Page 35 of His to Defend

“All day is right.” She shook her head in wonder. An action that only served to make him want her again.

He’d never get enough. Not ever.

“But we can’t stay in here forever.” She scooted back on the bed and rolled over on her stomach to reach for her phone. “I really do have to check in with Harper,” Nina said. “After all, it is her wedding tomorrow. I’m a terrible maid of honor. Oh my God. She’s texted me like ten times.”

She continued talking as she checked her phone, but Ryker was no longer listening because as Nina moved, her hair fell from her shoulder and exposed a raw, red mark that was starting to bruise.

Mine. Forever.

Guilt flooded him. He’d done a pretty good job ignoring what he’d done, choosing to enjoy every moment in bed with her instead. But faced with the physical proof of his mating in front of him, there was no denying it. He’d taken her as his mate.

A human.

And if that wasn’t bad enough—

She had no idea.

“You’re sure you’re not mad?” Nina asked for the third time since joining Harper in her cabin a few hours later. She’d managed to convince Ryker that as much as she’d like to stay in bed with his strong arms wrapped around her—and she did—she really did need to go fulfill at least some of her maid of honor duties.

“I’m not mad.” Harper laughed. “Really. I’m just happy you’re not too hungover and that…well…let’s just say you look pretty satisfied.”

Nina fell into an overstuffed chair by the fireplace. “You have no idea. I didn’t even know it was possible to have sex like that. And so many times.”

Her friend laughed again. “Oh, you’d be surprised what these Jackson men are capable of.”

“Well, I don’t know if it’s genetics or some sort of crazy connection between us or what, but it’s pretty friggin’ amazing.”

“I’d say it’s a bit of both.”

Harper spoke so sincerely, without a trace of humor in her voice, that Nina sat up and looked at her friend. “What did you say?”

“I just said that it’s both. You and Ryker. Both.”

“Genetics and a connection?”

“And maybe a bit of fate.”

Harper looked over her head, the expression on her face almost wistful. Nina wasn’t even going to try to understand what her friend meant by any of that. Besides, she didn’t want to. She was having fun. A lot of fun and the last thing she wanted to do was overanalyze it or make it something it wasn’t.

“Whatever it is, it’s fun.” She pushed up from her chair and wandered over to the window. She could hear the sounds of the other women making their way up the path to the cabin to help with Harper’s final preparations.

“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

Nina froze at the window at her best friend’s question.

“Nina?”

Slowly, she turned around to face Harper. She couldn’t lie to her best friend, not successfully anyway. After a moment, Nina shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’m not sure.”

Fortunately, because the last thing she wanted to do was overthink whatever it was that was going on with Ryker, as soon as Nina made her admission, the door flung open and Chloe, Kira, Ella, Bree, and Natalia all burst inside.

The cabin, for as small as it was, was remarkably spacious, and the addition of the other women only made it feel cozy and more like home. A feeling Nina was having more and more when it came to Grizzly Ridge. Maybe when the wedding was over, she’d even let herself entertain the idea of staying on. She couldn’t imagine a better and more inspirational place to write a book.

Nina took a few minutes of good-natured teasing about the night before, and even a few pointed questions about what had actually gone on after Ryker had carried her out of the bar, after which Nina managed to steer the conversation away from her and back to the bride. Natalia had brought a bottle of rosé, which they raised in a series of toasts to Harper and her wedding.

“Okay, I want to see the dress,” Harper announced after about an hour.

“The dress?” Nina turned. “Like, your wedding dress?”