Unable to help himself, he leaned down and nipped her earlobe. “You hungry for chocolate?”

Swallowing hard, she gave his chest a small shove. “Don’t even start. If you get me worked up with no release, I’ll make you pay for it tonight.”

“What if I promise to drizzle chocolate all over myself and let you lick it off?” And after, he wanted to lick every inch of her.

She blinked once at his question. They’d never played with food before—he’d always been too eager to get inside her to even think about indulging in any games—but the thought was wildly erotic.

Even though her cheeks flushed pink, she nodded, a grin playing across her full lips. “That sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“Please just leave that,” Kat said as she took December’s empty dinner plate from her. After spending the afternoon at her store, Kat had invited her and Liam over for dinner. It was still December’s home after all, though December had transferred most of her pictures and personal items to the ranch.

December reluctantly let it go and started to sit back down at the kitchen table, but Liam snagged a hand around her waist and pulled her into his lap. She instantly curled into his embrace, wrapping her arm around his neck in a familiar hold. Seeing them so happy with each other warmed Kat’s heart.

“At least she listens to you,” Liam grumbled and Kat guessed he was only half joking.

“He wants me to work less,” December said, her focus on Kat as she started to clear the table.

“Sit,” Jayce murmured as he took over clearing away the dirty dishes. He’d also cooked—something that immensely shocked her.

Too surprised to do anything else, she did as he directed, crossing one leg over the other as she sat back down and looked at the happy couple. “Work less or not at all?”

“What do you think?” December raised an eyebrow.

Kat just shook her head. “It’s good for her to be on her feet and stay active while she’s pregnant,” she said to Liam.

His dark eyes narrowed. “Is taking her side a female thing?”

“No, it’s a best-friend thing. But it’s also true. She’d go crazy if you kept her cooped up at the ranch all the time.”

“See? I told you.” December dropped a quick kiss on her mate’s lips, earning a ghost of a smile from him.

Wanting to change the subject for December’s sake—Liam had that look in his eye that said this conversation was not over—Kat veered toward something much safer. “So I take it your baked goods have been a success?” At the store today they’d been practically sold out by the time Kat and Jayce had arrived.

December’s blue eyes brightened. “Yes. I think it’s a combination of them being good and people interested in seeing me now that I’m different.” She used air quotes as she said the word “different.”

What people might not realize was that December didn’t have many shifter abilities and wouldn’t until after the baby was born. She healed faster than a normal human, but she was still incredibly vulnerable. It wasn’t like the change had affected her personality either.

“Have you noticed a difference in attitudes toward you?” Jayce asked quietly from the sink even though Kat figured he already knew the answer.

He’d been at the store today and nothing got by that man. Maybe he just wanted December to vocalize it for clarification.

Moving against her mate, December nodded. “Yeah. People I thought were friends are distant, some almost hostile, but on the plus side my business has almost tripled.”

Kat idly ran her finger along the stem of her wineglass. She’d noticed some angry glares from a few customers at the store today but prayed it wouldn’t turn into a large-scale thing. The locals were angry about the recent killings and Kat couldn’t really blame them. Right now that wasn’t the most important thing on her mind though. Taking a deep breath, she decided to bite the bullet and confess to her friends what she’d done a few days ago. She’d thought about waiting, but having Jayce here gave her strength. He hadn’t judged her when she’d told him she’d taken pictures of that list from Liam. No, he’d just told her to own up to it.

“Listen, guys, I need to tell you something.” Out of the corner of her eye, Kat saw Jayce straighten and lean against the counter in front of the sink. Right about now she wished he was holding her hand, but she needed to face this on her own. Not act like a coward. She’d done a crappy thing and it was time to come clean.

December’s eyebrows drew together. “What is it?”

“The other day when I stopped by your house, I, uh . . .” She just needed to get it out. “When I asked to use your bathroom, I was lying. You had mentioned something about that list of APL members, so I went searching for it. I totally took advantage of your trust, and when I found it, I took pictures of some of the pages with my cell phone. Not all of it, but it doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have violated our friendship or your home that way and I’m so ashamed. And I’m so incredibly sorry.” She looked back and forth between Liam and December. “I just hope both of you can forgive me.”

