“Thanks for the invite.” I smiled and dug in with the rest of them.
It was relaxing, talking to Elias and his family. Everyone at the table with them was so interesting, but there was a weird feeling in the air too. A tension wove between everyone and I started wondering if I shouldn’t take off early. My eyes slid over to Jacob. He was pushing his food around with his fork, staring at it, but not eating at all.
I wonder what’s going on with him?
We barely knew each other, but something about the look on his face bothered me. It was like he was hiding something and it was weighing on him heavily. Everything in me wanted to ask him what was wrong, but that would be weird as hell. We’d only just met and were surrounded by his friends.
“Thanks for dinner,” I said as I stood up and collected my plate. “And dessert.”
“No problem at all,” Elenore, smiled and took the plate from me. “Let me get that for you.”
“Are you sure?”
She waved a hand at me. “Sure, sure.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you.”
I decided to go thank Tom for a great night, but I didn’t see him. My hands slipped into my pockets and I strolled outside. I stopped short when I saw Jacob with his hand on the white painted railing. He was stone still, his eyes searching even when I stepped right up beside him.
“Are you okay?”
“Shit!” Jacob shoved a hand to his chest. “You scared the hell outta me!” He frowned.
I threw up my hands. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t exactly sneak up here, you were just really deep in thought.” I leaned onto the railing and glanced up at him. “There’s something going on with you.”
“Me?” Jacob rubbed his arm. “You think there’s something wrong with me?”
I raised a brow. “Well if I didn’t before, I do now.”
Jacob’s shoulders sagged and he sighed. “I’ve just been having some issues with... with an ex-boyfriend.” He toyed with his fingers. “It’s really nothing to be concerned about. I guess it’s just on my mind.”
“That’s not true.” I pushed myself up and glanced at him. “He makes you uneasy.” I tilted my head. “Worse than uneasy, I’m betting.”
“I’m terrified of him.” Jacob spat the words out and then quickly pressed his lips together.
“Why?”
Jacob shook his head. He stared out in front of us again at the landscape, but it was as if he’d shut down. Terrified. He’d said that he was terrified. What was it about his ex that scared him so much?
“Hey…” I reached out for him and touched his arm. “…if you need help or even just someone to talk to, I can be there for you.”
Jacob’s eyes softened as he looked at me. “I’m okay, really.” His lips tugged into a tight smile. “But thank you.”
I wanted to keep asking him, but I didn’t have time as the front door flew open and banged into the wall. Elias ran out panting. His eyes landed on me and he frowned.
“My father,” he waved a hand. “One minute he was up and the next he collapsed. He needs help!”
I quickly turned on my heels. “Where is he?”
We moved back into the house and I followed closely on Elias’ heels. At the top of the stairs in the hallway Tom lay on his side, his eyes closed. I quickly went down to the floor next to him and shoved my fingers against his throat. The minute I felt his pulse I blew out a breath in relief.
“Help me get him up,” I told Dom. “Into his room now. Someone grab me a thermometer. Hurry up, guys!”
They all moved quickly and I followed Dom into the bedroom. Once he was on the bed I checked his vitals and frowned at his temperature. 102.4. That wasn’t good at all. I quickly shoved his pants up and checked his wound.
“Shit,” I frowned. “This is infected. Did he pick up the antibiotics that I gave him?”
Dom shook his head. “We were caught up earlier and we figured we could run and get them tomorrow. He seemed to be doing fine so we didn’t think—”
“It’s not your fault. Tom isn’t exactly a young man anymore. He seemed fine earlier but clearly he needs them.” I sighed and stood up. “Do you have any ibuprofen?”
“Yeah,” Jacob called from the doorway. “Downstairs.”
Tom groaned and his eyes slowly opened. My heart calmed a little bit. At least he was awake.
“Don’t suppose I could talk you into going to the hospital?” I asked.
Tom shook his head. “No insurance.”
I nodded and glanced at Jacob. “Go and get him two of those ibuprofens and some water. I’ll be back. I have some samples in my office. I’ll run and get them. They’ll last until you guys can get to the pharmacy tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Elias called out.
I waved and headed out to my car. As much as I wanted to stay with Jacob and figure out what was going on with him, I needed to help Tom first. I quickly left the house and hopped into my car. God I hope I can help him.
5
Jacob
When Leo had to leave to get the medicine for Tom, I almost asked if I could go with him to get the samples. My wolf wanted to stay close to the doctor, but I was also worried about Tom. I didn't know him very well, but Elias' father had been nothing but kind to me, and without my family close by, I'd gravitated to him and Elenore.
However, Leo was back quickly, he must have driven really fast, which made my stomach twist, especially because Tom wasn't looking so good.
When he entered the room, Leo checked Tom's temperature before giving him an injection.
"These are antibiotics and painkillers, they should take effect almost immediately," Leo said.
"Is he going to be okay?" Elias asked, hovering by his dad.
"He has a fever, but I hope it breaks soon—" Leo replied, "—but infections can get bad fast, so I would prefer to keep an eye on him through the night."
I knew this wasn't the best time to be checking him out but there was something enthralling about the doctor in his element. He was so confident and so authoritative—it was hot.
