His father grunted.
“Sorry.” He drove around the next hole in the road.
They arrived at the warehouse about twenty minutes before Philippe, who was the last to arrive. When they were all accounted for, Remy said, “We put the meat in the barrels earlier today. The sun is setting and the moon will soon call us. Unless anyone has any pressing business, it is time for us to embrace the moon and our other selves.”
No one spoke up.
“Then let us shift, as our fathers and forefathers have for centuries.” It was a lot more formal than what Remy normally said on a full moon, and was probably said only for Gabriele. They all stepped back away from the circle to remove their clothes and shift.
Jules noted that the rest of his clan all moved away from Gabriele a lot more than they moved away from each other—and that Remy and Brock very clearly put themselves between Gabriele and Jane.
They shifted quietly, except for the odd grunt or growl born of discomfort, and then all six bears began to prowl around the warehouse. They wrestled and growled at each other. They knocked barrels around the room in search of food. They bickered over the meat and fish.
It was strange. All week Jules had felt things with his father were going well. The time they spent together, their conversations on the phone, all good. It was a little awkward at times, a few misunderstandings, but that happened when you were trying to reconnect with someone after so long. They didn’t know each other at all, after all. Tonight though, the bear was avoiding Gabriele. In fact, all the bears were either avoiding him or acting confrontational.
It wasn’t until afterward, after they were all human again and dressed and Jules had driven Gabriele back to the hotel, that he had the time and inkling to mull over what it could mean.
Remy and Brock, he understood. Even Philippe was old enough to remember the drama from ten years ago. But Jane hadn’t been a part of their clan then. What had Remy told her? Remy doesn’t talk about it, ever, to anyone. Would he have told her anything? Did Brock? Is it fair to hold all that against him? It’s been ten years. Try as he might he could find no answers, not to the behavior of his clan, not to the behavior of his own bear.
Kaylee smoothed her skirt three times in the car and twice more on the way up the front walk. Jules squeezed her hand. “You look fine.”
“Are you sure? Maybe I shouldn’t have worn the skirt. Is it too short?”
“Do you want my opinion as your boyfriend or my opinion from my mom’s point of view?”
“It is too short.”
He stopped walking and stopped her. “I’m sorry, I was teasing you, it’s fine. You’re fine. You look great.” He kissed her forehead. “My mom’s sweet. You don’t have to worry.”
“Of course I’m worried.”
“I’ve met your mom. She threatened me.”
“Good point.”
“Just remember. You can swear in front of my mother. And any embarrassing stories she tells about me are exaggerated to get a laugh.”
“Uh-huh.”
He rang the doorbell and the door opened immediately. Almost as though she’d been waiting at the door for them. He wouldn’t ask if she had been. He knew better.
“You rang the bell? What? You don’t love me anymore? Never mind. I need the salad bowl from the top shelf.”
“What’s wrong with the regular serving bowl we always use?”
She glared.
“Okay. I’m going to fetch the bowl on the top shelf.”
The skinny, dark-haired, sharp-tongued Cajun woman who looked remarkably like Jules, except for her size, turned to Kaylee and smiled. “I’m Simone, and you must be Kaylee. I’m so glad he finally brought you around. He hasn’t brought a girl home since high school, and I knew those weren’t serious.”
“Uh…”
“Ma, don’t scare her!”
“I’m not scaring her. I’m being nice.” She leaned in closer to Kaylee and muttered, “Is he bossy like this with you?”
“Sometimes,” Kaylee admitted.
“Thought so. Come sit down dear. I have photo albums.”
“I can hear you!”
“Then finish the salad for me,” Simone called back. “Living with a werebear is no picnic, I tell you. They snore like chainsaws and they hear everything. No privacy. A nightmare. It was a blessing when he moved out.”
Kaylee was trying to contain her laughter.
“So, no photo albums then. Tell me about you instead.”
“Oh, uh, not much to tell really. We met at work…”
“Not about you two, just about you.”
Kaylee felt her cheeks heating up. “Uh, I’m a graphic designer, like Jules. I work at the print shop. I have two sisters and a brother, all younger. And this is even worse than writing bios online.”
