Unable to help themselves, Ronnie and Sissy glanced at each other and back at Laura Jane.

Then Ronnie Lee asked, “She-jackal?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Toni hadn’t needed an alarm clock to get her up in the morning for years, because getting up late meant she’d had to deal with full-blown arguments rather than preventing them. So when the sun streaming through the big windows hit her right in the face, she instantly knew she had to get up. Although her mother made breakfast for all the kids—she loved to talk to her pups in the morning, feed them, and then send them out into the day with her favorite phrase: “You’re all equally amazing. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.”—Toni still had to make sure that the older kids had all their supplies, knew their schedules, and most importantly, took care of basic hygiene. Oriana wasn’t a problem, but Kyle and Troy often simply forgot. They became so absorbed in their work or whatever they were studying that things like brushing their teeth, bathing, or changing their socks were considered secondary.

Toni didn’t consider them secondary, so she knew she had to get up. But, for some reason, Toni didn’t want to get up. She was entirely too comfortable here, face down on this very warm couch that smelled really good. So good, in fact, that Toni ended up rubbing her face against that couch.

That’s when the couch growled.

Toni’s eyes snapped open at the same time she sat up, realizing to her horror that she’d been asleep atop Ricky Lee Reed’s chest. Possibly for the entire night!

Amber eyes surrounded by surprisingly long eyelashes opened, and a slow, lazy smile spread across his lips when his gaze locked on her. “Mornin’, darlin’.”

“Why am I on your chest? Why was I sleeping on your chest?”

“ ’Cause I’m cuddly?”

It wasn’t his stupid question but his voice that made her punch him right in the chest she’d been asleep on. No man, wolf or otherwise, should have a voice that low and sexy this early in the goddamn morning!

“Ow!” he howled, his arms covering his chest. “What was that for?”

It didn’t help that he was still grinning at her while he protected himself.

“You know exactly what that was for!” she snarled, then tried to scramble off him. But the wolf caught her by the hips and pulled her right into his lap, her legs straddling his waist.

Toni gasped and glowered down at the big bastard. “Are you hard?” she demanded, feeling something like a lead pipe pressing against her thigh.

That damn smile grew even wider. “Every mornin’ like clockwork.”

Deciding she had had enough, Toni gripped his hands and pulled them off her waist. She scooted off his lap and stood up, adjusting her clothes as she did. “You aresuch a—”

“Now, now. No call to get nasty just ’cause you cuddled up to me like I was a big ol’ teddy bear.”

“Shut up.” She started to walk out, only to realize she didn’t recognize where she was. “What is this place?”

“Your apartment,” the wolf said, his arms slipping behind his head.

“My . . . ?” It all came back to her, and Toni shook her head. “The job. I have to quit that job.”

“You’re not quitting that job.”

“Why not?”

“Because you keep that job and you keep this awesome apartment and that awesome TV. ”

“What does my TV have to do with you?”

“I can’t come over and watch it?”

“No!”

“No loyalty among you jackals. Guess the Bible got it right about y’all.”

“The Bible is biased. Jackals are a wonderful—oh! Why am I arguing with you?” she demanded before marching off toward a doorway.

“Not a morning person?”

“Shut up!”

Silently laughing and enjoying himself thoroughly, Ricky got off the couch and followed after the angry little jackal.

She actually hadn’t fallen asleep on him. Or even cuddled up to him. She’d just fallen asleep on the opposite end of the couch, her hands and feet twitching away as she ran in her dreams. And sure, Ricky could have left her over there and slept on his side of the couch, or on the other two couches in the sizable room, but it had been mighty cold in that room . . . once he’d turned the air conditioner up. So he’d pulled her into his arms and she’d happily rested on his chest like she belonged there.

Perhaps not the most honorable way to handle things, but he was a wolf, not some full-human with a lot of rules and regulations about how to run his life.

Besides, she’d felt really good in his arms and had smelled even better.

Like now. All annoyed and everything, she still smelled really good.

He tracked her down into one of the bedrooms, where she stood in front of the chest of drawers.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her.

She glanced back at him. “Do you think he bought me clothes?”

“I have to say if he did . . . that would be weird.”

“Yeah.”

“Especially if they fit perfectly.”

“Stop.” She opened one of the drawers and blew out a sigh. “Empty. Good. But now I need to go home.”

“What about the bag your aunt gave you yesterday?”

“I’m wearing what she gave me.”

“She gave you a giant duffel bag with just one set of clothes?”