Day four, and she was getting antsy. Joseline couldn't help it. She was used to always being on the go. She didn't know how to relax. She had finished the project at Rhett's office in two days. What was there left for her to do? She could start on his house, but that seemed a little presumptuous.

They had only been fooling around. If she looked like she wanted to move in already, it might spook him. Yes, he was a shifter, and maybe he thought she was his mate. But he hadn't said as much to her yet. She cared for him deeply and didn't want to do anything to mess up whatever they had going on. She needed to let him move at his own pace, and his pace was slower than hers. She would have already jumped his bones if she thought he would go for it. She'd wanted to take it slow the first night, but that was because it was night one, not because she didn't want him.

After they'd slept together and had gone on a few dates, she would offer to organize his house. It wasn't even like she could just live there. She wasn't going to move herself right on in. He had to ask her first.

No making the first move anymore. Only after he showed that he was truly invested in her and committed to being with her would she allow herself to imagine a future more than a week away and show how much she truly cared about him.

Some might see it as playing a game, but she saw it as keeping her heart safe. He was holding back on her. After he revealed himself, she would let her guard down.

This was the first time she'd spent the day at his house. She hadn't followed him in to work this time. She was too afraid to walk around the neighborhood herself, but she had made one trip over to see the puppies again.

"The runt still here?" she asked Nora.

Nora smiled. "Sure is. I'm getting ready to phone Rhett and let him know you can take the thing. Or you can take it now if you want."

"I don't think I should. I don't want to bring it home for Rhett until I'm sure he wants it."

"There's no way that shifter is going to tell you no. Shifters are very much pushovers when it comes to their mates."

"Mate?" Joseline laughed nervously. "I'm not his mate. We're just good friends, is all. He's helping keep me safe, if you haven't noticed."

Nora nodded. "I've heard all about your little predicament. Come on, sugar. There's no need for you to stay at his house."

"If those dragons are as dangerous as they seem, yes, there is."

"He could've farmed you out to his other men," Nora pointed out. "Tuck would've kept you safe if need be, and he's a dragon. He could have sent you to Zach's house or to Beau."

"Could've, but they wouldn't have done as good a job."

"They would have done a great job. Beau is his right-hand man. Rhett would trust him with his own life. He'd only entrust his mate to someone else if he was dead. That's the only reason he's keeping you all to himself."

"How much did you say the puppy was?" Joseline asked.

She needed to get out of there. Nora was nice, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. Rhett hadn't said she was his mate. Speculating with girlfriends was never a good idea. None of them were mind readers.

Nora laughed. "I told you it was free. Listen, he might not have said he's your mate, but he's a very serious man with a serious past. He doesn't just say things unless he's sure you're ready to hear them. I haven't seen him with a woman, ever. For sure, I've never seen a woman staying at his house for days on end. He thinks you're special, trust me."

Her chest tightened. There it was. She tried to control herself. Tried to fight the smile that threatened to spread ear to ear. She was letting Nora's words get to her. "You're a shifter too, right?"

"I don't go advertising or anything, but yes." Nora pulled her hat down over her eyes. "Phoenix."

Joseline's mouth dropped open. "No way. That can't be true."

"I'm not going to shift just so you'll believe me," Nora snapped. She took a deep breath. "Much like Rhett, I don't like shifting very much. People get strange when it comes to shifters like me."

"Thank you for telling me," Joseline said. "It really means a lot to me that you would trust me when you barely know me."

"Well, don't feel too special about yourself," Nora chuckled. "Everyone in town knows what I am. I just don't spread it around to humans very much. But seeing as how you're going to be a staple around here soon, I might as well tell you sooner rather than later."

"Please keep us updated on the dog. I really want him."

She walked away feeling much better about the whole thing. It wouldn't be that hard to get out of her lease and come and live here with Rhett. She could be friends with Nora and maybe Lydia. They could go to eat and get served by Sheridan every weekend. This could be her life. She wasn't getting too ahead of herself if she just fantasized about it. It wasn't like she was telling Rhett all of this and making him say things he could regret later.

