His to Defend (A BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) Read online

  Ryker nodded, although he didn’t really understand.

  “My mate is a half breed,” Axel continued, his voice steely now, an underlying thread of a growl running through his words. “It’s true. And I might understand your reluctance to be okay with that. But if you ever make her feel like she’s not good enough, or say one ill word toward her while you are a guest in my home, cousin or not, I will not hesitate to kill you. Are we clear?”

  Ryker nodded and finished his beer. He knew Axel’s threat was far from empty and he could respect it. “Crystal.”

  “Good.” Axel broke into a broad grin and smacked his cousin on the back. “Now let’s go so I can show you the ridge.”

  Chapter Two

  Nina had forgotten just how gorgeous it was in the mountains. And quiet. The silence washed over her and wrapped her up tight as she stepped out of the busy lodge and out onto the deck. She’d had a few glasses of wine while Harper introduced her to the other ladies, and although Nina took a liking to them almost at once, the wine was starting to make her a little fuzzy-headed, so she’d excused herself to the porch.

  A huge wrap-around covered porch was the perfect place to relax and unwind, but if she wanted to see the blanket of stars she knew would be overhead, she was going to have to venture out a little farther into the yard.

  Nina glanced behind her where, through the open windows, the sounds of laughter and friendship spilled out and smiled to herself. She missed Harper so much back in the city, but it made her heart happy to know she was surrounded by such good friends and people who loved her up at the ridge. She couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that poked at her, though. Or was it envy?

  It had been a long time since Nina had felt that same kind of belonging and love with a group of people.

  She shrugged it off, unwilling to let her mood be dampened by pesky emotions that were better off pushed down, and made her way down the huge log stairs. Instantly, the world above her was transformed into a glittering wonderland of stars and constellations. Nina tipped her head back and took it all in. She’d always loved the night sky and the possibilities it held.

  What was out there? Who else was looking up at the very same stars?

  She could get lost in their depths.

  She walked far enough away that the lights of the Den wouldn’t affect her view and the trees were clear enough to afford her an open space and she laid down. Stargazing was a guilty pleasure she tried to reward herself with whenever she could. Which, sadly, wasn’t often enough. With her busy travel schedule, there wasn’t usually time to sneak away from the city lights to lay on the ground and stare at the sky. Even if she did have a minute without a deadline looming over her.

  Nina sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before once again looking overhead.

  There were no deadlines now.

  Not since she’d lost her temper at her editor and said things she shouldn’t have. Or maybe she should have. After all, it needed to be said that Amy Armstrong was an unreasonable, demanding psycho who worked her writers too hard and was never happy with the work they turned in, no matter how great it was. And Nina wasn’t the only one who thought so, either. All of the writers thought the same thing, only they never spoke up; they simply found a new job. And maybe Nina should have done that, too. But she had what she now knew to be a ridiculous loyalty to Lifestyle. They’d given her her first break, helped build her career, and given her the opportunity to travel the world and lead an amazing life. It had all been perfect. Until Amy Armstrong was promoted to her senior editor.

  Nina groaned out loud.

  None of that mattered now. The only thing that really mattered was that she was out of a job and her savings account would only last her a few months. She was going to need to think of something and soon.

  She shook her head in an effort to clear the negativity. “All of that shit will be waiting for you when you get home.” She didn’t make a habit of talking to herself, but desperate times and all that. “Just enjoy your vacation.”

  Yes.

  That’s exactly what she was going to do. She was way overdue for a little fun and why not? She was on vacation. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she was completely unencumbered. Besides, cutting loose a little would be the perfect reset before she dove into whatever new life was waiting for her on the other side.

  Satisfied with her resolve, Nina finally let herself relax fully into the view overhead and let her mind wander into exactly what type of fun she was ready to have while she was visiting the ridge.

  It might have been the wine, or the fantasies that she allowed herself to get lost in, or a combination of both, but whatever it was, Nina was so consumed with herself that she didn’t hear the man approaching until he cleared his throat.

  She shot to her feet. “What the—”

  He probably shouldn’t have snuck up on her, but Ryker couldn’t help himself. The moment he’d set foot out of his truck, he’d scented her. Ignoring the fact that Axel had suggested that he meet him at the main doors of the Den because they’d driven separately, Ryker left the truck and tracked the scent.

  Human. Definitely human. But one that smelled of honey and apples and…just the slightest hint of a crisp wine.

  It hadn’t taken him long to find the source of the delicious scent that had even in a short time wound its way through his veins. She was just as delicious as her scent and his body reacted immediately.

  Dark and with curves in all the right places wearing jeans and a tight top that strained to contain her full breasts, the woman who laid on the forest floor before him was the most beautiful creature Ryker had ever seen and his bear roared within him.

  Instantly, he was annoyed with first himself, and then the woman for being in the woods in the middle of the night alone, and…drunk? Either way, it wasn’t safe.

  For either of them, judging by the reaction in his groin.

