Page 7 of Tempting the Tiger

CHAPTER TWO

Keair wanted to growl in frustration as Bachar continued to speak. The meeting should have been over a half-hour ago. Now, it was approaching the time when Grace delivered her baked goods to the hotel. He had been unable to see her for the last two days as he had helped Bachar deal with the most recent fall out from The Group. Keair’s tiger rumbled in his chest at the thought of the humans who continued to threaten the well-being of the pride. While it was Tarek’s job to see to the safety of the pride, it was Keair’s job to see to the financial stability of the pride. He was Bachar’s second-in-command and did not take kindly to the drop in revenue the hotels were continuing to see as a result of The Group’s continued drive for publicity. Publicity that was all bad for shifters.

“Am I boring you?” Bachar’s voice was deep with an edge of aggression.

“No, Alpha. I apologize. My mind was wandering to other things.” He could not blame the other man for being tense. He would too if he had a pregnant mate. Bachar was still in residence at Lion’s Pride until his house was completed. Keair hoped that it would be soon. Having his alpha in the same residence was wearing thin on his nerves. Especially now that his mate was close.

His body stiffened at the thought of making a child with Grace. He would mount her from behind, taking her hard and fast as he sank his fangs into the tender skin of her neck. He would—

“Keair!” Bachar slammed his open palm against his desk. “That is enough.”

Keair, had he been a lesser shifter, would have jumped at the sound of his alpha’s voice. But Keair was an alpha in his own right so the sound of the other man’s display of anger did nothing more than arouse his own animal’s aggression. He pushed it back. He knew what had upset the other man. The release of pheromones as he had fantasied about taking his mate.

“I apologize. I need to go.” He rose from the chair and walked out of the room without another word.

He heard the grumblings of the man behind him as he exited the office but knew the alpha would understand. It had not been so long ago that the other man had tried to woo his mate.

Keair quickly made his way to the back of the hotel to the kitchen. Glancing at the gold watch on his wrist, he hoped he was not too late. He wanted—needed—to see Grace today. The other day had merely left him frustrated and horny. But, he knew he had to move slowly with his mate. She was skittish as a new-born foal. He had to rein in his desire to sweep her up in his arms and simply take her.

He pushed open the swinging doors and allowed his tiger to rise to the surface, seeking the scent of his mate. He smelled meat roasting, no doubt in anticipation of the noon meal, the tang of sauces and the sweetness of—

Yes, there it was. The sweetness of Grace’s pies. It smelled as if she had brought some made of strawberries and lemon today. His cat made a small grimace. It did not like the taste of lemon.

You will eat whatever she makes, my friend, Keair scolded his animal. And enjoy it.

“Where is she?” He directed his question to Daniel who had just entered the main kitchen from his office on the side.

“She just left, sir. Shall I see if I can stop her?” Daniel did not even pretend not to know Keair was referring to Grace.

“No, I’ll go.” Keair bounded forward, pushing open the outside service entrance to the huge kitchen.

The bakery’s white van was nowhere in sight and Keair cursed. He knew he needed to get back to business, but longed to shift and go after his mate. Even as he debated doing just that, a sound came from the woods behind the hotel. Keair stiffened. That area had been made off-limits to the guests and the staff except those that were not shifters. He knew Tarek had patrols, but—

“Damn it,” he growled as a tall shape walked out of the shadows. “You could give someone a warning, you silent bastard.”

Tarek walked toward him. “It is not my fault you were too preoccupied with a female to notice me approaching.” For a moment, Keair could have sworn a grin lifted the corner of the usually surly wolf’s mouth.

“My mate was here.” Keair felt a sense of joy at saying the words out loud. A mate was something he’d never thought he would experience. He appreciated women too much and had thought himself unable to settle down with just one. But one look at Grace—one touch of her soft skin against his—and he’d been a goner. All thoughts of all other women completely erased from his mind.

And the thought of having a mate, maybe even a family in the future, no longer brought up dark clouds of his past. He’d been alone for most of his life, abandoned as a cub to fend for himself when his streak had left this area to relocate in another part of the world. He had been left behind because he was an alpha male. Something the leader of his streak did not want to contend with. Male tigers were odd creatures when it came to certain things. Usually, they were solitary creatures who roamed from place to place. Their human counterparts were not much better. Most male tiger shifters sought out a streak only for the available females.

Not Keair. He’d seen too much abuse and emotional pain to want that for himself or any others around him. He would find it hard not to beat a male tiger to a pulp if he mistreated a female, or heaven’s above, a cub.

“Do not dwell on the things you cannot change, my friend. It will make you grumpy and unhappy.”

Keair looked at Tarek, wondering if his words were an attempt at humor. Instead, he saw they were the man’s way of trying to show empathy and comfort.

“Says the kettle to the pot.” Keair knew little about Tarek’s past, but what he did know made his past seem like a fairy tale.

The two men stood for a few more minutes, each contemplating their lives, and, their futures.

Grace stood behind the serving case not really seeing the dozens of donuts, stacks of cookies or the scrumptious cherry and apple turnovers drizzled with sugar glaze she had made for the morning rush. For the last few days, she had been walking around in a haze. In a haze, and a daze, ever since that man had kissed her senseless.

And then never called again.

She gave a huge sigh in the empty room, willing away the tears that threatened to form every time she thought of Keair. He was tall, dark, and dangerous. Not to mention exotic. He reminded her of the sheiks she used to read about in romance books when she was younger. When she was still innocent enough to believe there was a happily-ever-after for everyone.

Even fat girls like herself.