by Vivian Wood
“Sounds pretty high-stakes,” Alex commented. “I own my own company, too. Or part of it, anyway. I’m one of three partners in a design and marketing firm. I deal with the creative stuff, graphic design and branding.”
When she talked about her company, her shoulders squared, confidence overtaking her posture. When her spine straightened, her bountiful breasts thrust out toward him, drawing his gaze. Her dress covered the creamy cleavage he vaguely remembered from the other night, but not being able to see it only made her more fascinating.
“Sounds familiar. I deal with a lot of small firms like that, startups doing interesting things,” Cam said.
“We’ve got fifteen employees now, and a few really big clients,” she said, her jaw raising another fraction. “We were listed in Philadelphia Magazine’s 30 Under 30 feature last year.”
“Philadelphia? So that’s where you’ve been hiding,” Cam said, nodding. “I wondered the other night, how you could have escaped my notice in Chicago. Our werebear population isn’t that large, only a few hundred bears of mating age.”
“I just moved here six months ago,” she said.
The waiter arrived with pork belly and endive salads and warm focaccia bread, breaking Cam’s train of thought for a moment.
“You came here to be closer to Gregor?” Cam asked when he regained the thread.
“Not exactly. Gregor and I found each other through a blood marrow donor database. We’re both very rare blood types, especially in the northeastern US. We each donated to a set of eight year old twins with bone cancer, and we crossed paths during the process. The donor coordinator mentioned how surprised she was that Gregor and I weren’t brother and sister, because we were genetically so similar, and it went from there.”
“Wait,” Cam said with a puzzled frown. “Are you saying you’re Gregor’s sister?”
Alex shifted in her seat, growing uncomfortable.
“Yeah. Well, half sister. It’s kind of a long story,” she said.
“And that makes you Alfred England’s daughter,” he said, confused. “Am I hearing that right?”
“Yep,” Alex said, busying herself with a bite of salad.
“England has never…” Cam paused, realizing that he needed to tread lightly. “Does he…”
“Know about me? Yep. I’ve been living with my adoptive family, happy as a clam,” Alex said. She shrugged, and her tone was light enough, but Cam realized that she wasn’t comfortable talking about the subject. He put it aside for now, despite the curiosity burning through his veins. All in good time, he supposed.
“What about you?” Alex asked, changing the subject. “You’re not related to the England clan, so I guess that means you’re not from here, either.”
“Montana, actually. My father is the Alpha of the Beran clan.”
“It’s supposed to be really pretty out there. Why didn’t you stay?” Alex asked.
“Billings is too small for my taste. I knew I wanted to be close to a lot of the financial and tech firms, so Chicago was a natural choice. There are a lot more Berserkers here, too.”
“I’ve only met a handful of the Englands so far, but I’m definitely getting the impression that they’re an immense family,” Alex asked.
Cam considered her words, wondering which of the Englands had given her the impression that he was a ladies’ man. Not Gregor, probably, since he’d set the date up. One of Alfred England’s nieces, mostly likely. He’d… interacted with a few of them. Closely.
“They’re interesting. Very old and powerful. Very traditional. I heard Alfred England is mating off his clan members left and right these days, trying to comply with the decree.”
“Yeah, well. We don’t really know each other. Gregor and Alfred and a few of my cousins are the only ones who know about me so far,” Alex said, confirming Cam’s suspicions about her source.
“Not for long. In a clan that tightly-knit, you’re going to be outed any minute now. I’m surprised you haven’t had strange men banging down your door, looking for a date and a way into the clan.”
Alex’s eyebrows shot sky high. It was the work of half a moment for Cam to realize that what she inferred.
“That’s not my intention, I assure you,” he said, his tone bone dry.
“So you’re the heir to the Beran clan, then?” she asked.
Cam paused, uncertain how to answer.
“It’s undecided,” he said. “I believe I am the natural choice.”
“I see. Can I be very blunt with you, Cameron?” she asked, pushing her plate aside and placing her hands flat on the table.
