Jameson Read online

  But what he could do was make sure she was well taken care of while she was here. Show her that not all men were assholes, that there were still some good ones out there. He didn’t have a lot of time to do it in, and it would require a ton of patience, but it could be done. And he could make sure she ate, a lot. He eyed her as she heaped more mashed potatoes and green beans on her plate. She ate like she hadn’t eaten in months, and she did the same thing at breakfast this morning. He knew her money supply was low, since she’d been willing to drive her car off to distances unknown without all the repairs it needed, but he hoped she wasn’t skimping on food.

  Looking closer, he took in how thin she was. The baggy shirt concealed a lot, but it couldn’t hide how thin her arms were, or the way her clavicle poked out a bit through the baggy neckline of the shirt. Hell, maybe she was one of those women who tried to stay skinny, and her appearance wasn’t just because she was low on money. But, judging by the way she was eating, he didn’t think so.

  Maybe he could try to sneak some money into her luggage or car, where she could find it once she was far away from here and couldn’t refuse it or give it back. He didn’t have a whole lot. Things had been bad before his parents took off, and only got worse after. But once he made his way up to the head trainer position, he started bringing in a pretty good salary, and he had a decent nest egg put back. Certainly enough to slip her a few hundred dollars without it hurting him or Tarun.

  Cady finished off the food on her plate and glanced at him. “I made a chocolate cake if you’d like some.”

  His mouth literally watered. “Absolutely. That’s my favorite.”

  He started to push his chair back, but she stopped him. “I got this. It’s my job, after all.”

  Reluctantly nodding, he settled back in his chair as she took their dirty plates to the sink and sliced thick pieces of cake. She was back quickly, and he eagerly forked a bite into his mouth, moaning at the taste.

  “This is maybe the best chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted, and that’s saying something. It’s my favorite, so I’ve tasted a lot.”

  Flushing with pleasure, she smiled at him. “Thanks, I’m glad you like it.” Pausing to take a bite, she swallowed and looked at him curiously. “You know, from the size of the house, I thought maybe you and Tarun shared it with your parents, but I haven’t seen them around.”

  “They don’t live here anymore. They took off, leaving Durga completely, when I was seventeen and Tarun was thirteen. Haven’t heard from them since.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

  She looked upset with herself, so he shrugged and tried to reassure her it wasn’t a big deal. Because it really wasn’t, not to him. “No painful memories here. They checked out long before they actually left. They’d been distant our whole lives. I don’t think they ever even wanted kids. And they spent money like it grew on trees. Things were rough without Dad’s income at first when they left, and we had to sell some shit. That’s why you won’t see many decorations around the house. But my job is really good, and even entry level paid decently. Then I slowly made my way up the ranks, and now I make enough to pay bills and put money back. It doesn’t hurt that the house is a family home, bought and paid for generations ago. We’re actually better off now than we were when my parents were still here.”

  She nodded slowly, pursing her lips. “I guess I can see that, but are you sure Tarun believes the same? Women tend to feel things differently than men.”

  Brow furrowing, he thought it over, but he didn’t see how his sister wouldn’t feel the same way. “I’m pretty sure she does. At least, she never gave any indication she doesn’t.”

  “Still, maybe you should ask her.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, maybe I should. What about you? Are you close to your parents?”

  “I’ve never had any.” She glanced up and caught his frown, sighing. “I was put in foster care when I was two. I don’t remember my parents, or even know why they gave me up. I bounced around from home to home until I aged out at eighteen. I’ve been on my own ever since.”

  Jameson frowned, unable to imagine growing up like that. His parents hadn’t been the best, and he’d always thought maybe they hated him and Tarun just a bit for ever being born, but maybe that wasn’t entirely the case. They at least kept them, and he and his sister grew up a nice home, only one, and knew their heritage. They may not have had parents who cared, but they had roots, and that counted for a lot.

  “Your last foster parents didn’t kick you out right away, did they? They had to have helped you some, right?”

  She shook her head as she laughed, the sound devoid of humor. “Not likely. Most people foster for the money they get from the state. Maybe there are some good ones out there, but every home I went to was the same. And when you turn eighteen, you age out of the program. The state no longer pays for your care. My last foster parents actually had me pack all my stuff up the night before my birthday. The next morning, before breakfast even, they woke me up, told me to get dressed, and put my trash bag of clothes outside. And that was that. I was on my own.”

  Fuck, who did that to a kid? Legal adult or not, Cady was still a kid, and they just tossed her out like garbage. “They just put you outside? They didn’t take you anywhere, help you get set up in a new place?”

  “Nope. As far as they were concerned, I wasn’t their responsibility anymore. I did okay, though. I had my own apartment by the end of the week. It was the size of a closet, and shitty as all hell, but it was mine. And I kept working toward something better. It all worked out.”

  “I’m glad you did well, but damn, Cady. It was still a shitty hand you were dealt. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  She waved her hand. “It’s in the past and water under the bridge now. Are you done eating? You haven’t taken a bite in a little bit.”

