by C. D. Gorri
The buxom beauty didn’t know it yet, but she was his. Time for that plan. Oh, he had one alright. The first thing he wanted to do was peel off those ugly clothes to see just what she was hiding underneath.
Then he wanted to run his hands all over her. Quickly followed by his mouth. Then his tongue. Yes. Licking was good. He’d make sure his mate was ready. Hot and wet just for him and he’d lick her sweet, sweet honey. Swallow it all down. Grrr. Mine.
Easy now. His Bear roared. Clearly the beast thought he should move his ass. No. Slow it down, pal.
He should figure out his approach before he started imagining the curves that he instinctively knew his mate was hiding. He’d make sure she knew just how beautiful she was to him. That would be a fucking priority.
Marcus groaned. He closed his eyes, reciting multiplication tables. He tried to ignore the way his dick instantly flared to life at the mere thought of his mate’s lush curves. Fuck, his shorts were getting damned uncomfortable.
He knew he was in serious trouble if just imagining what her body would look like caused him to react like a green teenager. If her body proved half as lovely as her face, he knew he’d find heaven there.
She was made for him. Literally. There was no doubt in his mind she was his one true and fated mate. He smoothed a hand over his chest, his heart hammered away regardless of his efforts to calm down.
He simply couldn’t stop thinking about those sexy as hell eyes of hers. They had to be the most intense blue he’d ever seen. So blue they looked violet.
But what else? A mate was for life. Surely, they’d have more than just sex between them. He wondered if her mind was as quick and bright as her eyes promised.
The brief physical contact he shared with her in the hallway when she’d walked into him was enough to shoot awareness to every single one of his nerve endings.
He was shaking like a boy just remembering the feel of her! Would she be as soft as her shapely curves promised? Sure, she tried to hide them underneath that ridiculously oversized blouse she wore, but Marcus knew better.
He was just as anxious to know her mind. She’d been aware of him, he could smell her arousal, but she’d retained the ability to speak. Unlike him.
And the way she took him to task in the lobby for staring? She was feisty! He liked that. Marcus couldn’t wait to verbally spar with her. Almost as much as he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her.
Marcus wanted to strip her slowly and run his hands over every single inch of her. Fuck, eight times fifteen equals…
It was no good. Math was no match for the pull of his mate. His Bear was going into overdrive. He wanted her now, beneath him, hard and fast. He wanted to bury himself inside her, to feel her sheath him as perfectly as he knew she would. This woman was made for him.
His Bear was too riled up to be gentle. He wanted to rip off her clothes and stake his claim in the worst possible way, but that would be nuts.
He knew nothing about her! Marcus ran a frustrated hand over his face. His father had warned him in his youth that meeting his mate would be unlike anything he’d ever felt.
He’d listened dutifully to his father, but he never expected anything like this. He spent all of three minutes in the woman’s company, and he was like a horny teenager, hard as a fucking rock and aching like a damned cub!
Fuck! He needed time to think and plan his next move. And yes, he’d definitely be doing that over a drink. He left his room and held his breath as he passed her door. The last thing he needed was a whiff of her tupelo honey scent.
He barreled through the hotel doors onto the private beach. The cooling sand felt good under his feet. His flip-flops dangled from his fingers as he kicked along the surf.
Sunset on the island was beautiful, though he rarely had time to enjoy it. Even now when he took the time, it was bittersweet. Marcus had no one to share the moment with.
Claim her. He sucked in the salty sea air and stared out at the horizon. He’d be thirty-five this coming winter. He was alone except for his brothers and their business.
It was high time he settled down and had a family of his own. Maybe he could get used to the idea that he’d found his mate after all?
Marcus was sweating despite the cool breeze coming off the water. He unbuttoned his shirt about halfway down, but he still felt too warm. It was all this business about his mate. He needed to leave it for today. Maybe he could approach her with it slowly.
