A Mate's Wish: (BBW Holiday Paranormal Romance)

by P. Jameson

  Renner tapped out a new text. Just call Tri-safe and have them reset things.

  It was only a few seconds but it seemed like forever before Magic answered. Already tried that. Their system is down.

  Bullshit. I need you to get us out of here now.

  If this was Magic trying to get back at him for pulling this stunt…

  My hands are tied, dipshit. That storm up north brought ice through Kansas City and Tri-safe’s power’s down. Fucked their system all up. They’re only responding to emergencies until they’re up and running again. You and your lady are stuck for a while.

  Shiiiiit. This was serious. That was the longest text he’d ever gotten from Magic. He wouldn’t have wasted his time if he was yanking Renner around.

  How long?

  No clue.

  Let me know.

  Fuck you.

  Yep. Magic was pissed. Great.

  Renner dialed up Layna again.

  She answered, but her voice was hushed, as if she was trying not to let on that she was talking to him. “You’ve really done it this time, Ren. Magic’s an inch away from changing.”

  Fuck. There was nothing Magic hated more than letting his animal take control. It had to be done every once in a while, but Magic always waited until it was too much. Until his cat was too touchy, and the littlest thing set it off.

  And this obviously wasn’t just a little thing. The spa was the highlight of the lodge. If visitors couldn’t make use of it because of this little ordeal, Magic would be doling out a shit ton of refunds. Refunds that would come out of Renner’s paycheck, no doubt.

  “Is the system working for the rest of the lodge?”

  “Yes, but it won’t let us override anything. As long as no one decides to pull their lock apart and mess with the wires—ahem—everything should be fine. You and Bethany, however, are screwed.”

  Renner sighed. “Damn.”

  “Yeah, damn. And fuck. And shit. And you’re going to hear about this for a very long time. I hope your time in there is worth it.”

  He glanced toward the back of the spa. Bethany was practically hiding from him. He doubted their time would be anywhere near worth this trouble.

  “Listen, can you bring us food? Things aren’t… going so well. Maybe it could help take her mind off of things. And who knows how long we’ll be here.”

  “Food? Are you kidding? How am I supposed to get food to you? Abra-fucking-cadabra or something, Ren?”

  Geez.

  “There’s the air purification vent above the door. You could push a dish through there. I’ll unhook it so it’s ready if you’ll just bring the food.”

  The phone was silent.

  “It’s for Bethany,” he murmured.

  More silence.

  “Fine,” Layna snapped. “For Bethany.”

  “Thank you, sis.”

  The line clicked dead as a ‘you’re welcome’.

  ***

  Beth busied herself organizing the shelves along the wall of the main parlor. She’d tried the back door that led out to the open air area where Christina did yoga classes, but it was no good. The lock set both doors. There was no way out. The simple task of separating bottles of oil by scent helped take her mind off of the situation. Made her feel a tad less trapped. Sort of.

  Maybe if she could stay busy “working” she could avoid Renner until the lock was sprung.

  She made sure all the bottle labels were lined up facing front and all the utensils were hanging side by side. The towels were folded and stacked pristinely on the racks. She wiped down all the massage tables with disinfectant even though it had already been done.

  When she’d straightened and organized everything she could find, she went back to the lotions and oils and messed them all up so she could fix them again.

  Just how long was it going to take for Magic to unlock the door?

  She sighed. Maybe this was pointless. Renner would figure out who she was eventually. She couldn’t avoid him all season. Especially with the Christmas celebration coming up. It was an all hands on deck event, and it took days to prepare in a way that wouldn’t disturb the guests. It meant lots of overtime to pad her pockets, but it also meant she’d see Renner a lot. Layna had mentioned Renner was in charge of the event.

  Layna. She couldn’t believe the first friend she’d made here at the lodge had turned out to be Renner’s older sister. Luck had no love for Beth, and this just proved it. She didn’t even know he had a sister. As kids, she’d thought he was an only child.

  She felt—not heard—him enter the room. His presence was like a warm blanket on her chilled body. And he wasn’t even near enough to breathe on her.

  What was wrong with her?

  Beth threw her shoulders back and turned to face him.

  “You hungry?” he asked. In one hand, he held a small round foil pan, and two water bottles were tucked under his arm. Whatever was in that container smelled like heaven and garlic.

  “No, thanks. You eat it.”

  Her stomach growled in argument.

  “It’s for you. Layna brought it.”

  Beth’s brows furrowed. “How did she get in here?”

  “She didn’t. I disconnected the air filter and she slid it through. Here, take it. You’re obviously hungry.”

  He shoved it into her hands so she couldn’t refuse. She swallowed the knot in her throat. She couldn’t eat now. Not with him. Eating was worse than merely spending time in the same room. Eating was something he’d always thrown in her face as being the cause of her pudginess. And even though she’d come to terms with the fact that she was always going to be on the thicker side, and even loved her curves, there was no way she could eat while he watched her. She’d end up doing weird things like chewing without breathing or fumbling the fork like a bad football play.

  Nope. Satisfying her rumbly stomach wasn’t worth it.

