Tarnished (10 page)

Kenzie glanced down at her food and picked up a fork. As soon as the first bite hit her mouth, she moaned. “That’s fantastic. Or else I’m starving.”

“Probably the latter. It’s kinda hard to screw up bacon, eggs, and pancakes.” He nodded at her forkful. “But, hey, if it earns me brownie points, I’ll do it every day.” He winked at her as he dug into his own pile of food.

They ate mostly in silence, and then he stashed everything in the sink to deal with later. He wanted to get out of the house as fast as possible. It was permeated with her scent, and he couldn’t control his dick. No amount of masturbating was going to quench his need to claim the sexy, timid woman.

It was obvious she had a secret. Until she let that go and entrusted him with her past, they were going nowhere fast.

By nine o’clock they headed for the main barn. The walk was short. Usually he took his golf cart around the ranch, but today he wanted to enjoy the time and point out the sights. On a Monday, everyone would already be hard at work. They’d understand his predicament and fill in for him, but he hoped for both their sakes Kenzie fell in love with the ranch instantly … and himself.

If he had to work this hard to win her over for very long, he’d go insane.

When he reached for her hand, she let him take it. He pointed out the important aspects of the ranch as they walked. The main house sat not far from the largest barn. As she stared at it, he saw it through her eyes. Two stories with a white wraparound porch that served as the perfect place to lounge with a glass of lemonade on a spring day.

He passed the corral where several guests were having riding lessons. He wanted to take her to the children’s area first. Excitement made his heart rate increase as he tugged her arm. “Come on. You’re going to love this.”

She smiled at him. “It’s beautiful here. You’re right about that. I can see why you wouldn’t want to leave. How many people work for your family?”

“About fifty at the peak of the season. Some are human. About twenty are shifters.”

“Wow. That’s a lot.”

“The ranch has ten cabins for families to stay in and a dorm-type building for groups or children.”

“Children? They come here alone? Like sleep-away camp?”

“Yep. And this is the first week of the month, so we have kids here.”

“What’s special about the first week of the month?” She furrowed her brow as he led her into the barn.

“You’ll see.”

The giggle that escaped her lips warmed him. She was so fucking sweet. He adored her already, and she hadn’t even let him claim her.

He rounded the corner and found just what he was looking for.

“Drake,” his mom yelled from across the room. “Over here.” She smiled broadly and motioned with her hands for them to join her. She was trapped with six small children hanging onto her legs.

Mackenzie gasped. “Drake?”

He turned to her and beamed. “Surprise.”

She closed her mouth and swallowed while he watched her absorb the scene. “You…”

“Yeah. We have a camp the first week of the month for children with special needs. Twenty at a time. Gives them a chance of a lifetime to play and learn with other kids while their parents get a much-needed break from the constant work required of families with handicapped children.”

She stood rooted to the spot, taking in the chaos while his mother made her way toward them, dragging one leg that a small girl still clung to and laughing at the silly child’s attachment. It took a few moments. “You must be Mackenzie.” Her voice was soft. It always was. Even when Drake was a small kid and she’d had to deal with three wild boys at once, she’d been calm. That’s what made her perfect for this sort of work.

Natalie Spencer was born to work with kids. She reached out a hand and took Mackenzie’s in a warm, welcoming shake. “Welcome. It’s total craziness around here this morning, but later we’ll find some time to talk.”

Kenzie nodded and smiled at his mother. “Thank you.” She glanced back around the room. “Can I help?”

“Oh, heavens no. You just got here. There’ll be plenty to do around here for the next fifty years. Enjoy yourselves today.” His mother’s words were kind as she backed into the fray once again. Of course, he’d expected nothing less, but it still made him proud to bring home his mate, knowing his family would treat her with such respect and adoration.

Kenzie looked deflated. Her shoulders hunched as she glanced around. She even rubbed her hands together.

“You like?”

