Claiming Their Mate [Wolf Packs of Fate 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  “Jealous much?” Arizona took a drink then set the glass down hard enough to make the other girls’ bottles rattle. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “Okay. So what? Maybe I am a little jealous. What woman wouldn’t be?” Krystal’s eyes shone with mirth. “And don’t worry about the rattling the table. We know you’re preoccupied—and frustrated.”

  “Uh-uh. Don’t you start,” warned Arizona.

  Stella forgot about the other women and covered her smile. Since meeting at the Wolf’s Den for the first time, they’d had the same conversation over the past month. Arizona was closed-mouthed about what she was thinking most of the time, but she didn’t need to tell them that she had eyes for the Brannigan brothers. Just like Krystal couldn’t take her attention off Curt, Dane, and Eric.

  Stella’s gaze slipped to the other side of the room. She kept glancing downward, hoping to keep the men she was studying from seeing her studying them.

  For her, no other men existed.

  Mike, Danny, and Alex Lennox were the best-looking men she’d ever seen. There was just something special about them, something that tugged at her deepest primal urge to have them between her legs, in her ass, and in her mouth.

  She ran through the things she knew about them. Most of her information came secondhand, listening to other people.

  Mike was the oldest brother. He stood several inches over six feet, taller than Alex, the middle brother. His hair was black, just long enough to skim along her fingers if she ever got a chance to run them through his locks but not shaggy looking. He had dark eyes, either a really dark brown or a black. She wasn’t sure because she’d never let herself stare into them for too long. If she had, she might’ve fallen into those depths and never come back to the surface. Like his brothers, he had a body that was lean and mean from hours working on their Glowing Moon Ranch. She could imagine how his callused hands would feel cupping her breasts.

  Alex was as handsome as his brothers. His hair was similar to Mike’s in color and length. His eyes were definitely a dark brown that lightened whenever the strange amber flecks came out to play. He’d called her honey once, and she’d almost melted on the spot.

  And then there was the youngest brother, Danny. He resembled his brothers in every way with dark hair and eyes as well as a body that made her mouth water. His brothers were often more serious than he was. Danny’s grin could make everyone start smiling without knowing why.

  According to what she’d heard, they were good ranchers and even better men. They were the type of men who still opened doors for ladies and helped older citizens carry groceries to their cars. She’d even heard that they’d once sold a prize bull then gave the money to a neighbor who was having a hard time paying medical bills. Of course, as true gentlemen, they’d given anonymously then denied that they’d done anything to help out.

  Why am I thinking about them?

  After what had happened in Atlanta, leaving her job as an EMT, and then picking up and moving, she had enough to worry about. She forced her focus away from the men. “Hey, what do you think about—”

  She stopped, realizing that both Arizona and Krystal were too involved in checking out their own love interests to remember that she was there. After doing it herself, she could hardly blame them.

  Maybe they’ll be lucky, too.

  She hoped so. Although she wasn’t in the frame of mind to start a relationship with anyone, much less three men, if that was what her friends wanted, then that was what she hoped they’d find.

  A hand fell on her shoulder, making her jump. Her breath hitched in her throat as she dared to turn around.

  Could it be?

  Instead of one of the men she’d hope had touched her, she found herself staring at Quinn Mallory, her boss’s brother. “Oh, hi.”

  “I hope I didn’t scare you.”

  She gave him a wan smile. “I guess I’m a little jumpy is all.”

  “Sorry.” His gaze darted to Krystal and Arizona. “I don’t want to butt in or anything, but I figured it was about time I checked to see how you were doing working with Shawna. She can be kind of cantankerous sometimes.”

  “Funny. That’s what she said about you.”

  He chuckled, the sound rolling out of him. “Figures. Guess that’s what you get with siblings, huh?”

  “It sure is.”

  He tilted his head, questioning her. “I don’t think you ever said. Do you have family in these parts? Maybe back home in Atlanta?”

  She’d never offered the information, and he’d never asked. “I have a sister in Atlanta. The folks moved to Colorado a while back.”