  Beth shook her head, hoping to slap her brain into thinking normally again. Why the hell did she care what he thought now anyway? They weren’t kids anymore. She didn’t know anything about him and he didn’t know anything about her. They’d grown up, and apart, so how could his opinion even matter now?

  “You eat it.” She shoved it back at him but he didn’t take it. He only frowned, like he was staring at a puzzle he couldn’t solve.

  Beth set the container on the counter and went back to reorganizing the bottles of oil and vitamin supplements. Renner sank into one of the couches looking perturbed.

  “So… what’s your story, Bethany?”

  Her hand hovered over a bottle. The way his voice curled around her name, it sent a shiver branching through her body and limbs like a strike of lightning.

  “How much longer do you think it will be?”

  Renner sighed. “A while probably. Why don’t you just sit and relax? Isn’t that what this place is for?”

  When she continued messing with the bottles instead of answering, he rose from the couch. He eased up behind her, his breath landing on her bare neck. She wanted to run away. Or maybe stay. If she was someone different. Or if he was.

  He reached around, covering her hand with his for a moment before pulling the bottle from her grasp and setting it back on the shelf. Then he just stood there, invading her space, staring at her profile while she stared at anything that wasn’t him.

  Come on, Beth. Get a grip. Deal with this mess like you have an ounce of badass in you.

  Before she could over think it, she turned to stare into his eyes. Attempting an even tone, she asked, “What did Layna bring?”

  He grinned, and it was the smile from her childhood. Not the sneering one he’d used to make her feel like she was worthless, but the one she’d witnessed so many times when he’d been caught off guard. A true smile.

  “I don’t know. Let’s see.” He leaned over the counter and opened the container. “Looks like pasta. Alfredo. You like that?”

  It was her favorite. And her stomach professed it for her.

&nb
sp; Renner handed her the container and a plastic fork. She took it and sat on the couch. Beth stared at the food. She could do this without making herself look like a fool. It was just food. God.

  Tuning him out, she twirled a tiny bite onto the fork and put it in her mouth. It was delicious of course. Eagan was a genius in the kitchen.

  She took several more bites before she realized Renner sat in the chair adjacent to the couch. He was lounging with one ankle over his knee. His fingers were steepled over his mouth, and his intense eyes took in her every move.

  What was he thinking?

  Was he looking at her extra pounds and wondering if she ate more salads if she’d be different?

  And the question of all questions: why the hell couldn’t she stop caring what he thought?

  But that was the thing about her. It wasn’t just Renner, the boy who’d made fun of her, that she cared about. It was everybody. It was family and friends and acquaintances. It was strangers and customers and people she passed on the street. What people thought of her mattered more than it ever should.

  It was a sick obsession, and if she didn’t find a way to stop caring about it, she’d never be happy.

  Beth dropped the fork into the container, disgusted. “You want the rest?” she asked.

  Her question seemed to break Renner out of his musings. “Don’t you like it?”

  “Sure. It’s great. Eagan is pretty amazing.”

  Renner stiffened.

  “I’m just not in the mood for food.”

  “What are you in the mood for?”

  “Bed.”

  Renner raised an eyebrow. “Any bed?”

  “My bed.”

  A wicked smile—one she’d never seen before—melted his curious expression. “But you’ve never tried my bed.”

  “And I never plan to.”

  “Ouch,” he said, grabbing his chest. “‘Never’ is a strong word.”

  How could he sit there and flirt with her, and not remember who she was? That she used to pet his hair at night when he would cry because he missed his family? And she’d never taken advantage of his weaknesses to get back at him for his cruelty. She’d just taken everything he dished out because she knew he could be better. She’d waited for him to be better.

  But he’d never was. Instead, he was moved to a different home. She never knew where and Ryan never talked about it. Neither did mom. Foster kids changed homes all the time. Renner had been the only kid they’d ever taken in, but Beth knew how it worked.

  So she’d cried. And pretended to get over all the jokes and teasing and the few random moments of actual friendship. And she wondered what had happened to him. Assumed the worse. Assumed the best. But never ever did she imagine she’d run into Renner when she took the job at the lodge.

  “You know what else is a strong word? Harassment.”

  His playful grin vanished.

  Beth stood. “I’m going to wait by the door. Maybe Magic will come through soon.” She dashed from the room before he could answer.

  Except he followed.

  “Hey, wait, Bethany…”

  God, she wished he wouldn’t say her name.

  His hand caught her arm, pulling her around. “Hey, I wasn’t… I was just…” He shook his head. “I was just joking. Trying to lighten the mood that’s all.”

  She pulled her arm free and continued to the front. He followed.

  “Did I do something to make you hate me?”

  Hate him? No. But he was working his way there, that was for sure.

  “Listen, I can’t make it right, if you don’t tell me what I did.”

  Make it right. Was that something he’d even really care about? She’d had enough.

  She spun to look at him, staring into his bewildered blue gaze. “Look at me,” she demanded. But he already was.

  Renner squinted. “Okay. I’m looking.”

  “Look at my face. Look at me. Really look at me.”

  He cocked his head to one side, staring at her in a way he hadn’t yet since their reunion. “Have we met before? Is that why you’re mad at me? Because I don’t remember you?”

