by Bianca D’Arc
Whoa, momma. What, exactly, was she talking about? Did she mean…?
He wasn’t sure what she meant, but his mind went immediately to the sex place. How could it not when he’d relived that kiss over and over since it had happened?
Maybe he ought to slow down a bit and find out what she meant before he went off half-cocked. And there he went, to the sex place again.
“Next level?” he asked, barely able to form those two words. She smiled at him as if she knew exactly what was going through his mind.
Little minx. She probably did. He found himself torn between frustration and admiration. He liked that she was comfortable enough with him now to tease him.
“The part where I come ashore and you show me around, maybe introduce me to some of your friends. Of course, I’ll want to see Grace first, if possible. And depending how that goes, I’d like to talk to your Alpha, if he has time for me.” She smiled at him in the darkness, and he was enchanted. This woman had a magic all her own. “The thing is, I don’t have any clothes here. Would you be willing to find something for me to wear?”
She wanted to see the town. Well. That was progress. Suddenly, his plans for the day took an unexpected turn. He’d postpone the boat excursion. Ushering Jetty around town was a much better prospect. There was something about her that just… He just liked being near her. He wouldn’t examine it much closer than that right now.
“I believe I can arrange something. I have some things that might fit, but if you want more…uh…feminine stuff, we could ask Grace. Jack mentioned that she’d had her stuff shipped up here.” A thought occurred to him. “I can see now that, if we’re going to host your people in the cove, we should probably make some allowances for this kind of thing. We can talk about it with Big John, the Alpha. I’m sure he’ll make time to meet you, and he’s great at strategy and logistics.”
“Sounds good,” she agreed, her scales sparkling faintly. “Now, if you’ll just get me something to put on, I’ll shift, and we can move this discussion to dry land.”
Not wanting to go back to the house, lest she somehow change her mind and swim away, Drew jogged over to his boat and jumped aboard. His robe was still where he’d left it, and when he hopped back onto the dock, Jetty was already standing on the end, on two luscious legs. She had her back to him, her skin glistening with water in the dark before dawn. He walked up to her slowly, admiring the sight she made standing there, on his dock. He held the robe open and came up behind her, wrapping her in it. She put her arms into the big sleeves and tied the belt around her trim waist, smiling up at him over her shoulder.
He wanted to kiss her right then and there, but she began walking up the dock, her feet finding a natural rhythm with the slowly moving wood under them. He watched from only a few steps behind her as she approached the spot where the floating dock met the shore, and he saw her hesitation.
“Is everything okay?” he asked quietly, not wanting to spook her.
“I haven’t been on land in years,” she replied, pausing before taking that final step.
She said nothing further as she made the transition from the floating wooden platform to the beach. When she tried to walk, she faltered a bit, but Drew was there to steady her, putting one arm around her waist and taking one of her hands in his as he came up beside her.
“Lean on me, if you have to,” he told her. “Until you get your land legs.” He chuckled, and she followed suit.
“Crazy, huh?” she asked rhetorically as they moved slowly up the beach toward the house. “I get so used to the motion of the ocean after a while that it’s disorienting to be on solid ground that doesn’t move.”
“Oh, it moves occasionally. We had a small tremor just the other day, in fact,” he corrected her with humor. “But generally speaking, earthquakes are a bad thing. They make my bear side want to run.”
“Smart bear,” she observed, steadily gaining her footing as they went along. “So where are you taking me? Is that your house?”
“Home sweet shack,” he confirmed in a self-deprecating way as he ushered her along the path he’d put in that connected the beach to his back door.
She paused, looking up at the two-story structure. “This isn’t a shack, Drew. It’s lovely.” Her admiration of his handiwork made him feel warm all over. “The view from upstairs must be phenomenal.”
“Yeah. That’s my bedroom window,” he told her. “You’re welcome to check it out. Anytime.”
He couldn’t help himself. His voice dropped to a low rumble, thinking about her in his bedroom. Oh, yeah. He wanted her there. In his bed.
