The beast inside me gnashed its teeth, wanting to rip her apart for putting her stink atop the beautiful scents of those I had coaxed from my two young lovers earlier that morning.
“Jessie.” Her name coated my tongue like fish oil—gag-worthy. “Jessie!” I raised my voice when she didn’t so much as twitch. “Goddamnit—Jessie!” I hollered.
She finally stirred, blinking up at me with bloodshot eyes. “Pat. There you are, you sexy beast. Plant your fine ass over here,” she said, patting the mattress. “Let’s make a mess of these sheets.”
I ignored her outstretched hand, grabbed her clothes off the floor, and tossed them at her face. “Put those on and get thefuckout of my house.”
I stomped out of my bedroom and back downstairs to grab her purse and shoes. Waiting by the front door, I simmered and shook, the need to hurt someone boiling my blood.
I’d been sure Primrose had flown to Jaxon and then returned home during the workday. Had she found Jessie like I did? Comfortable and resting peacefully in our bed like she belonged there?
Lava flowed through my veins.
Primrose’s beast side would be instinctive as mine—surely, she would have burned Jessie alive for waltzing in here like she owned the place. Or had Primrose made assumptions that had sent her running back to Jaxon in search of comfort?
Either way, Primrose wasn’t where I’d expected and wanted her to be.
Neither was Jaxon, who should have gotten off work two hours ago.
A low growl rumbled in my chest, and Jessie appeared at the top of the stairs in her panties, clothes clutched to her chest. Bloodshot eyes stared at me. “The fuck is wrong with you?”
“You.” I held up her purse and shoes, struggling to rein in my inner beast. “You’re not welcome here any longer. I thought I made that clear.”
Her brow smoothed out, and she sauntered down the stairs. Nothing about her curves or the see-through lace of her panties enticed me to have what I’d already had my fill of.
“Pat.” She touched my chest, but I shoved her purse and boots at her, stepping out of reach, hands dropping to fist at my sides.
“Get dressed and get the fuck out, or I’m calling the police,” I stated in a low tone through clenched teeth.
“You don’t mean it—you left the front door open for me.”
Primrose must have when she’d gone to see Jaxon.
I stalked to the kitchen and grabbed my cell off the island. Through the hallway, Jessie eyed me holding the phone aloft a few seconds before cursing me out and tugging on her clothes.
“I don’t know what the fuck crawled up your ass, Pat,” she said, shoving her feet into her shoes as I once moreapproached her, “but I’m about done offering you second chances.”
“Good.” I pulled the door inward and pointed down the road, my glare stating once more what I’d already told her.
My inner beast hissed, clawing for release and the right to rip her to shreds, but I held tight to my control.
Jessie stepped over the threshold, turned, and opened her mouth, but I slammed the door shut in her face and locked the deadbolt.
A few choice curse words made their way past the oak plank between us, but I ignored her ranting and name-calling.
Stomping into the kitchen, I rang the number Jaxon had called me from the night before.
It felt like days had passed rather than hours when I’d first laid eyes on golden scales and amber eyes I’d recognized immediately.
Jaxon didn’t answer.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I muttered, grabbing my keys off the island and making my way into the garage. I smashed the button on the wall to put up the door with my fist.
My car roared to life seconds later, and I backed out of the driveway.
Jessie still stood on my porch, and I rolled the passenger window down.
“You try to break in, and I’ll press charges for trespassing!” I hollered, pushing the button on my visor to close the garage door again, and took off down the street.