Jonah grips my arms, spins me around and I hear his breath hitch before feeling his fingers trail up my spine. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he growls. His words startle me. Does he really think that or is he being polite? Jonah never says things like that, he is a lot like his father, a man of few words.
I look at him over my shoulder and his eyes flicker again, his gaze on my neck, and I feel the blood rush to my face, my stomach a mess of butterflies.
“Jonah?” I whisper, and his gaze moves to mine.
“Huh?” He scrubs a hand down his face. “Oh, right,” he says, reaching his hand toward my hair. I pull away from him, wondering what he is doing. “Stay still, eyes ahead,” he mutters.
Turning back, I stare at the wall, obeying his command. What is he thinking?
A shiver runs up my spine as his fingers graze the back of my neck and he clears his throat, tugging my hair tie from my hair. My hair falls down my back to just below my bottom in long waves.
“Jonah, I can’t leave it down. It will drive me insane,” I protest, turning to look at him. He steps around me, moving to the dresser and grabbing my brush and coming over to me.
His hand moves to my hip, as he leads me further into the open plan living room. He sits on the leather couch, tugging me down to sit between his legs.
“I’m braiding it, just keep still for me,” Jonah announces in a low tone. Is it me, or is it that Jonah is having trouble containing himself?
“You can braid? Not even I can braid,” I tell him in surprise. He runs the brush down my in silence. Is there more on his mind than he shows? Jonah sure is acting weird.
Jonah taps my thigh. “Sit up, you’re sitting on your hair.” I lift my bottom and he pulls the hair out from under me.
“And yes, I can. I used to braid Rose’s hair, she always said mom was too rough with the brush, mom taught me,” Jonah chuckles. I’m impressed because not even I can braid.
“Mom blamed Rose, said she squirmed too much and went to hack at it with scissors one day and dad snapped at her. It was always a battle for mom to do her hair every morning, so she taught me and I was the one who did it for her from her first day of school until she could do it herself,” Jonah tells me.
“Will Rose be here tonight? Gosh, I miss her,” I ask, hoping she would be; I could use some company.
“No, she has exams next week, and she wants to study. Plus, she hates being at formal events, just like Mom and you,” he murmurs the last word below my ear while leaning forward. His voice sends goosebumps down my spine.
His fingers move easily through my hair, and it doesn’t take him long before he is nearly finished. His fingers move quickly and gently.
“How is Rose?” I ask him, trying not to focus on how his thighs feel on either side of mine. I can practically feel the heat radiating from his closeness.
“Good, I spoke with her earlier. She had a boyfriend for a bit and Dad did not approve. She wants to transfer to your school next year after she and he had a fight. Dad said maybe she could, but only if she behaves,” Jonah explains.
“Behaves?” I ask him.
“Yes, Rose and mom got into a fight after she caught Rose skipping school to hang out with Tyran, man did dad kick his ass,” Jonah chuckles.
“I’m surprised you didn’t,” I tell him. I know how close he is to his sister, surely Jonah would do anything to defend her, and her honor.
“I never said I didn’t. Why do you think I was back at home? She deserves better.” I can almost hear the smug smile on his lips.
“That’s why you came back?” I question.
“Yes, I wasn’t planning on going home until I spoke to Rose this morning. I was only planning on picking you up, but when she rang me and said her boyfriend upset her, I ducked home real quick,” Jonah tells me.
“Bet Rose wasn’t happy,” I mutter the reply. I can easily claim that I know Rose well enough to imagine how she felt when Jonah appeared to teach this boyfriend a lesson.
“Not at all, but once I met him, I understood why dad didn’t like him. Cocky shit, I wasn’t impressed,” Jonah snarls.
“Why weren’t you impressed?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Because she can do better than him for one, and secondly he mouthed off at my father when I got there, saying he was going to claim Rose as his chosen. Rose looked like she was about to slap him but she didn’t get a chance,” Jonah chuckles as if the messed up situation amuses him more than it could worry him.
“Yes, she was always daddy’s girl,” I chuckle, and Jonah nods. That is totally something Rose would do, so I can’t help but smile.
“Yes, dad told him he wasn’t to step on pack territory again. He was the Beta’s son from the White River Pack, so now Rose wants to transfer schools.” I nod.
Rose is somewhat similar to me, we are both nerdy and maybe that’s why we get along so well. Although she is more sociable than me, wildly so, and she is a little miss popular at her school.
“There. All done,” Jonah tells me as he drapes my braid over my shoulder to show me.
I touch it, looking over at him behind me. “Thank you,” I tell him and he pats my side, wanting me to get up.