“Was there anything you could have done to carry on the business?”
“I was thirteen. Even under human laws, I couldn’t legally sign a thing. Plus, I was a shifter. Had I been a human, the rights would have reverted to me when I turned eighteen.”
“You were really young when you lost your parents. It was so hard for me losing one, but I can’t imagine how it felt losing both at such a young age.”
“I coped. I have half-brothers who are all full-blood shifters. Brock is one of them. In fact, he’s the oldest out of all of us. They took me under their wings and taught me how to be a man. I became a wolf without a pack as my brothers had split from Aspen Valley Pack years before my parent’s death. I joined their outlaw group and I had a family again.”
“Outlaw group?” She gasped. “You mean the wolf groups who roam from state to state and protest against the government.”
On a weekly basis the news anchors were always talking about wolf groups protesting for more rights. There were those groups that were organized and presented their protests to the U.S. President in a business manner, and then there were those groups who demonstrated their discontentment by force and other actions.
He nodded. “Besides my wolf pack, they are the only family I have.”
“Then you’re still a member?”
“I am. I fund and advocate their activities.”
“I understand.” His involvement in an outlaw group must have been the risk he referred to yesterday.
“If you ever have question about who is loyal to me, ask to see their emblem or mark.”
Dane lifted his shirt, revealing a dark tattoo on his upper chest above his heart. The same one’s she’d glimpsed while they’d had sex. She’d paid no mind to them then, but now they were the topic of discussion. The pattern was intricate, almost like a crest. A wolf pack crest. She’d never seen this one before, but she understood that physical marks among the shifters remained hidden from human eye.
Trina placed her finger on his tattoo. His flesh was raised slightly in the same pattern, which indicated to her that this was more than some tattoo. She heard Dane’s sharp intake of breath as she traced the lines on his chest. There was not an ounce of fat on him and her fingers glided smoothly along the ridges of hard muscle and flesh. There was a smooth and almost invisible coating of hair, or maybe fur, on his chest. As her fingers and gaze dropped lower, the hair grew dense and darker and led a trail from his belly button into the waistband on his jeans.
“You’re no different than a human man,” she whispered her thoughts loudly.
His eyes glossed over when she traced her fingers back upward. The fine mist of hair covering him had to have been fur.
Dane took her hand and pressed her palm against his heart. “I’m a real man, Trina. My make-up is different, but I feel and crave and think the same way any real man would. My heartbeat is a bit quicker and my blood runs a little faster…and that is all for the sake of maintaining the wolf within me. My body works harder to sustain both.”
“The man and the wolf.”
His pulse beat rapidly against her palm and his hand over hers was hot, yet soft to the touch.
“You really want this land, don’t you? No matter what it costs you?”
“No matter what it costs. I’m not partial to things being taken away from me, especially when there is something I can do to prevent it.”
“Then we definitely understand each other in that regard.”
He offered his hand. “I’ve been told I’m a good cook. Why don’t we have a nice dinner, talk, and then take it from there.”
There was more to this man than met the eye. She just had this feeling and she wasn’t quite sure if it was all good or all bad.
Chapter Seven
“I’d pull out another blank check to hear your thoughts.”
The statement came from Dane, who sat across the dinner table with his arms folded over his chest. Trina brought her attention back to the present, the recent chain of events that had just saved her from making a drastic decision, and the resulting fate.
“Nothing really.” She shook her head and picked at the cheesecake with her fork. “I was just thinking about my father and all.”
“Want to call him? Make sure he’s okay.” Dane smiled. “Although, Marcia is a much better host and cook than I am.”
“I’m sure. My dad isn’t really that picky. As long as he’s got enough crime novels to keep him interested, he’s not too demanding.”
“Has he always been in the dry cleaning business?”
“Sort of. When he and my mother split, that’s when he emptied his savings and retirement account and started the venture.”
“For some reason, I thought your parents were together before your m—.” He diverted his gaze. “I apologize. I’m prying again, aren’t I?”
“That’s all right. When I went off to college, my parents grew apart. They were both very old in age, but young at heart. My mother always insisted that they were still the best of friends, but I know they still argued. They never argued in front of me though.”
“I bet your father misses your mother.”
Trina nodded. “He does. He blames the accident on himself, but no one could have prevented it.”
Dane’s brows furrowed. “What happened?”
“They were coming to visit me up at college for spring break. They were always frugal spenders, so to save money they traveled together. My mom didn’t like flying so she insisted on driving. They were just one hundred miles away when they were involved in the accident with one other SUV and an eighteen-wheeler. No one survived the crash except for my dad. But he lost both legs and his vitality and passion for life.”
“I’m sorry about your tragedy.”
She swallowed. “It was a tough time. I had to give my dad my support, as the whole thing damaged him both physically and mentally. But it’s crazy how during tough times you learn what people’s real ambitions are.”
“What do you mean?”
Trina glanced up. “Didn’t you dig deep enough? I was engaged to be married at the time.”
