“Oh, that’s all right,” she told him quickly. “I have it.”
Jace looked down at her and smiled despite his resolve to remain devoid of emotion. He pushed his hat up with his index finger and gently took her bag from her, a jolt of electricity shooting up his arm as her hand brushed his. “It’s all part of ranch services, ma’am,” he told her quietly, reaching down to grab her larger suitcase as well. “Lead the way.”
Janine looked at her alpha in shock as he followed the woman down the hallway to her room. He turned back to look at her with such anger in his eyes that she looked down at the computer as quickly as she could to avoid his censure. She wasn’t going to mess with him today, if that look he just gave her was any indication of his mood.
Jackson, we’re heading toward 5B. Get your ass here and do something.
Laurie walked nervously toward her assigned room. She did not want this man anywhere near her. She wished he had just let her go to her room alone.
She sighed audibly as she faced the door to 5B and reached out to unlock it, swinging the door open wide and stepping inside, aware that the giant of a man followed in behind her. She walked to the windows and turned to watch him as he placed her bags on the floor in front of the double bed. When he straightened and looked at her, she felt a squeezing in her chest and had to shut her eyes briefly.
He’ll only be here a little longer. The thought did little to help her nerves, and she struggled to calm her breathing. The wonderful smell that invaded her senses made her feel a sense of peace and belonging that she didn’t understand, and it scared her a little. And all that male gorgeousness before her wasn’t helping the situation either.
“Thank you for your help,” she told him warmly, reaching to open her purse and take out her wallet to tip him.
Jace shook his head and reached out to touch her hand lightly. The brief contact made her shiver slightly. “No need for that, Ms. Young,” he spoke quickly, stopping her and stepping back for fear that he would pull her into his arms before he could control his wolf.
Laurie looked up at him and smiled, her eyes filling with sincere gratitude as she sighed and nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate it,” she told him honestly. “I’m Laurie.” She introduced herself, reaching out to offer him her hand.
“Jace Beckett,” he answered, taking her hand in his, immediately feeling her warmth and caring, unable to stop the emotions that her touch pulled from him.
“Nice to meet you, Jace,” she told him warmly as she smiled up at him, and she really did have to look up at him. Being five feet five inches tall, she was used to having to look up at men, but this mountain of a man was unbelievably tall and built like an Adonis. She couldn’t help the blush that crossed her cheeks as she looked up at him, quickly looking away shyly to study the carpet as she tried to pull herself together.
Jace nodded, smiling as she pulled her soft hand from his, feeling the loss of her touch immediately. He removed his hat to hold it in his hands, turning the brim slightly before catching himself and stopping the nervous habit he hadn’t resorted to in more years than he cared to remember. This woman had already reduced him to a randy teenager. And he didn’t like it one bit.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Jackson’s voice invaded their space as he entered the room, smiling openly at the woman Jace feared was destined to be theirs, unable to stop himself from walking toward her. His wolf recognized her immediately.
He looked at Jace and nodded. Mate.
Jace felt his stomach tighten. He didn’t want to acknowledge it. He didn’t want to accept it. He had hoped he had been wrong. But Jackson knowing it the moment he walked into the room sealed their fate. Laurie Young was their mate.
Laurie smiled at the man who entered the room, her breath catching at the sight of him. He was nearly as tall as Jace, with a body that rippled with muscles, but his hair was a deep brown that flowed in soft curls to his shoulders. His brown eyes held a mischievous sparkle to them, and she found herself smiling and stepping forward, drawn to him just as much as she was drawn to the serious man beside her. She closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Her forehead furrowed in confusion, and her eyes opened slowly to look at the two most gorgeous specimens of the male gender she had ever seen.
“Do you smell that?” she asked of both men.
“What?” Jackson asked, smiling as he gazed at her, transfixed by the gentleness that poured from her and already soothed his soul. He could barely contain himself. Goodness and kindness radiated from her, and he knew he and Jace had finally found the one who would complement them, love them, and be the gentle soul that would nurture their pack.
“I’ve never smelled anything like it before, but it’s the most wonderful smell,” Laurie tried to explain, stepping closer toward the men without realizing it. “It’s stronger than before,” she told them, stopping suddenly when she realized just how close to the two men she had gotten. She stepped back and blushed, lowering her head to hide her total embarrassment.
“I smell it, too,” Jace told her quietly, needing to ease her discomfort. He inhaled deeply, his eyes dilating with sudden passion and hunger.
“I’ve never smelled that before either. It sure does smell great doesn’t it, big guy?” Jackson asked him, his voice filled with humor.
Jace growled, fighting the attraction, fighting the proof, needing to deny with every ounce of his being that there was the most delicious scent linking them together. At Laurie’s light touch on his arm and the sound of her gentle laughter, his body couldn’t hold on to his denial. He found himself relaxing, enjoying her touch and her humor.
“At least it’s a good smell,” Laurie teased, smiling up at Jace briefly before turning to Jackson and winking good-naturedly.
