Just Bob (Assassins Inc. #1)(17)

And how the not knowing must weigh on him. It made my chest ache just thinking about it. I imagined that it was much worse for Shade. He had to be questioning every contract he had ever completed.

“Do you want to come sit with me?” I asked.

Shade’s eyebrows rose. “I thought I was supposed to clean up the kitchen.”

I shrugged before nodding my head toward Stryker and Stone. “They can do it. Stryker made the mess, after all.”

And considering Stone had tried to kill me, as well, I was lumping the two men together.

I was funny like that.

I grabbed Shade’s hand and tugged as I backed up toward my bedroom. As much as I would never, ever, in my entire life, turn down a chance to have sex with Shade, this wasn’t about that. If I was coming unraveled, I had to bet Shade was, too.

Even if he didn’t show it.

Shade gestured to the kitchen and then followed me into the bedroom. When he shut the door behind him, I stepped into him, leaning my head against his broad chest. I drew in a deep breath, taking comfort in the strong masculine fragrance that filled my senses.

“Do you purr?”

I had no idea why that thought suddenly entered my head or escaped my mouth, but it was the only thing floating around in my head.

Well, not the only thing. Shade really did smell good.

“Panthers do purr, yes.”

I wasn’t sure that was an answer.

I raised my head and glanced up to meet the smoky gray eyes staring down at me. They were just as unreadable as the man himself.

“Do you purr?” I asked. “You personally.”

I could really care less about the rest of the panther population. I wanted to know about my panther. The deep rumbling sound that emanated from Shade’s chest delighted me to no end.

“You can purr.”

“Yes, Bob. I can purr.” If the up curve of the man’s lips were any indication, Shade was amused by my delight. “But I don’t purr for just anyone.”

I lifted a brow. “Just me?”

“Just you, mate.”

I was good with that.

“You never did explain this whole mate thing to me.” I wanted to soak up every bit of information pertaining to Shade that I could. “What’s it mean?”

The corners of Shade’s lips curved up even more. “It means I have been blessed by the gods.”





Chapter Six


Shade



I doubted there was an adequate way to explain to Bob why I felt I had been blessed by the gods. At least not one he would understand. He wasn’t a shifter. There were some things about shifter life that just wouldn’t translate into the human world.

“All shifters search for their true mate, Bob. It doesn’t matter the species. Unfortunately, very few of us are lucky enough to actually find a mate. In fact, it’s practically unheard of.”

Shade had his own beliefs about why that was true.

“A shifter who has found a mate is truly blessed.” I ran my hands over the top of Bob’s head, through his hair, and then down to the nape of his neck. I rested them there for a moment, watching as the tension faded from his body before moving up to cup the man’s face between my hands.

“You do not know what a marvel you are, created just for me by the gods. My perfect mate.”

Shade still couldn’t believe it.

Bob snorted. “I think the gods shortchanged you.”

“No.” Shade was positive they hadn’t. He was still reeling from the fact that he held his mate in his arms. He truly had never thought it possible, especially considering what he did for a living. Just like Stone had said, men like them didn’t get mates.

Except, here Bob was.

One chance meeting and the whole course of Shade’s life had changed. He couldn’t say he was sad about that. Killing people—even if it was done in the name of good—weighed on a person after a while.

Well, most of the time. The ones who didn’t feel guilty, those were the ones Shade tried to steer clear of. They took crazy to a whole different level.

“Why do you think Stone and Stryker stopped trying to kill you the moment they learned of who you are to me?”

“Cause they’re nuts?”

Shade chuckled. “No, it’s because you’re my mate, and a mate is prized above all else.”

“We hear stories as we grow up,” Shade continued when Bob just stared at him, “stories of shifters who have found their mate and lived lives we can only dream of. Some of them had years together, decades, and others just a few hours, but not a single one of them ever said they regretted a single moment spent with their mate.”

“But how do you know?” Bob asked. “You just met me. How do you know I’m your mate? What if you’re wrong and someone else is your mate?”

I guess there were some things about shifters that hadn’t spilled over into the human world yet. “There are a couple of ways that I know you are mine. For one, you smell fantastic, and for a shifter, that says a lot. We have a very strong sense of smell.”

“That’s got to suck.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “It does have its moments.”

“I imagine so. I can’t stand it when people don’t bathe regularly, and I’m not even a shifter.”