by C. D. Gorri
He was proud of Mrs. Leeds. She’d been an unemployed housekeeper when she came in for the interview. Older than what he would have liked, she was proud and determined.
He’d been dubious about her skill, but he soon found that she not only had a head for business but in the kitchen, her fingers were pure magic.
Later, she brought on two grandsons, a daughter, and her brother, to work for him. He liked the idea of the place being run by a local family, and he readily hired each one of them.
In just a few days, the Leeds family learned how to run and operate the small branch of Bear Claw Bakery. Marcus and his brothers had been thrilled!
They were loyal, hardworking, and, they were Shifters, not unlike him and his brothers. The Leeds were Cormorant Shifters, a type of bird native to the island that evolved to be expert fishermen.
Mrs. Leeds and her kin were excellent additions to the Bear Claw Bakery family. Marcus was more than happy with their performance. He paid well, unlike most jobs on the island, and he offered benefits too. Yes, indeed, Marcus liked his new hires.
He lingered in the shop a few minutes until Mrs. Leeds went back to the ovens. He sipped his coffee and stood up to head for his room.
Shit, he thought and patted his pants pockets. He never got his key! Ugh. With a sigh, he yelled goodbye to Mrs. Leeds and headed back towards the concierge.
He took a deep breath, shaking his head in the process. A hauntingly sweet aroma filtered into his nostrils, stopping him suddenly in his tracks.
What the-? His Bear stood up in his mind and roared. Loudly. The fuck, dude?
His Bear was not hearing him. The more than eight-hundred-pound beast was literally doing somersaults and roaring so fucking loudly that Marcus almost fell to the floor with the force of it.
What was the source of that amazing fucking smell? Like honey and flowers, a sweet heady musk that made everything else pale in comparison. This scent was everything!
He needed to find it. Now. Must. Want. Need. The elusive source of the fragrance was driving him nuts. He inhaled a great deep breath. He took it down inside of himself and savored its flavors. Warm and sweet. Sexy as hell. MINE. That one word had his knees buckling.
He turned towards the head concierge. The scent was stronger in that direction. It was like heaven. All his favorite things. Honey buns and lavender. It was like home and warmth, sex and need, possession and sweetness all rolled into one.
His head turned and he stilled. A predator that had found his prey. The source of that delectable honey and lavender mix. The fount of that tantalizing scent was very near.
Perhaps behind the large plant that obstructed her from his view. Need to find her now. And it was a her, that much he knew.
His blood thundered in his ears as he sought the source of his torment. Yes. It was a woman. At least he thought so, but it was hard to tell under that hideous frock she wore.
He frowned as he took her in from head to toe. This was the cause of his heart pounding so hard he thought he was having an attack of some kind? WTF? He breathed in again, yup, it was her.
At first look, she was nothing special. She was in her late twenties, medium height, but what stood out besides the tendrils of blonde hair that escaped the ugly ass bun she’d tortured her locks into, and the no-nonsense set to her shoulders, was an outfit so utterly unflattering that the words butt-ugly would be a kindness.
The woman was talking to one of the hotel greeters, but he missed the sound of her voice as he pondered why someone would wear that? Did she have no sense of style? Was she color blind?
“Hello, welcome to Moongate Island!”
“Thank you, um, can you help me?”
Marcus was staring. He couldn’t help it. The woman smelled like heaven, but she looked like hell. She wasn’t ugly, well, not that he could really make out her face, but her outfit was decidedly unattractive.
Mine, his beast growled. Apparently, his Bear didn’t give a fuck about her lack of style. She’d be naked most of the time anyway. Naked he could do. He supposed he could live with it. If he had to. He frowned at her.
Puke-green slacks hugged her legs and hips, long legs and well-rounded hips, he was happy to note, but the color was hideous. Thankfully, she somewhat covered the glaring pants with an oversized, long-sleeved blouse.
Unfortunately, said blouse was printed with huge flowers in pink, orange, and that same puke green. Whoever designed the shirt must have stolen it off a 1970s sofa reject. Yikes!
