Tempting His Mate (2 page)

Glancing around, he frowned, wondering where the hell they’d gone to. Then he spotted Max McCray, second-in-command to Grant, sauntering toward him, beer in hand and a shit-eating grin on his face.

Max slid onto one of the stools across from him. “Sorry, Lauren’s here, had to stop by her table.”

Asher stared at his old friend, unable to believe the transformation in him. And all because Max was mated now. Asher glanced over at the table where the cute jaguar shifter and some of Grant’s female pack members were sitting and laughing.

The Sunset Martini Bar was a lot different from the Crescent Moon Bar where he’d been in the past, though they were both owned by Grant’s pack. The Kincaid pack. Asher had never been in the Sunset Martini Bar until now. Red and purple-hued overhead lights illuminated everything, creating a dim, soft glow around the place. Instead of just high-top tables there were thick microfiber chairs in a roped off section where people could drink and talk in a quieter setting. Jazz music filtered through the speakers, adding to the relaxed atmosphere. Not exactly his style but now he realized that Grant and Max had wanted to meet there because their ladies would be there.

“It’s good to see you so happy,” Asher murmured, pushing down the twinge of jealousy that burgeoned up inside him. It made him feel like a dick. He’d been happy once and he’d let his mate down. It didn’t matter that a hundred years had passed. He’d fucked up and nothing could bring her back. A decent male would be happy for his friend.

Max nodded. “Thanks, man. I’m glad you’re joining our pack. Can’t believe how long it’s been since we’ve seen you. Didn’t think you’d ever want to settle down.”

Asher had been contemplating this move for a while. After living the life of a lone wolf for almost a century, he was beyond exhausted. He had enough money to last ten lifetimes and if he wanted, he could start his own pack. But he’d never be happy as an alpha. It was a lot of responsibility and after letting down his mate, hell, he didn’t
deserve
to have that many people depend on him. He didn’t even deserve a mate.

Though the petite blonde he’d met a week ago had made him seriously reconsider his self-imposed lone-wolf status. He’d felt such a strong connection to the curvy, traffic-stopping woman—stronger than he’d ever felt with anyone—one that he’d never imagined and he’d wondered if maybe… He took a swig of his beer. No need to even go there. After a night of non-stop sex she’d skipped out on him while he’d been in the shower. She’d told him she was going to get them breakfast but had never come back. At first he’d been worried but then he’d seen her fucking note and just been pissed.

“Whoa, man, what’s up?” Max’s concerned voice cut through his thoughts.

Asher blinked and focused on his friend. That’s when he realized his claws had extended and he’d sliced into the glass bottle. Not all the way through, but there were five perfect claw marks in it. Glancing around, he breathed a sigh of relief that no one had noticed him. This might be a shifter hang out, but humans frequented the posh place too. “Nothing, sorry. Where’d Grant get off to anyway? I thought you two wanted to do this sit-down tonight?” They’d wanted to go over Asher’s transition into the Kincaid pack in a casual setting. Times were changing and when he’d contacted Grant about joining, Asher had been surprised by how fast his cousin agreed. But the alpha had a prime territory and had been ambushed by some vamps about a year ago. It hadn’t been a targeted attack against his territory, but something like that happening wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

Asher understood that Grant wanted to strengthen his pack any way he could as a preemptive strike against any future threats. And his cousin also likely realized Asher would never try to take over as alpha. They were blood and at one time had been as tight as brothers. It was an unbreakable bond that even time couldn’t diminish.

Max snorted and shook his head. “I saw him drag Talia to the back. I swear he’s got a thing for walk-in freezers.”

Asher frowned for only a moment until he realized what Max meant. “Seriously? Walk-in freezers?”

Max grinned. “Yep. He thinks no one knows about it, but man, they used to go at it in the walk-in freezer of the Crescent Moon Bar all the time. It’s just a guess, but I think maybe he wanted to christen the freezer here too.”

