by Vivian Arend
Chapter Three
She felt horrid. A terrible big bully who had taken away a child’s favourite toy. Seeing Mark’s face fall as she pulled back was like watching the rain clouds roll in and soak a picnic.
But darn it all. This was important to her as well.
Mark rallied himself. Coughed a couple times. Took a deep breath, his nose wrinkling up immediately.
Oops, her scent. Double drat. “Better not do that around me for a bit,” Tessa suggested.
He nodded, held out his arm. “If nothing else, let’s move the discussion inside. We have a lot to talk about, and standing on the road isn’t the most comfortable place. I can show you the house.”
She caught hold of his elbow. Her hand curled around his biceps and she had to smile. Nice muscles hidden under the flannel. Broad shoulders. That dark head of hair just screamed “run your fingers through me and mess me up”. Perfect length as well that when she made fists, there’d be something to grab hold of.
And those eyes? Darkest of dark chocolate with a lovely hint of…golden flecks?…in the irises.
“Ahem.”
It was her turn to realize she’d been staring at him and not moving anywhere. “Just checking you out.”
Mark snorted. “You certainly are honest. Like what you see?”
“Oh, definitely.” Of all the guys who could’ve popped out of the woodwork and announced they were mates, she wasn’t going to argue with the exterior packaging on this one. She leaned up on tiptoe and brushed a loose strand of hair off his forehead.
His entire body shook as a shiver rolled through him. “Inside? Now, please?”
“Sure.” She matched their paces, allowing him to lead up the walkway. All the while her brain took notes regarding improvements and changes to be done. The path would have to be widened, plus she’d add a few more flowerbeds on the left side. The exterior boards of the ship were well maintained, though, freshly painted that summer if she guessed right. “You’ve done a great job taking care of the place. The paddle wheeler looks as if it’s in great shape.”
“To be honest, the outside is better than the inside. Basic repairs and slapping up new paint is easy. The inside? Well, you’ll see in a minute.” He swung open the door and Tessa zipped in eagerly.
A massive staircase stood before her, the huge expanse of steps branching off on either side of a landing visible just above head level. There were solid oak railings, wood trim on the walls, and elegant chandeliers sparkled overhead in the sun shining through the windows.
She clutched her hands together and bounced. It was exactly what she’d hoped. This would be the main entrance. The guests could go from here—
A soft touch on both shoulders brought her feet back in contact with the floor. “You’re scaring the dust bunnies.”
“Sorry.” Tessa turned to face him, letting her happiness show in her smile. “It looks gorgeous. What were you worried about inside?”
Mark pointed to the right, the passage reaching out into the darkness like the entrance to a secret catacomb. “Chaos in the corners. My family used the place for a variety of things, and each time they tore down and put up walls as they pleased. When I inherited, I gave up on the bottom two levels and concentrated on fixing the upstairs the way I wanted it.”
“That’s okay.” It was brilliant, actually. “It’s best to renovate based on current needs, anyway. May I look around?”
Mark gestured her forward. “Be my guest.”
Tessa slipped past him, his hmmm of approval as their bodies rubbed together making her smile. Okay, she didn’t know him yet, but the getting to know could be a lot of fun.
She peeked through door-frames and around posts. While the walls were in odd places, there wasn’t a ton of trash stashed in piles, or extra boxes. He wasn’t a pack rat, which was nice to know. All this room to spare, it would have been tempting for a person to fill it to the rafters with junk.
She came back and tugged him toward the stairs. “Chaos is right. Some of the walls aren’t vertical. Are the support beams solid?”
“Structurally, she’s as sound as when she was built in the 1910s. They dry-docked her in the 1950s.”
Walking up the staircase made her heart beat faster. “It’s like a trip on the Titanic.”
Mark laughed. “I hope not.”
“Oh, I meant the elegance. So so pretty.” She ran her fingers over the thick wood trim, and happiness welled up. Tessa twirled on him. “Can we talk business?”
