by E A Price
That wiped the smile away. Gunner growled. “Of course, she’s sure. We’re not getting married straight away – Erin thinks we should wait and move in together first.”
He sounded like he would have happily thrown her over his shoulder and ran to the nearest wedding chapel – but he was being considerate of his human mate.
Gerry leaned back. Technically, in spite of rumors, there wasn’t an exact rule about mates working together. It was more of an understanding that they shouldn’t. This was to either stop them from killing each other or to stop their teammates from killing them. Judging from the fierce expression on Gunner’s face, he doubted the bear was going to be relaxed and easygoing when it came to his mate.
“I see, you understand that you and Erin shouldn’t work together?”
Gunner scowled. “But…”
“Can you honestly tell me you would treat her as equal to your other teammates?”
“Well, I…”
“And you would happily send her out to talk to suspects without you there protecting her?”
Gunner’s eyes flashed to the brown of his bear’s before he managed to control himself enough to lie. “I’d probably get used to it…”
“I doubt it. For your sake, Erin will have to be transferred to another team.”
“I don’t like it.”
“No, but you’ll get over it.” It wasn’t easy having a female you cared about so close. He managed because Jessie was never in any danger. Well, only the danger from males wanting to screw her. Gerry pulled out his desk drawer and flashed a look at the file picture he kept there. Her eyes were still closed and her mouth still a small O of surprise, and she was still gorgeous. His beast rumbled in agreement. “I’ll transfer Erin to the Beta Team,” he muttered, absently.
“Diaz’s team?” roared Gunner, who had never gotten along with the jaguar shifter. Few males in the building did which Gerry attributed to Diaz’s flirty nature and that he hit on any female that crossed his path. “You do know that the fucking jaguar took bets on whether he could get into her pants?”
Gerry sighed and closed the drawer. “I understand a lot of males in the building did. I understand that Cutter won because he bet on you.” For all the men Gerry knew about, he had ordered them to report to the medical bay for a physical with the nurse. Not the sweet, gentle hedgehog shifter, Lucie either. No, they were to undergo physicals with the polar bear shifter who treated bodies like they were made out of putty.
“I’ve already spoken to Diaz – he and a number of males are attending the HR seminar in sexual discrimination in the workplace.” After their physical, of course, when their bodies would be too bruised even to contemplate thinking about sex.
Gunner pouted a manly pout. “I still think…”
“I don’t,” he snapped. “You’re more reasonable than any bear shifter I’ve met, Gunner. But do I trust you not to go crazy if someone looks at her funny? Not even for a second, my friend. But, congratulations, I’m sure you’ll be very happy together,” he added, to mollify the bear slightly.
It worked, too. “Thanks, I’m really happy.” Gunner chuckled, and his big body relaxed slightly. “For a couple of weeks, I actually thought I could stay away from her. I thought she’d be better off without me… my beast wouldn’t allow that, though. Anyway, I better get going – we have plans.”
In so far as a bear could skip, Gunner did so on his way out of the office. It was in fact still a lumber, but it was a perky lumber.
His beast wouldn’t allow it thought Gerry. He pulled the drawer open again and stared at the picture.
The beast wants what the beast wants. His snake growled. And his beast wanted Jessie.
Gerry frowned and closed the drawer again. But it wasn’t his fault they weren’t together. Sure, he’d been an idiot at first, thinking he could wait until after his divorce. But after trying that for a grand total of one day, he had changed his mind and wanted to try and work through their problems. Well, his problems. There was a moment in his office when she was dabbing at his wounds when he thought something would happen, but she said no to that. Jessie didn’t want him and he couldn’t force her to change her mind.
But he couldn’t pretend he didn’t want her. He couldn’t imagine not wanting her ever again. He was intrigued when the giddy, young creature ran into his office. Smitten after he kissed her. And now… now he was burning for her, burning to be with her, to feel her pressed against him. God, just her laugh made him hard. That fucking gorgeous hiccuping giggle almost made him come in his pants.
He imagined what it would be like to introduce Jessie to his family. The fake smile would congeal on his mother’s face as she took in Jessie’s dyed hair, boots, and t-shirts. But he liked that about her. He liked it that she was fun. And when had he ever had fun? It was school, college and then work, interspersed with dating cold python shifters who were no more interested in having fun than he was. Edith was perhaps a little wilder than the average female python; although she didn’t want to share any of that wildness with him. Was that why Jessie appealed to him so much? The fact that she possessed something that he never had.
All these months, he’d been hanging on, settling for the small smiles she threw him. But it wasn’t enough. What would he do if she got mated or married to another male? His beast howled in fury. How could he possibly live with that?
In truth, he couldn’t. Something needed to change.
*
“Who drank all the milk and put the carton back in the refrigerator?” snapped Jessie in an unusually bad mood. Her spirits had been pretty low since Christmas, but she managed to put on a cheerful face for the most part. But the milk had just pushed her too far.
She was met with a chorus of ‘don’t know’.