She smiled up at him again. “You were holding out on me. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“It was a surprise. I had to have something in my arsenal to keep you interested in me.” He took her hand again and pulled her deeper into the room, pointing out the amenities. “Over there we have an art station. And on that wall a place for water play. The kids split up into two groups most of the time. One group goes riding in the morning and the other after lunch. My dad is probably out with the group riding.”

“They ride? Horses?”

“Yep. Of course. It’s a dude ranch. What else would they do?”

“That’s awesome.” She looked into his eyes. “I don’t even know how to ride.”

“I can teach you.”

She didn’t comment, but wriggled free of his clutch and wandered around the room investigating. He watched her explore. She was in her element. That was for sure. And thank God.

When they stepped out of the barn twenty minutes later, Jerome Spencer was heading right toward them with a welcome smile on his face.

“Dad,” Drake spoke as his father approached, “this is Mackenzie. Kenzie, my dad.”

“So nice to meet you.” His father winked as he spoke. “Drake’s told us … nothing.” He laughed then, and Drake was glad for the banter that made the introduction easier.

Kenzie smiled at his father. “I love your ranch, sir. It’s so peaceful and serene.”

Drake’s father nodded toward the barn. “Except where you just came from.” He chuckled again. “There’s nothing peaceful or serene in that room.”

Kenzie tipped her head back and looked at the sky. “True. But I love children, so that doesn’t bother me a bit.”

Drake cleared his throat and took Kenzie’s hand. “I’m just giving her the tour. We’ll catch up with you later. Okay?”

“Of course.” His father stepped aside and swiped his arm in a wide gesture. “Enjoy the sun. It’s a beautiful day.” He headed into the barn without another word, leaving Drake relieved at how both his parents had played the cool and calm part instead of going all mushy on him and embarrassing Mackenzie, who was hanging onto this new reality by a thread.

Drake needed more time with her before his parents and brothers started teasing and cracking jokes about their mating. It was hardly a mating yet.

By the time he’d shown her around the rest of the ranch and they’d grabbed lunch back in the barn with the children, Drake was ready to have her all to himself again. “Let’s go back to the house.”

“Oh.” She wiped her hands on her shorts. He’d seen her do that a few times. A nervous habit. And he made her nervous.

He felt like a randy teenager as he held her hand, and they ambled back up the path to his place. He wouldn’t push her, but he also couldn’t hide his affection. He needed to get her to talk to him before anything else. If she’d just unleash her mysterious past, he knew he could help her work through whatever it was.

When they reached the house, Kenzie grew silent.

“Sit.” He motioned to the rockers on the porch. “I’ll grab us some drinks.”

He dashed into the house and grabbed the iced tea and two glasses. Balancing the load, he pushed back through the screen door and sat in the chair next to his sexy mate. Setting everything on the small table between the chairs, he fortified his brain.
God, I can’t wait until this awkward stage is over
.

“The place is beautiful, Drake. Thank you for showing me everything.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Most of your guests are humans.”

“Yeah, very few people know we’re shifters, in fact. We run the ranch mostly for humans. It’s rewarding work. We have a place the wolves can go to shift and run free when we want to. It’s on the property but far enough away to not get caught. As long as we stay to the west of the property among the trees, we can avoid anyone seeing us. The terrain is rough for humans in that area and perfect for us.”

“I see.” She looked down at her lap. “You drive a hard bargain,” she mumbled.

He chuckled. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were at a job interview. You’re not, really. I just want you to love the place as much as I do. It means a lot to me. And I enjoyed watching you take in the lay of the land this morning.”

“It’s so amazing. I love it.”

Thank God
. “Hey, did you call your parents?”

“Yes, earlier. My mother was a little too excited for my taste, though. I kept it brief. They’re fine. They’ve met your parents before.”

She didn’t speak for a few minutes, keeping her face lowered.

He waited. She had something to say.
Patience
.

Finally she glanced up and licked her lips. “Do you think we could maybe go inside and try that kissing again?”

