by Ruby Shae
“We’d played before, and the handcuffs were just for fun,” he reassured her, but he didn’t pull away. She took it as a good sign.
“She left the room to get into costume, luckily I was still fully clothed, and I fell asleep waiting for her to return. I didn’t wake until she sped away from the house in my truck, but it was too late. Flames licked the walls and door and rapidly climbed to the roof. I was on the second story.”
“Oh Trent,” Olive said, tears filling her eyes.
He held her hand tighter and kept talking.
“When I saw the flames, I realized she’d used silver handcuffs. Silver is the only metal that can hold a shifter. It’s like our Kryptonite. I broke the headboard, but I couldn’t break the metal to free myself. I could hear the wood creaking and I knew that I only had a few moments before it gave out, so I did the only thing I could do.”
“You jumped,” she whispered.
“Yes, and I landed very wrong. My leg cracked in three places, and then I half ran, half crawled as far away from the house as I could. My cell-phone had been in the truck, so all I could do was watch the house fall, and wait until I passed out from the pain and blood loss.”
“Oh my god.”
“When I came to, Travis and Tyler surrounded me, along with the paramedics, while the fire department put out the rubble. The doctors did their best, but they couldn’t make me whole again.”
His pain was palpable and she couldn’t stop the tears that escaped and left new salty trails down her cheeks. No wonder he didn’t like women. As much as she didn’t want to excuse his behavior, she now understood him. She wouldn’t put up with a mean, nasty husband, but if he was a little grouchy once in a while, she could live with it.
She looked into his deep brown eyes, and for the first time she saw his vulnerability.
“You are whole, and you’re alive, which is amazing,” she said, willing him to believe her. “Your leg, your limp and your cane don’t define you; they are just a small part of you.”
“I know,” he said.
“Do you?”
“Yes, but sometimes it’s hard to remember.”
“What happened to your fiancé? Did you ever get closure?”
“Sort of. Travis and Tyler helped the police hunt her down so they could arrest her, but when they found her, she was torturing a cub,” he paused. “They protected the baby.”
She nodded in understanding. They’d killed the woman who had broken their brother.
***
Trent took a deep breath and tried to slow his rapidly beating heart. Telling his story had been difficult, but not the traumatizing event he’d imagined. He had a feeling Olive had a lot to do with it. She cried with him, understood his pain, and reassured him, but she didn’t offer pity or compromise his dignity.
He couldn’t change his past, but he could change his future. It was time to move on.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier. My brothers and their wives sprang your arrival on me this afternoon and I panicked. I was so angry, hurt and confused that I’d decided to push you away the moment after I read your letter. Your words made me feel things I haven’t felt in a very long time, and it scared the hell out of me. I can’t promise I’ll change overnight, but I’ll try. Will you give me another chance?”
“I…,” she studied his face, as if deciding if she could trust him, and he remembered her letter.
“Give me two weeks,” he bargained. “Travis said the hotel is paid up for two weeks. Give me that time to change your mind. If you decide to marry me, I’ll grant you a divorce if you ever change your mind. I’ll even have my lawyer draw up a contract.”
“You know I have nothing, right?” she asked. “When the two weeks are up, I’m homeless and the amount of money in my savings account is barely enough to live on for the next month. I can’t offer you anything.”
“If you decide to stay, you’ll give me your love and that’s enough. We need to talk about your past, but I’ll cover all of your expenses while you’re here. Please say you’ll stay.”
She smiled and he knew he’d won. He placed his free hand on the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. Their lips were inches apart, and their breath mingled together as he waited for her response.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll give you two weeks, but you have to really try. I don’t want to marry a grouchy old man.”
She was eight years younger than him, but her smile revealed she really didn’t care. He enjoyed her teasing, and leaned an inch closer to her delectable mouth.
“Who are you calling old?” he feigned offense.
“Well,” she laughed, “you’re older than me.”
“That means I’m in charge,” he teased back and closed the distance between them.
He gently brushed his lips against hers, and then repeated the action. She followed his lead and carefully kissed him back, and his cock instantly hardened. Her lips were soft and warm, and he wanted more.
He pulled her closer and swiped his tongue against her lips. She gasped and he plunged his tongue inside her mouth. Her hands shot up to his shoulders as if to push him away, but she held on and scooted closer. Their thighs were plastered together, and if she moved any closer she’d be sitting in his lap. Not that he minded. He placed his free hand on her ass to keep her from moving away.
Searing, white hot, electricity raced along his skin when her tongue dueled with his, and he wanted to strip her bare and fuck her on the couch.
He’d never reacted to a woman in such a primitive manner, not even his ex-fiancé, and his bear surged to the surface, ready to mark its mate.
God damn her mouth tasted like heaven. He could kiss her all night.
Her stomach growled, the loud roar filling the room, and he broke the kiss.
