Page 1 of Seducing His Mate

Chapter 1

Club Domino pulsated with sensuality and energy. Throngs of bodies moved in perfect time to the music blaring from multiple overhead speakers. Mirrored balls circled above the crowd, reflecting the hands lifted in expectation for a night of the unknown. Perhaps a new lover, a heated one-time encounter, or more awaited anyone searching for that connection to break the loneliness. At once the room darkened and blue laser lights flashed over the patron’s heads, promising pleasures untold.

Trent King wickedly grinned from his location on the surrounding balcony two stories above the dance floor. The gasps and shouts fed his excitement, enticing the beast he held in check. He needed one night of no-strings-attached sex. A buffet of beautiful women paraded in the club, smiles on their faces, teasing those they found of interest. His gaze narrowed as he scanned their curvy forms and inhaled their unique scents, while steadily strolling along the balcony. One hand caressed the balustrade, long fingers occasionally tapping in time to the music as he searched for the perfect companion.

The sweet aphrodisiac of honeysuckle slithered beneath his nose, teasing and elusive. He hesitated at the top of the staircase on a square platform leading to the dance floor below. The bear inside awoke from slumber and reared its shaggy head to deeply inhale the sweet scent. Trent froze in place when the urge to shift fired along every nerve ending and his muscles tensed. A tick formed in his jaw, and he struggled to calm his animal.

Someone stalked him in the club, his domain, causing the corner of his lip to lift in a snarl. This was unexpected and different, adding an unusual layer of danger to the night. He hadn’t been to the club in a month, at least, and no one truly knew him here, so this was a stranger. He purposely left his hometown to escape the numerous women hoping to become his wife. That damn ad destroyed his carefree, playboy lifestyle, so he traveled into the city for an escape.

The intoxicating aroma of honeysuckle proved this person was female. Her scent and the fact that she circled him like prey was a delicious, tempting combination and, just maybe, the heated encounter he hoped for. Trent closed his eyes and tilted his face as tingles slithered along his spine. Eye sockets burned when his bear tried to rise, causing him to grit his teeth against the change. That honeyed scent torturously teased, and he gripped the balustrade until it splintered beneath his hand.

Fire coursed in his veins and his entire body tensed. His eyes snapped open, searching the lit bar dominating one end of the club, but no one caught his attention. Once again, he closed his eyes on a deep inhale as he wrestled his animal under control and refocused. Air filled his lungs even as the urge to mate hardened his body.

Never in his existence had he experienced such a strong reaction anywhere to anyone, especially within a club. It must be the stress he was under from his mother’s ad. His eldest brother had already met his mate, but Trent refused to relinquish his freedom. He loved women in every shape and form, and that was the honest truth. The idea of a permanent mate, only one woman in his life, seemed preposterous.

With his bear finally firmly under control, he descended the stairway. He moved through the crowd, seated at high tables and on barstools, to prowl the edge of the dance floor like the beast he was. A savage predator hid behind his eyes and under his skin, patiently seeking the honeysuckle-scented woman taunting his beast. She was here, somewhere, in this sea of people. Did she know he’d caught her scent? That she was the prey of his deepest, sexual fantasies? A growl rumbled low and deep inside his chest, low enough that he knew, but no one heard.

At once, the music shifted from an upbeat dance tune to one that spoke of sensuality and heat. Trent rolled his head on his shoulders as the music moved through his body, calming, and causing him to renew his focus to find her. His feet stopped at the edge of the floor when a woman turned, locking golden-brown eyes with his own. The crowd seemed to part with his first step onto the glassy tiles. A seductive smile lifted her full lips as her tongue darted out to moisten the plump flesh.

Trent expected her to run when his eyeteeth lengthened to sharp canines, but she lifted her chin as if in defiance. His palms itched to touch her exposed, dewy skin, and his cock painfully hardened behind the zipper of his dress pants. As a grizzly shifter, he was a giant among men, but this petite woman exuded a ferocity even his brothers couldn’t match.

Short, brown hair rested against her slim shoulders, but was styled in shaggy, full layers. A gold, strapless shirt hugged small breasts, and tight, black leggings accentuated a narrow waist and soft curves. Peep-toe booties hugged her tiny feet, adding another two inches to her height. Gold, cuff bracelets adorned her wrists, and a gold chain with a diamond pendant, in a bear paw shape, hung from her throat. A row of three, tiny diamonds sparkled from each earlobe, catching the light every time she moved.