  From where he stood, he could see the smile twitch on her lips and the ever so slight wiggle of her hips, and then the air filled with the unmistakable scent of arousal. He should have turned around then, run as far as he could just to get away from her and the feelings she was erupting inside him, but Ryker couldn’t move. Inside, his bear clawed and roared for release. Never before, even when he was a hormonal teenager, did Ryker ever have trouble controlling his bear. Once more he roared within him; this time, the sound escaped his throat.

  Thinking quickly, Ryker covered it by clearing his throat deeply, a sound that startled the light-haired goddess to her feet.

  “What the—”

  The woman’s words cut off and a hand flew to her mouth.

  “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “I certainly hope not.” Her voice washed over him and through him, into his veins.

  She removed her hand and the shock on her face was replaced with a sexy smile. A smile? I could have been an attacker. Or a wild animal. Hell. I am a wild animal.

  Ryker shook his head and took a step toward the woman. “You shouldn’t be out here,” he said. “It’s not safe.”

  “Oh yeah?” She took a step toward him, meeting him so they were only inches apart. From the close proximity, Ryker could see that her eyes were a striking blue. “Maybe you could protect me?” She reached out and ran one finger down his chest.

  Ryker caught her finger in his hand. He ignored the sear of heat from her touch and stared at her. “Who said I’m not the danger?”

  Her pupils flashed with desire, and her chest heaved, her breasts straining against the button of her blouse. Just one flick of my finger would set them free. Just—no.

  Ryker swallowed hard and tried not to draw a deep breath. Her scent filled him, overpowering every one of his senses that should be telling him no. That should be telling him to back off and walk away. She was a human and he had no business with a human.

  Not even for one night?

  The thought hit him hard and his bear growled with approval. She was obviously
attracted to him. It wouldn’t hurt.

  “Well, I certainly hope you are.” She shimmied a little closer and Ryker couldn’t help it—he took a breath. A deep one. And the moment he did so, his cock sprang to life, pressing almost painfully into the fly of his jeans.

  To hell with it.

  He reached out and slipped his hand behind her neck to pull her closer. “You don’t know what you’re playing at.”

  Her pink tongue slipped between her lips just for a moment before she said, “Oh, I think I know exactly what I’m playing at.”

  Fuck it.

  Ryker pulled her close so her breasts pressed into his hard chest. He was desperate to taste that sweet honey for himself, but moments before his lips touched hers, a voice split the air.

  “Nina?”

  The woman Ryker quickly put together as Nina pulled away, leaving him aching, hard, and unusually cold in her absence.

  “Shit. What time is it?”

  Ryker shook his head, needing a moment to figure out what was happening. His lips should be on hers. He should be tasting her, drinking her in, tearing off that ridiculously tight blouse so he could palm each of those delectable tits in turn before pulling each nipple one by—

  “I’ve gotta go.”

  She was leaving? She was leaving!

  Ryker lunged after her, but at once pulled himself back again.

  He was scattered all over the place and couldn’t pull his thoughts together fast enough. It was unusual and unsettling and completely foreign. Ryker was always in control. Never rattled. It’s what made him so damn good at his job.

  It took him another moment, but then Ryker pulled himself together and took off after the beauty he now knew was called Nina.

  Chapter Three

  “Where have you been?” Harper ran toward her and for a minute Nina felt a flicker of guilt for taking off the way she had. But then she remembered the sexy man who’d stolen her attention. Sure, she’d been forward. Really forward, but it was a sign really. She’d just finished convincing herself to let loose and have a little fun and there he was.

  Like it was meant to be.

  And if the six-foot-sexy-something with muscles she could see through his T-shirt wasn’t meant to be, she didn’t know what was.

  “Sorry.” Nina shrugged. “I just went to check out the stars and I guess I lost track of time.” She flipped her hair back from her face and flashed her best friend a smile. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

  “You have to be careful out here, Nina. There are animals and—”

  “Ryker.”

  Both women turned to see Axel slapping another man on the back. He led him closer and Nina’s pulse spiked at the familiar head of dark hair, and sharp green eyes that had sparked in the moonlight. Now with the light coming from the buildings, she could see the scruff of a beard on his jaw. She let her eyes travel the length of him, and almost missed it when Axel said, “Ladies, this is my cousin. Ryker. Meet Harper. My mate.” His gaze flicked to Nina. “I mean, my fiancée.”

  Nina only vaguely noticed the use of the strange word again. She was too fixated on Ryker. Would she have let herself kiss him if they hadn’t been interrupted? Hell yes. She would have let herself do a whole lot more than kiss. That was evident by the dampness between her legs.

  “And this is Harper’s best friend, Nina,” Axel said as he turned the introduction her way. “She just arrived for the wedding festivities herself.” Axel leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “It’s good to see you again, Nina.”

  Her smile for her best friend’s soon-to-be husband was genuine. “It’s so good to be here, Axel.” Nina forced her eyes away from Ryker and her gaze caught Harper’s. Nina immediately had to look away from her, too, because no doubt her best friend would be able to tell right away that something was going on. “Now, what were you saying about wild animals out in the woods? Is that really something I should be concerned about?”

