Chapter Thirteen
What are you doing? Jenny screamed at herself as she unlocked the door to her hotel room. Frustrated with herself, she threw the door open, hard before slamming it closed behind her.
Clearly Ross had been trying to show her how he felt, and she’d taken the sensible option of telling him that now wasn’t the right time. Of course, it definitely wasn’t the right time, but that didn’t mean that she should have thought with her head instead of her heart.
Throwing herself onto the bed, Jenny groaned, punching the duvet with her fist. When Ross's wolf had come over to sit by her, she'd accepted him at once. Her wolf obviously wanted him near, and there was a depth to their connection that told her there was something more than just friendship—or even a quick attraction—between them.
Jenny had heard of finding a mate before, someone your wolf wouldn’t give up no matter what, but she’d never taken it seriously. She’d always thought that kind of thing was almost a fairy tale. Now, however, she was forced to do some serious thinking.
Her wolf wanted Ross. She wanted Ross. The intensity of her desire was almost overwhelming, to the point that she felt like walking into the bathroom and hammering on his door until he opened it.
Sighing, Jenny pushed herself up to sitting, that irritating itch between her shoulder blades starting to annoy her again. “A bath,” she mumbled, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “And try to get him out of your head.”
Knowing she probably wasn’t going to be able to do that, Jenny got up and opened the door to the bathroom, seeing it empty. Turning on the taps to fill it, she poured in some of the complimentary bubble bath and left the taps to run. Walking back to her room, she flicked the television onto some kind of music channel, hoping she could still hear it from the bath. The last thing she wanted was to sit there in silence with her head full of thoughts about Ross. Music would help.
Quickly undressing, Jenny pulled on the soft complimentary robe and walked into the bathroom.
Knocking lightly on Ross’s door, she cleared her throat, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’m just going for a bath.”
“OK.” His voice became louder as he came close to the door. “I’m going to call downstairs for a few things. Feeling pretty hungry after all that running.”
Jenny grinned as her stomach gurgled right on cue.
“Do you want something?”
Feeling bold, she opened the door, tugging her robe closed with one hand. She saw the surprise on his face, which he quickly wiped away.
“That would be great,” she replied quickly. “Perhaps just something light? And, uh, a glass of wine.”
Chuckling, Ross nodded. “Going to make the most of being here, huh?”
She shrugged, a little self-conscious. “Why not?”
“Red or white?”
“Red.”
“Coming right up,” he smiled, walking away. “Oh.” Stopping, he looked back at her, his face going slightly red as he rubbed one hand over the back of his neck. “Will I just leave it at the door?”
Swallowing, Jenny studied him. “Just bring them in,” she said lightly. “Depending on how long it takes, I’ll probably still be in my robe. The bath’s not done filling yet.”
He nodded, turning away from her without a single word.
Closing the door, Jenny leaned against it, her breath whooshing out of her body. What are you going to do now?
Breathing hard, Jenny slipped out of her robe, turned off the taps, and tested the water. It needed a little bit more cold, which she ran for a few minutes, feeling more and more on edge. This was going completely against everything she’d said to him, about how it wasn’t the best time and how they needed to remain focused, but the moment she’d said it, she’d regretted it. She wanted Ross. He wanted her. There was something big growing between them and she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to explore what that was.
“I know what I said,” she murmured to herself as she climbed into the bath. “But I made a mistake.” That was what she would say to Ross when he came in. OK, so she might come across as a bit of an idiot for changing her mind so quickly, but hopefully, he'd look past that.
Then again, there was always a chance he’d turn around and walk back out again.
Wondering if it was too late to get out of the water and pull her robe back on, Jenny attempted to push herself up again, so that she could climb out of the tub, only for her foot to slip and her entire body to go under the water. Hot water filled her nostrils until she managed to push herself up again, coughing and spluttering.
Unfortunately, Ross chose that exact moment to walk in.
“Are you OK?”
Wiping bubbles from her eyes as water streamed down her face, she tried to answer but only managed to cough some more. Great, now she’d made a complete idiot of herself.
“Jenny!” Ross exclaimed, handing her a cloth to wipe her face and slapping her a couple of times on the back. “Are you sure you’re OK?”
“I’m fine,” she managed to say, clearing her face with the cloth. “Just slipped.”
Blinking back the water from her face, she saw Ross studying her with a worried expression on his face.
“I’m fine, Ross. Seriously.”
“OK.” Stepping back, Ross went out into the bedroom and came back with a tray of something and an entire bottle of red wine, accompanied with a glass. Averting his eyes, he put it down on the shelf next to the sink. “I’ll just leave this here.”
"Thanks." Her face burned, and she brought her knees up to her chest and put her head in her hands. She'd made such a fool of herself. Hearing the door click closed, she let out a slight groan, muttering under her breath.
“Are you talking to me?”