He nodded. “I did. I saw the local papers dated about a year ago with the engagement announcement. It seems you had already planned the wedding too.”
She cleared her throat. “Most of it. Jacob wanted to get it over with quickly. We bumped heads every step of the way. He stepped out on me when I moved from Manhattan temporarily to help with my dad's outpatient surgery. It hurt me so bad that he would accept from another woman what I had never refused him. I needed him to understand that my parents were everything to me, but I also loved him. I'm not sure Jacob ever did. I forgave him for the infidelity, but by that point we had all kinds of issues. Our relationship was beyond repairable. Our wedding was set for three months away and all the plans were virtually screwed. When he suggested that I put my dad in a home and come back to New York that was the last straw for me. I broke off our engagement for good."
A lump rose up and down on Dane’s throat and his eyes were narrowed as he listened.
Trina sighed. "I'm barely thirty and my goal was to be married by then." She chuckled nervously. “Guess I’ll get my wish after all, minus the glamour, glitz, and fairy-tale ending…for six weeks at least.”
Dane frowned, pushed his chair back, and traveled around to her end of the table. He leaned against the edge, reached for her hand and pulled her up to stand. “You are an amazing woman, Trina. I would have never instigated this if I wasn’t truly interested in you, which is why I made all this inquiries before invited you to meet me. If you feel you need to back out…I’ll understand.”
“The papers are signed already.”
“I have lawyers lined up waiting to earn a retainer. Nothing is ever set in stone.”
“No. I actually want to do this. I need the money, yes, but…” She blushed.
Dane pulled her closer toward his heated body and between his thighs. “Yes, but what?”
Sh
e’d been with other men before, but they didn’t compare to him. What he’d done to her on the chaise lounge had surpassed any and all expectations she had of Dane Magnus. Thinking about her legs spread while he thrust inside of her with urgency sent a rush of desire through her spine.
“You’re unique,” was the only reply she could muster.
His nostrils flared. “Your arousal turns me on.”
Dane’s groin was hard against her belly. Heat spread across her belly and she took her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I can’t stop thinking about what you did to me?”
He grinned. “Neither can I.”
The moment their lips met a kaleidoscope of light flickered behind her eyelids. She was hungry for his touch and taste. Her pussy clenched, needy and wet. Their lips met and tongues tangled over and over again. Before long they were standing amid the dining room, kissing hot and heavy against the table in the center of a heap of clothes.
“Turn around, kitten. I want to see your pretty ass.”
Trina obliged his request, gripping the edges of the table as the sound of his voice turned her legs to putty.
A deep growl erupted from behind her and big hands kneaded at the plumpness of her backside. Her body shook in anticipation the moment he began to rain kisses across her shoulders and back. His palms gripped her ass firmly as he kissed her body. Gentle fingers slipped between her legs to caress her moist sex.
Lips, nose, tongue, and teeth. He used them all to caress her skin. Moving unbearably slow across her back and up and down her spine.
Dane knelt lower and she cried out when he nipped her ass. Big palms pressed against the bottom of her spine, pushing her downward until her breasts were smashed against the top of the table. Her ass was now held high in the air for his exploration.
“Dane—” She choked on his name as two fingers speared her pussy.
He pumped into her with the same agonizing slowness of his earlier kisses, then removed them. The moment he left her entrance unfilled, she ached. Her nipples tightened to the sound of moans of satisfaction escaping his lips. She peeked over her shoulder to see him licking her nectar from his fingers.
“You taste like warm milk and honey,” he said. He took a long swipe at the back of her thigh with his tongue. He teased her until her legs trembled, moving closer and closer to her needy center.
“What are you doing?” she panted.
“Eating you for desert.”
Dane buried his lips between the folds of her pussy, burying his tongue deep into her wet core. He dipped his tongue in and out of her heat and back and forth across her clit. He was relentless in his rhythm and drove her near the edge numerous times. He ate hungrily, driving his tongue against her pussy. Her feet barely touched the ground, her tiptoes the only thing keeping her balanced. She clutched at the edge of the table as he devoured her. When she came, she screamed and it echoed through his house.
He never gave her a chance to come down from the orgasm. He rose and entered her from behind without warning. There was nothing nice about the way he fucked her. Hard male flesh beat into her pussy with vigor. She loved it. Every last second.
He tugged a fistful of her hair and her spine arched downward as he pulled. Nothing could be heard except for the consistent slap of his balls against her wet folds and his pelvis against her ass.
He growled. “Trina. Kitten.”
Her body plummeted into another climax. The intense sensations rained down on her like a comet shower. His release was right behind hers. His seed burst into her like a shooting star, coating and burning her insides.
When it was all over, he leaned against her, breathing hoarsely against her back.
Dane picked her up and gathered her in his arms after their heart rates had returned to normal. He walked them out of the dining room.
“Where are you going with me?”
“You ask too many questions,” he teased.
“I need many answers.”
“I’d like a second helping.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Of what?”
“Your fucking pussy.”
