by Bianca D’Arc
“Sorry I don’t have a tip for you,” Trevor joked with Grizzly Cove’s resident Cajun chef. “But I won’t say no to room service. Thanks, Zak.”
“My pleasure. Tell Beth I hope she likes the salmon. There’s also gumbo and shrimp Creole. I tried to cook a few different fish dishes for her, but there are also some hamburgers in there if that’s what you’re in the mood for.”
“Sounds like you cooked for an army,” Trevor commented, impressed by the weight of the large shopping bag.
“Just planning ahead. You two might get hungry later, and I know there’s a fridge and microwave in your room. Although I wouldn’t normally recommend nuking any of my food, it’ll do in a pinch.” Zak winked as he turned to leave.
“Thanks again, Zak. I owe you,” Trevor called after him.
Trevor watched the hallway until Zak was gone, then shifted his focus to Ezra. “Did you get supplies?”
The bounty hunter nodded. “I’ve got enough to tide me over. Deputy Zak delivered the first care package to me before knocking on your door.”
Trevor smiled at his friend’s curious look. “Oh, you’re in for a treat. Zak owns a restaurant, and his specialty is gourmet Cajun.”
Ezra’s eyebrows rose, and he looked into his room with a bit of eagerness.
Trevor didn’t have to say much more. He shut the door, letting Ezra watch to be sure it was secure before the bounty hunter returned to his room…and his unexpected treat of a dinner.
He and Beth ate dinner together, talking a bit about the situation in which she found herself. She told Trevor more about her stepfather’s business enterprises. She didn’t know many details, but she’d been observant enough while living in his house to glean a few facts. The picture wasn’t a pretty one.
“When you get control of your inheritance, you’re going to have to do something about Jonathan’s activities,” Trevor told her, knowing the task would be difficult and most likely dangerous, as well.
“I know.” Beth pushed away from the small table, having finished eating, and began to clean up. “I’m not looking forward to it, but it’s important. I talked to Nansee about it in a roundabout way. I couldn’t tell her all the details, but I sounded her out on some of it. Mer have contacts in places you wouldn’t necessarily expect.”
“Did she give you any advice?” Trevor was curious about those contacts Beth hinted at. Intel was his specialty, and it sounded like the mer leader might be a good source to cultivate.
“Some,” Beth replied, bringing the small wastebasket over to the side of the table and brushing crumbs into it. “It was hard to get solid steps to take when I couldn’t tell her all the details, but she promised to help when I was ready to tell her everything. I think she can dismantle some of the things that are based along the coast, and she might even be able to call in some favors to stop illegal shipments that are already on their way overseas.”
“That’s good. But you might have to get more hands-on with some of the things Jonathan has in play. If you own the properties, you may need to start legal proceedings to evict or shut down some of the businesses operating out of them. The lawyers here in Grizzly Cove might be able to help with that. And I want you to know, I’m ready, willing and able to help if you need me. I’d be happy to help in whatever way I can.” He wanted to say so much more, but he wasn’t sure this was the right time.
Beth put the wastebasket back in the corner and came over to sit on his lap. She’d taken him by surprise, but he was more than willing to make room for her in his embrace. He loved having her close to him.
“I might just take you up on that offer, my friend. But for now, I think I’d just like to forget my troubles for a little while. Can you help me with that?” She blinked innocently at him, and just like that, he grew hard.
He knew she could feel it against her bottom because she wiggled a bit and smiled at him. The minx. She knew what she was doing to him. But he wasn’t complaining. He liked this playful side of her too much to put an end to it.
Instead, he stood with her wrapped in his arms and carried her to the bed. Luckily, this hotel was built with bear shifters in mind and the beds were large enough for them both. Trevor placed her down on the bedspread and took great pleasure in kissing every inch of skin as he undressed her.
When she was naked and spread out before him, he stood back to just look at her while he divested himself of his own clothing. She watched, and he liked the half-lidded looks she gave him as he peeled off his shirt. Thankfully, he’d had time to clean up a bit from the fight earlier in the day, though he hadn’t been injured. Still, he’d earned a few bruises that were already healing—mostly on his knuckles.
When he was naked, he went back to the bed, putting one knee on the mattress. Beth surprised him by sitting up and grabbing his hand. She ran her fingertips lightly over his bruised knuckles, then brought them to her lips for a sweet kiss.
“I’m sorry you got hurt defending me, but I’ll never forget how brave you were, Trevor,” she whispered. The look in her eyes made his heart go pitter-pat, but he didn’t know what to say.
He knew what to do, though. He joined her on the bed and kissed her deeply, pouring all the things he couldn’t say into the kiss.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Trevor’s kiss was so full of emotion. She wondered if he realized what he was doing to her. He was making her fall in love with him even more—if such a thing was possible. She’d thought she’d known enough about him yesterday to say that they were mates, but she had learned today that there were facets to this man that made him ever more appealing.
The Goddess certainly knew what She was doing when She put certain people together. Beth sent a little prayer of thanks heavenward as she rolled with Trevor, landing on top of him on the big bed. Just where she wanted to be.