Laughing, Asher started to respond when a familiar scent rolled over him, or more like shattered right through him. It permeated all his senses, making his inner wolf sit up and take notice. Sun, sand and sex. That was what she smelled like.

Ella.

He only had a first name. The little kitten had never given him her last or he’d have hunted her down. Or at least he’d have given it his best shot.

And now she was here. He didn’t know how that was possible, but Asher could scent her somewhere…there! Talking to Max’s mate, of all people.

Lauren slung an arm around Ella’s shoulders and pulled her close as they chatted with the packmates at their table. And Ella slid an arm around Lauren’s waist in a friendly gesture. It was clear they were close and possibly even related. They were the same height and had that same petite build. Lean in the way of jaguar shifters, but still damn curvy where it counted.

A low growl next to him had Asher’s attention snapping toward Max whose eyes had gone complete wolf as he watched him.

“What…shit, I’m not checking out Lauren, dumbass. Her friend, the pretty blonde…?” He trailed off, not sure how to continue in a way that didn’t make him sound like a jackass.

Max instantly relaxed. “They’re cousins. Ella just moved here. She arrived yesterday. I’ll introduce you two. She’s going to be working at Grant’s new hotel so if you take the job, you’ll be seeing her a lot. The woman is really good with numbers apparently and Grant wants her to take over accounting.”

Before Asher could respond, Ella looked their way. As if she knew she was being watched. When those dark eyes of hers landed on him, they widened. She looked like a deer caught in headlights.

His predator instinct kicked into high gear. He couldn’t help it. She’d run from him after the best sex he’d ever had. No explanation other than a sad thank you note. She’d actually
thanked
him. The polite, almost formalness of her words had made a small part of him laugh. Because nothing about the night they’d spent together had been polite.

It had been raw, earthy and a little dirty.

Max clapped him on the shoulder as he stood. “Come on.”

It was as if his old friend was completely oblivious to the change in the atmosphere. Need hummed through Asher, wild and out of control as he hungrily drank in the sight of Ella.

She was frozen to the spot as they approached. Something Lauren said drew her attention away for a moment, but when they reached the table Lauren smiled and leaned in for a kiss from Max.

“Ella Hayes, this Asher Kincaid.” Max’s voice sounded as if it was coming through a tunnel as Asher stared at the petite blonde.

Everything else dimmed in comparison to her. He couldn’t draw his gaze from Ella’s almost panicked face and her pouty, full lips.

“Kincaid?” she rasped out, definite panic in her voice.

“Yeah, he’s Grant’s cousin. Asher just moved here and is joining our pack. If he takes the job he’ll be head of security at the new Kincaid Beach Resort.”

“I’m taking it.” The words were out before he realized he’d intended to say them. But if she was part of his cousin’s pack, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Max slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s great. Grant will be thrilled—”

“Excuse me for a second, guys,” Ella cut them off before grabbing her clutch purse from the high top table and abruptly dashing into the growing throng of people toward the nearest exit.

Lauren immediately stood, as if she was going to go after her, but Asher shook his head. “I’ll go check on her.”

Lauren’s pretty face scrunched into a frown for a moment before her eyes widened. She grinned widely. “Asher… you’re
that
Asher?”

From her question he guessed that Ella had told her cousin about the night they’d spent together. Just what the hell had Ella said about him? He nodded and looked at Max, who appeared confused. “Tell Grant I’ll call him later, but I’m taking the job.” Then he disappeared into the crowd. Ella might have run from him once, but he wasn’t letting her get away again.

Chapter 3

Ella sucked in a deep breath as she stepped out into the cool January air. As a shifter she didn’t need a jacket and right now nothing could dull the heat spreading through her anyway. She strode across the parking lot toward her car, thankful the place was void of people. When she reached her vehicle, she stopped and looked up at the half moon. She could scent the ocean a few blocks away, the salty smell normally soothing. Except right now nothing could soothe her.

Asher
Kincaid
.

