Fighting for Keeps Read online

  “You were in a lot better shape than I am, though,” he replied wryly. “Besides, you should have seen her. When I first saw her at the fights Saturday, she was wearing slacks and a blouse. She was elegant. Even today, in a t-shirt and jeans, she had more class in her little finger than I do in my whole body. She’d never go for a guy like me.”

  “Get the hell out of here with that shit, Seth. There is no one better than you. Well, except maybe Alex,” she said with a wink, referring to her mate.

  He gave her a half-smile. “Even if she’s not better than me, per se, she’s still out of my league.”

  “But maybe she’s not. Maybe you two are just what the other needs. Our animals aren’t wrong on who our mates are. They always pick the person who matches us best. Don’t automatically turn away from her. Especially if she gets you and your animal on the same wavelength again.”

  Nodding thoughtfully, he picked up the knife and quickly carved the finishing touches on the dragon. Handing it to Cammie, he said, “For your little one. I’m not convinced you’re right, but I’ll think about what you said.”

  Cammie got an uncharacteristically mushy look on her face, and she slid an arm around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze. “Thanks, Seth. And don’t blow off what I said, or only think about it for five seconds. Something like this requires real thought and consideration.”

  Leaning back on his elbows, he watched as Cammie set off toward the house he designed and helped build for her. Just last week they put the finishing touches on it. Rocky River’s main house felt weird without her and Alex in it, even though Alex only stayed with them for a couple months.

  He still thought he was too fucked up to take on a mate. That little flashback a few minutes ago was proof positive. There were a lot of hurdles between him and Amelia. Himself and his leopard being front and center.

  But maybe she was right. He still wasn’t convinced, but maybe there was something to his leopard declaring Amelia his mate. It was worth thinking about, anyway.

  Amelia finished dressing in another pair of jeans and a V-neck shirt, not bothering with contacts and makeup just yet. She made her way to the kitchen, intent on making a traditional English breakfast, needing something that reminded her of home.

  She put on the kettle for her tea, and got out the makings of eggs, sausage, and bacon, while thinking over the debacle of yesterday. She hadn’t meant for the meeting to be so short, but the contacts had been incredibly uncomfortable, and Seth obviously noticed, because he thought she had something in her eye. And her makeup was probably a mess, because she hadn’t missed how his eyes widened when he got a good look at her face.

  But it wasn’t the uncomfortable contacts or the obviously bad makeup job she’d been thinking about nonstop. Seth was a good-looking man, she’d noticed that right away last Saturday. Rich, chocolate colored hair and a light beard of the same color, and eyes nearly the same shade. He had a strong jaw, aquiline nose, and full lips. But yesterday, she saw him up close without a shirt on, and she couldn’t get the image out of her mind.

  He had a light sheen of sweat on his tanned skin, and a muscular chest with washboard abs. It was his biceps she found herself wanting to lick, though, and the thought just about stunned her stupid. She’d never in her life wanted to lick a man’s arms before, but she wanted to trace Seth’s bulging muscles and veins with her tongue in the worst way.

  Fanning her face at the thought, she turned the burners on the old stove off and poured herself a cup of tea, frowning when a knock came on the back door. Walking over to open it, she froze when she found the object of her unexpected lust standing on her back porch, an almost uncertain smile gracing his face.

  “Seth,” she said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  Holding up the plate he was holding in his hand, he replied, “I wanted to bring this back to you, and thank you again for the cookies. I have to be honest here—no one else got even a crumb. I ate them all.”

  Laughing, she opened the door farther and stepped back. “Would you like to come in? Have breakfast with me?”

  He hesitated before he walked over the threshold. “Are you sure you have enough?”

  “Of course. I always cook more than I can eat. Have a seat and I’ll get you a plate. Do you want some tea? Or maybe some orange juice?”

  “Orange juice is fine, thanks,” he replied as he sat down.

