He could almost feel her frustration now. He knew exactly why she was trying so desperately to get out of that party. She had obviously brought one of her toys with her and intended to use it.
That wasn't going to happen. He smiled at her, one of those slow, easy smiles that he knew her response to. It came instantly. Suspicion darkened her green eyes as they narrowed and her lips thinned in irritation.
Jonas leaned forward slowly. "Do you really think I'm going to allow you the chance to achieve release without me? Consider me your personal shadow."
Her lips parted as pearly teeth tightened in a charming little grimace.
"That's not fair, Jonas. You can find release without making a sound," she pouted.
"Can I?" He leaned back, wondering why Merinus hadn't apprised Rachel of this particular drawback of mating heat. "It does a male in heat no good to attempt to masturbate, sweetheart. It only makes the need worse."
She blinked back at him. "You're lying."
"Call Merinus and ask her about it." He snorted. "She hasn't been able to keep her mouth shut about anything else."
She crossed her legs, drawing his gaze to her slender thighs silhouetted beneath the short skirt she wore. "Merinus really didn't say much. She simply didn't answer specific questions."
She was lying through her teeth.
Jonas shook his head slowly. "Don't try that lie with any other Breed," he advised her. "As sweet as your lies smell, they're still lies."
And that cute little smile peeked through once again. It was impish, filled with warmth, and it threatened to drown him in his own fucking need. Damn, he needed her.
"We're here." The driver's voice came through the intercom between the two sections.
"Pull into the main entrance," Jonas ordered as he pressed the button to activate the speaker beside him. "Mordecai and Rule should be waiting for us."
"I see them at the entrance now," he was told.
The limo drew to a stop in front of the two-story brick town house. The building had been donated to the Breeds by an eccentric older couple who had lost their son when he was killed by Council soldiers in the Breed rescues.
"I assume you've had a room reserved for me at the nearest hotel?" she asked sweetly, though the chill underlying her tone was readily apparent.
"I guess I didn't," he assured her as Mordecai opened the door and stepped to the side. "Let's go, Rachel. We have little time before the party tonight. Your things are in the guest room waiting for you."
"As is the hairdresser the Prima ordered," Mordecai informed them as he glanced inside. "She called me herself to verify the arrival."
"I don't like this," Rachel muttered as she cast Jonas a highly suspicious look.
"What am I going to do with all the damned Enforcers assigned here?" Jonas asked her as he helped her from the limo. "The place is like Fort Knox when I'm here."
That wasn't necessarily the truth, but it sounded damned good, Jonas thought as he tugged at her hand and pulled her up the stone steps to the wide double doors that Lawe guarded diligently.
"Somehow, I'm not reassured," she told him as they stepped into the house.
"Somehow, I didn't think you would be." He chuckled as his hand settled at the small of her back while he guided her to the curved staircase. "Come along, sweetheart. I'll show you to your room, then we'll see about making it through that boring-assed party you thought I should attend."
"The party is hosted by Drey Hampton, a personal friend of Horace Engalls and one of the Breeds' more secretive contacts," she reminded him. "This was the only way he could get information to us that we were hoping he'd learn concerning Brandenmore's plans once he was out of custody on bail."
"Refresh my memory," Jonas drawled mockingly. "Didn't we warn the judge he would run?"
"Just as you were warned that the judge was going to set bail despite the arguments presented by the prosecutor," Rachel reminded him.
"He argued really hard too, didn't he?" Jonas growled as he opened the door to her bedroom.
The prosecutor had more or less sat back and allowed Brandenmore's attorneys to run the courtroom. It was sickening how many times Brandenmore had easily bought favor since his arrest. The judge was ready to throw the case out before Jonas had sent the paperwork in for his extradition and re-arrest based on Brandenmore's threats against Rachel and Amber.
"I warned you that you needed to check more diligently into his background," Rachel pointed out as she stepped into the bedroom.