He ordered a tumbler of Clover Bite from a passing waiter. He gave the guy a big tip when he came back just moments later with his glass of artisan whiskey over two moon shaped ice cubes. He tossed it back and closed his eyes as the sweet, yet fiery liquor burned its way down his throat. What was he going to do?
He shook his head and sat down on the wrought iron chair and stared off into the distance. The sounds of laughter and music faded as he thought of how he would go about getting her to listen to him, but he had no real idea. This was new territory for him.
More laughter erupted from the bar, but he ignored it. Marcus hated crowds, but he didn’t relish the idea of having to walk a half mile every time he wanted a refill. So, he settled for a lone table and chair down the few stone steps off the patio where the hotel’s one and fabulously crowded tiki bar sat. At least the waiter would see him from there.
He shook his head and ignored the revelers. Normals had a way of turning even the most innocent evenings out into some sort of frat party nightmare. He wanted no part of the drama.
Judging from the hooting and hollering coming from the direction of the bar, another victim just walked in. He shook his head. Poor little lamb, she probably had no idea she just walked into the lion’s den.
Oh well, it was none of his business anyway...
Chapter 5
Leya sucked in a breath as she stepped onto the stone patio of the hotel’s most popular outdoor bar, the Moongate Tiki Lounge. She exhaled as she took in the décor.
It certainly felt like paradise! Not the cheesy replicas she’d come across in the city at any rate. No, this place looked as if it had been carved into the landscape. Plants and blooming flowers erupted in a riot of color in every available space.
There was a mini waterfall behind the main bar, and that was lit with stylish multi-colored LED lights. Primitive masks decorated stone walls and enormous torches lit up every corner.
A live band played a vibrant reggae beat that made Leya wish she knew how to dance. Still, she smiled and swayed to the rhythm as she walked over to an empty chair.
This was exactly what she wanted in a vacation! She threw her head back and took in the stars and the cool breeze coming off the ocean. The night was magical! She bit her lip as she took a step further inside the exotic paradise.
Her dress was a deep blue color that brought out her eyes. It was shorter than anything she had ever worn before with a fitted bodice and flare skirt.
Judging from the frankly appraising glances of the people she’d passed on the way to the bar, it was apparently as flattering as Liandra had said. Not that she cared about other people’s opinions, she told herself firmly.
The dress was fun and flirty and made her feel good. That was all that counted. Yes, she did feel kind of exposed, but this was the first day of her new adventurous life. A new wardrobe was a requirement!
And this dress was certainly new! The elastic bodice and off-the-shoulder cap sleeves didn’t allow for the heavy minimizer bra she often wore. The bulky beige thing was now in the trash can of her hotel room with most of the clothes she’d brought from home.
Leya shocked herself today when she added several, teeny, tiny bits of lace that passed for under garments to her purchases at the boutique. Again, necessary, she told herself.
Each one of the twenty-two-dollar pairs of underwear were needed to accommodate her new wardrobe! The matching bras were simply a given. Some of them hardly covered her ample assets, but Liandra assured her she looked good. And she believed her.
She bi
t her lip and looked down at the cleavage spilling from her top. Too much too soon? A whistle brought her head up, and she was shocked to see a group of young men drinking at the bar waving and trying to get her attention.
They weren’t her style, but she wasn’t rude by nature, so she waved back, but she managed to find an empty seat far away from them. It was probably best to ignore them.
She found an empty seat a good distance away and set about having a good time. Operation let my hair down is a go! After some pleasant conversation with the bartender, and a few other hotel guests, Leya realized she was actually having a good time.
“What else can I get you, sweet lady?” the happy bartender asked her with his pleasantly accented voice, and she smiled back at him.
“Do you carry any Bite?” she asked.
She was happy to note that they did and ordered a glass for herself. She was talking to an older couple from Chicago who were on the island for their twentieth anniversary when the bartender placed a brightly colored cocktail in front of her.
