Chapter 831 Chapter 831
“I need food.” Jake propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her. The expression on his face she had never seen before. From anyone. It made her feel special. “My cat wants to screech around and tell the world.”
Rory laughed. “I’m afraid he might have to go to a more populated area to reach the world.”
Jake smiled. “You might be right. I guess I’ll do it when we go to Chicago.”
“Where will you run in Chicago?” She didn’t think there would be tigers and other animals running free in the city.
“The Alliance has a property team. I’m sure they have already found good land that will be for any of the shifters in the city.” He traced the freckles on her shoulder.
It sent shivers through her. “They have a property team?”
“Mmhmm.” He leaned down and kissed the area his finger had trailed over.
Rory bit her lip for a second. “Do you think they’ll need a decorating, designing team?” She wanted to have some purpose in all of this.
He kissed her quickly on the mouth and sat up. “Probably, clans are growing and moving. It doesn’t hurt. I heard Konner Flores has a construction company. I’m sure if you talk to him about the interiors, he’d be open to the idea.” Climbing over her, he got up and looked around. With a smile, he walked toward the door and picked up her pants.
Rory sat up. “An exclusive company to design the homes and buildings for shifters. I could do that.” She moved to the edge of the bed and accepted the pants from him.
“I know you can.” He turned in a circle and then found his own pants. “You can do anything you want, Rory.”
Putting her pants on, she spotted her shirt on the end of the bed. Grabbing it, she put it over her head and shoved her arms into the sleeves. Pulling it down, she paused and looked at him as he located more clothes. “We’re really not talking about this?”
He hopped a few times, trying to get his inside-out pant leg fixed so he could put his foot in. When he was able to pull them up, he glanced at her. “This?”
“What just happened.” She rolled her eyes when he gave her a leering grin. “Not that part. The fact that we marked each other.”
“Claimed each other.” He came over and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her mouth lightly and then leaned and kissed his bite mark. “Are you sorry it happened?” He released her and picked up his shirt.
Rory stood there and watched him. Did she? “I don’t want to sound sappy.”
He pulled his shirt over his head and then paused and looked at her. “Sappy?”
“Yeah. That a missing piece felt like it was suddenly there and stuff like that.”
Jake chuckled. “I was worried you would be one of those women that needed romance and wooing, but I guess not.”
“Wooing? Who says wooing?”
Jake shrugged. “I guess I do.”
Going over, she picked up her jacket and fixed the sleeve so it was right side out. “I’ve never really seen the need for romance—” she smiled at him. “Or wooing.”
Jake shrugged. “So you don’t regret it?”
Pulling her jacket on, she turned around and looked at him. “No. I don’t. Inside me—” She put her hand over her ribs, “I feel different now. My cat seems to be content. I can feel her, and usually when I do, it’s uncomfortable.”
He stood there smiling.
“What?”
“You said she and not it.”
Rory held his look. “I what?”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against his chest. “Before, when you first got here, whenever you talked about your cat, you said it. Never she or her.” He leaned down and kissed her.
“I didn’t know I did that.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
The door banged closed. “I hope you’re finished because I am freezing, and I need sleep.”
She turned to see Gary standing there, with a wet blanket over his shoulders and water dripping off his hair.
Jake grabbed this coat and took Rory’s hand. “We’re going in to rummage around in the kitchen in the house.”
Gary looked at the door and shook his head. “Exhaustion outweighs hunger right now.” He walked by them.
Jake grabbed her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed it.
Rory looked around the bunkhouse as he tugged on her hand to pull her along. There was no decorating to fix it. They should tear it down and start new, she thought. As she put her boots on, she looked around again and then at Jake. She could see her mark on his neck. She’d just started something new, and soon, she and Jake would go to Chicago and start their new life.