by C. D. Gorri
Jasper figured Caro should hear it from him first, and not from the Owl. Regardless of how wise Ms. Dylluan proved to be time and again, he should be the one to tell his mate. She was his, destined by the universe, and Fate would not be denied.
The television was on with the sound off, a little Looney Tunes action to brighten the day. Bacon sizzled in the pan, and the bowl of fruit salad was waiting on the table by the time he heard her shuffle down the hallway.
Jasper’s heart began to beat rapidly and his pulse raced. He breathed in deep, savoring that warm vanilla scent of hers while allowing the tones of citrusy lemon to dance across his senses.
Oh-so-tempting, he thought as he recalled the taste of her cream bursting on his tongue the night before. He couldn’t wait to have her again. This time, nothing short of a fucking bomb dropping was going to stop him from coating her walls with his cum and marking her with his scent.
If he couldn’t give her his bite until she understood and, hopefully, accepted him, he could at least have that. If she let him. Only if she let him.
Ever the optimist, Jasper turned to Carolina with a huge grin, taking in her cute little pajamas. They had little pink hearts all over them and her long hair was in a braid over her shoulder. She looked positively adorable.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he laughed when she dead-eyed him before sitting.
“Coffee,” she muttered and he moved to fill a cup.
“Oh, not a morning person, huh?” he laughed when she didn’t speak and took cues from her on how she wanted her coffee fixed.
A splash of milk and nothing else. Good to know. He handed her the steaming mug and grabbed the quiche out of the oven where it was warming. Jasper set the bacon on a dish lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease and laced it on the table.
Then he sat next to her, foregoing traditional expectations of sitting across from her. He didn’t want the table to separate them. He was head over heels for the woman, and he didn’t care who knew it as long as she did.
“Wow, so, you cook?” her blue eyes widened as she took in the food and pride filled him.
“Yes, I dabble. Do you cook?”
“Nope. I’m afraid I can’t boil water. It’s one of my many failings I’m told,” she said in a self-deprecating way that he didn’t really care for.
“I don’t see any failings when I look at you,” he met her eyes and watched emotions flit across hers.
Shock, confusion, hope, awe, and something else too. Good. He wanted her to know how amazing she was. He started making her dish and presented it to her with a flourish.
“Toast?”
“Please. We have rye,” she said, and he went to make it.
“Will you sit and eat with me?” she inquired when he came back.
“Sure, just let me grab this” he spread some butter on the toasted bread and went to sit down beside her once more.
She wiggled a little as if to give him room, but the kitchen was snug and all she did was rub her exposed thigh against his. Immediately, Jasper got hard.
Fuck me, he growled to himself. It was going to be difficult to be near her, but he knew he had to try and explain the situation before he got his hands on her again.
“This is really good,” she said as she nibbled a piece of bacon.
“How about the quiche?” he asked and waited for her to take a bite.
The moan that escaped her lips had his balls tightening in his jeans. Fuck, he needed to invest in sweats, he thought as his beast watched her from withing. He was intent on her every move. Desire was a constant hunger, he wanted her so badly. There was no denying it.
“Oh my gah!,” she squeaked, “Mmm. This is fabulous. How do you get the crust so flaky?”
“Huh? Oh, I cut the cold butter into tiny little pieces along with fresh herbs and sea salt, then I knead and fold the dough several times to get it like that.”
“Well, it is wonderful. I can’t believe you cook,” she took another moaning mouthful, “did someone put you together from a catalog or something?”
“What?” Jasper swallowed.
“Mmm,” she moaned again and blushed as she answered him, “you’re just you know, you.”
“What do you mean?” he was honestly confused.
“Oh come on, you know you’re hot, so don’t go fishing for compliments with me.”
“You think I’m hot?”
“Yes, okay,” she rolled her eyes, “but even better than that, you cook. Tell me you clean and do laundry and I might orgasm on the spot.”