He started to turn away, he’d best think about how to approach the unfortunately dressed woman. but he’d moved too slow. She spotted his blatant interest. Fuck, now I have to talk to her. He was pissed as hell at the thought, but then he saw what the plant and her sunglasses had hidden from him.
Startling blue eyes in a heart-shaped face met his. Holy shit! He was a goner. Fucking beautiful. She glared at him and her lips pressed into a thin line before she ignored him. His Bear roared at her disinterest.
Had she just dismissed him without a second glance? No fucking way. But that was exactly what she’d done.
She turned back to talk to the concierge. Marcus growled and stared at her even harder. Turn around and look at me, he willed, but she did not budge.
Ugly clothes or not, she had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. They were the color of a September sky. Clear and bright, they were easily the bluest eyes he’d ever witnessed. Utterly breathtaking.
His stomach tightened as he inhaled her scent. Tupelo honey with the faintest hints of English lavender. He imagined she’d taste just as sweet on his tongue. Grrr.
He felt his Bear’s possessive growl tremble through his body. His fingertips ached, and his gums itched, his Bear desperate to make an appearance. Uh oh.
He should get as far away from her as possible. The thought was met with more rumblings from his Bear. He wanted her now in his den where he could stake his claim.
We must leave her for now, he told his inner beast. She is a normal and doesn’t know of our kind, best not frighten her, his attempt to soothe the Bear was met with anger and impatience. Finally, he dominated the Bear with a single growled thought. Back off.
His self-preservation instincts were nothing compared to his Black Bear’s drive for him to find his mate. Fucking terrible clothes or not, this woman is mine. MINE.
Still, he knew better than to frighten her. Marcus exhaled, but couldn’t stem the slow growl that crept up from his throat. Her eyes jumped back to his and he covered up the noise with a cough. She frowned.
Time’s up, Romeo. I need to get out of here. He should really move, but his legs refused to work.
The urge to gather her up in his arms and sniff her from head to toe was damn near overwhelming. He unconsciously stepped closer to the woman. His Bear rumbled with happiness at her nearness.
“Can I help you?” his mate asked. He felt his cheeks heat and realized he’d been caught ogling her. He grew even redder as she regarded impatiently.
“I said, can I help you? Mister?” Her voice was husky and rich, music to his ears, but it was her wide eyes that held him hypnotized.
“Mr. Devlin, your key!” his attention was brought back to Mr. Gordon who was waving his card key in the air. What the fuck am I doing?
“Sorry, excuse me,” he murmured and quickly turned away from her.
No way. We’re not doing this here! He fought the Bear for dominance and won. Though his chest was heaving with the effort.
He turned to Mr. Gordon and gathered his key, nodding at her on his way to the elevator. This time he managed to avoid eye contact.
His Bear snarled and growled at him, but he refused to listen. He was here for two things, work first, then relaxation. Not to find his fucking mate in some normal. She was a badly dressed tourist on vacation for shit’s sake!
Too late, fucker. She is the one. Normal or not.
His Bear seemed to smirk at him. Hints of her honey sweet scent filtered through the cooling system
of the hotel and Marcus groaned. He was so fucked.
Chapter 3
Leya sighed and took in the incredible view of the ocean from her room. Moongate Island was situated in the Atlantic, but this was unlike any water she’d ever seen on her brief trips to the shore.
It was crystal clear and almost teal in color. The waves tickled the sand with foam, and dozens of tiny little fish swam just a few feet from the hotel guests.
She longed to go down to the surf and frolic and play. Leya watched the couples scattered all over the sand. Each one an island unto themselves. She sighed, a little green with envy.
Oh well, at least I’m here. She had to stop daydreaming about finding true love. It clearly wasn’t gonna happen for her.
Instead, she needed to concentrate on the paradise she’d landed in! It was all so beautiful, and she could see every inch of Moongate Island from right there!