  She quickly plated the food, sitting it and their cups down. She took her seat, freezing when he said, “You’re wearing your glasses this morning. I like them.”

  Raising her eyebrows high, she asked, “Really? I didn’t think guys liked glasses.”

  “I don’t know about other guys, but I like them,” he said with a shrug.

  Thank goodness. She wouldn’t have to try to wear her contacts again. They ate in silence for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you fix houses and barns and such for a living?”

  He nodded as he chewed and swallowed. “That’s part of it. I work with wood, for the most part. I also whittle and carve things. I sell stuff in some shops in town, as well as online.”

  “Are you any good?” she asked, then closed her eyes with a slight shake of her head. What a stupid question.

  “I think I’m pretty decent,” he replied with a half-smile. “And sales suggest other people seem to think so. What do you do back in England?”

  “I’m a clinical scientist. I work in a lab, matching patients with possible organ and bone marrow donors.”

  Confusion filled her as he dropped his eyes, nodding and going quiet. She waited, but when he didn’t respond, she took a deep breath and tried again.

  “What else do you like to do? Besides work and train for the fights?”

  “That’s about it,” he said with a shrug, continuing to eat quickly.

  She tried to get him to engage more, but he didn’t say much of anything else after that. Thinking over it, he went quiet after she told him she was a scientist, and the thought that he might not like what she did was disheartening. Being a scientist was more than just a job. It was who she was. She basically didn’t exist outside of the lab.

  Straightening her shoulders, she reminded herself of the truth of who she was. She was a scientist, first and foremost. The whole reason she was spending time with Seth was so she could figure out the truth of the supernatural elements he possessed. It wasn’t because he was breathtakingly handsome, or because he had lickable biceps, and she would do well to keep that in mind going forward. It didn’t matter whether he liked what she did or not.

  But thinking of the biology involved in what he might be made her suddenly wonder what happened when they were sick. Surely, at some point, blood was drawn and they were tested for something. If he had an animal living inside him, his DNA would be different.

  “Have you ever had the chicken pox?” she asked, grabbing at the first illness that came to mind.

  His eyes shot to hers, full of surprise. “No, I haven’t. I don’t really get sick. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, just curious. The scientist in me, I guess. I thought I’d heard chicken pox were going around here.”

  Eyes narrowing for a moment, he shrugged as he put his fork down. “I don’t get into town much. But I won’t get sick. Don’t worry, your barn will get finished.”

  “I wasn’t worried about that. Would you like some more? I have plenty.”

  “No, thanks. I’m full, and I better get back to work. Thanks for breakfast. It was really good,” he said as he pushed back his chair and stood.

  “Do you mind if I stop by later, check out the progress on the barn?” she asked as she walked him to the door.

  Surprise passed quickly over his features, and he hesitated for a quick moment before shrugging. “Sure, that’s fine. I’ll see you then.”

  Closing the door, she leaned against it with a sigh before going to clean up the breakfast mess. Asking him about chicken pox didn’t get her any solid information, although it was interesting tha
t he didn’t get sick. Still, she was no closer to an answer than she had been before she asked, because she knew of some regular humans who never got sick. He could just have a strong immune system.

  But at least she tried to find another clue, or even an answer. She’d lost sight of her purpose with Seth for a brief moment, only thinking of this attraction she had for him, but she was determined to not do so again. She was spending time with him so she could hopefully get answers, not because he was walking, talking sex on a stick. Nodding to herself firmly, she ignored the annoying little voice inside her, saying that was a lie.

  Seth hammered a new board in place, but his mind wasn’t on the barn. He kept thinking about what Amelia did for a living. For a brief moment, he actually considered taking Cammie’s advice and listening to his animal. But that was before he learned what Amelia did. A scientist. She must be super smart. Genius level compared to him. He never even finished high school. He was right when he said she was too good for him.

