His to Protect (4 page)

“You’ll use my lawyer.” Axel repeated himself. “He’s a good guy and one hell of a lawyer. I’ll call him right now.”

He walked away before she could protest. And even if she could, she wouldn’t. She needed a lawyer, and he had one. It was turning out that Axel Jackson had a lot of things she wanted and more than a few that she needed.

I
t was
after nine by the time Harper got off the phone with his lawyer, John Kendrick. Axel had paced the main floor ever since she’d gone upstairs to talk to him. He was a good lawyer, and Axel had no doubt he’d help Harper and do a damn good job at it, but it didn’t matter. His mate was in trouble and that made his bear crazy. The fact that she had no idea that she was his mate was beside the point. That would come in due time.

“I wrapped up your meals.” Kade came out of the kitchen, a beer in his hand. “I figured you both would be hungry later.”

Axel grunted a thank-you but didn’t turn to look at his brother.

“You know, you could eat,” Kade said. “You’re not doing her any good out here driving us all crazy.”

Axel spun around. “I fail to see how my concern for my—” He stopped himself and glanced at Nina, who was curled up in the corner of the couch, typing away on her laptop. “My guest,” he amended but the slip had already been noticed by his brothers.

Luke swallowed the rest of his whisky in a gulp and crossed the room. “Let’s get a drink, brother.” It wasn’t a suggestion and by the way Luke looked at him, he was not going to take no for an answer. Axel glanced up to the second story, where Harper’s door was still closed.

“She’ll be fine,” Luke said.

He raised his eyebrows, but nodded slightly.

“We’re just going to grab more drinks,” Kade told Nina. “What can we bring you?”

Axel didn’t stick around to listen to the answer. Instead, he bashed through the kitchen door, followed moments later by Luke and then Kade.

“Are you going to tell us what’s going on with that woman?” It was Kade who asked as he grabbed a bottle of wine off the rack. “You almost ripped my head off earlier when I was talking to her and now you look like you’re about to go all animal in the living room because she’s upstairs on the phone.”

“I should have ripped your head off,” Axel growled. His blood ran hot and angry just thinking of the way his little brother had looked at Harper. That would never happen again. He’d make damn sure of it.

“What the hell, Axel?” Kade squared up and glared at him. “It’s not like I was making out with her or anything and if I was—”

“He would have killed you,” Luke finished. Kade stared at him, confused. “Because Axel seems to think our pretty blonde guest is his mate. Don’t you, Axel?”

He couldn’t deny it, so instead he went to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a shot of whisky and attempted to douse the fire inside him. It didn’t work.

“Oh fuck.” Kade groaned. “A mate? And a
human
mate at that? Perfect.”

“If she
is
human,” Luke muttered and they both turned to stare at him. Axel wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he didn’t have a chance before Kade was ranting again.

“You can’t be serious.”

Axel turned, refocused on his youngest brother. “Do you think I planned this?”

“Still.” Kade shook his head. “Can you imagine what the old man will say?”

“I don’t care.” He poured himself another shot. “All I care about is having her.”

“And what about what she wants?” Luke asked. “I can’t imagine she wants anything to do with a bear.”

“It won’t matter.” But Axel knew it did. At least a little. It would matter less once he claimed her. She’d still have a choice, of course, but once he had her… He tossed the second shot back.

“This is so messed up.” Kade shook his head. It took all the restraint Axel had to keep from throwing his brother to the ground and asserting his dominance.
The kid was getting way too lippy for his own good.
And he might have done just that if the kitchen door hadn’t swung open at that moment.

“Hey,” Nina said. “I hope I’m not interrupting, but I thought maybe we could get another glass for that wine. Harper’s on her way down and something tells me she’s going to need a drink.”

“Absolutely,” Luke said. “We’ll be right out.”

Nina flashed a sexy smile and disappeared back into the living room.

Axel made a move to follow, but his brother’s arm stopped him. “Are you going to be able to control yourself?”

He knew what Luke was really asking. He’d been there earlier when Axel’s bear had tried to get out. He’d never before had trouble controlling his animal. Never. Of course, he’d never had the scent of his female filling his senses before. This was new. Very new. His instincts were definitely clouded. Axel nodded. He’d be fine.

“That’s a damn good thing.” Kade walked past them. “Because we can’t screw this up, Axel.” He turned and looked at both his brothers in turn. “Not for a female. We’ve got a good thing going on here and I’m not going to let it blow up just because you think you found your mate. I’m not going to lose everything. Not again and definitely not because of a mate.”