Fucking hell, how was he supposed to get through the day? She laughed and picked up a ripe strawberry, sucking the red fruit between her lips before biting down.
“Uh, you got a little something,” he leaned forward and wiped a seed from the corner of her mouth.
Her cheeks turned pink as she grabbed her napkin and wiped her face again. Fuck, she was pretty. The pajamas she wore were a thin gray cotton that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
In the sunlight shining from the window, the material was practically sheer leaving her beautiful breasts on display for him. Jasper wanted them in his hands, in his mouth. He wanted to feel their weight and taste the berry tipped beauties once more.
“I, uh, spoke to Jennifer last night,” her voice was breathy, and he could smell her arousal teasing his senses into a frenzy.
“About what?”
“Things.”
“What things?”
“You,” she admitted, “she wouldn’t tell me what kind of Shifter you are.”
“Did you want to see?” he asked, ridiculously pleased that she was curious about him.
“Yes, if I may,” she bit her lip and that was all he could take.
Jasper leaned forward and kissed her mouth sweetly. No tongue, nothing that would make him lose control. Just a soft brushing of lips. A tiny little claiming to appease both Wyvern and man.
“Eat first, then get dressed, I’ll clean up out here, then we’ll go outside, and I’ll show you my beast.”
“Okay,” she said and blinked up at him prettily.
She was so petite compared to his massive height. So deliciously tempting. He would have to remember to be gentle with her. Despite her fiery attitude, she was still human. Still fragile.
It didn’t matter to him if she were human, alien, or what have you. He was already in love with her. Jasper’s heart swelled with the realization. He accepted it as truth. Watching her while she chewed and swallowed the nourishment he’d made for her made him positively silly with pride.
“So, what kind of sculptures are you working on now?” he asked while they finished breakfast.
He needed a distraction. He craved her desperately, body and her heart, but he wanted her to trust him before they went further physically. That was a difficult prospect for Shifters.
They were extremely physical beings. Jasper already wanted her beyond belief. And not just sex, though he really wanted that too. There was just so much more to it than that. More that he hadn’t counted on.
He wanted to care for her. To cook for her, protect her, and to just simply be with her. He watched his sweet Carolina consider her answer before opening that bow-shaped mouth of hers that drove him crazy with lust.
“I’m actually considering a study on Egyptian gods and deities. Or I was before I found out they were real,” she shrugged.
“Oh? Well, what have you already done that I might’ve seen?”
“I had a showing in a New York gallery last year. ‘Mythological Heroes by Carolina Moore’, it was a pretty big event. One of my pieces sold for a couple of hundred thousand pounds to a UK collector,” she blushed, and he realized she didn’t like talking about her money.
“I did read about that in your file. Do you have any of your pieces?”
“Some. My favorites are hard to part with. They’re like my babies, not that I have any of those, yet, er, well, I mean,” she nearly toppled her juice cup, but Jasper c
aught it and her hand, stilling her frazzled movements.
“Don’t be nervous around me, love. I want you to know you can say anything to me, and I won’t ever judge you.”
“Everyone says that, but they don’t mean it,” she whispered.
“I mean it, Carolina. I’ll prove it too if you give me a chance. Now go get dressed, I’ll clean up.”
Chapter 9
“You know, fluffy city chicks don’t usually do hikes,” she grunted as she climbed the upwards slope to wherever the heck her so-called bodyguard was dragging her.
That was unkind. He was exceedingly thoughtful and had packed plenty of waters and snacks for them both. He even carried them. And truth be told, they’d only been walking like twenty minutes.
“You want to see my beast, I just wanted to give you the best vantage point, but I can carry you if you want?” he frowned and moved towards her, but she swatted at his hands.
“I am not an invalid, sheesh, can’t a girl just complain once in a while without a man trying to fix everything?”
“I’m sorry. I will keep that in mind,” he flashed that panty-melting grin of his, and Caro realized why she was so snappish.
