Enticing Their Mate(27)
Blood laced his sleeve. “Russ did that?”
His roommate faced him, his face pinched. “What? How’s Sarah?”
His injury was probably a forgotten issue. “Other than some scrapes and bruises, she’s fine. As you can hear, she’s in the shower. Russ didn’t violate her, but she wants to wash off his stench.”
“Fucker.” Riley bared his teeth. “You have no idea how much I wanted to kill him.”
Jay understood protectiveness, but Riley’s reaction went above his usual care. “She got to you, didn’t she? You ready to do something about her being your mate?”
The water shut off.
“No comment.”
A minute later, Sarah walked out of the hallway rubbing her hair with a towel, dressed in a thin T-shirt and leg-revealing running shorts. “No comment to what?” she asked with such innocence that Jay almost laughed.
She’d heard their conversation from the bedroom? He turned to Riley. He couldn’t wait to hear his answer.
“I refuse to comment about what I’d like to do to Russ.” He moved toward Sarah. “How are you?”
She smiled, but Riley’s stiff posture didn’t change. “Fine, now that I’m home and safe.” She tossed the towel on the sofa and lifted Riley’s arm. “You’re hurt!”
“Not any longer.” He rolled up his sleeves to show her his unharmed arm.
“Is that Russ’s blood?”
“No. It was mine, but I healed.”
She ran her fingers over his arm. “I wish I could give your secret blood to those women.”
He cupped her face. “I wish it worked that way, but it doesn’t.”
As if Sarah needed the comfort, she wrapped her arms around Riley and placed her head on his chest. “I can’t thank you enough for saving me.”
Jay could think of a few things, including having her between the two of them when she showed Riley some appreciation. “I bet a kiss would go a long way to thanking him,” Jay said.
“What are you trying to do, kill me?” Riley telepathed.
“Just helping things along.”
Thankfully, Sarah couldn’t hear his thoughts or see the grin on his face as her back was to him. Jay wished he could just ask her if she’d be receptive to having him join her and Riley, but if she said no, it would make for a very awkward next few days.
As she lowered her arms, he noticed her forearm was quite red, and a streak of blood was threatening to drip. “Sarah? You need to bandage that arm.”
She looked down and swiped away the blood. “Oh, my.”
“If you tell me where your first aid supplies are, I’ll be happy to patch you up.”
“Thank you. Just look under the sink in the bathroom.”
This was his chance to show her how good they could be together. After retrieving the supplies, he returned and found Riley placing a paper napkin on her cut.
“How about you sit on the sofa?” Jay said. If after he finished tending her wounds, she wanted to thank him properly, this spot would do rather well.
“Sure.”
With as much care as possible, he applied the antiseptic ointment and placed the gauze patch on her arm. While part of him wanted to ask her questions about Statler’s operation, the animal in him only wanted to continue touching her and inhaling her clean scent.
“What are your plans after we free the women?” he asked.
She glanced between him and Riley. “I’ll go wherever the FBI sends me.”
Jay wasn’t sure what he’d hoped she’d say, but that wasn’t it. “I bet it’s hard to move from job to job without setting down roots.” Understanding her needs would help him figure out how to convince her to be their mate.
She smiled. “I can ask you two the same thing.”
Jay wanted to be honest. “We do live a lonely life, which is why I try to enjoy every moment I have, especially when I’m with a beautiful woman.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Is that the best pickup line you have?”
Riley, who’d been standing the whole time, slid onto the chair across from them and stretched out his legs. “You tell him, Sarah. He is so unsophisticated that he doesn’t stand a chance with a woman. Isn’t that right?”
“What are you trying to do to me?” Jay telepathed, but Riley ignored him.
“Don’t feel sorry for him, though,” Riley continued. “He gets lucky every once in a while.”
With a fake pout, she reached out and stroked Jay’s cheek. He clasped her hand to his chest in an attempt to elicit sympathy. “I’m afraid Riley is right. No woman wants me.”
She punched him with her other hand. “You are full of shit.”