His to Seduce

C
opyright
© 2016 by Elena Aitken

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

T
his is a work of fiction
. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

C
hloe Karrington has spent
her life running from the idea of needing a man, let alone a mate. After all, she’s an independent career woman, a man would only get in the way. Besides, she’s never met anyone who was worth the time.

That is until her work as an environmental researcher takes her to Grizzly Ridge and directly into the path of the way too sexy, way too intense, Luke Jackson. If her instincts have anything to say about it, he is most definitely worth
something
.

Chloe’s determined to get him out of her system, something that turns out to be a whole lot easier said than actually done. But when she makes a discovery on the Ridge that changes everything and could ruin the Jackson brothers and the Ridge, not only is her professionalism put to the test—so is her heart.

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F
or Chloe Karrington
, there was nothing better than walking through the forest: The way the sun danced and played in the branches of the pines as she walked. The cushion of the needles beneath her feet. The fresh, crisp air she inhaled deeply into her lungs.

No. There was nothing better than a walk through the forest.

Unless it was a run.

She glanced around. She was alone.

She could shift into her bear. The need to release her animal bristled just below the surface, but she pushed it down. There were certain things she could do, and certain things she couldn’t. And letting her bear loose in an unknown forest was most definitely in the
couldn’t
category.

But maybe…

She let her mind drift as she checked out her surroundings.

No one was around. And she already knew there were bears on Grizzly Ridge. Besides the obviousness of the name, it was well known in the bear community that the Jackson brothers had been exiled from their clan and had settled on the ridge instead. Besides, no one would see her if she was careful.

“No.” She stamped her foot to make her point. “Pull it together, Chloe. You’re working.”

She straightened her shoulders, and flipped her dark braid over her shoulder. If there was one thing Chloe prided herself on, it was her professionalism. As an environmental impact researcher, she took her job extremely seriously. Especially considering the very thing she always seemed to find herself researching was the very habitat she craved the most. That, and if she did screw up, the effects could be very serious. Maybe even life-threatening. Chloe flipped open her leather-bound notebook and stared at the newspaper clipping she’d taped into the cover as a constant reminder.

Her fingers traced the faded photo of little Jordan Adams.

Only five years old.

Yes,
she reminded herself. There were consequences to making mistakes. Mistakes she’d never make again.

She liked to be reminded of the past, but only to the extent that it kept her on her toes. Mostly, Chloe was happy to put the past behind her.
Way
behind her. She tucked the book back into the canvas cross body bag she always wore and continued to walk.

More than just a recreational hike, this was more of a reconnaissance mission as she made her first journey out onto Grizzly Ridge. Later that afternoon, Chloe would drive up the road, park in front of the buildings and formally introduce herself to the Jackson brothers, who ran the adventure tourism lodge on the ridge. But for the moment, she enjoyed the peace and allowed herself to form her own opinion of the operation. It was a technique she liked to use whenever she had the opportunity. Besides, there was a chance that as soon as she made it known that she was there to investigate complaints of environmental disruption, she might not be Grizzly Ridge’s most popular guest. And the opportunity to investigate the area on her own would definitely be gone.

She walked for a few more minutes, letting her mind clear. It didn’t take long for Chloe’s bear to sneak up toward the surface of her consciousness again.
How long had it been since she’d run?

Weeks? Months?

Too long.
Way
too long.

Ironically, she’d originally taken the job because of the ability to be outdoors. It had seemed like a good way to satisfy the animal inside her. What she hadn’t anticipated was that despite the time outdoors, there was less time to let her bear out than she’d thought. But, as it turned out, there were other benefits to the job. Like being alone. Her family would like nothing more than to see her settle down and have her own cubs. Chloe was lucky her parents weren’t traditional in their thinking. They were more than happy for her to pick her own mate.

As long as she picked one.

She shook her head.

The last thing she needed was someone tying her down, telling her what to do and keeping her barefoot and pregnant.

No thanks.

Ever since she was little, Chloe had been fiercely independent. She could handle herself, and that’s exactly what she did. She saw the way her older cousins and sisters changed themselves for the males in their life. Becoming giggly and stupid, pretending they couldn’t open jars of pickles.
What was that all about?
She could open her own jar of pickles, thank you very much.

No male needed.

Not that her parents understood that. Which was why her career was perfect. She moved around so much from one job to the next that she’d effectively made herself a very undesirable partner. After all, not many strong, alpha males liked a woman with a serious career. At least none she’d found.

It was the perfect explanation for her mom and dad. For the most part, they seemed to understand, even if they couldn’t totally wrap their heads around the idea that Chloe was choosing to be alone.