If she wasn’t much mistaken, the werebear had just issued a naughty invitation in that growly voice of his. Jetty had to suppress a shiver of delight just hearing him speak in those low, sexy tones.
He opened the door for her, and she walked into an unexpected delight. The house was like something out of a designer’s showcase. It had a nautical feel. Everything was light and airy. White dominated, but polished wood and brass accents were thrown in here and there, adding to the appeal of the place.
“This is really gorgeous.” She couldn’t keep from voicing her approval. The place was perfect. And clean, which she hadn’t expected of what she assumed was a bachelor pad. The thought made her stop just inside the door. “You’re not mated, are you?”
He actually laughed. Just one short bark of disbelieving laughter as he closed the door behind them and walked past her, into his home.
“No. I’m not mated. Why do you ask?”
He led the way farther into the house, and she followed, impressed with each new revelation. The kitchen at the back of the house was immaculate and state of the art. There was a small dining room, and the front room was decorated in leather and wood. Very manly, yet elegant and inviting.
“It’s just…so clean. And gorgeous.”
“And men are slobs, is that it?” He paused to look back at her, a sparkle of humor in his deep brown eyes.
“Well, I didn’t mean to insult your entire gender, but the men I’ve known haven’t exactly been neatnicks.” Her gaze swept the room, taking in the beautiful furniture, comfortable design and personal touches here and there that told her this was his space. “My ex was a disaster. If I wasn’t there to pick up after him, his apartment would’ve been condemned.”
Did he just growl? She couldn’t be sure. It was almost a sub-vocal sound, but she could’ve sworn…
“I’ll go up and get some clothing that might fit. Unless you want to come up and get the full tour. There’s a bathroom up there if you want to change in there.”
Something inside dared her to go upstairs and see more of the bear’s private domain. She liked being with Andrew, which was odd because it had taken her a lot of time to work up to moving in with her ex-boyfriend—Dirk the Jerk. As a mer, she was more than a bit of a loner, but she’d wanted to see if she could find a mate on land. Unfortunately, she’d picked the wrong man. Oh, boy, had she picked the wrong man.
“I’ll come up,” she said softly, following where he led. Andrew stepped back to allow her to precede him up the stairs, and she wondered if he was trying to check out her ass under the bulky terrycloth robe.
His bedroom was just as lovely as the rest of the house. Done up in blues and greens that reminded her of her ocean home, she could easily picture herself luxuriating in this private oasis. If she had a house, she’d decorate her own place in much the same style.
Andrew had gone straight to the dresser and started opening drawers. He grabbed some things and turned toward her, holding up a dark blue T-shirt that was probably snug on his massive physique, but that might possibly not look too baggy on her much smaller frame.
“How about this?” He waited for her to nod before handing over the shirt. Then, he held up a pair of board shorts that had a string at the waist. “And these? They’ll be a little big, but you can pull up the slack on the string.”
She held out her hand again for the shorts. “They’
ll do. Beggars can’t be choosers, and all that. Actually, this is better than I’d hoped for, but maybe we could make Grace our first stop? She might be able to help me not look like a bag lady if we go into town later.” She chuckled at her own observation and was glad when he followed suit, not taking offense.
“It’s a bit early. How about I make you some breakfast here, and then, we’ll give Jack and Grace a call to see if they’re ready for some company?”
It sounded a reasonable plan to her, and she told him so. He pointed her toward the bathroom, which was attached to his bedroom, or gave her the option of just closing the door to his bedroom, promising not to intrude. In fact, he headed for the stairs, telling her he was going to start working on breakfast while she changed.
That left her alone in his private space, and she couldn’t help snooping just a bit after she hopped in his giant shower for a quick rinse before putting on the fresh clothing. Once in human form, she didn’t necessarily like the feel of the salty ocean residue on her skin. It chafed. So the shower was a necessity.
