Page 27 of Dominion
“So why are you here?”
“May I sit?” he asked pointedly, although it was rude of him to highlight her lack of graciousness, considering he was the one crashing down her door when her kids were already in bed.
She blushed as he knew she would, and gestured toward the table. “Would you like something to drink? Some tea, maybe?”
He looked at Ashley.
“No, thank you,” she said, “but you wouldn’t have a shirt I could borrow, would you?”
He cursed inwardly. He should have asked Shayla for clothes for Ashley. What the hell was wrong with him? He should be more thoughtful about his woman’s needs.
“Of course,” Shayla said and disappeared into her room, returning with a small, mauve t-shirt, which looked almost child-size. She handed it to Ashley. “I hope this will fit,” his petite sister-in-law said.
Ashley unfolded it and held it up to her chest. “Thanks,” she said. “Is there a restroom I could use to clean up?”
“I’ll show her,” he said, trying to redeem himself. He led her to the hall bathroom and ushered her in, shutting the door behind him.
She turned to face him. “You don’t trust me?”
He didn’t sense any hurt from her, just a question at face value. “I don’t trust my own judgment where you’re concerned,” he said, stepping forward and unbuttoning the only remaining button on her blouse, the one between her breasts. The blouse fell open and he went dizzy at the sight of her lacy purple bra. It matched the panties he’d seen earlier. Her perky breasts filled it completely, flesh pushing forward out of its confines.
His cock thickened, pressing against his jeans zipper.
To his surprise, her small hands appeared inside his shirt, sliding up his abdomen, shoving up the fabric.
He sucked in his breath at the shock of her skin against his. “What are you doing?” he croaked.
“Didn’t you get shot tonight?” she asked, pulling the shirt higher to examine him.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, blinking to steady himself, He twisted to look in the mirror. The bullets had risen to the surface, ready to come out. He squeezed one of the wounds and it popped out.
Ashley caught it, turning it over in her fingers in awe. He repeated the action with the other.
“Shifters heal fast.”
“So I see,” she said, dropping the bullets on the counter and bringing her palms back to his torso. Everywhere she touched created a fire under his skin, his self-control ebbing with each passing second.
“Don’t,” he said, covering her hands with his own and pulling them away from him. This time, it was his hands that shook.
“Why not?” she asked, her voice husky.
“I’m losing control,” he said, picking up the shirt Shayla had given her and pulling it over her head.
She slid her arms through the holes and pulled the shirt down. It was too small—the fit was skin-tight, showcasing her perky breasts and flat tummy, making her look like a Playboy bunny. He couldn’t stay locked in the bathroom with her a moment longer. He turned and walked out, no longer concerned about what she might do in there. He vaguely heard the sound of running water as he walked away, trying to clear his head.
Shayla had put the teakettle on, despite their refusal of her offer, and was preparing the tea when he returned to the kitchen. He filled Shayla in on the evening’s events, glossing over Ashley’s part in the plot.
“Did you call Stanley?” Shayla asked tightly.
He blew out his breath. “Yeah. Mark Ruhl helped me with the bomb and Stanley and some guys met me at headquarters, but Stanley wasn’t thrilled about me asking for favors.”
Shayla traced a line on the table. “He never wanted to lead the pack,” she said without lifting her eyes.
He heard the blame in her voice.
“He only stepped up to keep the Boulder pack from taking over, and already, their alpha Bruce is poaching all our members who are dissatisfied with weak leadership.”
“You think my leadership would be any less weak?” he snapped, then immediately regretted it. It wasn’t her fault he didn’t have the balls to do what he’d been expected to do. “Never mind, forget I asked.”