Joining the Jaguar: BBW Paranormal Jaguar Shifter Romance Read Online Free Page B
Author: Zoe Chant
bit her the way a shifter would bite his mate. He'd laid claim to her, when he had no idea if she wanted him that way at all.
Sarah twisted around to look at him. Their eyes caught. Jake was still reeling, horrified with himself. You couldn't claim someone as your mate without asking ; he'd been so overcome by how much he wanted her, by how perfect she was, he'd completely forgotten himself. For a long moment, neither of them seemed to know what to say.
He hadn't been thinking at all when he'd bit her like that, and now he could only desperately hope she'd welcome the gesture. Would she even know what it had meant? She was human, after all; she might not be familiar with this particular shifter custom.
He wanted her more than he could ever have imagined wanting a woman. Her beauty, her courage, the way she'd helped out in their moment of crisis without a second thought: of course he wanted her, and his jaguar was in full agreement. What a mate she'd make.
He wanted, more than anything, to keep her by his side, to court her, to win her over the way she'd already won him. Shifters mated for life. His jaguar knew he'd found the one.
But that didn't mean she felt the same way about him.
He touched the tip of his finger to the livid mark on her neck. It wasn't a bonding mark, couldn't be, not without her consent, and yet it called to him, irresistibly. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I should go," she said.
Jake flinched. The words felt like a bucket of cold water. He turned his face away, not wanting her to see whatever might be showing on his face. Inside him, the jaguar was howling in despair. But that was his problem to deal with She hadn't asked to become his mate, and it wasn't her fault that her rejection tore him up inside.
He swallowed, cleared his throat. Made himself be civil and friendly. "Take a shower first, if you like," he offered. "I can get you some clean clothes."
She blushed fiercely. He figured she was only now becoming aware of the state of her clothing. Her skirt and blouse lay in a crumpled, sweat-stained heap on the floor.
"Thank you," she said with labored dignity, as she disappeared in his bathroom.
He took a minute to compose himself, listening to the shower starting up. He'd have to keep working with her, and it wouldn't be fair to impose his unwanted feelings on her; his broken heart was his problem to deal with. He'd take her lead in how to act. He could be distant and polite if that's what she wanted.
He took a deep breath and went to find her a clean set of yoga pants and a t-shirt from the pack's stores. He put them just outside the door to the bathroom and then left the office before he could be tempted to steal one last glance at her naked body.
When he came back, Sarah was already dressed. The t-shirt was a little small on her. Jake yanked his eyes away from the way it clung to her curves. She looked calm and collected, although a faint hint of a flush lingered on her skin.
"Vince will drive you back home," he offered.
"Thank you," she said. Her voice sounded a little rusty.
"I look forward to working with you," Jake said. The words came out stilted, too formal; Jake winced internally. But he wouldn't bother her with what he really wanted to say. If this was only a one-night stand to her, he had no call to fall to his knees and beg her to stay.
The door closed behind her. Jake sank into his desk chair and buried his face in his hands. How could he have been so stupid?
***
Sarah followed Vincent back to the car in a daze. Oh God, what had she been thinking? She'd never had casual sex with a stranger before in her life, and she could barely imagine what had come over her now. She'd still been half crazy with adrenaline from everything that'd happened today – the unexpected visitor at her office, meeting Jake for the first time, the boy getting shot… She'd treated gunshot victims before, of course, but she'd never been there when it
Sarah twisted around to look at him. Their eyes caught. Jake was still reeling, horrified with himself. You couldn't claim someone as your mate without asking ; he'd been so overcome by how much he wanted her, by how perfect she was, he'd completely forgotten himself. For a long moment, neither of them seemed to know what to say.
He hadn't been thinking at all when he'd bit her like that, and now he could only desperately hope she'd welcome the gesture. Would she even know what it had meant? She was human, after all; she might not be familiar with this particular shifter custom.
He wanted her more than he could ever have imagined wanting a woman. Her beauty, her courage, the way she'd helped out in their moment of crisis without a second thought: of course he wanted her, and his jaguar was in full agreement. What a mate she'd make.
He wanted, more than anything, to keep her by his side, to court her, to win her over the way she'd already won him. Shifters mated for life. His jaguar knew he'd found the one.
But that didn't mean she felt the same way about him.
He touched the tip of his finger to the livid mark on her neck. It wasn't a bonding mark, couldn't be, not without her consent, and yet it called to him, irresistibly. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
She wouldn't meet his eyes. "I should go," she said.
Jake flinched. The words felt like a bucket of cold water. He turned his face away, not wanting her to see whatever might be showing on his face. Inside him, the jaguar was howling in despair. But that was his problem to deal with She hadn't asked to become his mate, and it wasn't her fault that her rejection tore him up inside.
He swallowed, cleared his throat. Made himself be civil and friendly. "Take a shower first, if you like," he offered. "I can get you some clean clothes."
She blushed fiercely. He figured she was only now becoming aware of the state of her clothing. Her skirt and blouse lay in a crumpled, sweat-stained heap on the floor.
"Thank you," she said with labored dignity, as she disappeared in his bathroom.
He took a minute to compose himself, listening to the shower starting up. He'd have to keep working with her, and it wouldn't be fair to impose his unwanted feelings on her; his broken heart was his problem to deal with. He'd take her lead in how to act. He could be distant and polite if that's what she wanted.
He took a deep breath and went to find her a clean set of yoga pants and a t-shirt from the pack's stores. He put them just outside the door to the bathroom and then left the office before he could be tempted to steal one last glance at her naked body.
When he came back, Sarah was already dressed. The t-shirt was a little small on her. Jake yanked his eyes away from the way it clung to her curves. She looked calm and collected, although a faint hint of a flush lingered on her skin.
"Vince will drive you back home," he offered.
"Thank you," she said. Her voice sounded a little rusty.
"I look forward to working with you," Jake said. The words came out stilted, too formal; Jake winced internally. But he wouldn't bother her with what he really wanted to say. If this was only a one-night stand to her, he had no call to fall to his knees and beg her to stay.
The door closed behind her. Jake sank into his desk chair and buried his face in his hands. How could he have been so stupid?
***
Sarah followed Vincent back to the car in a daze. Oh God, what had she been thinking? She'd never had casual sex with a stranger before in her life, and she could barely imagine what had come over her now. She'd still been half crazy with adrenaline from everything that'd happened today – the unexpected visitor at her office, meeting Jake for the first time, the boy getting shot… She'd treated gunshot victims before, of course, but she'd never been there when it
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