He turned and left the kitchen so fast Axel didn’t have a chance to stop him. And even if he had…

“Let him go,” Luke said. “You know he’s still sensitive about Kira. You know how he feels about the idea of mates.”

Axel nodded. He knew all too well. Kade thought Kira had thrown everything away and ruined everyone’s lives, all for a mate. Just like his mother had. He blamed the whole idea of mating on the destruction of their family. But Kade didn’t know how it felt to have that special female’s scent run hot through his blood. The taste of her on his tongue. How his whole body craved more. How it craved everything. Hell, Axel hadn’t known either. Not until Harper.

“
T
hank you
.” Harper took the offered glass of wine from Kade’s hands and swallowed half the contents in a single gulp. After that marathon call with Axel’s lawyer, she needed it. Hell, she needed something a whole lot stronger than wine, but it would do for now.

“That good, huh?” Nina settled into the couch with her own glass but Harper couldn’t sit. There was no way she could relax, not with her entire life on the line. Trent had gone too far this time.

She shook her head and swallowed the rest of the wine. “I can’t believe he’d do this to me,” she said. “I mean, after everything I did…it doesn’t even matter. He’s obviously been planning it for a while. And they seem to have things locked up pretty tight, but I think I’m in good hands with John Kendrick. He seems to know his stuff and he’s going to do a bit of digging tomorrow. There’s nothing else I can do tonight.”

“So Axel’s lawyer is going to be okay?” Nina asked. “Because if you want to go back to the city and get—”

“No.” Harper shook her head. “That’s the last thing I want. And John agrees. He thinks I should stay put and stay away from the media frenzy. No one knows I’m here right now, so it’s probably for the best if I hang out for a bit.”

“John knows what he’s talking about.”

Harper turned to see Axel in the doorway. Her entire body reacted to his presence and the memory of his lips on hers. It seemed like a million years ago now. What would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted? She knew exactly what would have happened and her body trembled at the thought.

“He does,” she said softly. He didn’t look as if he was going to move any closer to her, so Harper walked across the room toward him. “Thank you so much for setting that up for me.”

Axel’s eyes were intense and they held her, almost daring her to come closer. So she did.

“Anytime.” He breathed the word and if she hadn’t been standing so close, she wouldn’t have heard it at all. There was so much implied in that one simple word that in an instant Harper’s troubles melted away. She could have stared into his eyes all night. There was no doubt there was danger lurking in his gaze, but there was something else, too. Something that drew her in. “You’ll stay here.”

“Just for a bit,” she said quickly.

“You’ll stay for—”

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea.” It was Luke who spoke as he pushed his way between them. “I mean, of course, we want to help, Harper.” He looked at her quickly before he returned his hard glare to his brother. “But we do have other guests scheduled later this week and—”

“She’ll stay with me.” Axel pushed him aside. His eyes never left hers. “I mean, she can stay in my cabin.”

“And you’ll stay where exactly?” Luke asked.

He focused on Harper for a moment before he turned to his brother. “With you.” His words said one thing, but the look he’d given her said something entirely different.

A chill went through her but the damp heat that bloomed between her legs told her she was completely on board with that idea. No matter how ridiculous.

“Axel, I—”

“It’s settled.” He dismissed his brother and then seemed to remember himself and possibly his manners. “As long as you’re okay with that.”

She nodded. “Yes,” was all she could manage.

It was crazy. But everything about the situation was crazy. From Trent, to the charges, to finding herself at a remote mountain lodge, to being completely under the spell of the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. Crazy didn’t come close to describing what was going on. Yet, Harper had never felt so sure about anything in her life.

“Harper, can I talk to you for a minute?” Nina didn’t give her a chance to say no before she dragged her upstairs to her room. As soon as the door was shut, her friend turned on her. “What are you thinking? You can’t stay with him.”

She shrugged. “Why not? Besides, I’m not really staying
with
him. He’s going to stay with his brother.”

Nina gave her a look but Harper only shrugged, so Nina tried again. “You know, you could stay with me.”

“I could, but that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun, would it?”

“He’s a…well…he’s…”

“Weren’t you the one who told me I deserved to have a little fun?”

Nina nodded.

“And weren’t you the one who told me I needed to get laid?”

“Well…yes…”

“I’m pretty sure that will happen if I stay in his cabin.” A rush of heat flowed through her as she spoke. Absolutely that would happen if she stayed with Axel and judging by the way her body reacted, she couldn’t wait.

