Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I gave her a funny look. “That sort of violence is against the rules.”
She nodded. “Yes, it is. Except Alpha Steele was off duty and the beta wasn’t in the bar, and absolutely no one was going to stand up to a basajaun. Not to mention that my ex deserved it and everyone knew it. When it was done, Niamh motioned for the basajaun to sit down, bought him a beer, and life continued on as normal. Zero residual drama. It. Was. Awesome!”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or shake my head. “He’s…”
“He’s great, yeah. I like having the basajaunak in the territory. I like that they are here right now, watching our six from the trees. I tried to invite them to join us, but one of them said you wouldn’t allow it.”
“Wait…” I glanced around, running my gaze across the trees surrounding the park. I could feel Dave’s location, back at Ivy House. He was the only one I had a bond with. “What do you mean here… Here here? Like right now, in those trees?”
Her grin was wider. “Yes. I felt them when I arrived, hanging out in the trees. Others have felt them, too, all around the park. They can hide really well but…” She gave me another comical look. “You can feel the danger when they’re around, right?”
No. I couldn’t. I had to actually send out magic, and I hadn’t bothered. I should’ve, apparently. It seemed as though I just couldn’t quit Ivy House—even for a single afternoon.
ELEVEN
Jessie
“Sorry.” I looked back at the trees again. “I’ll get rid of them.”
“No, no.” She motioned me forward to get food. “Don’t. Like I said, I like them here. I had a great time at their feast in the basajaunak lands.”
“It’s supposed to be a shifter BBQ, though.”
“Meh.” She waved that away, waiting for me to finish grabbing Austin food. I noticed that everyone was giving me space. “No one cares.”
Plate filled, I returned to Austin, now standing with Kace and Broken Sue.
“Hey,” I said to Broken Sue. “You made it.”
He inclined his head. “I wouldn’t miss an opportunity to see the alpha’s new sports car. That thing is a beauty.”
“Isn’t it something?” Austin asked, resuming his seat. “My mate is trying to shine up this old penny.”
“Good luck,” Broken Sue told me, his humor, as usual, not reaching his expression. “What do they say about old dogs?”
“Clearly something different than what they say about polar bears,” Austin replied, reaching for me.
Kace and Broken Sue moved away, heading off to the drinks cooler.
“Was it something I said?” I murmured, sitting on his lap again.
“They’re letting us finish eating.”
“Crap, I forgot to grab a new fork.
“It’s okay.” Austin kept me from getting up. “Use your hands.”
“But there’s…potato salad and stuff. I can’t use my hands for that.”
His eyes were deep and open. He didn’t repeat himself.
I did as he said, working with the meat first, knowing he was waiting for me to get to the rest. When I did, scooping it up with what had to be a deep grimace, his tongue swirled around my fingers as he sucked it off. I could feel his hardness against my legs and felt an answering heat.
“You’re beautiful, Jess,” he whispered before taking more. With me holding the plate, his hands were free to roam. They did so now, flowing around my hips and then one of them reached up to cup a breast through my dress. “When can we take this off?”
I ran my thumb along his lips before bending, capturing them with mine. Our kiss was sensual and slow, me only backing off because I wanted to get rid of the plate and just straddle him. I couldn’t, though, not yet. Not until we got to the next thing.
“Later,” I whispered, giving him more.
“Hopefully not much later.”
“Don’t rush your perfect night. Though I think it’s falling apart a little. The basajaunak have apparently shown up. They are watching like creepers.”
“I know. I felt them when we got here.”
“And here I was saying that there was no protection but you guys. Why didn’t you call me on it?”
He kissed me some more, and I nearly dropped the plate into his lap.
“Because I could tell you didn’t know,” he murmured against my lips. “You would’ve marched into the trees and shooed them away.”
“I still will. I was just giving you a chance to eat first.”
“No. Don’t. They have BBQs like we do. Shifters in general seem to greatly enjoy them. Maybe invite them in?”
“Are you sure?”
He answered by nudging me off of his lap before taking the plate. He leaned down to grab the dirty fork.
“No, don’t—“ I snatched it away from him. “Don’t use that. Gross. Wait there, I’ll get you another.”
He’d finished the hot dog by the time I’d gotten back and was working on the tri-tip with his fingers.