Jezebel's Lion (14 page)

Brandon really liked Jezebel’s mother. She was the
first to ask about Jezebel.

“I like knowing I’m special.
That
I’m everything to someone.
He makes me feel like no one is more
beautiful, sexy, and cared for. No one has ever been interested in me before,
but he makes me feel like everyone thinks I’m gorgeous. I never thought I’d
have that.”

“Oh honey, why would you think that?”

“Look at the people around us. I see people with
perfect genetic makeup every day. I go to school with them. We live close to
them. Not all of them are nice like the Prides. I’m not athletic like my
brothers. I’m not popular, and before a couple of months ago I didn’t really
have any female friends. I was okay with that before him, but he’s shown me I
want more. I deserve more.”

Brandon felt his heart burst at his mate’s
confession. Her mother had tears running down her cheeks as she got up and came
to them and leaned down to hug his mate. “Honey, you do deserve that. You
deserve everything. If you are happy and I can be promised of your safety I
give my blessing.”

“Thank you. I said I would spend Christmas at home.
He is going to spend the days up until Christmas and until I’m ready to move
wooing me.
Movies, dinners, and just getting to know each
other.”

Jezebel’s mother looked at him and nodded. Her
father and brothers were quiet. Brandon glanced to them to see guilty looks on
her brothers’ faces as what he’d told them about the girls they’d brought and
how Jezebel finally felt sank in. Her father just looked between his daughter,
wife, and him and looked stricken.
 

Brandon knew the next couple of days were going to
be hell waiting for Jezebel to agree to move in with him. Brandon would do it
though. Jezebel deserved to feel wooed and special.

Chapter
Ten

Jess looked in the mirror. The purple bruises had
faded and were now a light yellow. Thanks to her new healing abilities, from being
mated to a shifter, she was healing ten times faster than she usually would.
Today she was spending the day with Brandon, and he was taking her bowling and
ice skating. She was looking forward to both. She liked bowling, but had never
really been ice skating. He’d given her the day yesterday to relax, think
everything over, and recover. He’d come over with Chinese for dinner for
everyone and then sat and watched a movie.

Her family had been quiet. They’d left her to think
things over. Jess had heard her parents arguing once all the Prides had
answered all their questions, eaten dinner, and left the other night. Last
night they had all been cautious of Brandon, and as Jess went to bed she heard
her parents arguing again. Jess was exhausted, and she was unsure she’d done
the right thing in telling her parents everything.

Yesterday’s recovery day had been just what she
needed. Jess had talked to Zeck. He was tired, scared and sounded very unsure
of everything. Travis wasn’t doing as well as Zeck. Jess was really worried
about Travis. Tomorrow was Christmas, and he’d been excited to spend it with
his nephew and her. When Brandon dropped her home Jess was going over to check
on him.
 

A knock on her bedroom door had her smiling. “Come
in.”

Brandon came in, and her smiled died as she saw him.
Under his eyes were black like he’d not slept; his blond hair was tousled and
lifeless, and his skin didn’t look its usual olive color. Jess felt terrible. Had
she been so self-absorbed she hadn’t seen how everything was affecting him? The
rest she’d had yesterday had worked wonders. She’d noticed last night he was
quiet but put it off to him getting used to everything she’d asked.

Going to him Jess pushed him down onto her bed and
brushed strands of hair out of his eyes. Brandon leaned into her touch and took
deep breaths in. “How are you feeling today, sweetheart?”

Jess sat next to him, and Brandon lifted her and set
her on his lap wrapping his arms around her. How was she feeling? She was
feeling a million times better, and she was happy he thought she was worth
everything he’d gone through and was giving her everything. Jess was doing
great, but he didn’t look so good. “I’m doing great thanks to you. How about we
go to bowling today and can do ice skating another day. I think we could go to
your house and watch a movie. You look exhausted.”

Brandon nuzzled her neck. “I’m feeling better now
I’m with you, but I like what you suggested better.” He sighed and placed her back
next to him, then got up. “Let’s go. I have a lane booked for in half an hour.
By the time we get there and get our shoes on it’ll be time.”

Jess stood and took his hand.
“Sounds
good.
Let’s go. I think whoever wins gets to choose the movie we watch
later.”

Brandon grinned. “That’s a bit unfair for you.
You’re only human, and I’m a superior shifter.”

“Superior to humans, hey?”

“Well yeah, because shifters are
better at sports and almost everything.”

Jess couldn’t believe what she was hearing Brandon
say. She yelled to her parents telling them she was leaving and would be back
late tonight. She then opened the door and walked down to Brandon’s car.
Brandon opened her car door, and she got in. He got in the driver’s side and
started the car. “Okay, if you think you’re going to win and it’s unfair, how
about we make it a bit more even?”

“How do you suppose we do that?”

“I can touch and say anything I want to you while
you bowl as long as I don’t touch the bowling ball or your arm that throws it?”

Brandon glanced at her and raised her eyebrow. “I’m
good with that. I still say it is unfair.”

Jess smiled and winked at him. “Don’t worry. I’m
not.”
 
Jess loved bowling. She, Zeck, and
Travis used to play almost every weekend. When they’d been younger they’d even
been in a bowling league. Jess debated if she should tell Brandon, but his
comment about her being just human and him being a better a powerful shifter
had her annoyed. Brandon needed to know shifters had a weakness and that she
could do things just as well as he could.

Once they had their shoes on and were told their
lane Jess went and carefully choose her ball and went back to Brandon. He
looked better than he had at her house half an hour ago. His gaze followed her
with lust clear in it. Jess felt empowered. No man had ever looked at her the
way Brandon did with her.

Jess sat next to him at the computer as he typed her
name, then his. “I’ll let you go first.”