“I prefer it.”
“I have an agenda,” she began.
“As we all do,” Cam drawled.
“Yes, well. I mean to say, I am looking for something specific right now. I am trying to bring some changes to the Alphas’ Code. To pursue my goals, I need name recognition. From an Alpha,” she clarified. Cam’s brow furrowed as he considered her words.
“Why not just ask your father? He’s one of the most powerful Alphas in the country.”
“Well. I have some reservations about him, for personal reasons. Also, he’d turn right around and push me on the first political ally that would give him some kind of advantage. I’m not a pawn for anyone, least of all for…” She paused, cutting off a thought. “I make my own decisions and alliances. If I’m going to do this, I might as well pick a match that will suit me personally.”
“So you see this, taking a mate, as a kind of business deal,” Cam said as he pieced together her words.
“Well, yeah. How can it be anything more than that between political rivals?” Alex leaned back in her seat as the waiter cleared their plates and put down their entrees. He felt the weight of her gaze for several long beats before her attention shifted to her meal, the same selections of seared ahi tuna and filet mignon as he’d ordered for himself.
“Hope you like surf n turf,” Cam said, avoiding her question in favor of cutting into the tuna. He tasted it with a pleased sigh, the buttery fish melting in his mouth.
They ate and discussed the food for a few minutes, not returning to serious matters until the dessert course arrived. When a plate of several cremes des pots arrived with two long-handled spoons and another round of champagne, Alex cut to the chase.
“What is it that you want from this, then?” she asked, her tone sharp.
Cam let his gaze travel over her face, her lovely red hair, and her curvaceous body. In truth, he wanted a real mate, someone he cared for, protected, worked alongside to maintain a fruitful mateship. He wanted chemistry, yes, but he wanted more.
He wanted what his parents had, a lifetime of love and friendship. That had been his goal for years, the reason that he’d put off any serious pursuit of a mate until he had everything else locked down in his life. Now that he had a successful business, plenty of money, and enough time to devote to a mate, he wouldn’t accept less than he deserved.
It wouldn’t do to tell Alex that, though. She was all business right now, looking for a deal that would give her what she sought in the moment. Though Cam felt that she had all the qualifications he needed, the intelligence, class, and beauty he desired, he needed to see more. He needed to find out if she had the heart to match, the one thing that counted most in Cam’s eyes.
“A partner,” he said, settling on a half-truth. “I need to find someone I can trust.”
Something glimmered in Alex’s eyes, some approval at his words, and it gave Cameron a flicker of hope. Maybe Alex already knew that she needed something deeper, too. It was a gamble, but it was one that Cam would be taking with any potential mate. That glimmer gave him the strength to say the next words.
“Let’s take the first step. We’ll meet the clans, jump through the hoops. If we can get that far, I think we’ll suit well.”
Alex paused, her spoon hovering above the dessert.
“Just like that?” she asked, her gaze narrowing with suspicion. “How do you know you’
ll get what you want from me?”
“You’re right. There is one thing I need to find out first,” Cam said.
“Oh? Just one thing, huh? What’s that?” Alex asked, a smug smile teasing her full lips.
Cam reached over and liberated the spoon from her grasp, dropping it to the table. His hand snaked around her waist before she could react, a small oh leaving her mouth as he turned toward her and dragged her onto his lap. She went rigid, but her hips were comfortingly soft under his hands.
“Cameron!” she protested.
He ignored her, flicking back the tempting curtain of her hair to cup her jaw. His lips descended over hers, finding her lips every bit as soft and plush and hot as he remembered. Her hands landed on his shoulders, nails digging into his shirt and skin, another protest escaping.
A voice inside his head told Cam that he was crossing the line, that he needed her to want this, but his bear gave a growl of pleasure at the feel of her. He slid his hand up from his waist to cup her breast, thumb kneading the tender flesh, and he was rewarded with Alex’s reaction. Her lips parted under his, a soft moan slipping free. He thrust his free hand into her hair, angling her mouth to his liking, his other hand giving her breast a hard squeeze.
