Page 7 of Seducing His Mate
“On your own hunting ground,” Molokai teased. “This one has some balls.”
Trent just shook his head. “That she does.”
“Is she your mate?” a sweet voice asked. “Do you want her? Is it uncontrollable, Trent?”
Everyone turned to Diana, Lucas’s mate, leaning against the countertop. Trent glanced to each brother before returning to Diana’s knowing gaze. He hated to admit it, fought with it, but the truth couldn’t be denied. “Jenna is the one.”
Lucas cleared his throat while sliding into his chair. He gathered the contracts in his hand, looked them over one last time, then stacked them neatly in one pile. “Our lawyer will look at these on Monday to verify their validity, but what do you want?”
Trent’s lips twitched, but he didn’t hesitate. “I want to help her, love her, claim her sassy ass, then marry her.”
Grunts and sighs came from Beau, Molokai, and Micah, but it was understandable. They hadn’t met their mates yet, so they didn’t know the pull that one woman would have on their bear or the man, but Lucas knew.
“Then help her. That damn restaurant is going to crumble if someone doesn’t do something with it. It has sat empty for at least thirty years. We don’t need it or want it, and this is dad’s signature. Legality doesn’t matter anyway once you marry her.” Lucas glanced at Diana before finishing. “I know all too well what this means. I can’t say I’m not surprised, but we can’t wait to meet the woman who denied you. It sounds like you have your hands full. Go claim your mate, Trent.”
Chapter 9
Jenna stretched and yawned before bolting upright in the bed as a deep voice huskily whisperedgood morning. Her entire body tensed at the timbre of the man it belonged to. Facing him would lead to her doom, she knew it, but rolled over anyway to find Trent relaxing in a chair, watching her, and cup of coffee in hand.
Her gaze immediately dropped to his tongue, sliding slowly across his bottom lip, licking a drop of caramel-colored coffee away. Hiding under the covers wasn’t an option, although she wanted to, so she plastered a sleepy grin on her face.
When he picked up another and held it toward her with a sweet smile, warning bells sounded in her mind at the deceptive, domestic picture he presented. She’d imagined this scenario time and again after a night of passionate lovemaking. A navy-blue t-shirt hugged his chest and distressed jeans encased his long legs. A flannel covered his arms but was left unbuttoned. Brown, hiking boots were crossed at the ankles.
She didn’t know if she liked the businessman look or the mountain man look better. Both were equally sexy, especially on Trent, and both caused her bear to lift her head for further inspection.
He sipped his coffee as if it were the most natural thing in the world to have her in his bed, and there was a naughty glint in his eyes that made her uneasy. She bit the inside of her cheek because she knew that look. She’d seen it before he kissed her and, again, in the forest.
Trent was dangerous in this mood, a real threat to her heart. No matter what she thought she knew about him, she still wanted him. Damn he looked fine. This was her mate, the man she was destined to be with, and the man who could crush her like an ant.
Was it a mistake to accept his help? Her face tilted while studying him. It was water under the bridge at this point, and besides, she really wanted that coffee. She denied herself the privilege for months, trying to save money where she could. “Thank you,” she offered, reaching for the cup.
Cool and confident, Trent briefly smiled. “I’ve decided to give you the restaurant. My brothers all agree.”
Coffee spurted from her mouth in disbelief. “You what?”
“You can have it. Once you’re ready, I’ll take you there.”
“No.” Jenna rose from the bed and placed her coffee on the nightstand then faced Trent. “I appreciate the generosity, but no. You’ve helped me enough. It’s not right to expect anything more or for you to fix my problems. I will be leaving today.”
Trent shifted in his seat and sipped his coffee before responding. “Where are you headed and what’s the hurry?”
She really didn’t have an answer for him, but knew she needed to put distance between them before she did something ridiculously stupid like lick his entire body. Her bear grumbled at the thought of separating from Trent, but she quickly snuffed her voice. The damn beast was in heat and creating havoc with her emotions and sex drive. That had to be the reason she found Trent so irresistible.
At that exact moment, he chose to smile. Jenna lifted her chin at the devil of a bear before her andthat look, the one that set her on fire. “No. Just no.”
“Why don’t you come sit on my lap and we’ll discuss it.”
Laughter bubbled when she should be pissed at his arrogant assumptions. She may have considered taking him up on the offer, but he didn’t know it. There was nothing more that she would like than to straddle his lap and give him a taste of his own teasing medicine. Playful, naughty, and fun, he called to her with the pure male charm he oozed in large doses.
She tried to stop a grin from forming when he rose to his full height, towering above her much smaller form, but she couldn’t muster an ounce of rebuttal. When he began to step around the coffee table, she grabbed her bag, darted into the bathroom, and locked the door.
“You can run, but you can’t hide forever little bear,” he seductively whispered, from the other side of the door. “I’ll be waiting for you upstairs.”
Jenna bit her bottom lip before washing, dressing, and bolting up the steps. The fight-or-flight response kicked into overdrive as she rounded the corner only to halt dead in her tracks. Trent sat at an exam table with three adorable puppies. He grabbed a bottle from beside his foot, cradled one pup in his arm, and began feeding it.
Her mouth dropped open and snapped shut. “How are they not afraid of you?”
Hazel eyes briefly flicked her way as he spoke in a soft, calming tone. “Their mother was hit by a car. I’m all they’ve ever known besides my employees. It was luck someone stumbled across them and brought them to me. When you’re hungry, it doesn’t matter who has the food. Care to help?”