A Bear's Baby (2 page)

Jenna
didn’t want to seem rude, but she had another client to meet with in less than
thirty minutes. “I’d love to stay and visit with you longer, but I have to get
to my next meeting.”

Brady
looked at his watch. “Glad you reminded me because I have an appointment in
Missoula late this afternoon. I should hit the road, too.”

“I’ll
draft the letter and I can either e-mail it to you for your final approval, or
you can drop by the office tomorrow afternoon.”

“I
trust you to write what you feel is in my best interest, but I would like to
stop by and see your office now that I’ve officially hired you.”

“Okay,
how about 5:00 p.m. tomorrow?”

“Great.
How about I take you for a drink afterward?”

“Lunch
has been plenty,” said Jenna. Her father’s words echoed in her head.

“I’m
sure you don’t want to offend a client.”

Never do that
. Her father’s
voice again.

She
shook her head. “I’d hate to do that.”

“Good.
Then drinks it is.”

They
stood and Brady put out his hand again.

“It’s
great to finally meet face to face. Here’s to a long business association,” he
said.

“To
a long business association,” she said, as he gave her hand a tight squeeze.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’m
looking forward to it.”

****

Brady
watched as Jenna walked to her car and got inside. She was even more gorgeous
in person. In fact, the photo on her law practice’s Web site was stunning, but
it didn’t do her justice.

He
tapped his fingers on the table. Apart from the sickening remark about her
father making chili from bear meat, she was damn near perfect. He tapped
faster.
 
He wasn’t ready to settle for
just one woman. He didn’t know if he ever would be. Didn’t even know if he’d
settle in permanently in Kalispell yet. Yes, lots of shifters were here. He was
related to some of them. But Brady Walsh always had a wanderlust spirit. Seeing
where the next deal took him. The next adventure. The next shifter lady he
could hook up with.

Jenna
Paxton was human and gorgeous. If he remembered all of the above, having a
little fun with her wouldn’t be so bad.

“I
didn’t see Jenna leave.”

He
jumped, being deep in thought, he hadn’t heard Hannah approach the table.

“Yes,
she had to get to her next appointment and I have to be on my way to Missoula
soon.”

“Doing
anything interesting there?”

“Eh,
well.” He hadn’t told anyone about his new hobby. It would be his secret for
now. Maybe forever. Some of the shifters were going to laugh at him and call
him a few not so very nice words. However, it was the perfect way to relax and
unwind.

“Going
there on business. Do you know anywhere around here that’s great for drinks,
sort of early evening cocktails?” he asked. “I said I’d take Jenna for a drink
after I look over the letter she’s drafting for me.”

Hannah
raised her eyebrows.

“Business
only. I never mix it with pleasure.”

That
was usually true, but this time he was going to break the rule.

“There’s
a new place over on 5
^th
Street that also serves tapas.”

“Tapas,
well that sounds promising.” He made a note on his Sudoku book.

“Anything
else I can get you?” asked Hannah.

“No,
just the tab, The food was top-notch as usual.”

“Glad
to hear that. I’ll be right back with the bill.”

“I
can meet you at the cash register if you want,” Brady said. He would be late
for his appointment in Missoula if he didn’t get moving.

Brady
put his coat back on while he waited to pay. Hannah’s son Sam headed in the café
with his backpack slung over his shoulder.
 
Brady went for the cash register.

“Hi
Sam. How’s it going?” he said, putting his credit card down on the glass top.

“Pretty
good. Uncle Liam’s teaching me and Lucy to ski this winter and Momma promised
she’d take me shopping for clothes.”

“Oh
Sam, I forgot all about that,” she said, taking Brady’s card and swiping it
through the scanner. “Can you wait about fifteen minutes?”

“I
guess.”

Brady
smiled when he saw Sam rolling his eyes. He’d done a lot of that himself when
he was young, not quite as young as Sam, but it was a whole different world now,
and Sam was part human. Brady signed the credit card slip and handed Hannah a
$10 bill for her tip.

“I’m
sure I’ll see you around before Sophie’s adoption party,” he said, slipping on
his leather gloves.

“Planked
salmon’s on the menu Friday night,” said Hannah.

Brady
couldn’t help but lick his lips. “Reserve me a table and make it for two.”

