Chapter 0331

I frown a little, looking Jackson over, wondering what his plans are. I mean, he's dressed - he's got a coat. If he was just going back to his room, he'd be in pajamas, wouldn't he?

"I'm going to go watch the fight in a bar," he says, nodding to me. "Actually, the one I used to work at - I'm going with the guys I used to live with, those three months I lived here."

"The rough boys?"

He grins at me. "Yes, the rough boys," he says, a little laugh in his words. He leans forward, conspiratorial. "Don't worry, Ariel, I can take them."

I frown a little, narrowing my eyes. "And they're taking you to the restaurant you used to work at? With the waitresses?"

Jackson bursts out laughing now, but a vicious little snarl slips from between my teeth.

Because I do not like that. I do not like that at all.

"I can take them too, Princess," he murmurs, running his fingers through my hair passively, not even thinking about it. And as he does I can sense his feelings - that he's putting up one hell of a front right now, and is having quite a bit of trouble not throwing me over his shoulder and just carrying me back upstairs. But also, that he genuinely wants to support me, and let me live and explore my life. Even if he can't really bear to think about what it means to be giving Luca a full night alone with me, he pats that emotion away for my sake.

Or at least, he tries to.

I pass my own warm feelings back to my mate, a promise amongst them that Jackson will get his own night. Very soon.

A little smile curls at the corner of his mouth at that, and he nods.

"No waitresses," I snap, pointing a finger up at his face.

Jackson just laughs and bends a little again, pressing a quick kiss to my mouth. "Have fun, Ariel," he commands, hardly louder than a whisper. "I mean it."

And I sigh and stand on my toes again, pouting heartily at him and bringing my lips close to his, but not kissing. He laughs, seeing my game, and grabs me to him, pressing a long and lingering kiss to my mouth before I laugh and make myself push him away, make myself move towards the door even as I sigh. My head hangs a bit, my wolf howling and turning back towards Jackson, nipping at my heart and urging me to go back.

But my mom is waiting for me at the door, and despite what my wolf thinks, I do really want to go to this fight. So, I straighten my shoulders and do my best not to look back.

"Hey, Princess," Jackson calls from behind me.

I pause, curious and still a little sad, looking back at him. He raises his chin towards me.

"What's the mystery? What do you have going on under that coat?"noveldrama

Slowly, my mouth curls into a grin. "Oh, baby," I say, and I don't miss the way his shoulders straighten at the way my voice has dropped, at the use of his very secret pet name. "You don't want to know."

"Show me!" he calls, laughing a little, pleased.

But I just keep walking, pretending to ignore him. As I go, though, I let the jacket slip from my shoulders, and then down my back, and then all the way off until it's just dangling from my fingertips, nearly brushing the ground.

Behind me a heavy groan breaks from Jackson, and through our bond I can feel all of his emotions at once. It's a mixed bag of joy, and pride, and the sense that I'm the most beautiful creature he's ever seen, and wonder at how lucky he is to have me, and bitterness that he was a stupid chivalric idiot and sent me off into Luca's arms dressed like this. But what traces along all of it is a great deal of desire, and the urge to chase after me and snatch me back.

I laugh, a little delighted, and I turn to walk backwards for a second so that I can grin at my mate and so that he can see the front of the dress. When I do, Jackson's jaw drops, and he groans again - louder this time- and covers his face with his hands as he turns away from me, muttering curses and turning his head up to the ceiling in regret.

"I told you to come!" I call, teasing and laughing.

Jackson doesn't respond, just sends a rather feral impression to me down the bond, something akin to teeth on skin, and ripping black silk, and panting breath in the dark. A shiver runs through me as I turn away from him, his hands still over his face, and I'm laughing as I catch up with my mom.

"Well done, baby trouble," she whispers, grinning at me and slipping an arm around my shoulders. "Making mommy proud! Now put your coat back on, your dad could still make you go change."

Laughing, I do as I'm told, slipping back into my coat and doing my best to tuck my sadness at Jackson's absence away, to concentrate instead on having fun with my family and supporting Luca. Because Jackson is right - it is Luca's night, and he does deserve my full attention.