By some lucky twist of fate, she’d learned that the bargain rate room she’d booked was uninhabitable when she arrived. Some water damage or some such thing.
The hotel manager insisted she accept a luxury suite without any additional charges to make up for it. Leya happily agreed. She was due some perks in life, and a free upgrade was a fine way to begin her vacation.
After her disastrous encounter with the gorgeous stranger in the lobby of the hotel, she was determined to enjoy herself. Oh boy, was he hot!
Of course, she noticed the huge man when his blatant stare had become obvious. Of course it wasn’t all coming up roses, for Leya, the man had a fierce scowl on his perfect face as his eyes bore holes into her.
She doubted it was anything good that kept him staring. Then she had to go and open her big mouth, but whatever. He had no right to give her dirty looks! Just because he was hot as hell and she was, well, her.
Okay, so she wasn’t exactly used to big, good-looking men staring at her and as a result, she hadn’t been the friendliest when she spoke. He’d apologized and skedaddled out of there as fast as his long legs could carry him.
Oh well, nothing was going to come of that encounter anyway, so why mourn the loss? Leya shrugged to herself. For some reason, she’d missed the big guy when he’d walked away.
He was so out of my league, she stopped the thought. Leya had to get over this whole she wasn’t good enough thing.
How often did she come across a man who made her heart pound and her mouth water? Not fucking often. That’s it, she scolded herself. No more hiding!
“Here’s to the first day of the rest of my life,” she smiled and sipped from her complimentary champagne.
Not a big drinker, her first impulse had been to refuse the gift basket from the hotel staff. She was glad now that she didn’t. The bubbly drink soothed her nerves. It was like sipping sunshine.
She walked to the large bedroom and unpacked her carry-on luggage. What had she been thinking? Leya frowned at her clothes.
She picked up item after item, tossing them to the polished floor. I dress like an old lady. So many years wasted trying to hide her ample figure under oversized tunics and slacks. She resembled a piece of furniture most of the time!
The green outfit she had on was a gift she’d received last Christmas. She hated it, but since it fit her, she figured why waste an outfit. Oh Leya, you should’ve thrown it away!
Society spent billions in the fashion industry convincing women like Leya that they should hide their bodies. She knew it was wrong and biased, but thin was in! And she was not thin in any way shape or form.
She caught herself in the mirror and cringed. No wonder tall, dark, and studly stared. I look like an old cat lady’s couch!
She tore off the offending clothing and tossed it across the room. Uh! I know, a swim might cheer me up! Leya had one swimsuit and groaned as she put it on. Dear Lord! She shook her head in disgust. Well, this is what you get for ordering from a catalogue.
It was the wrong color. The wrong size. And it made her body look short and puffy. Her bust was uncomfortably pushed down, and her butt looked enormous. OMG! I am a mess! She frowned as she turned around in the mirror.
“No freaking way,” she put back on her ugly green outfit and left her room. First thing on my vacation-to-do-list, shopping!
She was looking through her wallet when she walked right into something. It was hard and immovable. A wall, perhaps? In the middle of the hallway…
“Oof!” Leya swayed, but strong hands reached out to steady her. Large, rough hands, hmm, definitely not the soft manicured hands of her ex-boss.
She’d thought about him with nothing but distaste for the last twenty-four hours. But all those thoughts went right out of her head as those strong hands that steadied her, suddenly pulled her closer.
She tilted her head back, eyes going wide with a mixture of surprise and, oh yes, desire. She was helpless to do anything but stare as the gorgeous giant from the lobby bent his head to her throat and sniffed.
“What are you-” before she could finish her question he straightened and stepped back.
“Easy there, you should watch where you’re going. You okay?” the man’s voice was as rough as his hands.
Not unpleasant, just deep and very, very masculine. She squirmed under his gaze and wondered if it was possible to die of humiliation twice in one day. But back up a sec…
Did he just sniff her? Maybe she imagined that? She looked up into impossibly dark brown eyes and was once again stunned silent.
