Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 56

"You don't have to tell them if you don't want to."

Jo looked into the mirror to meet Ryker's eyes. She had taken a careful shower and was currently doing her best to comb out her messy hair while ignoring the ache in her shoulder. The clothes she was wearing had been borrowed from Lexi, just like the comb. Eventually she was going to have to go home.

"It's all right," she said, offering him a half-smile, "I promise, I do want to tell them."

Ryker frowned. He was in the doorway to the bathroom, his eyes stormy. "You're sure."

"Very sure." She set the comb down and judged herself in the mirror. Eh, decent. Her hair was still damp, but she didn't want to ask about a hair dryer right now. Lexi was a bit grouchy.

Ryker came forward and picked up the comb, their eyes meeting in the mirror as he asked a silent question. Jo shrugged but nodded, and he slowly drew it through her hair.

Okay, you could tell the man had spent some time combing his younger sister's hair for her.

Jo tilted her head back, eyes closing in pleasure at the soft scrape against her scalp. She'd been doing her own hair for so long it surprised her how good this felt. Not to mention it was so much easier to have someone else do this while her shoulder hurt.

Ryker placed a kiss against her neck as he combed, then another, then...

Jo laughed, opening her eyes. "That's not combing."

"Let me take care of you my way," Ryker grumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her back against his chest in a sort of hug.

"Your way isn't very productive."

"But it's much more enjoyable," he said with a smug look as he moved her hair behind her ear to kiss the sensitive spot below her ear. Jo shivered, suddenly finding the need to clutch his arm to stay upright instead of leaning against him. Ryker chuckled softly against her ear, the warm air heightening her sensitivity.

"Ryker," she growled, pushing at his arm. "Now is not the time! We're about to go have a serious talk with your family."

"Dinner isn't even ready yet."

"I can smell it already, so that means it's close!"

He sighed and pressed his forehead against her head for a moment. "We could skip dinner."

Jo couldn't help but laugh. "And how would that help anything, exactly?

"I mean, I'd be happy with the arrangement."

Jo rolled her eyes and pushed at his arm again. "Well, sometimes, and I know this is going to come as a shock for you, it's not all about you."

Ryker snorted. "I know you're teasing, but I never said it was about me. I'm more concerned about you here."

"I think your family can handle the news," she said, sliding out from his grasp as he loosened up. "Like I said earlier, they should know what I'm capable of."

"I hope you're capable of handling a lot of questions," Ryker said, setting down the comb he had still been holding. "They're going to be curious."

"Sort of expected that," Jo said, feeling less chipper than she was trying to force herself to sound. She wanted everything to go relatively smoothly. This was Ryker's family, but...it was also going to be hers, one day. Or now. It was hard to say with all this werewolf stuff, but she was starting to feel accepted by them. She didn't want that feeling to go away just because she was changing the dynamic a little bit. Maybe they would be happy that she could help protect them or at least protect herself.