He
had just the perfect dinner companion in mind.

Chapter Two

Despite
the snow swirling around outside, Jenna’s office was beginning to get stuffy
and too warm for her to work comfortably. They really should look for a new
building, but this one had tradition. It was where her brother and father had
practiced law with her. She’d been in this office since she’d passed the bar
exam and she couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d ever want to be. She’d
suffer through the boiling hot office while the rest of the place was stone
cold.

She
looked at the stack of folders on her desk, the brochure all about IVF sitting
on top of them.
 
She remembered meeting
with the doctor. Their discussion going on longer than she’d planned and the
reason for being late for her meeting with Brady.

“I’m
heading out for the day, anything else you need me to do?”

Her
paralegal’s voice, made her jump. Jenna quickly put her arm over the brochure
hoping she hadn’t already seen it. Jenna had always been a private person, and
the last thing she wanted anyone to know was about her plans to have a baby all
by herself.

“No,
Kym, that’s fine,” said Jenna. “I’m going to work later because I have a client
stopping by to look over a letter. If you want to head home, that’s great.”

“Okay,
and I have classes until 11:00 a.m. So I probably won’t be in the office until the
afternoon.”

“Take
as long as you need. How’s the studying coming along?”

Kym
had decided to pursue a law degree and had started her first courses just a few
months ago. Jenna hoped once she passed the bar she could hire her as a
practicing attorney and lighten her own workload.

“So
far so good.”

“Have
a good evening. Could you leave the door open? It’s stifling hot in here
again.”

Once
Kym was out of sight, Jenna took the brochure and slipped it into her bag just
in case anyone else surprised her.

She
looked out to see Wayne Holmes, the other attorney in the practice, she’d hired
a year ago. He was also packing up his things for the day. He waved to her on
his way out, and she waved back.

Jenna
pulled out her brochure again. If she was going to do this, she had to find a
sperm donor. The doctor had suggested a clinic in Missoula or suggested Jenna
try and find a male friend who might be willing to donate.

She’d
had two in mind. First, Glen, who’d she’d gone to school. But he’d suddenly
found himself the love of his life and Jenna didn’t think his new fiancé would
appreciate Jenna sharing some of his sperm.

Second
choice was Simon, who’d gone to law school with her. She’d almost asked him,
but one day she’d seen him sitting in a bar picking his nose. There was just
something about a guy who did that in public, fathering her offspring, that
made her think sperm bank was a better option. There might be some nose pickers
who’d made a donation there, but at least she wouldn’t know about it.

“Hello.
Hope I’m not too early.”

She
recognized the deep voice immediately. Damn how many more people were going to
sneak up on her like this? Jenna slyly put her elbow on the brochure.

“Hi
Brady. You want to come in and take a seat? I’ll clear my desk here.”

He
stepped inside her office. She smelled a heavenly cologne. It was sort of woody
and spicy, and the heat in the room seemed to intensify it. Jenna quickly hid
the brochure in her bag, and then slid the files over to the shelf behind her
desk.

Brady
took off his coat and gloves, folded them neatly and placed them on the back of
the chair. Like he had been the day before, he was impeccably dressed. Dark
suit, white shirt, and a blue tie. He sat across the desk from her as she
opened up his file and took out the letter she’d drafted earlier that
afternoon.

“If
you’d like to take a look at this?”

He
didn’t wear his glasses today. She wondered if he wore contacts. He read
through it and handed it back.

“Nicely
worded. Businesslike, yet tells them we’re not going to stand for any delays. I
like it.” He pulled out a pen from his jacket’s inside pocket. “You want me to
sign it?”

“No.
It might have more effect if I do and let them know you’ve hired counsel for
this matter.”

He
put the pen away. “Great idea.”

“I’m
surprised you don’t have a lawyer on hand at your company,” she said.

“I
did, but that was back in Vancouver Island and he didn’t want to move here. He
has two small children.”

“Maybe
you could think about hiring Paxton, Paxton and Holmes on a permeant basis.”

“I
might just do that. So who is the other Paxton?”

“Paxton
and Paxton were my father and brother.”

“Were?”

Jenna
nodded. “My father’s deceased and my brother, well, he no longer practices
law.”

“I’m
sorry.”