Jess nodded and stood. She got her bowling ball and
walked to the aisle. Lining her body where she wanted it she aimed and rolled
the bowl smiling when all but two pins fell. Jess was a little rusty, but it
shouldn’t take her long to warm up. Her ball came back up, and she reached it
and walked back to her spot. Aiming her ball she rolled it watching it hit the
remaining two. Turning she grinned at Brandon.
“Your turn.”

Brandon got up and reached for his ball. Jess didn’t
do or say anything. She wanted to watch him before she used the deal they’d
made. He glanced back at her as he reached the aisle. She smiled and waved at
him. Brandon turned back to the aisle and with way too much force threw his
ball down. Jess winced as the ball hit the ground and rolled to the side.
Brandon frowned and went to wait for his ball to come back up. This time he
didn’t throw the ball as hard, but it still went to the side. He stormed back
to the seat and sat next to her.

“Have you been bowling before?”

Brandon shrugged.
“When I was a
kid.
I haven’t been in a long time.”

“What did you do when you were a teenager?”

“Helped hunt.
I
started at about thirteen, fourteen. When I wasn’t doing that I was doing some
sport like football, lacrosse, and baseball. I also had to go to school, so I
didn’t have much spare time.”

Jess felt her heart twist for the teenage Brandon.
So much for being a kid
.
Jess knew it would have been hard with everything he had going on. She’d seen
Sasha’s schedule, and she only did one sport, her dancing. Jess felt a little
guilty she didn’t have any kind of sport or special thing she dedicated time
to. She had drama, but she only did that at school, and she didn’t bowl
anymore. “On your next turn I’ll teach you.” She got up, and this time when she
rolled her ball she got a strike.

“I think I put my foot in it when I said shifters
were better.”

Jess winked at him. “I kept back that I used to play
in a bowling team. I’m good if I do say so myself.” She pulled him up. “Come on,
I’ll teach you how to play. I’m sure you, being a superior shifter, will pick
it up quickly.”

Brandon’s arms circled her waist, and he groaned
against her. “I shouldn’t have said that. Shifters can sometimes get cocky.”

Jess moved out of his hold and pushed him before
her. “I don’t know about all shifters, but
you
can get cocky. Come
on,
let me teach you how to bowl.”

By the fourth bowl Brandon didn’t need her help any
more. She let him have a couple of strikes before she decided she’d use her
winner’s card. Jess was going to have some fun. With only two more turns each
she was pulling all the stops out to win. Jess took her turn and waited for
him.

Brandon grinned at her. “
You going
to play hard ball now?”

“I’ll make it fair. I’ll let you talk to me while
I’m bowling, too.” Jess had had great practice with Zeck and Travis over the
years yelling things and trying to distract her.

“Sounds fair.”
Brandon picked up his ball and lined it up with his eyes.

Jess knew she would have to distract Brandon
differently from how she’d done with her friends. As he was about to roll the
ball she whispered, “I have no underwear on.” The ball went wide straight into
the gutter.

Brandon stalked to her his eyes flashing gold. “That
was cruel.”

Jess shrugged. “Get the ball.” He glared at her and
got the ball. This time she started talking as he lined up. “I was naughty this
morning.” She leaned in close. “I’ve been missing our nights together.” He
lined the ball up, and as he rolled she said, “I thought of you all morning as
played with myself.” Jess giggled as the ball went into the other lane. She
gulped, and a golden gaze turned on her.
“Argh, my turn.”
Jess gave him a wide berth as she got her ball.

Jess took deep breaths in and stepped up to the
aisle. She felt her body tingle as his body came up close to her. Slowly Jess
had the ball ready only to jump as his smooth silky voice whispered, “I’m going
to eat you.” The ball flew down the aisle and hit two pins. Turning, Jess found
Brandon inches from her, his eyes a deep gold.

Jess licked her suddenly dry lips. “One more
pin
and I’m the winner.”

Brandon raised an eyebrow. “Get the ball. I like
this game a lot more now.”

At the predatory look Jess wondered if she should
have just let him win and played fair. Getting the ball she lined herself up
waited a moment for Brandon. She was surprised to find him handing his bowling
shoes back. Shrugging, she figured she’d won. Turning back to the aisle she
rolled the ball down and got a strike.

Jess turned grinning only to take a step back at the
look on Brandon’s face.
 
Brandon held her
bag and prowled towards her like an animal stalking his prey. She had nowhere
to back up to. Still, he wasn’t supposed to come on with normal shoes. For a
moment Jess thought she was safe, but he didn’t care for rules. Brandon grabbed
her by the waist and carried her away setting her on a chair and undoing her
shoes. “Change your shoes. We are leaving.”
 
His voice was basically a growl.

Jess shivered in anticipation. It had been a while
since they’d had sex. Jess was healed mostly from Saturday’s boogieman fight.
Taking the shoes off she swapped her shoes as she stood his hands came to rest
on her waist and he passed her bag.

****

The drive home he’d done in record time. His little
minx had filled his car with her desire and lust so much so he was choking on
it. Brandon was crazed as he pulled into his garage. He turned his car off and
prowled around to his mate’s side. The garage door came down. Jezebel squealed
as he picked her up and ripped her clothes off, eager to get to his prize. He
made it to the kitchen where he growled at the sight that greeted him. Jezebel
wore no underwear, and her bra was the skimpiest lace that held nothing up.

“Oh sweetheart, if I’d known you had this on we
never would have made it bowling.”

Brandon set her on the dining room table. It was
just the right height for the things he had in mind. Jezebel grinned up at him.

“Now where would the fun be in that? I have been
anticipating this.” He groaned as she brought his hand down to her pussy. “Feel
how much.” Brandon slid a single digit into her wet pussy. He closed his eyes,
and if he was a dog he swore he would be panting right now.