“Sure.”
Skylar lifted a delicate eyebrow. “Do I need to wait inside?”
“No, Sis. You can come. Just don’t go telling everything you know.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gave him her best wounded expression.
Aiden rolled his eyes and turned to Doc. “Have you heard of people having… I don’t know… visions?”
“What kind of visions?”
“Just flashes of things that haven’t happened.”
“With Emma?” Skylar asked, her face brightening.
Aiden shot her look that suggested she stay silent. She just held out her hands with a questioning expression. He looked back at Doc. “Yes. Emma was in them.”
“Oooh.” Skylar’s eyes widened.
Aiden ignored her and kept his attention on Doc.
“Yes.” Doc said. “It’s a common thing among shifters.”
“Why haven’t I heard about this?”
Skylar couldn’t contain herself any longer. “It means you found your mate.”
Aiden turned on her. “You know I don’t believe in that horse-hockey.”
“Just because…”
“Hey.” Doc interrupted. “You two can fight out this topic later. We need to get to her cabin, pack it up, and bring her stuff over. Then we need to get back to the lodge and warm up.”
“Sorry.” Aiden and Skylar said at the same time.
Aiden went back inside and closed the door. He kept his hand on the door knob and looked at the back of Emma’s head. Was she? His mate? He shook his head. He’d told Skylar the truth. He didn’t believe in such nonsense.
Emma turned and smiled at him. “Everything okay?”
She was beautiful. That’s all it was. Any man would have fantasies about her, especially with her wrapped in his arms. Most men would have fantasies of her naked. Not carrying her across the threshold in a wedding gown. It was a most unmanly vision.
“Everything’s good.” He shoved off the door and sat next to her. It wasn’t her fault his sister was crazy. “Let’s see how it looks.” He took her ankle and examined the elastic wrap. “How does it feel?”
“It feels better. Supported.”
“Good. Skylar will be back in a few minutes with your things. When were you planning on checking out?”
“Friday.”
“Since you’ll be staying here, do you mind if they rent the cabin to someone else? I’m only asking because she’ll ask. She runs the business side of the lodge.”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes widened. Obviously she hadn’t considered this.
Aiden had two bedrooms. Still… maybe it was better if she kept the option open to go back to her own cabin.
Especially with this nonsense talk of a fated mate.
Chapter Eight
Emma took her purse from Skylar and immediately dug for her cell phone. At least Aiden had cell phone service here. She had two messages, but she’d look at them later. Right now, Skylar was smiling at her with an odd expression.
“What is it?” Emma asked.
“Nothing.” She grinned. “Doc’s ready to go, but maybe when the snow slows down, I can come back for some girl talk.”
“Okay.” Skylar was acting strange. But maybe she was always strange. After all, they’d just met. “What kind of girl talk?”
Skylar smiled broadly. “You know. Boys and such. There’s really no one around here for me to talk to. Except Riley.” Skylar wrinkled her nose. “But Riley’s engaged, so she doesn’t really count.”
Emma kind of doubted that. Skylar didn’t look like the kind of girl who would spend much time alone, but she was willing to play along. “Sure. Looks like I’ll be here for a few days anyway.”
“Great.” Skylar started toward the door, but turned back, “An elderly couple got stranded here in the snow and needed a place to stay, so I gave them your cabin. I hope you don’t mind. You won’t owe anything for your stay. See you later.” She waved and headed out the door before Emma had a chance to respond one way or the other.
Stranded. She was stranded here with hunky guy Aiden. She didn’t even know how to get to her car. At least she had her cell phone. She had one message from Henry – just checking in and one message from her mother – also checking in.
Since Aiden was outside bringing in firewood, she immediately called her mother back. “Hi Mom.” She infused as much positivity that she could muster.
“How’s your trip?”
“It’s not going quite as planned. There’s a blizzard, and I’m snowed in.”
“Oh honey, you really need to start checking the weather before you head out to those places.”
“I know.” She groaned. “But anyway, I got some good footage of a momma bear and her cubs.”
“I can’t even think about being out there in the woods all alone with bears and other wild animals.”
Aiden came into the room and closed the back door with his foot.
“What’s that noise? Is someone in your room?”
Her mother always did have impeccable hearing. “It’s just the help delivering firewood.”
Aiden lifted his eyebrows and dropped the logs into the wood box. He grinned.
“See. Firewood delivery.”
“Well… That’s a nice service they provide.”
“It’s a nice place. But I should go, so I can pay him.”
“It’s not included?”
“I have to tip him. But I just wanted to call you back and let you know that I’m okay.”
“Okay, dear. But please watch out for strangers. You’ve always been so trusting.”
“I’ll be careful, Mom. Love you.”
They disconnected, and Aiden held out his hand.
“What?”
“My tip.” He smiled mischievously.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Sorry. I don’t carry cash.”
“Seriously?”
She shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Then you’ll have to come up with another form of payment.”
She frowned at him.