  Glancing down regretfully at the rest of the cake, he nodded. He’d love to eat the rest because it had been delicious. But his appetite completely disappeared as he listened to her story. “Yeah, I’m full. It was all amazing, the dinner and the dessert.”

  “Thanks. I’ll go ahead and get the leftovers put away and start cleaning up,” she said, getting to her feet.

  He stood as well. “Here, let me help.”

  She quickly moved a few steps away as he neared her, and he didn’t even think she realized she was doing it. Bout broke his damn heart.

  “No, no, I’ve got this. It’s easy, and besides, it’s our agreement, right? You go do what you need to do.”

  He bit back his protest and nodded, turning to leave just as Tarun bounded through the door.

  “Hey, guys! Man, this looks good. I kinda wish I’d eaten here instead of at Anaya’s. Jamie, I’m going to spend the night at her house, okay? She’s working at the store like me, and tomorrow’s her first day, too. I figured we’d do it up right and make a big deal of it, go in together tomorrow.”

  Smiling as she came up and kissed his cheek, he nodded. “Sounds good. Just don’t stay up too late tonight. You two need to be rested for your first day.”

  Tarun rolled her eyes. “Yes, Dad. You know, we’re not sixteen anymore. We have more common sense than we did back then.”

  Cutting her a look, he laughed when she blushed. “You and I both know that’s not true. So do your best, yeah?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. I want to talk to Cady.”

  “Fine. I know when I’m not wanted. I can take a hint.”

  Laughing, she shoved him toward the door. He headed out of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Cady as he went. She had a puzzled frown on her face as her gaze bounced between him and Tarun, like she wasn’t sure what to make of their interaction. He was sure, given her upbringing, that she wasn’t used to sibling banter.

  But, for some reason, he thought it was more than that. Like she didn’t know what to make of a man who was genuinely nice. Maybe that wasn’t a word most men wanted applied to themselves,
but Jameson took pride in it. There was nothing wrong with it, and there were so few truly nice people—let alone men—in the tribe. He guessed he’d always held out hope that it would somehow rub off on them.

  But Cady clearly needed some niceness in her life. Needed to know that not all men were abusive assholes, or assholes period. He didn’t have a whole lot of time to prove it to her, but he was going to do his damnedest to try.

  Chapter Four

  Cady wiped her brow and then cursed under her breath, sure she left a smudge of dirt on her skin. She just finished cleaning the living room, and though on the surface it was clean, there was a lot of dust and dirt hiding in the corners and under furniture. It was clear that Jameson hadn’t been exaggerating how much this house needed a thorough cleaning. She shuddered to think of the condition of the rooms he said hadn’t even been entered in years.

  She’d thought she was taking advantage of his generosity by accepting his deal, but maybe it was more equal than she thought at first. Still not completely on the same level, but closer than she thought, and that made this whole situation a little easier to accept.

  She hadn’t seen Jameson at all so far today. She’d woken up early and gone downstairs to make breakfast. She didn’t know what time he left for work, or even what he did, but it was around six a.m., so she thought she managed to get it done before he had to leave. Covering it all to keep it warm, she went back upstairs and got in the shower, intending to make it quick. But the hot water was relaxing muscles that had been far too tight for a long time, and she enjoyed it too much to rush. By the time she got back downstairs, he’d already eaten and gone.

  Picking up the cleaning supplies, she went to the closet and put them back inside, taking the dirty rags to the laundry room. This morning, when she realized he’d already eaten his breakfast and left, she’d mostly been relieved. The less time she had to be around men, interacting with them, the better. She hated how she reacted now, hated the bone deep fear she felt around them. And she didn’t know Jameson. Sure, he was nice, but that didn’t mean shit. Men, in her experience, could don a mask and be the sweetest man in the world, but the moment they had someone where they wanted them, they’d let the real, nasty, mean spirited person they really were inside have free rein.

  But, there’d been this tiny sliver of her that was disappointed. She’d enjoyed their dinner last night, to her surprise. By the end of it, she was even relaxed some. Just look at the shit she told him about her time in foster care. Normally, she didn’t talk about it at all, to anyone. Yet when he asked about her parents, her mouth started speaking, with no real agreement from her mind.

  At least she only gave him the bare facts. She’d seen some horrific shit, been subject to some of it herself. Not all homes had been bad, though. She was mostly given an insane amount of chores to complete each day, the foster parents citing her age as one of the oldest in their care for why she had so much to do.

  That was how she learned to cook, and how she’d gotten as good as she was at it. And where she learned to clean properly. Not doing a good job had often resulted in no dinner, an increase in chores, and sometimes, a good slap to her face. She could still vividly remember being on her hands and knees, cleaning the bathroom tile with a toothbrush, after a tiny bit of dirt was found behind the couch. Cleaning thoroughly was second nature to her now.

  Feeling grimy, she went upstairs to take another shower, wanting to be clean before she started dinner. This time she kept it quick, then toweled off before putting a pair of leggings on. Leggings, yoga pants, sweats, anything with an elastic band, were all she could fit in now.

