Roaring Up the Wrong Tree (16 page)

Keen tightened his hold on Trista, not allowing her to go after the perfect Ms. Montgomery.

“As friends, Helena. Now, are you going to show us the house or do you need to call another Realtor to assist us?”

The werebear woman breathed deep, tossed Trista one last glare, and finally spoke through gritted teeth. “No, I’ll open it for you. I’m sure you can tour the home on your own with your new
mate
.”

Keen led her around Helena and across the lawn, leaving the furious werebear on the driveway. By the time they reached the door, Trista couldn’t figure out what angered her more. The fact that the woman spent time in Keen’s bed or the fact that… Okay, no, it was all about Helena the Whore being that close to her mate.

Feelings of possessiveness and ownership bombarded her and she didn’t even try to suppress them. Keen was
hers
. He’d said the words and she’d finally settled on the idea of belonging to him in return.

They stepped into the dim home, the interior empty of any furniture. The wood floors gleamed, reflecting the hints of sunshine that peeked through the windows. The walls were painted muted hues of beige and cream. Part of her itched to throw bright paint on every surface and breathe life into the place. It was plain and simple, generic like every hotel room and apartment she’d lived in. Ideas about decorating and brightening up the place came crashing down with the thump of the heavy front door swinging closed.

Then she was reminded of Keen and ultimately Helena.

He reached for her and she stepped away, not allowing the connection. Whatever happened between him and the woman was in the past, she knew that. She also knew the moment they fully mated, he would never, ever cheat. But right now, the hyena thought of his hands on her. Those same hands that stroked her and held her hand.

“Tris…” He sighed and leapt for her in a single, blurring move.

One moment he was five feet away and the next he had her captured, bracketing her body as her back collided with the wall. He surrounded her, held her prisoner with his presence. With him so close, his scent filling her lungs, some of her jealousy drifted away. Keen was a fierce, strong, gorgeous hunk of werebear. Any woman would be pissed about losing him.

“Listen for a minute.” His voice was deep and husky.

She nodded, waiting for him to speak.

“I…” He dropped his head forward, pressing their foreheads together. “I know what my reputation is in town.”

Trista did, too. He was a womanizer. A man whore. There’d been more than one instance of him stumbling out of some female’s home in the early morning hours. Then he’d be in someone else’s that night. When she’d decided to accept him as hers, she’d also tossed that knowledge aside. Stupid on her part.

“I have never had sex with Helena or ninety percent of the women who claim otherwise.” He pulled back, placed a fingertip beneath her chin, and urged her to tilt her head back. She allowed him to move her. “When we’re alone, when I don’t have to suffer through having her scent on me instead of yours, I’ll tell you more. But I can count the women I’ve been with on one hand and Helena is not one of them. I swear to you, Tris.”

He paused for a moment, indecision coating his features, and then spoke again. “She wanted to be a notch on my belt and she
told
people she was, but I’m discerning when it comes to sex. And yeah, it’s weird, right? A guy sleeping with a woman, but not
sleeping
with her. I get that it’s hard to believe, but when the bear rides me hard, it takes everything inside me to keep it contained. It’d difficult to think of sex when my animal is aching to go on a bloody rampage. So, no, I didn’t.”

Her eyes burned, tears gathering, and she didn’t know why the hell his heartfelt promise had her crying. She’d become a basket case since meeting Keen Abrams and she prayed she’d get her emotions under control. Soon.

“If you say you haven’t, then I believe you.”

“I haven’t.” His gaze searched hers, his eyes entirely too intent.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” He sounded skeptical and she nodded to assure him she told the truth. “Okay then. Let’s see the house. It meets all of my wants, but we need to see if you’ll be happy here.”

Her. Trista Ann Scott. Happy. It was such a foreign concept that she feared she’d wake up any moment.

But she didn’t as they moved through the family room that sported a large fireplace to warm them on winter nights. Or even when she described the type of rug she’d love to have spread across the floor.

