Chapter Seven
The media storm was terrible. Paparazzi seemed to sit on every street corner, and Jackie wouldn't even open the curtains in her apartment for fear that they'd somehow manage to scale the wall and take pictures of her in her underwear to plaster all over the internet and supermarket tabloids.
Work continued more or less normally, although Myles kept giving her bottled water and insisting that she needed to stay hydrated, which was sweet in an annoying sort of way. A distinctive baby bump developed, although Jackie actually lost weight. The doctor said it was nothing to be concerned about, though, so she bought plus-sized maternity wear with glee.
One day, two months in, Jackie had had enough of the flashing lights that blinded her every time she left her apartment building or the office. She marched into Myles's office and put her hands on her hips.
"You have to do something about the paparazzi. They're getting on my last nerve, and if you don't get rid of them then I'm moving to Alaska."
Myles closed the file he had been reading and stood, stretching out his lower back. "They are getting rather annoying, aren't they?"
Jackie glared at him. He sounded more amused than annoyed, which really rubbed her the wrong away. "More like annoying the hell out of me."
"I have been asked to go out to California to attend a conference on worldwide Shifter issues," Myles said, nodding his head. "I wasn't going to go, but I think I'll take up the invitation. Changing location will trip them up for a little while at least. How soon can you pack?"
California? Jackie's eyes lit up. "When do we leave? I'll be ready to go when you are. I'll call your apartment building and have somebody pack for you—"
"Never mind," Myles interrupted, shaking his head. "We'll go directly to the airport. That will give them too much notice. I'll buy anything we need once we're over there."
Jackie balked at that idea. It was difficult enough to find clothing that fit her and looked good when she could have it tailored. A whole new wardrobe worn off the rack wasn't her idea of a good time. It wouldn't fit her right and she would end up looking cheap, not like the professional she was. But even as she opened her mouth to protest, Myles put his hands on her shoulders and spun her around.
"No arguing. We're running away."
***
Within hours she was in Myles's private plane, sipping on freshly pressed orange juice while staring out at a patchwork of clouds and land. It was an amazing sight, and she marveled at the beauty of the world. They were so high that even the mountains they flew overlooked like anthills.
"No paparazzi up here," Myles said, pouring himself a small glass of scotch. "Feel better?"
Jackie nodded. "It's beautiful."
"I agree. There is no better sight than being above the clouds and looking down at the world. Well, almost no better sight." He smiled at her, causing her to immediately go scarlet.
Jackie gulped down a mouthful of juice, careful not to spill on herself. It occurred to her that, over the past five months since they slept together, he hadn't given her that subtle smile, the one where his lip quirked at one end while his brow rose almost suggestively. He also hadn't teased her or made her blush. She had been too caught up in everything that had happened between them to notice these deficiencies before.
"You do that on purpose," she accused, setting her glass down.
Myles adopted an innocent expression. "Do what, exactly?"
"You know very well what. You make me blush and get me all flustered. Why?"
The smile faded from his face. "Will you answer a question of mine first?"
Jackie scowled. "It's a simple enough question. Why should I give into blackmail to get an answer?"
"Please?"
It was the first time she had heard him say please, and Jackie nodded before she could catch herself. Ah, hell. Well, if it was a question she didn't want to answer, she just wouldn't answer it. She folded her hands on her lap and waited for Myles to ask his question. He drained his scotch first. Jackie's brow furrowed. Really, what could be that bad?
"When I asked if we could start filling in the applications to become mates, why did you say no?"
What? Jackie brushed her knees, getting rid of invisible crumbs, as her face grew even hotter. "Why bring that up again after two months?"
"Because I want to know why. I told myself I was going to respect your decision and not demand answers, and if you don't want to tell me then I won't bring it up again, but I want to know. Is it because I'm a werewolf?"
Jackie's jaw dropped.
Myles stared intently at her. "Is it because you don't want to live on packlands? Did you not like my family?"
"No, I love your family. And it's not any of that." Jackie laughed, shaking her head. "This is damn hard to answer. It's not you. Or rather, not anything about you. I mean, you are the most gorgeous man I have ever seen and I still dream about that night and wake up disappointed that it's not real, but it's just… more complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"I don't care you're a werewolf. I could learn how to behave with the pack and stuff. But I don't want to mate or marry or whatever just because I'm pregnant. That's all there is to it."
"Really?" Myles's brow furrowed.
"Really. Since when are you this… I don't know. Self-conscious?"
Myles laughed. "Jackie, I've had relationships in the past. I wasn't a monk between Kathy Morrison and you. And none of them worked out. Some of them were just looking for werewolf sex because they’d heard it was mind blowing. Some of them decided that the whole mating for life thing was too much commitment for them. Some were after my position. It takes a toll on a guy's confidence, even somebody like me."
Jackie could hardly believe that any girl would turn him down, but didn't she do that herself just two months ago? "Well, that's the reason. We haven't known each other long and I don't want to commit to something just because I'm pregnant, especially since I want to make sure that the baby doesn't grow up with angry parents who got together and didn't actually love each other."
"And you're completely right,"Myles smiled. "That is the smart thing to do. I was only thinking of starting the application process right away because it can take up to five years for human-werewolf mating to be approved, and we could cancel the application at any time if it didn't work out."
Jackie hadn't considered that. "Why so long?"
"To make sure the human isn't being coerced. Human governments rarely accept that a human can actually love a werewolf." Myles's expression became bitter for a moment, but he shook his head. "To answer your question, I like seeing you blushing and flustered. You're hot all the time, but when you blush, you're cute. It makes you more beautiful, somehow."
Just when she thought she had herself under control, her face went crimson again. "Oh."
"If we took the application off the table, would you at least agree to date me?" Myles peered intently into her eyes. "I'm not asking this just because you're pregnant. You're hot, and I like you. You make me happy. And yes, in four months we'll have a baby together. But that's not why I'm asking."
Four months. Nerves fluttered through Jackie and she gripped her armrests, breathing deeply and counting to ten. Myles seemed to understand she needed a moment and moved to her side, getting to one knee in front of her. He took both her hands in his and held them quietly until she brought her edge of panic back under control.
She nodded at him to continue.
"I want to know everything about you, Jacqueline Smith. I want to know your favorite food, your favorite color, if you cry during The Notebook. Everything. You're a unique woman. I knew it from the minute I walked into that interview room and saw you sitting there." A brief look of concern flashed across his face. "Am I being too intense?"
"No." Jackie laughed. "Maybe a little. But that's okay. I like it."
Myles grinned back at her. "So? How about it? Are you willing to give dating a werewolf a try?"
"If we start dating, the media will go crazy. I'll end up in the tabloids even more."
"Probably."
"And I'll have to meet your pack in a more official capacity."
Myles nodded.
"And if it doesn't work? Will we be able to stay friendly with one another, for the baby?"
"Yes." Myles sounded perfectly confident.
Jackie took a deep breath. Nerves still fluttered in her stomach, but there was excitement rising in her as well. "Well. If you're willing to give it a try, then so am I."
Myles beamed. He rose himself, pressing his mouth to hers. Sparks exploded between them and Jackie gasped, reaching to pull him closer. He broke the kiss, shaking his head.
"Let's not get too intense too quickly. Dinner first, I think."
Jackie ached for him, her lips tingling with his taste, but she nodded. "Sure. Dinner. Dinner is good. I like dinner."
Myles laughed.