Letting out a small shriek, Jenny dropped her hands only to see Ross leaning casually against the door, his face still turned away. “Do you want me to stay?” Confusion filled his voice. “I just thought—I mean, I know what you said, but then you were in the bath when I came in and I just thought…” He let out a slight groan, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. “You are more than welcome to throw me out of here if I’m wrong about this.”
Jenny’s heart slammed into her chest. “You’re not wrong,” she said softly. “I did mean what I said, but the moment I got back into my room I completely regretted saying it. I know it’s not the best time, but I—”
“Good,” he grinned, interrupting her. “You don’t know how hard it’s been to stand over here and not look at you.”
Jenny blushed as his eyes raked over the bubbles, as though he was trying to guess what she looked like underneath. He walked toward her, slowly pulling his shirt over his head. Her breath caught in her chest as she took in his strong, lean body. He had a couple of tattoos, one on his right shoulder, and the other on the side of his chest. Her fingers itched to touch them, to run her hands over them.
“Should I join you?” he asked softly, sending waves of desire coursing through her. The corner bath was pretty big, plenty of space for two and for…whatever it was they were going to do.
Jenny didn’t know what to say, her mouth suddenly dry. In a moment, he was as naked as she was, apparently completely unashamed. She guessed that shifters were pretty used to being naked whenever they changed back from their animal form, but this was different. The way he was grinning at her told her he could see the reaction she was having to his actions.
"I—I guess so," she managed to say, her voice rasping. With a rush, she realized they'd never even kissed before, but already she was envisioning them together in the water.
She didn’t know where to look or what to say, desperately hoping he’d take the least and shatter the sudden awkwardness she felt. Thankfully, he must have sensed her nerves because he grinned, bent down and immediately planted his lips on hers, taking her breath away.
“Does that help?” he whispered, breaking the contact for just a moment as he climbed in beside her.
Jenny scooted back against the side of the tub, as he moved beside her. If she was honest, she liked that he was taking control. Her breath came quickly, as he reached for her again, one arm slipping around her waist and pulling her against him. She was effectively straddling him while desire and heat coiled in her core, tightening her entire body. His lips brushed hers again, teasing her. Holding them both steady, he kept one arm wrapped around her waist, but reached his other hand to her cheek, pulling back her wet hair from her face. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her word swallowed by his kiss. His mouth was hot and urgent, his tongue pressing into her mouth with a fierceness that forced her to cling to him, giving in to her desire for him and pressing her naked form against his. There was something right about this, something that told her she needed him, in a way she’d never experienced before. She couldn’t explain it, but, in this moment, everything felt right.
Tearing his lips away from hers, Jenny saw that Ross’s eyes had grown darker, as a low growl escaped from his throat, his chest rattling under her hands.
Ross couldn’t focus on anything other than Jenny, having a fierce need to possess her, to make her his. “I can smell that you want me,” he murmured, his hands beginning to explore her body. Her desire filled his lungs, making his whole body ache as his wolf growled quietly, urging him to take her.
Forcing himself to go slowly and to savor every moment with Jenny, Ross let Jenny explore his body. Her hands were moving down his chest until they dipped into the water, her eyes keeping contact with his. At the same time, he let his hands cup her breasts, hearing her swift intake of breath at his touch. He couldn't stop letting his fingers knead her soft mounds as he silently urged her on. There was a cautiousness about her that had him tensing with expectation, his need for her more than evident.
The moment her fingers brushed him, he couldn’t help the soft groan that came from deep in his throat. Jenny looked up into his face immediately. He closed his eyes and groaned when she reached for him again, finally becoming a little bolder with each stroke.
“Jenny,” he moaned, eventually having to pull her away from him. “Wait, stop. I can’t. Not yet.” His desire for her was too strong, too quick. He wanted to press into her but refused to allow himself that pleasure until he had touched every inch of her body.
“Come here,” he whispered, dragging her against him. His mouth met hers again but this time with a tender gentleness. His hands moved over her slowly, over her shoulders and down her back, as though he wanted to explore every last bit of her. One hand dipped lower, as she arched against him, her own eyes closing with pleasure.
Suddenly, he stilled.
“What’s that?”
Jenny looked at him, her hooded eyes betraying her desire. “What’s what?”
He frowned, a knot of worry settling in his stomach. “That lump under your skin?”
“What lump?”
Turning Jenny around, the water sloshing wildly, Ross traced his fingers over her shoulder, finding the small protrusion in between her shoulder blades. “That,” he said, running his fingers over it again. “What is that? It looks like it’s only just healed.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jenny replied, sounding more confused than ever. “I’ve had a bit of an itch there for ages, but I figured it was just a rash or something.”
Ross swallowed hard, his desire evaporating. “We have to get it out,” he said, his training as a private detective setting off alarm bells in his head. “It has to come out, Jenny, whatever it is. It has to come out now.”