Keen told her it was a good idea since they didn’t want their cubs banging against the hard floor while they learned to walk. That made her heart stutter and she pretended the next room was more interesting than the last.

That’d been the kitchen with its six-burner gas stove, double ovens, and island with two sinks. The counters were polished granite and smooth to the touch. She imagined herself preparing dinner for Keen and their cubs and maybe, someday, the rest of his family.

That had tears springing forward once again and the stairs became the most interesting part of the home.

He didn’t object to her random dashes for other parts of the house. No, he simply followed her, adding his own comments, making her fall a tiny bit in love with him. Which… which was not fair. She didn’t want to love him, didn’t want to think about a future where she depended on him for everything. But he wasn’t going to let her imagine a time when he wasn’t at her side, holding her up when she leaned close.

They emerged onto the second floor landing and the view had her freezing in place. Keen’s warmth surrounded her and still she stared at the backyard, at the trimmed grass, and the lush tree that held a massive treehouse. The area was a young child’s dream, her dream of years and years ago.

“Tris?” he murmured, his heated breath fanning her face.

“I—It’s beautiful.” It was.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her back to mold to his front. His chin rested atop her head, gently resting there. They stared at the backyard, watching the gentle sway of the trees and the rustling of the flowers that lined the back patio. There was even an area for a grill, and she wondered how many nights they’d spend out there, cooking and chatting and enjoying life.

“It’s gorgeous, Tris.” He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck. “Come see the rest of it.”

*

Keen changed his hold, catching her hand and leading her down the hallway. The home was everything Helena had said it would be. Better than the pictures that accompanied the listing online.

They came to the regular bedrooms first, four in all and each exactly the same as the others. They had different views, two of the front yard and two of the back, but that was the only thing that separated them.

He took a moment to imagine them filled with their cubs. He figured four was a good number. They’d have four and each one would be taught control and would be loved and treated equally. Unlike him.

“The master bedroom is this way.” He eased her to the last bedroom. Until the moment she was fully in the hallway, her gaze remained intent on a pattern of pale baby animals that decorated the walls. It’d obviously been a nursery at one time. Was she excited by the prospect of cubs or did she loathe the idea? He quietly took a deep breath and was relieved that anticipation filled her scent.

He didn’t hesitate to draw her into the last space. It was large, as wide as the house was deep and it almost felt as if it took up half of the upper floor. He imagined his large bed dominating the center along with new matching furniture peppering the space. To the left was their bathroom and closets while the right boasted a large, bay window and welcoming window seat. It was uncommon for a house with this design, but the notes on the listing stated certain upgrades were made for comfort. He assumed this was one of the changes.

Trista immediately drifted toward the window, her gaze focused on the backyard.

He went to her slowly, gently gathering her in his arms and then sitting. He drew her into his lap and held her close. It felt right, perfect even. He knew holding her would never get old.

“What are you thinking?”

“That this house is gorgeous.”

Keen smiled and his bear chuffed, pleased they’d found a good home.

“Do I hear a ‘but’ in there?” He hoped not yet. Her hesitation said otherwise.

“I’m sure it’s expensive.” She shook her head and turned to look at him. “It’s too much and I can’t contribute right away. I’m sure there are smaller—”

He silenced her with a kiss, a sweet meeting of their mouths despite the fact he wanted to deepen the connection. “I’m
very
good at my job and this house won’t begin to touch my savings. If you like it, it’s ours.”

She swallowed hard and he saw the emotions flit across her face. Worry, hope, unease, happiness, anxiousness…

“I want you to be happy, Tris. This place? We’re gonna make it ours. We’re going to fill it with cubs someday and I want to wake up to your smiles right here in his room.”

Trista grimaced. “Not Helena? She’s so beautiful.”

His bear snarled at him, pissed that he hadn’t told her about his past already. She could help him, but not if he didn’t trust her with the truth.

He hated when the bastard animal was right.

Keen traced the back of her hand, fingers gliding over the pale blue veins that lingered beneath her skin. “Do you remember how I reacted in the living room this morning?”

