he
chuckled. He ran his hand down her back, slapping her bottom lightly.
“We’ll have to start packing,” Jay murmured as she snuggled
into his chest. “Although we’ll wait for the morning.”
“Packing?” She stiffened.
“I take it you want to bring some of this stuff with you?”
“Ahh, well, most of my gear is still in Landon, this is the
landlord’s furniture.”
“That’ll make it quicker then.”
“Jay?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He leaned up on one elbow. “Of course you’ll move in with
me.”
“Onto the estate?”
“Yes.” He was looking at her a little quizzically.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Not quite yet. Moving in
with you, moving onto the estate. Those are big steps.”
“Cassie.” He took her hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re my
mate. These last few days, keeping my distance, it was incredibly, horrendously
hard. I don’t want to waste any more time apart from you.”
She chewed her lip. She’d known this was coming, she just hadn’t
expected him to broach the subject so soon. But then, what had she thought?
That they’d live apart? That wasn’t what she wanted at all.
“Can I have a little more time? I have to work out a week’s
notice anyway. Jimmy took me on with no experience. He took a chance on me. I
can’t leave him hanging.”
Jay snorted. “Oh yeah, he took a real chance. Come on,
Cassie, the guy snapped you up because he knew how lucky he was that someone as
classy and hardworking as you wanted to work in that dump.”
“It’s not a dump.”
“Yeah it is, and you owe that guy no loyalty. I bet he works
you long hours for crap pay and with little thanks.”
Well, she couldn’t really argue with that, but still…
“I’m not walking out, Jay,” she replied, crossing her arms.
“I do have some work ethic, you know. I need some time to get used to the two
of us before I have to get used to living with the pack, to sharing you with
them. I know it’s selfish when you need to go back—”
“You’re not being selfish,” he interrupted her. He ran his
hand through his hair, ruffling it even more. “Okay, another week it is. You
can get used to living with me before you have to live on the estate. I must
admit, I like having you all to myself.”
“Are you sure? I’ll understand if you have to go, I can
follow…”
He shook his head. “They’ll manage without me.”
But she saw the frown flutter across his face and she
wondered how long he could, and would, stay away.
* * * * *
“That was one hot kiss.” Ella fanned her hand in front of
her face as she stepped into the kitchen of Fat Eddy’s. “So I take it you and
Jay are together now?”
Cassie blushed. Jay had walked her into the bar, kissing her
lingeringly before he’d taken a seat in her section. She’d tried to convince
him to stay at home but he’d told her he could make his calls as easily from
the bar as he could from her apartment, and here he could keep an eye on her.
She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that, but didn’t feel it was something
to argue with him over. Yet.
“Yeah, we are.”
“About time, any fool can see he loves you.”
“He hasn’t said it,” Cassie replied, surprised by how much
she longed to hear the words from him. “I didn’t think you liked him.”
Ella shrugged. “I was prepared to hate him after he hurt
you. But he’s not so bad.”
“He wants me to move back with him. But I don’t know if I’m
ready for that just yet.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
Cassie shook her head. Do I?
“You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t, Cassie.
Even my jaded, disillusioned eyes can see he makes you happy. Maybe, maybe
that’s worth a shot. Life is what you make it.”
The taller woman turned her face away abruptly as Cassie
gaped, taken aback. Ella always seemed so tough, yet Cassie was sure she’d seen
her eyes glitter with tears.
“Of course, it could be
chuckled. He ran his hand down her back, slapping her bottom lightly.
“We’ll have to start packing,” Jay murmured as she snuggled
into his chest. “Although we’ll wait for the morning.”
“Packing?” She stiffened.
“I take it you want to bring some of this stuff with you?”
“Ahh, well, most of my gear is still in Landon, this is the
landlord’s furniture.”
“That’ll make it quicker then.”
“Jay?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He leaned up on one elbow. “Of course you’ll move in with
me.”
“Onto the estate?”
“Yes.” He was looking at her a little quizzically.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Not quite yet. Moving in
with you, moving onto the estate. Those are big steps.”
“Cassie.” He took her hand, squeezing it gently. “You’re my
mate. These last few days, keeping my distance, it was incredibly, horrendously
hard. I don’t want to waste any more time apart from you.”
She chewed her lip. She’d known this was coming, she just hadn’t
expected him to broach the subject so soon. But then, what had she thought?
That they’d live apart? That wasn’t what she wanted at all.
“Can I have a little more time? I have to work out a week’s
notice anyway. Jimmy took me on with no experience. He took a chance on me. I
can’t leave him hanging.”
Jay snorted. “Oh yeah, he took a real chance. Come on,
Cassie, the guy snapped you up because he knew how lucky he was that someone as
classy and hardworking as you wanted to work in that dump.”
“It’s not a dump.”
“Yeah it is, and you owe that guy no loyalty. I bet he works
you long hours for crap pay and with little thanks.”
Well, she couldn’t really argue with that, but still…
“I’m not walking out, Jay,” she replied, crossing her arms.
“I do have some work ethic, you know. I need some time to get used to the two
of us before I have to get used to living with the pack, to sharing you with
them. I know it’s selfish when you need to go back—”
“You’re not being selfish,” he interrupted her. He ran his
hand through his hair, ruffling it even more. “Okay, another week it is. You
can get used to living with me before you have to live on the estate. I must
admit, I like having you all to myself.”
“Are you sure? I’ll understand if you have to go, I can
follow…”
He shook his head. “They’ll manage without me.”
But she saw the frown flutter across his face and she
wondered how long he could, and would, stay away.
* * * * *
“That was one hot kiss.” Ella fanned her hand in front of
her face as she stepped into the kitchen of Fat Eddy’s. “So I take it you and
Jay are together now?”
Cassie blushed. Jay had walked her into the bar, kissing her
lingeringly before he’d taken a seat in her section. She’d tried to convince
him to stay at home but he’d told her he could make his calls as easily from
the bar as he could from her apartment, and here he could keep an eye on her.
She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that, but didn’t feel it was something
to argue with him over. Yet.
“Yeah, we are.”
“About time, any fool can see he loves you.”
“He hasn’t said it,” Cassie replied, surprised by how much
she longed to hear the words from him. “I didn’t think you liked him.”
Ella shrugged. “I was prepared to hate him after he hurt
you. But he’s not so bad.”
“He wants me to move back with him. But I don’t know if I’m
ready for that just yet.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
Cassie shook her head. Do I?
“You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t, Cassie.
Even my jaded, disillusioned eyes can see he makes you happy. Maybe, maybe
that’s worth a shot. Life is what you make it.”
The taller woman turned her face away abruptly as Cassie
gaped, taken aback. Ella always seemed so tough, yet Cassie was sure she’d seen
her eyes glitter with tears.
“Of course, it could be
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