"And so, this lesson is a hard one. I'm afraid all you're going to get is the view," Jake told her. Releasing her, he turned and walked away. He opened a drawer, retrieved a pair of loose sweatpants and slipped inside them. "Good things come to those who tell the truth. It may seem like there's nothin' between us, but there is. You think on this and we'll have a chat over breakfast."
Anger stabbed through her as he strode toward the door. Kai tore a sheet off his bed and covered herself, her eyes filled with rage.
"There's a robe in the bathroom. And Kai," Jake paused and shook his head with a grin. "You are beautiful … last night, you have no idea how much I wanted to take things further. But I meant what I said. There'll be nothing between us when we make love. I'll help you find your sister, but no lies."
"Fuck you," Kai mumbled under her breath, and threw herself back onto the bed, her head landing on the pillow.
She cursed the wolf for teasing her. The truth. She'd never spoken the whole truth out loud. Safety had been paramount. She didn't even fully understand her powers, let alone how to use them in front of others. The anxiety that had rushed through her in the ballroom was proof enough that she couldn't handle the energy of supernaturals. Why she could control her urge to absorb the Alpha's had been a welcome mystery but she couldn't let him become a distraction. Although she needed him to help her find Shilan, her priority was the spell.
As she bounded out of the bed, she became more determined than ever to right her glamour. Whatever journey lay ahead, cloaking her existence was essential. If the wolf wouldn't go with her to Ilsbeth, she'd go alone.
Chapter Five
Jake shut the door tight, and sucked a breath. The scent of her desire called to him, his wolf pacing with regret as he walked away. Jesus fucking Christ, he cursed inwardly. He glanced to his hard-on and adjusted his cock.
When he'd woken this morning, he'd sworn not to touch her again. Last night had been a lapse in judgement. Jake struggled to understand why the hell he was so damn attracted to her. Despite the shit storm at the party, his protective instinct roared, and he couldn't simply turn her over to Logan. If he didn't know any better he'd think his wolf knew her, but there was no fucking way. Wolves only mated wolves. Yet the second she knelt onto the bed, presenting herself to him like a king cake on a platter, his cock had hardened to steel.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Jake repeated out loud as he attempted to shake off his arousal. "She's nothing. And even if she were something, she doesn't belong to you. Help her find her sister and then sort your own mess."
Jake stopped short at the top of the stairs as the loud clang of a pot sounded from downstairs. What the fuck is it now? Bounding down the steps, skipping every third one, he tore into the kitchen. The smell of fresh pastries hit him as soon as he entered the room. The refrigerator door slammed and the vampire came into view.
"What in the hell are you doing in my house?" Jake asked. He glanced to the plate of food on the counter and shook his head.
"You know … you're a little uptight for a wolf. Did anybody ever tell you that?" Quintus asked, peeling back the wax paper from a stick of butter. "Where do you keep your utensils?"
"Are you serious?" Jake ignored his question and switched on his coffee maker. He opened the cabinet and snatched a bag of the French chicory.
"You need to relax." Quintus slid open a drawer and selected a knife, "Ah, this will work."
"Maybe I'd be a little more relaxed if I didn't have a certain vampire in my life. No offense but after New York, I never expected we'd cross paths." Jake opened the coffee, scooping the grounds into the filter and slid it into the machine.
"True. True. I supposed we'd never meet again."
"You fucking attacked me."
"As I recall, you were in my town. My club."
"You threatened Kat," Jake countered as he added water to the well.
"You misunderstood my intentions."
"I don't think so. You wanted to bite her. To drink her blood."
"Well, yeah. That's pretty much how it works, wolf. I'm a vampire. Do you need a lesson on our requirements?" Quintus picked up a cinnamon roll and began to spread butter onto it, continuing to lecture Jake in a nonchalant manner. "I drink blood. I need it to survive. Some tastes better than others. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Kat's was tasty. I think that about covers the basics."
"What in the hell are you doing here?" Jake blew out a breath, and rummaged through the cabinet for coffee cups.
"Breakfast?" He bit into a pastry and moaned. "So good. I got beignets too. Croissants. Plenty here."