Jackson nodded and smiled at the two of them. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold this adorable woman in his arms, trapping her between him and Jace, smelling her, touching her, bonding with her. He had to make that happen. He knew Jace had no idea what to do.
His friend was already losing his grip on his emotions. Laurie had come to them at the time that his alpha needed her the most. The Fates always knew what they were doing. Now it was up to him to help nudge their destiny along.
“I’m Jackson Scott,” he told her, reaching forward and extending his hand, wanting to touch her more than he could have ever thought possible.
Laurie smiled and reached out to shake his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch all the way down to her toes. What was it about these two men that pulled long-buried feelings of longing from her? She had to pull herself together. She couldn’t let her imagination and her secret desires lead her to the deep sorrow she knew she would feel when she realized once again that reality did not hold such things for her.
“Laurie Young,” she told him, smiling softly as she gently pulled her hand from his. She hadn’t been touched in kindness for so long, she actually felt uncomfortable feeling it. And she couldn’t risk feeling the kindness only to have it disappear when she left, leaving her more alone and hurt than before. She had to be careful.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Young,” Jackson told her quietly, shaking his head slightly at Jace as he turned his attention toward him, “but I’ve just been told that we’ve overbooked these next two weeks, and this room has already been assigned to another couple.”
Laurie’s head snapped up. Panic filled her eyes at the thought that her vacation might end before it had even begun. Her shoulders sagged as she looked at both men sadly. Looking around the room, she was overcome with loss that this comfortable haven would not be hers. Once again, the reality of her life slammed into her, and she knew a sadness deep down to her bones. Tears welled up instantly, and the soft brown of her eyes filled with a deep sadness that tugged at the two men’s hearts as they saw the glistening of unshed tears that she fought to hold back.
“Please,” she said in a pained whisper. “I can’t go back home. I’ve waited forever for this vacation.”
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Jace stepped toward her, his wolf tearing at his chest as he fought to get out to comfort their woman. He took a steadying breath to calm his wolf, but the scent of her made him all the more determined to protect and cherish her. Fix this! He looked at Jackson with an anger that would have fallen any other man, but Jackson only smiled and reached out to gently brush the stray tear that slid down their mate’s cheek with the pad of this thumb.
“Darlin’, don’t cry,” he told her soothingly. “You don’t have to leave. We just have to relocate you, is all.”
Laurie smiled through her tears and took a soothing breath. “Really?”
Jackson nodded and brushed his thumb across her cheek, closing his eyes briefly as the warmth from her soothed his heart. “We have to move you to the private compound. We have a room there for times just like these when we have an overflow of lodgers. You’ll have your own balcony that looks out over the ranch. You can even see the lake from there. And we’ll comp your stay to show you how sorry we are for the inconvenience.”
“Oh, no,” Laurie protested. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It would be our pleasure, darlin’,” Jackson told her, winking. “No arguing now. Let’s get you to your new room.”
He reached forward and lifted the heavy bag, leaving the overnight bag for Jace to grab. Jace winced in pain as his shoulder twinged when he lifted the bag.
“Are you all right?” Laurie asked him, reaching out to touch his arm lightly.
Jace straightened slowly and looked down at her. There wasn’t one bit of deceit in this woman. She saw his pain and reacted to it with genuine concern and kindness. A picture of her massaging his shoulder flashed through his mind, and he saw Jackson turn toward him and smile knowingly.
It wasn’t a fantasy. Both could sense the rightness of it. Laurie would be the one to give them caring and comfort. Even though both men knew that Jace’s shoulder would be totally healed by the evening, it didn’t stop them from knowing that she would ease their aches in both body and spirit. More than anything, they appreciated her genuine concern.
“I’m fine,” Jace told her calmly, unable to stop himself from scowling down at her.
“No you’re not,” she told him quickly, ignoring his bad temper. “Your shoulder is hurting. Have you had someone look at it?”
Jace straightened and looked down at her. He was amazed that she could pick up on his pain but even more surprised that her eyes held no fear when she looked up at him. His shoulder did hurt from his morning run when he had stumbled and had collided into a fallen tree. It angered him that things like that had been happening to him more and more lately. Jackson had told him that the reason he was having more difficulty containing his emotions in order to keep his anger in check, and was finding himself stumbling more often and nearly losing control of his wolf, was because they hadn’t found their mate. Once they found their mate, she would ground them both. She would be the warm and loving force that would center them. And now they had found her.
Jace scowled down at the woman, unwilling to give in to the need he had to crush her to him and claim her. He fiercely pushed aside the feelings he was beginning to have for her. He didn’t want her to understand him. He didn’t want her to sense his pain. He didn’t want to appreciate her real concern. He didn’t want to need her. But he did—every one of those damn things. He did want them all. And it was scaring the hell out of him.
Laurie looked up at him and smiled sadly. She could sense the pride in him, but she could also sense the pain. “Stubborn man,” she finally whispered, exasperation evident in her voice. She shook her head as she faced the man called Jackson, hesitating slightly as she saw him smile. Her stomach did a little flutter as she found herself between these two very masculine men.