“I’m sure it will,” Nina conceded. “It’s just…you can’t run away from your life.”

“And I’m not.” Not wanting to waste any more time, Harper packed the few items she’d bothered to unpack earlier. “We just got here. And I can’t go back right now anyway. Not until John gives me the all-clear.” She turned and looked at her best friend. “And frankly, even when he does tell me it’s okay to go back, I’m not sure I’m going to want to.”

“You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. You can’t be serious that you want to stay
here.”

“Maybe not here.” Harper shrugged. “But maybe.” She shook her head and turned away. “I don’t know. All I know is I don’t know if I’m going to be in a hurry to go back to LA and that life. Because even when John does clear my name, and he will, there won’t be anything left for me there. My reputation has already been destroyed. I won’t be able to work. And even if I could…”

“You hate LA,” Nina finished for her.

Harper nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress. “I do.”

Nina wrapped her arm around Harper’s shoulders and squeezed. “I know you do. Maybe it’s for the best that everything happened.”

Harper laughed. “Well, I’m sure it could have happened in a slightly different way and I would have been okay with that, too.”

“Agreed.” They shared a laugh and a hug. “So you’re going to stay? With Axel?” Nina wiggled her eyebrows. “I guess I don’t blame you,” she continued. “He’s yummy and I meant what I said earlier. You do deserve to have a little fun. Even if it’s just temporary. Go for it, girl.”

Harper smiled. With everything she was uncertain about, staying at Grizzly Ridge, at least for a little while, suddenly seemed like the best idea she’d heard in a long time. Especially if it involved a little
fun
with a mountain man like Axel.

I
t almost killed him
, but Axel reluctantly agreed to wait until the following evening after dinner to move Harper’s things to his cabin. He’d spent the majority of the day answering Nina’s questions about the Ridge and trying to avoid Harper. Fortunately, Luke had taken her on another hike. Fortunate only in the sense that if Axel had even one second alone with the woman, he was fairly sure he would have pinned her hands over her head and kissed her until her legs would no longer hold her up. He needed her with a primal urge he’d never experienced before, and judging by the way she’d stared at him over the dinner table, she felt exactly the same way. It would be torture for him to take her into his cabin and not show her in graphic detail exactly what he’d fantasized about all day.

But he would.

Only if she wanted him to.

“I’m sorry the accommodations aren’t ideal,” he said as they walked out into the night air, toward his cabin. “It would be preferable to keep you in the main lodge, but with the big group coming tomorrow, I guess this is the only real solution.”

He was lying through his teeth; having his mate in his cabin was absolutely the ideal solution. Axel also noted that neither of them mentioned the other, probably more practical solution of Harper staying in Nina’s room. A solution that conveniently enough had never been brought up.

“It’s fine.” She flashed him a smile that made his crotch ache. Either she had no idea how sexy she was, or she did and took joy in torturing him.

In a desperate effort to get his mind off all the things he wanted to do with her mouth, Axel made another lame attempt at conversation. “I suppose you could have waited until morning to bring your things over. We didn’t have to move you tonight.” He had her suitcase under one arm, the other wrapped protectively around her shoulders as he led her through the dark to his cabin. Not that he’d wanted her to wait. It was exactly the opposite, in fact. He wanted—no, he needed—her as close as possible to him. Now that he’d found her, the bear in him was not going to let her go without a fight. It didn’t matter that they’d just met. They were connected on a much deeper level and she knew it too, even if she didn’t know what it was that she was feeling. Axel was sure of it. More than he’d ever been sure of anything in his life. And for the moment, that would have to be enough for both of them.

“There didn’t seem to be much point,” she said. He could tell she was trying to be brave, but the events of the last few days had definitely taken their toll. She looked exhausted and as much as Axel would have liked to show her a different way to relax, he was going to have to take his time. “Nina thinks I’m crazy for staying over here at all,” she continued. “I mean, I don’t even know you.”

Axel stopped and put his free hand on her arm. “You already know everything you need to know.” His eyes pierced hers and even in the dim light he could see her pupils react to his stare. “And anything else you want to know,” he continued as he started to walk again, “all you have to do is ask.”

“I plan on it.”

He tried but failed not to smile at her bravado. She was definitely a feisty one.
Good.
She’d have to be to survive everything her ex was putting her through. The one thing that continued to bother Axel was how she could have let herself get into such a situation with a man. She was a strong woman; he could see that. So why had she let any man use her the way he had? She deserved more. So much more. And Axel was just the man to show her exactly what she deserved.