  And look at the way her mind worked. Even while eating breakfast, she was in scientist mode, asking questions about diseases. Frowning, he thought back over the conversation. The notes in her voice were off when he questioned her curiosity. Not quite a full-on lie, but not the full truth, either. Shaking his head, he shrugged it off. The point was, her intelligence level was off the charts. His was probably bottom line.

  There was no way he would try to pursue her now. Ignoring the hiss his leopard let out inside him, he pried another rotting board off the wall. The gap between them was too large. Shifters’ animals couldn’t be right one hundred percent of the time. Surely, other shifters were wrong when choosing their mates. Besides, his leopard was a dick. He wouldn’t be surprised if it picked the worst possible mate for him on purpose.

  Even knowing it was a bad idea to pursue her, he couldn’t help being disappointed. She was gorgeous. Shoulder length black hair, hazel eyes, a pixie face, tall but still possessing curves in all the right places. It was more than that, though. Something about her drew him on a level he hadn’t experienced before. Hell, maybe his leopard really was right in naming Amelia his mate, but it changed nothing. He acted like a fool multiple times a day, was a fuck up of the highest order, and she was not only beautiful, but a scientist on top of that. She deserved more than him.

  He finally got the stubborn board off, and reached for a new one, cursing when he realized he already used the last one. Getting up and striding outside, he grabbed an armful of lumber and made his way back to the barn.

  “How do you manage to carry so many of those at once? They look heavy.”

  Jerking in surprise at the lyrical English accent coming from behind him, he cursed as he lost his grip on one of the boards, and it fell on his toe. Two days in a row, that was a record for him. He turned and glanced at Amelia, his breath catching as he saw her. She had her glasses on, her face still bare of makeup, and the sun was hitting her just right, making her skin look like it was glowing. Shit, she was so beautiful.

  “I’ve been doing work like this for years. I’ve gotten used to carrying heavy loads,” he replied as he picked the board up, hoping she’d buy that. In truth, he was carrying more than any human could manage. He shouldn’t have been using his shifter strength when he knew she might come upon him.

  “I came to see how things were coming along, but you look busy. I can come back later if you’d rather.”

  Eyes narrowing, he searched her hazel gaze, wondering if the suspicion he saw briefly was really there, or if he was being paranoid. “Now’s as good a time as any.”

  Seth gestured for her to go in front of him, and he followed her to the barn door, where he quickly dumped the boards. He didn’t worry about any of the guys doing things that couldn’t be explained, because they would have heard him and Amelia talking.

  “You guys work fast. It’s looking so much better already,” Amelia said as she looked around the barn.

  Smiling, unable to help his chest puffing up a little with pride, he replied, “There were a lot of rotted boards in here, but we have most of them replaced. We’ll probably be starting on the roof tomorrow, and be done the day after that.”

  “Done with the barn entirely?” she asked. He heard surprise, and something else in her tone he couldn’t quite interpret.

  “Yeah, I mean unless you want us to fix the bleachers. They’re not in too bad shape, but they could use some TLC. I wasn’t sure you’d want us to, since you’re probably not planning on staying here in Eagle Creek.”

  With a small frown, she looked around the barn, and then nodded. “Yes, fix them. I’m not quite sure when I’ll be going home, and I won’t be stopping the fights while I still own this place.”

  Nodding, Seth studied her as she continued looking around the barn. If he were a betting man, he would have said she’d be on a plane back to England before the ink was dry on the sale papers. Hell, sooner than that. As soon as the place was listed with an agent. Yet she was talking like she’d be here almost indefinitely. His heart leapt a little at the thought, but he squashed it down. Her staying longer than he thought wasn’t a good thing. It would only make his leopard even more unmanageable when Seth refused to give in and claim Amelia.

  Especially since she owned the Anderson ranch. There was no way he would be able to avoid her while she was here. He had to get the barn repairs done as soon as possible.

  She placed a soft hand on his arm, and he fought not to stiffen at the unexpected touch as well as the electric zing that raced across his skin. Glancing up, his eyes caught on her lips, parted and glistening like she’d just wet them. He forced his eyes up to hers, taking in her surprise. She obviously felt the same electric shock as he did, and no, this wasn’t good at all.