As he tried to control his breathing, Olive’s cheeks heated and she stared, unmoving at her lap. Her hands were clasped together tightly and he knew something had happened, but he had no idea what. It had been a while since he’d kissed anyone, and he hoped he didn’t hurt her. Once their mouths touched, he took everything she’d offered.
“Olive,” he said softly. “Olive, look at me.”
He waited until her glossy eyes met his.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know I’m not any good at…that. I should have told you before—”
“Wait, what?” Why was she apologizing? “What are you talking about, sweetheart?”
“Kissing, and…” she took a deep breath, “and sex. I know I’m not any good at those things.”
“What? Who the hell told you that?” he roared.
She jumped at his outburst, but she didn’t move away from him.
“Um…everyone,” she answered slowly. “Well, I’ve only been with three guys, but I couldn’t satisfy any of them. I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”
She looked down at her lap again and he wanted to pound the three losers who had dared to tell her she wasn’t good enough. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his rock hard cock. It was a bold move, but he was desperate for her to understand.
She gasped and looked up at him, but she didn’t pull her hand away.
Good!
“I doubt your inability to satisfy them had anything to do with you, sweetheart. One brush of your lips and my dick is so hard I feel like I’m going to explode. I didn’t stop because you weren’t any good. If I had my way, I’d take you right here, right now.”
Her cheeks darkened, but she didn’t look away or remove her hand. He considered it a good sign when she leaned toward him, but he had to take care of her other needs first.
“The reason I stopped, is because your stomach growled and it reminded me I haven’t fed you yet. When was the last time you ate?”
“Um…I picked up some lunch in the car earlier.”
“That was hours ago. Let’s go get something to eat, but be warned. I expect you to explain that part of your letter, too.”
Fear passed over her face so
quick he almost missed it. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like what he heard, but he had to know. Someone had hurt his soon-to-be mate, and they would pay if he had anything to do with it.
“Okay. I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” she said, standing.
“Take as long as you need, sweetheart,” he said and leaned back on the couch. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
His comment was more truth than she could know. Somehow, in the course of a day, he’d gone from a grouchy, angry, and single man, to a patient, engaged, and happy one. Maybe happy was too strong of a word, but the mere act of talking to Olive made him feel lighter. Without even trying, she eased his burdens, and he knew they were meant to be together.
He’d talked to other women since the accident, he’d even had a few come on to him, but none of them made him want to open up, face his demons and push them behind him.
Only Olive had been able to do that, and he hoped he could help her, too.
Over the next two weeks, she would learn what it was like to be courted by a bear determined to claim his mate.
Chapter Four
Olive took a sip of her water and watched Trent wind his way through the sea of tables back to their booth in the corner. He’d taken her to an Italian restaurant, and the smells coming from the kitchen heightened her hunger pangs. Suddenly she was starving.
She was also nervous.
It seemed she and Trent had made some progress in her hotel room. What would he say when he found out about her past? Would he agree with her choices, or chastise her for not following her father’s rules?
And what about Charles?
When the truth came out, would he think her weak, or throw her away because of the other man’s actions? She didn’t think so, but everything was happening so quickly, she felt as if she stood on the outside looking in as her life changed before her.
Please let him understand.
As much as she wanted to keep her past behind her, she knew she had to tell him. If they did marry, she didn’t want any secrets between them.
She reached for her water again, but her hand shook too much to grab it. Before she could hide it under the table, Trent reached across the table and covered it with his own. His warmth grounded her, and some of her anticipation fizzled.
“Talking helps. Trust me, I should know,” Trent laughed.
“I know,” she whispered, “but—”
“None of it will change the way I feel about you, Olive, I promise.”
She nodded and told him everything about her father, his businesses and how he’d kicked her out when she wouldn’t marry his golden boy.
“Your father is Dick Campbell?” he’d asked in the beginning. “No offense, but he really lives up to his name. He tried to hire us once, but Tyler refused to work with him. His lack of manners for people in general wasn’t worth the headache.”
Once he’d expressed his feelings toward the man, it was easier to detail what her life had been like before she’d left, including the verbal abuse she’d endured on a daily basis. She’d also told him about her mother, and how she’d felt losing her unexpectedly at the young age of ten.
Trent listened raptly, and he seemed to know instinctively when she needed soft words or a gentle squeeze of her hand. He’d even complimented her name, another sore spot from her past.
“At least your father’s love of food resulted in a great name for you. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Is there a Pepper Campbell or an Onion Campbell?”
She laughed so hard she snorted, but Trent ignored the embarrassing sound and laughed with her, not at her.
“No brothers or sisters,” she said, when she could speak again. “And my name is compliments of my mother. My father hates it.”
“Really? Well, he’s crazy. You like it don’t you?” he asked.
“I do now,” she said honestly.
Growing up, she’d endured years of teasing about her name. Besides the many jokes about food, and eating, several involved an unfavorable comparison to the tall, skinny cartoon character with the same name. Even as a child, she’d had more curves than the other girls. As she got older, more and more curves presented themselves, causing no end to the jokes. Eventually, they focused less on her name and more on her size.
