A Mate's Denial: (7 page)

“I want to see the rest of you.”

Slowly, like he was unwrapping a cupcake, he peeled her pants down, exposing her black cotton panties and the sweet curve of her thighs. He pulled them from around her ankles and tossed them on the floor.

Trager
ran a hand roughly over his mouth. Like this, with nothing but a scrap of thin fabric covering her, he could smell her arousal strongly. He needed to do something about it. He needed to satisfy her in some way. His wolf cried for it.

He popped the button of his jeans, and slid the zipper down some, to give his cock relief.

She sawed her legs together, her breath coming in heaves. Mewling sounds escaped her lips.

“
Kerrigan…” Bending so his chest brushed hers, he clenched his teeth at the sweet sensation of skin against skin. “I’m going to make you feel so good.”

His hand slid down her belly, while he teased her nipples with his mouth. Working his fingers into her panties, he felt the little patch of soft hair, and then… wetness. She was drenched. His nose told him she was ready
, but this was proof. For a second, he marveled in the knowledge that he’d done this. That she was lost to his touch, moaning, and wet because of him.

Wolf wanted a taste.
Trager
wanted a taste. Needed it, if he ever hoped to draw another breath.

His movements rough, he jerked her panties down her legs, and settled between her thighs. He took one second to admire her sweet spot before he spread her open.

“Wait, no.”

She started to sit up, but he held her down with one hand on her belly. Half snarling, he met her eyes over the valley of her breasts, daring her to say no again. Wolf would accept nothing less than her total submission
on this. The only way he was backing down was if she got scared.

With a helpless sound, she dropped her head back to the pillow and spread her legs for him.

Trager gave her one long lick. Closing his eyes, he moaned, because after days, he was finally able to taste her arousal on his tongue. Again, he licked, sinking his tongue into her soft folds, getting lost in her and never wanting to be found.

When her thighs began to quiver and her small fist pounded the mattress, he let up, teasing her, kissing and gently blowing.

“More,” she moaned.

He intensified his actions, bringing her close, and then easing back. Close, and then back. Soft, and then hard. Once they reached the cliff of her orgasm, he wanted to push her so far over the edge she’d never find her way back.

She’d never forget him. She’d never leave him. She’d never reject him.

Kerrigan shuddered, crying out, as she came apart under his tongue. She writhed against him, for what seemed like forever. But he never wanted her to stop.

Eventually, she settled, and he rose up to stare at her. She was gorgeous, flushed and relaxed, with her hair spread all over the pillow. Satisfaction like nothing else filled him, to the brim. This was his woman, and he’d pleasured her fully.

Her eyes opened a fraction. “Trager?”

He swallowed back his emotion. “Yes, love?”

“Was that… okay?”

He
laid down beside her, pulling her into his arms. His erection was painful, but he hardly cared. His wolf would handle it. “It was perfect. Fucking beautiful.” He nuzzled her neck, memorizing the way her scent changed.

“What about you?” Her eyes blinked closed and didn’t open.

“You’re too tired right now, for what I want to do to you.”

“But… it’s your turn.”

“Turn? There are no ‘turns.’”

“You know what I mean.”

He softly kissed the rosy blush of her cheek. “When I have my turn, it’s going to be inside of you, and with my mark.”

“I don’t know what that means,” she mumbled, sleepily.

“I know.”

Trager
felt her drift off seconds later. As her breathing deepened, he realized there had never been a more perfect moment in his life. His woman satisfied and resting in his arms… he finally felt like the wolf he was meant to be. He hadn’t realized he’d been floundering all these years. Sure, he knew he was nothing without a mate, been told so his whole life. But until this moment, he hadn’t realized how true it was.

He reached for the blanket to cover her, but she stirred.

“Are you leaving?” Her words were slurred and sad.

“No, baby.
I’m not going anywhere.”

Ever
, his wolf growled.

Kerrigan awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. Muted light filtered through the shade on her bedroom window, and it took her several seconds to remember what happened last night.