There wasn’t time, or need, for much preliminary. She’d been wet for him since the moment she saw him walk, unscathed, past the bodies of the men who had threatened her. The predator in her soul had grown to respect him in that moment, recognizing its equal. In fact, her beast half figured there was quite a bit Trevor could teach her about hunting and killing…which was just part of the animal that shared her soul.
It didn’t really understand the softer emotions, but it respected strength, and their mate was among the strongest men she’d ever seen. Even better, he had used his strength and skill to protect her, not to cage her. For that alone, he had earned her inner beast’s loyalty.
She took him in her hand, reaching between their bodies to do so. He was hard and long, thick and warm. And she wanted him. She wanted him now.
Rubbing against him, she positioned herself over him and pressed down, taking him more easily this time, as if her body had made itself into the perfect place for his. She moaned when he filled her, already close to the edge. It didn’t take much when they were together.
She began to move, but it wasn’t controlled by any stretch of the imagination. She growled in frustration as her desire overrode her coordination. Finally, Trevor took control, rolling them until they were on their sides, facing each other. He lifted her top leg over his hip, tugging under her knee so that she was wrapped around him, the pressure oh-so-delicious where their bodies were still joined.
The friction made shivers of delight race up and down her spine. She wasn’t going to last long. The day had been too emotional. Too fraught with dangerous highs and lows. The only thing that was clear in the muddle of her life was this. This joining of skin to skin, body to body, Beth to Trevor and back again. This was something she could understand and enjoy without thinking too hard.
The odd angle made for delicious sensations within her, and when she opened her eyes, Trevor was there, looking at her. His languid gaze met hers, the moment intimate and unique in her experience. Never before had she felt so close to a man—not just physically but emotionally, as well.
He was her mate, but she didn’t know how to tell him. Still, by the look in his eyes, she wond
ered if he didn’t already realize the truth. Did he not know how to broach the subject either? Wouldn’t that be funny if they were both hesitant to bring up the topic that could unite them forever?
Trevor shifted slightly, making her gasp. The change brought him in contact with her clit, and then, all thought ceased as her body took over. The sensations he invoked rode through her bloodstream, up her spine and out to every sensitive nerve ending. Waves of pleasure hit her in time with his increasing thrusts until she was swept under the final tidal wave of pleasure.
She cried out his name, grasping at his shoulders as she came, feeling him come with her, going rigid in her arms and in her body. Warmth filled her. Physical warmth and the emotional warmth of being closer to the man she loved at this moment than she had ever been to anyone else.
She cherished the minutes that followed where Trevor held her, petting her, stroking her skin and whispering gentle endearments as they both came down from the highest high yet. They were both still new to each other. She wondered what sex would be like with him after they’d been together for a while and speculated that she might not survive such pleasure. Then again, it would be an amazing experience, even if it did ruin her for any other man.
Who was she kidding? She was ruined for anyone else already. Her heart, her mer half, her human half and her soul were set on Trevor. Anyone else could never compete. He was her match in every way, and she would never tire of his lovemaking or simply being with him, no matter what they were doing.
She dozed in his arms, a smile on her lips.
A few hours later, in the deepest part of the night, Trevor’s cell phone pinged. He woke instantly, having trained himself to sleep light over many years on combat duty. He grabbed for the phone that was set to a special low-level red illumination he’d programmed so as not to ruin his night vision. He took one look at the screen and sat upright in the bed, waking Beth. She didn’t sleep nearly as lightly as he, but he could see her struggling to come to full alert.
“Ezra messaged. There’s activity behind the hotel,” he told her, summing up the message that had been in code, but relayed a lot more details that would only worry her at the moment.
“Fighting?” she asked, frowning as she reached for her clothing. She left the underwear and went right for shirt and pants, saving time. Trevor did the same, only he added a few weapons to his ensemble. In fact, that reminded him…
He opened the only closet in the room and…yes, there it was. He’d asked John to get one of the mer to drop this off, and he was glad they’d been able to do it.
“Your trident,” he said, taking the long, lethally sharp weapon out of the closet and handing it to her. “I figured it might make you feel safer if you had a weapon you were familiar with.”
She took the trident in one hand and threw the other arm around his neck, drawing him down for a quick kiss. There were tears in her eyes when she pulled back.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “It does help, even if I’m not that graceful on land.”
“Yet,” he added, holding her gaze. He’d teach her how to defend herself on land as soon as they had a moment to breathe. He didn’t like seeing her so vulnerable and scared. He cupped the side of her head and kissed her. “It’ll be okay. I promise,” he whispered, meaning every word. “And you look like a total badass with that trident.” He gave her a smile, glad to see an answering upturn of her lips as he drew away. “When we get back, I want you to pose for me with it…and nothing else.”
“We’re going out there?” she asked, neatly bypassing his request, but he guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised, what with the tense situation and all.
