Jaguar Pride Read Online Free PDF Page B

to you later. Have an incoming call from your partner.”
    Huntley smiled. He had beaten Melissa by a few seconds. “Talk later.”
    He started his laundry and made up a batch of popcorn, already missing Melissa’s cooking. He cooked, but somehow the way she fixed meals seemed so effortless, and they tasted a whole lot better than his attempts.
    He plunked himself down on the couch to watch TV, but then gave Genista a call. “Hey, got home and wanted to check in with you.”
    Silence.
    He frowned. “Are you still there?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œSo, how are things going on your mission?”
    â€œThey’re going, all right?”
    He paused, considering her situation. “Can’t talk right now?” He understood all too well how difficult it could be on a mission, but he’d just wanted to make a connection with her. Let her know he was fine and ensure she was also. “Are you okay?”
    â€œI’ve got a job to do. All right?”
    Okay, this wasn’t what he had expected. “Yeah, I got it. Do you want me to ask Martin if he could cancel my leave and I can join you to help with your assignment?”
    â€œNo! Huntley, what you see in ‘us’ is totally one-sided. I don’t want anything more than…”
    He waited, wondering why the hell he hadn’t seen the signs that their relationship was this much in the toilet. Or maybe he had. He’d been working so hard, and she had also, that he’d thought the problem was just that. Hot under the collar now, he said, “Is there someone else?”
    â€œNo,” she said, her tone softening. “It’s not like that. I just…I just don’t want what you want. I don’t want you to believe there’s really any future in us .”
    â€œ Oh…kay . Well, where do we go from here?”
    â€œI already moved out. I put in a change of address for my mail. I’ll see you around the office. We can still work missions together, but that’s it. Okay?”
    He couldn’t believe it without seeing it for himself. He immediately rose from the couch and headed for the closet and looked inside. Sure enough, all her clothes were gone.
    â€œSure.” But it wasn’t okay. He’d met her on a mission, fell head over heels for her, and thought that what they had was something special. Except ever since she’d moved in with him three months ago, she’d been pulling back, finding excuses to be absent or on a mission. God, how could he have been so clueless? “All right. Well, I’ll let you get back to your mission then.”
    â€œI’m sorry that it didn’t work out,” she said.
    â€œYeah, me too. But better that we learn about it sooner rather than carrying this too far. It just would have been nice if you’d let me know before you moved out on me.”
    Silence.
    â€œOkay, well, have a safe mission.” And he meant it with all his heart.
    â€œYeah, have a nice vacation.” And then she ended the call.
    He felt numb. He called his triplet brother, Everett, but he was in Venezuela on a mission, and Huntley couldn’t get hold of him. He might have been running as a jaguar. He tried calling his sister, Tammy, but all he got was her voice mail. She was probably working with her new mate, David, on training some shifter teens as future JAG agents.
    Huntley decided he should just watch TV to get his mind off Genista and the last mission, and just, well, chill. He turned the TV on and flipped from one channel to another. Nothing appealed, not sports, or mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, police procedurals, nothing. He couldn’t quit thinking about all the signs Genista had given him that she was interested in calling it quits…signs he hadn’t paid any attention to.
    It was seven o’clock. Screw this. He turned off the TV, left the partly eaten bowl of popcorn—now cold—on the table, and headed for the