There. She softened, her tongue flicking out to tease his, and he knew. No matter what she said, Alexandra Hansard wanted Cam for more than just business. Satisfied, Cam gave her bottom lip a teasing bite and then released her, enjoying her startled stare.
“It’s settled, then,” he told her.
Alex just gaped at him, and Cam’s heart lifted. Something very, very good was going to happen between them. He’d bet his whole hard-earned livelihood on it.
76
Six
Alex pulled a mirrored compact out of her purse and checked her reflection, pushing at the seatbelt of the car Cameron had rented at the Billings airport. She looked over her makeup and hair for the tenth time, trying to push down the bundle of nerves that had formed in her stomach. She looked down at her navy blue pencil skirt and tailored white silk tank top, hoping that her bright red heels weren’t overkill for meeting Cameron’s mother.
Another check of the makeup and hair revealed that precisely nothing had changed in the last thirty seconds. Alex wanted to bite her lip, but she didn’t want to smudge her carefully-applied red lipstick.
“Hey. Everything’s fine,” Cameron said, swooping his big tanned hand over to tug her hand down into her lap. He drove with one hand, making a face at her instead of watching the road. It didn’t help Alex’s nerves one little bit.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?” she asked, frowning and pointing to redirect his attention to the road.
Cameron gave an easy laugh, seeming perfectly content. Of course, they were going to meet his family. He didn’t have a single thing to worry about, unlike Alex. The drive from Billings out to Red Lodge made Alex feel just as she had the first time she’d agreed to meet Gregor for coffee. She knew it would probably change her entire life, and that she should focus on that, but it was too big. So she fidgeted, adjusting her hair and lip gloss and the way her dress clung to her hips.
“Like I’d let you drive,” Cameron snorted. He released her and sat up a little straighter in his seat, calling Alex’s attention to the way his dark blue t-shirt clung to his shoulders, arms, and abs. The t-shirt also showed a little more skin than his usual button-up shirts, so Alex had discovered that the sexy tattoos on his arms went higher up than just his forearms, and that inky lines peeked out from the collar of his t-shirt. She’d taken one look at him this morning, standing on her doorstep in designer jeans and that clingy cotton shirt, and she’d almost slammed the door in his face. He was too much, really. It wasn’t fair.
Alex jerked her gutter-brain back to the topic at hand.
“I’m a great driver! I’ve never had a ticket,” Alex huffed. “Besides, this isn’t even your car.”
“Just cool your jets. We’re almost there, and it’s going to be fine. You are basically fulfilling all of my mother’s dreams today. Trust me when I say you’ll have a warm welcome.”
Yeah, except this is basically a sham of a marriage. Crap, I’m supposed to say mateship, Alex thought. She shot Cameron a nervous glance, tucking her compact back in her purse. Mama Bear probably wouldn’t be as pleased to know that she and Cameron were basically just saying some words and signing some papers to get everyone off their backs and give themselves advantages.
After talking to Gregor, Alex surmised that Cameron probably needed a strong mate in order to become the Alpha’s heir. It made sense, as the Alphas’ decree was the only other reason he had to settle down. By taking a mate, he might rise to the top in his father’s eyes. So Gregor had said, at least.
“I feel a little… fake,” Alex sighed. “We’ve gone on four whole dates, and now we’re just casually heading home to meet your family.”
The last week and a half had been a whirlwind, with going out to dinner with Cameron several times and trying to get a ton of work done in advance of her sudden need for a week of vacation to meet with both their clans. Plus she’d spent the day before in a flurry of shopping, trying to find the right clothes and shoes that would make both clans find her up to snuff.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. No one’s going to grill you. Me, on the other hand…” Cameron sighed.
“Are you going lie if someone asks you about how long we’ve been seeing each other?” Alex asked, stiffening.
“Nope. I’m a master of evasion. It’s a skill worth having in my family.” Cameron caught Alex’s suspicious expression and grinned. “Five brothers and a nosy mother, you know. Evasion has saved my ass more times than I can count.”
