Wicked Cravings (The Phoenix Pack Series - By Suzanne Wright Page 0,120

do anything other than roll onto their sides and sleep.

“I’m going to work with you this morning,” Dante declared before shoving a huge piece of bacon into his mouth.

Everyone at the dining table paused what they were doing, and Jaime knew why. He hadn’t said that he was driving her to work, he had said that he was going with her—quite different.

Although Dante had been doing fairly well with his controlling and overprotective nature, now that they were mated, things would be a little complicated. Not only would he be more possessive, jealous, controlling, and protective than ever, but as long as their bond wasn’t fully developed, he would be even worse. “Why?” It was a dare for him to admit that he couldn’t get a hold on his protective streak.

“Because I want to spend time with you, and then I want to take you out for lunch afterward.

Kind of hard to do that if you’ve got your own car with you.” She snorted, as did some of the others at the table. “You mean you don’t want to miss the expression on Shawn’s face when he sees the claiming mark.” He shrugged unapologetically. “And there’s also that little matter of you being paranoid that if you’re not with me twenty-four/seven, something terrible will befall me.”

He cupped her chin. “Something bad already happened to you. I’m not prepared to let it happen again.”

“I doubt Glory will hire another lone wolf to shoot me.”

“Probably not,” he allowed. “But that’s not to say that her brothers aren’t ready to make their next move yet. You know they will make another move soon. You yourself said that you didn’t think they’d get someone else to do their dirty work.”

She couldn’t really argue with that. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. As much as she was someone who took care of her own problems, Jaime wasn’t the type who lived in a delusional world where she could take them on by herself if those problems were as huge as people intending to kill her. Dante was right, and she’d be a suicidal idiot not to accept help.

Besides, it wouldn’t be fair not to meet him in the middle. And he was trying to meet her in the middle. She had felt his panic when she told him she was starting work again this morning. She had expected him to immediately insist that she remain on pack territory, but he hadn’t. He’d held back.

“You’ve helped me with my work, now I want to help you with yours,” he said with an innocent shrug.

Jaime sighed. “Fine.”

A suspicious look crossed his face. “That was too easy.”

“No, this is me being sensible and appreciating how hard it is for you to not hound me about going to work.”

This was why she was so perfect for him, Dante thought. She accepted his little quirks—okay, big quirks—and though she was stubborn, she compromised when she could. She let him take care of her even though she didn’t need him to, even though it often nettled her to be coddled. Dante lifted her from her seat and placed her on his lap to straddle him. “Thank you.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. Although he loved her scent and often found himself wanting to writhe in it, he looked forward to their bond advancing and their scents finally mixing. She shuddered when he grazed her claiming mark with his teeth; he loved looking at it, loved knowing that she was irreversibly his and that everyone else would know it, too.

“Not at the breakfast table, kids,” complained their Alpha female playfully as she strolled in, but Dante simply held Jaime tighter. Trey was behind Taryn, with Kye nestled in the crook of his arm.

Instantly, most of the pack were on their feet, trying to take Kye. Rather reluctantly, Trey handed the baby to Shaya, who then swatted everyone else away.

“Your cat has not moved from my son since the second he scented him,” Taryn told Jaime as she sat. “He sleeps by his crib, like he’s protecting him. When Trey slung him out of the room, he slept outside the door. It’s so cute.”

“It’s not cute at all,” Greta insisted. “You have to be careful with cats. Some of them will sleep on a baby’s face and smother them.”

“What?” demanded Trey.

Taryn rolled her eyes. “His overprotectiveness has now transferred from me to Kye.”

“Why did you give him River as a middle name?” Greta’s face was