Stone Cold Seduction (15 page)

“I don’t remember it.”

He gave a soft whistle. “Harsh, but I suppose I have to give you that one.”

I side-stepped a woman with a jogging stroller. “Look, I remember a tiny bit, but not enough to help. And if you’re coming with us, you have to stop antagonizing Jax.”

I saw a speculative gleam in his eyes. “You’re going to take away all my fun, Princess.”

I flinched. I hated that name and the horrible memories it brought up. “Don’t call me that.”

He blinked at the vehemence in my tone. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just a nickname I used to call you.”

I willed the tension in my shoulders to ease. “I just…please don’t call me that. Elle is fine. And that leads me to my next question. Why are you doing this? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the help, but I need to know why.”

I saw his expression change, and he transformed into the hunter. The grin and teasing demeanor were gone. I saw banked fire in his eyes, but they were surprisingly cold and cunning. His face was serious, and there was an aura of danger around him. I figured that was better than a ring of fire, but the change was dramatic. He was all business. “You’re trusting me to help keep you safe?”

“Yes.” I didn’t have much of a choice.

“Then you need to know I’m not only working this case as a hunter. I’ve been hired to investigate your father. I can’t tell you more than that, but I wanted to warn you. You’ve been implicated as well.

“I know you’re not involved. Not in that way. But I need you to know this is much bigger than you realize. It goes beyond your new abilities. Beyond Jedren, even. So I will help you find your fate, and I will protect you from Jedren, but I also have to do my job.”

“Which is what, exactly?”

He flashed that disarming grin. “I can’t tell you that. But I can tell you this.” He rubbed a lock of my hair between his fingers as he held my gaze. “We have unfinished business.”

His eyes flickered, and I felt heat building around him.

I stepped back so he had to let go. “No, MacLean, we don’t.”

If I hadn’t known any better, I’d swear I saw hurt in his eyes, before his smile grew a little wider. “Yes, we do. I hope you get your memories back soon.”

He turned around and walked down the street, leaving that unsettling comment hanging between us. I watched him go. Jax moved with a silent, easy grace, but MacLean…MacLean’s movements were efficient and controlled.

Deadly
, my mind whispered. I’d also have to be dead not to notice how attractive he was. Too bad he had the wrong time, wrong place, and wrong girl. As I stared after him, an ache bloomed behind my left temple, a sure sign that there were more missing memories. Maybe he was right, and we did have unfinished business.

Speaking of complications,
I thought, as I trudged back up the block toward the park,
I have a gargoyle to deal with.

Teryl met me first. “Everything okay?”

I smiled wearily. “Just peachy.”

Teryl wrote a few more words on the paper, and then pocketed it. “I have to head home, finish packing and stuff.”

Jax was standing where I’d left him, and his posture relaxed when he saw me. I smiled with a lot less weariness.

“So, you and Jax, huh?” Teryl obviously hadn’t missed that little exchange.

“Yeah,” I replied, keeping my voice soft. “Me and Jax.”

Teryl looked worried, but he smiled, anyway. “Should I give him the over-protective, best friend speech?”

I snorted. “Do I even want to know what that speech is?”

“Probably not. Because I don’t think I could kick his ass if I tried.”

“Let’s skip that speech. I don’t want you to get hurt,” I teased.

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” He elbowed me playfully.

I gave him a quick hug. “I love you for being my best friend and big brother, all in one. Now get out of here. I know you’ve got things to do. And thanks for the flowers.”

He ruffled my hair just to be irritating. “See you tomorrow.”

I walked back to Jax, where he stood under a maple tree. “Let’s head back to my apartment. It’ll take me ten minutes to pack.”

Chapter Nine

Jax cupped the back of my head in his hand. His kiss was gentle and searching. I relaxed against him, winding my arms around his neck. With a growl, he pulled me closer, and the kiss changed. His mouth became hot and possessive. When he pulled back a moment later, we were both breathing hard.

“I will keep you safe.”

I leaned my forehead against his shoulder, wanting to ignore the people and sounds around us. “I know, Jax.”

“You are my mate, my life.” His voice was quiet and hoarse.

I blinked back the moisture in my eyes. “You have to stop saying stuff like that. You have to give me time to catch up. I’ve only had a couple days to get used to the idea. You’ve had a lot longer.”

He drew in a breath to speak, but this time I stopped him with a finger to his lips. I leaned back and looked into those silver, gray eyes. “Whenever you say things like that, I go mushy inside. I don’t think I can afford to be mushy right now. And anyway, we need to get going.” I tugged on his hand, forced a smile for the people who’d stopped to watch our kiss, and started walking in the direction of my apartment.

After a block had passed, he said, “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. But you’re right. I need to give you time, and I will.”

