by DJ Bryce
“Yeah, I figured I’d show you the town, then we can stop by Yonaweti, and then I’ll take you to the house. Tomorrow, I was thinking I’d take you on a hike and we could camp out. I’ve got this week off from work, so we may as well make the most of it.”
“That sounds fun,” I said, but all I could think about was Bane and me, under the stars, maybe naked? I shook my head to get the mental image out and added, “I may need to pick up some supplies.”
“I probably have most of what we need, but if not, we can use my discount and get the rest at Yonaweti.”
“Awesome,” I said with a grin.
Our food was delivered, and as we tucked in to eat, Bane asked, “Have you always been a Nanny?”
“No,” I replied as I dipped my chicken in my dressing. “I had odd jobs as a teenager… gas station attendant, cashier at a drug store… and I have my business degree. After I left my ex I needed a change of pace, that’s when I saw the ad for the live-in nanny. It seemed like the perfect escape, so I applied. When they moved, I rented a room monthly, and she ended up getting engaged, so there went that… then I started the profile on the dating app, and here we are… What about you? Have you always wanted to be a guide?”
He was chewing, so it took a few seconds for him to answer.
“I’ve always loved outdoor sports and activities, although when I was with Sarah, I had a more active role in the pack. When she died, I left those duties behind and needed to find something different, something for me. So, I turned my love of hiking, camping, and fishing into a job. I love what I do, and it gives me the autonomy to be there for Sloane. I do have a couple ladies who watch her when I need them to, but for the most part, it’s been just the two of us.”
“Do you think she’ll be okay… with me, or someone else, coming into your lives and sharing that parenting role with you?” I asked, curious about Sloane.
“Yes, I honestly do. Sloane is a special little girl. She loves everyone she meets, is open and funny. She’s never had an issue with anyone, and always goes out of her way to be sweet and kind.”
Bane’s face lit up when he talked about his daughter, which only endeared him to me more.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” I said, hoping I wasn’t being presumptuous. “Where is she now?”
“With my brother, Gray.”
“Does he live here in town?” I asked.
Bane shook his head.
“Nah, he’s got a farm about an hour away. He moved there years ago and never leaves. When we want to see him, we go to him. He used to be part of the pack, but that was when he was much younger. Now, he prefers to be alone.”
“Oh,” I replied, unsure of what to say.
“If we stick it out until the second week, I’ll go get Sloane alone, just so you know. My brother won’t meet you until the claiming ceremony is complete. Kind of like Sloane, I don’t want to cause him undue stress if we aren’t going to make it the distance… I hope you understand.”
“Sure, of course,” I said, although I really didn’t. But, I supposed if Bane’s brother didn’t want to meet strangers then that was his business. “What about your parents, do they live nearby?”
“No, both of our parents have passed.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“How about you? Are your parents in Florida? Any siblings?” Bane asked, popping his last fry in his mouth.
I shook my head.
“My parents divorced when I was little, and I never really knew my dad. He’s in Virginia with his new family. My mom remarried while I was in college and lives in Puerto Rico with her husband, so I rarely see her. No brothers or sisters.”
“Puerto Rico, that sounds fun. Have you been to visit?”
“Once, but it was awkward. I don’t really know my step-dad, and he has children of his own, so… it just seemed better to stay away.”
Bane nodded, but didn’t say anything else about my depressing home life.
“Ready to get out of here?” he asked.
“Let’s do it.”
Bane
I don’t know if it was our up-front discussion about sex, or the fact that Katja was the first person in a long time that I’d been attracted too, but the sexual chemistry between us was off the charts.
All we’d done was sit in my jeep together and enjoy a meal, but as we drove through town and I pointed out the sights, such as they were, I was very aware of Katja.
The light, coconut smell of her skin, the way her tinkling laughter filled the space, and the slight upturn of her lips as she enjoyed the windshield tour. When we stopped at Yonaweti I had to force myself not to take her hand in mine as we entered the building.
I had the urge to stake my claim. To let every male, female, and beast within the state, know she was mine.
It was disturbing and frankly, confusing.
“Go ahead and have a look around, I’m going to go up and check my schedule, make sure nothing new has popped up.”
“Okay,” Katja said with a smile, then headed toward the women’s section.
I jogged up the stairs to where the offices were and stopped in the hall to look at the board.
When I saw there were no changes, I walked down the hall and to the left to see if Mal was in. He and Kai were the owners of Yonaweti and technically my bosses. Mal and I were pretty good friends, and although I didn’t hang out much with Kai, he was cool, too.
They were bear shifters, so they tended to be loners, rather than pack animals like I was, but Mal and I had always gotten along.
He was the one who’d told me about the Paranormal Dating App, after he and Kai had joined and found their mate. They’re a triad, three people in a committed relationship. I’d gone to their claiming ceremony with Sloane, and had felt inspired that they were able to find happiness using the app.
So, I’d decided to give it a try, and here we were… in the middle of my first, and hopefully only, trial.
