Mating Seduction-epub (4 page)

The roast beef soured in Lexie’s stomach. “Cora Baker? Bart Baker’s daughter? I’ve met her.”

Cora was her fiercest rival in barrel racing and attended the same college as Lexie before Lexie dropped out. Cora’s father was one of the wealthiest land owners in Montana and spoiled his only daughter. Slender Cora with her sexy strut and fashionable clothes drew all the males to her. Wondering if Jackson was among them, Lexie felt a pinch of jealousy.

He stood and stretched out a hand. “Come with me. Big Boy’s on loan from the Bar B. We have a few mares going into their last season before the cold sets in. He’s going to show all the ladies a good time.”

His palm enfolded hers, warm and strong, sending a tingle down her spine. Jackson’s hands were large and dusted with dark hair. “I’ve heard that’s what you do to all the women in town.” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Sunlight draped him in shadow as he towered over her. “Lexie, I’m a healthy male Lupine. Not going to apologize for my wild ways. But you need to know that right now I want only one female. And when I mate, it’s for life because I’m ready to settle down.”

Lexie’s heart tripped as he rubbed a thumb over her hand. Jackson was pure Lupine, strong and skilled. But he was also loyal and embraced his pack’s lifestyle. Her loyalty came to her own pack, even though she stood at the fringes, always hanging back. Jackson ran out front.

They could never make it work because his loyalty to the pack would come before any loyalty to her. Hadn’t she tolerated enough of being invisible? She wanted to be – deserved to be – number one.

“You got me, Jackson, but only for this week. Because when you turn me loose, I’m gone.”

His gaze glinted dangerously. “Then be prepared, because you’re going to need your strength. I’m going to ride you long and hard, darling, and you’re going to love every minute.”

At a loss for words, she mounted her gelding and followed him to his pickup truck and trailer, parked a distance away. The trucks and trailers made ranching easier on the cowhands. By driving to the work site at each pasture, they were able to return to the lodge at night instead of sleeping out on the range or using several horses.

Jackson drove back to the lodge as Lexie stared out the window at the Mitchell ranch’s vast spread. Nikita had often wistfully talked of this ranch’s success and how they were the wealthiest in Montana.

He parked near the barn and she helped him unload, stable and groom their horses. Then they walked to the smaller breeding corral near the barn. Clad in designer jeans and an angora sweater so expensive it could feed a third world country, Cora stood outside the fence, chatting with Aiden and tossing her blond hair. A muscular bay stallion kicked his heels up as he raced around the enclosure.

“Hi Cora,” Lexie said politely. “How are you?”

Ignoring her, Cora turned to Jackson with a polished smile, her teeth gleaming like a shark’s. “Hi there. I was just telling your boss he’d better let you have more days off and stop putting you out to pasture with the herd. I haven’t seen you in a long time and it’s time for my next lesson.”

At Lexie’s inquiring look, Jackson explained, “I’ve been giving Cora riding lessons.”

Riding you?
She wanted to ask, but bit her tongue.

Aiden’s expression remained neutral. “Have to get back to work. Cora, thanks for all your trouble. If you change your mind and want to stay the night instead of driving back, there’s a room waiting for you.”

The Skin watched Aiden walk off. Lexie wondered if Cora had turned Aiden down because she’d have to bunk alone. The woman was a tramp.

Sweat dampened her palms. She rubbed her hands against the blue jeans, fighting the Lupine urge to growl at Cora.

Jackson focused his attention on the prancing stallion and walked over to the corral. “He’s a beauty.”

With his back to Cora, he couldn’t see her hungry expression as the woman stared at Jackson’s ass. “He sure is.”

Lexie smiled at the Skin and lowered her voice, knowing Jackson had sharp ears. “It always amazes me how some females are so eager to cozy up to every stud who wants to mount them. Good thing Jackson has taste when it comes to selecting the right partner.”

Cora gave Lexie’s hips a pointed look. “Maybe Jackson likes to select females who are thoroughbreds and look less like… cows.”

Her temper fractured. “Better a sweet cow than a farming instrument.” At Cora’s puzzled look, she added, “Hoe.”

