“I have orange juice and apple in the refrigerator. Get whichever one you’d like,” she offered.
She pulled down a coffee mug and a large glass. She put the glass aside and poured herself a cup of coffee. He was surprised when she didn’t put anything in it. His mate was a serious coffee drinker. He took the glass she offered and followed her over to the table.
“Help yourself,” she said as she picked up the serving spoon in the eggs and scooped some onto her plate.
Instead, he waited until she’d finished making her plate then he fixed his own. His nerves were on edge the entire time. She was taking this too well. There weren’t many humans that knew his secret, for good reason. Most would try to have him locked up if he just went around sprouting off about being able to change into a wolf. While he would have preferred to ease her into the situation, last night’s attack had left him with the inability to do so. Yet, he was grateful that his wolf
Brayden looked up from his plate to find Tianna staring at him. “What is it?”
She took a sip of her coffee and swallowed before speaking. “I pride myself in being calm and rational, but this entire situation is testing my resolve.” She took another drink. “I’m waiting for you to tell me the full story behind last night. If my life is in danger I’d prefer to know now.”
“Fair enough,” Brayden said. “I’ll start with the easy part. I live the next town over in Badger. I work as an auto mechanic at my family’s auto repair shop.” He began to butter his toast. “I came to town tonight to blow off some steam at Hardy’s. While there, I ran into a female shifter who was out to make her boyfriend jealous.” He looked up at his mate. “I’m not sure what escalated the situation more. The fact that I wasn’t interested in her or that she was upset about it. Regardless, I soon found myself surrounded by several shifters looking for a fight. Being outnumbered my goal was to fight hard enough to get away and let things die down.”
“So much for that,” Tianna murmured.
He chuckled. “Tell me about it. The last thing I expected was to show up injured on the porch of my mate.”
“You keep saying that,” she said. “I’m not sure how to feel about it.”
“You’re handling it pretty well,” he replied.
Tianna shrugged. “In case you can’t tell, I’m not your conventional woman. I grew up about five hours from here in Duluth, but I preferred the surroundings of Greenbush. Just about everyone knows everyone. I’m surrounded by nature and clean air and I can relax and think.”
“I understand,” he said, then took a bite of his toast.
They ate in silence for several moments. His mate had a natural beauty that he could appreciate. With her freshly scrubbed face and hair pulled back into a ponytail. He’d guess she was only a few years younger than his thirty-six years of age.
“I’d like to get to know you better,” he said.
She laughed. “After last night, I’m not sure we can get any better acquainted.”
One of his brows arched high on his forehead. “You sure about that?”
He smiled when her eyes widened as she caught his meaning.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know, but I couldn’t resist,” he replied.
Tianna pushed back from the table and picked up her plate. Not much food was left on it. She scraped the remnants into the trash.
“What do we do now? I didn’t recognize the two guys in human form, so I know they aren’t from Greenbush. I can call the sheriff and at least file a report.”
Brayden shrugged. “You can if it’ll make you feel better, but these guys don’t plan to play by human rules or laws. It’ll have to be settled by shifter rules.”
Tianna rinsed her plate, then placed it into the dishwasher. “I don’t even want to know what that means.”
He ate the last piece of bacon on his plate chewing it before he answered. “If you don’t mind me using your phone, I’m going to call my brother. He can bring reinforcements to even the score and make it a fair fight.”
Tianna turned around folding her arms across her chest. “I hope you don’t expect my kitchen to fighting ring again.”
He laughed. “No. It was hard work to clean your place up and repair the doors once. I’d like to keep from repeating that again, if possible.”
“I’d like that very much as well,” Tianna said. “Now, how long is this going to take to resolve? While West Side Story is one of my favorite musical’s, I’m under a tight deadline and have more impending things to do.”
Brayden chuckled. He liked his mate’s sense of humor. She was also gutsy and a hell of a shot. A combination that turned him on more than she knew.
“I have no idea,” he answered honestly. “Although I’m certain once they see I’ve called in reinforcements they’ll show up.”
He stood and carried his empty plate over to the sink. Then he went back and gathered up the almost empty platters.
“I can’t believe you left something behind,” she said. “I was certain you’d eat it all.”
“I had plenty. Thank you for cooking breakfast. You didn’t have to.”
She scraped the spoonful of eggs into the trash. Then snagged the lonely piece of bacon off the other and took a bite out of it. He helped her load the dishwasher before retaking his seat.
“Can I use your phone?” he asked.
“Yes. Let me grab it from the bedroom.”
He watched as she disappeared down the hallway. The pajama pants didn’t hug her curves the way that the pants she’d worn last night did. But they didn’t leave much to the imagination either.
His palms itched at the thought of him clutching her hips while he marked her as his. When his wolf began to stir with excitement, he reeled his thoughts in. He needed to focus on what lay ahead. The pack had intended to kill him last night. There was no doubt that if he showed any sign of weakness, they’d try again.
