Of course, shamans didn’t always get to humans in time. That was why there were werewolf legends (mostly inaccurate) and werewolf movies. However, thanks to shifters tending to live away from human populations, and the power of our shamans, humans believe that we were just scary fables.
The humans got up and left. “He’s also hypnotizing them to forget this restaurant. They’ll just go on their way safely to their destination, and never even remember this place,” Max said.
“Close one,” I said, turning back to my coffee.
“It’s a good thing Cody was here,” Max agreed, nodding. “Otherwise we would have had to hold them here until he got here, they would have freaked out…it would have been ugly.”
He shrugged, reached out, and grabbed my hand. “Let’s talk about something more pleasant…like what I’m going to do to you when we get back to the bridal chamber. I think your little fiasco with your friends calls for another punishment…and this time, I’m choosing the method.”
Chapter Eight
“I can barely walk,” I moaned to Maxwell on Sunday afternoon. We were sprawled on a porch swing on the back porch, with a breathtaking view of the white-capped mountains. Max was shirtless and barefoot, only wearing his pants. I wore a tank-top and pajama shorts.
“Hey, you were the one who wanted to do it just one more time,” he said, kissing my ear.
“Well, why would you listen to me? I’m clearly a moron.” I sat up, slowly and gingerly. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him, nuzzling my neck and sending shivers down my spine.
“That’s true, but you’re a hot sexy moron who was asking for more sex, so I threw common sense and caution to the wind.”
“My poor vajajay,” I groaned. “She needs an ice pack. And a day off. If you want to come again, we will have to explore alternative methods.”
“I can think of many. I’ve demonstrated some,” he said.
I leaned back and sighed. The sky was blue, the air smelled like pine needles and sex and summer, life was good.
“Oh yeah? What else ya got?” I really wanted to know.
“That information will be revealed on a need to know basis,” he grinned at me.
“By the way, what are you planning on telling Kray’s pack? And when?” I asked.
He frowned. “There’s no need to tell him anything right now. I don’t want you to have to worry about my problems, Josephine. It’s my job to handle that kind of stuff.”
“Oh yeah? What’s my job?”
He laughed. “Your job is to satisfy me sexually, make me laugh, socialize with my pack members, and satisfy me sexually.”
“Ah ha. I see where your priorities lie. You pervert. So, only some of the things they say about the Timber Valley Pack are wrong.”
He laughed, but before he could answer, his cell phone vibrated in his pants pocket. He grabbed it, looked at it, and frowned. “I need to take this. Wait here for me; I’ll be right back.”
He got up and walked away quickly, talking quietly into the phone. “Hold on just a minute, I’m going out back so I can talk,” he called out to me.
I sat there feeling unsettled. I had the distinct feeling that he didn’t want me to see who’d called, and he clearly didn’t want me to listen in on his conversation. Why?
Was he talking to some hot shifter babe, and if so, did I have any right to be jealous? I’d tricked my way in here, and he’d agreed to stay married to me to help Camille…then again, if he had planned on marrying Camille, he should have severed any romantic ties he’d had before.
Or had he called up some former flame and let them know that they didn’t have to end things, because he would be single again in a few weeks and his marriage was a sham?
That wasn’t the impression that I’d gotten from him up until now, but the fact that he’d practically run off to answer the phone call took me by surprise.
I sat there and stewed for a few minutes until he came back and sat down on the porch swing. “So, where were we?” he asked, idly trailing a finger up the inside of my thigh. “Oh yes, I was talking about your duties as my sex slave.”
“Quick question,” I said. “I know this is a weird situation, with the fake marriage, and me pretending to be your wife for three weeks and all. What are the rules?”
“Rules?”
“Well, I assume we’re not seeing other people for the duration, right?”
He stared at me in astonishment, then threw back his head and laughed.
“Are you serious? You even have to ask?”
I didn’t want to tell him that I was asking because of the phone call, because that made me sound petty and jealous.