  But the wish that she could put on a pair of jeans and look nice whispered through her mind, and she froze as she was smoothing her oversized shirt out. God, she wished she didn’t know why she was hoping for that, but she did.

  What the actual hell was she thinking, wanting to look good for Jameson? Had she fucking learned nothing in the last year? Yeah, he was nice, and incredibly good looking. Maybe one of the most gorgeous men she’d ever seen in person before. His features weren’t classically handsome, but to her, it just made him even more crazy attractive. Those heavy-lidded eyes were something else.

  But the better looking they were, the more douchey they were. Sad, but true. And she’d had enough of prick, asshole men, to last her a lifetime. Really, Winston taught her a huge lesson. At least, she thought he had, but now she was beginning to question it. She’d never imagined she could feel desire for a man ever again, but she couldn’t deny she felt it for Jameson.

  Was she an idiot or what? Clearly, she was one of the dumbasses in horror flicks who headed toward danger instead of away. Because here she was, having been taught a lesson a thousand-fold on how men really were, and yet she wanted to head right to the danger of another one.

  But she took comfort in the fact that it wouldn’t happen. Even if she could get past her mental dislike, there was no way she could go there. Not with the way she couldn’t even stand being around men, not with the way she was so skittish and couldn’t handle the touch of one.

  Besides. She had something much more important to think of than just herself now. And because of that, even if she wanted to start something with Jameson, she would never, ever let herself go there.

  Jameson let himself into the house, wiping his boots on the mat as the smell of lemon cleaner invaded his nostrils. Cady had kept herself busy, then. He looked around the living room, taking in the gleaming surfaces. They hadn’t shined like that in longer than he could remember, even when his parents were still around. They’d been more interested in going out every night than taking care of the house.

  He listened closely, but the first floor seemed deserted, and no smells of dinner were coming from the kitchen. No big deal, though. He was early. After breakfast this morning, he went to the warrior lodge, intending only to give some instructions before coming back. But Karis was at the end of his rope with Carter and some of the youngest warriors, and Jameson ended up staying to help. His friend’s mental health was more important than his need to see Cady, although it was hard at times today to remember that.

  But he finally managed to get away, leaving some instructions for Krish, the trainer ranked second behind him. And then he sought out Karis, letting him know he wouldn’t be back unless absolutely needed until Cady left. He stopped to get the parts for her car and make sure Carlisle ordered the radiator, because the old tiger was often forgetful, and then came back here. He figured he had enough time to change the spark plugs and get a quick shower before sitting down to dinner.

  He was just about to call for Cady, so he could get her car keys again, when a noise on the stairs caught his attention. Turning, his breath stalled in his chest as he watched her walk carefully down the stairs. Her hair was damp, indicating she’d just had a shower, the strands darker than they usually were. Her freckles were stark on her pale face, and even from here, he could see how long her eyelashes were, casting even longer shadows on her cheeks as she looked down. She was wearing leggings and another baggy shirt, and even though he suspected she wore them with the intent to hide, it was impossible. Fuck, she was beautiful. The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and his body reacted, everything from his heart to his dick.

  He wished more than anything she was staying longer. For good, even. And it wasn’t just because he wanted to show her that there were good men out there, although that was true. It was because he wanted to get to know her, let her know him. He wanted her body, there was no denying that, but he wanted her mind just as much. Maybe… maybe even her heart.

  But she wasn’t staying. Not long, anyway. Three days, tops. That was all he had with her, and he had no idea how to get her to stay longer. Really, he shouldn’t want her to. The tribe wasn’t in the best place right now, although it was better than it’d ever been before. And she was a human who didn’t know about shifters. The only human in a village full of tigers. It made her vulnerable.

  Still, even w
ith all the reasons she shouldn’t, he wanted her to stay. He could protect her. He was a fierce warrior, and that wasn’t just him being boastful. He could be everything she needed—friend, protector, provider, lover. He just had no way of getting her to agree to it.

  You need to figure it out, and soon. She’s our mate, and we can’t let her walk away from us, his tiger told him.

  Stunned, he was frozen as he watched her come to the bottom of the steps. Cady was his mate? Saying he was deeply surprised was an understatement, but really, it probably shouldn’t have hit him so hard.

  He’d been attracted to her from the moment he saw her, far more than he’d ever been to anyone before. He enjoyed talking to her last night, when she stopped cringing away from him. And he desperately wanted to make everything better for her, help her with whatever emotional issues she had. And though his protective instincts often flared, he never felt this soul burning desire to help someone before.

  Honestly, as horrible as it was to say it, as awful as it was that it was true, almost every woman in the tribe had emotional issues and hang ups. Until Kabir died and Kian took his father’s place as alpha, Durga hadn’t been a good place to live, and it was borderline horrific for the women.

  They had no rights and were treated more like possessions than people. They had no say in their lives, couldn’t have jobs, couldn’t leave their parents’ homes unless they were mated. If they never mated, they could become servants, but all money earned went to their parents. And a select few who were younger and skilled could have tasks, like sewing, making soaps and lotions, or basket weaving. But their wages went to their mates or parents.