proverbial walls.
“So what type of function is this?” he finally asked. When Jake didn’t respond, Rance amended, “Tomorrow night? Family?”
Jake buttered a muffin and set it before Rance then got one for himself. “Monthly catfish fry. Just a bunch of cousins, aunts, uncles and a few friends. We do this during the full moon.”
Rance couldn’t repress a snort. “You meet according to the almanac timetables? Not vampires, are you?”
“Maybe.” Jake bit into the bread, licking a crumb from his bottom lip then grinning at Rance when he caught him watching.
Asshole . Rance reached for his drink. He had already embarrassed himself more than once. He felt vulnerable, unsure of himself, totally ill at ease. If he had to remain in Jake’s presence with him silently scrutinizing him and without the Native revealing anything, he’d go crazy.
Jake’s hand snaked across the table to capture Rance’s arm as he moved to leave. “Slow down, okay?” He eyed the rucksack next to Rance. “And when are you gonna dump that shit? Is there someplace you have to be?”
“What am I doing here, Jake? I mean now?” Rance swept the restaurant with a glance. “There’s nobody watching, nobody who can hear us, so tell me—why should I stay?”
“Because you want to?” Jake asked.
“Don’t answer me with a question, damn it. What do you want from me?”
“Remember when I said that once this was over, you and I needed to sort out what’s between us?” Jake released Rance’s arm and traveled to his hand grasping the bag. He turned Rance’s hand over and traced his wrist with his thumb.
Rance felt his pulse jump and his throat go dry. It pissed him off that Jake could get his blood thrumming with such a simple gesture. “Yeah?”
Jake took a long drink of the iced tea before him and scooted his chair back. “Let’s go talk.”
Jake stood and reached for the knapsack, slinging it over his shoulder. Rance looked at him, perplexed. Okay. Now what?
“I’ll be on the boat if you need me,” Jake called to Haley on their way out the door.
Rance felt as if he’d taken that short walk from inside the marina restaurant to the top deck of Jake’s boat many times, even though it had only been two or three. Everything just felt natural, right.
Neither of them talked during the next several minutes. Jake went through the ritual of clearing the marina and heading for the south part of Lake Tenkiller as if he’d been boating since he was a babe, and Rance took in the scenery, the smells and sights as if it might be his last time.
Was this what it would be like with Jake, should he stay? Never knowing where he stood, whether Jake would see him as the guy who’d stolen part of his sister from him or if he saw him as simply a lunatic who had shown up like a drowned rat?
Rance scoffed inwardly. He’d be a fine one to talk. Maybe he was a little loony, what with the cellular memory connection to Sarah, but what of Jake and his Native American beliefs? Not to mention the fact that he and his full blood cousins could change species at the blink of an eye?
Rance became so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Jake come up behind him. He wasn’t even aware he was there until he felt his warm breath against his neck.
“Now,” Jake murmured against his ear. “It’s time.”
“Mm-hmm.” Rance settled into the comfort of his arms, feeling Jake’s chest muscles swell against his back as they looked over the lake where he’d navigated. “What did you have in mind?”
Jake’s hands slipped from Rance’s shoulders to his cock and stroked him through his jeans. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Rance turned, facing him, and Jake’s hands continued their slow exploration, drifting to Rance’s hips, cupping his ass and pulling him into his hard heat. “Is this because you think I’ll introduce you and your clan to my sister—who hasn’t spoken to me for months, by the way? So she can be the mother
“So what type of function is this?” he finally asked. When Jake didn’t respond, Rance amended, “Tomorrow night? Family?”
Jake buttered a muffin and set it before Rance then got one for himself. “Monthly catfish fry. Just a bunch of cousins, aunts, uncles and a few friends. We do this during the full moon.”
Rance couldn’t repress a snort. “You meet according to the almanac timetables? Not vampires, are you?”
“Maybe.” Jake bit into the bread, licking a crumb from his bottom lip then grinning at Rance when he caught him watching.
Asshole . Rance reached for his drink. He had already embarrassed himself more than once. He felt vulnerable, unsure of himself, totally ill at ease. If he had to remain in Jake’s presence with him silently scrutinizing him and without the Native revealing anything, he’d go crazy.
Jake’s hand snaked across the table to capture Rance’s arm as he moved to leave. “Slow down, okay?” He eyed the rucksack next to Rance. “And when are you gonna dump that shit? Is there someplace you have to be?”
“What am I doing here, Jake? I mean now?” Rance swept the restaurant with a glance. “There’s nobody watching, nobody who can hear us, so tell me—why should I stay?”
“Because you want to?” Jake asked.
“Don’t answer me with a question, damn it. What do you want from me?”
“Remember when I said that once this was over, you and I needed to sort out what’s between us?” Jake released Rance’s arm and traveled to his hand grasping the bag. He turned Rance’s hand over and traced his wrist with his thumb.
Rance felt his pulse jump and his throat go dry. It pissed him off that Jake could get his blood thrumming with such a simple gesture. “Yeah?”
Jake took a long drink of the iced tea before him and scooted his chair back. “Let’s go talk.”
Jake stood and reached for the knapsack, slinging it over his shoulder. Rance looked at him, perplexed. Okay. Now what?
“I’ll be on the boat if you need me,” Jake called to Haley on their way out the door.
Rance felt as if he’d taken that short walk from inside the marina restaurant to the top deck of Jake’s boat many times, even though it had only been two or three. Everything just felt natural, right.
Neither of them talked during the next several minutes. Jake went through the ritual of clearing the marina and heading for the south part of Lake Tenkiller as if he’d been boating since he was a babe, and Rance took in the scenery, the smells and sights as if it might be his last time.
Was this what it would be like with Jake, should he stay? Never knowing where he stood, whether Jake would see him as the guy who’d stolen part of his sister from him or if he saw him as simply a lunatic who had shown up like a drowned rat?
Rance scoffed inwardly. He’d be a fine one to talk. Maybe he was a little loony, what with the cellular memory connection to Sarah, but what of Jake and his Native American beliefs? Not to mention the fact that he and his full blood cousins could change species at the blink of an eye?
Rance became so lost in thought that he didn’t hear Jake come up behind him. He wasn’t even aware he was there until he felt his warm breath against his neck.
“Now,” Jake murmured against his ear. “It’s time.”
“Mm-hmm.” Rance settled into the comfort of his arms, feeling Jake’s chest muscles swell against his back as they looked over the lake where he’d navigated. “What did you have in mind?”
Jake’s hands slipped from Rance’s shoulders to his cock and stroked him through his jeans. “I think you know the answer to that.”
Rance turned, facing him, and Jake’s hands continued their slow exploration, drifting to Rance’s hips, cupping his ass and pulling him into his hard heat. “Is this because you think I’ll introduce you and your clan to my sister—who hasn’t spoken to me for months, by the way? So she can be the mother
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