Treasured Find (Royal Pride Book 1) (8 page)

Chapter Ten

Jazz stood in front of her bedroom mirror and groaned. Nothing looked right. She yanked off the cute baby-doll shirt and tugged on the halter top. Similar to the one she’d worn the previous night, the lacy neckline showed plenty of cleavage and the loose waist offered enough room for Rafe to slip his hand under the hem. She shook her head at the naughty thoughts filling her mind, but it didn’t stop her from choosing a short skirt either.

Underneath the outfit she’d chosen with Rafe in mind, she wore simple black panties and a strapless bra. She’d debated over running into town and picking up something sexier but didn’t have time. Besides, she hadn’t decided if Rafe would be getting her completely naked. Just because she wanted to have sex with him didn’t mean it had to happen tonight.

She glanced at the clock. Five minutes to six. She grabbed a brush and ran it through her hair one last time. The doorbell rang. She jumped. With shaky hands, she placed the hairbrush on the dresser and hurried down the stairs to the living room.

A date.

She was actually going on a date, her first in three long years. There was no reason to feel nervous, but her heart raced. Sweat dampened her palms. She scrubbed them against her skirt, took a calming breath and opened the door.

Rafe stood on the other side with his legs slightly spread and his head dipped so a lock of hair fell over his eyes. The lopsided smile he flashed her did crazy things to her heart. She licked her lips while he swept his gaze over her body, from her feet to her face. Heat spread in the wake of his lazy perusal.

“You’re beautiful, Jasmine. So damn beautiful.”

He tugged her close and covered her mouth with his before she could say anything. The hungered, raw kiss he delivered stole her breath and replaced it with his. With a slight tug on her hair, he tipped her head back and devoured her. The sweeping thrusts of his tongue quickened, and his hold on her body tightened.

Still kissing her, he backed her into the living room. The door slammed closed behind them. She turned her head, and his lips brushed over her cheek.

“Rafe, wait.”

He skimmed the roughened fingers she’d dreamed about last night up her side and under the edge of her shirt, exactly as she’d hoped he would. With small strokes, he caressed the edge of her breast and nuzzled against the sensitive spot beneath her ear. His warm breath aroused her as easily as the light touch of his fingertips, but if she let Rafe’s seduction continue, her willpower would crumble.

“Why? Aren’t we alone?”

They were. She’d driven the boys over to Mr. Wilkins’ house an hour ago, but no way would she invite Rafe into her bedroom. She’d given their date a lot of thought. Rafe wasn’t from the area. If they ended up having sex tonight, she didn’t want the memory of it here, where she’d remember exactly how it felt to be with him.

“We are, but you promised me dinner. I’m hungry.”

Rafe nibbled along her jaw to her mouth. He kissed her, slowly with rolling thrusts of his tongue that left her weakened. She grabbed his shoulders and held on while he explored her as completely as he had the day before. Without hesitation, he slipped his hand under her skirt. She wavered a moment, then widened her stance for his probing fingers. He slid them over her panties, from her clit to her opening.

The slight pressure of his thumb had her squirming in his arms. He pushed the material aside and stroked along her wet cleft. She wriggled her bottom, silently asking for more. He obliged her and dipped his fingertip inside her core. He pumped his finger into her, then added a second. She broke the kiss on a groan of pleasure. The sensation of his thrusting fingers tore her control to shreds. She moved with him, fucking herself against his hand.

“That’s right. Get yourself hot for me. I want you to squeeze my fingers then my tongue before you come apart around my cock.”

His words registered in her lust-hazed brain. He planned to fuck her.
Here. Now.

Dammit, she had no self-control around him. She pushed away.

“Dinner. A date. I never promised I’d have sex with you.”

He brought his fingers to his mouth. With slow swipes of his tongue, he licked her arousal off. More flowed to slicken her sex. She swayed closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against him. “A date then. Where shall we go?”

“The Black Widow.”

