yours.”
“What would you know about the tribulations of family? You seem like a loner to me,” she teased.
“Oh, I’m the quintessential family guy. Got plenty of family—larger than yours, I’m sure. We’re just...estranged.”
Jess quirked a brow. “Black sheep, huh?”
“You could say that. It’s not like I did anything wrong so much as I didn’t want to go along with what they had planned for my life.”
“I get that.” Boy, did she ever. “My three older brothers are always trying to tell me what to do.” Along with what to wear and who to date, Jess added silently to herself. “Only one of my brothers seems to understand the pressure of being a younger sibling in our family. And he’s got the advantage of being a guy.”
“You the only girl?”
Jess nodded, twisting her hair around her finger. As a little sister, she had no hope. Davis, Edgar and her older twin, Paul, were always going to think they had a right to run her life. Which was precisely why tonight had been her only shot at a one-night stand.
She turned out toward the water, heading down a steep hill, the streetlights almost nonexistent as she wound down the gravel driveway to the large white craftsman-style house perched on a bluff overlooking the water.
It was two houses, really, both heavy and squat with massive squared pillars and multipaned windows, hooked together with an extended railed porch and uplit to show off the architecture and the manicured landscaping. At one time the larger had been the main house her great-great-grandfather had built for his seven kids, and the other a carriage house.
Her parents had had the brilliant idea of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, but that business had dissolved after their sudden deaths. Only by Davis and Paul selling off their two homes and refinancing had they been able to afford to keep the place, leaving her living there still with all four of her brothers. The only good thing was she didn’t have to share a bathroom, since each bedroom had its own. The bad thing was she was rarely ever truly alone. Except for tonight.
Davis was on patrol. Edgar was working overtime as the county’s coroner and Paul, who was mayor of Sinclair, was at a city council meeting. Riley was off playing military guy, which left her alone to play doctor with her date. She sincerely doubted if he’d care that she was only licensed as a teacher.
“That’s a lot of house for one person,” Ty said beneath his breath.
Jess pulled into her parking spot and killed the engine. “Yeah, it would be if I lived here alone.”
Ty stiffened, the skin tightening around his eyes as his gaze bored into her. Her offhand comment had made him uneasy. She’d lived around enough testosterone to know the signs, and noticed that his left hand closed into a fist. “You’re not married, are you?”
Jess speared him with a no-nonsense gaze that removed any doubt how she felt about his question. “No.”
“Kids?”
“No. Worse.”
His brows rose in question.
“Brothers.”
Ty visibly relaxed, his mouth slowly spreading into a devastating half smile that made her stomach backflip. His lips were on the full side, like Brad Pitt’s. Sexy. Perfect for long, slow kisses. “Is that all?”
She couldn’t help but laugh as he opened the door and climbed out, coming around the truck to open her door for her. He offered a hand to help her down from the truck. Jess slipped her hand into his much larger, warm one. A zap of something potent zipped along her nerve endings, an instant attraction that made her warm all over despite the chill in the air.
She stood for a second looking up at his face. “You’re the first guy I’ve met who doesn’t see that as a problem.”
Ty shrugged. “I have—had,” he amended quickly, “more brothers than I care to count.”
Her smile faded. He sounded so sad. She could hear the mourning in his voice. “I’m sorry. Something bad happened to them?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. They’re still alive. Just don’t want anything to do with me, that’s all. And right now the feeling is mutual.”
“Oh.” It really was the only thing Jess could say. She couldn’t imagine life without her brothers. Okay, that wasn’t totally honest. She imagined life without her brothers interfering all the time, but that wasn’t the same as living without them for the rest of her life.
She’d been surrounded by her brothers, knew what it was like to live with a bunch of overprotective men, but Ty jumping in to protect her from that creepy trio of guys at the tavern was somehow different. He wasn’t trying to protect her from living her life, like her brothers did, he’d been trying to make sure danger didn’t touch her. And that bumped his sex appeal up to a whole other level. What girl didn’t want a good-looking prince charming, even if he was a dark knight?
They walked, holding hands in companionable silence, toward the house. What exactly was a person supposed to say to someone she invited into her bed for just the night? Glancing at his strong profile, Jess could easily see herself falling for someone like him. Hold your horses, girl. You don’t even know him, her intellect said firmly. Her libido put intellect into a half-nelson wrestling hold, as she’d seen Davis do a dozen times to Paul, and screamed for her to go for it.
They stepped onto the wide railed porch that surrounded her house. She pushed her key into the lock. Beyond that door was a whole empty house, just waiting for her to take advantage of any available surface she pleased, including the thick plush rug before the large fireplace. Her heart rate sped up at the thought.
“Do you mind if we just stay out here for a moment before we go in?” he asked.
Jess turned and glanced at him. “You really are the outdoor type, aren’t you?”
* * *
She had no idea. Most nights he spent hunting. But Ty had his own reasons for wanting to scout out the grounds before going indoors. He didn’t teach anything to his students he didn’t do himself. He needed to know precisely what his surroundings were.
Gravel in the driveway would alert him to any cars pulling in. The house was two stories, but the balcony walkway that surrounded the second level made access far too easy. Wind was from the west, blowing across the water, making it easier to smell trouble coming.
Ty was grateful she wasn’t the type to chatter just to fill in the quiet. She seemed comfortable with who she was, but underneath he could scent a yearning for something just a bit naughty—peppermint, spicy yet sweet.
“I run an outdoor survival school. Guess it kind of comes with the territory.”
“I know.” She leaned her hip against the railing. “There’s not much people around here know about you, but they do know that.”
Which was just the way Ty wanted to keep it. The less the locals knew about him, the less risk there was they’d find out the truth. People were just getting used to the idea that vampires existed. They’d freak if they found out Weres did, too. Especially in a community
