Page 27 of The Jilted Jinn


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I needed to shower. If anyone else showed up trying to woo me, hopefully the presence of Martin would keep them from getting toofriendly.

Ispentan embarrassing amount of time in the shower. So much time, in fact, that my skin was wrinkled by the time I got out. I smiled at the foggy reflection in the mirror because blow drying my hair was going to take even longer. If I could get dressed and get the blow dryer on before my doorbell rang again, I could stay blissfullyunaware.

I'd just stepped into my skinny jeans when it rang and I called out to Martin, but he growled back at me. "Stay in there. I'll getit."

He sounded hopping mad. I grinned as I pulled a long and loose tunic over my head. I tiptoed to the door only to hear Martin snarling at someone to get the fuck off my property before he ripped off their head and shoved it up theirasshole.

I snickered against the door and crept back to the bathroom to dry my hair. There were certainly some advantages to having a man in the house. Even though Martin didn't sign up for this and was within his rights to ignore it, knowing he was sending people away with violent threats no less, gave me the warm andfuzzies.

Twenty minutes later my hair was mostly dry and I had lipstick and mascara on. Good enough. I slipped on my shoes and was about to step out of my bedroom when the doorbellrang.

Again.

Feeling sympathy for Martin, I waved him away and open my door only to see someone I've had dealings with before. HarryLupin.

"Harry?"

He leaned against the porch post, looking both sheepish and casual. "Busy day?" hequipped.

I laughed in surprise and rolled my eyes. "Let me guess. Am I the talk of thetown?"

He grinned at me, a wide and pleasant smile. "I would have showed up with flowers but word around town is every single florist has experienced a sudden influx of customers. Their stock has run dry." He peeked over my shoulder and his grin widened even more, crinkling the edges of his eyes attractively, as he saw the shitoad of flowers I had in vases all over the house. "Nice," heremarked.

"At least the house will smell good for awhile," Isaid.

"Until it smells like a funeral home," headded.

"Right." I chuckled at the thought of it. "So...why are youhere?"

Harry clapped a hand over his chest. "I am here to offer to take you to lunch. Not because I should be lumped into one of those fortune seekers, but because I have both sympathy and envy for your plight. Care to joinme?"

I was not a stupid woman by any means. Harry showing up on my doorstep the same day everyone else wasdidlump him into the fortune seekers, but the thing about Harry was that he was nice. And handsome. He had a pretty good rep with the girls in this town, but I'd never seen him hook up withanyone.

And...he was a reader. I'd ran into him a few times at the townlibrary.

"So..." I drawled. "Not with the others,eh?"

He was gracious enough to look sheepish. "Well, not quite. I'm here because I should have properly asked you out years ago." His face darkened. "Jeff beat me to it,though."

My face heated. Harry wanted to ask me out before all ofthis?

He shrugged a powerful shoulder. His build was typical of a lot of werewolves. Powerful shoulders, lean waist and hips and strong, yet lean legs. His hair was slightly longer than normal and his eyes were a glowing gold, telling me that he had recently shifted to wolf form and hunted. Harry was attractive, no doubt, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to go out with someone else from the Lupin pack after the disaster that wasJeff.

As if reading my mind, he chuckled. "Jeff is a loser. We are not all the same. Mark will be getting with you soon about reparations. I overheard him talking about it to one of thebetas."

It was about damnedtime.

"So..." he drawled. "Lunch?"

I tilted my head and studied him. He seemed innocent enough. "I don't know. You didn't bother to bring me flowers. Perhaps show up another time with an offering worthy of me." I backed away from the door and was about to shut it when Harry's rich laughter rangout.

I chuckled with him. "I'll grab mypurse."

I tried not to notice Martin's disapproving glance as I lifted my purse off the hall table and grabbed my keys from the bowl. "I'll be back in a couple of hours," I called tohim.

From my peripheral, I could see him slowly shaking hishead.

Martin's contract with me didn't mention judgment and if he kept it up, I'd have to talk to him. I frowned at my bitchy thoughts as I followed Harry down thestairs.