Jordan was exhausted as he held his mate in his arms. He might have used precious energy, but Jordan couldn’t find it in himself to regret what they had just done.
All that mattered to him was feeling Bailey’s body next to his, wrapped around him. No sooner than Jordan began to drift off into sleep, he heard a small click. His eyes flew open and he scanned the room, but he didn’t see anyone.
Bailey lifted his head, gazing strangely at Jordan. “What’s—”
Jordan covered Bailey’s mouth with his hand. When he was sure that Bailey got the message, he lowered his hand. “Get dressed,” he mouthed.
Without hesitation, Bailey slipped off of Jordan and began quickly and quietly getting dressed. Jordan hadn’t seen Bailey’s clothes folded neatly on the edge of the coffee table but was thankful that they were there.
Once his mate was dressed, Bailey grabbed Jordan’s underwear and handed them over. With measured movements, Jordan slipped them on. He didn’t have any other clothes nearby. His boxers would have to do.
Bailey looked terrified but he held it together. Jordan was proud of him. He knew his mate couldn’t hear the subtle sounds of someone breaking in. It only endeared Bailey to him, knowing that his mate trusted in Jordan.
Cocking his head to the side, Jordan listened intently. The sound was coming from his bedroom down the hall. They could easily slip out the front door, but Jordan wasn’t sure who was breaking in and how many men there truly were.
He couldn’t risk Bailey’s life.
No matter what, Jordan had to protect the man. He grabbed Bailey’s shoulders and pulled his mate close before pressing a kiss to the man’s lips. His mate stared at him quizzically as Jordan pulled back and then removed his boxers. He shifted.
Bailey’s eyes grew wide but he didn’t run from Jordan. Full understanding dawned in his mate’s sage-green eyes, as if he comprehended the gravity of the situation. Jordan butted his head into Bailey’s legs, pushing his mate toward the closet.
“I am not hiding like a coward,” Bailey mouthed indignantly. Jordan could see the tightness around Bailey’s mouth, the barely suppressed anger in his sage-green eyes. But even deeper than that, Jordan could see the wounded pride.
That still didn’t sway Jordan.
He didn’t have time for this. Jordan rammed his head into Bailey’s thigh, letting the human know that he was not going to argue. The nervous tension in his mate almost choked Jordan.
He was stunned when Bailey slapped at his neck. Was the guy nuts? No one had ever dared strike Jordan, especially in his shifter form. Bailey glared at him, giving him a defiant look.
Jordan wanted to bite the man. He was going to have a long talk with his mate about safety and stubbornness. Bailey wasn’t a twig, but he wasn’t a shifter either. If they were facing someone more lethal, Bailey was fucked.
This would only complicate things, but Jordan relented. He turned and padded down the hallway, his senses wide open. The only thing he could scent was Bailey and the familiar aromas of his house. That meant that whoever was breaking in hadn’t breached the window yet.
Stepping outside his bedroom door, Jordan sniffed the crack between door and floor. A sudden rush of air told him that the intruder had just opened the window. The scent of human filled his lungs.
“I have a gun and I know how to use it!” Bailey shouted.
The scent of human quickly faded. The intruder was now gone. Jordan turned toward Bailey, letting a rumble sound in his chest. He was considering spanking his mate’s ass for pulling a stunt like that.
Bailey shrugged, his hands spread wide. “What? You think I’m going to let you fight when you’re not at full strength.”
Jordan snapped his teeth at Bailey. When was his mate going to learn that Jordan knew how to protect the man?
Bailey glowered at him. “You can get as mad as you want, Jordan. I know that you are damn good at protecting, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe my manhood demands that I protect you until you are fully healed?”
Jordan wanted to argue but he could see the resolution in Bailey’s eyes. A small part of him grinned widely at the way Bailey was trying to protect him. It meant that the man cared. That was more than Jordan had been hoping for.
“I’m calling the cops. Get your ass back on the couch and change into your human form while I handle this.” Bailey was pointing sternly toward the living room, his expression telling Jordan that he wasn’t going to argue.
Knowing the intruder had fled, Jordan padded back toward the living room. Pride filled him from head to toe as he basked in the knowledge that Bailey cared about him. He heard his mate talking on the phone as he crawled up onto the couch and shifted.
He had to admit that he was tired as hell. Fucking Bailey had pretty much drained him. Tossing the blanket back over him, Jordan relaxed. But he still kept his senses alert just in case the burglar came back before the cops arrived.
As he lay there, Jordan couldn’t help but smile to himself. He didn’t care what Bailey said. The human felt their connection and was acting like a mama bear protecting her cub. It was an odd sensation for Jordan, considering how muscular he was. He had no problem defending himself but gloried in the fact that his smaller mate was willing to risk himself to keep Jordan safe.
It was an idiotic notion, but that didn’t stop Jordan from grinning ear to ear. He was going to have Bailey’s heart yet.
Chapter Eight
“You didn’t see anyone?” the cop asked Bailey.
He was a quivering mess on the inside, but Bailey managed to hold himself together. Too much craziness was going on and Bailey hadn’t a clue who was trying to harm Jordan. “No, by the time I opened the bedroom door the intruder was