Harper hesitated as they stepped up to the porch and he opened the door to his cabin. Each of the brothers had built simple homes, and although they were all similar in a lot of ways, they were also very different. Axel’s cabin consisted of two small rooms and an oversized bathroom that boasted both a double spray shower and an extra-large jetted tub. His brothers teased him about the bathroom, but he didn’t care. There simply wasn’t anything better than sinking into a tub full of steaming hot water after a hard run through the mountains.

Or at least he hadn’t thought there’d be anything better. He stole a glance over to Harper next to him. He’d been wrong. Climbing into the bathtub with his mate would be infinitely better. But he was getting ahead of himself.

He flicked the light switch to illuminate the main room of the cabin. “After you.”

She stepped into the room. It was comfortable, but fairly unadorned with a desk in one corner, a small dining set in the other, and two overstuffed chairs and a couch that faced a rock fireplace. Two large bookshelves lined one wall. Reading was another thing his brothers liked to tease him about, but he didn’t care. It was his preferred way to spend the evenings.

At least it had been.

“Make yourself at home,” he said. “The bedroom is right through here.” Axel led the way through the door into the back bedroom. “It’s not much, but you should find it comfortable enough.” He tossed the suitcase on the king-sized bed and moved to the long low dresser against the wall. “I’ll just empty a few drawers for you. I don’t have much stuff any—”

“What about you?”

He froze and turned slowly at the question. “What about me?” She stood close. Really close. He inhaled deeply and filled his senses with the essence of her. She was all spice. She smelled like cinnamon and cloves, with just a hint of sweet apple. He’d never get tired of her scent. But there was something else, too. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, aware of how it must look to her.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

Axel opened his eyes to see her watching him. A smile played on her lips and she took a step closer. Her aroma intensified.

Arousal.

That was it. She was turned on. He’d caught a sniff of it a few times in the last few days, particularly the night before when they’d shared that kiss in the Den. But now it was different. It was intense.
How had he not recognized the scent earlier?

That was easy. He’d never had his mate in front of him before. Let alone his mate standing in his bedroom. Turned on. His cock thickened in his jeans with the knowledge. Axel knew he should be the gentleman. He should excuse himself to sleep at Luke’s. It shouldn’t even be an option. It wasn’t an option. Except, with the way Harper looked at him, it was.

He took a step toward her to close the small gap between them and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “That depends.”

She tilted her head and lowered her lashes in a look that was both so innocent and dangerous at the same time, Axel’s body vibrated from the effort of restraining himself.

“On what?” Her voice came out almost as a whisper, but there was no mistaking the strength behind the question.

He couldn’t hold back. Not anymore. He had to have her.

“On, this.” Axel wrapped one hand behind her head and pulled her into him. His lips met hers in a crush. He should be gentle, ease her into the kiss, but what he
should
do and what his bear
needed
to do were definitely not one and the same. A moan slipped from her lips and she pressed herself closer to him, until he could feel the heat of her soft, curvy body through his clothes. That was all the answer he needed.

Axel’s other arm wrapped around her; his hand rested on her perfectly round ass. He grabbed on and spun her, walking her back toward the wall. He was careful to soften the blow as they hit the wall, but the moment he had her trapped between the logs and his body, he released her. His arms caged her in. He kissed her again. This time, his tongue found his way inside her mouth. It tangled with his as he explored the heat of her, tasted her spicy sweetness. He could get drunk on the taste of her, but he wanted more. Needed more.

He pulled back to look at her. Harper’s chest heaved enticingly as she worked to regain her composure. His eyes lingered on the heavy, full breasts that strained against the cotton of her shirt. It would only take one quick move to release them. To have them in his hands. His mouth. With a groan, he forced his gaze upwards, to her lips red and swollen with passion, her blue eyes, dark with a need of her own.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said after a moment, her eyes not leaving his.

H
er whole body
trembled from his kiss. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed so thoroughly. Hell, she’d never been kissed like that. And she wanted more. But she also needed a moment to breathe. To pull together her thoughts. She waited for him to answer her question, both needing and dreading his answer. She didn’t have to wait long.

Axel stepped forward and closed the tiny space she’d put between them. His eyes, normally so dark, held flashes of gold in them. She couldn’t look away; they held her. His hand slipped up to her chin, cupping it possessively before sliding down to her neck. His touch sent chills racing through her and moisture pooled between her legs.