“Let’s go up one more floor. I’ll make us a drink. Then we can discuss your proposal.”
She’d lost her ability to concentrate, so focused on what could be accomplished in the incredible place. “Sure. Sorry.”
Mark caught her chin with his fingers. “Stop apologizing. This is no longer your typical business meeting.”
His hand was warm and felt wonderful against her skin. “Does that expression you’re wearing mean you plan to kiss me again?”
He straightened slightly, caught in the middle of bending in closer—probably to kiss her. “There you go again with the blunt talk.”
“I don’t mind kissing,” Tessa admitted. “Only I think we should figure out the other details of the arrangement first.”
“And then we can get back to the kissing? Deal.” He grinned, his teeth flashing white. “Oh, and heads up. My grampa is upstairs waiting to meet you.”
Well now. “That was quick. What did you do, teleport him in while I was exploring?”
Mark guided them upward, the long risers of the stairs passing underfoot as he held her arm. “He spent the night. He’s got a place in the seniors’ lodge, but he loves coming over when he can. It’s because of him…”
His voice faded and her curiosity tweaked. Before she could ask him more, though, distraction in the form of incredible shiny things burst into view. “Oh, Mark. It’s lovely.”
The top of the third flight of stairs opened onto a large, circular room, with aged hardwood underfoot, and gold fixtures. Behind the enormous windows of the upper level of the paddle wheeler, the spread of Haines Bay was revealed, sun shimmering off the water like millions of diamonds.
All her plans would fit perfectly in the space. The dining hall would go here. She spun and grinned harder as she spotted a wood-burning fireplace already settled against the north wall, comfortable chairs gathered around it. A passage led toward the back where she imagined the bedrooms and bath were hidden.
Even the kitchen was like she’d envisioned it, with brass instead of gold in the finishing touches. Industrial-sized ovens, two of them, were mounted on the wall, along with a double-sized fridge and a stovetop that had enough burners she imagined they could cook dinner for a couple dozen without batting an eye.
She rested her elbows on the enormous island and stared around her happily. It. Was. Perfect.
Her gaze fell on Mark, and his expression made her pause. “What?”
“You don’t even know you’re doing it, do you?”
“Doing what?” Tessa straightened and joined him. Adjusted his collar. Brushed a spot of dust off his elbow. Turned to look out—
She was jerked to a stop as Mark snagged her around one wrist. He kept a firm grip as he led her toward the comfortable chairs by the fireplace. “You took off like a whirling dervish. I think you set new land-speed records as you raced around the place.”
“I love the house.” He’d said not to apologize anymore, so she wouldn’t, focusing instead on how incredible the place was. “You’ve done a wonderful job up here.”
“Thanks. The kitchen was my parents’ fault. They’re both gourmet chefs, and that was their idea of basic necessities.”
Oh, nice. Another point in his favour. “Does that mean you can cook?”
Mark nodded. “Fairly well.”
“Don’t you let him tell you lies, young lady.” An elderly gentleman emerged from a door down the hall. He paced toward them, his grey and white hair contrasting with the leathery brown of his skin. “M
y grandson is a marvelous cook. Although I’m the one you want to call to man the barbecue.”
She accepted his offered hand and shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Tessa Williams.”
“My grandfather, Josiah.” Mark fidgeted for a moment, the action strange on his big bulk. “I’ll just…ahhh, put on the water for drinks.”
He’d reached the point where he either had to run away and do something stupid like make tea, or Tessa would end up back in his arms. She’d made it clear their situation wasn’t going to proceed as normal.
Damn. Drat. Shit.
Mark opened the freezer but resisted sticking his head inside, instead allowing the icy coldness to pour over his heated skin and provide a little relief.
His mate wanted nothing to do with him. Well, maybe that wasn’t accurate. She’d kissed him back eagerly enough. She’d been eyeing him with a rather pleased expression on her face, so there was hope, albeit smaller than he’d like.
