Moonlight Kin 2: Aidan's Mate (Mid-Length Novel) Page 4

  Jenna’s stomach knotted. Manipulating the facts to accommodate an agenda wasn’t her idea of journalism. And ultimately that’s what Paul was asking her to do.

  Any other time, she’d tell him to stick this job up his butt, but Jenna was down to her last fifty and pride wouldn’t buy food or gas. Still, she didn’t like the idea of taking advantage of someone who’d shown her kindness.

  “I’ll give it some thought.” She choked on the words as they lodged in her throat.

  “You do that.” Paul gave her a knowing glance. “I expect you to report back to me in the morning with your answer.”

  Jenna left his office, nausea replacing her earlier hunger. Molly stood nearby, casually flicking through back issues of the Gazette. The second Jenna appeared she pounced.

  “So what’s he like?” Molly asked.

  “Paul?”

  Molly frowned. “No, Aidan,” she said. “Everyone knows that Paul is an asshole.”

  “I heard that, Molly,” he said.

  “Knew you would,” she said.

  Jenna sighed. At least that was one thing they could agree upon. “Aidan seemed like any other mega successful business man. Slightly aloof. Cultured. Intense.” And way too sexy for his own good.

  There it was again. That unbidden attraction that cropped up every time she thought about the man.

  “What does he look like?” Molly asked.

  Jenna shrugged. “Dark hair. Longish. Tall.”

  “You’re going to have to do better than that, if you’re going to work for my parents’ paper. People like description,” she said.

  Well that explained why Molly could do or say whatever she wanted. If her folks owned the paper, she had no fear of getting fired.

  Molly clasped her hands against her chest. “What’s his body like? Is he fit? Fat? Thin? Somewhere in between?”

  Jenna pictured Aidan’s wide shoulders and flat stomach. Fit didn’t begin to describe his banging body. Something inside her fluttered. Something she promptly squashed before it could take form.

  “Don’t keep me in suspense,” Molly whined.

  Jenna cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Yeah, he’s in good shape.”

  “I knew it!” She grinned. “He sounds dreamy.”

  “I hadn’t noticed,” Jenna lied. For some reason, it bothered her that Molly was so interested in Aidan. It shouldn’t matter. It wasn’t like she and Aidan had any connection beyond his vehicle. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jenna rushed to the door, hoping she didn’t follow.

  “Where are you going?” Molly asked.

  “To my motel. I’m beat.” The lie slipped easily from Jenna’s lips. She couldn’t exactly say that she planned to sleep in the SUV. Businesses rarely employed homeless people.

  She left quickly before Molly could ask any more questions. The little bell chimed loudly behind her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. Jenna sucked in the fresh air to clean the mental filth Paul had left in her mind. She walked, needing to get away.

  Maybe you had to be scheming or insane to do the job. If that were the case, Jenna wouldn’t last long.

  She found a fast food restaurant to dine in and used their bathroom to get cleaned up. Jenna got a few strange looks when she came out of the restroom with a wet head, but no one said anything.

  She waited until the Gazette closed, then walked back to the Rover. Jenna studied the navigation system to see what was around.

  A campground located five miles down the road looked like her best bet. They tended to be cheap and rarely asked questions.

  Jenna drove in silence, her body and mind weary from the day’s events. She put aside Molly’s ridiculous ideas and thought about everything Paul Welling had told her.

  Was it true that an interview with Aidan could fetch big money? Could she afford to pass up the opportunity, if there was even a remote chance that was the case?

  The truth was no, she could not. Paul might be willing to settle for something scandalous about Aidan, but Jenna wouldn’t. She couldn’t. And she prayed that her desperation never reached that point.

  Jenna pulled into the campground and found an out-of-the-way spot to park and settle in for the night. She grabbed a jacket from her tote, then climbed into the backseat.

  With a click of a button, Jenna locked the doors, then tried to get comfortable. The Rover had a lot more space in the backseat than the Bug, which was probably why she found it so difficult.

