Part of her felt silly for even allowing the doubt to take root. Shifters were rare. The odds of Rafe being one were slim. But the whispered warning Seth and Levi’s birth mother had given repeated in Jazz’s head.
“If you ever cross paths with a shifter, run with my boys as far and as fast as you can. They’re special. Others will hurt them because of it.”
Jazz didn’t doubt the threat that existed. She’d seen firsthand what awaited them if the wrong people got hold of them, but Rafe didn’t come across as evil or cruel.
“Our males lie. They pretend to be good, but they’re not. They’re animals, and if given the chance, they’ll hurt those weaker than them just because they can. But they don’t have to be like that. Not if they learn respect. Please, Jazz. If we get separated, you will teach my boys to be kind. I don’t want them to end up like their father.”
Jazz stopped and jerked her chin toward her car. “Why do you think I parked there?”
He glanced from the cluster of vehicles to her. “Your keys. You drive a Ford, and I figured you’d be parked by a light.”
Intuitive or something more? She really didn’t want to be suspicious of Rafe. But if she was wrong and something happened to her boys, she’d never forgive herself.
“Why not think I parked there?” She pointed toward the lot closest to the bar.
“I’m sorry.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just assumed that since you arrived so late you would’ve been forced to park as far away as I did.”
He pivoted and headed toward the other lot.
Embarrassment choked her. “Wait. You were right. I was just curious, I guess. You’re a very observant man.”
He glanced at her, a careful mask hiding his features. “It’s second nature, I suppose. A consequence of my…job.”
“Really? What do you do?”
“Security.”
The job fit him. She could easily see him working as a bodyguard for some important official or maybe a rock star. She grinned at the possibilities and followed him to her car. She unlocked the door, but Rafe planted his hands on either side of her body, preventing her from opening it.
“I don’t want to let you go. Invite me home.”
She wanted to. Her boys were already at Mr. Wilkins’. They’d slept over there before, but they didn’t have their favorite stuffed animals or their toothbrushes.
Jazz shook her head. “I can’t, not tonight.”
“Because of your boys.” He sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have asked, but you make me wild. I can’t get enough of you.”
“Same here, but I can’t. I hadn’t planned for my boys to stay over tonight. That’s not fair to them or Mr. Wilkins.”
“Your neighbor?”
“Yes, Mr. Wilkins loves my kids and wouldn’t mind having them stay, but I can’t expect him to do so without talking to him first.”
“Can I meet them? Your boys.”
She grinned, warmed by his interest in her kids. Maybe he was exactly the man she’d been waiting for. “Not right away. I don’t want them to meet you, maybe get attached and have them be let down when you leave. I won’t do that to them.”
“I understand, but I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. My job requires I stay here for a while.” He ran his fingertips over her shoulder to the edge of her sleeve. “And plans change. I have no one to go home to once my job is done. Maybe I’ll stay permanently.”
“Oh, well…”
He skimmed the back of his hand down the front of her shirt. Her thoughts scattered, not that she knew what she’d planned to say.
“Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow?” His voice sounder deeper, richer.
“Sure.”
Rafe gave her a satisfied smile, the kind a man got when he knew he’d be getting a woman naked. Confident, assured, irresistible.
“Maybe you should plan for that sleepover.”
She let out a shaky breath. “We’ll see.”
He chuckled softly and opened the door for her. She got in and tipped her head for a kiss. He hesitated a moment, then brushed his lips over hers, not a kiss exactly but it stirred the butterflies in her belly.
He eased back. “I’ll call you.”
He closed the door, and she drove away but glanced in the rearview mirror before the bend of the road blocked him from view. Gorgeous, strong, mysterious. She smiled and started making plans for dinner…and maybe more.
Chapter 7
Rafe ran to his SUV as soon as Jasmine’s car disappeared from view. He threw his vehicle in drive and peeled out of the lot. His heart pounded hard. The felines that shared his body paced, their anxiety matching his. He didn’t want Jasmine out of his sight for a minute.
The urge to lock her to his side had grown in the short time he’d spent with her. Part of the reason stemmed from the allure of the woman herself. The rest came from the knowledge that she was the mother of Royals—two young boys who were more valuable than she would ever guess.
There were certain humans and shifters who’d kill to get their hands on them. To exploit them. To experiment on them. To steal the gifts the goddesses bestowed upon them. Immortality. Strength. The blood of the heavens.
Rafe tightened his grip on the steering wheel and breathed through the frustration. Their tie to the heavens had screwed the Royals. Immortality was not all it was cracked up to be. Not only did boredom set in after a couple of centuries but so did loneliness.
It sucked growing close to humans then watching them die. It was the same with the single shifters, but the sting of loss with them wasn’t as profound. They lived longer, a few centuries; some more, some less, depending on
