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He didn’t need a partner to define him. He didn’t need to be under Jesse while the wolf shifter made all of Sam’s fantasies come to life.
This way of thinking is not helping, moron. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Sam wished he could call Gloria, but he knew she was fast asleep. He didn’t want to wake her just to set her into a panic. He would talk to her come morning.
Jesse brought two mugs to the living room and handed one to Sam. “I’ll go get that blanket.”
The mug felt hot against his fingers, and Sam realized that not all of him had warmed up. His hands were cold. Maybe he did need that blanket.
“Here you go.” Jesse returned and shook the blanket out before placing it over Sam. “You should feel a bit better in a minute.”
“Thanks.” He stared down into his tea.
“Have any of your attempted abductors said anything to you, anything that you might have forgotten at the time?” Jesse took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
Sam thought long and hard about each time. “The first guy just came out of nowhere. He didn’t say anything. He just grabbed me and tried to force me to a shadowed corner of the garage. Security saw him and got the demon off me, and I ran.”
He glanced at Jesse, noting how casual the guy was sitting there. He gazed at his lean body and handsome face before turning his head and looking back down at his tea. “The second time, there was a lot of whispered urgency. I think the driver said something, but I was panicked and wasn’t paying attention. All I wanted to do was get away. If Gloria hadn’t come out of the shop…”
Sam rubbed his fingers over his forehead. He was waiting for Jesse to ask what kind of powers he possessed and why he hadn’t used them to get away each time. No preternatural worth their salt admitted to any weaknesses. That made them vulnerable to their enemies or anyone else wanting to take advantage of them. No one outside Sam’s family knew he was born powerless.
A hand landed on his arm. Sam’s gaze shot up. He was surprised to see that Jesse had moved closer. “It’s okay. I’m not pressuring you into remembering.”
“Why? Most people would.”
Jesse’s jaw clenched. “Because forcing someone to recall something usually doesn’t work. It represses whatever they’re trying to retrieve, burying it deeper. What about the third attempt?”
God, three times now. Sam feared the fourth might be the charm. “Just heavy breathing when he got me out of bed. I fought him like crazy, tried yelling for you, but his hand was firmly over my mouth.”
“But I heard it. That’s what drew me to your bedroom. Those muffled attempts at screaming.” Jesse set his mug on the coffee table. “I’m sorry he scared you.”
Terrified him was more like it. Sam shrugged. His nerves were shot, but he didn’t want to show it, or at least tried not to. The trembles he could do nothing about. Oh, he tried, but it was a side effect of the adrenaline rush he’d gone through. “I’m safe now, and like I said, that’s all that matters.”
Maybe tonight he would have nightmares. It had happened after the other times. Cold sweats, gasping as he jackknifed in bed, bad dreams about men grabbing him and tearing him apart. He wasn’t sure where the violence in his dreams came from, but no one could control what they dreamed about.
“You’re right.” Jesse leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “That’s all that matters.”
* * * *
Jesse didn’t believe Sam. The guy’s pale hue belied his words. His mate was still feeling the effects of that demon trying to kidnap him. Jesse knew that feeling all too well. The fear. The tremors. The nightmares when you closed your eyes. He’d been a mercenary, had been in shitholes. Saw things he would never forget.
Becoming a bodyguard still took him around the world, but it was safer. A lot safer than his previous job. He still had to deal with mentally unbalanced people, those who wanted to kidnap or kill the ones that hired Driscoll Security. So far Jesse hadn’t lost a client, and he planned on keeping it that way.
His phone chirped, letting him know he had a text. Jesse got up and headed into the kitchen. He pressed his ass against the countertop and looked at his phone. It was Knox Ashford.
Knox: ETA one hour.
Jesse: Ian sent you?
Knox: Copy that.
Jesse ground his teeth. He’d never needed assistance before, but clearly Ian thought he was in over his head. Ian would be dealt with later. Right now Jesse wanted to let Sam know that company was coming. He didn’t want Knox showing up and scaring his mate.
After tucking his phone back into his pocket, Jesse went back to the living room and sat.
“Everything okay?” Sam took a sip of his tea, worry lines creasing his temples. “You look intense.”
God, did Sam know just how good looking he was? His black hair was long enough to touch his nape, and the ends curled slightly around his ears and some fell over his brows. His dark brown eyes were mesmerizing as he stared at Jesse. The urge to claim, to take what was his, hit Jesse right in the chest. Sam was beyond beautiful, and Jesse normally didn’t describe men that way, but his mate was breathtaking. Delicate features, soft angles, and flawless skin.
