Declan - Heart of a Tiger (Royal Taiga Streak #1) - J.R. Loveless Page 0,22

couldn’t deny so he lowered himself into it, tensing when Declan came in close to hit a button on a strange object on top of the desk that had letters on plastic squares. “This is the keyboard, that’s the mouse which you use to navigate through the menus and windows, and the screen is your monitor.”

The “TV” lit up and a picture of Declan with Rose and Ronnie covered with other objects appeared. Sean stared in awe at the images. Declan placed his hand on a rounded plastic item he’d called the mouse and Sean saw a little arrow on the screen move when Declan moved the mouse. Sean couldn’t help the noise he let out. “What is it for?”

“What?”

“The computer. What is it for? Why do you have one?”

Declan crouched down beside Sean. “People use them for many purposes. Business, playing games, storing files. It all depends on what they need it for. I mostly use mine for streak business and communicating with others.”

“You can talk with other shifters through here?” Sean asked, peering at the monitor. “I don’t see a telephone.”

Declan chuckled and brought his free hand to rest on Sean’s knee. “There is a way to connect a microphone to the computer so you can verbally speak to someone through it if necessary, but you can also e-mail someone, which is an electronic letter of sorts. Maybe I can show you how to do that someday soon. Would you like to see one of the video games?”

Sean frowned. “I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”

“That’s okay. Everything takes time to learn.” Declan squeezed Sean’s knee lightly, sending a thrill through him. Sean watched as Declan clicked on several things and a window came up with rectangular objects he recognized as playing cards. Carl McNeely may not have done much, but he had been a gambler so Sean knew what cards were. “This game is called Solitaire. It’s a pretty easy game. You see those four blank squares there at the top?”

Nodding, Sean listened as Declan explained the rules and began shifting cards around on the screen using the mouse. His heart beat fast against his ribcage, his mouth dry as he breathed through parted lips. When Declan finished and won the game, bright colors exploded across the screen and Sean squeaked, his eyes widening further.

“Do you want to try?” Declan asked.

Biting down on his bottom lip, Sean hesitated. He didn’t want to look even more foolish in front of Declan. Declan took the decision out of his hands by carefully picking up Sean’s hand and placing it on the mouse. He guided Sean and the mouse on how to start a new game as well as through the first few simple moves. The weight of Declan’s hand on top of his caused electric tingles to race down Sean’s arm and into his chest, but it was the strange ache left behind when Declan removed his touch which confused Sean. He didn’t understand any of the emotions Declan triggered inside him and most of them he had never known and had no way of identifying what they meant.

“Sean?” Declan rumbled near his ear, disturbing him enough to recognize he’d been sitting there staring at the screen instead of trying to play.

Pushing aside everything else for now, Sean started clicking and dragging the cards on the screen, imitating what he’d seen Declan do, but when one just returned to its spot, he frowned. He tried again and it still wouldn’t stay.

“It’s because they aren’t alternating colors,” Declan explained. “See these here,” he pointed at the others, “they’re all red and then black and then red again. You can’t place two black cards on top of one another.”

Sean nibbled his bottom lip in concentration and even though it took several games he managed to win one. A huge smile broke over his face as the fireworks exploded on the screen. “I did it!”

Declan grinned at him. “You did. Well done, baby.”

“Why do you call me that?” Sean asked abruptly, wrinkling his nose. “I’m not a baby.”

Declan blinked in surprise at his question. “It’s an affectionate term. An endearment.”

“En-endearment?” Sean repeated hesitatingly. He’d never heard the word before.

“It’s a nickname someone gives to another person they care about. It isn’t because I see you as a child, Sean. Far from it,” Declan replied.

“Oh.”

Standing from the crouching position he’d been in for so long, Declan held out his hand to Sean. “Come on. I think it’s time for you to