Ours(3)

Zack followed behind her and coughed to cover his laugh. Once she joined the other girls reluctantly, he started, leaving her to last.

After going through the other three women very easily, showing them better ways and answering questions, it was his little redhead’s turn. He paused at that thought, as he watched her storm up to him with a sweet grin on her face. He knew that grin from his sisters and cousins. That was the grin all men should be terrified of, but on her it just made him look forward to the lesson she was about to learn.

His bear growled, and his heart beat faster in shock when she got closer and her smell hit him. Now that she was away from all the other smells of sweat or perfume-covered females, her true fragrance was more pronounced. Honey and strawberries smothered his senses, telling him that she was special.

Her smile grew the closer she got, and he looked down into sparking eyes that seemed to hold all the secrets he searched for. A growl slipped from him when Zack come up beside him and patted him on the back.

“I’ll take this, coz.”

“No, this should be fun.” Jake forgot about everyone else in the room and focused on the woman in front of him, who he now knew was his mate. “Turn around and walk away from me.”

He watched her spin and slowly walk away. Coming up behind her, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his body. She stomped on his foot and elbowed his stomach with surprising force.

Grunting, Jake moved back a step but still held her as he spun her around and gathered her body to his. She gave a whine of frustration, brought her knee up, and hit her target. He groaned and let her go.

She winced. “I shouldn’t have done that, but no one calls me a little redhead.”

Not caring where he was any more, he grabbed her and lost his balance. They slid to the floor in a tangle.

A frustrated squeal left her as she landed on top of him. She whacked his chest. “You idiot, I said I was sorry.”

He looked into flashing dark brown eyes and took a deep a breath in of her honey-and-strawberry scent. “No, you didn’t apologize.”

She rolled her eyes at him and huffed. “Well, I’m not going to now.”

She pushed at his chest.

“What’s your name, Little Red?”

“None of your business. Now let me go.” She wriggled around in his arms, rubbing herself against him.

“Little Red, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She stopped her wiggling and gasped. He smiled as her eyes drew up to his when she noticed the bulge in his pants was growing bigger and bigger. “I’m going to get up. Stay where you are, please. These pants are too small for what I have now.”

She pushed at his chest. “And that’s my problem because…”

He raised his eyebrow and cleared his throat. “Really, you want me to answer that in front of everyone.”

She let out a groan and shook her head. After sitting up, he stood with his mate in his arms and looked around the almost empty room. He turned to Zack who stared at him with a glare that made him glad looks couldn’t kill.

“You can let go of my mate now, Jake. I took over while you pawed her. You’re lucky there were twenty-something women in here because if there hadn’t been, you would be dead, favorite cousin or not.”

Jake looked down at the bewildered look on Little Red’s face as he took a deep breath of her scent and listened to his bear. Mate. Take. Yummy. Eat her. Take her home. Mine. Mine. No mistaking that she was his mate. “You must be mistaken, Zack, because she is my mate.”

Zack stalked toward him and gave a bitter laugh. “This sucks. Fate is fucking with our family because I’m one hundred percent sure she’s mine.”

A small foot kicked him. “Put me down now. This is not very professional. I knew there was a good reason why I didn’t want to come here tonight, and I found out why.” He slowly slid her down his body as she continued, “Your whole family is friggin’ crazy. What the hell is all this crap about mates? I wouldn’t be mates with either one of you lugheads if you were the last males on earth, and after tonight I pity the women who end up with you. Now let go of me and pray my friends haven’t left without me.”

Jake let her go and watched her stomp out of the room. She was a feisty little thing. He was about to go after her when Zack chuckled.

“Wow, she is a feisty one, our Sandy. It explains why she needs two of us. One just isn’t enough.”

Glancing over at Zack, he nodded. “You’re right, coz, and I’m glad it’s you. I don’t think I could tolerate anyone else.”

“Right back at you, Jake. Let’s pack up, and go find our mate.”