Enticing though he was, there would be no more pining over Dante. No more wondering if his short, walnut-brown hair was as soft as she imagined. No more wondering if those big hands of his were as talented as she suspected. And no more wondering if he was as big in the downstairs department as he was everywhere else. But how could she not wonder about that? Come on, she was only human. Well, kind of.
Since the crush wasn’t only physical, it wasn’t going to be possible to make her craving for him simply disappear by force of will. Unfortunately. As Shaya had pointed out, though, Jaime could ensure that she hid it from him. She could fake indifference and lead him to believe she was over the craving, salvaging some self-respect. She could paste a smile on her face and appear to be the happiest she had ever been.
That was exactly what Jaime intended to do. She couldn’t allow herself to be reduced to a blubbering idiot by some guy. That was all he was—just a guy. And guys, as all women knew, must not be granted power over women and be able to rob them of their self-respect. That would create a total imbalance in the universe and could not be allowed.
So, determined to keep up her act, Jaime took some toast from the table and continued to pay no attention to he-who-must-not-be-thought-about. She had much more important things to worry about anyway. Like the reason self-control was essential to her.
Given that, maybe it was a good thing that Dante wasn’t interested in her. Although he was so easygoing that he could have been mistaken for nonchalant, he was, in fact, constantly alert and observant, absorbing every detail like a sponge. If he even slightly suspected that she was hiding something, he would harass her until he had answers.
“Sleep well?” Gabe, who was sitting opposite her, shoveled some watermelon in his mouth.
It sounded like such an innocent, casual question, but it went deeper than the others could imagine. “Fine, thanks.” Her smile seemed to satisfy her brother, as he returned his attention to his breakfast.
Shaya nudged her. “Are you doing anything this afternoon?”
“Nope, why?”
“Grace, Lydia, and I are planning to go shopping. We’ve decided to throw Taryn a surprise baby shower on Friday, so we need to get some stuff. Wanna come?”
“Sure.” Jaime liked their Alpha female. She had a wit that almost anyone would love, and Jaime admired her strength. The female had actually overcome her latency so that her wolf was no longer trapped within her—which had been unheard of until now.
In fact, Jaime liked every member of the pack…except for Trey’s maladjusted grandmother, Greta, who was especially hostile to the unmated females. In her crazy little mind, if a female was unmated, she was intent on ensnaring one of “her boys”—those being Trey and the enforcers. And no female was good enough for Greta’s boys, hence why she was so hateful toward Taryn. With any luck, Jaime would be done with her breakfast before the old woman appeared.
As a ginger cat abruptly sprang onto her lap, Jaime smiled. He rubbed his head against her chest, hinting for a stroke. As usual, she happily obliged.
“I’ve never heard a cat purr that loud. Hey there, Hunk,” Shaya cooed, giving his head a gentle scratch.
“What possessed you to call that ugly freaking thing Hunk?” Dominic grimaced. “I mean, he’s pudgy and shaggy and full of scars.”
“Hey!” Jaime dug her elbow into Dominic’s ribs. “He’s my chunky Hunk. Aren’t you, baby?
Ivy, one of the girls I work with at the dog sanctuary, found him about three years ago when he was practically on death’s door. Even though he was a cat, she brought him to the sanctuary to heal.
Fortunately, he healed quickly and could be rehomed. He decided, however, that he was coming home with me. Maybe it was because I took care of him while he was in that place, I don’t know.” Dominic’s smile was as flirtatious as always. “I’d have gone home with you, too. Would you have kept me?”
She rolled her eyes and turned back to Shaya while feeding Hunk slices of meat and tuna. “So where and when do you want to meet up?”
“I was thinking two p.m. at the mall. That good for you?”
“Great. I’ve never been to a baby shower before.”
“Me neither,” said Shaya, sounding excited, “but Lydia’s great with decorations, so she’ll know what to buy. Grace wants to stock up on cakes and other goodies. I’m in charge of picking the gifts and organizing the games, but I’ll need help, so that’s where you come in.” She leaned in closer and said quietly, “I totally approve of the new look, by the way. You should always flaunt what you have.”
“I’m not flaunting. I’m just making the point that because I don’t dress slutty and leave nothing to the imagination doesn’t mean I have a beer belly or something.”
“You should have seen his face when you walked in. I was half expecting him to drool.”
“It’s just the br**sts. My girls get everyone’s attention.”
“What’s with all the whispering?” Dominic asked Jaime.
“Can’t tell you or I’d have to kill you.”
He gave her a mock scowl, then peered down and frowned. “Are those space pants you’re wearing?”
“Huh?”
“Because your ass is out of this world.”
Shaya and Gabe groaned, but Jaime laughed. She liked the blond pervert who constantly dished out cheesy lines and was too good looking for his own good. Considering he could bag a woman with just his smile, she had no idea why he even bothered with his lines. It was almost as if he wanted to repel them. She might have thought that he was g*y if she hadn’t heard from many females how talented he was in the bedroom.
“Want to see what I’ve got?” he asked.
“That depends, does it itch and is it contagious?”
He scowled again. “I’ll have you know that I’m not the slut you think I am.” Ignoring her snort, he tugged up his T-shirt, revealing an amazing set of abs and a gorgeous tattoo of a red Chinese dragon with its mouth open wide, just above his heart. The rest of the dragon’s body disappeared under the sleeve, and she guessed it was curled around the upper part of his bicep.
“That looks amazing.”
“It’s not done yet. I have to go for another sitting soon.”
“I love it. And it was a great excuse to get a look at that chest and those pecs.” His caramel-tanned skin was totally lickable.