Page 4 of Thrilled By Her Protector

Jennifer hated it when she got like this. Forcing the memories back, she pulled her calm, cool façade back into place. Her mother was dead, and her father long gone, and Jennifer was an adult now. She didn’t need either of them.

Besides, she did not have to worry about fated mates. Jennifer didn’t believe in all that, despite evidence to the contrary. It didn’t work for her mother. Maybe her friends were just lucky exceptions. Or maybe the fact they’d found mates in the Wessex boys was the key.

But no, she could not think that way. Couldn’t let false hope enter her brain. It didn’t matter why the others found happiness. The point was, she wouldn’t. Not ever. Thank the gods for her job. She was too busy to date anyone seriously, and she wasn’t looking. She couldn’t be someone’s mate in her line of work. It wouldn’t be fair. She wasn’t good mate material. Even she knew that.

Looking at Zircon as he stood there, taking up all the space in her neat and tidy office was almost more than she could bear. All she wanted to do was hurl herself at him. Feel those big, muscular arms wrapped around her body. But no. She couldn’t do that.

Never again.

“What is it?” she asked coolly.

“I came to check on you,” Zircon stated, his voice husky and deep.

She cursed the way her skin heated, and her stomach tightened just listening to him. It was ridiculous. She’d already slept with him, what was the big fucking deal? But she knew. Hell, yes, she knew. He was the big deal.

Like a really big deal.

Sex was not her forte, but one night with Zircon had changed her. It wasn’t like Jennifer was beating them away with a bat, but she wasn’t a virgin. Still, it was the first time she’d discovered sex could feel good if done right. And Conny did it very, very right.

“No one else. It’s only ever been you, Jenn,”he’d whispered to her, and gods, she’d wanted to believe him so badly.

But how could that be? The man was physically perfect. He looked like he was carved from marble, for fuck’s sake. His six foot three-inch frame was roped with thick cords of muscles, and as if that wasn’t enough, he had glossy dark hair that hung in thick waves across his forehead.

Like he needed that reckless bad boy edge to complete his whole appeal, or something. If he was any more appealing, Jennifer would be leaping across the desk to get at him. Zircon was sex on legs, and she was right the first time, it was a mistake to sleep with him.

Despite his claims he’d never been with anyone else, he had done it very right. As in fucking perfect. And even though she knew it was wrong, Jennifer wanted him again.

“Why are you checking on me, Conny? Haven’t we been through this?—”

He raised his perfectly arched eyebrows, looking at her as if he could see her naked through the desk, and Jennifer squirmed.

“Easy there, Jennifer, or someone will think you give a shit about me. Can’t have that,” he growled.

“Look, I don’t want to fight,” she said, her voice betraying nothing of the raging emotions she felt.

“Me either,” he said, interrupting her for the second time. “Look, I heard you were being put in charge of the Drakeins staying with us, and, uh, I wanted to see what I could do to help with their assimilation into society.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, a dead giveaway he was uncomfortable. But Jennifer enjoyed the sight of his muscles flexing as he moved his hand up and down. How could he be so completely unaware of the devastating effect he had on women? She shook her head.

So he wanted to help, huh? Fine.

“I have just the job,” she muttered, smiling slyly as she stood up and grabbed her things. “You get to take Ox and Xabat on a test run to the grocery store. See how they act when confronted with shopping with humans?—”

“Is that all? No problem, Jenn, I can do that.”

“Don’t look so smug, Zircon, I forgot the best part. You have to go on senior discount day.”

The Drakeins who remained Earth side were taking a bit longer to assimilate than she’d expected. Arthur Wessex had graciously extended the use of his guest houses and grounds for their training, and Jennifer had her hands full with creating lesson plans for them.

“Ah, I knew you could be mean, Jenn, but senior discount day?” he snarked, but he was wearing that bad boy grin she secretly loved.

“Yep. After that, I need help moving. Those boxes there are to be brought to my new quarters at the estate?—”

“You’re staying with us?” he asked, and was that hope she saw glittering in his bright blue eyes?

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. You belong there, Jenn.”

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