“Thanks.” I smiled up at him and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “When we get back to my apartment, I need to look over the shop, check the cash register to make sure Cassie has enough change, and pull a little more stock.”

Jax let go of my hand so he could wrap an arm around my shoulders. “I’ll do that while you pack.”

He scanned the sidewalk and streets continually. His arm was relaxed, but the stance was deceptive. He studied each face we passed, not missing a single detail. I felt safe with him in bodyguard mode.

“What will I need in Scotland?”

“Warm clothes.” The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement before he resumed his watchful vigil. “Carys lives outside of Inverness. Since it’s October, I believe it’s a little cold and wet right now.”

“How’s that different from Seattle?”

“It’s not much different, just colder. Pack warm. Think wool sweaters.” Jax pulled me to a stop at an intersection, and we waited for the pedestrian signal to change.

Wool sweaters? They definitely weren’t a wardrobe staple of mine.

We walked the rest of the blocks in silence. I didn’t want to distract him, and I didn’t mind the quiet. When we arrived at my building, I locked us inside by throwing every rusty deadbolt my street-level door had. Jax stayed in the shop while I trudged upstairs.

I opened the hall closet and grabbed my small suitcase. There wasn’t a single wool sweater in my closet, so I’d have to make do without. I let my mind wander aimlessly while I packed the necessities. I am a big fan of packing light. The less I take, the less I have to pack home. And I was hoping this would be a quick trip.

Rummaging around my bathroom, I grabbed my toiletries and makeup. I piled everything into the suitcase and stared at it, just knowing I’d forgotten something important.

The token.

I ran down the stairs and found Jax stocking the soaps.

“Hey, I need to grab the token, then I’m ready.”

Famous last words.

By the time we made it to Jax’s apartment, it was almost four o’clock, and I was exhausted and starving.

He unlocked the door and ushered me inside. Curiosity overrode my exhaustion. This was the first time I’d seen his apartment, and it didn’t disappoint. There were few furnishings in the living room. A big leather couch, a recliner, and a big screen television. Typical bachelor pad. Rich, dark brown paint covered the walls, making the white crown molding really stand out. It gave the room a sophisticated feel, despite the lack of personal décor.

I wandered into the kitchen, where Jax was flipping through take-out menus.

“You must have heard my stomach growling. That’s a serious stack of menus. I take it you don’t cook much.”

He kept shuffling. “Not if I can help it. Do you have a preference?”

“Comfort food, please.” I saw his lips twitch in amusement. While he placed our order, I wandered around his kitchen. His was more spacious than mine, but didn’t have that same cozy, lived-in feel. The counters were bare, save for a coffee maker and toaster. Stainless steel appliances gave the room a modern feel. Overall, it was a nice place.

Jax hung up. “Let me show you where you can put your stuff.”

He snagged my suitcase when we walked past the front door. I followed him into the master bedroom. A king-sized bed dominated the middle of the room. The walls were painted a deep, ocean blue shade. Paired with the white crown molding, it was a striking effect. A dresser and a nightstand were the only other furniture.

“The bathroom is the door to the right of the bed.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the bed. It was huge, with a graphite gray comforter and mounds of pillows.

“You like pillows?” I teased.

I saw the faint hint of color on his cheeks. “They matched the blankets. The sales lady was persistent.”

I laughed. He was so cute and sexy when he blushed. “At least we’ll be comfortable.”

I caught the glint of silver in his eyes, before he set my suitcase down by his dresser. “Feel free to put your stuff anywhere you want. I’ll just go wait for the food.”

I was a little surprised when he walked out abruptly, leaving me alone. In the bedroom. Confused, I followed him out. “Jax?”

He was standing at the window, looking out at the city. I walked up beside him, noting his stiff posture. His deep voice was soft when he finally spoke. “I’ve played this scene out in my head so many times.”

“What scene?”

“Bringing you home. To
my
home.”

I threaded my fingers through his and squeezed, but remained silent.

“I was ten when I received my fate. I’ve known about you for the last twenty-four years. I know I’ve only been in your life for the last two months, but you’ve been in mine for much longer.” He rubbed his thumb along mine, where our fingers interlaced.

I tried to imagine what that must be like. He’d had most of his life to get used to the idea of not only having a mate, but having me as a mate. “I…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I just need you to know. To be patient with me if I get a little…overprotective or jealous. Because you’ve always been mine.” I saw his sincerity and internal struggle reflected in his eyes. My heart ached for him.

“My family was killed when I was thirteen. All of them.” His voice had a rough edge to it.

That rendered me speechless. He’d been an orphan at thirteen? I couldn’t imagine being on my own at that age. I ran my thumb back and forth across his palm in a soothing caress. “What happened?”

