Mate.
She blinked up at me, wide blue eyes startled, blonde hair to her shoulders. She was petite, with soft curves that fit perfectly in my embrace. A dimple flashed as she gave me a half-grin that didn’t quite make it to her sad eyes. “Is this how you greet everyone?”
My cheeks flushed. “Only the special ones.”
We kneeled to gather her things, hands brushing. Every touch sent a jolt through me. She paused, her gaze searching mine, as if she was experiencing it too. We both reached for the same book, and she snatched her hand away.
I looked down, raising a brow at the half-naked man on the cover, and shot her a sly grin. “Looks like an interesting book.”
She blushed, grabbing it from me and stuffing it back in the box. “Why? Do you want to borrow it?”
My voice lowered. “Only if you quiz me after. I promise to earn extra credit with my dramatic readings.”
The red in her cheeks deepened. “I?—”
“I win!” Gabriel rushed past us into the cabin, putting his box down on the floor before pumping his fist in victory. “I’m going to enjoy watching you muck all the stalls tomorrow, Ethan.”
“Hey, I was here first. Those stalls are yours to clean.”
He shook his head. “You made it to the porch first. I beat you to the cabin.”
“The porch is part of the cabin.”
“Nope. The cabin starts at the door.”
Chloe exited the bedroom. “Sorry, Ethan. I agree with Gabriel. If you were racing to get the boxes to the cabin, it looks like he won.”
My mate tried to come to my rescue. “I blocked his way. He shouldn’t be penalized for saving me from falling.”
Gabriel shrugged. “Not a bad consolation prize for him, having a beautiful woman in his arms. But it doesn’t change the fact that he lost.”
I barely held back my growl at Gabriel’s words. I knew he wasn’t flirting with her, but my bear didn’t.
Chloe grinned at her friend. “Trust me, Hannah. I’m sure Ethan’s done something else to earn the job of mucking out the stalls. Might keep him out of trouble tomorrow.”
I wanted to protest Chloe’s words. I didn’t want my mate to see me as a troublemaker. But if I said anything, I could easily imagine Chloe and Gabriel regaling Hannah with highlights of my history. That would only make things worse for me. So I kept my mouth shut and vowed to show her I was a worthy mate.
“If you guys will get the rest of the boxes, Hannah and I can start unpacking.” Chloe kneeled by the box Gabriel had brought in and ripped the tape off. “It would be nice if we could at least get Jonah’s room set up.”
I stilled at the mention of the young boy. Did my mate have a son? I dismissed that thought. She was too young to be Jonah’s mom. But she was obviously responsible for him. Which meant I would be responsible for him too. Was I ready for that?
Raising a child unrelated to me by blood wasn’t an issue. Being adopted myself and raised with five older brothers, none of whom were biologically related to me, taught me that family was more than what ran through someone’s veins. Sure, I missed my birth parents. I still had memories of my early years with them. But my adopted family had accepted me fully, and I couldn’t imagine my life without my brothers.
Whatever Jonah’s relation to Hannah, he was as much mine as she was. I may not have expected a child to raise at my age, but he was here. However, that did mean proving to my mate I was worthy just got harder. I needed to convince her that not only was I enough for her; I was enough for him too.
Hannah
I tried to casually study the man Chloe called Ethan. His brown hair was longer on top and looked like he’d been running his fingers through it. His dark-blue T-shirt stretched tight across his broad chest, and his worn jeans fit perfectly in all the right places.
I’d gotten a good look at his rich, dark-brown eyes earlier when he caught me in his arms. His strong, muscular arms. Afive o’clock shadow graced his jawline, and his lips seemed quick to curve into a grin.
Those eyes of his had immediately drawn me in, as did the scent of him. I could smell horses and dirt, but also some masculine scent that I just knew was all him. It wrapped around me, leaving me light-headed. As did the brush of his skin against mine. I blamed that for the fact I’d flirted with him. Something I never did.
Now that I had some distance from him, I knew I needed to rein in my attraction. This man was a shifter, and as I’d learned from Chloe, they had fated mates. Of course, I would fall for someone destined not to be mine. Just like all the other women in my family.
Ethan followed his brother outside, his gaze lingering on me over his shoulder. I felt it almost like a caress. I stood staring out the door longer than I should have, but luckily Chloe was busy pulling dishes out of the box she was unpacking and didn’t notice.
I carried the box Ethan had dropped into my bedroom and put the books on the small shelf next to the massive bed. The bed covered most of the floor space and was already made up with soft blue sheets and a quilted comforter. I called out to Chloe, “Don’t you think this bed is overkill? I could fit four of me in it.”