Ugh! She gave in and put it back in the refrigerator. She was sick of being these guys’ mother. Eventually, one of them would want milk, they’d find the empty carton, and they’d have to damn well go to the store and get it. Unlike every other time this had happened before, she was determined that one of them would cave before her.
Jessie rifled through the refrigerators. Maybe the soup could have cream in instead – it’d probably taste better. Except the cream went out of date quite a while ago. She gave it an experimental sniff and her squirrel squeaked. Gross. She threw that in the trash – it was a day away from spawning its own civilization.
She pulled out a couple of yogurts, also starting to grow their own fungus and a piece of cheese that smelled like her high school’s boys’ locker room. Hey, she only went in once on a dare. After smelling it, she never went back.
It was time her roommates grew up and threw out their own trash. Jessie gave the chore chart a forlorn look. It was something that worked at home where all her siblings pulled together, but it didn’t work so well with three ungrateful roommates, and she was not going to turn into the naggy roommate.
Truthfully, she’d only just started to notice how bad the guys were. They’d been living together for a year and a half now. They had a really nice apartment, and because there were four of them, it worked out that the rent was cheap. They’d met when they were all students, and apparently things like cleanliness and food in the refrigerator hadn’t seemed so important back then. But now that she had a job, it was obvious that these guys were still behaving like kids – and they wanted her to be their freaking mommy! Well, nuh-uh, no way.
Someone knocked on the door.
Jessie stirred her soup and yelled, “Is anyone going to get that?”
Greg and Arliss were playing a video game, and Kenny was in the bathroom again. She’d never known a man take so many showers. It was a little creepy and thank god she had her own tiny bathroom or she might have found out what he was doing in there. She insisted on the separate bathroom since she was the only female. They’d argued, and she’d felt a strong sense of victory after she won. Now, she realized that they were idiots and defeating them in any kind of debate was just inevitable.
> Someone knocked on the door gain.
“Seriously, is anyone going to get that?”
There was no reply, and the person knocked for the third time.
“Jessie, can you get that? Someone’s at the door,” shouted Greg.
“No kidding,” she muttered. “Mother, maid and now freaking butler. Jeez Louise!”
She stomped into the hallway, tripping over Arliss’s bike. “Arliss, have you left your bike in the hallway again even though I specifically asked you not to?”
“Yeah, careful you don’t fall over it.”
Her squirrel ground her teeth. “Thanks!”
Still muttering death threats, she flung the door open. “Gerry!” she gasped, and her squirrel perked up considerably.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he rumbled in his silky voice.
“Oh, no, of course not, come in.” She hobbled back, and Gerry gave her a sharp look.
“Are you injured?”
“Just a biking injury.”
“You enjoy cycling?” he asked blandly.
“No, I just tripped over a bike.”
“Oh.”
Jessie resisted the urge to ask him what on earth he was doing there. To be frank, his presence actually improved an otherwise extremely crappy night. She wasn’t about to chase him away. At least, not right away. “I’m sorry please come into the kitchen, careful of the bike.”
He followed her, and she tried to clear room for him to sit, dislodging cycling magazines, comic books and sweaty t-shirts from a chair. “Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess.” And pretty disgusting she added silently. He must think she was a total slob to live like this.
“No, I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have dropped by unannounced.”
“It’s fine; I was just…”
“Making tomato soup?” He sniffed, and his eyes roved over the pan and leftover ingredients.
“Yes.” She wasn’t about to admit that she was just going to happen to bring too much to work and offer him some, though. That would have looked totally lame. “So what’s up?” she asked trying to sound aloof and not like someone who was having a hard time getting a fluttering heart and an excited squirrel under control.
Kenny chose that moment to wander in only wearing a towel. He grabbed a beer and nodded at Gerry. “‘Sup dude.”
Gerry smiled coldly, and Kenny flinched before leaving very quickly.
“Your roommate?” He looked at her accusingly, and Jessie felt unwarranted guilt.
She nodded. “I have three.”
“All male,” added Gerry, tightly.
Jessie knew she wasn’t doing anything wrong. Her roommates appealed to her sexually as much as a laundry hamper would, but for some reason, she felt the need to explain herself to Gerry. Which logically she knew was absolutely ridiculous. “Yeah, we’re all just friends. We were all students together, although I seem to be the only one trying to move on from student life.”
Gerry’s eyes shuttered. “Hmmm.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Did you know Gunner and Erin are a couple?”
Jessie smiled as she thought of the huge polar bear and the sweet human. “I kind of suspected, I’ve never seen him so protective over anyone.”
“They’re mated and getting married.”
“That’s wonderful, I’m happy for them.” Her beast whined. And completely jealous and bitter that her own love life was in the toilet.
“I actually wanted to tell you that I’m leaving Los Lobos.”
And now someone had flushed the toilet. “Leaving?”
“I’m planning on asking for a transfer to another city.”
She sank into a chair, ignoring the face that she had just crushed her own purse. “Why?”
His cold façade crumbled just a little as his voice cracked. “Why do you think, Jessica?” The black seeped into his eyes as he gave her a mournful look.