An array of feelings assaulted her. So many, she couldn’t put a name to them all. She was a little embarrassed. Trager had…

She squeezed her legs together, and rolled onto her side.

Ethan had done that once. And only once. He’d complained that he didn’t like how it tasted. The whole conversation had mortified her, and they’d never broached the subject again.

But
Trager, he’d
wanted
to. Had seemed mad when she tried to stop him.

More and more, she was beginning to think that there was nothing wrong with her. She’d simply been with the wrong man
all this time.

Sitting up, she spotted the note on the pillow.

You sleep like the dead. Come to the kitchen.

Kerrigan snorted. He was right. She really did sleep hard.
Always had.

She rose
and made her way to the shower, quickly scrubbing clean, and taming her hair. Then she slipped into her fluffy robe—she’d ripped her sexy one to shreds after Ethan’s treachery—and went to find Trager in the kitchen.

Wearing nothing but jeans with the button undone, he looked take-your-breath-away yummy. She could hardly believe he’d stayed last night.
He was whisking eggs in a bowl. When he spotted her, he grinned.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” In the shower, she’d prayed this wouldn’t be awkward.

He set the bowl down
and strolled over to her. Without any warning, he scooped her up, setting her on the counter. How could he do that? Last night, he’d picked her up like she weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.

Hands on her thighs, he spread her legs and stepped in between them.
Taking her face in both hands, he kissed her, long and deep.

When he pulled back, he asked, “How do you like your eggs?”

Kerrigan blinked. So… not awkward then. She couldn’t help her grin.

“Scrambled is perfect.”

“Good.” He turned and finished beating the eggs.

While she waited for breakfast to cook, she made them both
coffee, got the plates out of one of the boxes on the floor, and managed to find some napkins.

“So…”
Trager said, when they were seated and eating. “Tell me what happened with your job.”

The forkful of eggs she’d just shoved in her mouth turned to sawdust. Kerrigan managed to swallow. She’d have to talk about it sometime. It was just that her life had been in disarray for so long now. Ups and downs seemed to get mixed up in each other so that she couldn’t tell which was which anymore.

Trager felt like an up. But she was moving, so did that make him a down?

She sighed. “I taught Kindergarten. Funding was cut, so they decided to expand the class number and cut a teacher. I got cut. I applied everywhere I could think of, but nobody is hiring. Could always find work doing something else, I suppose. But teaching… is what I love.”

He was quiet, stirring his eggs and chewing on a piece of bacon.

“And Alaska?
You have family there? Is that why you want to move back?” His voice was stilted, like he was trying to seem casual but not pulling it off.

Kerrigan peered at him. He was a mystery. From the beginning, she hadn’t been able to get a good read on him. He seemed to care too much, when he had no reason to. He was different than he seemed, than she had expected.
Attentive, instead of careless. Rational, instead of fly-off-the-cuff. He surprised her at every turn.

“My dad and sister.
It’s where I grew up.”

He nodded.

“What about you? Where do you call home? Joplin?”

He stared at his plate.
“Sort of. It’s a good thing you asked though. Finish eating. I want to show you something.”

“What is it?”

He smirked, looking up at her through his lashes. “Finish eating.”

“Oh, fine.”

Kerrigan ate her breakfast in record time, and Trager cleaned up while she dressed.

It wasn’t until they were in his hunk-a-junk SUV that she asked him again. “So, where are we going?”

He reached across the console and grabbed her hand, lifting it to his mouth. “I want to show you my home.”

A smile spread her cheeks.
“Really?”

He nodded.

“Where do you live?”

“Out of town a ways.
In the mountains. That okay?”

Kerrigan snorted.
“Yeah. I have no commitments now. I’m free.”

The mountains.
Honestly, she missed mountain life sometimes. The crisp, clean air. The sweet tang of the evergreens. The seclusion. Where time seemed to stand still while you lived your life. It was nice.

They’d been driving for about thirty minutes when
Trager pulled onto a dirt road that cut into the forest.