  She didn’t add that she hadn’t spoken to her younger sister Maddie in over a year. After what Maddie had done at Stella’s wedding, she wasn’t sure she’d ever speak to her again. Not that she minded now, but her sister’s betrayal was harder to get over than her fiancé’s. Bruce Hinson had been a mistake. If she’d married him, she would’ve ended up wishing she’d never met him. Some said she should thank her sister, but the way her sister had gone about exposing Bruce’s infidelity was too difficult to forgive.

  At least not yet.

  “Do you think your sis will come up and visit you sometime? I’m sure Shawna would make room for her if you two aren’t into sharing a room.”

  “Doubtful. She’s got a lot going on. Just really busy, you know?”

  “Sure I do.” His gaze slid to the other two women. Tipping his cowboy hat, he added, “Well, I’ll let you get back to it. Ladies, y’all have a good time, okay?”

  “Thanks.” Stella watched the handsome man walk away, his long legs eating up the distance between their table and the bar.

  “Damn but he’s good-looking.” Krystal let out a low whistle.

  He was very good-looking, but he didn’t give her the same kind of thrill the Lennox men did. “And nice. If I hadn’t run into him at the market, I might not have found a job with his sister.”

  “Rumor has it that he has his eye on you. Is it true? And if he does, do you feel the same way?”

  Stella had heard the rumor, too. “Sorry to break your bubble, but no. I like Quinn, of course, but that’s all it is. He’s not my type.”

  “Oh, right. Because hot as hell and nice are horrible traits in a lover,” added Arizona.

  “I just don’t feel that way with him. For some odd reason, he reminds me of her cats.”

  “That hunk of a man reminds you of a cat?” Arizona scoffed. “You realize you sound crazy, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t help it. Just let it go, okay?”

  “Fine.” Krystal shrugged. “Besides, poor Quinn didn’t have a chance after you met the Lennox brothers, huh?”

  “Can we please drop it?” The last thing she wanted to do was talk about the Lennox men. Fantasizing about them was one thing. Talking about them was different. Somehow it made them seem even more out of her league.

  “Does the B&B do much business? I mean, I wouldn’t think a small town like Fate would get many visitors.”

  Leave it to Arizona to point that out.

  “We get a few. Although I doubt it’s really enough to warrant hiring me. I think they’re being kind and helping me out. Which means I’m going to have to find a new job soon.”

  “Maybe you could help out here? We could use another waitress.”

  “Me slinging drinks? No thank you.” Stella immediately regretted her words when she saw Krystal’s hurt expression. “Damn it, Krystal, I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I just don’t think I could handle the men the way you do.”

  “It does take a knack.” Her friend attempted a smile, but it faded all too soon. “Still, as jobs go, there are a whole lot of worse ones.”

  “True,” added Arizona. “And a whole lot of better ones, too.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”

  Stella shot her new friend a stern look. “Let’s talk about something other than jobs, okay?”

  “Okay.” Arizona’s eyebrows shot up.
“How about we talk about the hunk of a man headed your way?”

  “What? Who?” She checked where she’d last seen the Lennox brothers, but they weren’t there any longer. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard the deep voice.

  “Hey, Stella, how are you doing?”

  She didn’t have to swivel around on her high stool. Instead, he did it for her. Dark eyes glinting with bits of amber locked onto hers.

  The corners of his mouth tipped upward. She hated it when he took his eyes off her and onto her friends. “It’s Krystal and Arizona, right?”

  “Uh-huh. Hi, Mike.”

  “We’ve met more than once, by the way.” Arizona’s tone wasn’t angry, filled with humor more than anything else.

  “Oh, yeah, I know. I’m just making sure,” he added.

  Then those delicious, soul-diving eyes came back to hers where they belonged. “It’s been a while since I saw you the last time.”

  Was he keeping track? She couldn’t help but thrill at the idea. “Yeah, I guess.” There was no guessing about it. It had been ten days since she’d last run into them on the street. Ten long, exasperating days.