  Nina couldn’t help it; her eyes pulled back to Ryker as if the question was directed to him specifically.

  “This is the forest,” Axel answered. “There are all sorts of animals out there. Wolves, cougars—”

  “Bears.” Ryker looked directly into her eyes as he said it and a thrill went through her.

  For a moment, she forgot about the others. “Maybe you can protect me?”

  Somewhere beside her, Harper groaned. “Let’s go inside.” She grabbed Nina’s arm and yanked her toward the Den, leaving the men behind.

  As soon as they were inside, Harper spun on her. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Nina shrugged. “He’s pretty hot, don’t you think?”

  “He is. But that’s not what I meant, Nina. We’ve been friends for a long time and I’ve never seen you…well, seen you do that.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at her best friend’s incredulity because it was true. Nina had never been the type to be so forward with a man. Not that way. True, she’d always been headstrong and had gone after exactly what she wanted—she usually got it, too—but she had never behaved quite like that with a man. To be fair, she’d never met a man quite like Ryker before. And she certainly had never met a man who’d inspired such strong feelings within seconds of meeting him.

  “I don’t know what to tell you,” Nina said after a minute. “I was outside and I was just thinking about how I needed a little…well…a little fun and there he was and…well, what could it hurt?”

  Harper laughed and shook her head. “Far be it from me to say anything about it. After all, I remember saying something very similar to you about Axel and now look at me.”

  The comparison had Nina almost choking on her words. The last thing she wanted was to end up the way Harper had, about to be married with a child. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it wasn’t for her. Not at all. She was looking for a little no-strings sexy time before she had to go face her real life again. That was it.

  “I think I could use another drink.” She changed the subject and made a beeline into the great room where everyone else was gathered. Since she’d been gone, Kade and Luke, the younger two Jackson brothers, had joined them and Nina made her rounds greeting them while she sipped on another glass of wine. It didn’t take long for her to get wrapped up in the family dynamics. There was an excitement in the air for Harper and Axel’s big day, which was still just over a week away. It looked as though Nina and Ryker were the first guests to arrive, but judging by what the Jackson siblings were saying, only one of those two guests was actually supportive of the wedding.

  “I’m actually really surprised he came,” Kira confessed as soon as Nina sat next to her on the couch. Kira was Kade’s twin, and pregnant with twins of her own. She hadn’t been at the ridge on Nina’s first visit, having only recently moved back with her partner Nash, but Nina had taken to her immediately.

  “Why would you be surprised? He’s your cousin, right? Don’t you have more family coming to the wedding?”

  “Maybe.” Kira shrugged, but she didn’t look too sure. “But probably not. Our family doesn’t really believe in weddings.”

  “That’s crazy.” Nina sipped at her wine and surreptitiously scanned the room for the subject of their discussion. She hadn’t seen him since Harper dragged her inside. “Why wouldn’t your family believe in weddings? And why would you be having one if you didn’t believe?”

  Kira laughed. “It’s important to Harper. And what’s important to Harper has become important to us. Want to know a secret, though?”

  “Of course.”

  “I secretly kind of like the idea, too.”

  “You should do it.” Nina didn’t bother mentioning the fact that Kira was almost six months pregnant with twins and her partner was obviously devoted to her. Nash was constantly making sure Kira was comfortable and had whatever she needed. The fact that they weren’t even considering marriage was crazy to Nina. And that said a lot, because she herself had never given the idea of tying the knot much thou
ght.

  “We’ll see.” Nina followed her new friend’s gaze across the huge timber-framed room to the giant stone fireplace, where Nash was currently stoking the fire. Being the beginning of September, the days were mostly still warm, but up in the mountains the evenings could get chilly.

  I wasn’t chilly outside with Ryker.

  “So what’s the deal with Ryker then?” Nina asked before she could stop herself. “If your family doesn’t support the idea of weddings, why is he here?”

  “Honestly?”

  Nina nodded.

  “He’s probably going to try to stop it.”

  She spoke so casually about it that Nina almost spat out her wine.

  “Are you serious?” Nina put her glass down. “Why would they invite him then?” The idea that anyone would try to ruin her best friend’s wedding enraged her. Even if it was the incredibly sexy mountain of a man who’d flipped her stomach inside out earlier. “He shouldn’t be here.”

  “He’s family, Nina. He’s like a brother to us, and Axel loves him.”

  “But he’s—”

  The argument died on her lips when the door opened and the subject of their discussion himself entered the room. Heat rushed through her body and there was no doubt that Nina’s face turned a bright red. But it wasn’t until Ryker turned and looked right at her that she felt the heat move directly to her core.

  Ryker had to admit, the tour of the ridge had been impressive. Even in the dark, Axel had been proud to show him the outbuildings, including the adventure building where they kept the mountain bikes, snowshoes, and other toys for the guests to enjoy the outdoors. There were at least a half dozen smaller cabins tucked into the woods. Axel explained that each of the Jackson siblings had their own private cabin to live in, and they’d proved to be a very popular draw with the guests as well, so they’d set to work building a handful of cottages that guests could stay in as well.