Dark nudged my leg.
I touched his head and his jaw. Something round, long, and coarse brushed my fingertips. It wasn’t a belt. What was it? I gripped it and frowned, ran my hand over the long, flexible object. It was coarse yet not abrasive at the same time. “I think it’s rope.” Dark held Jamie’s rope between his teeth. A rope. In the bedroom. Okay, then.
I padded my way to Jamie’s side of the bed and placed my hand on top of the nightstand. Dark must’ve found it on the nightstand, because he couldn’t open the drawers. Patting the surface, carefully, so I wouldn’t knock things off, I knocked something off anyway. Quickly, I grabbed it before it fell.
I gripped a long, smooth, metal object. It curved like a fishhook with a ball on the tip. Jamie had left the rings on the nightstand too. A courting custom of a sort for him. This was another gift for me, but I had no idea what this was, so I placed it back on the stand.
Sighing, I threaded the rope through the metal hook of Dark’s collar and headed downstairs. I paused on the last step. I loved bikes. The entire neighborhood heard a man coming home.
I swung open the back door.
Dark went outside.
I crawled back upstairs.
Chapter Nine
Jamie
Rey had about three minutes to straighten up the things before I walked inside. We’d play a little interrogation game. The one where I asked questions and she answered. Like how in the world did she know Dewlyn? Had Dewlyn been in contact with her? What were they up to? Running together. My claws flexed.
In the driveway, I checked the bike to see if she’d used it. I’d programed it to city limits only, and the mileage read “sixteen.” Same as yesterday. I stormed inside and sniffed out Rey, coffee, and a dirty hound. She’d hidden him somewhere thinking I wouldn’t let her have it. And that was fine by me.
I whistled. My cat didn’t come begging for food. Big Balls—Light was a better name—was fed and hiding from the hound. The smell of coffee told me she’d figured out how to use the house tech. Still, she hadn’t gone to the marketplace. I opened the fridge and scouted the empty shelves. She ate only cake. Left me a piece. Coffee and cake. All she was eating. What the hell? Was she starving herself?
I slammed the fridge closed and walked to the glass door overlooking the backyard, where a hound sprawled in my damn lounge chair. He didn’t even bother to turn and look at me. His tongue hung out of his drooling mouth, saliva pooling on my brand-new chair. Little shit. Hand on the door, I almost opened it, then decided I’d let her explain. I’d given her enough space. Two nights, and one of those nights I’d spent on my couch. Fuck space.
Three steps at a time, I climbed upstairs. I opened and closed the bedroom door, intended to speak with her about her damn space. I was gonna give her a piece of my mind. Inside a dark room, I threw the keys on the dresser and went to turn the lights on, thinking she pretended to sleep again.
And then I saw her. Naked. She knelt on the edge of the mattress and pressed her cheek to the soft cotton sheets, effectively giving me her ass and a slit between her legs. Her hair fanned out around her like a veil. Reaching under with little fingers, she teased her clit.
I stood behind her ass and looked down at her pussy, my mortal enemy. I inhaled. Man, if I had nipple clamps for her tits, I’d close them over my nose right now. I inhaled her budding arousal again. My claws flexed, and I grunted when my cock sprang up. “What’s this?”
“A peace offering,” she said.
“Damn straight.”
She chuckled.
What happened to the piece of my mind I was gonna give her? My mate’s peach pussy happened. I looked down at my erection. She had me by the balls. The mating worked its magic. It was as if Rey had said Here’s some sweet pussy, beasty boy, and I said, Yes, ma’am, gimme a lick. What the fuck? I groaned and sat next to her. Leaning, I kissed one ass cheek, then kicked off my boots and undressed. After I walked around the bed, I took her hand and thumbed my rings. “You decided you liked the rock after all.”
“I love it,” she said. “I’m sorry about last night.”
Damn straight. I glanced at the nightstand for the toys I’d left her. I wanted her to get familiar with things I wanted to do. “Baby, did you find my note downstairs?”
“Um, no, I didn’t see it.”
“It was on the bar.” She didn’t reply. “It’s all right, maybe the cat played with it.” The cat didn’t play with it. The cat knew better than to climb my new kitchen.
“What did it say?” she asked.
“It said you should wear your butt plug tonight,” I lied. “I left it here for you.” I’d left rope and an anal hook.