Thinking back to the piece of mail sitting on Rafe’s side table, Jade realized she probably couldn’t find any snail mail that would tell her where Aidan lived. He probably got in touch with Rafe through emails, text messages, or phone calls. Even if she could get ahold of Rafe’s phone, it was no doubt password protected, and she wouldn’t be able to access his contacts. Aidan’s address might not even be listed in Rafe’s phone book. She only had phone numbers in hers.
Rushing to rinse off, she thought that while she might not be here for a perfectly innocent reason, enticing the wolf into a mating wasn’t in the plans. She was certain he would have offered her the use of his shower, or some other in the house, but she hadn’t wanted to ask or impose. Out here, she could rinse off the salt and sand and not leave a big mess. Though she supposed that was silly, because his maid service would clean it up. But she was a wolf too, and she didn’t feel the need to be pampered or to impose on him any more than she had to. She liked her low-key lifestyle.
She rinsed out her bathing suit and wrung it out. Slipping back into a wet bathing suit was a lot harder to do, and she hoped Rafe was moving really slowly.
Wolves shifted naked in front of each other when they were with their pack and used to one another. This wasn’t the same. She didn’t want him to get the idea she was doing this to try to snag his attention.
She rinsed out her shorts and was tugging them over her bathing suit when he opened the patio door.
“Are you sure you don’t want to drop by your place and get a change of clothes?”
Not expecting Rafe’s sudden appearance, she jumped a little, hating that she looked so guilty.
“Listen, I’m probably too wet to ride in your car.” As much as she hated to delay this, she didn’t want him to think she was too eager and make him suspicious of her motives. She couldn’t chance it. “Maybe we can make it some other time. Tomorrow, if you’re free.”
She really felt uncomfortable about this. She’d been trying to tell herself that although he seemed nice, he wouldn’t be Mr. Nice and Agreeable if she had business dealings with him. All she wanted was her son back. Dealing in deception? This was so not her.
“Nonsense. My car will survive. Let’s go.” Rafe sounded like he was afraid he was going to lose his lunch companion, but she knew that, before long, he’d wish he’d never rescued her in the surf.
Chapter 4
Rafe had let his personal assistant, Sebastian, know where he was going before he took off, having caught a glimpse of Jade gloriously naked as she’d rushed to remove her bathing suit and rinse off in the outdoor shower. He wished she’d felt comfortable just using a guest bathroom. He hadn’t wanted to catch her nude, or her to catch him seeing her like that. He knew by the way she was rushing that she wasn’t trying to get caught, but he took advantage of the moment to snap a close-up of her face so he could send it to Edward so he could use it to investigate her. Her face had been tilted up to the showerhead, her eyes closed, her hands on her wet hair, and her lips parted, kissed by the spray of warm water. She was busty and had nice childbearing hips and long legs—that he was trying not to look at too much. He had to admit she was beautiful.
After he’d quickly moved away from the glass door, he’d finished his conversation with Sebastian. He’d rushed, worried he was moving too slowly because of the soreness of his foot, and she would be tired of waiting for him. Though once he’d seen her naked, he wasn’t sure if his conversation with Sebastian had made any sense.
Now that they were on the road, Rafe didn’t see any sign of Edward, but Rafe knew he would be watching for him as he drove his Ferrari convertible to the Crab Shack. Other than his wolf friends and brother, no one Rafe knew hung out here. Not those who had money. He loved to meet Derek and his brother here from time to time just to go slumming.
Rafe might have a nice car, but he was wearing cutoffs, sandals, and a well-worn T-shirt like he usually did when he ate at the Crab Shack. He would have dressed up for Jade, but since she was wearing just her bathing suit and shorts, he didn’t want her to feel underdressed.
As they drove with the top down, the wind whipped Jade’s wet curls about. She was smiling as they tore off down the road, and he wanted to go a lot farther than the two miles to the restaurant. Maybe she’d agree to a longer drive just for the hell of it. He realized then he hadn’t asked for her full name, because at the time, he hadn’t intended to share his. Now he wanted to know it. Edward could learn who she was as soon as he ran her license plate. But then Rafe had another thought. Maybe he could take her out on the yacht, the Lo-Lee. He knew he shouldn’t plan for anything long term. But damn if he didn’t want to throw caution to the wind and enjoy the ride while he spent time with her. That was his wilder wolf half talking.
When Rafe escorted her into the Crab Shack, the hostess seated them on the deck, the fragrance of the salty sea air and seafood dishes wafting around them. Seagulls called out overhead, and people played and laughed on the beach as the waves crashed on the shore. It was a beautiful day to be here, and he had to admit that being with Jade made it even more special—if he didn’t overanalyze why she was here.
They ordered the king crab feasts, and Jade made her selection so quickly that he wondered if she had been in the area for a while.
“So how many days are you going to be here?” he asked, settling back in his chair.
“Another week.”
“Have to use up some leave time at work?” He shouldn’t have asked, but he really was curious why she was here by herself.
“I needed a break. A way to clear my head so I could get creative again.”
“What do you create?” He was thinking of art, sculptures, maybe writing.
“Lingerie fashions. I sell them to upper-end stores all over the States.”
“Lingerie.” He smiled a little. Now this was totally unexpected. “Like Victoria’s Secret?”
“What would you know about Victoria’s Secret?” Jade was smiling.
“Not a whole lot, really. But secrets always sound intriguing.”
She smiled. “True. So, what do you do that you make enough money to afford the shack on the beach?”
“I dabble in real estate.”
“Dabble.”
“I’ve made some good investments and consequently some good sales. I just have an eye for what might do well.”
“Your house is incredible.”
“Thanks. I’m rather fond of it. I’ve lived in the city, but I like living on the beach best.”
“Do you take trips to the woods?”
“To run? Sure. To be myself—to let the other side of me out. I have a jet on standby for anytime I want to get away from all of this. I love running on the beach at night as well.”
“A jet, wow. So you really do love to still be wild?”
“Hell yeah. No pressing business, no modern tech stuff, just being one with nature—that’s what it’s really all about. What about you? You don’t have any woods to run in around Amarillo, do you?”
“No, but we have a lot of wide-open spaces out there, so I run at night.”
“Do you want to run with me tonight?”