His eyes were like molten chocolate, the sinfully expensive kind. The planes of his face gave way to full luscious lips that she’d just bet tasted like heaven. And he had the cutest little dimple in his chin.
He cleared his throat and her gaze went back to his. Was that a smile playing at the corner of his mouth? She couldn’t be sure, captivated as she was by his now, nearly black eyes. Recognition flared between them, and Leya gasped.
“Uh, sorry, I was just going to get a new bathing suit-” she shut her mouth abruptly.
“Were you now? Well, you be careful,” he grumbled the words and turned away from her.
Leya shivered unconsciously against the sudden cold that came with his departure. She could have kicked herself. Could she have acted any more like an idiot? Ugh.
She looked down at her dowdy clothing. Maybe if she didn’t dress like a circus tent, he would’ve done more than just glance at her and run away. Yeah, right.
She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She was not going to let a man, any man, dictate how she felt about herself. She wanted to change her wardrobe for herself.
Not because Gary had called her fat, or because this gorgeous stranger left her tongue-tied. With new determination in her step, she took the elevator and headed to the exclusive boutique.
“Can I help you find something, miss?” the question was asked by an older woman with a brilliant smile as Leya entered the hotel’s one boutique and scanned the rows of colorful dresses and flimsy underthings.
She had never tried to dress for anything other than camouflage, and she had no idea where to begin.
“Yes, I, uh, think I could use your help,” she smiled and told the woman what she wanted.
The saleswoman seemed to be blessed with a perfect eye for her body shape and coloring! An hour later, Leya had several items lined up for purchase and was still trying on more.
“Ah, miss! Yes! Yes, this is the one for you! The yellow looks wonderful with your lovely hair, it accentuates your blonde highlights! Oh, mama those men out there best be on guard!” The lightly accented voice of the woman who ran the Island Body Boutique smiled and complimented Leya.
For the first time in her adult life, Leya felt wonderful. She turned around in front of the full-length mirror and could hardly believe it. The cut and color of the swimsuit looked amazing on her full figure. She’d have never guessed yellow for her hair and skin tone, but the woman was right.
She added the swimsuit to a similarly cut red one along with a few sundresses, and some of those fli
msy panties and bras she would normally have never dared to buy.
Leya grinned wickedly. She had money in her savings and had never splurged on herself. She justified the purchases as necessary for her vacation and her new life motto! Leya was going to please herself this trip! Yep, this is gonna be great! Gleefully walking down the hall, she went to her hotel room to change.
She’d spent three hours total in the boutique! Thank goodness the hotel sported a Bear Claw Bakery! Liandra, the saleswoman, had gotten her an iced mocha latte about an hour ago. Otherwise she’d have been dead on her feet.
It was too late to swim, but there was always tomorrow! Liandra told her about the light buffet and live band at the tiki lounge right on the beach, it was there every night from five till midnight. It was seven now, and Leya had skipped lunch in favor of shopping.
She smiled. Second thing on my vacation-to-do-list, let my hair down!
Chapter 4
She’s here. Mate. Mine. Claim. Now. Marcus’ Bear was practically bellowing in his mind for him to go get the woman.
The beast had no problem recognizing her as his mate. Ugly clothes or not. Not that Marcus really gave a shit about what she wore. She had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. Shit! She’s a normal.
What was he going to do? The woman was a stranger, a human for fuck’s sake! He couldn’t just walk up to her and say, hey there, my name is Marcus, and I can change into a big furry bear, who by the way, has chosen you for his mate, so do you want to come home with me and get to work on making some babies? This was so fucking bad.
Marcus paced back and forth across the wide floors of his luxury suite. His Bear roared again. Quiet! He demanded. He needed to think. To come up with a plan.
Hell, he needed a fucking drink too, but first he needed a minute to regain his control. His Bear was too close for him to leave the room.
It took all his strength and concentration to wrestle his Bear back to a relatively passive state, but Marcus knew it was too late. He’d sniffed his mate, and he wanted her. Now.