Simone laughed. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“Yes, you do.”
They both looked at the kitchen doorway and then back to each other and rolled their eyes. And just like that Kaylee felt more relaxed.
There was a beeping from the kitchen and Simone leapt up. “That’s the chicken. Come eat.”
The next hour was full of delicious food, good wine, and laughter. Kaylee soon relaxed completely as Simone’s dry wit and easy laugh made her feel at home.
“You should meet my mother,” Kaylee said. “You’d like her.”
“Oh, no,” said Jules. “Then all three of you will be talking about me together. I don’t need that.”
“Sounds lovely dear,” Simone said. “You just call me any time.”
“Does anyone listen to me?”
“Of course,” Simone said. “Who wants dessert?”
When all the food was done, Jules cleared the table and started filling the sink. “Dad’s in town,” he said with a forced casualness.
“When did he get in?” Simone said, her voice equally forced.
“Just before the full moon.”
“I see.”
“He wasn’t sure you wanted to talk to him, so he isn’t planning to see you. I just felt weird keeping it a secret.”
“No, he’s right, I’d rather not see him.”
Kaylee was sure she sounded a little relieved.
“Have you met him?” Simone said to Kaylee.
Kaylee nodded. “A few times.”
“Jules, can you run the garbage out for me. I meant to do it before you arrived. Rude of me. Whole kitchen will start stinking soon.”
Kaylee was about to protest, but Jules dried his hands and grabbed the bag. He disappeared out the back door.
“You didn’t have to…”
“Sharp ears,” Simone said. “Watch yourself around that man. You’re not his type, thank God, too strong, too sure of yourself, not like I was at twenty. Still, best not to let yourself be alone with him.”
“Are you done?” Jules called from the back step.
“All done,” Simone called back.
It took a little while before the strained small talk began to loosen up again into comfortable conversation. They moved to the living room, Simone taking the arm chair while Jules and Kaylee took the couch. They talked about work and Gia and the baby that just didn’t want to come out, about childhood memories, about politics, about music.
When Jules yawned so wide his jaw creaked Simone said, “You two should be on your way. Don’t let a lonely old bat like me keep you here so late.”
“You’re just kicking us out so you can call your boyfriend over,” Jules said.
“None of your business if I was,” Simone said. She walked them to the door. “Don’t be a stranger, Kaylee. My door is always open.” She pulled Kaylee into a one-arm hug and held her. When she stepped back Kaylee thought Simone’s eyes might have been a little too bright, as though maybe tears were clinging there. But why she would be crying, Kaylee had no idea.
Jules and Kaylee spent Saturday morning at her house. Jules played video games with Anthony and they had lunch with
Kaylee’s mom. They snuck out while Anthony was doing homework and headed back to Jules’ apartment.
“Too many meddling middle-aged women,” Jules grumbled. “And I have to deal with another one tomorrow.”
“Aw, poor Jules.” She kissed his forehead and they went inside. She half expected Gabriele to be lurking somewhere ready to intrude upon them again, but the hallways were clear and they made it to the apartment without interruption.
He locked the door behind them and threw the chain.
“Expecting an interruption?” she said.
“Making it harder for you to escape.”
That was all the warning she had before he was on her. He swept her up in his arms and kissed her hard. The kisses trailed down her jaw and neck. He was walking as he kissed her. He backed her up against the nearest wall before setting her feet back on the floor. He caught her wrists and pinned them over her head with one large hand. All the while he was still kissing her.
She was panting, and her knees were weak.
He reached under her shirt and she moaned. He flicked his tongue over her lip. She tried to chase it and he chuckled. He flicked his tongue there again, pulling away, out of her reach. She made a small, desperate noise in the back of her throat and strained against his hand. She couldn’t reach him with her hands or her mouth, so she arched her back, trying to rub up against him.
He pushed against her, his erection hard against her stomach. He squeezed her breast and kissed her hard. He released her hands and she ran them through his hair and down his neck, returning his kiss.
He ran his hands down her body and grabbed her under the butt, lifting her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. That brought her whole body up higher and let him trail kisses down her neck and down the edge of her collar. She fisted her hands in his hair, panting.