“I can’t have you lying to your mother. That’s not good business. If I lied to my mother, she’d know it, and there’d be hell to pay.”
Emma laughed at the image of this grown man being scolded by his mother. “Unfortunately, unless you take credit cards, I don’t have anything of value.”
“Well, I don’t take credit cards, but I’m pretty sure you have something of value.”
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“My, my, Emma Miller. Your mind does go to interesting places.”
“You’re a mind-reader now?”
“I don’t have to be a mind reader to know that look.”
His smile was contagious. “All right. You can steal a kiss.” She tapped her cheek. “Right here.”
Without hesitation, he leaned over, both hands against the couch, and placed his lips on her cheek. But this was no friendly peck on the cheek. This was an I-want-more-so-much-more kiss.
Emma closed her eyes and savored every moment of his lips on her skin. When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open to see that he had a smug look on his face.
And she suddenly became aware that she had on very little under his t-shirt. She pulled the blanket up to her chin. “I think you’re paid in full.”
“Perhaps there’s more I can do for you.”
“I need to put on my clothes.”
“Why? You don’t like my t-shirt and boxer shorts?”
She squirmed at the thought of his t-shirt against her naked breasts and his boxer shorts against her privates. And then it struck her. “How did I get undressed?”
“Somebody had to do it before you froze to death.”
She squinted at him.
“I can assure you. I was a perfect gentleman.”
“I probably don’t even want to know.”
“I put a blanket over you while I undressed you, so I promise I didn’t see much at
all.”
“Not much, huh?” She was having a little trouble getting past the thought of his hands undressing her.
He shook his head. “Nah. Not much at all.”
She stared at him, and he was looking at her with that look.
“So.” He cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go get the guest room ready for you.”
She smiled. It was good to know that she wasn’t the only one who was feeling a little out of sorts. She looked out the window at the fat snowflakes still falling.
Maybe it would keep snowing for a few more days.
A few weeks would be okay, too.
Chapter Nine
Aiden pulled the sheets off the guest bed. They hadn’t been used, but he wanted the bed to smell fresh for Emma.
What had he been thinking? Kissing her on the cheek so close to the corner of her mouth. He’d wanted to put his lips on hers more than anything.
I don’t get friendly with tourists. Not like that.
It had been almost ten years ago when he’d met Michelle. He’d just graduated from college and was back at the lodge trying to figure out his next step in life. Did he want to move away to take a job offer in Denver as an architect, or did he want to stay here and help out the family business?
His parents had nine sons and one daughter, and they never talked about giving Aiden a preference just because he was older. Jobs would be awarded based on desire, talent, personality, and anything else his parents deemed pertinent at the time. The one rule his parents did have was that each of their children would always have a place there at the Silver Creek Lodge if they wanted it. No pressure.
Aiden was good with both designing buildings and using a saw and a hammer. There was plenty he could do around here. It was just a matter of whether or not he wanted to.
Michelle came here to work a summer program for college students they’d had at the time. That was when most of the Hunter children were still too young to have much responsibility.
Michelle had been beautiful. Aiden had known she wasn’t his mate from the outset. But then he didn’t believe in fated mates. How could two people who were fated to be together with each other and no one else possibly find each other in this world? Then, once they found each other, how would it work? He was a bear shifter. What if she didn’t like bears or shifters? Where would they live? Would one of them have to completely give up their life to be with the other one?
Any time he even thought about it, it drove him crazy. Especially back then. Now he rarely even thought about it.
He’d waited a year before he told Michelle he was a shifter. A whole year. He never knew if he had waited too long or not long enough. Either way, it probably didn’t matter.
He put freshly washed sheets on the bed along with a down comforter his sister had given him for Christmas last year. He’d never even used it.
His thoughts circled back around to Emma. As he straightened the pillows, he had another flash of Emma. Of her sleeping in this bed. “I’m losing my mind.” He muttered.
He went back into the living room to tell Emma that her room was ready. She was asleep. Beautiful. Like an angel.
He gave up. Right then and there. He liked her, and he wanted to spend time with her and get to know her.
In spite of his learned aversion to getting involved with tourists. She wasn’t a tourist, exactly. She was a wildlife biologist. So she brought a whole lot more than just someone on a vacation passing the time.
A wildlife biologist would be interesting to talk to. It was more than just her beauty that drew him to her.
But his sister’s words haunted him. It means you found your mate.
Chapter Ten
Emma woke in darkness. It was an odd sensation – not knowing where she was. She was warm and on a soft bed.
She snuggled deeper beneath the blankets, not wanting to wake up yet. It was quiet. Too quiet. She strained to hear the steady hum of her refrigerator. Silence.
She wasn’t at home.
Then she remembered being cold. So cold her bones felt frozen.
She shifted her ankle and felt the familiar pain.
Aiden. She was in Aiden’s cabin, but not on his couch. She peeked from beneath the blankets. No fireplace.
She was someplace different. Had he taken her back to her cabin?
