Page 30 of An Uncertain Claim

My lips flattened as I considered whether to admit what had irritated me. Especially after her reaction to my possessiveness and jealousy earlier. I hadn’t been happy about exhibiting those emotions either, yet here I was, annoyed that she wasn’t still branded by wearing my clothes. We’d struck a deal about honesty though, and I wondered if perhaps she was experiencing similar emotions towards me. If so, maybe we could figure everything out together. “I preferred it when you were wearing my clothes. I liked that it made it clear you belong to me. My wolf was an even bigger fan.”

Tanner and Peyton were both looking at me as if I’d just announced that I could fly. My Beta recovered first and burst out laughing. “I’ve always appreciated how blunt you are, but you might want to consider a subtler route with your woman.”

Peyton cocked her head and studied Tanner for a moment, then asked, “Why? Guessing what people are thinking is time-consuming and exhausting.”

He swallowed hard, trying to contain another laugh. “You make an excellent point, Peyton. I stand corrected.”

She glanced at me, obviously confused by Tanner. I shrugged. “Don’t try to figure him out. I can see inside his head, and I still stopped trying a century ago.” I set a fork on one of the plates of quiche and pushed it toward her on the island. “Eat.”

Scowling, she sauntered over and climbed onto one of the high chairs. “When are you going to learn to stop ordering me around?”

My wolf growled, not happy with her tone. But I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at her. “Are you hungry?”

“That’s not the point,” she tried to argue.

“I’m making it the point,” I grunted as I fetched another fork from the silverware drawer. “Whether I ordered you or not, the result will be the same. So stop being stubborn and eat.” Picking up the other plate, I rounded the island and sat in one of the two remaining chairs.

Peyton considered her options for a beat, then picked up her utensil. “Okay.”

A muffled sound came from Tanner again, but his shoulders shook, and I threw him an irritated glare. “Go wait in my office.”

“I don’t get any breakfast?” Tanner gasped dramatically.

“No.”

“Anyone ever told you you’re a bit of a diva?” Peyton piped up suddenly.

Tanner sputtered and I laughed hard, grinning at my mate. I truly enjoyed Peyton as a person, particularly when her sharp mouth was directed at someone else. When an awkward silence fell, I stopped contemplating Peyton, who was eating her breakfast, seemingly oblivious to the tension.

However, Tanner studied me thoughtfully and I narrowed my eyes.Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to go to my office?

I still want to talk about Peyton. I have a proposal.

I gave him a subtle shake of my head.It can wait until later.

His dark eyes darted to Peyton, then met mine again.She should probably be a part of the discussion.

I’ll decide after we discuss it first.

“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here,” Peyton muttered before eating the last bite of her breakfast. “And quit it, Nathan.”

“Quit?” I queried, unsure what she was referring to.

She swiveled her chair toward me. “Yes, quit making decisions about me without consulting me.”

I couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from my lips. “I told you I’d try, not that I would succeed.”

Peyton smirked. “I’m going to prove it eventually.” I raised a brow and waited for her punchline. “That I can teach an old dog new tricks.”

Tanner laughed, but I grabbed the seat of her chair and dragged it closer until I could whisper in her ear. “What makes you think you’ve seen all of my tricks, baby?” Tanner’s shifter ears wouldn’t have a problem hearing what I’d said, but that hadn’t been the purpose of my low tone. When Peyton shivered, I smiled in triumph at eliciting the reaction I’d been aiming for.

Peyton leaned back so she could see my face and I wasn’t sure what to expect from the calculating gleam in her emerald orbs. “I’ll make you a deal. You show me a new trick and give me another back rub and I’ll show you just how flexible cats really are.”

Heat engulfed my body and I growled at Tanner, “Get out.”

Peyton shook her head. “I want to know what he came to talk about first.” She leaned in until our mouths were barely a breath away. “Anticipation is the best form of foreplay, right?” Snickering, she hopped down from her seat and took her empty dish to the sink.

I closed my eyes and tried to think about anything that would cool my desire. My wolf didn’t care what else was happening around us, his only thought was acting on the passion, and it made it all the more difficult to calm down. After a minute, I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. To avoid escalating my libido again, I focused on Tanner and made a gesture for him to take the lead. “What did you want to discuss?”

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