Cora hissed and started forward. Lupine instincts surged as Lexie prepared to fight. But Jackson finally turned and approached, the woman stepped back and gave him a syrupy smile, placing a proprietary hand on his arm. “I do hope you’ll be overseeing the breeding. Daddy trusts you implicitly, after all my recommendations. It’s why he lowered the stud fee. You have magic hands.”

Magic hands? Suddenly weary of all this, Lexie climbed over the fence and jumped into the corral. Horses were the only animals she trusted, the only ones who didn’t hurt. Hell of a life, being a werewolf who liked horses better than her own people.

The stallion stopped kicking up his heels and approached with a loud snort. From behind her, she heard Cora scream, “Leave him alone!”

“Lexie’s good with horses,” Jackson snapped. “She knows what she’s doing.”

His faith in her ability filled her with confidence. Big Boy’s nostrils flared, as if he tried to catch her scent as she walked up to him, not looking him in the eye, just ambling up to him like two strangers getting to know each other. She placed her head near his shoulder, inhaling his scent, letting him sniff her. Then, when he lowered his head, she rubbed his velvety muzzle.

“I know it’s tough, being carried from place to place,” she told the stallion. “But you’ll like it here, I promise. They’re real nice, and the food is decent, and so is the lodging. It’s not a five-star hotel, but the scenery is nice. There’s some real pretty fillies to look at.”

Big Boy snorted in agreement. Lexie scratched his ears. “You’re special. I can tell.”

With a final pat to his withers, she turned, marched over to the fence and climbed up, then jumped down. Folding her arms across her chest, she looked at Cora – daring the woman to say a thing.

Cora ignored her and jiggled the keys in her hand, addressing Jackson. “I have to get back to the ranch.” Then she gave her widest smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Big Boy.”

A low growl rumbled from her throat as Cora sped away in her truck. Lexie decided she was tired of playing games. If Jackson and Cora were an item, she needed to know.

“Are you sleeping with her?”

Jackson gave her an incredulous look. “Hell no. Give me credit, Lex. I have taste.”

She relaxed a little. “If Cora knew you were a wolf, she’d probably mount your head over her fireplace.”

“It wouldn’t be my head she mounted,” he deadpanned.

Her mouth twitched, but she couldn’t laugh because women like Cora, natural seducers, made Lexie feel clumsy and awkward and chubby. Jackson leaned closer and thumbed her wrist.

“I want only one female and it’s not a rich, blonde Skin who will fuck anything with a penis.”

Lexie’s eyes widened. “Anything? So that’s where those horse rumors came from.”

He threw back his head and laughed. Then Jackson stopped, his gaze hot and hungry. He clasped her chin and stroked a finger over her mouth, his scent swimming in her nostrils and making her intoxicated and wanting.  “It’s time. You’ve been riding solo for too long.”

Without warning, he kissed her.

Her pride insisted she attempt to resist him, but he kept her imprisoned, her body cinched tight. Jackson slowly stroked his tongue over her lips, his touch teasing and light, creating waves of hot pleasure through her tensed body. Gradually she relaxed, her breathing ragged as his kiss deepened. Her fingers itched to touch him and she leaned closer.

As if sensing surrender, he suckled on her lower lip, then darted his tongue along the seam of her closed lips. Jackson flicked his tongue until she parted her mouth and then he slipped inside, slow and sure. He kissed her with arrogant authority, but such gentle persistence. He tasted of coffee and peppermint, and the bite of cold whiskey sliding down a parched throat. Eager for more, she opened wide, her tongue tangling with his.

She felt him smile against her mouth, then he cupped the back of her head. Lexie moaned at the sweet pleasure of his demanding mouth, her breasts aching and full, their nipples hard points against her shirt.

More. More.

Suddenly he broke the kiss and stepped back, licking his mouth. Amusement and something dark and dangerous flashed in his eyes.

“Just a prelude,” he murmured. “There’ll be much more of that, darling.”

This was Jackson, the quiet but sexy cowboy who seduced legions of eager Lupine females, leaving them sprawled on their backs in a sexual daze, and then rode off.

Jackson, who could break her heart if he saw what she truly was…

“Why are you doing this to me?” she whispered, pressing her fist to her heart.