Axel’s hand twisted through her hair and when he gently but firmly pulled it to one side to expose her neck to him, she thought her body might explode from the need building in her.

“Babe, nobody will be sleeping tonight,” he growled before his mouth pressed to the sensitive skin beneath her ear and he worked his mouth along her neck. He held her firmly in one hand as his other gripped her hip to hold her up, which was a damn good thing because Harper could no longer trust her legs to support her.

Heat and hunger flowed through her as he nipped and sucked the skin on her neck. She knew he was marking her, but she didn’t care and she couldn’t have moved her head away from his strong grip if she wanted to.

And she didn’t.

Harper had never moved so quickly with a man. Not that she’d had any opportunity to move any way with anybody in years. In fact, it had been so long since she’d been with a man, she was a little worried.
What if she didn’t do it right? What if she forgot how?
Axel seemed so sure of himself, so…dominant. She’d be mortified if she screwed it up.

Axel’s lips stilled on her neck and then he pulled away. She felt the absence of his mouth instantly. “What’s wrong?”

Harper shook her head. “Nothing.” She smiled in a way she hoped was seductive. “Absolutely nothing.”

He didn’t look as if he believed her, but his hands reached out and wrapped around her hips, squeezing the flesh there before slowly working their way up her sides. His fingers traced the swell of her breasts. “You’re tense.”

She shook her head, but when his fingers circled slowly over her nipple, it took her breath away. Through the thin fabric and lace of the bra, her nipple hardened and Axel made a sound of approval. “You need to stop thinking.” His fingers still moved in slow, torturous circles. “Just let yourself feel.” His fingers locked over her hard, throbbing nipple and pinched just hard enough to make her gasp and drive all thoughts from her head. “Better.”

The delicious pulsing coursed from her nipple through her body until she could feel it in her core. And then his fingers were gone. Harper only had half a second to recover from the intensity before Axel’s mouth locked over her breast, suckling her through the layers of her clothing. The feel of him was exquisite. She threw her head back, arching against him to give him better access.

“Axel…I…”

“Stop.” He lifted his head from his task and stared at her. “Thinking.”

He released her, almost causing her to stumble backward, but caught her quickly with both hands on the front of her t-shirt. In a move so quick she almost didn’t see it, he tore through the cotton of her shirt, leaving it in shreds. Her bra hung from her arms as well, baring her heavy, heaving breasts to him.

“How did you—”

Her question was cut off with a firm pinch of her nipple while his mouth latched onto the other breast, giving it the attention it had been aching for. A mixture of pleasure and pain radiated through her and she writhed against him, desperate to press herself against his hard body.

“I like it better when you stop thinking,” he said with a dangerous grin. “I like it so much I’m going to make sure you can’t think of a damn thing tonight except for how good you feel.”

Her body shuddered with the possibilities and she couldn’t think of a good reason to object. Especially with the way he looked at her with hunger in his eyes.

H
e was moving too fast
. Not for him, but for her. Every once in a while, he could see a flash of hesitation in her eyes. But he also saw desire. Need. A whole hell of a lot of need.

The logical part of his brain told him he needed to slow down and court her a little bit, but the bear inside him was not about to be tamed. He needed her and he hadn’t realized just how much until she was in his cabin. The tiny space was full of her scent, heavy with desire. Harper needed him just as badly as he needed her. She just didn’t know it yet. She was overthinking everything too damn much.

But that was about to change.

He squeezed his hands into the soft flesh at her hips. Just enough curves to sink his fingers into. She was perfect. With ease, Axel lifted her and just as he knew she would, Harper reflexively wrapped her legs around his waist.

“No,” she protested. “Put me down. I’m too heavy.”

“You’re perfect.” He dropped his face to her bare breasts and kissed and suckled them until the protests died on her lips. He knew exactly how to make her brain shut off so all she could focus on was feeling what she needed to feel and that’s exactly what she was going to do. “But you have too many clothes on.”

Without giving her a chance to protest, he kissed her hard and deep; he lifted her away from the wall and carried her the short distance to the bed, where he placed her softly on the quilt. His fingers traced the inner seam of her jeans to rest on her belt buckle. He locked eyes with her, giving her a chance to call it off. It was the only chance she’d have because if he thought he was hard to control right now, he’d be totally lost the second she was completely naked in front of him.

She nodded and her tongue darted out between her lips.

Axel growled as his cock pulsed hard in his jeans. He ripped the belt buckle free and tore her pants from her body.