Sharon’s Wolves
Chapter One
“Why not?”
Jackson Wolf leaned back in his chair and stared at his sister over the top of his desk. “Jaz, no way. Not a chance in hell. Not if she were the last woman on Earth.”
Jazmine flinched in front of him. “Really? Aren’t you being a bit dramatic? The last woman on Earth?”
“That’s what I said.” He wasn’t about to go on a date with Sharon Masters. Ever.
“You didn’t answer my question. Why? Sharon’s cute, fun, hardworking, outdoorsy—she’s perfect for you.”
Jackson narrowed his gaze, leaned forward, and held up one hand to count off the reasons why his sister should leave him alone and stop hounding him to go on a date with this stranger. “First of all, I’m busy. I just got finished with the largest group of tax clients I’ve ever had, and that doesn’t even take into account the ones who filed an extension.
“Second of all, she’s a little young for me, don’t you think?”
Jazmine interrupted. “She’s not that young. You act like you’re fifty instead of a whopping thirty-four. Sharon’s twenty-seven.”
Twenty-seven? Wow. He would have said twenty. She looked much younger.
A smile spread across Jazmine’s face. “So you did notice her.”
Jackson chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Of course I noticed her. I’m not dead. Just not interested.” Even though there had been nearly a dozen women in the house when he’d stopped by to pick up some documents from Jazmine, he’d noticed Sharon.
He’d more than noticed her. He’d discreetly ogled her without fully entering the home of Jazmine’s girlfriend’s sister. And since that night three days ago, he hadn’t managed to get her out of his mind. The imp even snuck into his dreams. All that thick dark hair waving down her back… Those damn chocolate eyes that batted at him in his sleep… And that smile…
Jazmine perked up. “In that case, let’s double date.”
“Double date? With you? What would that entail? A night in at your place? Or a night in at Mary’s place?” He smirked. “Or did you mean to infer you two are ready to out yourselves? ’Cause I’d almost agree if that were the case.”
Jazmine’s smile fell, and she pursed her lips before continuing. “No, smartass. We aren’t ready to come out. It’s complicated. You know it better than I do. Half the inhabitants of both Cambridge and Sojourn would have a field day with that one.”
“You’ve been together like two years now. Don’t you think it’s time to stop hiding?” He felt sorry for his sister. He understood why she chose to keep her private life private, but in the long run it was no way to live. So what if their parents had a conniption? So what if people in both towns didn’t like it? In his opinion, hiding who she really was hurt her more than if she faced the music. The stress was wearing on her. He could see it in the lines running from the corners of her eyes every time he saw her.
Jazmine shook her head. “We aren’t discussing me right now. We’re talking about you and your incessant need to remain celibate.”
He laughed outright at that statement. “Who says I’m celibate?”
“I do. When was the last time you went on a date?”
He shrugged. “I date.”
“When? When do you date?”
He honestly couldn’t remember, but he knew it was before he first laid eyes on Sharon Masters, and contrary to what Jazmine thought, that wasn’t three days ago.
“What brought this on, anyway? Did Sharon say something about me?” He felt quite certain Sharon had no idea who he was, at least not before Friday night. His attraction for her had been a one-way street since he first saw her in January at the ski resort. The last thing he wanted to hear was that she’d asked about him.
Who was he kidding? Of course she asked about him. Jazmine wouldn’t be working this hard to set him up if Sharon hadn’t said something to his sister during their girls’ night.
Great. Just what he needed.
It changed nothing.
“Maybe…” Jazmine lifted her eyebrows several times while grinning wider.
“Lord. Seriously? Okay, no. The answer is still no. And you never let me finish my reasons.” He held out his hand with three fingers extended and his thumb holding his pinky down. “Three. I know that family, both those families actually—the Masters and the Bartel-Hamiltons. They aren’t known for being monogamous.”
Jazmine cringed. “Since when are you so judgmental?”
“Since never. I’m not judgmental. I couldn’t care less who someone sleeps with. You know that better than anyone. I just don’t want to share my woman with someone else is all.” And that was the bottom line.