She was horny. Dang it. Even though he’d given her a taste of bliss in the kitchen just last night, her traitorous body seemed to want more. How could she be so easy for the guy? He was a stranger.
The last time she’d trusted herself, she married a man who’d tired of her after a few months. Really, she and Joffrey should never have stayed together as long as they had. What a waste it had been.
Maybe she was scared because of her prior experience with her ex-husband. Or maybe she just knew the gorgeous man, er, Shifter, was out of her league.
“Here we are,” he said jogging her from her thoughts.
They walked through a stand of tall pines heavy with cones, and right before her eyes was an open field that had been hidden from view. The tall grass had patches of colorful wildflowers like drops of paint across a canvas.
The field ended some yards away, turning into a rocky cliff with what looked like a pretty steep drop off. Below that, she suspected was the lake. She gasped in surprise as she took in this secret fantasy world that was hidden in the mountains.
It was, in a word, beautiful.
“Wow, this is fantastic,” she enthused.
The blue sky was clear with no clouds at all and the warm sun was shining brightly. The altitude meant it was cooler than it would’ve been back in her condo. The city was often stuffy, humid, and hot in the summertime.
She appreciated the cooler, fresher climate. She’d worn a pair of khaki shorts and a tank top with a pair of old sneakers on her feet, but she couldn’t wait to take them off.
Following behind Jasper until he found her a spot near the edge of the cliff where the grass was short and a muddy patch sat baking in the sun right beside it, she bent down and removed her sneakers and socks. Caro smiled brightly and wiggled her toes before the mud caught her eye.
“Wow,” she exclaimed and he jumped looking where she pointed, “this soil right here has a high density of clay, I wonder if we can bring some back to the cabin?” she smiled and sat down on the ground and ran her hands over it.
“Sure,” he said and smiled back at her.
That was new, she thought. When had anyone ever said ‘yes’ so quickly to her? Usually, she had to fight and work hard for what she wanted. Even then it was compromises and bargains, but not with Jasper. He seemed to want to give her what she wanted no questions asked. Interesting, but could she trust him?
She bit her lip and leaned back on the short grass watching expectantly as he took off the backpack with their stuff and kicked off his own shoes. He reached for his black cotton tank top and pulled it over his head in one of those moves she only ever saw in the movies. With one hand over his head, he snagged a fistful of fabric on his back and pulled the thing off, leaving her to view the magnificent ripple of muscles across his chest and abs.
Shirt off, she took in the glorious view of his shoulders and pecs, before dropping her gaze again, to those crazy hard abs of his. She’d heard of six-packs, but his was like a ten-pack, maybe more. She’d need to get up close and personal to double check.
Ooh la la. Whoa. Easy there, Miss Slut-tastic. She swallowed and brushed a lock of hair behind her ears. She couldn’t even be near the man for five-minutes without her mind going straight to the gutter.
Carolina had never had much luck with sex. She’d always chalked it up to simply being bad at it. Although, she had to admit their little encounter on the counter last night, snort, was hotter than anything she’d ever done in her life.
Maybe she was so randy because her biological clock was out of whack? Forty was creeping up on her kind of fast. Or maybe it was because of his intense hotness. Jasper was the sexiest man she’d ever seen.
Her ex was decidedly not. He was a middle-aged lawyer and he looked exactly like that. Thin and slight with no muscle tone, he was barely an inch taller than her. He’d begun balding as soon as they were married, and he had a tendency to slurp when he ate. No matter what it was, meat, salad, or soup, the man slurped it up.
Just one of the many pet peeves she’d overlooked when she’d said yes. After all, she thought she loved him. Though looking at Jasper, she couldn’t imagine why.
Truth was Carolina had been worried about growing old alone. She’d been thirty-three at the time and she’d wanted a family. Now she was glad she’d waited.
All she could say now was thank heavens it was over and they hadn’t had children to put through the loveless marriage and divorce she’d barely survived with her sanity still intact. Joffrey wasn’t a bad man, he just never loved her. She knew that now.
