The Werewolf Dates The Deputy - Kristen Painter Page 0,64
to see beyond his goal of becoming mortal again.”
“Great.”
She settled in against him, enjoying his nearness. “It’s going to be fine. We know how to do this. And remember, the more he strengthens, the more vulnerable he becomes.”
“Explain that to me in simpler terms.”
She grinned. “Once he becomes solid, I can put a sword through him.”
He kissed her temple. “Fortunately, I have no doubt you’re very good at that.”
“I am.”
They sat for a while longer, talking, drinking their beers, and relaxing, but when her second beer bottle was empty, Jenna decided she needed to turn in. She said good night to Titus with a long, slow kiss that almost turned into more.
Finally, wrapped in a towel, she went back inside, changed into sleep clothes, and went to bed. The ice cream could wait. Titus was really all the dessert she’d needed.
The evening had been perfect. Titus had been perfect.
She just hoped that getting romantically involved with him was the right decision, all things considered.
Titus was surprised in the morning to find Jenna in the kitchen and coffee already made when he walked in. “You’ve been up for a while?”
She nodded and sipped her coffee. “Lots on my mind.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
There was a spoon in the sink. “Did you already eat your ice cream?”
“I had a few bites.”
He came over to get coffee but kissed her forehead before grabbing a cup. “Tonight’s going to be all right. Because there is no other option.”
“Exactly. No inspector today, huh?”
“No, but part of moving the visit to next week was me promising to get my reports in to him ahead of time. That’ll keep me busy for most of the day. Sorry. I’m sure you have things you’d rather do, but I’ll be neck-deep in paperwork.”
“That makes two of us. Birdie’s already texted to ask if she can bring me the paperwork that’s been piling up. I said yes. I’ll be buried in daily activity logs and reports all day.” She shrugged. “Might as well.”
“That sounds…” He laughed. “Sorry, that sounds as terrible as my day.”
She chuckled. “It is. But it’s the perfect thing to do when you can’t be out in the field. Besides, it’ll help out the deputies picking up my shifts.”
“All right, then. Let’s get this coffee down and get the day started.”
And so they did, making the trip to Zombie Donuts before heading into the station. Jenna helped him cook breakfast again. Birdie showed up about halfway through with two banker’s boxes of paperwork for Jenna to do. She stayed long enough to have a short stack of pancakes and inquire about how their relationship was going, then she went back to the sheriff’s department after Hank called to see what was keeping her.
The day seemed to drag on, but at the same time, it sped by. Five o’clock rolled around, and Jenna found herself on edge with the anticipation of what was to come.
She was quiet on the way back to Titus’s. They’d picked up cold-cut subs from Mummy’s Diner, but she wasn’t sure she could eat.
“You okay?” Titus asked.
“Yes and no.” She smiled. “I just want to get this whole thing with the wraith over with.”
He nodded. “Me too. There’s nothing I’d like better than for life to go back to normal.”
When they got home, they ate out on the back deck. Both mostly quiet, both lost in their own thoughts.
Jenna ate half her sub, then wrapped up the other half. “I can’t eat any more. Maybe later.”
He did the same. “When this is all over, maybe we’ll go into town and treat ourselves. Some celebratory hot fudge sundaes. Or the ice cream we bought last night. Whatever seems right.”
She smiled. “I’m in. Whichever way we go.”
They cleaned up the kitchen, still without much conversation, then went to change. Jenna decided on black tactical pants, a black T-shirt, and black combat boots. It wasn’t the armor she would have worn in service, but it was close enough.
She came back out to find Titus in the living room, wearing a very similar outfit in desert tan. She smiled. “Great minds, huh?”
“Yeah. Also? This whole SWAT look? Very hot.”
“Thanks.” She grinned despite the anticipation running through her. “You look pretty hot yourself.”
They settled in to read while they waited for Ingvar to arrive, but Jenna found herself staring at the same page in the magazine, unable to concentrate on the words.
Thankfully, Titus’s doorbell rang a few minutes after they’d sat down.
Jenna closed the magazine she wasn’t reading. “Ingvar.”