“They’re going to need my help,” Trevor replied. “And I think this is probably something you need to see. Much as I’d like to hide you away from the action and keep you safe from all harm, wrapping you in a cocoon and not letting you take an active part in your own defense isn’t what I want. You need to witness the take down of your stepfather’s men. You need to be present so you can fully understand that they’ll never get to you. No way. No how. Not while I draw breath. And not while the bears of Grizzly Cove have claimed you as one of their own. They protect their people, and it’s important to you, and all the mer in the cove, that you see that in action.”
He could have gone on about how the mer and the bears might be on the verge of forming a unique society here, in the test waters of the cove, but judging by the noises coming from outside the hotel, he didn’t have time. Even through the mostly sound-proofed walls, he could hear the clash of battle. Ezra had imparted numbers in his text, and the bears were definitely fewer than the attackers, but they could handle whatever came—with Trevor’s help. They might be outnumbered, but they’d never be outclassed.
For one thing, they were defending their own territory. Nothing spiked a shifter’s ire like a threat to his home. That the thugs Beth’s stepfather employed either didn’t realize this or didn’t seem to care would work against them. Big time.
But Trevor still needed to be out there, to make up numbers and end this faster. The shorter the battle, the better for all concerned. Already, he could hear Ezra outside, fighting alongside the Grizzly Cove bears, his roar distinctive and familiar. Trevor needed to help, but he also needed to be sure Beth could not only see what was going on, but be as safe as possible while she observed just what the bears could do.
He’d thought about this long and hard before realizing she had to be part of her own rescue. Her stepfather had nearly broken her spirit, and this was an important step in restoring it. If he hid her from the reality of the fight, she might never recover from the fear her stepfather had instilled in her for so very long. Trevor didn’t want that for her. Beth should be fearless—like the other mer he’d met.
She was a huntress in the ocean. She’d already overcome her past to that extent. Now, he needed to help her find her footing on land.
It might be dangerous, but he was confident in his ability to keep her safe. He’d also done a little preemptive work, suspecting this sort of thing might happen. If all went as planned, Beth wouldn’t be left all alone while he engaged the enemy. In fact, she’d be part of a group that would protect her with their very lives, should it become necessary, while still allowing her to feel as if she was part of her own defense.
“Come on, honey,” he told her now. “We have work to do.”
Hefting her trident in one hand, Beth was beside him as they approached the door. Trevor motioned her to the side, and he opened the door, going out first to face possible danger head on. Once he was sure the hallway was secure, he called to her to join him. First hurdle crossed. Now for the door that led to the outside. It was a thick glass affair, through which he could already see the battle.
As he stepped closer, he saw three smaller figures emerge from the room closest to the door. Beth gasped, but this was according to Trevor’s plan. The three women came closer, each holding a wicked-looking trident in one hand and sporting several other sheathed blades Trevor could see.
“My old hunting party,” Beth whispered. “Sirena, Jetty, and Grace,” she named them as they came forward. Trevor was humbled to see that Beth was moved near to tears.
“Your man Trevor there let us know what might happen,” Sirena, the leader of their old hunting party said as she stood next to Beth. “We agreed to be ready to stand with you.”
“Beth, you don’t have to face this alone. We’re your sisters,” Grace said, touching Beth’s arm.
Trevor suspected the others would have said more, but time was of the essence. He began moving toward the door once again, and they followed. They weren’t exactly a military unit, but they had trained together to hunt in the ocean, protecting and providing for the pod. They were warriors, though their skills in the water were probably much sharper than on land. Still, they had those long, pointy tridents, and they gave every appearance of knowing how to use them.
And they loved Beth like a sister. That counted for a
lot. They would stand by her while the bears dealt with the thugs, and should anything even come close to threatening her, they would stand with her against all comers.
These ladies were mated to bears now, and those bears would be watching over the hunting party too, Trevor knew. It was the only way he could get agreement for the women to participate, but the other men knew their mates, and they’d admitted the women would not be happy with them if they didn’t let them help defend their friend. Those bears had known what they were in for when they mated with warrior mermaids. Trevor wanted Beth to have the same fierce spirit, and this was a significant part of cultivating it, dangerous as it might be.
There were no lights on in the hall. Trevor had done that deliberately so anyone looking in through that thick glass door wouldn’t be able to see much, even with sharp shifter eyesight. He paused before that final barrier to the melee taking place just a few yards distant.
“You have a defensible location picked out?” Trevor asked Sirena, the leader of the hunting party.
She nodded confidently. “We’ve got the high ground.”
Intimately familiar with the layout of the hotel, Trevor knew there was a service stairway only a few feet from the door that could give them quick access to the roof. It was a good spot.
“Marla and Janice are already up there, keeping the area secure,” Jetty added, giving Trevor a nod.
Maybe they weren’t a military unit, but they were warriors nonetheless. Trevor approved of their precautions.
“All right. I’ll cover your ascent,” he told them.
He was certain the bear mates of these women would all be keeping one eye on the stairway. It was the only way on or off the roof, barring climbing gear. No one would be allowed to infiltrate close to that staircase. Absolutely no one.