  She expected her eyes to water, but something miraculous happened. Her anger kept the tears away. Temporary as it might be, she was thankful. She didn’t need to deal with waterworks right now.

  “Just… give me a hint, would ya?” His request was so desperate. Like he was filtering through twenty-seven years of memories and coming up completely blank.

  Beth shook her head sadly, her eyes falling to the floor. “One time, you told me you were afraid of spiders but I didn’t believe you and when I found one in my bed I begged you to kill it, but instead you went and got Ryan and he did it.”

  She peeked up at him. His face was stormy. High pressure had mixed with low pressure and created a swirl of jacked up energy. A tornado of every emotion that had a name. And some that didn’t.

  Beth bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying more. The truth was out, hovering between them like a hot air balloon that could run out of air at any moment and crash to the ground. All she could do was let this play out and hope it didn’t hurt too much.

  Chapter Three

  Renner couldn’t swallow. He tried twice but his damn throat refused to work for him.

  “Bethy?” his voice left him in a broken breathy rush. It couldn’t be her. His Bethy hated him. And her hair had been blonde. Mostly. With natural dark streaks. And she had freckles. The Bethy from his dreams, the way he imagined her to be all grown up, still had freckles.

  “No one calls me that anymore.”

  Renner shook his head in denial. She’d changed so much. He finally swallowed the lump in his throat. How many times had he hoped to see her again? Just to know if she was okay. To see what had become of her. He’d never ask for more. She deserved better than him. Always had.

  He brought his hand to her cheek, tilting her face up so he could see every feature. Not even her eyes were the same as he remembered. They were bigger, more open. And her lashes were long and dark. Her lips had grown to be full and fucking kissable. Her sweet round cheeks had slimmed some. Her body had filled in, in all the right places, and slimmed in others.

  With his thumb, he rubbed the makeup from her cheek, revealing a spattering of pale freckles. His heart thundered in his chest, and he felt like a boy all over again, trembling in the face of his emotions.

  It was her. It was really her.

  “My Bethy,” he whispered. “It’s you.”

  He couldn’t stop what came next. Through the years when he would wonder about her, he made himself the same promise over and over: if he ever saw her again, he would kiss the holy living hell out of her.

  Before he could think better of it, his mouth crashed down on hers. Pillow soft lips against his hard and demanding ones equaled perfection. Nothing in his imagination had ever compared to what this moment actually was.

  Tilting her head, he pressed his tongue into her hot mouth, teasing a taste of her. She was heat and home and the sensation of her wet mouth turned his knees to jelly.

  His animal prowled beneath the surface of his skin, begging to be let out. He wanted to nuzzle and feel his body move against every part of her soft skin. Wanted to lick and taste every inch. Wanted to memorize her scent and her touch and—

  Renner smelled tears, and with them, the sour note of disappointment, of hurt. These weren’t happy tears.

  He pulled back just enough to see her eyes. They were closed tight, blocking him out completely.

  “How could you do that?” she croaked, pushing farther away.

  “I made a promise.”

  She wiped her eyes, turning her back to him. Damn it, this was bad.

  “A promise to who?”

  “Myself. I swore if I ever found you, I’d kiss you. I’d kiss the hell out of you. I’ve missed you so much, Bethy.” It was the truth, and he prayed she could hear it in his voice because he needed to make this right. He wanted to kick his own a
ss to Jupiter and back for letting her slip past him these last few weeks.

  She shook her head, but let him turn her around. He stared at her anew. How could he have missed it? How had he not recognized her right away? She’d haunted his dreams for years, yet here she was. If he hadn’t locked them in this room, would he ever have realized she was girl who kept him going during the hardest time of his life?

  “But… you didn’t find me. I was right in front of your face, Ren, and you didn’t see me. You…” her lip trembled. “You forgot me.”

  He shook his head in denial. But before he could say anything else, the door beeped and the lock clicked back into place. Bethany spun, reaching for the handle, and was out of the spa faster than a blink.

  Renner breathed deep as a sense of loss overtook him. He wasn’t sure how long he stood staring at the door, trying to rein in his emotions and make sense of all that had happened.

  On autopilot, he reassembled the door panel and closed up the place before making his way outside to his bike. Luckily, he didn’t see Layna or Magic anywhere.

  The motorcycle roared to life and Renner guided it down the dirt road, around the main part of the lodge to his cabin. The journey took all of two minutes and didn’t give him time to think at all.

  He unlocked the door of the studio and strode to the closet. Behind the jackets and t-shirts and jeans, there was a tiny wall safe where he kept his valuables. Inside, there was a folder with legal documents, a box containing his great grandmother’s mating ring, a stack of hundreds he’d been saving for a while, a manila envelope, and a scarf.

  Renner took a deep breath and pulled the folded scarf from its place in the wall. He stroked the soft red yarn between his thumb and forefinger, and the material caught on his calluses. He brought it up to his nose. There was a time when he’d taken this scarf out every day, to hold it, scent it, remembering the girl who used to wear it. After fifteen years, it didn’t smell like her anymore. She didn’t smell like her anymore.