"Okay. So if you're not here to break up with me, why did you drive all the way up here during your lunch break?"
"I came here to tell you something that would get me in a load of trouble if anyone ever found out," she snapped. "It might even send me to prison."
"Layla, if this is secret info, you shouldn't tell me," he said.
When she didn't say anything, Jayson suddenly had a horrible vision of her stumbling across deep, dark government secrets that involved assassins, political cover-ups, and unauthorized covert operations.
"I know I shouldn't be telling you," she said. "But I spent all morning talking to Ivy and came to realize that we let a secret come close to destroying our relationship. I almost lost my sister over something she refused to share with me, and I don't want that happening to us. I want to be a part of your life, and that won't happen if you find out I've been lying to you the whole time. And at some point, you'd figure it out."
"Figure what out?" God, he was so frigging confused. He felt like he needed a translation guide for this conversation.
Layla didn't seem to notice the fact that he was drowning, though. "That I'm not exactly what you think I am."
Could she be any more cryptic?
"I don't really work for the Department of Homeland Security," she said softly. "I work for an organization called the Department of Covert Operations, or DCO for short. It's buried so deep inside the bureaucracy of the DHS that they don't even know we exist."
Jayson almost laughed. "That's your big secret? That you work for a secret organization within the U.S. government? If it is, that's not really a secret. There are probably dozens of organizations in the United States like that. And it certainly isn't going to come between us."
"No, that's not my big secret," she said. "The secret part is about how the DCO operates. They field teams of trained operatives from military, law enforcement, and covert backgrounds with those who possess … special abilities."
"Okay," he said slowly.
"Maybe it would be best if I just show you," she said. "But you have to promise to not freak out-or hate me."
He scowled at her. "Now who's being stupid? You know I could never hate you. And I'm former Special Forces. I don't freak out."
Layla gave him a small smile that was a little bit sad but didn't say anything. After a moment, she shook her head, then picked up their plates and carried them over to the sink.
"This isn't as easy as I thought."
Jayson stood and followed after her. Luckily the kitchen was small, so he didn't have to go far.
He gently put his hand on her arm and turned her to face him. "Hey. Whatever it is, you can tell me."
Layla didn't smile this time. "Just remember you said that."
She took a deep breath, then slowly held up her hands, palms facing her. As he watched, her oval-shaped nails extended and turned into claws that had to be an inch and a half long. If that wasn't crazy enough, her eyes became a vivid green, and the tips of two really sharp fangs poked over her lower lip.
Jayson tried not to freak, he really did, but he failed. He took a step back so fast he had to grab the counter to keep from falling on his ass. A split second later, the claws, fangs, and green eyes were gone, and he had a hard time believing he hadn't imagined them.
"What did I just see?" he asked.
Her eyes filled with tears. "I was right. You're disgusted, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not!"
Shit. He told her he wouldn't freak out. Layla looked so scared and vulnerable right then that it made his chest hurt. He pulled her into his arm, hugging her close.
"Layla, you didn't disgust me. You could never do that-even if you sprouted horns and a tail." He pressed a kiss to her silky hair. "I'm just not sure of what I saw, that's all."
Layla nodded against his chest. Then she told him that she was a shifter-a genetic mutation of a normal human who possessed certain animal traits. It sounded too insane to be real, but he'd seen the claws and fangs, not to mention the brilliant-green eyes, so she wasn't making it up.
"Are the physical changes I saw the sum total of what you do when you shift, or are there other things that make you different?" he asked.
She didn't answer right away. "I can run faster and farther, and jump higher than a normal person. My senses are keener, too. I can smell, see, and hear better."
Wow. "Are there others like you?"
She hesitated. "That's not something I can talk about because that would lead to secrets that aren't mine to tell."
He could understand that.
Layla bit her lip. "I know that finding out that I'm a shifter is a lot to take in, and that it might take a while to wrap your head around it, but I couldn't keep it from you any longer. I could feel us drifting apart lately, and I know it was because I was hiding things from you. Maybe you don't even realize you're doing it, but I can see you tune out sometimes when we talk. I think you were subconsciously picking up on the fact that I was keeping this huge secret from you." She sighed. "I want you to know the real me, even if that means you walk away from me because of it. That's better than letting us fall apart slowly-or having you hate me when you stumbled over my secret on your own."
Damn. He hadn't realized he'd been tuning out during some of their conversations, but if he had, it sure as hell wasn't because of anything Layla did. It was because he was a worthless piece of handicapped crap who didn't deserve her and wasn't man enough to let her go.
He opened his mouth to tell Layla that when she leaned forward and kissed him … then kissed him some more. He kissed her back, forgetting all about the fangs he'd seen earlier. She was the same Layla he'd been half in love with since they'd met.
Layla pulled away with a rueful smile. "I'm sorry to spring all this on you and then bail, but I really do have to get back to work. I have another session right after lunch. We can talk about this later as much as you want. Or if you decide you don't want to have anything else to do with me, I get it. Just text me, and I won't bother you again. I only hope you'll keep my secret if for no other reason than I'm asking you to."
She gave him a quick kiss, then picked up her purse from where she'd left it on the couch and practically ran for the door. It took a little work on his part, but he caught up and grabbed her hand. Then he turned her to face him and kissed her again-like he meant it.
He rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you for telling me. I know how hard it was for you. Nobody will ever hear about your secret from me. That's a promise."
She nodded, her eyes shimmering with tears. She turned to open the door, but he stopped her again.
"You want to come over tonight? I could order pizza," he added.
Layla smiled, the tension visibly fading. "I'd like that."
After she left, Jayson wandered into the living room and collapsed on the couch. Damn, he'd had a hard enough time trying to see how a relationship with Layla could work when he'd thought she was this amazing woman with beautiful eyes, silky hair, and a body that wouldn't quit. Now that he knew she was some kind of superhero, he didn't see how they had a chance in hell of making it.
Chapter 10
Angelo cringed as he watched Minka wave the knife she was using to dice the tomatoes for the fajitas. She was going to cut off a finger. She'd been bouncing off the walls since he'd met up with her at Layla's office a few hours ago; she couldn't stop talking about how well things had gone with Ivy and Tanner. The only time she'd slowed down was when they'd taken a detour to the grocery store on the way to the apartment, and that was only because she'd never been in a store with so much food before.
"I couldn't believe it when Tanner showed me how to put the beast behind a door and keep it locked away," she said excitedly as she reached for another tomato. "I was even more amazed when he showed me how to open the door a little so I could get my claws to come out. I can't imagine why I'd ever want them to come out, of course, but it was very impressive anyway. Oh, and did I tell you that I'm part cat? That's why I have curved claws."
Angelo held one hand above the grill to see how hot it was while stirring the peppers and onions with the other, then gave her a quick look. "Part cat, huh?"
He had to really force himself to pay attention to the vegetables he was sautéing, or he was going to burn them. The secret to good Mexican food was the right blend of peppers, spices, and patience. But right now, Minka was being damn distracting-especially dressed in the long boho-print skirt and tank top Layla had given her to wear. What man could think of cooking when he had such a gorgeous woman in front of him?