Jenna
bit her lip. Not something she liked talking about much. “I kept Paxton, Paxton
and hired Wayne Holmes who is also an excellent criminal attorney, if you’re
ever in need of one.”

“Hope
I never am. So you handle general business and family matters?”

Jenna
nodded. “Yes, pre-nups, adoptions. You name it, I do it.”

Brady
laughed.

“Hope
you’re not thinking Jack of all Trades, Master of None,” said Jenna.

He
crossed his leg. “Wasn’t thinking that at all, but I was thinking about our
drinks that are waiting for us at the new tapa bar.”

“The
one on 5
^th
? I’ve heard great things about that.”

“How
about we take my car and I drop you back here for yours?”

“If
it won’t put you out in any way.”

“Not
at all. I have to pass this way back to get home.”

****

Both
the food and the company were to his liking. Jenna sat on the bar stool next to
him, crossing her legs, causing her black skirt to inch up. She had lovely
thighs and knees. He was almost tempted to reach out and squeeze one of them.
He had an erection. In fact, he’d had a hard-on for most of the evening. Like
an itch in his pants that needed to be scratched.
 
In his pocket he had condoms.

First
time he’d purchased any because up until now he’d only had sex with fellow
shifters. Being Mr. Perfection that he was, he’d practiced putting one on. He
didn’t want to look inept when he had to do it in front of Jenna. Yes, he was
confident it was going to happen.
 
And he
needed to be skillful with the rubber so as to not give the game away that he’d
never used one and the reason why. Right now she had no idea that a big grizzly
bear sat on the stool beside her, and that’s the way he wanted it to stay.

He
glanced down at her thigh again. This time she must have known what he was
doing because she pulled the two sides of material together. He hated it when
he’d been caught red-handed.

“I
can’t get enough of these marinated olives,” she said, holding one up on a
cocktail stick.

“Everything
is excellent. You want another glass of wine?”

Jenna
shook her head. “I have to drive home.”

“I
could always take you.”

“But
then I’d need to call a cab in the morning to take me to work.”

Or I could stay
the night and drive you there myself.

Good
thing she wasn’t a shifter who could read his thoughts.

“Maybe
you’ll allow me to drive you home some other evening.”

“Maybe,”
she said. She looked at him over the rim of the wine glass. If he didn’t know
better he’d say she was flirting with him.

“How
about another round of tapas?” asked Brady.

She
patted her stomach. “I really couldn’t. It’s amazing how quickly these bite
size morsels fill you up.”

It
was true. He hadn’t eaten anything before coming here but he, too, had just
about devoured his limit.

“I’ll
just pay the bill and then I’ll drive you back to the office.”

He
paid
 
the bartender and helped Jenna down
from the stool. It was snowing when they got outside. Jenna pulled her coat
collar up and shivered.

“Something
I have to get use to this winter,” said Brady, opening the car door for her.

“So
you’re not from around these parts?”

“I
spent some time here, but then went to work on Vancouver Island.”

“Are
you back permanently?” she asked as he got into the car.

“I’m
not sure. It depends on how the construction goes. Although, I did just
purchase a house here so maybe that means I already am.” He started the
ignition and put the heater on high.

“This
is a gorgeous car,” said Jenna, running her hands over the leather seat.

Brady
had a sudden image of her doing the same thing to his body. His cock pulsed a
steady beat against his boxers. Jenna was aroused, too. He could smell the
sweet fragrance rising up from her panties. He hoped she was reacting to him
and not the plush leather interior of his car.

He
knew what he was going to do next. He wasn’t sure if she’d slap his face or
demand he stop. She’d probably walk the rest of the way which wouldn’t be much
fun in this weather. But he was going to touch her.

Brady
reached across and rested his hand on top of hers. He didn’t look at her, but
instead kept his eyes on the road ahead. She didn’t say anything and didn’t
move for at least a few seconds. Brady wondered what she was thinking, and what
she was planning on doing next.

Then
he got his answer. She slipped her hand out from underneath his and rested it
on his thigh. Jenna squeezed it, making him harder than he already was. They
were almost back at her office. In fact, he was about to turn into the parking
lot.

She
removed her hand and he turned to look at her. Neither of them said a word.

“You
want to come up to my office?” she finally asked.

Did
he ever.