Josh’s bar was packed. It always had a decent crowd, but on a Friday night, even more so. Jazz leaned against Rafe and listened to the familiar sounds—music, laughter and the drone of voices. She didn’t go out often, but when she did, she usually came here.

At the moment, she regretted her choice. Everyone watched them. The waitresses stared openly at Rafe, not that she could blame them, but after ogling him, their curious gazes landed on her. She saw the questions in their eyes. And the accusations.

Everyone assumed she’d eventually get back together with Josh. They’d dated on and off through high school and college, but after a couple of months working her first full-time job, they’d parted ways for good. It had been her doing.

She hadn’t known how else to handle the situation with Seth and Levi. She certainly couldn’t have let Josh think the boys were his. So, she’d made up a lie—the first of many—about how she’d gotten pregnant by a guy she’d been seeing behind Josh’s back.

Josh had been angry. The things he’d said had made her cry, but the moment he laid eyes on her kids, he swore they’d eventually get back together. In fact, she’d heard she was the excuse he gave to his fuck buddies as the reason he didn’t date.

And…here she was with Rafe, a delicious specimen of a man who held her against his chest and nuzzled her neck.

One of the waitresses walked by, looked them up and down and huffed.

Jazz inwardly cringed. “Let’s get a table on the deck.” Where less people would see them.

“Okay. It’s a nice—”

His phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his features hardened.

“I’ve got to take this. You go on up. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.” He kissed her cheek and slipped out the door.

She frowned at his abrupt departure, but he had been texting on and off since he’d picked her up. He’d said it was business. They were working a security detail in town. He had to tie up some loose ends.

Her heart skipped a beat. Once he finished his job, he’d leave. Just because he’d said plans could change and he might stay longer didn’t guarantee he would.

No. Tonight. She’d keep her focus on the present. They were on a date. Dammit, she planned on enjoying it.

She blew out a breath and made her way across the bar to the stairs. They were narrow, no bigger than the ones in her house. Not surprising. The bar had started out as somebody’s home back when neighborhoods had a pub on every corner.

Halfway up, she ran into a man rushing down. She gasped and teetered backward, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her against him.

A whiff of cigars and cologne filled her lungs. She choked on the stench and coughed into her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

Bright-brown eyes focused on her, and a grin spread over his face. In the dim light she couldn’t see many other details, but the tiny hairs on her arms stood up. Fear slithered into her belly and churned it. He set her aside before the sick feeling spread.

“No problem, sweet thing. I’ll keep an eye out for you from now on.” He rushed down the stairs.

She watched him until the bend in the staircase blocked him from view, then slumped against the wall. The rushing blood in her veins echoed in her head. She stood there and trembled but didn’t know why. The guy had saved her from falling. He hadn’t done a single thing to make her afraid. She shook off the weird sensation and hurried up the stairs in case he came back.

Chapter Eleven

Rafe leaned against the light post in an alley alongside the bar. Besides his SUV, the alley was the most private spot he’d get. Since it was closer, he retreated to the shadows and dialed Devin.

“Talk to me,” Rafe demanded as soon as the call connected.

“The fire chief stopped by Josh’s parents.”

Rafe tensed. “Were you able to hear anything he said?”

“Every single word. Josh’s mother ushered the man onto the back porch so as not to disturb Megan.”

“And?”

“Seems Tony died from a broken neck, not smoke inhalation.”

Rafe cursed. “He was murdered?”

“The fire chief didn’t think so. In fact, he was calling it a tragic accident. Apparently, Tony was found lying at the bottom of the stairs with a fire extinguisher near his hand. The conclusion is he was rushing down the stairs and fell.”

“Why would he be running downstairs?” Most people kept a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. At least they did in the large home he shared with Kade.

“The fire started in Megan’s room. There was some indication Tony had tried to put it out. The fire chief is speculating Tony ran when the flames grew too intense and fell. The smoke would’ve been thick so it would make sense he missed a step or tripped.”