She scrunched her nose. Leya hated the overly sweet drinks. Especially after Gary. Leya preferred her favorite brand of top-shelf whiskey served over ice in a short glass any day to the candy named concoction in front of her.
“From an admirer, miss,” he said and winked.
Leya eyed the blue cocktail distastefully and asked him to send it back with her regards, but no thank you. She didn’t think anything of it until someone grabbed her arm and spun her around in her chair.
“Hey, now, that drink was from me! Now, I’m sure you didn’t mean to be rude. Let me introduce myself, my name is Alec, now tell me, did it hurt?” The young blonde man held her arm tightly in his grip. He reeked of alcohol, and his speech was slurred as he spoke. Leya yanked her arm back and narrowed her eyes at him.
“Look, I appreciate the gesture, but I’m afraid I don’t take drinks from strangers.”
“Well, okay now, Miss Goody-two-shoes, but you didn’t answer me, I said, did it hurt?”
“Excuse me?”
“When you fell from Heaven?” he looked back at his buddies who were busy snickering and whistling from their end of the bar. Leya had enough of this nonsense. She dropped a bill on the counter and turned to the older couple she’d been chatting with.
“I’m sorry to leave so soon, you two have a nice anniversary,” she said. Maybe bars weren’t good places to start adventures after all, she thought to herself.
“Hey, what about me?” Mr. Grabby followed her across the floor and took hold of her elbow this time. Leya did not like that at all. She’d almost gotten away too! Ugh.
“Look, pal take your hand off me,” she said and tugged her arm, but it was no good, blondie was stronger than he looked.
“Now, look here, you don’t want to embarrass me in front of my friends. Come on, let’s dance,” he grabbed her hip with his other hand and tried to drag her against him.
“Ooh, hey, I don’t want to dance with you!”
“Sure, you do, come on,” he rubbed against her suggestively to the hoots and cheers of his pals.
“I said let go!” She yanked herself back with more strength than she realized. Oh crap, and that was when she lost her footing.
“Damn it!” She yelled as she tipped backwards, wind-milling her arms. The force of her pull with the strength of gravity all worked against her as she felt herself fall backwards, down the three stairs that led to the beach.
She closed her eyes and braced herself, but instead of the jarring impact she expected, Leya landed on something hard. Hard, but warm.
Day-um. Leya gasped and looked up into familiar brown eyes.
“Didn’t I tell you to watch where you were going?” His teasing voice reached her ears, a low grumble over the sounds of the tiki bar.
The things that voice was doing to her! Oh my! Her rescuer looked down at her with an amused expression on his face. If it wasn’t for the way his dark eyes raked over her body, she’d think he was laughing at her.
“Oh, um, I-”
“Hey, lady, damn, I just wanted to dance!” The blonde looked down the stairs in horror at her near miss and Leya scowled.
She lifted herself into a sitting position, but firm hands held her waist where she would have stood up. She ignored that. For now.
“Steady now,” he murmured, his lips tickling her ear. She ignored the thrill that went through her and focused instead on the young clout who made her fall.
“I don’t want to dance with you, you-” she was visibly shaken. Her rescuer spoke to her, close enough she felt his warm breath on her neck send shivers down her spine.
“Mind if I handle this?” he asked, and at her nod he turned.
She watched as his expression changed from teasing sweetness to pure threat. He addressed the cocky fool who’d grabbed her without moving her from her place on his lap.
“Son, you best turn around back to your friends if you know what’s good for you,” he said in a deep voice that practically growled in his throat and made her knees turn to jelly.
“No problem, man!” The younger man backed away hands raised.
“Well, this is cozy and all, but suppose we see if you can stand up alright?”
Leya felt her face heat up furiously. She was still sitting on the guy’s lap, for Pete’s sake! She was probably crushing him.
“I am so sorry! I must be hurting you!”
“Hurting me? A little thing like you? Darlin’, I could sit like this all night. I just want to make sure you didn’t get hurt when you fell,” his gaze dropped, and she heard him suck in a breath.