Chapter Five
Tianna stared at the computer screen. She’d long given up the pretense of editing the manuscript in front of her. Instead she’d spent the last two hours trying to block out the sound of the masculine voices in her kitchen. There was so much testosterone in her house, it was all she could do not to run out the front door screaming.
True to his word, Brayden had called his younger brother, Eric, who’d brought backup. There was a total six men in the other room, each seeming larger than other. She’d never complain about her younger sister ever again.
She jumped at the sound of a knock on her door. “Yes,” she called out.
“You’ve been quiet. I’m just checking to make sure you’re okay.”
The sound of his voice soothed away some of the agitation that had been building within her. She pushed back from the desk and made her way over to the door.
“I’m fine,” she said as she opened it.
He studied her silently. She struggled not to squirm under his intense scrutiny.
“You sure?” he asked.
She nodded, then sniffed as a wonderful smell filled her nose. “What’s that?”
He leaned against the doorjamb. “Lunch, if you’re finished hiding out in here.”
“I’m not hiding,” she protested. “I’m just…”
Her voice trailed off when she couldn’t come up with anything to describe what she’d been doing.
He chuckled. “Come on. The guys won’t bite. I promise.”
She took the hand he offered. “That was a bad pun in case you don’t know.” When they entered the kitchen, she was surprised to find it empty. “Where is everyone?”
“They can scent your wariness even if you don’t want to admit it.”
Tianna couldn’t resist lifting her arm and sniffing. Brayden laughed and she frowned. She couldn’t smell anything. Then again, she wasn’t a shapeshifter either.
“They’re also out making sure that the members of the pack that attacked me last night are aware that backup has arrived.”
S
he sat down at the table while Brayden walked over to the stove and took the lid off the pot.
“You’ve made yourself very comfortable in my kitchen,” she said.
He grinned as he spooned a ladle full of good smelling ingredients into a bowl. “Don’t worry. My brother brought the food. We just had to use your stove and pot to cook it.”
She glanced around. Whatever they’d used, they already cleaned up, so she wouldn’t complain. The he walked over at placed the bowl in front of her and a piece of crusty bread on a napkin next to it.
It was some sort of chicken soup. It smelled delicious. She tore the bread into smaller pieces then picked up her spoon and dug in. After a few spoonful’s she released the moan she’d fought back.
Brayden chuckled as he sat down across from her. While she preferred to focus on the wonderful tasting soup, she couldn’t.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
“A fair fight,” he replied.
“Do you think that’s going to happen?”
“No,” he replied. “Not even if we weren’t out numbered.
“You aren’t,” she said as she dipped her bread into the broth. “Not with me here.”
Brayden leaned back in his chair. “I expect these wolves to fight dirty. I won’t risk you getting hurt.”
Tianna pushed the bowl away. While she wanted to eat every drop of food in the bowl, her stomach would rebel if she did. Brayden grabbed the dish and finished the leftover soup before she could blink.
“That didn’t seem to be an issue last night,” she said.
“I didn’t have a choice,” he replied.
“You don’t have one now, either.”
He studied her for a moment as if he wanted to argue, then conceded. “Only because you proved you can handle yourself last night. Still, I need for you to be careful. These guys are deranged.”
“Deal. Now tell me more about this shifter business. I need to know if what I’ve read in the books is true.”
Brayden chuckled. “I see that I have my hands full with you.”
“Yes you do, but you can always walk away.”
His nostrils flared and his pupils dilated. She could see his wolf in them.
“Not a chance. You’re my mate. Walking away isn’t an option. I wouldn’t even if it were,” he said.
A shiver travelled through her at his sincere words. Perhaps it was she who wasn’t ready.
“What if I’m already in a relationship?”
He emitted a low growl. “You aren’t. I don’t smell another man on you.”
Tianna frowned. “Stop with the sniffing crap.”
Brayden relaxed a little. “Can’t help it. It’s instinctive.”
“What else can you smell? Just so I’m prepared.”
“Fear, when you’re in heat and when you’re turned on,” he said.
“Hmm…I guess that really leaves me at a disadvantage,” she murmured as she pushed back from the table. She took the empty bowl and spoon over to the sink.
“Why do you say that?” he asked as he came over to join her.
“Because I can’t do any of that.”
“Yes, you can,” he said. “You’ll just have to work harder at it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Let me show you.”
Before she could say anything else, he turned her and pulled her into his embrace. A full-bodied quiver travelled through her at his firm grip. The man oozed sex appeal.
He did a discreet sniff that she might have missed if she hadn’t been standing so close.
“You’re getting turned on,” he whispered. “Am I?”
She studied him. While she couldn’t smell anything but a woodsy masculine scent, with something a little wild underneath. His pupils were still dilated and his nostrils flared, but not in anger as they had been a moment ago. Lastly, she could feel the stirrings of his erection against her stomach.
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Good,” he stated as he pulled her closer. “Now what would you like to do about this mutual arousal?”
His lips parted as he drew in a deep breath. A second later, a low rumble vibrated through his chest. Goodness gracious the man was virile. She was starting to see why the female the other night had been so drawn to him. Up until this point she didn’t believe in pheromones, but Brayden smelled delicious.
