his touch. He could smell her fear.
“I have to work in the morning. Do you think I’ll be safe? Maybe he isn’t after me…just you.” Brianna bit her lip.
Jaxon shook his head. Not a chance . “No way, baby. I know I said we’d discuss this, but there’s no fucking way I can let you go back out on the front line of that fire under the circumstances. It’s too risky. I don’t even want you to go to the bathroom alone until we figure out what McKinney’s angle is.” He gave Brianna a half grin at his unintentional choice of comparisons.
He meant that literally, but making her pee in front of him earlier had been a show of dominance. It hadn’t had anything to do with protecting her inside the house.
Brianna yanked herself from his grasp and stood. She glared down at him. “Not very submissive outside the bedroom, are you?” he questioned. He secretly was glad. Not that he was going to budge on this issue, but he wanted his woman to be strong-willed and determined…outside of the bedroom.
“No. And don’t you forget it.” She spoke out loud, but if anyone was confused, they didn’t say a word. “I worked very hard to get where I am as a female firefighter. If you think I’m going to cower and hide over some mythical madman that no one else in my unit even knows exists, you’re crazy.”
Brianna jumped back a few feet when Jaxon tried to grab her hand. All he got was air. “Baby—”
“No,” she asserted. “This is not negotiable. You may have noticed I can be quite flexible when the need arises, but not on this issue. This is my job, Jaxon. Not a game. I love my work. Those men are counting on me and I’ve proven myself to be a fine asset to the team. They’d never look at me with respect again if I don’t show up tomorrow morning at six sharp ready to work as hard as any man.”
Jaxon exhaled. Fuck . How the hell was he going to handle this?
“I’ll tell you how you’re going to handle it. You’re not. I am. This is my life. The one I was leading just fine until today. Back off where it concerns my work.”
“You read my mind.”
“You must not block well when you’re pissed.” His mate cocked her hip to one side and glared at him. If she’d had a wad of gum, she’d no doubt be smacking it in his face and blowing bubbles as though he’d bored her to tears with a poorly executed joke.
“Let’s calm down. I’m sure there’s a solution we can all live with.” Sergius, the peacemaker, stepped into the middle of the room.
Jaxon hung his head and stared at the floor. His face heated. Hell, his entire body shook with anger. No…fear. He wasn’t mad at Brianna. He was scared.
“I just found you,” he whispered toward the carpet.
“And I’m so glad you did. You probably saved my life in that cave.” She kneeled on the floor in front of him and took his head with both hands. “Look at me.”
He lifted his gaze to hers.
“I’m going to be fine. I’ll be with a dozen firefighters. And hey, you said yourself the vampire guy didn’t seem to like flames. He stayed clear of them, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then I’ll stay as close to the flames as possible. Simple. Problem solved.”
“That makes me feel so much better. Perfect.” His tone was sarcastic, but he grinned at her all the same.
“If we are going to be together—”
“And we are,” he interrupted.
“Then we have to compromise.”
“Okay. Fine. You can pee without me in the room, but you can’t run wild in the woods with a vampire on the loose who is undoubtedly going to track you down and suck your blood until he turns you into his concubine for all of eternity. There. Compromise.” Jaxon matched her stance, wrapping his fingers around her face the way she held his.
Micah spoke up. “Dude, I think you might possibly need to reevaluate your definition of compromise.” He laughed.
Jaxon stood, pulling his mate to her feet. He glared at his younger brother. They were only two years
“I have to work in the morning. Do you think I’ll be safe? Maybe he isn’t after me…just you.” Brianna bit her lip.
Jaxon shook his head. Not a chance . “No way, baby. I know I said we’d discuss this, but there’s no fucking way I can let you go back out on the front line of that fire under the circumstances. It’s too risky. I don’t even want you to go to the bathroom alone until we figure out what McKinney’s angle is.” He gave Brianna a half grin at his unintentional choice of comparisons.
He meant that literally, but making her pee in front of him earlier had been a show of dominance. It hadn’t had anything to do with protecting her inside the house.
Brianna yanked herself from his grasp and stood. She glared down at him. “Not very submissive outside the bedroom, are you?” he questioned. He secretly was glad. Not that he was going to budge on this issue, but he wanted his woman to be strong-willed and determined…outside of the bedroom.
“No. And don’t you forget it.” She spoke out loud, but if anyone was confused, they didn’t say a word. “I worked very hard to get where I am as a female firefighter. If you think I’m going to cower and hide over some mythical madman that no one else in my unit even knows exists, you’re crazy.”
Brianna jumped back a few feet when Jaxon tried to grab her hand. All he got was air. “Baby—”
“No,” she asserted. “This is not negotiable. You may have noticed I can be quite flexible when the need arises, but not on this issue. This is my job, Jaxon. Not a game. I love my work. Those men are counting on me and I’ve proven myself to be a fine asset to the team. They’d never look at me with respect again if I don’t show up tomorrow morning at six sharp ready to work as hard as any man.”
Jaxon exhaled. Fuck . How the hell was he going to handle this?
“I’ll tell you how you’re going to handle it. You’re not. I am. This is my life. The one I was leading just fine until today. Back off where it concerns my work.”
“You read my mind.”
“You must not block well when you’re pissed.” His mate cocked her hip to one side and glared at him. If she’d had a wad of gum, she’d no doubt be smacking it in his face and blowing bubbles as though he’d bored her to tears with a poorly executed joke.
“Let’s calm down. I’m sure there’s a solution we can all live with.” Sergius, the peacemaker, stepped into the middle of the room.
Jaxon hung his head and stared at the floor. His face heated. Hell, his entire body shook with anger. No…fear. He wasn’t mad at Brianna. He was scared.
“I just found you,” he whispered toward the carpet.
“And I’m so glad you did. You probably saved my life in that cave.” She kneeled on the floor in front of him and took his head with both hands. “Look at me.”
He lifted his gaze to hers.
“I’m going to be fine. I’ll be with a dozen firefighters. And hey, you said yourself the vampire guy didn’t seem to like flames. He stayed clear of them, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then I’ll stay as close to the flames as possible. Simple. Problem solved.”
“That makes me feel so much better. Perfect.” His tone was sarcastic, but he grinned at her all the same.
“If we are going to be together—”
“And we are,” he interrupted.
“Then we have to compromise.”
“Okay. Fine. You can pee without me in the room, but you can’t run wild in the woods with a vampire on the loose who is undoubtedly going to track you down and suck your blood until he turns you into his concubine for all of eternity. There. Compromise.” Jaxon matched her stance, wrapping his fingers around her face the way she held his.
Micah spoke up. “Dude, I think you might possibly need to reevaluate your definition of compromise.” He laughed.
Jaxon stood, pulling his mate to her feet. He glared at his younger brother. They were only two years
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