Leo yawned and I could tell he was tired, so without thinking about it, I blurted, "You can sleep with me... I mean here... in the house."
My face flamed when all eyes turned to me.
Leo's lips twitched, "How could I resist such a delightful offer?"
"I meant it's late, and would probably be best if you stayed the night so you don't have to drive tired."
Soren gave me a thumbs up even as his lips twitched, amusement written all over his face.
I glared at him and pressed my lips together.
Leo straightened, "Well, I am pretty exhausted. Getting behind the wheel right now probably isn’t the best thing to do."
"That's a wonderful idea, Jacob." Elias' eyes danced. "Dad will need some close scrutiny through the night."
"It's for Tom," I said, but I could tell no one else was buying it.
"Jacob, why don't you show Leo to the guest room, the blue one," Dom suggested.
My eyes widened. That was the room opposite mine. And we had three others.
"Come on," I said, and left the room before I could make more of a fool of myself.
I didn't wait to see if the doc followed, I didn't even have to turn around to know that he was. My wolf was at attention when the man was around, so I knew he was right on my heels.
The walk upstairs was silent, not awkward, but also not quite comfortable. I felt his eyes on me the whole time. What was going through his head?
"This is my room," I said, standing in front of my door facing the doc.
"Was that an invitation, Jacob?" The doc moved so he was in my space. "Because I wouldn't say no to it."
I held my breath, because with Leo standing so close to me, his scent felt like a shot of adrenaline. I barely had control of my wolf.
"I mean, this is my room and you’re opposite from me." My voice came out breathy even to my ears.
If the doc was a shifter, he would be able t
o hear my heart racing and smell the effects he was having on my body.
"Right," the doc stepped back, and I immediately missed his closeness.
"The bathroom is across the hall, but Dom is making all the rooms en suite’s so I should have mine soon. He did the one for him and Elias first, but I get it. They need the space." I wasn't sure why I was telling him all of this. It wasn't like he asked.
"Thank you. I will go wash up and get ready for bed," Leo yawned, but quickly covered his mouth.
I tried to think of something to say to prolong our time together, but nothing came to mind.
He opened the door to the guest room, which was sparsely decorated since we hadn't really expected any guests.
I sighed when he walked into the room, but then his voice stopped me, “I don’t have anything to wear to sleep. I wouldn’t want to walk around the house naked.”
My face flushed all over again, because an image of him naked flashed in my head. “I-I might have something you can wear. It might be a bit small, but at least it would be comfortable enough to sleep in.”
Leo smiled at me. “That sounds good.”
I turned on my heels and walked into my bedroom. Leo was right behind me, the scent of him filling my nostrils and making my head spin. Calm down. Don’t pass out from excitement. That would be the ultimate embarrassment.
The sound of Leo’s soft breathing reached my ears and I realized that he was standing insanely close to me. My heart sped up all over again. Quickly, I shuffled through the drawer before I snatched up some clothes that looked like they would work and shoved them into his arms.
“I hope these are okay,” I tucked loose strands of hair behind my ear and gazed up at him. “Sorry I don’t have anything better.”
“This is more than perfect.”
Our eyes locked and for the longest time I couldn’t turn away. I swallowed thickly. This is a way stronger feeling than I ever thought it would be.
6
Leo
I held Jacob’s clothes in my hands. Would it be weird if I pressed them to my nose? Yeah, yeah, that would probably be strange. I decided against it and instead smiled at him.
“Thanks for the pajamas. It’s not that comfortable to sleep in slacks either,” I chuckled. “Um where’s the bathroom again?”
“Oh, it’s right across the hall.” He grinned. “Do you need me to show you?”
I raised a brow at his forwardness. “Why? Are you going to join me?” When he shook his head so quickly I smiled at him. “I think I’ll manage. Thank you.”
Jacob raised and dropped a single shoulder. “It’s not a problem. You’re going above and beyond for one of our own. The least I can do is let you borrow some of my PJs.” He smiled.
“Well, it’s still nice of you. I’ll be right back.”
Jacob nodded and I took my leave. It was difficult being so close to him when all I could see was that sweet smile, his soft hair and his plump lips. As soon as I found the bathroom I leaned against the door and shut my eyes.
Calm down. He’s just a guy. Why am I so infatuated with him? Okay, all I need to do is get dressed. Right.
As I stripped out of my clothes I reminded myself that I was a grown man. But then I pressed Jacob’s PJs to my nose, drowning in the scent of strawberries. It was as if someone had plucked the fruit right then and there, and it filled my senses. I closed my eyes, breathing it in before I finally let out a long, slow exhale and smiled.
My cock twitched. All I could imagine was Jacob’s mouth on mine. I smiled and slowly slipped into his pajamas. The man was doing something to me, something odd, and I had no idea how to deal with it.
Even getting dressed Jacob was on my mind the whole time, and of course my body responded to the thoughts in my head. That was until I saw myself in the mirror. I laughed when I realized just how I looked in his clothes. The green and red plaid pants were a bit too short since I was taller than him. I tugged on the black t-shirt and even that was a bit too short and raised up when I lifted my arms.
