“And you’re not too hard on the eyes,” he added.
“Gee, thanks.”
“That’s high praise coming from me.”
“I believe it.”
“And for the record,” Theo said as he slid another piece of meat off the skewer, “I didn’t come to you a virgin either. Shocker, I know, but it’s true.”
I nodded. “I’ll try to hide my disappointment.”
At that exact moment, the sound of a branch cracking somewhere off in the distance had Theo jackknifing upright in his seat and looking around.
“What was that?”
I chuckled and glanced out into the black void that was the jungle. When the sound of monkeys echoed all around us, I relaxed and turned back to a concerned Theo.
“Just a few of the locals,” I told him, and then gestured to his plate. “Better finish up before one swings in here and steals your food.”
Theo’s eyes widened until they almost popped out of his head. “Are you serious? They would really do that?”
“They might.” But probably not, since they were vegetarians. But Theo didn’t need to know that, and honestly, this apprehensive, vulnerable side of the merciless King I knew was kind of endearing. “What’s the matter, Your Serene Highness? Don’t like the jungle?”
“You know what?” he said, getting to his feet, plate in hand. “I have decided I do not, and I take it back. You are not amazing.Youare an asshole. A good-looking one, but an asshole all the same.”
“So you’re, what, going to take that inside?”
“Oui,”he said, then angled his chin in a way that only a true prince could do. “I’m taking my leave of you and going inside.”
I snorted at his arrogance, the condescension dripping off him. “But who will defend me against the big, scary monkeys?”
“Not funny,” Theo shouted back, storming inside the house.
The slamming of the door punctuated his annoyance as I started after him, and I couldn’t help but wonder when I’d ever had such a good time with anyone.
But the answer was easy, if not a little scary—never.
33
THEO
ICOULDN’T SLEEP.
The bed was top of the line, the sheets crisp yet silky soft, and with the concrete walls down, the place was a fortress. We were safe. We had everything we needed. And yet…
I could still see the car exploding when I closed my eyes. But it wasn’t fear that ran through my veins. It was rage. The fact that the motherfucker upending my world was still out there pissed me off, and so did not being able to hunt them down to tear them apart limb by limb. It went against every instinct I had to just sit here and let my brothers get the situation under control. I knew they would—it was what we did—but it still felt wrong to be tucked away in a safe house…enjoyingmyself.
Because even with leech-filled hikes and psychotic monkeys, I couldn’t deny that this had been the best time I’d had in forever. That shouldn’t have been the case. Shep was bossy to the extreme, a pain in the ass, and he seemed to get off on torturing me with nature.
But he also took every bit of what I threw at him and batted it back, something I respected. I couldn’t deal with a guy who let me run all over him, and Shep put up a good fight. He wasalso protective, a killer cook, and I couldn’t even think about his incredible body without getting a hard-on.
So did that mean I wascrushingon Shep Winchester?Putain. He was the last man I should be looking at, but I couldn’t seem to get enough of him. King had no idea what he’d done when he put Shep in charge of my security, and now that I had him close, I didn’t know if I’d want to let him go after this was all over.
What the hell was I doing alone in this bedroom?
I threw back the covers and headed down the hallway to Shep’s room. His door was cracked open, and I could just make out the way he lay on his back, hands behind his head. He wasn’t asleep either, just staring at the ceiling like he was deep in thought. I was tempted to watch him for a while longer, just to look at him, but like he sensed my presence, his eyes shot to mine and I was busted.
I hadn’t bothered with clothes, only wearing the boxer briefs I’d stripped down to. As I entered his room, Shep’s gaze traveled down my body.
