“No, Jack. I want you to help me to get the hell out of here for a while.”
“You skiving off, Jules? I knew I liked you. Shirking responsibilities and pissing off those blokes of yours? Honey, I’ve got you covered.”
I giggled as he jerked me out of the room and down the hall, looking around in a cartoonish manner—as if the guys would come stomping after us—but I felt a kind of lightness as we ran outside our wing, down the huge staircase, and outside the building. He did too, if the grin on his face was anything to go by.
“What have we got here?” he said to himself as he looked through the garage under the house proper. “Finny boy’s truck! That’ll do nicely.” I hovered as he opened the door and then hopped in.
“Umm... should we be doing this?”
“You gonna piss people off, you may as well go the whole hog, I say.” There was something to that bright smile, a challenge perhaps? Would I step up and into the car, putting everything inside the alpha residence symbolised right now or not? A yip had me turning around when I saw Buddy come flying out of the house. As always, he made the decision for me, throwing himself into the open door and taking up a spot in the middle of the bench seat.
“Cockblocked by a dog,” Jack said with a grin, starting the car once I got in. “I was gonna slide my hand up your thigh and—”
“I’ll take you and Hawk into one of the rooms and fuck you until you’ve got no more cum to give, if you keep your hands to yourself until we get home,” I said. “I’m rationalising walking away from my mates when they really need me by saying I’m doing it to get to know you better.”
“Yeah?” His voice sounded so different, I looked over Buddy’s head to check it was still him. He was pleased, the grin showed that, but as he eased the car out onto the driveway, was that...? I peered closer.
“Are you blushing?”
“Fuck off!”
“You are!” I yelped as the sun streamed in the car window, showing the reddened state of his cheeks.
“It’s a manly flush from thinking about all the hot monkey sex we’re gonna have. I need a smoke.”
My hand went out to grab the packet on the dash in the same moment his did, our fingers brushing. He darted me a quick look before drawing both of our hands behind Buddy’s back. We drove out of the alpha residence, holding hands like teenagers.
26
“You’re taking me to the mess hall?” I said as we rolled to a stop.
“And let those vultures get at you? No fucking way. I admit, it's not especially original, but I was gonna grab us some food and then take you somewhere... special.” He looked down at the driver’s wheel for a moment. “What do you like? I’ve just realised I have no idea.”
“Can’t eat seafood or eggs,” I said. “Otherwise...” He looked lost, really, really lost. Like if he fucked this up, something awful was going to happen. “Look, why don’t we both go in?”
“I know that doesn’t fit with the date bullshit thing, but that’d be really fucking good. I’m just as likely to give you food poisoning if I do this on my own.”
“That’s fine,” I said with a laugh, jumping out of the car, Buddy at my heels. “I don’t really need the whole manly ‘order for his woman’ thing.”
“Thank the Great Wolf for that.” But despite all his protestations, he came to my side pretty quickly, putting his arm around me and bowing his head for a quick kiss.
“Jack, what are you doing down here?”
Both our heads jerked up to see Mick and some of the blokes from the fencing team standing by the doorway to the mess hall.
“Mick.” Jack’s voice had instantly flattened, and I felt him begin to pull away. I shoved my hand into the back pocket of his jeans, stopping him from going any further.
“And the beautiful Julie. There’s been talk of you taking petitions.”
“She’s not taking any more petitioners,” he replied, moving forward to put more of his body between me and the other men.
“Pretty sure the lady can speak for herself,” Mick said, his lips curling slightly.
“And what’re you doing with a woman, anyway?” one of the other guys said with a sneer. “No use to you.”
“And not just any woman. She’s Shaun’s.”
I felt his body tense at the same point mine did. You’re very similar, my Tirian said. Hackles up at the first sign of a fight.