I looked through the large glass windows to see that Kai’s desk was empty, and Mal seated at his, eyes on his computer. I walked over and rapped lightly on the open door. Mal looked up and grinned.
“Hey, Bane, how’s it going?” he asked as he stood and rounded the desk. “I thought you were off this week.”
“I am,” I replied, shaking his offered hand. “Katja and I stopped by to pick up some stuff for our hike tomorrow, and so I could check the board.”
“Katja? From the app?” he asked.
“Yup, I picked her up a couple hours ago.”
“That’s great, man, I really hope it works out. For you, and for Sloane.”
“Thanks, brother. How’s everything going with Tori?” I asked, talking about his mate.
Mal’s face lit up at the mention of her, and I felt an unsettling pang of envy.
“Great. Perfect. Better than I ever expected,” he replied. “We’re pregnant.”
I blinked. Shocked.
“Wow, that’s great. Congratulations.”
“Yeah, I’m so excited to be a dad… and, you should see Kai. Dude never loses his shit over anything, but I swear, he can’t stop buying things for the baby. There’s already a crib up and everything. He’s beside himself.”
“That’s great, truly… nothing better than being a father,” I told him, then remembered Katja downstairs shopping alone and said, “I’d better get back to Katja, but we’ll talk again soon.”
“For sure, we’ll have to have you guys over for dinner, if everything works out.”
“Sounds good,” I said, then turned to head back downstairs.
I found her in the back looking at hiking boots. Her short curly hair looked slightly rumpled, but still gave me the urge to put my hands in it and mess it up even more. I wondered if her hair was naturally curly, or if she did something to it to make it that way.
When I realized I was standing there, staring at Katja and thinking about her hair, I gave myself a mental slap and approached her.
“You know, if you have
sneakers or running shoes, that’ll be good enough for the hike we’re doing tomorrow. It’s not a difficult trail,” I said, thinking I should have given her a heads up so she could have packed for what I was planning.
“Oh, I have both hiking shoes and running shoes with me, I was just checking out what they have in stock,” Katja replied, her lips curving up at me.
I felt that look right in my chest, but tried to brush it off.
“Ah, I see… well, find any good deals? There’s actually a Friday the thirteenth sale coming up… don’t tell anyone I told you, but you may want to hold off,” I said, leaning in and talking low.
Katja chuckled, like I’d hoped she would, and whispered, “Thanks for the intel. Can we come back on Friday?”
“You bet,” I replied with a grin. “Is there anything else you want to look at?”
She shook her head.
“No, I’ll wait to see your goodies, then decide if there’s anything else I need for our adventure.”
“Perfect, then let’s head to the homestead,” I said, gesturing to the door, then putting my hand on the small of her back and leading her out.
I swear a charge of electricity ran through me at the slight contact, and I wondered how I was going to handle the undeniable chemistry between us. Did I ignore it? Wait to see how the trials went before taking that next step? Or should I go for it and see where it leads?
I wasn’t sure yet, but I had a feeling that once our relationship did turn physical, it was going to add an element that I may not be ready for.
Which is why I decided to wait. No use confusing things off the bat.
Katja
When Bane pulled up to his house, I had to hold back a sigh of pleasure.
It was utterly charming. A pretty blue ranch house on what looked like a couple acres of land, with no houses nearby. It had a wraparound porch, a bright red door, and tons of windows. It was the kind of house you’d never see in Florida, and I couldn’t wait to see inside.
I jumped down out of the Jeep, reaching to get my bags, but Bane said, “I got ‘em,” so I sent him a grateful smile and walked closer to the house to take it all in.
I looked around the yard, which had mature trees and flowering bushes, and was a bright green.
“You must do a lot of work on your yard,” I said when Bane approached with my things.
“Yeah, Sloane and I are usually out here every weekend,” he replied, then kept going toward the house.
I followed him up the stairs, noting the porch swing, rocking chairs, and child-sized bench.
“Come on in,” Bane said, holding the door open and stepping to the side so I could go in first.
I walked straight into the open living space and looked around. It was neat, comfortable, and obviously the home of a family. Sloane’s toys were in a basket by in the corner, while a large screen TV adorned the wall, and a sectional sofa made the space feel welcoming.
“I’ll show you to your room, then give you the tour.”
“Okay,” I replied, my head swiveling around as I took everything in.
He led me into a small bedroom with a full-sized bed, matching oak dresser, and a comfy looking chair in the corner.
“It’s kind of small, but has its own bathroom. The drawers are empty, as is the closet… feel free to use whatever you want,” Bane said as he set my bags on the bed.
“Thank you, it’s perfect,” I replied, pleasantly surprised to have my own space. I don’t know why, I’d just assumed I’d sleep on the couch until Bane and I were comfortable enough to share a room.
“So, you can either put your stuff away and meet up after for the tour, or I can show you the rest of the house now, then leave you to it.”
“I think I’ll get settled in first,” I said.
Honestly, I really needed to shower and looked forward to getting cleaned up after my day of travel.
“Sounds good, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Bane said, then turned and left, shutting my door behind him.