Now was the time to be bold and take a chance. She would make him something for dinner tonight. She made steaks and baked potatoes. What man wouldn't love that? She tried a new rub she'd seen in a magazine.

"It smells like you've been cooking," Rhett said when he walked in the door.

"It was really easy finding everything," she said. "I hope you like meat and potatoes. I know it's a little basic, but I really wanted to try this rub."

He kissed her on the cheek. "Everything smells great. I'm going to change out of these clothes, and I'll be back down to eat."

"Sounds great."

She had set the table with the nicest plates she could find. He didn't seem to mind. They talked amicably over dinner, and he told her about his day. He was making strides on Murry's case.

"I don't think this is an isolated incident," he said. "It may be random, though. I find it hard to believe Murry would be the target of anything nefarious. He's a very low-key man. I also don't think this will be a widespread thing. Which is very good for you."

"Wouldn't that make it an isolated incident, then?" she asked. He wasn't making much sense.

"This is the fourth time it's happened in our area," he told her. "I think someone's trying to make this happen. What they want to gain out of this, I don't know. But I do know it's not good for any of the shifters involved."

"Well, that's not going to make things better for me, is it?" she sighed. "The dragons are never going to give up on me now."

"I have a feeling they're going to care a lot less about you once I tell them what I think," he assured her. "There's no way you could affect our issues now."

"I'm not going to tell anyone, but they're never going to believe that," she said. "What is more talking going to convince them of?"

"It's not me talking to them. More like me showing them what's going on. Showing them we have bigger fish to fry."

She chewed her food thoughtfully. "What if this is them? What if someone from their side is doing it?"

He shook his head. "I doubt it. The other two instances happened here. This is the first time it's happened with one of their people, and even then, it was in my territory. I have a feeling it's someone in my area."

"What if they're just sending them to your area? What they're just testing it out here in your area?"

Rhett put his fork down. "Shit. You might be on to something. I didn't think about that. We're a poor area, and it would be easier to test something on shifters here. We do have a drug problem, after all."

"Does Murry do drugs?"

"I highly doubt it. I'm going to have to talk with my guy Tuck about this. He's the only one that I can get to right now. Thanks for inspiring me."

Joseline leaned back in her seat, satisfied. She was helping. She was doing good things in his life. Maybe she could help him figure it out and end it. That would be very exciting.

After dinner, Rhett settled in on the couch with an old book.

"Do you mind if I watch TV?" she asked.

He looked up from his book. "Nope. Watch whatever you like."

She flipped on her favorite fantasy program, Red River. He had every TV subscription possible, so she could watch all the episodes she had missed. For a man who hated TV, he paid a lot of money to keep his subscriptions up. Not that she was complaining.

As she watched, she got lost in the show. She kept talking at the characters, a habit she had picked up from watching alone for so long.

"Are you talking to me?" Rhett looked up, annoyed.

"Sorry. Talking to the TV again," she said sheepishly.

He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go read in my room."

She stopped the TV. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make you feel unwelcome in your own home. You can stay here, and I'll go upstairs."

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I like reading in bed."

Joseline still felt bad. He wanted to read, and she wanted to make noise. She wondered how annoyed with this he would get in the long run.

She finished her show and went upstairs to find him. He was sitting in his bed with reading glasses on.

She had only meant to say good night and go to her own bed, but seeing him with the glasses ignited something in her. He looked so sexy. It made him look smarter and more distinguished.

She sauntered over to his bed and lay down next to him. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked at him, batting her eyelashes. "You want make out before we go to bed?"

Rhett closed the book and threw it across the room. They might have different ways of unwinding after a long day, but she'd found one thing they had in common.

"Lights on or off?" he asked.

She gripped his neck and pulled him in close. "On."