The clothes weren’t too bad of a fit, but her nipples insisted on poking little points against the soft fabric of the T-shirt. He’d notice. And there wasn’t a blessed thing she could do to hide it without a bra. She’d hunch over as much as possible and try to keep the baggy garment from showing him just how much she liked his scent until she could get some decent under things.
But holy seaweed, she liked the way the werebear smelled. His T-shirt was freshly laundered, but under the faint odor of the unscented detergent he favored, his scent still clung to the porous fabric. It was subtle, but it was there, and she reveled in wearing it next to her skin. Her inner beast got feisty when it smelled him. It wanted to swim with him. It wanted to lure him closer. It wanted to mate with him. Bad.
Her human side figured it would be so, so good.
Hold your seahorses, Jetty. She had to finish her mission here, on behalf of her people, before she could entertain all those carnal thoughts inspired by the hunky fisherbear.
The scent of bacon wafted up the staircase as she looked around his room unashamedly. He had a few personal mementoes decorating his space. A few photographs had been blown up and framed to hang on his walls, the most prominent of which was a group shot of a bunch of muscular men in soldier clothes. Ooh-la-la, there wasn’t a clunker among them, but the most handsome, by far, was tall, lean, brown-eyed, chestnut-haired Andrew.
He’d been a soldier. And she’d bet most of the men in this photo were also shifters, and probably residents of this town. It was time to find Grace, and then, if all was well, go out and meet some more of these werebears. Her people were leaving it up to her judgment as to whether or not they’d accept the safe harbor offered by the Alpha.
She’d have to meet with him too, once she’d seen Grace and a bit more of the town. She would have to get a feel for the man and whether or not he could be trusted. Grace’s opinion would go a long way toward helping her decide as well, but Andrew was right—it was too early to bother Grace and her new mate. They’d have to wait until dawn, at least.
In the meantime, she was going to enjoy eating cooked food for the first time in a long time. She’d really missed bacon.
Following her nose down the stairs and back to the kitchen, she found Andrew wielding a spatula in front of his gourmet stove. He looked comfortable cooking, and he had the tightest ass she’d seen in a long, long time. She stood in the archway that led into the kitchen, just watching him for a moment.
He really did have a world-class ass. Certainly a lot better than Dirk the Jerk’s. They weren’t even in the same universe. Dirk had been an actor. He was good looking, but human. He’d kept himself in shape, working out with his personal trainer every day, but his sculpted looks were designed to please. Andrew was a man at his peak—designed by Mother Nature, as the Goddess intended.
In his case, the Goddess had outdone Herself.
Drew fried eggs and made toast. He wasn’t sure what she might like, so he made a little bit of everything. His inner bear wanted to feed her. To take care of her.
When he turned around and found her watching him, he smiled at the look on her face. If he wasn’t much mistaken, he’d caught her ogling him.
“What do you think?” he challenged, a big of deviltry running through him.
“About what? The food?” She took a cautious step into the kitchen, seeming unsure. He liked throwing her just a little off balance. She seemed like the kind of woman who enjoyed repartee, which was good because he liked it too.
“No. About my ass. You were just checking it out, weren’t you?” He slid two plates full of food onto the kitchen table as she paused her steps, her mouth dropping open.
“Was not,” came her immediate denial.
“Were too.” He winked at her, grinning broadly as he finished bringing things to the table.
He liked teasing her. She fumbled a bit with embarrassment, but then, he saw the moment when she decided to give as good as she got.
“In a purely aesthetic way, it’s not bad.” She tilted her head to the side, looking him up and down.
“What? The breakfast?” He played along, wanting to prolong the banter.
“No. Your ass.” She giggled, breaking the serious pose in the most adorable way.
He wanted so much to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless right at that very moment, but it was too soon. She’d only just come to him. They hadn’t had time to build trust. She hadn’t had time to get to know him and discover what kind of man he was…or that he’d sooner die than hurt her in any way.
