CHAPTER TWELVE
They found Leigh sitting at the breakfast bar. She greeted them with a ridiculous cheesy grin.
“My bambinos! How goes the crazy mad boom boom?”
Adam gave her another flick on the ear. “If you have to ask then these things must be broken.”
The scent of embarrassment emanated from Simone’s skin, and Adam put his arm around her. “Sorry, beautiful. Of course you’re not used to this side of wolf life yet.”
“And you are?”
He shrugged as he thought about it. “I suppose I’d forgotten it, but it’s coming back to me. Sex is not something we feel the need to repress. We all feel the urges, just as we all feel cold, or thirst.” He pressed himself to her beautiful back and breathed the next word straight into her ear. “Hunger…”
Her moan filled his world for a moment. He would never get tired of how her sweet voice spiked him in the heart. Or the way the silken skin of her neck felt against his lips. She was a symphony for the senses.
Leigh coughed lightly. “Uh, you two want me to clear a space on the bench for you?”
With a chuckle, Adam replied. “Hmm. Extremely tempting.”
The truth was, he was constantly hard whenever Simone was near him. Within minutes of making love to her, he was ready to go again, every time. But he’d promised her a picnic, goddammit.
“Actually, Lofty,” he said, looking at his cousin for the first time. “I wonder if we could borrow your car, please?”
“That would be a big hell no. That car is my baby.”
“Ha!” Simone leaned forward. “You hate that car. All the way up here, whenever you weren’t singing the praises of this lump of meat behind me, you did nothing but complain about it.”
“That’s only because it’s a piece of shit. Doesn’t mean I can’t love it.” She smirked and nodded toward Adam. “After all, you love that piece of shit.”
Adam reached over to the sink and ran some water over his hand.
“What are you doing?”
“Just treating that burn.”
“Please, Leigh?” There was actual pleading in Simone’s voice.
“What do you guys need a car for? Your genitals are right here in the house.”
Adam rested back against the counter and sighed. “My mother is trying to have a meeting with me. She claims she’s holding out an olive branch, but you know how she is. I’d just as soon not attend.”
“Oh, god. Of course. Take it, and get the hell out.” Leigh pulled the keys from her purse and tossed them straight to Adam.
“Thanks, Lofty. I owe you one.” He kissed her cheek and she pointed at Simone.
“Hey, I brought this exotic treat up here for you. You owe me a whole lot more than that.”
“Sorry, I’m cardio-thoracic. I can’t do anything about your face.”
Leigh slid off her stool and walked to the sink. “You got any more of that burn juice?”
Adam ruffled his cousin’s hair, then quickly assembled a ragtag collection of food into a basket.
“Catch you later.”
“Wait. Where you heading?”
“I’m a big boy. I know my way around.”
Leigh put her hand on his arm for a moment. “I know. But with those fires over the way, you just never know. And there are always stories about rogues.”
Adam shrugged. “We’re aiming for Everson’s Glade. I have my phone.”
“Okay. Don’t eat anyone I wouldn’t eat.”
Adam raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’ve gone lesbian then you know I can’t make that promise.”
The car started on the fourth attempt, and Adam coaxed it out onto the road.
Simone remained silent until they reached the edge of town, then let out a small chuckle.
“What’s so funny, little one?”
“Just…all of this. You shifters are a pretty crazy bunch.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just the way you all—”
“No, I mean, why do you say you shifters?”
“Uh, because you’re all shifters. Duh.”
“As are you.”
Simone took a moment to reply, then gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “You nearly had me there. Asshole.”
“Simone, I’m serious. That’s what last night was about. That’s why I gave you my mark.”
The spot in question tingled as if mentioning it had brought it alive. “You mean, I’m… Are you saying I’m like you, now?”
“Exactly.”
It seemed to take a moment to register inside her mind. But where Adam had expected exultation, her reaction was anything but.