What the hell? She couldn’t believe Grant’s cousin was the man she’d recently spent a raw, wild night with. She covered her face with both hands as she felt it heat up. She’d been completely uninhibited—which was totally unlike her—because she’d assumed she’d never see the sexy wolf again. Remembering what they’d done, she groaned.

He was just supposed to have been her hot night of fun before she started her new life here in Gulf Shores.

Seriously, what kind of luck was that? And now she wanted to cringe for running out of the bar like some scared bunny. She wasn’t scared, but she had been taken off guard. Losing control wasn’t something she liked and she’d panicked. She preferred to keep her world neat, tidy and ordered. And Asher was none of the above.

He was the sexy, tatted up, bad boy personified. Just thinking about those talented hands and his wicked mouth roaming over her body made her face flame even more. But not from embarrassment.

“Ella Hayes,” a deep, delicious voice said from behind her, making her nipples tighten in awareness.

Damn him for having that affect on her body. Dropping her hands, she swiveled, her stiletto boots making crunching sounds against the gravel of the parking lot. Even in heels she had to look up at him. He was only a couple feet away. Panic started to set in again.

Wearing a T-shirt, jeans, those same scuffed shit kickers and a worn leather jacket he’d let her wear during one of their… She swallowed hard. “Asher Kincaid.”

He raised a dark eyebrow as he took a step forward. On instinct she stepped back, her butt and back hitting the side of her car. Crap. She couldn’t show weakness to a predatory shifter like Asher. He’d walk all over her if she did.

“Why’d you run from me?” he murmured as he placed his hands on the vehicle on either side of her.

Caging her in.

Her gaze strayed to his leather covered arms and all she could imagine was the beautiful muscles and ink he had covered up. Regaining her senses, she turned back to meet his gaze. She refused to be ensnared by those seductive green eyes. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, “I didn’t run. I’m meeting someone.” Technically it wasn’t a lie since she was planning to meet someone, so the acidic smell of a lie didn’t roll off her.

His eyes narrowed a fraction, his head tilting to the side. “Who?”

At that, she pressed a hand to the middle of his chest and pushed him back. Or tried to. He refused to budge. “None of your damn business.”

He let out a low growl and she was reminded of how he’d gotten that Kodiak shifter to submit so easily. Not that she was afraid he’d hurt her, but she wouldn’t put it past him to try to intimidate her. Alpha-type shifters were like that. Especially males. They thought they could run roughshod over anyone. He might not be alpha of his own pack, but the sexy male was definitely alpha in nature. She’d gotten to see that firsthand in the bedroom.

“Are you going to move out of my way or not? I have somewhere to be.” He didn’t budge an inch and she realized her hand was still in the middle of his chest. Only she wasn’t pushing him away, she was clutching onto his shirt. Mortified, she immediately let her hand drop.

He frowned at that. “Why’d you run from me in Montgomery?”

She shrugged, hoping she appeared more casual than she felt. “We both knew what that night was about. We had fun, let’s just leave it at that. I had no clue you were part of Grant’s pack or I’d never have…”

“Never have what?” he practically purred, sounding more like a jaguar at the moment than the predatory wolf she knew him to be.

“Never fucked you.” She stunned herself with the blunt word. It felt foreign on her tongue, but also good. He could just back off, right now.

Instead of having the effect she’d hoped, his gaze strayed to her mouth. “I like hearing you say fuck. Even after everything we did, your bedroom talk was so polite, so…”

She gritted her teeth, ready for the insult. She knew what she was like. It was hard for her to let go sometimes, to just be uninhibited. While she had been with him to an extent, she’d still held back.

“So fucking hot.” His words surprised her, but before she could respond, his mouth crushed down on hers.

He took her off guard, pinning her against the vehicle with all that male strength. As his tongue danced with hers, she instinctively arched into him. Even with clothes separating their bodies, she could feel his heat. It wrapped around her along with his scent, making her lightheaded with lust. She slid her hands up his chest and clutched onto his shoulders.