“Good god!” I couldn’t stop laughing at myself despite the serious situation. I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Be professional, Leo.”
I gathered up all my clothes and carried them out of the bathroom with me. I made my way back to Jacob's room and paused in the doorway. He turned around and then smiled before he slapped a hand over his mouth and burst into a fit of laughter.
I raised a brow. “Are you laughing at me?”
Jacob waved his free hand, his eyes wide. “No,” he mumbled. “No, I’m not laughing!”
My mouth dropped open. “You are laughing at me aren’t you? Is that any way to treat a man who’s just trying to help?”
The man snickered all over again. “I can see your ankles.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Are we back in Victorian England? Are you getting turned on by my ankles?” I lifted the pants even more and twisted my ankle back and forth. “Is this hot for you?”
Jacob snatched a pillow from his bed and threw it at me. “I was not getting turned on!”
“Are you sure?” I pressed as I snatched the pillow and walked toward him, trying to be seductive, but I knew that I was failing. “You don’t want to see more of my ankle?” I pulled down a part of my shirt. “What about a shoulder?”
“Get the hell out of here!” Jacob laughed, and pressed his palms into my chest. “I didn’t order any of this.”
I clicked my tongue. “So rude. You try to help a guy.”
Jacob snatched my clothes away. “Give me those. You can get them tomorrow after I have them washed and dried.” He waved a finger at me. “You definitely need to go to bed.”
I grinned at him. “I was perfectly okay until you made me like this.” I glanced around the room. “I guess I better go to my room now and get some rest. Could I have a blanket? I’m always freezing.”
“Give me a minute and I’ll grab one.” Jacob held up a finger. “You can sit on my bed. At least let me put these in the wash first, and I’ll grab a blanket on my way back.” He patted the clothes. “It should only take me a second.”
“Thank you,” I smiled at him and slowly sat down on his bed. “Go ahead. I’ll wait.”
Jacob smiled and I watched as he gripped my clothing to his chest. There was something intimate about the gesture as if he wanted to keep me pressed against him as much as possible. My eyes lingered on him as he walked through the door and I admired his cute ass.
What is happening to me? I lay back on his bed and grinned as I closed my eyes. I’d never had feelings for anyone like this before. Ever. As far as I was concerned it was work first and then love… maybe. I’d never fallen in love and there was a part of me that never thought I would. Seven Oaks was small and the number of gay men was practically non-existent. I didn’t even know if Jacob was gay, but I hoped he was, because I didn’t think I could stay away. There was something magnetizing about him. I wanted to get to know him, hold him, and maybe be with him.
What is happening to me? I sounded like an infatuated teenager with their first crush.
It didn’t stop the realization that I craved him from slamming into me like a brick wall. I tried to tell myself that it was infatuation, just a chemical reaction in the brain from noticing an attractive guy. It should have been easy enough to turn off. Heck, I’d done it before, but there was something about Jacob. He made me want to know everything about him. What made him smile? Why did he have that sad look in his eyes when he thought no one was looking?
“Okay, your clothes are in the wash. I don’t think I’ll be going to bed anytime soon so at least I can switch them over. They’ll be ready in the morning.” He closed his bedroom door and stood by the side of the bed. “About the guest room…”
I glanced over from where I lay on his bed. “I have to leave?”
Jacob rested a hand on my arm. “Who said anything about that? You don’t have to go. I have plenty of space in here.” His cheeks pinked as I stared at him and he
shrugged. “I don’t feel right making you sleep in that cold guest room and it’s not the most comfortable. It wouldn’t be right when you’ve been so good to us. All of us.”
“Are you sure?” I raised a brow. “You barely know me.”
“You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
I should have just said, “Yes,” and kept it moving, but of course I had to ask, “How do you know that?”
Jacob shrugged. “Just a feeling.” He finally released me and walked round to the other side of his bed where he settled down. “It’s been a long couple of nights. I think maybe I could use the company too.”
“You’ve got it.” I rolled over, then sat up beside him. “Is this about your ex?” Jacob tensed up and I held up a hand. “If you don’t want to talk about it—”
Jacob shook his head and let out a breath. “He’s a bastard. All I wanted to do was get away from him, but he won’t leave me alone. It’s like he’s obsessed with me and I don’t get it! There’s nothing special about me.” Jacob sighed. It was filled with exhaustion, and something else. “I really wish he would just leave me alone.”
I frowned. “He scares you.”
“A lot.” He toyed with his fingers. “He’s always had an explosive temper and he doesn’t listen to anyone but himself. That’s just how Allister is. He wanted to be my…” He seemed to think over the word. “…my boyfriend for a long time, but I haven’t wanted anything to do with him, ever.”
I reached over and laid a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. No one should have to go through this.” I frowned. “Someone needs to put a foot in his ass and tell him to take a hike.”
Jacob smiled softly. “Are you volunteering?” he teased.
I felt a sense of protection swelling up in my chest. “Why not? I don’t think someone like you should have to deal with someone like that. You’re special.”
Jacob’s eyes widened. He blinked at me. “I-I don’t know what to say to that.”
Hunted: An MM Shifter Romance (The Lost Wolves Book 2) Page 3
