so without talking to him first.”
“Can I meet them? Your boys.”
She grinned, warmed by his interest in her kids. Maybe he was exactly the man she’d been waiting for. “Not right away. I don’t want them to meet you, maybe get attached and have them be let down when you leave. I won’t do that to them.”
“I understand, but I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. My job requires I stay here for a while.” He ran his fingertips over her shoulder to the edge of her sleeve. “And plans change. I have no one to go home to once my job is done. Maybe I’ll stay permanently.”
“Oh, well…”
He skimmed the back of his hand down the front of her shirt, pebbling her nipples. Her thoughts scattered, not that she knew what she’d planned to say.
“Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow?” His voice sounder deeper, richer.
“Sure.”
Rafe gave her a satisfied smile, the kind a man got when he knew he’d be getting a woman naked. Confident, assured, irresistible.
“Maybe you should plan for that sleepover.”
She let out a shaky breath. “We’ll see.”
He chuckled softly and opened the door for her. She got in and tipped her head for a kiss. He hesitated a moment, then brushed his lips over hers, not a kiss exactly but it stirred the butterflies in her belly.
He eased back. “I’ll call you.”
He closed the door, and she drove away but glanced in the rearview mirror before the bend of the road blocked him from view. Gorgeous, strong, mysterious. She smiled and started making plans for dinner…and maybe more.
Chapter Seven
Rafe ran to his SUV as soon as Jasmine’s car disappeared from view. He threw his vehicle in drive and peeled out of the lot. His heart pounded hard. The felines that shared his body paced, their anxiety matching his. He didn’t want her out of his sight for a minute.
The urge to lock her to his side had grown in the short time he’d spent with her. Part of the reason stemmed from the allure of the woman herself. The rest came from the knowledge that she was the mother of Royals—two young boys who were more valuable than she would ever guess.
There were certain humans and shifters who’d kill to get their hands on them. To exploit them. To experiment on them. To steal the gifts the goddesses bestowed upon them. All because their mother had been a Royal.
Rafe tightened his grip on the steering wheel and breathed through the frustration. Their damn tie to the heavens had screwed the Royals. Immortality was not all it was cracked up to be. Not only did boredom set in after a couple of centuries but so did loneliness.
It sucked growing close to humans then watching them die. It was the same with the single shifters, but the sting of loss with them wasn’t as profound. They lived longer, a few centuries; some more, some less, depending on how strong they were. No matter how long they walked the earth, they still eventually passed on, though. Leaving their Royal friend or lover behind.
Alone.
He shoved back the memories of friends he’d lost before depression gripped him. Allowing them to take root wasn’t wise, especially with the possessiveness humming in his veins for Jasmine.
Humans could be injured. They got sick. Died in tragic accidents. All in the blink of an eye. One minute, they could be alive and healthy. The next? Gone. That was reason enough to justify holding their loved ones close. Or avoiding them at all costs. The latter wasn’t possible for Rafe. Jasmine was too important to let go.
Rafe forced his fingers to unclench. She’ll be fine.
He caught a glimpse of a car ahead of him. The tension drained from his body. He allowed his cats to rise and offer their increased senses. The red taillights turned to dark gray and the world around him brightened as his cats’ night vision became his.
He breathed a sigh. It was her. He remembered the decals she’d had on her windows—stickers to save big cat habitat and to put an end to animal
“Can I meet them? Your boys.”
She grinned, warmed by his interest in her kids. Maybe he was exactly the man she’d been waiting for. “Not right away. I don’t want them to meet you, maybe get attached and have them be let down when you leave. I won’t do that to them.”
“I understand, but I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. My job requires I stay here for a while.” He ran his fingertips over her shoulder to the edge of her sleeve. “And plans change. I have no one to go home to once my job is done. Maybe I’ll stay permanently.”
“Oh, well…”
He skimmed the back of his hand down the front of her shirt, pebbling her nipples. Her thoughts scattered, not that she knew what she’d planned to say.
“Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow?” His voice sounder deeper, richer.
“Sure.”
Rafe gave her a satisfied smile, the kind a man got when he knew he’d be getting a woman naked. Confident, assured, irresistible.
“Maybe you should plan for that sleepover.”
She let out a shaky breath. “We’ll see.”
He chuckled softly and opened the door for her. She got in and tipped her head for a kiss. He hesitated a moment, then brushed his lips over hers, not a kiss exactly but it stirred the butterflies in her belly.
He eased back. “I’ll call you.”
He closed the door, and she drove away but glanced in the rearview mirror before the bend of the road blocked him from view. Gorgeous, strong, mysterious. She smiled and started making plans for dinner…and maybe more.
Chapter Seven
Rafe ran to his SUV as soon as Jasmine’s car disappeared from view. He threw his vehicle in drive and peeled out of the lot. His heart pounded hard. The felines that shared his body paced, their anxiety matching his. He didn’t want her out of his sight for a minute.
The urge to lock her to his side had grown in the short time he’d spent with her. Part of the reason stemmed from the allure of the woman herself. The rest came from the knowledge that she was the mother of Royals—two young boys who were more valuable than she would ever guess.
There were certain humans and shifters who’d kill to get their hands on them. To exploit them. To experiment on them. To steal the gifts the goddesses bestowed upon them. All because their mother had been a Royal.
Rafe tightened his grip on the steering wheel and breathed through the frustration. Their damn tie to the heavens had screwed the Royals. Immortality was not all it was cracked up to be. Not only did boredom set in after a couple of centuries but so did loneliness.
It sucked growing close to humans then watching them die. It was the same with the single shifters, but the sting of loss with them wasn’t as profound. They lived longer, a few centuries; some more, some less, depending on how strong they were. No matter how long they walked the earth, they still eventually passed on, though. Leaving their Royal friend or lover behind.
Alone.
He shoved back the memories of friends he’d lost before depression gripped him. Allowing them to take root wasn’t wise, especially with the possessiveness humming in his veins for Jasmine.
Humans could be injured. They got sick. Died in tragic accidents. All in the blink of an eye. One minute, they could be alive and healthy. The next? Gone. That was reason enough to justify holding their loved ones close. Or avoiding them at all costs. The latter wasn’t possible for Rafe. Jasmine was too important to let go.
Rafe forced his fingers to unclench. She’ll be fine.
He caught a glimpse of a car ahead of him. The tension drained from his body. He allowed his cats to rise and offer their increased senses. The red taillights turned to dark gray and the world around him brightened as his cats’ night vision became his.
He breathed a sigh. It was her. He remembered the decals she’d had on her windows—stickers to save big cat habitat and to put an end to animal
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