Alex wrinkled her nose and turned to look out the window at the expansive Montana scenery, tucking that fact away for later.
“Is that your home?” she asked, pointing to a dark structure looming in the distance.
“The very one,” Cameron said. “The Lodge. Usually we’d get to stay in the guest house, but I think my brother Gavin and his mate are still staying there. We’re stuck in the main house with my parents.”
Alex barely listened, staring at the Lodge as they pulled up in the driveway. It was an awe-inspiring structure, all dark wood and big windows. Like an overgrown log cabin, if log cabins cost millions and looked like they came straight from an architectural magazine.
Before she knew it, they were standing on the front steps, Cameron lugging their suitcases toward the front door. They didn’t make it across the porch before a silver-haired bullet burst from the doorway, colliding with Cameron.
“Hey, Ma,” Cameron said with a laugh, letting the suitcases slide to the floor. “Ma, this is Alex Hansard. Alex, this is my mother, Genny Beran.”
Bright blue eyes gave Alex a sharply appraising look as Genny straightened. Her steel-gray hair was tucked into a bun, and she wore an oversized man’s shirt with the cuffs rolled up over tight tan pants, coupled with tall leather riding boots.
“Alex, it’s such a pleasure,” Genny said, a smile lighting her face as she spoke. “Do you hug?”
Alex just nodded, and a second later Genny wrapped her in a warm embrace.
“We hug in this family,” Genny told her. Alex gave Genny a pat on the back, trying not to seem as uncomfortable as she was. Her foster parents were wonderful people, but they weren’t physically affectionate. Cameron had proved very touchy over their last few dates, though they hadn’t done more than kiss a few times. It was obvious now where he got it from.
“Sure?” Alex said, feeling awkward beyond measure.
Genny swept them inside, sending Cameron into the back of the house to put down their suitcases. The Lodge held a huge living room, a formal dining room, and a high-end white and stainless steel kitchen all in one area. Genny steered Alex to the dining room, where three new faces awaited.
“Alex, this is my mate, Josiah,” Genny said, introducing Alex to a silver-haired man whose relation t
o Cameron was unmistakable. They shared the same stature and facial features, though Cameron was much more affable than his gruff father.
“Mmmph,” Josiah grumbled, giving Alex a half-hearted handshake before he fled to the kitchen.
“Don’t mind him,” said a handsome man who couldn’t be anything but Cameron’s brother.
“This is my son Gavin, and his mate Faith,” Genny said, beaming. “Noah and Charlotte were here, but they left this morning.”
Alex shook hands with Gavin and his pretty, meek blonde mate.
“Nice to meet you,” Faith said, giving Alex a once over and a gentle smile.
“Same,” Alex said, noting Faith’s conservative attire, a knee-length cream dress that covered her arms and bust. It was feminine yet demure, a style that Alex had never explored for herself. Suddenly the little flash of cleavage that Alex had deemed acceptable for the occasion seemed questionable, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
“Would you like some wine? I opened a special bottle of Pinot Noir,” Genny said, already pouring Alex a glass.
“Thank you, yes,” Alex said, taking a sip. The wine had a strange taste, making her mouth water in an unpleasant way, but she swallowed the sip and didn’t comment. The smell of it lingered in her senses, though, robbing her desire for any further nerve-calming sips.
They all took seats around the gigantic teak dining room table, with Genny dictating where everyone should sit. Alex let herself be pulled into the family’s chatter as Genny filled them all in on an upcoming wedding for one of the other brothers. Genny and Gavin teased Faith about their own mating ceremony, still a few months away; whenever talk of setting dates came up, Genny gave Alex a less-than-subtle glance and lift of the eyebrows.
Cameron returned just as Josiah brought the main course to the table, several beautifully-prepared rainbow trout fillets. Cameron snagged the seat between Alex and Josiah, and Alex was grateful to have him between her and the Alpha’s steely presence.
“Caught it this morning,” Josiah informed them.