How could she risk intimacy with this male who mattered so much? She remembered clearly the rejection from her ex-boyfriend. Determined to fit into college life, Lexie had started dating Stan, a fellow student studying veterinary medicine. But when he finally coaxed her into having sex, watching as she sat on the bed and removed her socks, he freaked out and changed his mind. The next time she saw him, he was escorting Cora to classes, and when they saw her, they put their heads together and whispered, Cora laughing as she glanced at Lexie’s feet.

Now Cora also knew about Lexie’s deformity…

Jackson shook his head. “For two years, I’ve waited for you. Waited for you to be home long enough to hang your hat, but every time I returned from the range, you were either off at another rodeo or back at school.”

She lifted her chin, grateful for her skill at riding. “I’m always on the road.”

Jackson picked up her hand and rubbed it against his cheek. The delicious scrape of his stubble against her skin made her shiver with pleasure. She wondered what it would feel like having those whiskers abrade her inner thighs if he opened them wide and…

Don’t go there.

“Maybe I can change your mind, show you the advantages of staying close to home instead of always hanging around rodeos and horses.”

“I like working with horses. If you treat them as you want to be treated and let them know where you stand, they’ll treat you fair. Not like most, especially Skins, who judge people on their looks.”

He gave her a long, thoughtful look. “You’re much prettier and more desirable than any Skin I’ve met. Or Lupine. Just wish you’d believe it as much as I do.”

She longed to believe him. Around horses, she had confidence. Lexie understood them. She showed them who was the boss, but she also loved them, listened to them and gave them her full attention.

Jackson gave her his full attention. No one else had ever paid attention to her, other than Diamond, like that Lupine did. But he only did it because he wanted sex. Or did he? Could they share something deeper and more lasting?

Didn’t matter, because once the week was up, she was gone. She had to look out for herself.

Jackson had to work in the north pasture, mending broken fence lines. He told Lexie to hang out at the lodge and make herself useful, getting to know the other pack members

Never content to sit still, for work was always plentiful at a ranch, she volunteered to drive the tractor as Peter forked hay to cattle in the southern pasture. When they finished, she returned to the cabin and combed through the textbooks Nikita had sent over with her clothing. Dropping out of school had been heartbreaking, but necessary.

Maybe some day she could return to her studies.

As the sun dipped below the rolling hills and mountains, anticipation curled down her spine.Soon, he’d make her pay the price for racing Diamond.

Poking through the fridge, she considered dinner. Maybe she could whip up a roast she found in the freezer.

A knock came at the front door. Opening it, she saw a woman about her age carrying a casserole carrier. She had long, dark hair and sparkling eyes.

“I’m Beth, Dale’s mate. I figured you were hungry. Heard you spent the day working instead of relaxing.”

Lexie took the casserole dish from her. “Thanks. Awful nice of you. I’m starved. Please, come inside.”

They went into the kitchen.

“Jackson had to go straight from the pasture to a meeting. He asked me to bring some food over so you wouldn’t have to eat alone.”

Touched at his thoughtfulness, she set the casserole carrier on the table and unzipped it. As she lifted the lid, the tangy tomato and cheese smell of lasagna filled the air.

“Homemade. What you don’t eat, you can freeze for later.  It’s good, but I’m afraid it’s all I can make. Dale says he doesn’t mind. He’d go out hunting rabbits and deer the rest of the week just to keep me out of the kitchen. It’s not his favorite room.” A becoming blush tinted the woman’s cheeks. “We just got mated recently.”

Lexie smiled. “Congrats.” She set the table with plates and silverware. “Isn’t your mate going to join us?”

“Dale, Darius and Uncle Aiden have been in that same meeting with Jackson. They ordered dinner sent up to my uncle’s office.”

They dug into the food and started talking about everything from horses to college life. Lexie sighed with pleasure. She felt at ease with Beth and her good-natured laugh and unselfconsciousness about eating.

“I shouldn’t have a second helping, but this is too good.” Lexie cut a small slice. “I really need to lose weight for competition.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Beth said cheerfully. “You look great. We’re Lupine females and we’re built different from Skin women. Extra padding for our guys to hold on tighter. I used to think I was fat, after going to college. And then I came home and Dale convinced me I needed to take a different look at myself, through his eyes.”

Was that true, then? Did Jackson see her differently, too? “And now your uncle has taken him away from you for the night.”