  “How about a dance?”

  The way he’d asked the question made it seem less like a question and more like a statement of fact. As though he knew there was no way in hell she’d ever turn him down. One part of her, the part that never wanted to be hurt again, tried to make her say no. She didn’t listen.

  He took her hand and led her toward the area reserved for dancing. Keeping her gaze down, she let him draw her into his arms for the slow dance.

  “Tell me if I step on your toes.”

  She glanced up at his face and found another soft smile. “Okay. But I have to warn you, I’m not a great dancer, either.”

  “You’ve got to be better than me. Which makes me sound like a jerk for asking you. I’d never want to hurt you in any way, but I couldn’t resist dancing with you.”

  He never wanted to hurt her. Just hearing those words stirred up strange emotions. She’d promised herself she’d never let any man hurt her again, but for some inexplicable reason, she felt like giving him a chance to prove he was telling her the truth. She swallowed, suddenly at a loss for words. Instead, she did the most daring thing she could think to do. She laid her head against his chest.

  His heartbeat played against her ear. She listened, thinking it was beating fast but not wanting to believe it. Was his heart going as fast as hers? Did his hand against hers feel as though every nerve had suddenly been electrified?

  “Tell me more about you, Stella. I know you’re from Atlanta, but that’s about all I know.”

  She leaned back, forsaking the heartbeat for the dark eyes. “There’s really not much more to tell.”

  “Excuse my French, but that’s bullshit.” His look intensified. “A woman like you has to have a history. There’s no way you spent your time cooped up in your house. You probably had men climbing all over themselves trying to get to you.”

  It had been a long time since she’d had anyone flatter her. And an even longer time since she’d believed it. Could she believe him now?

  “Seriously, there’s not much to say. I got fed up with the fast pace of the big city and decided to move to a small town.”

  “I can get that, but how’d you end up finding Fate? We’re barely a dot on the map.” He dipped his head, bringing his strong masculine lips closer to hers. “That’s if we even get a dot on the map.”

  “Truthfully, I don’t know. I just kind of packed things up and got on the road and drove. For some weird reason, I saw a side road and took it. Once I came through Fate, I liked what I saw and decided to stay.”

  He didn’t seem surprised. “Yeah, I guess I should’ve known. A lot of folks end up in Fate that way.” His smile was the perfect blend of sincerity and sexiness. “And you met Quinn at the market where he offered you a job, right?”

  He knew more about her than he was saying. “He did. If he hadn’t, I might have had to keep on driving.”

  “I guess it was your lucky day. Are you glad he did?”

  “That he called and asked Shawna to hire me? Sure. I like living here.”

  “I’m glad Shawna hired you, too.”

  Oh shit. What do I say now?

  Instead, she put her head against his chest again, the most daring thing to do all of sudden becoming the safest thing to do. They moved together, connecting with one another effortlessly. For a moment, she allowed herself to think that they moved so seamlessly because they were meant to be together.

  Silly idea. Get over it.

  She forced herself to move away, if only putting a few inches between them. “So is it just you and your brothers? You own the Glowing Moon Ranch, right?” She fought back the urge to grimace. If she said anything more, he’d know she’d been asking around about them.

  “That’s right. We have some family spread around the country, but we’re the ones who own and run the ranch. What did you do in Atlanta for work?”

  She moved her gaze away, unwilling to tell him. To tell anyone. “Nothing much. I was an administrative assistant at a medical company.” Briefly, she looked at him and wondered if he could see the lie on her face. “I just needed a change of pace. It wasn’t like I was leaving much behind.” Just my career and my sister.

  “Well, Fate’s definitely different from Atlanta. I drove one time on an Atlanta highway, and after ten minutes, I was ready to get the hell out of there.”

  The song playing on the jukebox stopped and was followed by another slow song. If she could have it her way, she’d make sure the jukebox had only slow songs to play. He pulled her closer, sending her heartbeat into a quick-step rhythm that was twice as fast as the music.

  “If you ever need help with anything, you just let me know. The same goes for my brothers.”