At this moment he’d prefer them to be tucking themselves away in the master bedroom and checking out the springs on the mattress. Although, Gramps…
Gramps was a wolf. He’d understand.
But no, instead of answering the burning call igniting his every cell, he was farting around in the kitchen listening to the melodious sound of her voice as she chatted with Gramps.
Tessa laughed, and his body reacted.
He stared across the room and considered his options. She seemed serious about waiting. How on earth would he manage that when his wolf rustled hard enough to make him want to crawl out of his skin? Or out of his clothes and into his fur, if nothing else.
He grabbed his phone off the table where he had his work spread out, slipping toward the balcony door. “I’ll be a minute. Gramps. If you want to show her the rest of the upstairs, go for it.”
Mark didn’t wait for them to respond, just shoved the French doors open and fled into the fresh air. Running away from the scent of her in the hopes he’d be able to find a little more control.
This couldn’t be the first time someone had sniffed an unusual mate. He knew of at least one other in the pack. He punched in the familiar numbers and waited, one hand on the railing as he sucked in the refreshing air off the ocean.
“Yo. Heard the news you got sacked.” TJ Lynus was another middle-of-the-packer in the Granite Lake wolves and an all-round good guy. “Want to drown your sorrows tonight? Pam’s working the graveyard shift. I’m free to go carousing, so to speak.”
With everything else on his mind, Mark had forgotten he’d been laid off. “That was days ago. It’s old news, and I’m not upset or anything. I have something important to ask you, though. Regarding Pam.”
“Really?” TJ’s laid-back attitude vanished, even over the phone, becoming protective. “What do you need to know about my mate?”
How the heck did he ask this? Mark snorted. Maybe he needed to take a page from the straight-out honesty Tessa had shown. “Pam’s human. When you sniffed her out as your mate, did you…?”
He already knew what TJ had ended up doing to convince the woman that werewolves existed. The situation was now legend in the pack.
“What are you not saying? Did you find your mate? Is she human?” TJ demanded.
Dead silence. Mark discovered he’d turned to face the paddle wheeler, searching instinctively for a glimpse of Tessa. “Yes, I found her. No, she’s not human. She’s…well, a cat. Not sure what kind yet.”
He should have expected the laughter that greeted his announcement. TJ hooted for a moment before pulling himself together. “Congrats. Awesome news—the finding-your-mate part. You’ve been looking for her, you should be happy now. And at least you don’t have to explain to her shifters exist.”
There was a bright spot. “Good point.”
“So why are you calling me instead of burning up the sheets? Something’s got to be off.”
Mark moved down the deck until he could peer in the windows, watching her blonde hair bounce as she followed Grampa Josiah’s more stately march. They walked through the room Gramps used when he stayed overnight. Her smile seemed genuine while she listened to the old shifter, her gaze darting everywhere.
Was he in love with her? Damn it, what was love to a shifter? This feeling of intense satisfaction he had inside at having found her was a kind of love, wasn’t it?
“Dude…you still there?” TJ clicked his tongue. “Let me guess. She’s not from around here.”
He didn’t want to turn this into a guessing game. “She’s a cat. She wants to fall in love before we mate.”
This time silence echoed from the other end for way too long. TJ finally whistled softly. “Oh boy. Okay, I take it back how explaining about shifters was harder than what you’ve got. You mean she wants you to wait?”
“Seems that way. Yes.”
“Well, hell.”
They both sighed at the same time.
“That’s why I called.” There had to be something he could do to speed things along. “Maybe it would help if Pam had a heart-to-heart with her, because you two hit it off pretty fast, and all.”
“I’ll ask her. Hate to say it, my big bro is your best bet. Or Robyn. They know all kinds of things. And if you’re serious, and you’re going to bring her to visit the pack, you’d better talk to them anyway. I don’t think tossing a cat into the mix is a good idea without checking with the Alphas first. Humans aren’t cats. Like…whoa, your mate is a cat. Not saying I’d be too worried about… Well, you should just call them.”
