Dreaming of the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #8)(19)

He hadn’t planned on doing anything but waiting for her to change clothes while he called his brother, Darien, to let him know he’d be a little later arriving home than expected. But the hotel room had one large bed and a bathroom, and Jake’s eyes were riveted on that king-sized bed as if it were the most functionally beautiful piece of furniture in the world. Alicia had slipped out of her suit jacket and gun with holster, hanging them over the back of a desk chair, and pushed off her walking shoes. She entered the bathroom to clean up, shutting the door behind her.

The shower turned on, and he was still thinking about that bed and what he and Alicia could do in it together when his cell phone rang. He jerked it off his belt, saw the caller was his brother, and shook his head. Jake should have called him first.

“Yeah, Darien?”

“Lelandi wanted me to check on you since you said you’d be home right after you dropped off the photographs, and you’re an hour late. Since you’re never late, she was worried. If it were me, I wouldn’t have been concerned. But you know how she’s been recently, what with the babies coming so soon. Having any trouble?”

“The art gallery didn’t open on time when I first arrived. But other than that, I’m staying longer to sightsee.” He had no intention of telling his older brother he was smitten with a human woman and intended to stay with her through the night at least, hoping he could convince her to give up her quest and find some other scumbag to take down—one who was a lot less dangerous. And then he’d give her up before he got much more entangled with her. “I’ll be home… tomorrow, sometime.”

“Tomorrow,” Darien said, sounding suspicious.

“Yeah, I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

“Anything wrong?” Darien’s tone was more worried now.

“No.”

“You… don’t… sightsee ever, Jake. What’s up?”

That was the problem with having an older brother who was the pack leader and who knew Jake too well. “Nothing’s up. I needed a bit of a vacation.”

“A vacation.”

Jake supposed that sounded rather weird to his brother since vacations were not part of Jake’s usual routine. “I’ll be home soon. All right, Darien?” This time his voice said he wasn’t saying anything further, so give it a rest.

A significant pause followed, and Jake was fairly sure Darien was considering whether to pry further—and give some of his brotherly advice—or just leave it be. Then Darien said, “Is that a shower running in the background?”

Damn their wolf hearing. Jake looked back at the closed door to the bathroom, hearing the spray from the shower hitting the tub in a rush. He should have walked outside the room to take the call, but he hadn’t been thinking. Not while he’d been staring at that inviting bed.

“Yeah.” Jake didn’t say anything more than that. Only one reason a shower would be running and he wasn’t in it. Someone else was.

Another very long pause followed. Then Darien finally conceded. “All right.” He tried to sound gruff, but Jake could hear the hint of a smile in his brother’s voice. “Call us when you’re on your way.”

“Will do.” Jake turned off his phone and shoved it into his pocket, annoyed with himself for getting caught in the act. Darien was sure to tell his mate, and Lelandi was sure to attempt her matchmaking with Jake again.

But with Alicia being human… that wasn’t happening.

Jake shook his head, irritated with himself again, but then the shower shut off and his gaze flew to the bathroom door as he imagined a soaking-wet Alicia climbing out of the tub and into his arms.

Chapter 5

Darien pulled Lelandi into his arms in the great room of his home, her belly seemingly getting bigger by the second the way the triplets were growing. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back as she looked up at him.

“Jake’s all right, isn’t he?” Lelandi asked as Darien led her from the great room toward the stairs.

She was always worried about Darien, and she worried about his two brothers. He wondered how they had managed to survive before she came into their lives the previous fall. He smiled down at her. “He’s staying through the night and will let us know when he’s on his way home.”

Her lips parted in surprise.

Darien shrugged. “He’s taking some vacation time. Then he’s going to do a little sightseeing.”

Eyes huge, she stared at him. “Jake? Your brother Jake?”

Darien chuckled. “Yeah.” He tugged on a red curl. “Do you want me to give you another back rub?”

“I don’t want you to get tired of giving them to me.”

He snorted and led her up the stairs to their bedroom. “You’re carrying our future in there,” he said, running his hand gently over her expanding belly. “Anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable until the babies come and beyond, I’ll do. You’re the one who’s making all the sacrifices, after all.”

When they reached the room, he shut the door, then helped her out of her stretchy shirt. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he removed her jeans and then her undergarments.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he asked, as he helped her lie down on her side, then tucked the pregnancy pillow under her belly and between her legs to take the pressure off her back.