  She was used to being cramped. The tight fit made her feel protected, even though it was an illusion. Jenna plucked a shirt out of her bag and rolled it up, creating a makeshift pillow.

  Thanks to Molly’s ravings and Paul’s veiled threats, sleep didn’t come easily.

  * * * * *

  Aidan couldn’t get Jenna out of his mind. Her lilac scent lingered in the parlor and clung to his skin. He shook his head and snorted, but it did little to alleviate the aroma.

  He walked into Robert’s office. “I’m going to my room to grab a shower. Send up the next Were on the list,” he said, more gruffly than he’d intended.

  Robert nodded. “Right away.”

  Hair still damp, Aidan stood on his balcony inhaling the night, while he waited for the woman to arrive.

  There was a soft knock at the door.

  “Come in,” he said without turning around. He heard the woman enter the room.

  “Alpha, you called for me.” Her sultry voice whispered over his skin.

  Aidan tore his gaze away from the view of the backyard. Golden hair framed a narrow face, making her skin glow. A blue silk robe did little to conceal her lush curves. Aidan held out his hand.

  “Come here, Sydney,” he said.

  She strolled across the room, her hips swaying teasingly with each step. When she was within arm’s length, she reached out and placed her fingers into his hand, allowing him to pull her into his arms.

  Soft breasts met his hard chest and Aidan inhaled. Sydney’s warm scent tickled his nose. She smelled buttery like fresh baked bread—and all wrong. Aidan inhaled her delicious scent again. This time he sneezed, wrinkling his nose.

  “Bless you,” Sydney said in surprise.

  “Thank you.”

  She rubbed her hand over his chest, trailing her fingers down until she found his soft shaft. Sydney stroked him, then waited for a response. There was none. She ran her palm over his length again and squeezed.

  Aidan’s cock twitched, but remained flaccid. Fear crept from his gut to his head, leaving tension in its wake. He took an awkward step back. This had never happened before.

  He’d been with three women yesterday and hadn’t experienced any problems. Maybe that was it. Maybe he’d overdone it yesterday. Or maybe he was ill. But even as the thought whispered through his head, Aidan knew that wasn’t the case.

  Werewolves didn’t get sick and they certainly didn’t have performance issues. Their hormones ran hot year around.

  Aidan cursed under his breath and glanced down at his limp dick. What the hell is the matter with you?

  Sydney took a step back. “Alpha?”

  “I’ve changed my mind,” he said. “I want you to leave. Now!”

  Her face reddened. “I understand.”

  Aidan gritted his teeth. “You understand nothing.” How could she, when he didn’t understand what was happening? “Go!”

  Sydney rushed to the door and slipped out of the room, before he could say another word. No doubt she’d report his ‘condition’ to the others.

  Aidan swore again. This was the last thing he needed. First his cousin, then the challenge, now this. Aidan’s chest squeezed. He needed to get outside. He couldn’t breathe.

  He shed his clothes and leapt off his balcony, transforming into a massive black wolf in mid-air. With silent paws, Aidan landed on the grass and took off running for the trees.

  He ran hard, until exhaustion took him.

  No longer on estate property, Aidan loped through the woods, searching for a place to bed d
own for the night. He couldn’t bear to return to his room. He wasn’t ready to face the shame or the failure.

  He settled on a spot in the park under a canopy of trees, not far from a campground. Aidan scented the area for danger one final time, then dropped down onto the soft ferns. For a moment, he thought he smelled lilacs. First his body, now his nose was betraying him. He shook his head in disgust, then rested his muzzle upon his paws.

  Aidan slept fitfully, dreams of curly, strawberry blond hair and the smell of fresh lilacs, haunting him until dawn.

  * * * * *

  Through the thick trees, in a secluded campsite nearby, Jenna tossed and turned in the backseat of the Range Rover. For the first time in three months, Ethan Manning wasn’t taking center stage in her dreams. He’d been replaced by a dark-haired demon with amber eyes, whose smile could quite literally melt the clothes off any woman.