Whoa.
He shook his head at his own thoughts. It was too soon to be thinking that way. Wasn’t it?
He waited for her to be seated before taking his own place at the table. His mama would tan his hide even today if he didn’t act like a gentleman when there was a lady in his presence. And his mama was not a woman to be trifled with.
Jetty smiled at him and bowed her head for a moment. “With thanks to the Goddess,” she said briefly, surprising him by praying before she picked up her fork.
He let the moment stretch while she began to eat, and he followed suit. The quiet of the earliest part of the morning surrounded the house and permeated through the walls into his kitchen. It was usually a lonely time of day for him, when he was running out to his boat, his demons chasing him from sleep and sending him to the water.
But today, all that was different. He had Jetty in his house now, and it was as if her presence had chased the demons away altogether. As if they couldn’t stand in her presence.
Wasn’t that a wonder?
“Are your people generally religious?” he asked, trying to make quiet conversation.
“We usually thank the Goddess before we eat, but that might just be my pod. I don’t know about other groups. In water, the thanks are silent, but when on land, we can do it either way—silent or spoken.”
“It’s important to you,” he observed, eating his toast.
She shrugged. “It’s habit and shows respect for the lives of the fish we hunt so that we may continue to live. So, yeah, I guess it is important to me. But it isn’t to you?” She looked at him, frowning a little.
“On the contrary. My mom always had us give thanks before every meal. Of course, she’s a priestess, so…” He let the sentence drift off as he concentrated on his meal.
He could feel Jetty’s surprise, but he didn’t look up. He had no idea why he’d just revealed that about his mother. Even his teammates hadn’t learned about his mother until after he’d been injured so badly he had to be sent back home. Only then had Big John become aware of Drew’s circumstances. Mom had met his stretcher at the airport and taken charge from there.
His teammates had been duly impressed with her resources and intensity. She wouldn’t let him die, and he knew he could thank her for the fact that he’d survived. Now he just had to get his head screwed on straight again before he could face her, but he kne
w she understood.
His mother had been the one to advise him to go to Washington and rejoin his friends. She’d said it would be good for him, and she hadn’t been wrong. Drew was doing a lot better since rejoining his unit and working with them to fulfill another mission—this one the oddest of them all, but the most valuable long-term. They were building this town from the ground up, and it felt good to be part of the team again.
“Your mother doesn’t live close?” she asked softly after the silence had stretched a bit.
“No. Though she and dad are thinking about moving here eventually, but I told them not to come just yet. Not until we’ve made it safer. I couldn’t tell her why or she’d have been here like a shot, trying to help. I just don’t want her in so much danger. She’s supposed to be slowing down, teaching the next generation, but her most recent apprentice is almost done with her studies, and Mom will probably be nosing around here sooner than I want. She’s really curious about this experiment.”
And why in the world was he being such a Chatty Cathy today? Drew put it up to Jetty’s influence. Something about her made him want to open up and tell her his life’s story, which totally dismayed him. What the hell?
“My folks live in Los Angeles,” she offered. “I lived there, too, until a few years back when I dove into the ocean and decided to stay for a while.”
“After you broke up with your ex, by any chance?” He pried a little, wanting to know more about the ex that she’d mentioned before. His jealous bear wanted to claw the dude and make him bleed.
“How’d you guess?” She made a face and forked up more eggs, stabbing them like she was stabbing her ex.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” He tried to convey comfort in his softly spoken words.
“No. It’s okay. I was dating an actor, and I thought it was serious. I didn’t realize he was just playing the role of besotted boyfriend to get what he wanted. Eventually, I moved in with him, giving up my apartment and most of my stuff because his place was small and we couldn’t fit it all. I put many of my things in my parents’ garage, thankfully. But when the breakup happened, it was sudden, and I only stuck around long enough to pack up my things, drop them at my parents’ and take off for the water. I’ve been living in the ocean ever since. Things are a lot simpler there.”