Free A Mate's Denial: by P. Jameson Page A

mumbled, sleepily.
    “I know.”
    Trager felt her drift off seconds later. As her breathing deepened, he realized there had never been a more perfect moment in his life. His woman satisfied and resting in his arms… he finally felt like the wolf he was meant to be. He hadn’t realized he’d been floundering all these years. Sure, he knew he was nothing without a mate, been told so his whole life. But until this moment, he hadn’t realized how true it was.
    He reached for the blanket to cover her, but she stirred.
    “Are you leaving?” Her words were slurred and sad.
    “No, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
    Ever , his wolf growled.

Chapter Ten
    Kerrigan awoke to the smell of bacon and coffee. Muted light filtered through the shade on her bedroom window, and it took her several seconds to remember what happened last night.
    An array of feelings assaulted her. So many, she couldn’t put a name to them all. She was a little embarrassed. Trager had…
    She squeezed her legs together, and rolled onto her side.
    Ethan had done that once. And only once. He’d complained that he didn’t like how it tasted. The whole conversation had mortified her, and they’d never broached the subject again.
    But Trager, he’d wanted to. Had seemed mad when she tried to stop him.
    More and more, she was beginning to think that there was nothing wrong with her. She’d simply been with the wrong man all this time.
    Sitting up, she spotted the note on the pillow.
    You sleep like the dead. Come to the kitchen.
    Kerrigan snorted. He was right. She really did sleep hard. Always had.
    She rose and made her way to the shower, quickly scrubbing clean, and taming her hair. Then she slipped into her fluffy robe—she’d ripped her sexy one to shreds after Ethan’s treachery—and went to find Trager in the kitchen.
    Wearing nothing but jeans with the button undone, he looked take-your-breath-away yummy. She could hardly believe he’d stayed last night. He was whisking eggs in a bowl. When he spotted her, he grinned.
    “Hey.”
    “Hey.” In the shower, she’d prayed this wouldn’t be awkward.
    He set the bowl down and strolled over to her. Without any warning, he scooped her up, setting her on the counter. How could he do that? Last night, he’d picked her up like she weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.
    Hands on her thighs, he spread her legs and stepped in between them. Taking her face in both hands, he kissed her, long and deep.
    When he pulled back, he asked, “How do you like your eggs?”
    Kerrigan blinked. So… not awkward then. She couldn’t help her grin.
    “Scrambled is perfect.”
    “Good.” He turned and finished beating the eggs.
    While she waited for breakfast to cook, she made them both coffee, got the plates out of one of the boxes on the floor, and managed to find some napkins.
    “So…” Trager said, when they were seated and eating. “Tell me what happened with your job.”
    The forkful of eggs she’d just shoved in her mouth turned to sawdust. Kerrigan managed to swallow. She’d have to talk about it sometime. It was just that her life had been in disarray for so long now. Ups and downs seemed to get mixed up in each other so that she couldn’t tell which was which anymore.
    Trager felt like an up. But she was moving, so did that make him a down?
    She sighed. “I taught Kindergarten. Funding was cut, so they decided to expand the class number and cut a teacher. I got cut. I applied everywhere I could think of, but nobody is hiring. Could always find work doing something else, I suppose. But teaching… is what I love.”
    He was quiet, stirring his eggs and chewing on a piece of bacon.
    “And Alaska? You have family there? Is that why you want to move back?” His voice was stilted, like he was trying to seem casual but not pulling it off.
    Kerrigan peered at him. He was a mystery. From the beginning, she hadn’t been able to get a good read on him. He seemed to care too much, when he had no reason