  Touched, she simply nodded, hoping he’d feel it against his chest. The ballad, a song about love found then lost, was one of her favorites.

  “Hey, handsome, don’t you think it’s time you asked someone else to dance?”

  Mike pushed Stella away as a beautiful blonde woman swept into his arms. Jealousy stuck Stella so hard it rocked her on her feet.

  “Damn, but you’re a sight for sore eyes, you good-lookin’ man.”

  Whoever she was, he obviously cared for her a great deal. Maybe he even loved her. The gorgeous woman with curves that would have made a lazy highway envious grabbed Mike’s hand. “Where’s Danny and Alex?”

  “They’re around.” Mike glanced back at Stella. “Listen, Stella, I want you to meet—”

  “No time.” The girl’s smile could’ve graced a toothpaste ad. All white and bright without any true warmth behind all the brilliance. “Sorry.”

  Before Stella could do more than open her mouth, the blonde tugged Mike away. He glanced back once, shrugged, and mouthed the word sorry. Mike and the blonde disappeared into the crowd.

  Well, shit.

  Still, wasn’t it for the best? She wasn’t ready yet. After going through what she had, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready. How could she ever ask Mike, Alex, and Danny to wait until she was?

  I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair. Besides, I’m nothing to them.

  Pushing back the pain tightening her chest, she hurried back to the table. She picked up her drink and downed the little bit that was left.

  “Who was that girl that pounced on Mike?” asked Krystal. She attempted to keep a pleasant expression, but it was easy to tell that the pity she felt for Stella was weighing her down.

  “I don’t know.” She didn’t sit down. How could she stay after seeing Mike with the other woman?

  The other woman. Right. Like I have any claim on him.

  “Whoever it was, he sure was happy to see her.”

  It was wrong, and she’d never actually do it, but sometimes she felt like punching Arizona. All too often, the woman had no filter. “Yeah, he was. Very happy.” She struggled to keep her tone even
. “Look, I think I’m going to head on home.”

  “Aw, don’t let that blonde bimbo run you off.”

  Krystal pinched Arizona in the arm, eliciting a yelp. “Have a little sensitivity, damn it. And watch it on the blonde bimbo stuff.”

  If Stella hadn’t felt so lost, she might’ve laughed. Krystal rarely cussed, so when she did, it was almost funny. That and the fact that Stella’s own golden hair color was real while she’d bet her last penny the bimbo’s was straight out of a box. “It’s okay. I’m just really tired. Besides, I need to get up early.”

  “Why? The B&B doesn’t have any guests right now.”

  “Sure, sweetie, we understand.” Krystal shot Arizona a hard look, silencing her before she had a chance to say anything more.

  “We’re supposed to be getting a guest soon, and I want to make sure everything’s ready for him. Thanks for understanding. Bye.” Stella couldn’t stay there a moment longer. If she saw Mike and the blonde again, she was afraid she’d break down in tears. She hurried toward the exit, keeping her focus squarely on the door.

  Chapter Two

  “Later, Carly.” Mike whirled away from the blonde, giving her a not-at-all-subtle brush-off. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Although they’d fooled around when they were younger, he’d never wanted anything serious with her. But Carly Jefferson had different ideas. Ideas about them hooking up on a more permanent basis. As soon as he’d seen Stella Connor, he’d known he’d made a terrible mistake giving in to Carly’s advances too often. But how was he to know another beautiful blonde would sway into town and steal his heart?

  Mike’s gaze followed Stella as she hurried out of the Wolf’s Den. He gripped his brother’s arm before he could go chasing after her. “No. Let her go.”

  The ever-impulsive Danny glared at him, amber flashing in his eyes. “Why the hell not? We need to make sure she gets home all right.”

  “Danny’s right,” added their brother Alex. “Besides, you got to dance with her.”

  Mike turned his attention to his brothers once Stella was out of sight. “Yeah, I did. And it was great.” He shouldn’t have egged his brothers on, but sometimes it felt good no matter how wrong it was.