His bear renewed its fight for dominance when her scent hit him full force, causing him to halt an inch from where she danced. This close she was forced to lift her face to meet his gaze. His eyes narrowed on her mouth when he thought he saw the pointed tips of canines where incisors should rest. His gaze snapped back to hers. It couldn’t be. As far as he knew, there were no other bear shifter clans, but he’d bet money one stood before him in all her glory.

Stoic and confident, he halted in place while her eyes slithered from the top of his head to the shoes on his feet. She was a brave thing, considering her size. Slight annoyance at being so boldly perused, and a bit of humor, brought a devious smile to his lips. How ironic to realize she actually stalked him? A chuckle started to emerge until her golden-brown gaze locked with his and her face tilted as if in challenge. “Well, are you going to ask me to dance, or do you have two left feet Mr. King?”

Surprise, irritation, and seduction somehow found a way to blend and for the first time in his life, Trent King was…unsure? He shook his head at the direction of his thoughts, quickly forced his emotions and bear under control, then refocused his attention on the waif of a woman, with the sexy, adorable, smile and enough attitude to challenge his entire clan of brothers. He bowed at the waist, without removing his gaze from hers, turned on the famous Trent King charm, and offered one hand. “I assure youallmy body parts work perfectly.”

Chapter 2

Oh, this man was a cunning devil,Jenna Gray mused to herself. One eyebrow arched at his display of chivalry when she knew, for a fact, he was anything but the humble gentleman. After interviewing three women with shattered hearts, she had enough information. He couldn’t commit to anyone. Pleasures of the flesh and one-night stands were his ultimate goal.

She entered this club wanting answers, a solution to her problems, but realized she just opened a jar of honey where Trent King was concerned. She had studied him for several weeks and knew his voracious appetite for women. He was college educated, a veterinarian in his hometown, so he was intelligent, but she wasn’t prepared for this level of attraction. The photographs on her cellphone didn’t do him justice. No wonder the ladies flocked to him like frantic bees. She couldn’t really blame them.

Humor twinkled from the depths of his hazel eyes, but the dark lashes and winged eyebrows lent an almost exotic countenance. All of the King men exuded a handsome quality not found often, but Trent was downright gorgeous and seductive. Her bear purred like a kitten under his sensual gaze. How would she ever pull this off without a trampled heart?

When he offered a hand, she suppressed the urge to bolt, and he knew it by the arch of one eyebrow and the smirk on his full lips. After a deep breath for courage, she lifted her chin, smiled, and laid her hand in his. Tingles vibrated along her arm and fanned to every inch of skin in pulsating waves. Her teeth clenched when her bear roared to the surface like a rabid beast. “Dammit,” she murmured, beneath her breath.

“What was that?” He deceitfully asked the question with a sweet smile.

Her lips twitched in annoyance. “Nothing.”

Warm fingers laced with her own, locking their hands palm to palm. Trent leaned over to accommodate her height, while pulling her into his too large body. One hand found a place on her lower spine as he began to sway to the hypnotic beat and hummed in her ear with a surprisingly, perfectly pitched, baritone voice.

One moment she calculated how best to deliver her news and leave his overwhelming presence, but with the brush of his fingertips everything changed. She willingly surrendered into his care, his embrace, and couldn’t seem to get close enough to his body.

The wild scent of Trent mixed with delicious, expensive cologne and surrounded her in a seductive bubble, teasing her bear and the woman simultaneously. Her gaze rested on the chest hairs left to her view with the top three buttons of his dress shirt undone. Corded muscles defined his neck, causing her to lick her lips, desiring one taste of his skin. A well-trimmed chinstrap lined his angular jaws, accentuated high cheekbones, and drew her attention to his full mouth.

A groan rumbled from his chest, almost a sound of approval, as her body heated to a dangerous level and her bear clawed for release. Jenna knew she was in deep trouble but couldn’t seem to extricate herself from the situation. If she were honest, she didn’t want to and neither did her bear. Damn beast was on fire.

The hand on her lower back slid around her waist and cupped her side, bringing her flush against his muscles. A sigh fell from her lips even as she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Strong, thick legs caressed her own, and she thought she’d die from the intense pleasure. In this position, she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck.

His breath tickled her flesh, melting her from the inside out, and she slightly turned into his mouth. The rough stubble of his cheek grazed hers and she closed her eyes, allowing Trent to lead their dance. It was an alluring game she played, one in which he seemed to be the master.

“It’s not quite fair you know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

Her eyes snapped open in surprise, remembering why she sought him. “Jenna Gray,” she murmured against his ear, waiting for a sign of recognition.

---