A sharp pang of ecstasy ran up her spine, causing her nipples to harden even more. “You should have told me I was marrying a sex fiend.”
He reached the stairs and climbed them without a stumble. “I wanted that part to be a surprise.”
There was a relatively large shower in what appeared to be a master bedroom. He set her down near the shower and leaned inside to turn on the water.
“I hope you’re not afraid to get your hair wet.”
“You’ve already messed it up and I fully expect you to remedy that.” She stepped backward into the shower.
He grinned. “I thought you were a nice girl.”
“Nice girls get naughty too, especially when there’s a really big present involved.” Her gaze fell to his massive erection. He had to have at least been at least ten inches long. The swift way in which he brought her to orgasm also told her that he was thick enough to hit the right spots.
Dane entered the shower, closing in on her like a hungry wolf. Her back hit the wall and he hefted her up by the thighs, wrapping her legs around his waist.
He slid inside her sex with ease, but there was nothing easy about the way he fucked her. Before long, Trina forgot the number of times the hungry wolf took her that night.
Chapter Eight
Trina was jarred awake by a set of large hands. Before she opened her eyes, she registered Dane’s scent. Her muscles were sore from the numerous rounds of sex the previous night. Had this man woken her up to have sex again? Was this man that insatiable?
“What is going on?” she asked, groggily, lifted herself from the bed.
“Sssh,” Dane said. “I need you to throw this on.” He handed her one of her dresses. “We have to get out of here now. I sense danger. It’s time to leave.”
“What?” She looked around at the window. The sun had barely risen. “You said we were leaving later today.”
“Please. We don’t have time to talk right now. I’ll explain everything when we’re on safer grounds. Stay close to me.”
Her heart began to beat nervously as she caught the hint of urgency in his voice. She said nothing else as she pulled the long sundress over her naked body. Dane grabbed a duffle bag from the closet, threw some items inside, including her purse, and reached for her.
“This way,” he urged.
As soon as they opened the door, smoke billowed into their faces. Her own senses kicked in as she heard the telltale signs of a house on fire.
“Shit, Dane. What is going on? Tell me.”
“The left end of the ranch is on fire. Stay low.” He pushed her out into the hallway and down the stairs. Once they were on the first level, he grabbed her hands and his rushed steps turned into a jog.
Trina held her breath against the putrid smoke until they reached the sliding glass doors of the papers. They moment they hit the deck she breathed exhaled deeply.
Crackled flames caught her attention and she snapped her head to the right to confirm Dane’s confirmation. The left side of the home was engulfed in flames and lit up the morning sky.
“Oh my God. We need to call the fire department,” she said, following Dane done the patio steps.
“No human authorities involved. They’d done enough damage already. There’s nothing of value in the home. The land is what I’m after.”
Trina noticed his strained voice and turned to see his canines dropped in anger. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“Yes and no. I want to get you out of here safely. I promise we’ll talk later.”
His irises sparked brightly with specks of gold. It seemed as though his wolf half was taking over. He lifted his hand and brushed some hair away from her neck. He narrowed his gaze, stroking at the crevice near her throat. His lips fell open.
“Trina, where did you get this?”
“This way?”
“This mark.”
>
“What mark?”
Dane’s eyes widened. “Impossible.”
“What are you talking about?” She coughed when the wind pushed more of the smoke toward them.
He took her hand again and rushed them further away from the burning home. Pausing near a tree, he took her chin gently and lifted her neck again.
“Why the heck do you keep looking at my neck? Do I have a pimple?”
“You’re wearing my mark, Trina. And I haven’t even bitten you.”
“Bitten me?” This time she looked at him strangely. “Of course you haven’t bitten me. I would know. If you bite me, I will slap the hell out of you.”
She slid her palm against the area he’d examined. “I don’t feel anything.”
“It’s not that type of mark.” Dane turned and pointed to the nape of his neck. “Look at the back of my neck. What do you see?”
She stepped closer to him, squinting against the first rays of sunshine. There was some type of birthmark near his hairline, similar to a tattoo, but the coloring was all wrong. It was imbedded, not inked, into the skin.
“Two figure eight signs. Like an infinity symbol. They form an X.”
He turned around and rubbed the area near her throat again. “This explains why I can’t get enough of you.”
“I can see what you’re seeing, Dane. Do you mind telling me what you’re talking about?
“Mated pairs carry the same mark. It only appears as the result of a union. You’re my intended, Trina.”
“What…” She shook her head. The smoke must have gotten to him.
“Hey!” The voice to the behind him them came from a male. “Hey, you two! What are you doing out here?”
Dane spun around and quickly shielded her. The man had a gun, pointing it toward them from several yards away. As she held her hands against his back, he felt the vibrations that came along with his growls.
“Hey! Answer me! Are you a wolf?”
Dane turned slightly to issue his order. “Get behind the tree.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice as he scrambled behind the massive oak tree. Two shots rang out sending her heart into frenzy. Her fingers trembled against the bark of the tree as she pressed her back hard against it.
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