Instead of responding, she leaned forward, her mouth parted the way his were, and brushed her lips gently over his. Softly. Barely there. Then again in the opposite direction.
Brayden shivered. She felt it. Her eyelashes fluttered, and Tianna made to move away, but before she could he’d put his hands on her hips and held her in place. The kiss deepened. Nothing harsh or awkward, still just a simple press of lip on lip, but she was no longer the only one in charge. Brayden was kissing her back. Responding.
It only took a few seconds before they both broke it at the same time. He swiped his lips with his tongue, his breath coming a little faster. Hers was, too. She still had his face in her hands, was still kneeling. She could still look deeply into his eyes.
“Wow,” Brayden breathed.
“Yeah,” Tianna said.
“We should do that again.”
She nodded. And they did. A little longer this time.
Brayden’s gaze had gone a little hazy when she pulled away. Tianna put her hands on his shoulders. She had to catch her breath. Her heart had started thumping harder, and heat had begun swirling in a lot of different places inside her.
The next kiss was even better. Their mouths opened. His tongue slid against hers, a startling and delicious, sexy turn of events. Tianna shifted and found herself on Brayden’s lap with his hands still gripping her hips and her thighs pressing his sides. Her hands moved from his face to hold on to his shoulders.
When had they moved away from the sink?
Boy was he potent.
“Is this okay?” He breathed against her between kisses.
“Fine. Good, it’s good.”
“Good.”
The kissing went on. When she tilted her head, his went the other way. Their noses bumped every so often, but most of the time they shifted and moved in perfect coordination. He didn’t try to eat her face off, didn’t steal her breath away, didn’t force his tongue so deep it tickled her tonsils.
Brayden, as it turned out, was a very, very good kisser.
“I haven’t done this in so long,” Tianna gasped as they parted to catch their breath.
“Kissed someone?” Brayden’s eyes were bright, his mouth wet. His cheeks were pink, something Tianna noted with amusement.
“Well, no…I’ve kissed guys, sure, but not like this.” Tianna shifted on his lap, ignoring the bulge she was certain was his erection. “Not just kissing, you know?”
Brayden laughed and leaned back against the chair. “Yeah. Damn. I know what you mean. Just kissing without moving on, right?”
“Right.”
Tianna thought about getting off his lap but didn’t want to make this awkward. Besides, she liked being there. “You’re a good kisser.”
He looked at her. “I am?”
“Yes. Very.”
Brayden kissed her briefly. “You are, too. You’re a great kisser, as a matter of fact.”
She laughed. “Oh, well, thank you, sir.”
Brayden wiggled a little on the chair, shifting her weight, but not in a creepy “let me push my dick up on you” way. He swallowed and relaxed against the chair. “This is some pretty weird shit, though, Tianna, admit it.”
“It is.”
His grin was a little crooked. “Are you sorry you opened the door for me last night?”
“No. Are you?”
“Nope. Hell, no.” He drew her closer, seeking her mouth with his. “And call me a perv, but I can’t think of a better way to kill some time.”
Heat flooded her again, though she knew that Brayden meant the making-out part, not necessarily the bit where it included her, specifi
cally. She let him kiss her, let him lead. Tianna let herself get lost in the kiss and the sensations of lips on lips, tongue on tongue.
They kissed. And kissed. Soft and slow, harder and faster. They tried out all the variations of kissing. Tianna wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk when she got up from the chair—her knees had gone so weak. Her entire body was liquid and sensitized to every shift, every twitch.
“I just…never…kissed this long,” Brayden murmured in between kisses, “without, you know. Trying to….”
“I know,” Tianna breathed as their mouths met and parted. There was a knock on the back door, and they both jumped a little.
“That’s my brother and the guys returning,” he said.
“I guess that mean’s our time is up.”
“For now,” he confirmed. “But we’re nowhere near finished if you know what I mean.”
Boy, did she.
Her nipples were tight and aching, and every time she moved, slickness and heat between her legs distracted her. She’d barely been able to stop herself from grinding against the long, thick bulge in Brayden’s pants, and she’d caught him stopping a subtle thrust against her several times.
“Let me up,” Brayden said in a hoarse voice.
Her legs were steadier than she’d expected as she stood, but not by much. She couldn’t recall a time when she’d been so turned on in her life.
He rose to his feet. “Come on. Let me officially introduce you to the guys.”
Her eyes widened. “No. Not after what we just did. I can only imagine what it’s going to smell like to them in here.”
Brayden laughed. “It’s too late to think about that now. They’ll know what we’ve been up to whether you’re present or not. Besides, I’ve already told them that you’re my mate. They wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Tianna opened her mouth to argue but couldn’t up a valid reason. It appeared that his touch had short circuited her brain. So instead, she agreed.
“Fine, but if it gets weird, I’m leaving.”
Brayden grinned. “Sweetheart, if what we’ve already been through doesn’t constitute as weird, I think we’ll be okay.”
Chapter Six
Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal) Page 20