Kai didn’t want to leave Josie alone, but he didn’t sense anyone else in the area, so he felt it safe to investigate quickly. He entered the house and headed straight to the front door. As soon as he was down the front steps, Kai took off running through the trees. With his shifter speed, he reached the edge of the property quickly, but by the time he got there, whoever had been there was gone. Kai inhaled, and he caught the subtle scent of a male. Sixx had security cameras all around the property, but Kai had never felt the need to use them. Until now.
He took a look around, but finding no one, Kai raced back to the house. When he reached the tree line, he stopped running. Josie was standing on the front porch, her eyes wide. Well, hell.
“I had to pee, and when I came out of the bathroom, I couldn’t find you, and I looked around inside, but then I came outside, and… Damn, you run fast. Like super-fast, and you’re still barefoot. How do you do that? And why are you running at Mach speed barefoot through the woods? Is that a Samoan thing? No, that can’t be right. That was too fast. How did you do that?”
Kai had hoped to put this discussion off for a while. He approached the porch but didn’t climb the steps. He shoved his hands in his back pockets. “Do you like to read?”
“I… yes. I read every night before going to sleep.”
“Do you read any paranormal romances?”
“I do. Wait. Are you a cover model or something? Because I can totally see you on a cover, bare-chested looking all alpha. Hmm, you’d be the perfect black panther shifter. All sleek and dangerous looking. You’re fast, but you also have the grace of a cat. Damn. Now I want to read a shifter book.”
Kai looked down at his feet. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing.
“You’re trying not to laugh. I can tell, but you’re the one who brought up the topic. So, you shouldn’t laugh when I expound.”
Kai gave his mate his eyes. “Please don’t ever change. I love when you expound. I love when you ramble on and then get flustered. You are adorable, and more than that, you’re perfect, Josie Pierson.” Kai began unbuttoning his shirt, and Josie’s mouth fell open.
“What are you doing? Not that I don’t want to see you with your shirt off. Oh, my. But why are you…?” Josie slowly walked down the steps toward Kai. She was reaching out before she got close enough to touch. Kai took a step back, because if she touched his bare chest, he would lose it, and not in the controlled way he wanted.
“I need to show you something.”
“Shouldn’t we do this inside? I mean, I’m all for sex in nature, if you’re into that sort of thing. Kink shaming is wrong. What someone likes to do with their partner is nobody’s business as long as it’s consensual. You asked me what I like to read. Lately, I’ve been reading some BDSM. Most of it sounds painful. Like who’d want their ass beat with a riding crop? That shit has to hurt. But spankings? Now that seems just the right amount of naughty. And being tied up? Have you ever been tied up? No, don’t answer that. I’d hunt the woman down and beat her with a crop.”
“Sunshine?”
“What? Oh, shit. Forget I said that. Any of it. All of it. I’m just going to…” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder at the house.
“Josie, stop.” Kai’s voice didn’t sound like his own. He pushed against his dick, and her eyes widened. “Fuck, Sunshine. There’s something I need to tell you, but it’s easier if I show you. I need you to keep an open mind. And sit down. Can you do that for me?”
Josie nodded and sat on the top step, smoothing her dress around her. “Damn, that’d make a pretty picture. Hold still.” Kai pulled his phone out of his back pocket and snapped a photo of his mate. “I think I’ll take a picture of you on all our dates. Start a photo album.”
“Then you need to be in the picture too. But, uhm, can you maybe put your shirt back on? Because my mom will want to see these, and I can’t have her trying to make moves on you. Presley is bad enough.”
Kai slid his shirt back on but didn’t bother buttoning it. He pulled the two halves together and sat down next to Josie. He slid his free hand over her shoulder, caressing her skin. Holding the phone out, he framed them both. After he snapped the picture, Kai held it out so they could both look at it. He was smiling, but Josie was looking at him with something akin to awe. Kai hoped she still felt that way in a minute.
“Okay, Love. I need to show you something. Please know I would rather die than let anything ever harm you.”
Kai stood, dropped his shirt to the ground, and phased. His wings spread out behind him. Josie gasped then slumped over, unconscious.
That’s one way to keep her from running.
Chapter Six
Drago clipped the end of a cigar and lit it. He took a puff, held it in, then blew the smoke in Hagen’s direction. The young man didn’t notice. His attention was focused on his computer, where it had been for the last two months. The kid barely ate or slept, working diligently trying to fix everything that had gone wrong. Drago didn’t blame Hagen; he blamed Arden. It was the Gargoyle who lost Matthew Hartley, and it was him who got caught.
“That’s enough, Hagen.” The young man didn’t look up. His fingers continued flying over