I put most of my stuff in the drawers, hung up a couple dresses and blouses, and tucked my bags into the back of the closet, then went to go freshen up.
Once I was scrubbed clean, I got dressed in shorts and a tank top and put hydrating cream in my curly hair, deciding to let it air dry. Since it was already getting late, I decided to forgo makeup.
It was good for Bane to see me in my natural state, since that is how I spent most of my time.
I opened my door and went toward the kitchen. I’d seen it off the living room when we came inside, so found it pretty easily. Bane’s back was to me as he seasoned whatever was in front of him.
I didn’t want to startle him, so I softly cleared my throat.
Bane paused, then looked over his shoulder at me. His gaze started at my face, then moved over my hair, down my body, and back to my face.
By the time his eyes met mine my cheeks were aflame and my pulse was pounding.
“Hey,” he said, his voice gruff.
Damn, that voice…
“Hey, whatchya doing? Can I help?” I managed, clenching my hands into fists as the urge to go to him and pull him to me overcame me.
He turned sideways so I could see the steaks he’d been seasoning, and said, “Uh, just getting these ready to grill. I’ve got some store bought potato salad and one of those bag salad mixes, if that’s all right.”
“Sounds great,” I replied, still unsure of what to do with my hands.
Had he gotten hotter while I was in the shower?
“Would you like a drink? I’ve got beer, wine, water… vodka.”
I giggled, which I tended to do when I was nervous.
I’d been fine before, and wasn’t sure if I was nervous now because we were in his home, or I’d already showered and done my nightly routine, or what… I guess things just felt more intimate.
“A beer sounds good,” I replied, moving into the kitchen to open the refrigerator so he didn’t have to stop what he was doing. “Do you want one?”
“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks,” he said, putting the steaks on a platter.
I got out the beer, popped the caps off using the bottle opener that was stuck to the fridge with a magnet, then went to hand him one.
“Here you go.”
Bane turned and took the beer, then his eyes came to my face once more and he froze.
My breath caught.
We were standing close, and his gaze felt like a caress.
“You have freckles,” he murmured, and I felt my cheeks flushing again.
I’d always hated my freckles.
“Gorgeous,” Bane said, then shook his head as if shaking himself out of a trance and picked up the platter. “I’ll go put these on the grill.”
I watched as he walked through the kitchen and out the sliding glass door where I assumed the grill was. My hand came to my nose and brushed across my freckles.
I smiled to myself, then dropped my hand and followed Bane outside.
Bane
Good God, this woman was going to test all my strength. My resolve.
I placed the seasoned steaks on the hot grill and took a deep breath as I looked out over my land. This had been my parents’ home, the home I grew up in, then, the home I’d brought my mate to after our claiming ceremony. It was the home I was raising my daughter in.
Other women had been there, to watch Sloane, or bring me food to show I needed to be taken care of, but not like this. Never like this.
No other woman had ever slept beneath my roof, and certainly not as a prospective new mate.
I’d brought this on myself. Had weighed the pros and cons of finding a new mate, of utilizing the app, and had decided it was what was best for me and for Sloane. But, now that Katja was here, I was feeling torn.
I hadn’t imagined there would be chemistry.
That I would be tempted to touch her, kiss her, claim her.
Certainly not so soon… being immediately after she arrived.
I h
eard the sliding glass door open behind me and knew she’d followed me outside. That she’d be standing there in her tiny shorts and tank top, freshly scrubbed from the shower, her hair hanging in damp ringlets, and those damn freckles dancing across her nose.
I took a deep breath and asked, “How do you like your steak?” without turning around.
I needed another moment to compose myself.
I was afraid if I saw her before I calmed down, I’d either tell her to leave, or take her right there on the picnic table.
“Medium,” she replied, in that lilting voice of hers.
I started counting in my head, tried to focus on the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, and calm my mind.
I heard movement behind me, but didn’t turn around until I was positive I was in control of myself. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw Katja sitting on top of the picnic table, looking out into my yard.
“Can you tell me more about the pack? You mentioned you were active when Sarah was alive, but haven’t been since she passed. Will that change?” she asked, still not looking at me, which actually made it easier for me to respond.
Her eyes on me got me worked up.
“Yeah, well, the pack governs the town and takes that role very seriously. Once you claim your mate, you’re expected to be active in the business and in taking care of the community. After Sarah died, it was not only awkward being the only single parent on the council, but I no longer had the desire to be an active member. I still go to the occasional meeting or get together, but it’s not the way it used to be.”
“How so?” Katja asked softly.
“A couple of the women have expressed interest in taking Sarah’s place. They flirt with me and try to cozy up to Sloane to get my attention.”
“And, you’re not interested in them?”
I shook my head and sighed.
“No, I’m not interested. Plus, they knew Sarah, and knew me and Sarah, and Sarah knew them. It just… doesn’t seem right…”
“I understand.”
“There’s actually a meeting followed by a barbecue on Friday night. If you’re interested, we could go. I think it’s good for you to see that part of my life as well, so you can make an informed decision.”