God, had his life changed so quickly? He went from destroying his brothers to claiming Trista, and possibly buying a house all in one day.

“Yes.”

“That is my normal self. It’s how I feel twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The urge to tear through anyone who hints at opposing me is a constant in my life.” He breathed deeply and let it out slowly. The bear didn’t want to reveal his vulnerability, but she needed to understand what she was getting herself into. “Except when I’m with a woman. The touch of a female soothes me and quiets the animal. It allows me to get through another day as the bear slowly wakes from that feeling of euphoria and calm.”

“Helena,” she murmured.

“Yes. I slept in her bed, but it was only sleeping. Just like a lot of the other women in town. People joke that I have a girlfriend on every street, but it’s not like that.” Trista turned into him and rubbed her cheek against his. “The problem is the serenity wears off. The bear gets tired of the female and I’m forced to find someone else.”

She stiffened, tensing in his arms. “I don’t think I can go through that, Keen.”

He shook his head, rubbing his scruff against her smooth cheek and enjoying the small shiver that traveled through her. “You won’t have to. He wants you and only you, which is new for him. He’s possessive as hell and the mere scent of Helena nearly sent him into a rage.”

She harrumphed. “You didn’t look too rage-y to me. You looked—”

Keen captured her lips in a quick, bruising kiss. “I was a man trying very hard not to tear through her to get to you.” This time the kiss was softer. “Believe me, if I could hole up in a room with you for a week and bathe in your scent, I would.” Another gentle meeting of lips. “If I could take your mark right this second, I would. You wouldn’t have to let me claim you in return, but knowing that I belonged to you…” He knew what he wanted, but he also knew it was too fast. Especially for someone like Trista. “When you’re ready, when you trust me, I’ll bare my throat to you.”

“I…” Her whispered words faltered, but he kept hope close to his heart.

Unwilling to let her finish her sentence, he eased her from his lap. “Let’s check out this bathroom and then we can talk about whether we wanna buy it or not.”

Trista shook her head, but allowed him to draw her to her feet and snug against him. One more cuddle before he had to release her. Her curves clung to his hardened body and he savored the softness of her form. So sweet and welcoming even if her insides were prickly and snappy. He was slowly breaking down her defenses and he couldn’t wait for her to welcome him into her heart.

Hopefully, buying this house was a good start. He’d admit, if only to himself, he wasn’t above buying her affections. With luck, her feelings would shift from appreciation and gratitude to something deeper and lasting.

The bathroom was like the rest of the house, a combination of modern design with historical touches. The Jacuzzi tub beckoned and foreshadowed long nights of relaxation. Hopefully with Trista. While the tile and sinks remained original, the standup shower had clear glass doors and he couldn’t wait to happen upon Trista as water ran over her lush form, washing away the remnants of soap that clung to her. He’d pause and watch her for a moment, drawing out his need, before finally joining her.

Yeah, he couldn’t wait.

“What do you think of the house?” His voice drew her attention and he smiled at the wide-eyed wonder gracing her face.

“It’s gorgeous.”

He nodded. It was. Beautiful and perfect and the home he’d dreamed of for longer than he could remember. The bear didn’t like sharing its den, even if the other people were family members.

“So, we’ll buy it.”

Trista scoffed. “There’s no ‘we’ here, Keen. I’m ninety-nine percent sure I’ve lost both my jobs by now. Definitely the one at Jerry’s. How am
I
exactly helping
you
with the cost?”

He couldn’t resist the urge to touch her and his boots echoed in the tiled room as he strode to her. He cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze to meet his. “You are the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me in my entire life, Trista Scott. If this house brings a smile to your face, then you’ve done your part. Let me do mine.”

His heart cracked when he noticed the moisture gathering in her eyes. He wondered if the woman cried all the time or if he was the lucky one who made her teary whenever he spoke.

“You’re sure?” It was so fast, she’d spun from running for her life to verbally mated and buying a house in hours.

He bent down, pressed his forehead to hers, and rubbed their noses together. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”