“More,” she whimpered. “Please.”
Using his body and one hand to hold in her place against the wall, he tugged on her shirt and said, “Could just rip it off.”
She whimpered but didn’t protest.
He pulled her away from the wall and carried her, still wrapped around him, to the bedroom. He tried to drop her on the bed, but she held on tight and he ended up toppling in with her.
The playing field levelled after that, but only because he didn’t actually try to pin her down again. It was too much fun to let her roll him on his back and straddle him. He watched as she fought with the buttons on his shirt. Her eyes were bright with desire. Her hair was already mussed up. He’d kissed away all traces of her lipstick. He wondered if any of it clung to his face.
Her kisses along his neck and chest betrayed a hunger for his body. Her hunger for him fed his hunger for her touch.
He flipped her over and held her hands above her head with a loose hold, one he knew she could pull free of without trying. She didn’t pull free, and he kissed her neck lightly before nipping it. Her chin went up and she purred. She was so strong, so independent, so fierce, maybe that was why it was so arousing to watch her surrender. He knew it was willingess. He knew it was trust. He knew it was arousing him.
Her shirt went over her head with minimal struggle. They were getting used to each other now, knew when to help a little to make sure the clothes didn’t tangle as they were removed. He’d already ripped one shirt in his haste to get them both naked.
She was wearing a bra he hadn’t seen before. It was little more than swirls of lace, just enough fabric to hold the whole thing together, and in a shade of plum that flattered her skin tone and made her look like royalty. He left it on her.
The matching panties, however, quickly followed her jeans onto the floor. She pawed at the waistband of his pants but could do little more than undo the button from where she was lying. He grinned and continued to kiss her, ignoring her frantic attempts to undress him. His hands worked their way over her body making her squirm. He reached down and slid a finger inside her and her back arched. She gasped, her eyes wide. They both froze.
“Well?”
Her body relaxed from shoulders to toes, like she had simply melted. “Don’t stop.”
It wasn’t the words themselves but the pleading in her voice that made him start moving his hand. She groaned and dug her fingers into his back.
“Please.”
He teased her a little longer while she panted and begged beneath him. When he pulled his fingers out, she whimpered. He kicked free of his pants and she reached out, wrapping her hand around his cock.
He thought she was going to play with him, return the teasing, but she pulled him close and guided him towards her opening. As he slid into her he said, “You don’t want to slow down a little?”
She thrust her hips up in response.
He held on to enough of his control that he didn’t bruise her wrists when he pinned her hands above her head or bruise her anywhere else as he fucked her hard. The bed creaked. She moaned. Her fingers bit into his back. Her teeth bit into his shoulder.
It was over quickly, and as he rolled off of her, he feared too quickly. She made happy murmured noises and snuggled against him.
“That was intense.”
“Did you …”
She shook her head. “You can make it up to me next time.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said. “Except that it was over too soon. Guess I’m just that good.”
He squeezed her close and smiled. “Yes, you are.”
For a long while they stayed close to each other, each lost in thought and content where they were. Jules drifted in and out of a half-doze, his arm lazily around Kaylee.
“Jules?”
“Mmm?”
“Does your mom make you take the trash out often?”
“Was my job growing up.”
“I mean like she did today.”
Jules sighed. “When she figured out that being a werebear gave me keen senses, even in human form, she’d send me out with the trash, even if it wasn’t full, whenever she had to make a private phone call or talk to a guest privately. I sort of figured it out, what she was doing. Didn’t bother me. Didn’t want to hear it most of the time.”
“You aren’t curious about what she told me?”
“’Course I am. Want to share?” When she didn’t answer, he added, “Don’t have to.”
“I’m not sure I want to, no.”
He kissed her forehead. “Then I won’t ask. Remind me to give you her cell number in the morning.”
“Why?”
“Case you want to talk to her. In case something happens to me, you can check in on her.”
“Jules, nothing is going to happen to you. Why would you say something like that?”
“’Cause I love my mom and look after her.” He yawned. “Sideways doesn’t work.”
Kenny (Shifter Football League Book 2) Page 52