Surprise registered on both their faces, making her feel even crappier. Clasping her hands in her lap, she looked down at her white knuckles and quickly blinked away tears. As she did, she felt strong hands settle on her shoulders. She hadn’t even heard Jayce move, but there he was, supporting her. Savoring his strength, she risked looking up to find December half smiling at her.

“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m not gonna lie—it surprises me, but it’s not like this is a big unforgivable thing.” December reached out and squeezed her hand.

Kat wasn’t so sure about that.

“I’m going to have to tell Connor, Kat,” Liam said quietly. “We leave our doors unlocked and our homes open to all pack members because there’s a built-in level of trust. I know you don’t understand that now, but it’s something that’s important to the very core of what makes pack life strong, unbreakable.”

Her throat tight, she nodded, afraid that the hot tears burning her eyes were going to spill over at any moment. What Liam did next surprised her. He kissed his mate’s neck, then slid December off his lap and pulled Kat into a tight hug. “You’re part of our pack now, Kat. If you want something, all you have to do is ask,” he murmured against the top of her head. “And if you need me to spell it out, of course we forgive you.”

That did it. The tears fell freely then, but she also felt a sense of freedom. They both forgave her, and even if they trusted her, she still planned to make it up to them. With a lighter heart, she pulled back and accepted December’s embrace, then finally Jayce’s as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

After serving dessert and talking for another couple of hours, December and Liam left and Kat found herself alone with Jayce. Something she’d been looking forward to all day. Especially since he’d made such wicked promises of mixing chocolate and sex: two of her favorite things.

But something heavy weighed on her heart and she needed time to adjust to the emotions raging through her. Things between her and Jayce were happening so fast. Being around him had turned her world upside down once again and she still didn’t know what the future between them was. He was here because of his job and training Erin. But would he be here otherwise? She didn’t think so. And she didn’t want to ask.

Kat slid the lock on the front door into place and leaned her forehead against it. Thanks to the winter air outside, it was cool against her skin. All she wanted to do was curl up under the covers, close her eyes to the outside world, and sleep. Alone. Telling Jayce that, however, wasn’t going to be fun.

Especially since he’d been so supportive tonight. She felt Jayce’s presence before strong arms slid around her, pulling her back tight against his chest. He lightly nuzzled the spot on her neck right below her ear. Right where she was ultrasensitive.

A shiver curled through her, but she fought it. “Jayce . . .”

He stiffened behind her, maybe because of her tone. Slightly lifting his head, he didn’t loosen his embrace. “Why do I think I’m not going to want to hear this?”

“I need some space tonight. Not because of you.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She needed to think clearly and that was impossible if she had a naked Jayce in her bed.

“Space? As in you want to sleep alone.” Not a question. A stark statement that left her feeling cold.

“Yeah.” While she might want his strong arms around her, she needed time to think. As she’d watched Liam and December’s interaction tonight, she’d felt a scratching pain deep inside her. Their communication was so easy, so natural, and they looked so damn happy together that it made her ache. Kat was so happy for her friend, but at the same time, seeing them together was a reminder that she and Jayce would never have that.

He’d said he loved her and she believed him. But his version of love and her version were two different things. He was the enforcer for the Council. And while she might not exactly want the whole white-picket-fence thing—that was a little too boring for her—she did want to settle down and have a family eventually. Not now, but she knew herself well enough to realize that she’d end up wanting more than Jayce could give her emotionally. He’d proven it before and she didn’t know if she had the strength to deal with another heartbreak from him. After what he’d told her about his brother—and what she knew about his father—she couldn’t see him ever giving her everything she wanted. He’d never had any examples of lasting relationships. Hell, his father and brother had both had their mates torn from them. Jayce wasn’t motivated to give all of himself to her, and part of her understood why. The longer she was with him, the harder it would be to pull away later—at this point she didn’t think she could. Damn him for making her open up her heart again.