Down, girl. The admonishment whispered in her head. Don’t get caught up in thoughts that could never be your reality.
Jackson couldn’t stop himself from chuckling as he turned and led the way out of the room. This little spitfire was going to be just what Jace needed. Just what he needed, too.
Laurie followed behind Jackson, ignoring the growls coming from behind her. “And you can stop your grumbling,” she warned him. “I have some liniment in my bag. You can use it on your shoulder before you go to bed tonight.”
Jace said nothing. He just rolled his eyes and followed them out of the room, admiring the view of Laurie’s beautiful curves as she walked before him. How he wanted to reach out and squeeze that delectable ass.
What room do we have for the overflow of guests, Jackson?
The one across the hall from mine and next to yours.
Chapter 3
Laurie walked into the kitchen of the main house and looked around. The two elderly women standing before the stove looked up at her entrance. The taller one faced her and smiled at her with welcome in her eyes.
“Hello, Ms. Young,” she greeted her warmly.
“Please, call me Laurie,” Laurie told her quickly as she made her way across the kitchen to stand beside them.
“Martha Gregg,” she answered, smiling. “This is our housekeeper, Vera Moore. It’s very nice to meet you, Laurie.”
Vera nodded abruptly at Laurie, stepping back and facing Martha without addressing the young woman. “I have duties to attend to, Martha,” she said quietly. “I’ll speak with you later about the staff schedules.”
Turning, the small woman left the kitchen without another word. Laurie looked at her retreating form and frowned with concern. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you, Martha,” she said sincerely. “I don’t want to interfere with your jobs.”
Martha laughed and reached out to touch Laurie’s arm lightly before returning her attention to the many pots on the stove. “Oh, don’t worry about that,” she assured her. “This isn’t a job for me. This is my family.” She looked at Laurie and winked. “Don’t mind old sourpuss,” she whispered conspiratorially. “She’s never been one who likes to deviate from routine. The amount of guests this week is overwhelming her, and she doesn’t want to make a mistake. Don’t take it personally.”
Laurie smiled at her, feeling instantly welcomed by the kind woman. “I would like to help if you don’t mind.”
Martha looked up, startled. She could feel the goodness in this one. And she could smell her alpha and beta on her. Even though the scent was faint, it was there. Both men had touched her. She wondered if there was something going on that she was not privy to just yet. It had to be something. They had put her in the bedroom near theirs.
No human had ever shared the private compound with them before. It was just for pack. And now this woman was suddenly here instead of in the lodging assigned to guests. Something was definitely up. She could feel it in her bones that this was the woman who would be the mate to her boys. Though they weren’t her own children by birth, she loved Jace and Jackson as if they were, and she worried that they were destined to never find their mate. Maybe the Fates had finally smiled on them and had sent them this woman.
“You don’t have to help,” Martha told her sincerely. “You’re a guest. Tonight there will be a big dinner at the main dining hall to welcome all the lodgers. They’ll have lots of activities set up for all of you to enjoy your time with us.”
Laurie stepped back and looked away. “I really don’t want to participate in any activities. I just wanted some time away to relax. I haven’t had a vacation in fifteen years.”
“Why ever not?” Martha asked, shocked.
“I was alone with my kids,” Laurie explained, shrugging slightly. “I was too busy raising them. And no money to do anything for myself. Now that they’re older, I have some time to myself, and I’ve saved up so I could come here and just enjoy the beautiful country and have no responsibilities for a little while. Actually, I didn’t really have the money now, but after this past month I just had to get away.”
“What happened?”
Martha watched silently as Laurie averted her eyes slowly, unwilling
to allow her to catch a glimpse of the tears that threatened to fall, but the older woman recognized her pain immediately. She could see there was much sadness in this young woman’s life.
“Not much to tell,” Laurie told her softly, shrugging her shoulders slightly. “One day is pretty much like every other.” She was not about to embarrass herself and tell this kind woman the misery of her life. The constant harassment and abuse of her ex-husband had really worn her down. He had been especially cruel to her lately, and she was really at a breaking point. She was barely holding it together.
“How many children do you have?” Martha asked, changing the subject. She was curious about the woman she thought might be the one destined to be the mate of her alpha and beta.
“Two,” Laurie answered proudly. “They’re twins. A girl and a boy. They just graduated from high school. They’re the best kids, and I love them to death. I’m very lucky.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Martha told her knowingly. “A mother guides her children to be the people they are. We aren’t always lucky enough to have our children be the upstanding people we all wish they would be, but our influence has to have something to do with how they turn out. You must be a wonderful parent.”
Laurie blushed lightly. No one but her best friend Nikki had ever given her credit for how she had raised her children. Certainly not her ex, who continually told her she was worthless and did everything wrong.
“Why don’t you go out and sit on the deck while I finish getting dinner ready,” Martha told her quietly. “Just relax. Maybe you can help me tomorrow after you’ve had tonight to rest after your travels of today.”
Bernard, Lynnette - Laurie's Loves [Beckett's Wolf Pack, Triad Mates] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 2