Kenzie’s chest pounded as she awkwardly attempted to ask for what she wanted. This wasn’t easy for her. The choice to move forward or not was made acutely more difficult by the kindness showered on her from Drake. The man could do no wrong. She’d been with him for over a day now, and he’d not once insinuated he would rush her or force her to do anything she wasn’t ready for. That alone made her decision excruciating.

The knot in her stomach grew larger the more time she spent with him. Her hands remained sweaty all morning. Her pussy wet. Her nipples hard.

She had to give in. Maybe fate did play a role. Maybe Drake wasn’t like other wolves. Maybe she could trust him with her heart and her body. She wouldn’t know if she didn’t try.

The only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn’t leave here without giving this relationship a chance. As she’d stared across the room at Drake this morning, watching him interact with visitors and staff, she knew he was a good man. The best.

The entire package was more than she could have ever dreamed to find. He was kind and patient with everyone he encountered, not just her. And an added bonus—he was sexy as hell. His muscles bulged around his chest and arms, stretching his T-shirt and making her long to run her hands over the expanse of his pecs.

She followed him inside as he took her hand. He led her to the giant plush couch and sat, pulling her alongside him. “Don’t force this. When you’re comfortable, that’s when we’ll move forward. I don’t want you to feel rushed.” Drake rubbed the back of her hand with his fingers where he held it in his lap.

She glanced down at their hands, his large and tanned, hers small and not as dark. He worked hard outside most days. She could be as dark as him if she saw more sun.

The contrast made her feel dainty and fragile next to him. She was anything but dainty, though a debate could easily be made that she was fragile. At least mentally.

Don’t think about anything but right here, right now, and the lust threatening to consume you.

She shored up her confidence. “I can’t think about anything except feeling you against me like you did this morning. It’s the only thing on my mind. Is that normal?”

A smile spread across his face. “It’s more than normal. I’d be concerned if it were any other way. When mates meet, the attraction is instantaneous. All-consuming.”

“So, all the young people who run off together from the meeting feel like this? I figured they were just horny and desperate. They really and truly take off so they can have sex?”

“Over and over again. It doesn’t abate after the first time. Newly mated wolves need several weeks to slacken the need a bit.”

“Several weeks?” She widened her gaze. Jesus.

“At least.” He ran his fingers up her arm, sending goose bumps over her exposed skin.

“Whatever it is, I don’t feel like I can resist it anymore. My mind is spinning. All I can think about is seeing the rest of you. Getting as close to you as possible. My body craves yours, and it’s beyond my control. You’re right about that.” She swallowed after that admission, and her hands shook.

He took both her hands in his and lowered his forehead until it rested against hers. He’d done that before. She loved it. Loved the way he invaded her space, demanded her attention, and blocked out the world around them. It happened again now. The spacious great room disappeared from her vision as all her concentration went toward the lips inches from her own and the masculine scent of her man.

My man? When did that happen?

“Can I kiss you?” he asked.

“Please.” She breathed around the word, sounding desperate to her ears.

He closed the gap and took her lips in a much more definitive possession than earlier today. All her brain cells went to that connection, demanding more—more kissing, more skin, more sensations.

When he pulled back, his eyes were glassy, and his lips were swollen and wet. He breathed heavily, as though he’d been running on a treadmill. Without saying a word, he swung her up in his arms and carried her from the room.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. Her nose nestled against his skin, and she inhaled his scent. That was a mistake. He was so close he consumed her. Her brain scrambled, and she didn’t care. She had one thing on her mind—getting him naked and using that bulge between his legs that kept brushing against her to fill the ache inside.

If she didn’t have him soon, she’d go mad.

Drake set her on the bed, still mussed from his restless sleep last night. She smiled. She’d done that to him. It made her feel powerful. Not at all like she’d expected. Instead of feeling dominated and repressed, she felt a sense of control. She melted him just by being
her
… the same way he destroyed her resolve to remain a virgin and keep all men at arm’s length.

His gaze burrowed into hers as she scooted back on the bed, and he climbed over her. As though using hypnosis, he lured her in with just his gaze. He made her skin tingle and her body shiver with a look.