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Ethan Manning nodded patiently at the bloated banker sitting across from him. On the outside Ethan appeared calm, but inside, his anger roiled, churning with the need to smash something.

  “You have until Monday,” the banker said. “After that, we’ll have no choice, but to remove our offer.”

  “I need more time,” Ethan smiled through clenched teeth. Only a fool would mistake it for a friendly grin. How much cash had his family stored within those re-enforced walls? How many investments had they made?

  Too many to count. Certainly enough to afford him some leeway and keep the banker in thousand dollar suits for the rest of his life.

  The pompous ass straightened his food-stained tie and squinted against the setting sun. “We’ve already extended the deadline twice in deference to your family, but we cannot extend it again. We have a board of trustees to answer to and other investments to consider. You understand.”

  Ethan understood all right. If he didn’t get his hands on Jenna Dane soon, he’d lose more than his initial investment. He’d leveraged over half of his inheritance on this land deal. He wouldn’t be poor by most people’s standards, but by Manning family standards he might as well be destitute.

  This was the type of business blunder that tarnished family names. Something his father and mother would not tolerate—not even from their son.

  It was a good thing the private detective he’d hired had found Jenna Dane. Ethan didn’t want to think about if he hadn’t.

  The banker rose and extended his hand. Ethan glared at it until the man slowly brought it back to his side. He grabbed the glasses perched on his nose and carefully wiped them with a handkerchief. “I’ll expect to hear from you before the deadline.” He placed his glasses back on and walked to the door.

  Ethan watched him leave, then picked up the crystal candy dish on his desk and hurled it toward the wall. The dish exploded on impact, raining multi-colored mints and shiny glass chards onto the Persian rug. No one was going to fuck up this deal for him, especially not a low-class, second-rate mechanic.

  He needed to find out exactly where they were. Carl and Jenna should’ve arrived in town by now. Ethan glanced at his calendar. Had it been a week since they last spoke?

  That couldn’t be right.

  It didn’t take a week to drive back to Vancouver. He waited to get his temper in check, then buzzed his executive assistant. “Cynthia, get me Carl Rich on the phone.”

  “Right away, Mr. Manning.”

  A moment later the phone rang. Ethan picked it up and without preliminaries said, “Where is she?”

  There was a pause, then Carl’s gruff voice said, “I lost her, but I have a couple of leads to follow up on.”

  “What do you mean you lost her? The last time we spoke you’d found her and had Jenna in your custody. You told me that you were on your way.” Ethan clutched the receiver, his knuckles white. “What the hell happened? I expected you to be here by now.” Something akin to panic clawed at his chest until he could barely breathe.

  “She’s pretty resourceful when she needs to be. She gave me the slip at a gas station, when I stopped to fill up,” he said. “Hitchhiked back to her car and disappeared.”

  Fury over the man’s incompetence made his shake. “How did a woman give you the slip? I thought you were a professional.”

  “She’s tougher than she looks and obviously very persuasive when she needs to be,” Carl ground out.

  Ethan was beginning to understand that about Jenna. Somehow she’d eluded them for three months, but her admirable survival skills didn’t change his objective. He’d paid a lot of money and expected results.

  “I don’t pay you for excuses,” Ethan said. “Find her now or you won’t see another dime. And just so we’re clear, if you fail me again, I’ll have your license yanked. You won’t be able to get a job parking cars in this town. Got it?”

  “Understood.” The word was ripped from his throat. “Trust me, sir. She will not get away again,” he said with menacing promise.

  “Call me the second you spot her. I want to be there to make sure there are no more screw-ups. You have until Saturday.” Ethan hung up before Carl could respond.

  He was so tired of dealing with inept people. He should’ve gone after Jenna himself or at the very least gotten her to sign over the deed to the land before she ran. The garage that sat on the property was useless without it.

  Stupid bitch!

  She should know better than to try to strong arm him. He’d just have to consult his attorney to see if there were any charges he could level against Jenna for hindering the business transaction.

  Every day she was out there running around the countryside cost Ethan thousands of dollars. Thanks to her, he was hemorrhaging money.

