Five Weeks (Seven Series #3)(74)

“Why not? I’ve run out of names. It doesn’t matter what we’re called; people will eventually figure out who we are and buy up tickets.”
“How about the Douche Bags?”
“All right!” he shouted with an enthusiastic nod.
“No! You better not.”
He laughed softly and stroked the top of my foot. Jericho had callused fingers on his left hand from playing the guitar, so when he touched me, he pressed harder than he did with his right hand because his sense of touch wasn’t as acute. The rough stroke made me feel like his guitar, and I wanted him to tune me up. He sexily bit his lower lip and leaned forward, lifting his chair and dragging it closer. It caused me to bend my knees, turning my foot massage into a leg massage.
“Give us a name, Isabelle.”
“I’m not good at names.”
“You need practice. Someday you’ll have to name your children, so go on and give us a name.”
I drew in a sharp breath and held it, as if to speak.
“Say it,” he said.
“No,” I said in an uncertain tone.
His fingers moved up my leg, and all I could feel were his warm hands caressing my inner thigh. He inched his way toward the one place I needed him the most.
“Say it,” he whispered, his knuckles brushing against my sex and making me shudder.
I watched him with heavy-lidded eyes. “Heat.”
He leaned forward and kissed my knee, giving it some rock-star consideration. “I like it. Heat.”
“Speaking of, Jericho. I can’t stay at your house if I’m going into heat soon. I need to go to somewhere private.”
Jericho leaned back in his chair with a pensive expression. His wet hair had begun to dry, slicked away from his face and revealing his intense features. He had heavy brows that drew attention to his milky-green eyes.
“It’s not that I don’t trust my pack, but you’re unmated and that would create a stir. Austin wouldn’t agree to it. I can put you up in a hotel,” he offered. “Sound good?”
“I’ll pay you—”
“Bullshit, Isabelle. We’re friends, and there are no paybacks. You just named my band so now we’re even. How long do you have?”
“About a week.”
“Do you want me to stay with you in the hotel?”
I laughed. Hell’s bells would that be a royally bad idea. When I went into heat, I usually slept in the nude. Alone. Even my past lovers knew the drill. The pregnancy risk was too high. Human contraception? Forget it. Those who tried it learned the hard way how useless it was among our kind. Maybe humans didn’t care about pregnancy, but Shifters took children seriously, so it was uncommon to see babies born from unmated couples.
I thought about Jericho’s suggestion to stay with me in the hotel. My body would be primed—my sexual appetite off the charts. Males can scent a woman during her cycle, and from what I’d been told, it was like aromatic crack. I guess that’s just nature’s way of speeding things along, and it happens among humans too. Only they slap scientific words on it, like ovulation and pheromones. It’s almost laughable how they try so hard to deny that they also have instincts and sometimes succumb to them.
“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea if you’re sleeping five feet from me while I’m naked and writhing in the bed.”
His eyes darkened a little. “On the contrary, I think it’s an excellent idea.”
“I’m serious.”
“This city is filled with Shifters, Isabelle. This isn’t like those small towns we used to live in. They might scent you out in that room.”
“Jericho,” I said with a heat in my cheeks. “I don’t want to put you in that position.”
He stood up and kicked his chair back. I clutched my chest as he dropped to his knees, gripping the armrests of my chair.
“I think it’s about time I clear the air and tell you that I want to be in that position. I want to be in a whole lot of positions with you. If you need to take it slow, we’ll take it slow. I’ve given you space this week because of what that asshole did to you.”
His face was so close to mine that I could see the intensity flaring in his eyes.
“I sang that song tonight because I want you to know how I feel—how I’ve always felt about you. I wasn’t good enough for you back then and if you’d hooked up with a guy like me, it would have messed you up. We’ve had good times and bad, sickness and health—so I think we’ve covered all the vows humans share. I love you, baby.” He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, brushing his thumb across my lips. “You’re my sexy redhead. I love that you walked off after the first song because you’re not just another groupie trying to get in my pants.”