If there was an indication this situation was not normal, it was TJ warning him about how dangerous things could get. “Great. My one competitor for the ‘picks the most awkward mate ever’ award, and you’re not very reassuring.”
TJ laughed. “Don’t worry. It’ll all be worth it in the end. She’s your mate, dude. There’s nothing like a mate, no matter how hairy the trip is to get to the point you’re both one hundred percent in line. Trust me on that one.”
It was all he had to go on. “Thanks, anyway.”
“Dude?” TJ cut in one last time. “She’s a cat. Think about it. This might not be as bad as you expect.”
Mark had no idea what TJ was implying. He clicked off the phone and tried not to stare as Tessa wandered through his bedroom, expression of rapt adoration on her face as she peered at the woodwork.
At least she liked his house.
Standing outside staring in at her, his wolf demanding he go in and jump her bones, Mark came to a startling conclusion. Maybe TJ hadn’t given him any long-term solutions to their problem, but one thing he had mentioned in passing was absolute truth.
It was going to be worth it in the end. She wanted him to fall in love with her? He was already over halfway there. Instinct wouldn’t let him do anything but want her, and want the best for her.
If finding out all about her was what she required, then he was more than willing to become the most attentive student ever. Everything she longed for, everything she’d done. He would go back to school, and the only thing he’d concentrate on was her.
He was going to get a graduate degree in Tessa Williams, and he was all for fast-tracking the course of study. Even his wolf approved of his plans, and for the first time in the past hour the two sides of his psyche were in agreement.
School was in, starting now.
Chapter Four
Tessa lowered her fork to the table and sighed contentedly. “That was delicious. Thank you.”
Across from her Mark nodded, reaching for her plate. “Thirds?”
Tempting. Very tempting. Mark had managed to whip up a seafood lasagna in the matter of an hour while she’d explored the paddle wheeler inside and out. But even a good thing could be too much. “I can’t eat another bite without exploding. Let me help with the dishes.”
Gramps waved at them from his position at the head of the table. “You two go do your talking. I’m going to earn my keep and be chore boy tonight.”
“Thank
s, Gramps.” Mark carried the dirty plates to the counter for him then nodded toward the office. “We do need to make a few decisions.”
Tessa followed him, pleased to see the comfortable relationship between the two of them. “Your grampa is a lovely man.”
Mark pulled out a chair for her. “He’s stubborn, bossy and impulsive. I figured you’d like him.”
She laughed. “Oh, you’re learning about me that quickly, are you?”
The heat in his eyes was enough to raise the temperature in the room by several degrees. “I have a very good reason to want to know everything about you.”
Well now. Tessa worked hard to stop from fidgeting in her chair, the heat between her legs somewhat unexpected, but nice to experience. He was turning her on without touching her. Interesting revelation.
Professional concerns first. “I know we have another issue to deal with, but can we step back and discuss the business side of things first?”
Mark nodded. “No problem. It’s simpler now than it would have been. You want to buy the house—correct?”
“Yes, for the B&B and to offer eco-tours.”
“I can’t sell. Not unless you want to build an entire new building on this site.”
What? “I want the paddle wheeler as the base. It’s what makes the setting so spectacular.”
“I agree. You’ve got a great idea, and I think it’s going to work out well. Fact is, though, I literally can’t sell you the place. The paddle wheeler is grandfathered—as long as the title remains with my family, it can stay. Once ownership passes to a new family, the boat has to be torn down, and any new buildings need to meet the building specs for the area.”
Tessa’s heart fell. “Oh no. You didn’t mention that in your letter.”
He smiled. “Stop looking so glum. That’s what I said would happen. To avoid that option, I had proposed we go into business together. I remain owner of the house, you rent from me, together we run the place.”
The idea had merit. But wait. “You said ‘had’. Are you proposing something else?”
Mark turned toward her, lifting her hand in his. “You said you need me to go slower. That you won’t accept we’re mates right here and right now. I hate the idea, but fine, I see your point. In the meantime there’s no reason we have to slow down on other plans.”