He went silent and resumed his watch over the city. I wasn’t going to press the issue. If he didn’t want to talk about it, I understood better than most. I tried a different topic. “Tell me about being a gargoyle.”

“What do you want to know?” He sat on the couch, and I snuggled up to his side. Wrapping an arm around me, he let my head settle on his shoulder, right above his heart.

I had so many questions. Where to start? “What abilities do you have? What do you use them for? Why do you have an alliance with the shadow elves? Do you have an Achilles heel? That sort of thing.”

“You want to know everything, you mean.” I could hear amusement in his voice.

“You’re my mate, so yes. Pretty much everything.” His hold on me tightened for a minute with my declaration. I could hear the solid beat of his heart. The connection I felt with Jax was becoming more apparent. The attraction had been instant, I can’t deny that. But I now noticed the subtle changes in his breath, his stance, and his tone. I needed to touch him for reassurance and comfort. For both of our sakes. I wondered if the mate connection had been there for the last two months, and I’d just been too oblivious to notice.

Regardless, I was noticing now.

“As you’ve already seen, we turn to stone. We have excellent night vision. And as Teryl said, we’re good at fighting. When we’re stone, we are indestructible.”

“From everything?”

“Yes,” he said. “Bullets, knives, fists. You name it. And as you noticed, I can fly.”

“I’m not going to forget that anytime soon.” It had freaked me out at the time. But a part of me now wanted to see what his wings looked like, spread out. Another thought occurred to me. “Can you shift whenever you want or only when you get mad?”

I could hear the low sound of his laughter. “I can shift at will, but strong emotions can cause that reaction. You can also shift me.”

I thought about that for a moment. “Why is that part of my magic? I mean, what does that gain me or you? Is it just a mate thing, or can all shadow elves do that?”

His hand rubbed my arm absently. “Many shadow elves can do it, but not fully. They might be able to make a gargoyle’s hand shift, or bring their wings out, but not a complete shift.”

“I only shifted your hand.”

“Yes, but I only asked you to focus on that. If I asked you to shift me completely, you could. And you would do it with far less effort than most. Our mate connection does help, but that’s not all of it.” He rubbed his chin on the top of my head. “The benefit for the shadow elves is that they gain control over a gargoyle’s ability to shift to stone and back. Some of the stronger gargoyles cannot be shifted by most shadow elves. The stronger the family line, the more resistance they have.”

I pulled away so I could look at his face. “Can gargoyles do anything to shadow elves? Because that seems really one-sided.”

“We can amplify your abilities.” His mouth shifted into the semblance of a smile. “But only if we choose to.”

“Okay, that’s confusing. Shadow elves can force you to shift, and in return, you can give them more power to shift you?”

“No, only certain abilities, such as shadowing.” His expression turned serious. “Our abilities have declined as much as any line, so it now applies almost exclusively to shadowing. The relationship has to be mutually beneficial. Which is why we’re in alliance with the shadow elves. And also because we’re naturally talented at protection. We can form a protective shield.”

“Like a force field?”

He laughed quietly. “Not exactly. It’s difficult to describe, and I hope I never have to show you. It’s a reactive response to danger. Instinct takes over, and we become a living shield. That would be useful to someone like your father.”

I didn’t know if I liked the sound of that. “Are you still indestructible in that form?”

“For the most part,” he hedged.

“What does that mean?”

The sound of the doorbell gave him an excuse to stand up.

“Saved by the bell,” I muttered, as he went to get the food. I’d let him drop the subject for now. The carbs were calling my name.

Jax had ordered from a café that specialized in comfort food. He served dinner in the living room, like a bachelor. We ate their homemade, gourmet macaroni and cheese on the coffee table. I moaned with heartfelt appreciation after the first bite.

Twenty minutes later, my appetite was sated, and I curled up against Jax. It was quickly becoming my new favorite place to be. “Thank you for dinner. You didn’t answer all my questions, though.”

“You’re welcome. And Teryl’s books should be able to give you more information than I can.”

Fatigue made my eyelids heavy. I nodded at him. “Okay.” I hid a yawn behind one hand. I had no problem with waiting. I was too tired to absorb much more information anyway. “I know it’s still early and I hate to be rude, but do you mind if we go to bed?”

He picked me up before I could protest. “Little gem, I’ve wanted to carry you to my bed for years.”

I smiled and tucked my head into the curve of his neck. “Oh, well, in that case.”

He laid me gently on the bed. With utmost care, he removed my clothes and wrapped the soft, thick comforter around me. “I’m going to lock up. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Lying in his huge, comfy bed, I felt safe. In the face of my father, my unknown magic, the hunters, the trip to Scotland, and everything else, I actually felt safe. With a smile on my face, exhaustion pulled me under.