Page 13 of Fifty & Feral

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed silent. He could always talk to me. He could’ve talked to me anytime in the past twenty-four hours, but instead, he’d ignored me.

As I stepped across the threshold, I brushed against Jack’s broad chest. He radiated warmth. A low rumble vibrated through his chest, making me gasp. His jaw tensed, and it was like his body rippled with energy. He shuddered.

“Are you sure you are all right?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Let’s talk outside on the back deck.”

“Okay,” I said. “Whatever you need.”

I followed Jack through the house and to the backyard. The deck was the composite type that didn’t require staining and power washing maintenance. On the left side there was a grill built into a stone wall that served as the edge of the deck.

“Oh damn,” I said. “This is a nice space.”

Toward the back of the yard, on the edge of the woods was a small guest house his daughter lived in. Between the house and the woods was a vast green yard with a horseshoe pit and fire pit. It would be the perfect place to host parties and cookouts.

“Thanks, I’d love to take credit for it, but it was here when I bought the place.”

Jack went to the grill area and opened a lid on what appeared to be a mini bar. He pulled out two glasses and a bottle of brown liquid.

“Any requests? I’ve got bourbon or some vodka, or just plain soda. Don’t get too fancy with your requests, I’m not a professional,” he said.

I smiled. He seemed to be relaxing more the longer I was here. Already his eyes were looking brighter.

“Bourbon’s fine.”

He poured two glasses and even put in the special whiskey ice cubes for it.

We sat on the chairs that faced the yard. The early-evening sun shone through the trees, giving the yard a warm, comfortable vibe. It was exactly the kind of space I could find myself enjoying night after night, especially if I was next to Jack. I snuck a glance at him, but he didn’t look my way. Instead, he sipped slowly on his drink.

“You probably shouldn’t stay too late,” he said. “Not because I don’t want you here, I do. I just... the nights have been odd lately.”

“How so?” I asked.

He shook his head, not meeting my eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy.”

“Jack. I showed up unannounced at a dude’s house that I’ve only ever talked to on the phone after you ignored my texts and calls for a day, I’m not the authority on crazy here.”

He laughed, then smiled. He reached a hand over and laid it over mine. “You have no idea how good it feels to laugh. I feel like I’ve been living in a cloud the last few weeks.”

“What do you mean? Did something happen?” I wished the chairs were easier to move, or better yet, I could just climb in his lap and snuggle into him. That would be crossing so many lines. Either way, I wanted to be closer to him and offer him the comfort of my touch.

Jack and I were just friends. Acquaintances, really. Yet I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more. This connection we had wasn’t just because we were both men of a certain age. There was more to it. It was deeper… and dare I say, it wasn’t just friendly either. The fantasies swirling through my head since I laid eyes on his broad shoulders and muscular forearms were far from friendly.

“I’ve—” He sighed loudly, then looked away. He turned back to me, and his eyes were weary. He ran a hand through his grey hair. “Promise me you’ll hear me out? Just… I’m not crazy, okay? I even have proof. Sort of. I think I do, anyway. Fuck, I hope I didn’t hallucinate Mason’s visit.”

I did get off my chair now and came to his side. Old knees be damned, I knelt down and looked at him. “Hey, no judgment here, okay? I came over today because I am drawn to you more than I’ve ever been drawn to another person, which sounds crazy. I came because I like you and I was kind of hoping that maybe you liked me, too, and we could go out sometime.” I bit my lip. Fuck, that sounded goofy as hell. “I know how that sounds. Like I’m some teenager with a crush, passing you a note to see if we could be boyfriends, but dammit, life is too short, Jack. I like you. I hope you like me, too.” I threw all my feelings out there—most of them, anyway. Risks be damned, I had to know if he felt that same way. And I sensed he needed a friend if nothing else.

As if sensing that I might move away from him, Jack reached out and cupped my cheek. “I feel the same. If I’d been in any condition to leave the house this week to go find you, I would have.”

I tried to hold back the smile because this was a serious conversation and I didn’t want to seem too eager, but then again, I was kneeling in front of a man I’d practically stalked, and I’d just told him I had a crush on him, so maybe being overeager was not really a concern.

I liked him. A lot. More than I’d ever liked another guy. We clicked. Conversations were easy and comfortable. And he was hot as hell to boot. I wanted to thread my fingers into his gray hair and pull him down for a kiss, letting that beard brush against my face as he kissed me. Maybe brush against other places too.

Which was why his next words threw me for a loop.

“I’m a werewolf,” he said.

As if he was announcing that it might rain.