“Why not?”
Jackson Wolf leaned back in his chair and stared at his sister over the top of his desk. “Jaz, no way. Not a chance in hell. Not if she were the last woman on Earth.”
Jazmine flinched in front of him. “Really? Aren’t you being a bit dramatic? The last woman on Earth?”
“That’s what I said.” He wasn’t about to go on a date with Sharon Masters. Ever.
“You didn’t answer my question. Why? Sharon’s cute, fun, hardworking, outdoorsy—she’s perfect for you.”
Jackson narrowed his gaze, leaned forward, and held up one hand to count off the reasons why his sister should leave him alone and stop hounding him to go on a date with this stranger. “First of all, I’m busy. I just got finished with the largest group of tax clients I’ve ever had, and that doesn’t even take into account the ones who filed an extension.
“Second of all, she’s a little young for me, don’t you think?”
Jazmine interrupted. “She’s not that young. You act like you’re fifty instead of a whopping thirty-four. Sharon’s twenty-seven.”
Twenty-seven? Wow. He would have said twenty. She looked much younger.
A smile spread across Jazmine’s face. “So you did notice her.”
Jackson chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Of course I noticed her. I’m not dead. Just not interested.” Even though there had been nearly a dozen women in the house when he’d stopped by to pick up some documents from Jazmine, he’d noticed Sharon.
He’d more than noticed her. He’d discreetly ogled her without fully entering the home of Jazmine’s girlfriend’s sister. And since that night three days ago, he hadn’t managed to get her out of his mind. The imp even snuck into his dreams. All that thick dark hair waving down her back… Those damn chocolate eyes that batted at him in his sleep… And that smile…
Jazmine perked up. “In that case, let’s double date.”
“Double date? With you? What would that entail? A night in at your place? Or a night in at Mary’s place?” He smirked. “Or did you mean to infer you two are ready to out yourselves? ’Cause I’d almost agree if that were the case.”
Jazmine’s smile fell, and she pursed her lips before continuing. “No, smartass. We aren’t ready to come out. It’s complicated. You know it better than I do. Half the inhabitants of both Cambridge and Sojourn would have a field day with that one.”
“You’ve been together like two years now. Don’t you think it’s time to stop hiding?” He felt sorry for his sister. He understood why she chose to keep her private life private, but in the long run it was no way to live. So what if their parents had a conniption? So what if people in both towns didn’t like it? In his opinion, hiding who she really was hurt her more than if she faced the music. The stress was wearing on her. He could see it in the lines running from the corners of her eyes every time he saw her.
Jazmine shook her head. “We aren’t discussing me right now. We’re talking about you and your incessant need to remain celibate.”
He laughed outright at that statement. “Who says I’m celibate?”
“I do. When was the last time you went on a date?”
He shrugged. “I date.”
“When? When do you date?”
He honestly couldn’t remember, but he knew it was before he first laid eyes on Sharon Masters, and contrary to what Jazmine thought, that wasn’t three days ago.
“What brought this on, anyway? Did Sharon say something about me?” He felt quite certain Sharon had no idea who he was, at least not before Friday night. His attraction for her had been a one-way street since he first saw her in January at the ski resort. The last thing he wanted to hear was that she’d asked about him.
Who was he kidding? Of course she asked about him. Jazmine wouldn’t be working this hard to set him up if Sharon hadn’t said something to his sister during their girls’ night.
Great. Just what he needed.
It changed nothing.
“Maybe…” Jazmine lifted her eyebrows several times while grinning wider.
“Lord. Seriously? Okay, no. The answer is still no. And you never let me finish my reasons.” He held out his hand with three fingers extended and his thumb holding his pinky down. “Three. I know that family, both those families actually—the Masters and the Bartel-Hamiltons. They aren’t known for being monogamous.”
Jazmine cringed. “Since when are you so judgmental?”
“Since never. I’m not judgmental. I couldn’t care less who someone sleeps with. You know that better than anyone. I just don’t want to share my woman with someone else is all.” And that was the bottom line.