Cougar Bait Read online

  He raised an eyebrow. “You mean the fact that your sister, Sadie, is now a full-fledged Shifter?”

  “That and the fact that she fell for Mathis so quickly, and she’s already talking about having babies.”

  “Back to the babies again.” His face was carefully neutral. “What do you have against having children?”

  “I’ll tell you why I don’t want kids if you tell me why you do want them so badly.” Samantha looked at him sharply. “Well? Why were you so desperate for my sister to, uh, mate with you and have your baby?”

  He sighed. “My company is run by my family, as you know, and the rules of succession are . . . complicated among Shifters. I need an heir—a son or a daughter with the Shifter Gene—to pass the reins to when I retire.”

  “How romantic,” Samantha said flatly. “And here I thought you’d just fallen head over heels for Sadie the same way Mathis apparently did.”

  “No, of course not.” Keller frowned. “I have no love to give, as I told your sister earlier.”

  “What—none at all?” She studied him. “What happened to you? Who hurt you?”

  “I wasn’t hurt by anyone.” But Keller wouldn’t meet her eyes, and it was his turn to shift in his chair. “I just . . . prefer not to let my heart get involved in purely practical matters.”

  “So wanting to mate with my sister was ‘purely practical’ with no emotion involved at all?” She shook her head. “If you’re telling the truth, that’s really cold, Keller.”

  “I’m sorry you see it that way. But my motivations for wanting to mate her weren’t purely selfish,” he protested. “I honestly didn’t believe Blackwell could form a life-bond with her, and I didn’t want to see her become one of the Unformed.”

  “Okay, I get that not having a mate is considered really bad in Shifter-land,” Samantha said. “But this ‘Unformed’ thing—how serious is it?”

  “Extremely.” Keller looked down, drawing an aimless pattern with his chopsticks in the broth at the bottom of his bowl. “I had a cousin who became one of the Unformed through no fault of her own. It . . .” He cleared his throat. “It didn’t end well for her.”

  “Oh.” Samantha wasn’t sure what else to say. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about the Unformed for personal reasons, so she kept her mouth shut, even though she was dying to ask him more questions.

  “You promised to tell me why you didn’t want children if I told you why I do want them,” Keller remarked, looking up. “So let’s hear it.”

  Samantha sighed. “I could give you the standard answer . . . my career is too important, I don’t have time with the crazy life I lead . . . and all that is true now. I think I would have been more open to the idea of starting a family when I was younger, but I just never found a guy I liked enough that I wanted to have his kids. And at this point in my life, I’m kind of set in my ways.”

  Keller gave her a half-lidded look.

  “That wouldn’t be a problem if you went through the Rejuvenation process and found a male you wanted as your mate.”

  For some reason, Samantha’s heart started to drum in her chest.

  “Oh no? The not-finding-Mr. Right part or the not-wanting-babies part?” she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

  “Neither would be a problem. Shifter relationships are incredibly close and intense. You wonder why your sister and Blackwell fell in love so quickly? It’s because of the pheromones that drive Shifter males and females together—the scent of a Juvie female is almost impossible to resist for any male. It makes him desperate to mate with her and claim her as his own.”

  “And the female?” Her breath was coming a little faster now, and she wanted to look away from his silvery-green eyes but found that she couldn’t.

  “She’s also desperate—desperate to be claimed. To be mated—bred,” Keller assured her, his deep voice a low rumble. “The breeding fever comes on her, and she needs a male. Not only that, she desires him to fill her with his seed and impregnate her.”

  “Right, uh . . .” Samantha nibbled her lower lip. “Sadie did say something about the Rejuvenation process bringing on a state of hyperfertility.”

  “Mm-hmm.” He was still looking at her with those bedroom eyes. It made Samantha feel uncomfortably hot in her designer dress.

  “Well . . . it’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about it since I’m definitely not interested in baby making,” she said, trying to lighten the tone.

  “Right.” Keller sat back, still regarding her through half-lidded eyes. “Do you think you have room for dessert? There’s a little gelato place called Phil’s down the street from here that’s really good.”

  “I don’t know.” Samantha eyed him uncertainly. “Would you have to carry me there or could I walk?”

  He seemed to consider the question for a moment.

  “I think it would be safe for you to walk as long as it’s obvious we’re together,” he said at last. “If you don’t mind holding my hand or letting me put an arm around you—that’s a protective, possessive gesture even the most determined Hyena can’t miss.”

  “And you think they’ll really believe we’re together?” Samantha raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, you’re young enough to be my . . . well, not my son but at least my little brother.”

  “And you’re beautiful enough to attract any man you wish, regardless of age,” he countered. “Don’t sell yourself short, Samantha—you’re gorgeous, not to mention extremely intelligent.”

  “Keller . . .” For some reason she found herself blushing. “You’re a lot smarter than I was led to believe, too,” she remarked, trying to keep her voice light. “I like you better when you’re not acting like a caveman.”

  “I assume you’re referring to the way I locked you and your sister up in my bar,” Keller remarked. “But that was for your safety as well as hers. I knew she would change during that full moon—and knew she needed to be near an Alpha when she did. Also, I had a feeling things might devolve into a fight—inside the ‘drunk tank’ at the Den was the safest place for both of you once the Shifting started.”

  “All right.” She sighed. “I forgive you for that, I guess.”

  “I’m glad you forgive me, but you still haven’t said if you’ll allow me to touch you, Samantha.” His pale green eyes had gone half lidded again, making her heart pound.

  “You didn’t ask if you could touch me before,” she pointed out. “You just picked me up.”

  “Maybe I want you to think I’m a gentleman,” he murmured.

  “And are you a gentleman? Or is all this an act?” Samantha leaned forward, feeling like she might drown in those silvery-green eyes but unable to stop herself.

  “You mean am I actually a possessive caveman who wants nothing more than to sling you over my shoulder and take you to my bed?” One corner of his sensuous mouth quirked up in a predatory smile. “I guess you’ll have to find that out for yourself, Sammie.”

  “Don’t call me that.” But her voice was barely a whisper.

  “So do you want some gelato . . . or should we just go back to the hotel?” he asked, not bothering to answer her protest.

  “I guess . . . I think gelato sounds good.” She wished her voice didn’t sound quite so breathless. “I’d love to try some,” she said, trying to make her tone firmer.

  “Wonderful,” Keller purred. “Then let’s go.”

  And that was how Samantha found herself walking hand in hand with him down a little side road off the main Strip, as if they were a couple. Once or twice a strange man passed them, on the other side of the road. On these occasions, Keller put one arm around her possessively and kept an eye on the other man until he was well past them. Other than that, he held her hand, entwining their fingers intimately.

  “Is that really necessary?” Samantha asked, frowning up at him after another stranger passed. Keller was so tall that even the strappy silver sandals did little to change their height difference. “I mean, are you sure those other guys