Rocks and ruts made it a bumpy ride. Kerrigan was knocked sideways once banging her head on the window.

Geez. No wonder his vehicle was a mess. And no wonder he liked his motorcycle.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, fine.”

“We’re almost there.”

Ten more minutes and Trager parked the truck along the road and turned off the ignition.

“Here we are.”

Kerrigan looked around. There was nothing. Just the thick foliage on either side of the road. “Where? I don’t see anything.”

“Well, we have to walk a little ways. Right through there,” he said, pointing to a spot in the trees.

A hint of trepidation pecked at Kerrigan. Nobody knew she was out here with him. What if… what if this was something else?

Trager
got out and walked around to her side. She checked her phone. A quick message to Braeh, so someone at least knew where she was. But no, she had zero cell service.

He opened her door with a smile, but instantly, his face drew up. “What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“You’re afraid.”

How did he know that? Was her face that transparent?

“No, I’m not.”

“I can smell it,” he spat. “What are you afraid of?” He scanned the woods, apparently looking for a threat.

What he’d said caught her attention. “Smell it?”

His eyes focused on her, his hand cradling her cheek. “What is it that has you scared?”

Oh, this was silly.
“Nothing. I’m not scared. It’s just… remember what I said about creepers? A girl can never be too safe.”

His face fell so fast and hard, it was like watching lightning strike. “You’re afraid of
me
? I could never hurt you. Don’t you know that?”

No. She didn’t. She’d been with a man that claimed to love her for three years and yet, he hurt her repeatedly. She’d known
Trager a week.

But she believed he was different. She knew that much.

He stepped away from her, staring at the ground. “I’ll take you back if you want. Just say the word.”

Kerrigan climbed out of the truck, and shut the door. She’d trusted him with her
body, she might as well trust him now.

He glanced at her, his eyes troubled.

“I have trust issues,” she blurted.
Damn it
. But maybe he could understand.

Brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, he sighed. “Do you want to go back?” His voice was soft.

She shook her head. “No. I want to see your place.”

He nodded.
Kissed her forehead. “We’ll talk about your trust issues when we get there.”

***

A ten minute trek through the woods brought them to a quaint little log cabin. A door and a large double window took up most of the front, and a small stone chimney rose from the roof.

“Here we are,”
Trager said, opening the door for her to walk through.

Inside, the décor was minimal. A coffee-colored leather couch and matching chair took up the area designated as the living room. A short counter separated the
open room and the kitchen.

“
Feel free to look around,” Trager said. “I’m going to take a shower.” With that, he was gone.

Kerrigan rummaged around the kitchen, locating the coffee supplies, and started a pot. Then she acquainted herself with the rest of the place.
There were exactly four rooms if you counted the kitchen and living room as two, and not one giant room. The bathroom was occupied, but Trager’s bedroom was free.

Kerrigan ducked inside.
A king-sized bed with red plaid flannel sheets. She grinned. Exactly what she expected to see in a log cabin. His room was very manly. It smelled like leather and pine. She loved it.

Turning to leave, she
stopped short. Trager, in only a towel, powerful chest glistening from his shower.

“Oh. Hi.”

His eyes burned. “Do you like the bed?”

She pressed her lips together. “Don’t know.
Haven’t tried it out yet.”

What he’d done to her last night set off a firestorm in her. She wanted to lick those drops of water from his chest. Instead, she ran a hand across the planes.

“I like you touching me,” he said, huskily. He crowded her against the wall. “I like it very much.”

She pressed her palm
s flat against his hard muscles.

“But we have things we need to talk about, dream-girl.
Time to set things straight.” His voice was gentle. How he could be so full of power that it seemed to take up all the air in the room, and yet so tender at the same time… it baffled her.

She nodded. “Yes. You’re right. I’ll wait in the living room.” Slipping past him, she was almost to the door when he smacked her on the ass.

She yelped and turned to find his sexy smirk.

“
Been wanting to do that for awhile,” he murmured.

She narrowed her gaze, but as soon as she left the room, her face split in a wide grin.