“Oh, uh, no, I’m fine, but I am not little-” she looked down and saw why he was having difficulty breathing. Her elastic top was pulled down, and her breasts were almost completely bared to his and everyone else’s’ eyes. Yikes!
“No, baby, you are not,” he growled.
She yelped and stood up quickly. Scrambling off his lap and tugging the fabric back in place. She didn’t even realize the hand he kept solidly on her waist.
She tried taking a step back, but he stood up too. His hand firm and solidly on her body. The feel of him singed her through the layer of material. She didn’t feel intimidated by him. No. She felt warm all over. She wanted to lean into his touch.
Oh Lord, Leya shook her head and looked up at him from her high-heeled sandals. The man was huge! He had to be well over six-feet tall, and twice her width! There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the guy.
He looked like a bodybuilder or football player or something. He was so big. She actually did feel small standing next to him. That was a novelty in itself! One she would love to get used to.
“Um, thank you so much,” she whispered, unable to break the spell of his intoxicating stare.
“I’m Marcus,” he said. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight like onyx as he looked down at her.
“My name is Leya.”
“Like the princess?”
“Yeah, sort of,” she laughed even though she’d heard that one a time or two in her life.
“Your folks George Lucas fans?”
“Yes, well, my dad really, but my mother insisted the spelling be different. It’s L-e-y-a.”
“Beautiful,” he said, and again her knees turned to jelly.
“Thanks. It’s a cool name I guess.”
“I don’t mean your name, though that’s lovely too.”
“Oh.”
The fingers on her waist became caressing, leaving little flames of excitement wherever he touched. She could feel the heat coming off of him through the thin layers of her dress as he swayed closer to her.
This was new, she thought, different and magical. She didn’t have much experience with giant good-looking men, but she was definitely game to try.
The sound of the waves crashing drowned out the band from the bar. Or was that the sound of her blood pounding inside of her head? Leya didn’t know, she only knew she felt hot and swollen all over.
Ley
a wanted, oh yes, she wanted alright. Him. She wanted him. She never did have much luck when it came to men, but for some reason, this man, here and now, felt so right to her.
She licked her lips and watched his eyes follow the movement. He seemed to tense. The rumbling sound from his chest increased. She watched as he closed his eyes and exhaled before pinning her with his gaze.
“Have dinner with me?”
“Yes,” she said immediately.
She knew it was fast, fast and crazy, but it felt right. He took her hand in his large, callused one and together they walked towards the hotel.
“Do you like seafood?”
“Yes,” suddenly she was reduced to one-word answers. You dope, talk to him!
“Great,” he smiled at her.
It was one of those thousand-watt smiles she’d only ever read about, sexy and sinful. Full of secrets and promises. She felt her heart turn over in her chest. No one had ever looked at her like that.
He had straight, white teeth and a small dimple on the right corner of his mouth. His hair was a deep, dark brown and fell in rakishly handsome waves to his shoulders.
His eyes were darker by a shade and reminded her of the expensive Blue Mountain coffee she infrequently indulged in. The expensive drink was rich and sweet, lacking the bitterness of cheaper blends.
I wonder if he tastes like that. Smooth and rich. She felt her cheeks warm and realized she must be blushing furiously. He didn’t seem to notice, thank goodness, as he approached the hotel manager.
He squeezed her hand, and ten minutes later they were seated in the hotel’s most exclusive restaurant. She smiled in appreciation.
“Uh, what do you like?”
“Oh, well, obviously I like everything,” she felt her cheeks heat up again and looked down at the table.
“Why ‘obviously’?” he looked genuinely confused, and Leya could have kicked herself for her stupidity.
Now, wasn’t the time to bring up her weight problem, though he could see for himself that she had one. Best just say it.
“Oh, well, I mean, you know, I’m not, I mean,” she took a breath and looked directly at him, “It’s obvious I enjoy food.” Leya frowned when he sat there quietly as if waiting for her to continue. What more needed to be said?