enough, and he’d asked how he might serve her. She supposed that was pretty submissive. But then he’d had no problem pushing her down on the mattress and fucking her ass…so she just didn’t know.
Maybe Jack was only considered submissive because he was younger than Case or Eli. Maybe he’d only been feeling her out last night to see if he needed to obey her too. She couldn’t think of a polite way to ask. She’d have to make a list so the next time Eli asked if she had any questions, she could whip it out.
The kitchen was bigger than she remembered it being from the mad rush up to Case’s bedroom. It was brighter too. Eli stood in front of the island cracking eggs into a big bowl. He’d already chopped up a pepper and onion, and there was bacon sizzling in a cast iron skillet on what looked to be a professional grade stove. A fan whirred softly at the edge of her hearing, and she smiled. She hated turning on the clunky old vent fan in her apartment’s kitchen. It rattled and roared so loudly she usually just cracked open a window instead. If she’d had the money, she’d have paid for the upgraded silent version too.
The island was a large expanse of dark granite. The cabinets were a simple pine that had obviously been custom built to fit the space. The cooking area wasn’t particularly large, having been designed so that everything necessary was within easy reach. What she hadn’t noticed last night was that there was an eating nook tucked away on the other side of the island. The windows had been dark last night. This morning, sunlight fell warmly on a square farm table. There was a padded bench seat along both corner walls and three sturdy wooden chairs pushed up to the table.
She leaned against the counter while Jack walked to the cupboard for hot chocolate supplies.
Maggie watched Eli for a moment, admiring his easy competence. When he glanced up at her, she smiled. “Do you need any help?”
“I’ve got it. You can sit at the table if you want. Or out in the great room.” He paused. “I could serve you in bed. I should’ve thought of that sooner.”
She shook her head. Her hair was beginning to dry from the shower and her curls bounced against her cheeks. “I want to stay out of bed while I can.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her. “You feel okay this morning? The heat is still gone?”
“For now.” She stretched. “I feel pretty wonderful actually.”
Jack slid a steaming mug in her direction and held up a can of whipped cream. Shaking her head, she lifted the mug to her lips and blew through the steam. Jack topped his with whipped cream and when he took a sip, a dab clung to his lower lip. He caught it with his tongue, and the first faint quiver of heat stirred in her belly. Jack came around the counter and pulled out a stool to sit beside her.
“Is there much money in wilderness adventures?” she asked.
“Usually not for the guides,” Eli said, “but we’re all partners in the business and share the profits. Case was born to the pack that owned the land previously. His mother died shortly after his sister was born. One of her mates died the same year in a climbing accident, and the other couldn’t stand to stay in the area. He moved up to Washington and visits every once in a while. He signed over the land to Case and Margot.”
“I didn’t realize Case had a sister. Will I get to meet her?”
“Maybe. She went human and it makes her uncomfortable to be around the rest of the pack.”
Maggie stirred her hot chocolate. “Does she regret it?”
“I don’t know. She was seeing a human man at the time and didn’t want him to know what she was. Their marriage only lasted five years. I can’t say whether she regrets giving up her wolf for him. She doesn’t come around much, and frankly I’d be too afraid to ask her.”
Maggie smiled. “She’s like Case then?”
Eli shook his head. “They’re not anything alike. For one thing, Margot sold her