No. Skylar had rented it out.
Please don’t let me be in his bed.
Her eyes tightly closed, she reached across the bed until she felt the other side. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was alone. Though she was still wearing his t-shirt and boxer shorts. They really were comfortable. Maybe she’d buy some boxer shorts to sleep in at home. The thought made her chuckle to herself.
Perhaps having hypothermia had addled her brain.
It was much too dark. There were no lights in the room and no moonlight.
Dammit. She needed to go to the bathroom. She climbed out of the bed, making sure to put as little weight on her ankle as possible. The floor was like standing on an ice rink. She felt around until she found her way to the door.
She opened the door and light from the fireplace flooded her eyes. Aiden was stretched out on the couch reading.
“Hey.” He jumped up and went to offer support. “Where are you headed?”
“Bathroom. What time is it?”
“It’s just after midnight.”
He led her toward the bathroom. “Do you always stay up this late?”
“Sometimes.” He left her at the bathroom door. “I’ll wait on the couch.”
Emma washed her hands and examined her face in the mirror. First thing tomorrow, she was taking a shower and washing her hair. Aiden must have put her toiletries bag in here. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. After running a brush through her hair, she felt almost human again.
Opening the door, she saw that Aiden wasn’t there. She walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. She wasn’t sleepy anymore, but Aiden, it seemed had gone to bed.
She went to stand in front of the fireplace, mostly to warm her feet.
“Hey.” Aiden walked back into the room with a tray. “I brought some hot chocolate.”
She smiled. “You’re an awesome host.”
“Yeah, well. Don’t tell anyone. My reputation will be ruined forever.” He set the tray on the table and glanced at her. “Need some help?”
“I don’t think so.” She limped her way for a few steps and sat on the couch. “I won’t tell on you if you won’t tell Doc that I’m putting weight on my ankle.”
“Deal.” He handed her a cup of hot chocolate, the steam wafting from the mug, and sat next to her, close but not touching.
“Tell me again how you came to be here.”
Emma blew on the hot chocolate, took a tiny sip. “I’m a teaching assistant at the university in Pittsburgh. I teach an intro to wildlife biology class as part of my assistantship requirements. I wanted to get a real video that I could show them.”
She left out the part that really got her here. One of her students had raised his hand with a question no one had asked her before. I heard that there are shape shifters in Colorado. His question had reminded her of the conference presentation she and Henry had attended.
“So you came here.”
She shrugged. “I looked on the Internet, and I liked that your lodge is right at the foot of the mountains and that I could rent a cabin and hike from it.” She gestured to her foot. “Of course now, I won’t be hiking anywhere.”
“That’s unfortunate. I feel responsible.”
“You said that before. I don’t understand.”
He shook his head. “I guess I feel like I should have been there a few minutes earlier to prevent you from falling.”
She watched the fire and finished her hot chocolate. Her eyes felt heavy. “I should probably get back to bed.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I’ll be okay.”
“I know. I’ll walk you to your door anyway.”
She made it to her door, turned to smile at him, and landed in his arms with a gasp.
He picked her up and carried her to the bed.
“Maybe the doctor had good advice after all.”
“So it seems. Can I take a look?”
“Sure.”
He checked the bandage, mostly by feel. There was only a shadow of light from the fireplace in the other room. He checked her toes. “Is it too tight?”
She shook her head. His fingers on her bare skin was almost more than she could bear.
He glanced at her, then gently massaged her toes. He took her other foot and lightly ran a finger along the bottom. Then he lightly massaged her foot, going deeper when she didn’t pull away. She leaned back and sighed.
Her eyes flew open when he put her big toe in his mouth and sucked, his tongue soft as it swirled against her skin. One by one, he sucked on each of her toes while massaging the bottom of her foot. She lay her head back against the pillow, tilted her head back and closed her eyes.
The feel of his lips on her toes set every nerve in her body on fire. His lips were soft and firm on her toes. This man whom she’d never even kissed had her body aching with need just by having his hands and mouth on her feet. It made her feel so… adventurous… and naughty.
She gasped when his hands and lips made a trail up her calves, then he kissed the backs of her knees. She shifted on the bed, her body on fire.
As he kissed the insides of her lower thighs, his hands slid beneath her boxer shorts and kneaded her bottom. She arched toward him, all logical thoughts locked out of her brain.
His lips moved up her thighs at a tortuously slow pace. Her hands fisted in the comforter.
He used his teeth to push aside her shorts and licked the inside of her thigh. She moaned.
Then his tongue was there, gently caressing her. He shifted and parted her knees while his tongue explored her crevices and folds. Then he was licking her again.
“Don’t stop.” She breathed. “Oh. My.” He knew just the right place. Just the right pressure.
His hands moved to her knees and spread her legs wide. Holding up her bottom, his tongue massaging her there, she orgasmed, and her world exploded into a million tiny shards of glass.
Aiden's Mate Page 3