Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) by J.H. Croix Read Free Book Online Page B

want. I don’t know what I’m cooking yet, so I hope you don’t mind a surprise there.”
    Jake grinned. “You’re one of the best cooks I know. Anything you make is guaranteed to be good.”
    He leaned forward and took her lips in a swift and fierce kiss. In less than three seconds, Phoebe thought she might go up in flames. He pulled away, softly nipping her bottom lip as he did. “So, should I come by in about an hour?”
    She nodded. Dazed, she climbed into her car and let it warm up for a few minutes after she started it. Her whole body tingled. She touched her fingers to her lips, as if she could hold onto the sensation Jake left behind.

Chapter 5

    Jake walked into Phoebe’s house and smiled. She’d put up a small Christmas tree in the corner of her living room, a young balsam fir that she’d plant come spring. Insisting on a live Christmas tree was classic Phoebe. She hated the idea of cutting trees down solely for the sake of decorating them and then watching them wither and die. For as long as he could recall, her Christmas trees were live, their root balls soaking in a stainless steel tub camouflaged with red felt. Every spring, she’d find the perfect spot and plant the tree. Her decorations were simple with holiday lights draped around the tree and nothing more. A fire flickered in the woodstove. He followed the sound of Phoebe’s voice into the kitchen.
    While he’d been driving over, he considered that he and Phoebe hadn’t discussed how to talk about their relationship with their many mutual friends. He hadn’t considered hiding it, but he figured it was something they should talk about. If it were any friend other than Shana, he wouldn’t hesitate to walk in and kiss Phoebe senseless, like he wanted to do every time he saw her, and leave the explanations for later. But with everything Shana had been through, he wasn’t so sure she needed to bear witness to the newly acknowledged feelings between him and Phoebe. He told himself he’d find a way to keep his hands off of Phoebe for the duration of dinner. He hoped he could manage.
    Phoebe’s back was to him when he walked into the kitchen. She was slicing something on the counter. Her hair was tied in a loose knot that fell haphazardly to the side. She wore a soft cotton shirt of bright red fabric that hugged her curves, accentuating the dip at her waist and flare of her hips. He reined in the urge to walk over and kiss the curve of her neck and cup her luscious bottom in his hands.
    “Hey Jake, it’s so good to see you,” Shana said as she stood up from the table.
    Jake strode to her side and tugged her into a quick embrace. “How are you?” he asked, pulling back and looking into her eyes.
    Shana smiled softly, her eyes tired, but determined. He sensed that she’d decided she was going to face the mess Callen left behind. She nodded firmly. “I’m getting there. I went back to work today.”
    He stepped back from her when she moved to sit down. “Glad to hear you made it back to work.” He paused, wondering what to talk about with her. There was so much happening that linked to Callen, and yet Shana had been left to face his betrayal on her own.
    Shana held his eyes. “Don’t be afraid to talk in front of me. I told Phoebe I’m tired of everyone tiptoeing around me. Callen died and it’s awful. And now I know he wasn’t who I thought he was, which makes it all worse. The town’s in an uproar, so don’t try to act like nothing’s going on. The way I see it, it’s better if I hear what’s happening. Otherwise, I’ve got a million places I can go in my head, most of them even worse.”
    Jake considered Shana’s words. Ever since he’d stumbled on Callen’s betrayal, he’d wondered how Shana was feeling. She was a strong woman, one of the strongest female shifters in the area. He figured Callen’s betrayal would sting even more as a result. She’d been a leader in Catamount, alongside Callen. Though she’d been cleared