Page 9 of Seducing His Mate

“What about you? Did you go to college? Favorite color? Any weird habits I should know about?”

Her laughter warmed his heart and broke the ice. “No weird habits. Purple does something for me. I loved baking with my mother as a young girl, so much so that she encouraged me to take online classes. I wanted to attend university for culinary arts, but my parents were too sick for me to leave and couldn’t afford it, so I learned everything I could by internet. Our small kitchen was always a mess, but my parents didn’t seem to mind. I worked full-time as a bank teller in town to support my baking obsession and to help my mother until she passed. The little that was left wouldn’t have lasted six months, so I packed what I could and moved on. The rest is history.”

“And you’ve been on the road ever since?”

Jenna squirmed in her seat. “I stayed in rest areas when I could to save money and I don’t eat much, so it wasn’t that hard.”

“And now?” Trent parked his vehicle before the rundown restaurant and turned off the ignition.

“Now, I don’t know.”

He frowned when her shoulders slumped as she stared at the building. It wasn’t falling down, but it needed a major overhaul to the exterior. He hadn’t been inside and could only imagine what it might require, especially for a functional bakery. A maintenance company kept it to code, so maybe the interior wouldn’t be so bad. He could only hope, for Jenna’s sake, that there was some redeemable quality.

“Want to go inside? I picked up the key this morning.” A key on a long, silver chain dangled from his fingers.

When she jerked around surprised and smiled, he knew he’d done the right thing for her.

Chapter 11

Jenna carried the puppies while Trent unlocked and opened the door. The width of his shoulders and the way he moved promised something she didn’t know that she could believe in, but would try for both their sakes…confidence, protection, acceptance, and love. After all she knew about him, why help? It was totally uncharacteristic from what information she’d gathered on Trent King.

The second son born in a clan of five brothers, he preferred to be alone. There’d never been anyone serious in his life and he left Kingston to meet women, but not every weekend. Educated, wealthy, and likeable, but he was content by himself. A small, knowing smile lifted the corners of her lips while observing him. Inside that broad chest lay the heart of a bear, a heart of gold.

His size reminded her of how different they were, but, somehow, he never made her feelsmall. Instead, she felt protected in his presence. It was an addictive thing he broadcasted without even knowing he did it. How could you feel like you belonged with someone without truly knowing them? Should she take that chance he asked for? Jenna shook her head at the direction of her thoughts. He confused her and caused her to wish for something she hadn’t even considered might be possible.One moment and one day at a time,she reminded herself.

Their fingers brushed when he took the puppy carrier, and she swore a jolt of electricity traveled from her fingers straight to her heart. He was being such a gentleman when they both felt overwhelming, undeniable attraction. After tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, she ducked inside the building, but not without rubbing against his chest, experiencing the full, warm length of him against her body.

Jenna paused in the dim light filtering through the doorway. Heat from Trent’s body pressed into her back, but she couldn’t make herself move. It was as if she stepped seventy years into the past. Pictures of the town, before it was developed, and black and white portraits of strangers hung on the walls. Colorful and bright soda signs caused her to grin, and an ancient jukebox sat in one corner. Dust particles filled the air and clung to the furniture. Numerous fifties-style tables dominated the center of the room with chairs and stools similar to a diner. Autographed pictures of popular musicians and singers from that time covered one wall. A long bar area separated the patrons from the kitchen, but she could see the equipment through a square, intentional, pass through in the wall. Glasses and dishes were stacked neatly along a counter, although discolored from time and coated in dust and cobwebs.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Jenna closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She couldn’t even begin to formulate an estimate of how much it would cost to replace everything and bring it up to date. When Trent’s warm hand slid over her shoulder, she didn’t move away from his comforting touch or say anything.

“Amazing, Jenna. This place is amazing. It’s a gold mine. Do you know how much these pieces are worth?”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. “What are you talking about? It will cost a fortune to renovate this place, and I don’t have that kind of money.”

She could only watch as he sidestepped her and strolled through the building, occasionally touching different items, and swiping his finger along them. “You have no idea, do you?”

“About what?” She was frustrated beyond belief at this point. There was no possible way she could ever raise enough cash to fix this place, let alone run it.

Trent reached for a sign on the wall, blew a little dust off, and turned around with a wicked grin. “This my sexy, cake baking, fated mate is worth close to eight thousand dollars by itself.” He gestured to the room and laughed. “And the walls are covered in these antiques, not to mention the jukebox, autographed dead celebrity images, and furniture. We’ve only scratched the surface. Imagine what you might find?”

“It’s not even mine.” Jenna frowned at his display of excitement because she didn’t feel or understand it. Her parents never hinted this was here, but why would they if they’d sold it? That raised another question. Why didn’t Trent’s father sell it? He obviously had no intention of profiting from it. “And how do you know about this stuff? Are you a collector?”

“As long as the lawyer verifies your claim, it will be yours. I don’t collect, but I do pay attention. There’s a popular television show I like, and they would go crazy over some of these things.”

Jenna reached for an old photograph that caught her eye and wiped the dust off with her fingers. Two men with two babies grinned at her. She smiled at the image of her father but didn’t recognize the other man.

“That’s my dad.”

Jenna slid the back off the frame and turned the photograph over. Her name, Trent’s name, and their father’s names were listed. She flipped it back over surprised. “Friends. Our families were friends. They had to be, and they must’ve been close friends to take a picture like this together. Look how happy they appear. I don’t remember my dad ever being that healthy.”

“This was taken on our property. That’s our house in the background,” Trent commented, from over her shoulder while pointing at the home. “I don’t remember this. Of course, we were babies.”

It was a sign, and she seized the moment. Excitement and possibility filled her soul. Jenna gazed on the picture with hope in her heart for the first time in a long time. Heat emanated from Trent, warming her back, and reminding her that he was the reason. Things may have started wrong, but it was Trent who gifted her this moment, and just maybe, there were many more to come.

Her bear chose to lift her head at that exact moment. Jenna couldn’t help but smile as she turned around to face the man responsible for everything. A sexy, low growl rumbled from her chest when she faced him…a mating call as old as time itself. She couldn’t stop it and didn’t want to. He was so delicious standing there in his jeans and flannel shirt. The urge to rub against him caused her to bristle with excitement.

Trent arched one eyebrow as a devious smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Feel like going for a stroll in the woods little bear? I have a special spot to show you.”

---