32

"Mate bonding is apparently a trip," Colton shook his head, "No matter the species."

"I wasn't expecting you to be in town. Thought you had a top dog celeb on the books until November?"

"Derrick called in a favor. Said you had a job you couldn't handle on your own but that you were too stubborn to ask. But damn, man, he didn't tell me she was your mate. I didn't get any details. Just the location and the client." Colton leaned back against his chair. "And you know, once I heard Mara's name dropped, I shuffled around some schedules to free myself up for this." He gave a dazzling smile and then seemed to think better of it when Jackson's face turned menacing. "Sorry, that was before I knew she was your mate. It was a big ask, but I figured it must have been serious shit. And seeing you almost shift like that... yeah, this is bad, Jackson. I mean, as soon as you stepped in the room, I knew this wasn't going to be the fun time I expected."

Jackson stopped, turning a curious glance back at his friend as if he were having a sudden thought. "You're sure it was Derrick? You spoke on the phone or via text?"

"It was an email, actually, which is pretty odd for Derrick, but I mean, it came from his correct email. Sounded like shit, he'd say... lots of jokes, and I could practically see his annoying face."

Jackson shook his head. "It wasn't Derrick. I'd bet my life on it." Jackson pulled out his phone and texted since they were too far to link. He was determined to confirm what he'd begun to suspect, the stalker was manipulating the situation from afar.

"Alright, so while you check up on that, let's get back to the bargain. I've decided I want the lake."

"Excuse me?" Jackson snapped.

"I'm thinking... three years of access? I do love a good swim." Colt's eyes gleamed in the low light. He was probably getting a hell of a kick out of this. Jackson hated to generalize, but the Fae could truly be bastards.

"So, let me get this straight... you came all the way here and spent the last three hours negotiating with me over this bargain... all to ultimately ask me for... three years of access to our lake?"

It had been at least three hours of multiple different bargains posed, each one more insane than the last, all just to end up...

"Yup," he said, his eyes sparkling with humor. "That's all I want. Three years of me and mine being granted swimming access."

Jackson nearly yelled before he caught himself. It was well after dark, and Amara had gone to bed. He exhaled roughly, and his wolf perked up. "Then why the fuck did you just waste my time?" The growl of his words couldn't be helped. His wolf was riding him hard between his mate's scent on every single inch of the house and having another male so close to her vulnerable form.

Colt snickered. "I wasn't trying to waste your time, you idiot. If she hadn't already known you were a wolf, she certainly would've had suspicions based on how quickly you nearly came out of your skin when you saw me with her. So, no, Jax---"

"Don't call me that."

"Right." He grinned. "Only your mate can call you that. Think she would come up with a cute nickname for me if I asked nicely?"

Jackson gripped the chair hard enough for it to groan, and Colton looked liable to burst in good humor. The bastard was prodding him. "That is precisely my point. I came here to waste your WOLF'S fucking time."

The snarl that left me had us up and out through the patio door before I had blinked.

"Come on, you big bastard," Colt taunted, cracking his neck. "Let's see how quickly I can still kick your ass."

Jackson buried his howl in his friend's flesh.

It was well into the early hours of the morning when Jackson made his way back inside. He'd worked off a lot of his pent-up energy by beating Colton bloody... well, to be fair, it ended in a draw that had both of them panting into laughs. But now, his friend was gone, the perimeter was secure, and Jackson had only a handful of hours left to sleep before he was up for duty with Amara in the morning.

Amara... it was a special kind of warmth he had thinking of her given name.

He slowly turned off the lights and glimpsed the linens she'd left for him. Exhaling roughly, he grabbed the towel, washcloth, and spare set of clothes and headed toward the smell of water. He was thankful for his strong sense of smell guiding him through the dark house.

His wolf was still fast asleep. He double-checked the lock on her bathroom door because he couldn't take any more surprises with her right now. She was perfect, and with that scent, there was no chance he could handle her anywhere near his naked body.

He couldn't even put the feeling into words. Her sweet scent mixed with his, the warmth of her body. He would want to take her right there. He splashed cold water from the sink in his face, drowning out the image he had just painted.

From what he knew, humans didn't feel the bond nearly as strongly, but she must have felt something, right? He closed his eyes, working at the tense muscles on his shoulders. Turning the shower on cold, he stripped down to his boxer briefs and shivered. He'd need all the help he could get to tamp down the fire in his veins. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn't pursue her. And he couldn't stay away from her. Shit, she was all he could think about most of the time. She haunted him. He rubbed his temples.

He was just about to enter the shower when he heard a noise. Stilling, he leaned near the door to catch the sound again. When it didn't come, he unlocked and cracked the door. What if she was in danger? Without thinking, he slid from the bathroom and headed for where her scent was the strongest. When he heard the sound again, he paused, a hairsbreadth from the door knob.

It was a moan.

Fuck him sideways, it was the most delicious sound he'd ever heard. Jackson was strong. He'd endured a lot in his life and learned to overcome it. But his mate? The shiver that worked down his spine when she moaned again told him he wouldn't survive resisting this.

He blamed her scent for why his hand was on the handle, swinging the door open before he could think it through. His wolf was still asleep, and all he had to do was check on her and get back out before the damned beast woke up. But he was weak. So fucking weak when it came to the beautiful woman in front of him.

As he stood at the foot of the bed, he realized his mistake. She was still in his fucking clothes, the shirt riding dangerously high on her stomach, where nothing but a scrap of fabric hid the sweetness of her scent. Hell, it wasn't hiding much at all with all the curves he could see and how much of the scent of her arousal was drenching the room. Why had she gone to bed in his clothes when they were at her house? Their scents mixing was almost too much to bear. Too right.

He could feel exactly what it was doing to him. But it was too late to leave. He was entranced, his feet rooted right where he stood. She moaned and tossed her head to the side, exposing a length of neck that his canines ached for. She was mumbling something he couldn't quite make out. He leaned slightly forward, feeling his body begin to betray him more firmly.

It would only take a single mistake for this to go horribly wrong. If she blinked and saw him there...

"You," she panted. "I want you, Jax, all of you. Every inch."

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. His self-control... where was it? His blood ran hot. Then cold. Reacting to the look on her face as she dreamed about him. The room might as well have been a hundred degrees. He forced himself out of his trance, backing away from the bed like Amara was pointing a loaded gun at him. Because she was. The breathy moan she let out just as he hit the door sent him racing through to the other side. It was a miracle he could still walk with how much of his blood had shot to his dick. He exhaled and tried to blink through the panic.

He cursed himself for his stupid male brain. He knew better. He fucking knew better. But it was so tempting. He threw himself in the icy shower, underwear and all. Burying himself in the stream until he was shaking. His half-sleep wolf didn't fight him this time, choosing to remain curled up as he growled his disapproval. Jackson looked down. The cold water hadn't helped.