The evening wore on, and she continued to talk as their dinner transitioned into dessert and coffee.
When her Tiramisu arrived, she felt strong enough to let go of his hand and enjoy the rich, decadent dessert. Trent had ordered cheesecake, but he watched her with rapt attention.
“You can stop staring,” she said, smiling at her plate. “I’m not sharing a single bite with you.”
“I don’t want a bite of your dessert, but watching you eat it makes me want to take a bite out of you. They way you’re savoring each and every bite, sucking that fork clean, has me rock hard and jealous as hell.”
“Trent!” she scolded in a loud whisper.
She took a glance around the room, and relaxed a bit when she was certain the few couples left in the eatery hadn’t heard his outburst.
“What?” he asked innocently, shoving a bite of cheesecake into his mouth.
“You can’t say things like that!” she scolded again, even as she desperately wanted to be his fork. Her cheeks heated and she felt as if someone had raised the thermostat one hundred degrees.
“Why not? I was just being honest.”
“Because…,” she trailed off.
Because I’m embarrassed. Because I don’t believe you. Because everyone will know you’re lying. Because…I want you to mean it, not joke around with me.
“Hmm…,” he said, when she didn’t finish her sentence. “Now seems like a great time for you to tell me about your ex, and what you meant in your letter when you said your experience with men had been unpleasant.”
She put her fork down and frowned at him.
“The place is almost empty, there’s no one around us, and you’ll have to tell me sooner or later. I’d rather you tell me know.”
God! Why couldn’t he have forgotten that one little detail?
Right now she felt like the grumpy, irrational one. Why did he have to press the issue? She’d already shared so much with him; couldn’t more of her past wait until another day?
It could, but she knew it shouldn’t. If he was going to walk, she’d rather he did it today instead of a week from now. Even though she didn’t want to, she knew she had to tell him.
“Charles started working for my father while I was away at college,” she started, “and by the time I returned, he’d been named his chosen successor. I knew it wouldn’t be me, so I wasn’t that surprised, but I was surprised when Charles asked me out. I didn’t say yes at first, in fact I didn’t give in until a few months later. I couldn’t reconcile the two working together, because they seemed so different, but I realized later, it had all been an act. My father made sure the three of us were never in the same room together unless it was a social gathering, and I didn’t realize Charles’ true nature until almost a year later.”
She glanced at Trent and understood the confused look on his face.
“He was a very good liar,” she said. “Anyway, after a party one night, he wanted to fool around, but I had a headache and wanted to go home. We’d had sex before, but I didn’t enjoy it, so I rarely gave him what he wanted. Usually, he just took me home, but this time he didn’t.”
“He forced you,” Trent said, his voice lethal.
His scorn brought tears to her eyes, but she blinked them away. As soon as dessert was over, she could hide in her hotel room until her time in it expired, and then she’d leave this town and never share her story with anyone again.
“Yes,” she said, studying her empty plate.
She wished she could disappear and never see him again.
“And your father?” he asked.
“Laughed when I told him, and said if I didn’t suck it up and marry Charles, then I was on my own. I left that night.”
“Olive, look at me.”
She hated men and their stupid egos. They always wanted you to watch when they tried to destroy you.
She forced herself to look at him, and absently hoped he didn’t try and stick her with the bill.
“I’m sorry that happened to you, but I’m glad you dumped him and stood up to your father. Even though you couldn’t stop what happened that night, you held your ground and decided to make your own path, and that path brought you here. For that, I will always be grateful. What happened to you doesn’t define you; it’s only a small part of you.”
He’d used her words from earlier to make his point and her heart fluttered in her chest. Did he really not care about her past?
“This changes nothing for me, except if he ever crosses my path, he’ll wish to hell he hadn’t.”
She let the tears she’d been holding fall.
***
Trent got up and slid into Olive’s side of the booth. He wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest. Her quiet sobs tore down the last of the wall he’d built around his heart and he knew he wasn’t the same man he was yesterday.
From this moment on, he’d never be a single man again. He held his future in his arms.
The waiter quietly set the bill on the table and questioned him with his hand in the thumbs up position. Trent nodded once and the waiter scurried away. Most of the patrons had left, and he knew the owner so they had time. He wouldn’t leave until she was all cried out.
A few minutes later, Olive reached for a napkin and dried her eyes. Then she pushed away from him and studied his shirt.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Trent. Your shirt is soaked.”
“That’s okay,” he laughed. “Feel better?”
“Much better, thank you. It’s the first time I’ve really cried about it and it felt good to let it go. I’m sorry it happened in public though. Thank you for shielding me from the stares.”
“Anytime, but there weren’t any stares. Almost all the couples are gone, and I know the owner so he left us alone after checking on you. We can walk down the street with our heads held high.”
She recognized his teasing and laughed with him.