The thing was, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, even to herself…Chloe didn’t want to be alone. Not really.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she walked, Chloe hardly noticed that the thick pines were thinning. Not until she stepped out onto the ridge. The blue of the sky stretched out before her; the view of the mountain range took her breath away.

“Wow,” was all she could manage to say. It was woefully understated, but there was no word to describe the incredible beauty Mother Nature had laid out before her.

Stunned into silencing her mind, Chloe stood frozen on the ridge and took it all in.

After a few moments of admiring the view, she made a split-second decision. It wasn’t the most responsible thing to do, but…screw responsible. She needed to experience this amazing place in all the glory it really had to offer. And there was only one way she knew to do that.

She was careful to fold her clothes and tuck her bag next to a tree. Then, naked, Chloe took a step and stretched her arms up overhead. The moments before she shifted into her bear had always been the only time Chloe was comfortable in her curvy human body. Her thick thighs and ample chest were nothing but a hindrance in her daily life, but in those moments, they felt almost sensuous. And then, a second later, Chloe exhaled and started to run. As she moved, her body morphed seamlessly into a strong, beautiful black bear.

Chloe pushed every thought from her mind and let her lean muscles stretch with the exertion of the run. The cool wind on the ridge whipped through her fur and the feeling of freedom that flowed through every fiber in her body made her feel alive in a way that nothing else had in months.

Soon, she veered from the ridge and into the cover of the trees, where she scratched her back against the trunk of a tall pine before rolling in the fragrant forest floor. She was so caught up in herself, she didn’t hear the animal approach until it was too late.

L
uke Jackson stared directly
into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen on a black bear. Not that he saw many black bears on his ridge. Or any at all.

But the moment she had heard him approach, she’d flipped over from where she was rolling in the pine needles like a cub and stared him down, baring her teeth to him with a snarl. The fact that there was a strange female black bear who was maybe half the size of his own massive grizzly, and that female stood her ground against him, intrigued Luke. A lot.

But not as much as the scent of her. Fresh and crisp like the pine trees they were surrounded by. But something else, too. A white musk filled the air, and his senses.

Which is why it took him a moment to react the way he should have immediately. Finally, his senses caught up with him. With a roar, Luke reared up on his hind legs in a move that was more threatening than predatory. But he knew it would serve his purpose and scare the intruder away, which is exactly what it did. By the time he’d dropped to all fours, the black bear was gone and to his shock, Luke was disappointed.

Very disappointed.

L
uke’s role
at Grizzly Ridge, the eco-adventure lodge he and his two brothers had opened a few months before, was to lead the hikes and outdoor activities. A perfect fit for him because he’d always felt more at home in the woods than anywhere else. It also meant that he could legitimately sneak away to shift into his bear and run free as frequently as he needed too. Especially now that it was autumn, also known as
bump season.
There weren’t many guests for the next few weeks, and the few they had at the moment seemed to be more interested in staying close to the main lodge, also known as the Den.

With his free time, he was supposed to be working on a new fly fishing tour they were going to offer to guests, but that afternoon Luke couldn’t resist the urge to let his bear run. As soon as he’d shifted and his senses were heightened, he recognized that something was different. There was an unrecognizable scent. Another bear. He knew the woods better than anyone. Every sound, every shadow…every scent.

And the scent of a female was definitely unusual on Grizzly Ridge. A few months earlier, his older brother, Axel, had taken a mate. Luke had recognized right away that Harper was at least part bear, but she’d been totally unaware of it and had never shifted until after she and Axel had mated. Once she’d discovered her bear, there was no keeping her away from it. Axel and Harper spent a lot of late nights running through the woods. But the scent Luke picked up on was definitely different than Harper’s slightly sweeter smell.

This female was different. His blood ran hotter with every breath in. She filled his senses.

It hadn’t taken long to track her. If she’d been trying to hide, she’d done a bad job of it. Luke approached quietly, stalking her. It was always best to tread lightly until one knew what he was dealing with. But when he saw what he
was
dealing with—a black bear, who, for all intents and purposes, looked as if she was
playing
—he wasn’t sure how to handle it.

And she wasn’t just any black bear. She had the most magnificent, shiny dark fur that he’d ever seen. It almost appeared blue where the sun hit it. But not as blue as her eyes. Never before had Luke seen a bear with blue eyes; when she finally noticed him and her gaze locked on his, those eyes flashed with electricity. But it wasn’t fear. It was almost a challenge.

A challenge he’d accepted. Although moments after he reared up and roared, causing her to run, he’d regretted it.
It was probably for the best.
At least that’s what Luke kept telling himself as he turned and lumbered back in the direction he’d come from. Back to the Den.

Nothing good could come from a female bear. Particularly one clouded his senses so quickly and completely the way that little black bear had.

No. It was definitely better that she’d run off.