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His ass still hurt from the last time she’d taken him by surprise and knocked him out of the tree he’d climbed. Asshat that he was, he’d arrogantly retained his human form all but forgetting she could fly when Shifted. And those talons of hers? Serious fucking ouch!
“Carolina Moore is more than a good friend. We grew up together, and she’s recently been through a rough divorce. It's Christmas, and I imagine she’s having it rough. Do not give her any of your sleazy pickup lines, Jas, I mean it!”
“They aren’t that sleazy,” he protested.
“Really? ‘Nice shirt, babe, can I talk you out of it?’ That went over really well with the Ecuadorian Ambassador’s wife,” she retorted through gritted teeth.
“Hey, I apologized for that. I thought she was his daughter!”
“As if that would have been any better.” Jennifer rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Listen, Jasper, Caro is like a sister to me. She knows nothing about Shifters except that they exist, and that is only becauseItold her that. So please, keep everything about you, including your so-called charm, to yourself,” she huffed.
“Geez, looks like someone needs a little somethin’ somethin’ to relax,” he whispered, but not low enough to stop her from hissing at a decibel that she knew drove his Wyvern crazy.
“Fuck. Do you have to be so loud?”
“Yes, I think I do.” Jennifer smirked. “Ready to listen? Good. Now, where was I? Oh yes. Well, Carolina was on a dig in Egypt—”
“What is she,Indiana Jonesor something?”
“No, she’s an artist. I told you this. She is a sculptor, actually, and a critically acclaimed one at that.”
“Okay, so she was on a dig in Egypt, and she ran into some trouble—”
“Yes.”
“What kind of trouble?” Jasper asked, all business now.
“The kind thatyouare uniquely equipped to deal with. Read. The. File.”
“Alright, Jennifer, keep your secrets. So, you got her holed up? The GPS coordinates were already in my truck. This little adventurer braving the NY mountains in the snow?”
“You recognized the coordinates? Good. Yes, I sent Caro to my cabin. I know how much you enjoy roughing it in the great outdoors.” She smirked at him.
Jasper barely withheld a growl. Frigging woman had a strange sense of humor. He didn’t mind the woods or mountains. It was just so isolated. There was nothing to do there.
The last time he was there he had the Bear cub to play with. Who would entertain him now?
“Stop it. You’re there to do a job.”
Damn freakish woman, he swore she could read his mind sometimes.
He had planned on heading down to Miami after his last gig, but he couldn’t do that now. No beach babes and surfing in the wee hours of the morning. No downtown bar and body shots off his favorite bartender.
This Christmas was so going to suck.
Ugh.
Freaking Indian Lake. What was so great about it? The lake was just so dang lake-y. And yes, he knew it was a lame complaint. Would it even be iced over yet so he could skate? Probably not.
Stupid lake.
His Wyvern scratched and roared inside his mind’s eye, and Jasper’s thoughts turned to that bit of news he’d been avoiding.
Fuck.
His heart was heavy with thoughts of his father’s illness. It was just like the old man to spring that on them without any aplomb.
Arthur Wessex was not a cruel man or a bad father—not in the least. He simply did not believe bad news should be sugarcoated, and he never mollycoddled his sons. Not ever.
