
“And?”
Patience clearly wasn’t his virtue.
“And I guess for some reason you remind me of me. You like to be at home. You don’t open up easily. You aren’t what people first see in you.”
“What do people see in me?”
She laughed. “Probably a grumpy guy who hates everyone. But I know otherwise. You’re actually a really noble man.”
He didn’t look as if he knew what to say to that, and the line between his brows deepened. “I see.”
“Just like people see me as this grump
y, unfriendly IT nerd who just fixes their computers while looking down on them.”
“Do you?”
She laughed. “Yes, but only sometimes, like when their huge porn collections crash everything.”
Max frowned, pressing his full lips into a hard line. “Men are disgusting.”
“Not my place to judge.” She cocked her head. “You’re a little old-fashioned, aren’t you?”
He sighed. “I’m not like most people here, if that’s what you mean.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Didn’t we talk about this a little last night?”
“You said you hadn’t been in a lot of relationships,” he said, and if she wasn’t crazy, she caught a glimmer of smugness in his eyes.
She felt her cheeks flush. “Yes, and…?”
“I like that,” he said, putting a hand over hers.
Her entire body stood at attention at just that little touch. If she had known she could respond to a man like this, maybe she would have made dating a priority sooner.
Then again, maybe she wouldn’t respond to any other man like this.
Maybe it was just Max.
Kitten-holding, drunk-protecting, breakfast-making, honorable Max.
Who was scowling at her now while trying to read her.
“Why do you like that?” She bit her cheek. “Do you have some virginity fetish or something?”
“No,” he said quickly, shaking his head and making his hair shimmer in the light. “I just take things like that… very seriously. I would be happy if you did, too.”
“Oh,” she said. “I don’t know about that. I guess so, because I never wanted to play around. I have been with people, though. Just not a lot of them.”
His expression hardened. “Enough. You don’t need to tell me more.”
“Did I disappoint you?”
“No,” he said, softening slightly. “But I don’t want to think about you with other men.”
She felt heat build inside her, making it harder and harder to breathe. Just the way he looked at her, focused on her… “Why?”
His hand moved over hers, squeezing it gently. “Because I want you for myself.”
She stared at him aghast, surprised he’d even said it. They’d only just met. Last night he’d turned her down. She’d been nothing but trouble for him, between Lionel needing care and her showing up to bother him at work, but… “You do?”
Max Page 6
