"Oh, that mouth of yours…"
Trina led the way out of the door and Dane followed her with no hesitations.
Chapter 12
Johnston, the lawyer, was a shifter. Trina could tell right off the bat.
Brock Justice, the guy from the bar who claimed he didn't like fruity drinks, served as the witness to them, signing and agreeing to the marriage on paper.
Johnston had gotten down to business, explaining every term for her when she'd asked. Brock never cracked a smile. In fact, it seemed that he was against the arrangement.
Something she learned was that shifters who identified with a pack did nothing to hide their true nature. Many of her loyal customers at the dry cleaners were shifters since the business was located so close to a pack home. By now she knew how to pick them out of the bunch. They didn't look so different on the outside, but sometimes their instincts and mannerisms gave them away. She had an advantage, though. Before her dad lost both legs in the car accident, he volunteered regularly at a wildlife rescue facility. He'd tell her stories of his adventures in saving animals from near-death experiences. In the past, she'd gone with him numerous times to care for the animals.
"This document represents the prenuptial agreement. It basically says that should the marriage end, and it will, nothing will be gained. All parties are left the same as when they entered the marriage with the exception of the prior agreement that you've made with Magnus. He keeps the land and you keep your cash. Understood?"
Trina looked from Johnston to the document. It was a one-page document stating in expanded form what he'd just told her. She suspected that had this been a marriage to a human under normal circumstances the document would have been ten times as long and required much more attention on her part. The simplistic manner in which the terms were presented on the document told her that the shifters were more direct and forward in their approach. They left out the fluff.
Brock cleared his throat and nudged Dane's side. They got up and retreated into the other room.
She was no dummy and knew they were discussing her and the agreement Dane was about to sign. One would think they would have talked about this before Dane decided to do this. Even if they had, it seemed Brock still had reservations.
"Those boys have always been indecisive. Even as young pups," the lawyer commented after a moment of silence.
"Then you've known Dane a while?"
"Since the day he was born." Johnston stroked his chin. "He was a good kid back then. Never got into any trouble. Things change when you're faced with whether you want to just get by in life or live your life. I don't blame him for what he did and joining his brothers on their rampages from state to state. The majority of us don't. He's still a good man. And he does what's necessary to protect his pack."
Trina's lips parted on a question. There were many questions running through her brain. Dane and Brock returned so she never got to ask the lawyer about anything.
Dane picked up his pen and motioned for Johnston to continue. Johnston slid the first prenuptial agreement back across the table.
Dane signed the document and she so did she. The next agreement detailed how and when the marriage would end and there was even one that bound her to confidentiality, prohibiting her from discussing the arrangement during or after the marriage. The final piece was the marriage agreement.
Her attention lingered on the clause that said the marriage was considered valid after six weeks under human laws and only valid when the male marked the woman under shifter laws. And they needed to validate the marriage both ways because of how they weren't really officially mated. He needed his mother's land but had to legally marry a human to do so and he needed his pack's recognition. His pack would not recognize the marriage without seeing the mark. The lawyer had made all of this clear.
Trina felt as though she were signing her life away, but in reality, all the agreements were set to end in less than two months from now. She'd give away two months of her life if it meant that her dad could enjoy the rest of his life and be happy.
After Johnston and Brock left, they both sat behind the solid oak writing desk side by side.
"My mother was a journalist," he finally said out of the blue, running his fingers through the cracks and ridges of the desk. "She'd write all her articles here by hand. I remember going with her to the city to deliver them to the newspaper and magazine companies."
"What was her name?"
"Debra Smyth. Her father grew corn, wheat, and barley on the land before he passed on. It was his business. There were plans to revamp harvesting when my father took my mother as a mate, but they passed on before any of it could be done. All the paperwork, even the one with my mother's will, was left in shambles."
"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 a 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. 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 of 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 somet
hing 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 13
“I’d hand you a fully endorsed blank check to hear your thoughts."
The statement came from Dane, who sat at 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 mom d—." 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 had already started seeing this older guy, so at that point, I knew my parents would never get back together again. She 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 glamor, 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 these inquiries before inviting 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 their 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?"
She'd been with other men before, but they didn't compare to him. How he'd made her feel the first time they met and 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. 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 were 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."
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 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 14
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?
Aspen Valley Wolf Pack (The Complete Series) Page 7
