peace of mind, but there was nothing to do but suck it up and put on a brave face. He stood behind her, resting his hand on the back of the chair.
Having him hover behind her made her nervous and she smoothed down the tail end of the shirt before fiddling with one of the buttons. When she realized what she was doing she made herself stop.
Was he remembering what they’d done in the bedroom? Did the other men know what they’d done? It horrified her to think so. It wasn’t like her to engage in sexual activities with a man she barely knew and especially not one who’d kidnapped her. Not that she’d ever been kidnapped before or had any basis for comparison. But she knew she wouldn’t have had sex with just anyone, in spite of all appearances. She didn’t want them to think she was cheap or easy.
Gwen reminded herself she had to act self-assured no matter how she felt inside. “So,” she began, not quite sure where to begin. She should have eavesdropped on their conversation before coming out, but she assumed they probably would have heard her. She didn’t know much about werewolves, but she’d gathered that their senses were much more developed than a humans.
“So?” Louis smiled as he pulled his chair closer to her.
“What are you guys doing here? And where exactly is here?” Better to go on the offensive and get all the information she could. In her world, knowledge was power.
“I told you we’re in North Carolina. And we all live here.” Jacque indicated the other men sitting around the table.
“And that tells me absolutely nothing.”
Gator snickered and one corner of Cole’s mouth kicked upward. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was close. Gwen didn’t bother to look at Louis. She knew he was smiling just as she knew Jacque was scowling at her. It amazed her how quickly she was coming to know how both brothers would react in any given situation.
Jacque heaved a sigh, playing the put-upon male to perfection. She wanted to swat him but refrained. Barely. “If you want to talk, I need to get comfortable.” With that statement, he plucked her out of the chair and sat back down with her in his lap.
“Jacque.” She was appalled at his actions. Last thing she wanted was for the others to think there was more between them than captor and captive.
“Gwen,” he teased, drawling her name. He hooked a lock of hair behind her ear and trailed his fingers down her cheekbone. Gator chuckled and Cole cleared his throat. She could feel Louis’s silent disapproval.
“Let me up.”
“No.” He ignored her struggle, banding one massive arm around her to keep her in place. It wouldn’t do her any good to fight him. They’d already played this game and she knew he was too strong for her to escape from his grasp unless he let her.
She settled back down, squirming slightly until she felt a hard bulge digging into her side. If he was going to keep her on his lap she wasn’t going to make it comfortable for him. He tightened his grip, practically squeezing the breath out of her.
“Comfortable?” he gritted out from between clenched teeth.
“Not really.” She gave him a sugary smile. “But it will have to do.”
Gator threw back his head and laughed, the rich sound filling the room. Even Louis’s mouth twitched and Cole managed a full smile.
“Enough,” Jacque commanded. “What do you want to know?”
The fact that he was willing to talk frightened her. As much as she wanted to know everything that was going on, she was afraid. The more she knew, the less likely her chances of ever going home. A heavy lump formed in the pit of her stomach when she finally understood there truly was no going back. For better or worse, her life’s path had altered. There was no unlearning the knowledge she had.
If she could go back in time would she have turned down the meeting with Hector Canton that had started her down this road? She started to say an unequivocal yes, but paused when she felt thick
Having him hover behind her made her nervous and she smoothed down the tail end of the shirt before fiddling with one of the buttons. When she realized what she was doing she made herself stop.
Was he remembering what they’d done in the bedroom? Did the other men know what they’d done? It horrified her to think so. It wasn’t like her to engage in sexual activities with a man she barely knew and especially not one who’d kidnapped her. Not that she’d ever been kidnapped before or had any basis for comparison. But she knew she wouldn’t have had sex with just anyone, in spite of all appearances. She didn’t want them to think she was cheap or easy.
Gwen reminded herself she had to act self-assured no matter how she felt inside. “So,” she began, not quite sure where to begin. She should have eavesdropped on their conversation before coming out, but she assumed they probably would have heard her. She didn’t know much about werewolves, but she’d gathered that their senses were much more developed than a humans.
“So?” Louis smiled as he pulled his chair closer to her.
“What are you guys doing here? And where exactly is here?” Better to go on the offensive and get all the information she could. In her world, knowledge was power.
“I told you we’re in North Carolina. And we all live here.” Jacque indicated the other men sitting around the table.
“And that tells me absolutely nothing.”
Gator snickered and one corner of Cole’s mouth kicked upward. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was close. Gwen didn’t bother to look at Louis. She knew he was smiling just as she knew Jacque was scowling at her. It amazed her how quickly she was coming to know how both brothers would react in any given situation.
Jacque heaved a sigh, playing the put-upon male to perfection. She wanted to swat him but refrained. Barely. “If you want to talk, I need to get comfortable.” With that statement, he plucked her out of the chair and sat back down with her in his lap.
“Jacque.” She was appalled at his actions. Last thing she wanted was for the others to think there was more between them than captor and captive.
“Gwen,” he teased, drawling her name. He hooked a lock of hair behind her ear and trailed his fingers down her cheekbone. Gator chuckled and Cole cleared his throat. She could feel Louis’s silent disapproval.
“Let me up.”
“No.” He ignored her struggle, banding one massive arm around her to keep her in place. It wouldn’t do her any good to fight him. They’d already played this game and she knew he was too strong for her to escape from his grasp unless he let her.
She settled back down, squirming slightly until she felt a hard bulge digging into her side. If he was going to keep her on his lap she wasn’t going to make it comfortable for him. He tightened his grip, practically squeezing the breath out of her.
“Comfortable?” he gritted out from between clenched teeth.
“Not really.” She gave him a sugary smile. “But it will have to do.”
Gator threw back his head and laughed, the rich sound filling the room. Even Louis’s mouth twitched and Cole managed a full smile.
“Enough,” Jacque commanded. “What do you want to know?”
The fact that he was willing to talk frightened her. As much as she wanted to know everything that was going on, she was afraid. The more she knew, the less likely her chances of ever going home. A heavy lump formed in the pit of her stomach when she finally understood there truly was no going back. For better or worse, her life’s path had altered. There was no unlearning the knowledge she had.
If she could go back in time would she have turned down the meeting with Hector Canton that had started her down this road? She started to say an unequivocal yes, but paused when she felt thick
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