“Yes, well. I should probably let Snickers out now,” she said, a hint of breathlessness in her voice.
Stopping her before she walked away, he said, “Wait. Let me check out the backyard, make sure there aren’t any holes.”
Nodding, she stepped aside to let him pass, and he quickly went outside, making short work of checking the fence line. Relieved to find nothing tampered with, he walked back in, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Piper was in the kitchen, holding something in her fingers as she frowned down at where Snickers was chewing his paws.
“What’s wrong?” he asked with a frown of his own.
Holding up the object in her hand, she said, “He’s chewing on his paws. Really going at them. He only does that when he’s eaten chicken. He’s allergic. I never give him any. I think whoever dug the hole to let him out gave him chicken to encourage him to leave the backyard. That’s the only time it could have happened.”
Squinting, he looked closer at the curved object in her hand. “Is that a claw?”
She nodded grimly. “Yep. He’ll bite and tug at his nails and literally pull them out after he has chicken. I’m gonna skin the motherfucker alive who did this.”
Shuddering at the image, he cast a concerned look at Snickers. “Will he be okay? Do we need to take him to the vet?”
With a sigh, she tossed the dog claw in the garbage. “No. His allergy isn’t life threatening, and he won’t get sick. But tell me that pulling his claw out isn’t painful. Imagine doing it to one of your talons.”
“No, I get it,” he said, repressing the image of his eagle doing it to his talons. It was enough to give a lesser man nightmares. “Okay. Here are your options. You can come home with me, or I can stay here with you. Choose.”
“Ain’t no man fucking telling me what to do ever again, Jax. Fuck. That,” she spat, glaring at him.
“Whoa,” he said quickly, holding up his hands. “Please calm down. I’m not trying to control you here, Piper. Your decisions are your own, and you get to decide what you do. But you have to see that those are the only options available until we catch the son of a bitch who’s doing this. And you have the right to veto both of those, but just be aware, I will sleep on your porch if that’s what it takes to make sure you’re protected.”
Shoulders slumping as the ire left her eyes, she nodded wearily. “I know you didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I’m just tired and frustrated.”
Jax studied her, taking in the strain around her gorgeous violet eyes. “I understand, Piper. So what’s it going to be? Stay here, come home with me, or me sleeping on the porch.”
A smirk appeared on her face. “I should make you sleep on the porch. Paybacks are a bitch, after all.”
Shrugging, he said, “I’m okay with that. As long as I’m here to watch over you.”
He started to turn to leave the room, smiling as she laughed. “No, you’re not sleeping on the porch. But I’m not being run out of my home for a second night, so you can stay here. There are a couple guest rooms to choose from.”
He nodded, relieved. He would have slept on the porch and been grateful to be here in case she needed him, but he really wanted to be in here with her. “I have a change of clothes in my gym bag. I’m gonna go grab it. Do you mind if I get a shower?”
“No, go ahead. I’ll make a room up while you’re showering.”
Nodding, he gave her a smile and went outside to grab his bag. Piper was taking care of Snickers when he came back in, and he headed up the stairs to the hall bathroom to shower. Barely waiting long enough for the water to warm, he jumped in, already anxious to see Piper again.
Not taking the time to enjoy the hot water the way he normally did, he washed and rinsed in a hurry, then turned the water off. Grabbing a towel, he dried off before stepping out to dress in the spare jogging pants and shirt he always kept in his bag. He’d never needed them before, and a couple times he almost took them out. He was grateful he’d kept them now.
Opening the door, he looked around. There was a door open with the light on, and he walked in to find the bed made up and waiting on him. But that wasn’t what he wanted. Dropping his bag on the floor, he walked back out. The door across the hall had a light shining under it, and he could hear noises inside. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and opened it before Piper could call out.
It wasn’t something he would normally do, but he knew she was softening toward him. He also knew she was still hesitating. And if he didn’t take the initiative, she’d continue to hesitate. And he couldn’t allow that. He was scared that if he did, she’d talk herself right out of giving them another chance.
He spotted her right away, standing in front of the vanity, rubbing lotion into her arms. She was in tiny pajama shorts and a tank with the words Nerdy Dirty Inked And Curvy. Her face was bare of makeup, and his breath caught at the sight of her. She was fucking hot when she had her makeup done, matching her inner badass. But she was soft and gorgeous without it, more beautiful than a woman had a right to be.
Mate.
She certainly is, Jax thought, agreeing with his eagle.
“What are you doing in here?” she asked, eyes wide and conflicted. “Your room is down the hall. I thought it would be obvious which one was yours.”
“It was,” he said, voice deepening and becoming gravelly. “But that’s not where I want to be. And I don’t think it’s where you want me, either.”
He moved forward as he spoke, not stopping until he was right in front of her, feeling the heat of her body seeping into his. She stared up into his eyes, her own soft, luminous, and still conflicted.
Reaching up, he trailed his fingers down her cheek. “If you really want me to leave, I will. I’ll turn around, walk out of here, and go back to my room. We can both sleep alone. Just say the word.”