“No, not really.”
“What does that mean?” I press, feeling my frustration rise as I try to pull my hand away. But Jabari keeps hold of my wrist.
He scratches his head with his free hand, and that’s when I realize—he knows something and he’s not telling me. Now I’m really getting pissed off.
“You are frustrated with me,” he says. “What did I do?”
“Something is going on and you’re not telling me,” I accuse.
“It’s because I can’t,” he admits. “But I want to tell you.”
I sigh heavily. “Well, I’m feeling useless here. I want to work.”
“Okay,” he says simply.
I stare at him like he’s grown two heads. That was too easy. Way too easy. I narrow my eyes suspiciously.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to wait the last time you told me you wanted to work,” he continues. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”
He reaches out and gently strokes my cheek. “I made a deal with you in the beginning. I asked if I could find a way for you to keep your dreams, would you give me a chance. And you said yes.”
His words make me sigh. He’s right, and he’s been trying in his own way.
“I’m working on it,” he tells me. “Just a few more months is all I need.”
“I wish you would tell me what’s going on,” I say. “If you’re in trouble, maybe I can help.”
He smiles tenderly. “I love that you always want to look out for me. But let me do this one thing for you. I promise you, just a few more months.”
“Fine,” I relent. “I’ll leave it alone for a few more months, but I want a job, Jabari.”
He nods in agreement. “Okay.”
Then he winces slightly. “Does it have to be the spa? I’m not allowed in there.”
I laugh at his discomfort. “I’ll make sure I’m off before you get home. You’ll be so busy doing whatever you’re doing outside of the clan that you won’t tell me about,” I say with narrowed eyes, “that you won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“I will still find a way to hover,” he promises, a grin spreading across his face.
“Oh, I know you will,” I laugh. “You and your brother are the masters of hovering. And Tristian too.”
He picks me up and lies back, placing me on his lap so that I’m straddling him. The move is so fluid, so effortless, it still catches me off guard.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how you can just pick me up like a rag doll,” I tell him, shaking my head in wonder. “But then again, I’ve watched you rip a tree right out by the roots, so I need to stop tripping.”
He places his hands on my hips, his thumbs making small circles against my skin. “Something is still bothering you.”
I reach out and brush my fingers over his neck, tracing the strong column of muscle there. “Your bear is a lot more vocal about wanting a cub than you are.”
“I want cubs,” he says firmly. “I want lots of cubs. But I understand the way of the bear shifter. We cannot make a lot of babies. And I don’t want to put that level of pressure on your body.”
“I want a cub with you,” I tell him honestly.
He smiles, his green eyes lighting up. “Hopefully two.”
I blush at the thought, but there’s another worry nagging at me. “I haven’t claimed you.”
“We’ve talked about this,” he reminds me gently. “You will feel the urge. Just give it time.”