Rafe had rushed to save humans from burning buildings a few times over his long life. He knew firsthand how quickly a fire could spread. He dropped his head against the pole. “No other suspicious signs?”

“Not that the fire chief mentioned, but Josh’s mother had been crying by that point. The human gave his card to her and left.”

“I guess that ends our worry then.”

“I guess.”

The careful tone Devin used tensed Rafe’s muscles. “Has anything else happened that would make us think otherwise?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that…”

“Just what?”

Devin blew out a rough breath. “Megan. She acts strangely for a five year-old.”

“How so?”

“She’s normal enough when Josh or his parents are around, but when she’s alone, she talks to herself.”

“Maybe she’s talking to her cat.” Rafe had remembered doing so as a child before he realized they couldn’t exactly understand him.

“She’s a single shifter. At five, her cat wouldn’t be strong enough to assert its will on her yet, and considering she’s been living with humans, she shouldn’t even be able to separate its emotions from hers, let alone talk to it.”

Devin would know. He’d devoted many hours to helping rescued shifter children adjust to the world. He knew where they were coming from.

“Do you think she’s unstable?” Rafe asked the obvious question.

Devin grunted. “We won’t know until we interact with her. She’s very clingy, though, especially with Josh. Whenever he’s in the room, she keeps him in her line of sight.”

“Or she’s protective of him. Being a white lion, she’ll likely be a dominant when she grows up.”

“Could be.”

“Are the humans good with her?”

“Yeah. She seems comfortable. Not exactly happy, but you can’t really blame her.”

No. Rafe couldn’t. He sighed. “Thanks for letting me know about the fire chief. Call if anything else happens.”

“Will do, but I shouldn’t expect a quick answer, right? You might be…umm…occupied.”

Rafe grinned. “I damn hope I’m occupied. All night long.”

“I hear she might be the one.”

Rafe gripped his phone tighter. “The one, huh? Did Kade tell you that? Because I don’t know what the—”

“Relax. Kade told me about the woman and your interest in her. I put two and two together. If I was wrong, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have snapped, but Kade was giving me a hard time about it. I’m a little defensive.”

“Finding your true mate is a blessing, Rafe. If Jasmine is yours, you should be thanking the gods for bringing the two of you together.”

“Unless she can miraculously bridge me and my cats, it’s just lust.”

“Could be.”

Rafe licked his upper lip. He swore he could still taste her. “Once I fuck her, I might lose interest.”

“True.”

“And even if I’m still drawn to her, there’s still the little issue of her being human.”

“Can’t argue that.”

Rafe paced from the lamppost to the edge of the building and back. “If she’s not my true mate and I try and mate her, she’ll die. That’s assuming she’ll even risk her life for me. Hell, I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. Who wants to roll the dice with death just for a chance to be stuck with me for eternity?”

“Your true mate would.”

Rafe ran a hand through his hair. “I’d have to kill her. Fucking kill my true mate. What the kind of male does that?”

“One who’s found the woman who can heal him. Give him peace. If Jasmine’s that female, you’d be a fool not to tie her to your soul.” Devin snorted. “I know I’d move heaven and hell if some woman could bring me even a little bit of comfort.”

Rafe squeezed the bridge of his nose. Guilt rushed over him. Devin had often talked about how he’d love to have a family, but he knew it wasn’t in the cards for him. He was too broken. Nobody would be able to fix him.

“She’d be a lucky woman, Devin. You’d treat her like a queen.”

“Yeah, well, I doubt there’s a female alive who’d want to share my fucked-up soul or my crazed cats so I don’t think I’ll need to worry about pampering anyone. I’ll call if something comes up.”

The line went dead, and Rafe sighed. The single shifters who’d ruined Devin’s life deserved to be punished. Too damn bad they’d died hundreds of years ago. There was nobody left to pay for what Devin had been forced to endure.

Rafe slid his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the bar. Each step he took eased the tension in his body and built his desire for the woman waiting for him. The only questioned remained was whether it was her body that tamed him or her soul.