  He should’ve known that someone with Jenna’s spotty background would only cause him trouble. Ethan hoped his family never found out that he’d slept with the whore.

  * * * * *

  Jenna’s first day on the job at the Gazette had been frankly boring compared to the unconventional introduction she’d received yesterday.

  Paul had spent the morning badgering her about the interview with Aidan. He’d only stopped once she’d agreed to try her best, but Jenna had made it clear that her acceptance wasn’t a promise of success.

  Half the time the phone stopped ringing before Molly answered it. For a receptionist, she didn’t seem overly concerned about the missed phone calls.

  Instead, Molly continued her barrage of questions about Aidan. By noon, she had finally stopped calling him a vampire—thanks in large part to Jenna’s assurance that she’d seen him in sunlight.

  After being worn down all morning, Jenna had agreed to go to lunch with her.

  Molly turned out to be a font of information. Jenna now knew that Ted was dating Alex. Though she hadn’t met either one yet. And that Carol had finally ‘come out’ to her family, which as it turns out wasn’t a surprise to anyone.

  Thanks to the little gossip, Jenna also found out a lot about Paul Welling. According to Molly, he used to be a big city reporter. He’d fallen on hard times once it was discovered that he’d fabricated a couple of major stories. His previous employer had been sued and Paul had been left go. He’d been trying to carve his way back ever since.

  That didn’t bode well for Aidan. Paul’s shady past coupled with his need to regain his reputation could lead him to do just about anything, print anything.

  Five o’clock arrived after what felt like an eternity. Jenna rolled her neck to ease the stiffness and scanned the road behind her. Nothing. Forty-five minutes later, she spotted the entrance to the driveway and made a right.

  The estate gate opened the second she buzzed to announce that she’d returned. Thanks to her co-workers fanciful stories, Jenna found herself scanning the woods for wolves. She’d seen one yesterday, but one hardly accounted for the rumors.

  A couple of times Jenna thought she caught a flash of movement amongst the trees, but whatever it was disappeared too quickly to be positively identified.


  The trees parted and the estate appeared. A mix of old world charm and modern architecture, the design fit its owner. Her heart raced as she scanned the yard. Was she really hoping to catch another glimpse of Aidan Fortier?

  If Jenna were being honest with herself, then the answer would be yes. There was something about him that drew her to him. Sure, he was gorgeous and rolling in money, but that wasn’t what fascinated her. Aidan was a puzzle.

  Jenna had never been able to resist puzzles. She loved twisting the pieces to see how they fit together. It was one of the reasons she’d become a mechanic. Engines were like giant landscape jigsaws. They only worked when they were assembled in the right order.

  Aidan had only presented her with a few pieces. Not nearly enough to form a clear picture of him. The stories she’d heard at the paper only added to his mystique and made her itch to know more.

  “Like you need that kind of trouble,” she muttered to herself.

  Paul’s thinly veiled warning rang in her ears. Get the job done or get out.

  What choice did she have?

  The driveway forked near the house. Jenna veered left and continued on another hundred yards. She pulled up in front of what she hoped was the garage. Several vehicles were parked haphazardly in the gravel lot.

  Jenna tucked the Rover into a space and cut the engine. She jumped out, not bothering to lock it. Pebbles crunched under her feet as she walked to the door on the side of the building.

  She heard men laughing inside and the sound of tools hitting metal. The combo drowned out the soft music playing in the background. Jenna poked her head inside. Her presence killed the conversation.

  “Who are you?” one of the men asked, stepping away from a Lincoln MKX. “And what are you doing here unescorted?”

  Unescorted? What did he mean by that? “I’m Jenna.” She gestured to the Bug. “I just wanted to make sure my car made it here.” She loved her car and was determined to get it running again. “Aidan said it would be okay to work on it.”

  The man glanced at her car and scratched his head. “Not sure when we’re going to have time to get to it. We have our hands full right now.” He jerked his chin toward to the Lincoln and the truck on racks beside it.