  It damn near killed him to end the touch, but he pulled back, turning away to look around the barn. “Is there anything else you want me to show you?” he asked, glancing at her. She swiftly lowered her eyes, but in the brief glimpse, he thought he saw disappointment in her gaze.

  “No, that’s all. I don’t want to keep you from your work. I’ll catch you some other time.”

  Exhaling, he rubbed the back of his neck while he watched her leave. Her short curls were bouncing with her steps, and when he glanced down, he was almost mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the sight of her ass showcased in her snug jeans. Watching her until she was out of sight, he sucked in a breath, only realizing then that he hadn’t been breathing.

  “What the hell is going on? What’s wrong with you? A few months ago, you would have been all over her. You just did everything you could to push her away.” Jax asked, coming up beside him.

  Blowing out a breath, he slumped down on the bleachers, staring at the ring where he fought for the last few years. So much of his sweat and blood was in the dirt of that ring, so much of the frustration, anger, and worthlessness he’d felt so often was released during those fights.

  What was wrong with him? The better question would be, what was right with him?

  “Nothing,” he finally answered. “I’m fine.”

  “We both know that’s a lie. Why did you send Amelia away like that? She’s interested in you.”

  “Not like you’re thinking. She’s interested in me helping her fix this barn, that’s it.”

  “That’s a lie. I just can’t decide if you’re lying to me, or trying to lie to yourself.”

  “Since when do you talk so much? Go back to being all broody,” Seth replied irritably.

  “I talk when my friends are acting weird. What’s going on with Amelia?”

  Rubbing his hands over his face, Seth planted his elbows on his knees and shook his head for a moment. “My leopard said she’s my mate. Wants me to pursue her. But I don’t think it’s a very good idea.”

  “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “You saw her. She’s classy, and she’s a damned scientist. We’re so unevenly matched, it’s laughable.”

  “You’re not unevenly matched. Our animals pick the
best possible mate for us, and they’re never wrong. Even if you weren’t well matched, it’s still not something you should brush off. Mates are important to us, to both our human and animal sides.”

  Catching notes he’d never heard in Jax’s voice before, Seth frowned as he looked over at him. “Why do I get the impression you know exactly what you’re talking about?”

  Jax reached up and adjusted his ballcap, pulling the bill low. “Because I do. I have a mate.”

  Seth stared at Jax in surprise. He’d known him for six years, and never had there been a hint he had a mate. “Did she…?”

  Jax gave a quick shake of his head. “She’s still alive. And no, I don’t want to talk about it. Other than to tell you, trying to live without your mate isn’t really living. You and your animal will be miserable. There’s no middle ground between being insanely happy with a mate, and the level of misery you’ll feel if you turn away from her. Think about that long and hard before you decide to fight yourself, and your animal, and walk away.”

  Feeling a little stunned, he watched as Jax gave him one last look, his dark green eyes burning, before he got up and stalked from the barn. Jax was always quiet, and Seth knew all of them in their little crew had pasts they were trying to escape by fighting, but he hadn’t been expecting that to be Jax’s. Denying a mate was hard, and though Seth was trying to convince himself he could, he hadn’t truly thought he’d be strong enough. Jax really was a beast.

  Standing, he walked slowly to the door, his mind racing as he heard Ian call for him. Everything Jax said rang true, so maybe, just maybe, he shouldn’t be so quick to try to dismiss Amelia. This back and forth was dizzying, but nothing about this was easy, and he couldn’t deny that he wanted Amelia badly, even though he barely knew her. His cat perked up as he thought about giving in, but he ignored it as he walked outside, looking for Ian.

  “What’s up?” he asked as he headed toward the tiger shifter.

  “First, you had breakfast with Amelia this morning. Did she say anything to you about whether she’s going to stay or sell this place?”