Ignoring her chittering animal, Jessie turned the heat off her soup and led him into her bedroom. She folded her arms over her chest. “You’re not leaving because of me,” she told him firmly, in the same voice she used to tell her younger siblings that they were definitely not staying up for another half hour.
“Jessica.” The name rolled over his tongue and made her shiver.
“You can’t,” she choked.
“I care about you, but I can’t stand by and watch you with another male knowing you don’t reciprocate my feelings.”
“What other male?” He didn’t really think she’d do anything with her moronic roommates, did he?
The sadness on Gerry’s face morphed into irritation. “I see you with that bobcat shifter. He wants you.”
Jessie squeaked indignantly. “We’re friends! It’s not like I’m the one who’s married!”
“But you might be, one day. A beautiful creature like you won’t be single forever.”
Wait a second, what did he just say? No not the beautiful part – that part she absolutely loved. It was before then. It was something her squirrel was gnashing her teeth about. “Who the hell said I don’t reciprocate your feelings?”
Gerry sighed. “Clearly, you don’t.”
“I don’t want to fool around with a married man – that’s totally different!”
“So what do you want?”
“I want you to stay.”
He frowned. “But you don’t want anything to happen to us?”
“No… yes, I… I don’t want you to go.”
“Jessica.” he exclaimed in exasperation.
No, he couldn’t go. Not now, not ever. “Please, Gerry, don’t go.”
“Give me a reason to stay.”
“Ugh! Fine!”
Jessie grabbed his tie and yanked him down to her for a hard kiss. He froze in surprise for a few seconds before his arms coiled around her body, the kiss turned steamy.
When they finally came up for air, she panted, “Reason enough?”
“Yes, that’s a very good reason.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jessie blushed as she walked into Gerry’s office. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. But after last night, it somehow seemed a little… naughty to be going into the office of someone you were secretly making out with.
And that was all they did last night.
He explained about his situation with his wife, and their agreement, and the money for his parents. She understood - she did, but it still felt wrong. But she was weak, so she allowed him to kiss her some more, and she didn’t even object when his hands started wandering over her breasts. Okay, she enjoyed that part even more than he did. But she had firmly put her foot down about doing anything more. Gerry was disappointed. Her squirrel was disappointed. Hell, she was disappointed! But they had a lot to talk about before they could go any further.
Besides, she didn’t want her roommates to hear her. She wasn’t particularly shy. The walls were thin, and undoubtedly they’d heard her with her previous boyfriend. But it was different with Gerry. It was… special. She didn’t want anyone intruding on their relationship. If they could call it that. After all, there was his wife to think about… But if it meant not losing Gerry, she could try and get over her reservations.
She didn’t blame him for marrying that stick insect bitch – not that she bore the woman any ill will of course. But she wished he had negotiated a prenup with her at least, with a nice juicy clause that would have gotten him out of this mess if she cheated. He didn’t think about it at the time. Although it wasn’t something Jessie would think about either, to be honest. Where she came from squirrels mated for life. Her parents weren’t legally married, squirrels in her scurry weren’t. They mated and were blessed by the leader. It was a given that everything they owned was now each other’s and that they were together until death.
Perhaps Gerry hadn’t considered the marriage would fall apart. Her squirrel huffed at the thought of Gerry and the evil blond python together. She shuddered and tried to banish that mental im
age.
He slammed the phone down as she entered, but when he saw her, his scowl blossomed into an almost predatory smile.
“Ms. Duchamp,” he purred, sending acute tingles through some unmentionable nether regions.
“Director Sanders,” she said breathlessly. She’d hoped to sound sexy, but she suspected she sounded as if she’d just run a marathon.
“How are you?”
“I’m well,” she said coyly, “I had a very nice evening yesterday, and you?”
His eyes glittered. “Never been happier.”
He meant it, too, and that just melted her heart even more.
Jessie walked towards his desk. “I was just finishing my report on the illegal organ harvesting case.”
“I look forward to reading it… because you wrote it… not because of the subject matter… I’m really bad at flirting.” He told her that without an iota of self-consciousness and without blushing. She, on the other hand, could feel herself turning pink.
“You’re doing a good job so far.”
Gerry cleared his throat. “I know we didn’t make any definite plans, but I want you to have dinner with me tonight.” He paused before adding, “If you want to. If you’re free.”
“I do, and I am.” Her squirrel whooped.
He passed her a piece of paper, and she sat on the edge of his desk, leaning down, so he got a nice eyeful of her breasts. The scoop neck had been a very good idea. Who said nerds had to be skinny?
“Come to this address at eight… please,” he mumbled in the direction of her breasts. His ears started turning pink. It was a relief to her that he wasn’t completely unflappable.
“Well, since you said please.”
Gerry looked up sharply a second before the door flung open. Edith and Norma fell through it at the same time, arguing.
“If you’d just wait a moment,” snapped Norma.
“I need to speak to my husband!” yelled Edith.
Jessie jumped off his desk and almost fell over a chair. Gerry was about to reach for her when she stepped away. She thought she saw hurt flash through his eyes, but she couldn’t be sure. He was generally as inscrutable as a statue.
“Norma, it’s fine,” he said coldly. “Jessica, I…”
