So why was I helping him now?
It wasn't because of the threat. Not anymore. Truth was, his story intrigued that part of me I'd denied for so long. The hunter hunts - how often had my brother said that? And yet it had taken what amounted to betrayal and repeated attempted kidnappings for me to fully acknowledge the hunter within.
But the wolf was free and there was no stopping her now. And I knew deep down that Blake really hadn't needed the threat to make me follow up on this case. Curiosity would have had me looking, and sooner rather than later.
Curiosity would never make me like him, however, and I was glad he'd come visiting in spiritual form only. I needed to challenge the pack leader as much as I needed a hole in the head, and I had a feeling anger might have led me to do something stupid. The fact that I might have beaten him was irrelevant. I didn't need to get involved with my past any more than I currently was.
Besides, Blake wouldn't have taken a beating lying down. He'd make me pay, as he'd made me pay in the past. And I had a feeling his retribution now would be a whole lot worse than anything he'd done before. After all, I no longer had my grandfather's presence to offer some protection. And Blake was too arrogant to think Rhoan would ever take on the role of protector effectively.
I waited until the others had boarded before approaching the boat myself, Jared gave me a wide smile, his blue gaze sliding appreciatively down my body and sending a pleasant tingle zipping across my skin.
It really was a damn shame he was human.
"Hello, pretty lady," he said, his fingers wrapping around mine, trapping them in heat as he helped me into the boat. "I thought you'd already done this little tour?"
"I have, but I'm bored and needed someone decent to talk to." I met his gaze, a smile teasing my lips. "However, most of the decent men are taken, so you're it."
He laughed, a warm, free sound. "Better to be last choice than no choice, I guess."
"And I'm guessing being last choice isn't much of a problem for you."
His grin was almost wolfish. "Only with a certain reluctant werewolf." He raised my fingers to his lips and kissed them lightly. "But I guess I now have another chance to work on that."
"You can try, but I'm not going to change my mind."
"Half the fun is the chase," he said, then released me and made his way back to the front of the boat.
I have to admit, I enjoyed the view. Human or not, he had good shoulders, a nice ass, and long, strong legs. Legs I could so easily imagine wrapped around my waist as he drove deep inside... I thrust away the thought and blew out a breath.
Time to get back home to Kellen and the clubs, before I was tempted to do something stupid.
Jared untied the mooring rope then backed the boat away from the dock. Once free of the beach, he gunned the engine, and the nose of the boat rose. We surged over the waves, sometimes flying free over the sea before crashing down. I raised my face to the sun and the wind, drawing the freshness into my lungs, and enjoying the sensation of freedom and the thrill of the ride. Dogs, I thought, had it right when they hung their heads out of car windows.
It ended all too soon. I climbed out with the others but didn't follow them as they walked up the jetty toward the research center. Instead, I leaned against one of the pylons, and watched Jared as he finished tying off the boat. With that done, he walked over. I had to admit, the front view was as good as the back. The man could definitely work it.
"So," he said, stopping mere inches away from me, leaving the spicy scent and the heat to flow across my senses, teasing and arousing. "What would you like to do for the next hour or so?"
"How about we dangle our feet in the water and talk?"
"Not what I had in mind."
He raised a hand to my cheek, his caress light but sending a flush of heat right through my body. I stepped away, and resisted the urge to fan myself. Human or not, this man was hot.
"But it's all I'm offering," I said, and walked over to the end of the pier.
"You are no fun."
He sat beside me, his legs close enough to touch mine, I had to give him an A for effort. He knew my reasons for not having sex with him - I'd explained them the very first night he'd tried chatting me up - but he still couldn't help trying it on. Maybe it was all about the chase for him - and the more I refused, the more determined he became.
"That depends on your definition of fun," I glanced at him, "I've seen what we can do to humans. I'd hate to spoil that pretty body with a few ill-placed scars."
"Scars attract many ladies."
"If you're dead they won't."
He grunted, but the determined flash in his blue eyes suggested he was a long way from giving up just yet. "So what do you want to talk about?"
"Adrienne Jenson."