Her eyes bugged out of her head when she realized Jasper wasn’t stopping at just his shirt. His tanned fingers unzipped his fly and modesty made her cover her eyes even though she really wanted to look.
“Um, what are you doing?”
“You wanted me to shift, right?”
“Yes, but-”
“If I shift with my clothes on they will tear,” he explained and she could hear the smile in his voice.
“Do Shifters always strip first? In front of each other?” she asked out of curiosity nothing more.
Yeah. Right. Liar liar.
“Yes. Sometimes. Unless it’s urgent, and we rip our clothing. But it is considered bad etiquette to look unless the person is someone you are involved with, a lover, a mate,” he replied.
His voice deepened, hinting at something. She was unsure what to make out of it and opened her eyes to ask. Of course, he’d just stepped out of his jeans and, wouldn’t you know it, the guy went commando.
“Eeek!” she squeaked and slammed her hand back over her face.
“I don’t mind if you look at me, Carolina. In fact, I’d really like it.”
Did she just swallow cotton? Her mouth was so damn dry, she gasped. Carolina must not have heard him correctly.
She looked up, avoiding his body and met his golden stare. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach from the sheer intensity of the lust she saw in his golden-hued haze.
“I, uh, I mean, so, does it hurt when you shift?” she tried changing the subject.
“No. It’s very fluid, watch,” he smiled.
“Wait!”
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No, it’s just I don’t know what to expect. What exactly are you, Jasper?”
“I’m a Wyvern, love,” his grin was contagious and she couldn’t help but smile back at him even though she wasn’t exactly sure what a Wyvern was.
The air around Jasper seemed to glitter and hum with magical energy. Caro sucked in a sharp breath. He was incredible!
His muscled body seemed to stretch and grow before her very eyes. His skin changed from that smooth, lovely tan to a beautiful buttery yellow color. Then diamond-shaped scales grew along his limbs as they elongated. Along with some black and gray color
ing added in. His legs grew thick and long, ending in sharp, deadly claws. A huge spiked tail whipped to and fro behind him.
Carolina could not believe her eyes. Jasper the man was no longer there, this was something else. Something fantastic. His arms elongated, each unfolding to reveal a huge, fine membrane that ended in savage looking claws.
Wings! Oh my gah! He has wings, she thought and covered her mouth with her hands.
Carolina’s eyes ate up every single inch of him. She noticed he was staring at her with those same golden eyes of his, although his face was different.
“You’re a Dragon!” she said and he snorted a dark cloud of smoke at her, obviously offended, “I meant a Wyvern, of course, a far more superior creature than any stinky old Dragon,” she giggled.
That made him happy, she realized as another lighter puff of smoke escaped his nostrils. Holy cow! Did he just wink at her? She laughed happily and realized she hadn’t felt this giddy since she was a child.
He was beautiful. That much was certain, and he was enormous. Bigger than an elephant. His powerful legs were the size of her body and he crouched down before shoving off, unfurling his wings and taking to the skies like a rocket.
Carolina grabbed a hunk of the clay from the muddy patch beside where she was sitting and immediately her hands began to work it between her fingers while Jasper soared overhead and did loop-de-loops for her amusement.
She hardly took her eyes off of him, but by the time he landed, she had a rough, but perfectly scaled model of him.
“Hold that pose,” she instructed and he did, amazingly enough.
She needed to get the proportions of his wing to hind legs correct. Her brain was moving faster than her hands could, but Caroline knew she was going to make another, grander sculpture of her Wyvern protector. The idea was there now, and she couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to. And she didn’t want to.
“Okay,” she said and within the time it took to blink he was a man again.
“What are you doing?” he cocked his head to the side, his golden eyes brimming with curiosity.
“I am making a small scaled sculpture of you, and with your permission of course, I’d like to do another, larger one,” she narrowed her eyes as she used her fingernail to scrape away some of the clay to give an idea of the claw atop his wing as opposed to the talons on the bottom.