by Lynn Red
He was a robot as he led her to the express elevator that would take her to the ground, not fully understanding what had just happened. Did he just agree to go to yoga? As the doors opened for her, she raised herself on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek before darting into the car.
“See you at six,” she grinned as the doors closed, leaving him standing there like the idiot he was.
Chapter 3
“Oh, shit, you kissed him?!”
Good grief, Jezz had a big mouth.
“Shh!” Katie hissed, glancing around to the boutique to see if anyone was listening. Thankfully, it was dinner time and the place was nearly deserted.
“It wasn’t like that. It was a peck on the cheek, that’s all. I mean, the guy did save my life from Miss Bitchypants. It seemed the polite thing to do.”
Jezz settled a knowing look on Katie, her dark eyes peering into her soul. “Mmmhmmm. Girl, you know what’ll happen if it goes any further, right? Doesn’t matter how much Mr. Roarke likes you. You’re gone. And you know I’d have to hunt you down and kill you if you ever left me, don’t you?”
Jezz wrapped an arm around Katie’s shoulders and drew her into a tight hug. Katie was the perfect height to motorboat Jezz’s bountiful boobs, if she was so inclined, which she wasn’t.
Jezz — short for Jezebel — managed Haven’s sole ladies’ boutique. She was the kind of woman other women wanted to be and men wanted to be with. It wasn’t just her stunning beauty or the voluptuous and statuesque figure that would have made Marilyn Monroe jealous. She genuinely loved everyone, and they all loved her right back.
All too often, women instinctively hated other women who they thought were prettier or sexier than them. But even though Jezz was always the prettiest and sexiest woman in the room, she had a knack for making everyone feel as beautiful and desirable as her. She was Haven’s sexy mama bear, which was funny because her inner animal was a hippo.
“I know,” Katie mumbled into Jezz’s boobage before pushing back for a breath of air. “Honestly, it wasn’t like that. Even though I was basically naked.”
“What?!” Jezz shouted, pushing Katie away to better lay a hot glare on her. This time the handful of women in the store looked over to see what the fuss was. Katie smiled at them and waved an easy hand, as if to say, ‘Nothing to see here. Go back to your shopping.’
“You should see your face,” she snickered at Jezz, who looked far from amused. “Don’t get your panties in a wad. It was perfectly innocent.”
“You know as well as anyone that I don’t wear panties,” Jezz sniffed. “Now explain.”
“I told you. KatieKat was out when he plucked me off that pole. I guess I shifted back, which, duh…means I was naked. He covered me up and even gave me his robe.”
Katie didn’t mention that she had no plans to return it because it smelled so much like him. She’d almost left it on after sniffing it all the way back to her room but, as unconventional as life at Haven might be, walking around in a robe with nothing on underneath might have caused some talk.
Jezz gave her another penetrating look, so Katie quickly changed the subject.
“But the really exciting part is that he finally agreed to come to my early yoga class! Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get him to participate in some activities?”
Jezz held her stare for a moment longer before turning to the pile of clothes she’d been hanging up when Katie came running in.
“I know you and every other female — and a few of the males, for that matter — on this island have wanted to get active with that man since the moment he arrived. Poor guy. He’s just trying to do his job and he can’t get a moment’s peace unless he’s hidden away in that eyrie of his.”
“That’s my point, Jezz. He spends all his time alone up there. That’s not healthy. He needs to get out more, mingle, have a little fun. The dude’s gonna have a stroke or something if he doesn’t cut loose every once in a while.”
Jezz bobbed her head in agreement, her thick black hair swaying and shifting across her back. “I can’t argue with that. Just be careful, okay? I would hate to see you get fired over a bootie call. And if anything does happen, whatever you do, don’t get caught.”
Katie rolled her eyes and blushed simultaneously. “I won’t. I mean…” she stuttered as she realized what she’d said. “Nothing will happen, Jezz. I’m not gonna lie, he’s hotter than a Walmart parking lot in August—“
Jezz burst out laughing at the imagery.
“—but I’ve got my priorities straight. I love my job. Mr. Roarke took a huge gamble on hiring me and I would never betray his trust like that. When Katie O’Meghan makes a promise, she keeps it!”
Jezz narrowed her eyes at her but didn’t comment. Instead she changed the subject.
“And Miss Prodo? Have you patched things up with her?”
Katie shrugged and grabbed a handful of candies from the bowl on the counter, popping one in her mouth. Mmm, strawberry.
“I stopped by the office on the way here and she growled at me from behind her desk. I tried to apologize for whatever it was I did to set her off but she just went back to messing around on her computer.”
“That must really bother you, honey. I know how much you hate it when people don’t like you.”
A rueful smile touched Katie’s lips. It was true, she was a people-pleaser and it was hard to deal when someone hated her with such venom.
Usually.
“I think I’ve grown, Jezz. I don’t even care about her anymore. She’s not even my boss — she’s just slightly above me on the pecking order. I dunno, life’s easier if I let her believe she’s my boss, you know?”
“Hmmm, maybe she senses that and that’s what got her so riled today. Whatever the reason, I still say you should report her to Mr. Roarke. He doesn’t put up with that kind of shit and neither should you.”
“Yeah, yeah, but I don’t want to ruffle any feathers,” she said, digging around for another strawberry candy.
Jezz snorted. “I know some feathers you’d like to ruffle.”
Another hot blush flooded Katie’s face at the mention of her fine — so fine! — feathered friend. Grabbing a handful of the candy, heedless of the flavor, she tossed her hair back dramatically, harumphed at her friend and flounced toward the door.
“I have better things to do to listen to your wise-ass remarks. See you at class in the morning?”
She was always trying to get Jezz to join one of her classes, mostly because she knew it would increase attendance like crazy. But the hippo never bit.
“Girl, you know I don’t want to ruin this figure with exercise!”
Chapter 4
“Slowly exhale in as you bring your body forward and your hands together in front of you in namaste, back to where we began in the Mountain pose. Isn’t this a wonderful way to greet the new day?”
Katie and today’s co-instructor, Brutus, had just led the class through a series of poses called the Sun Salutation to warm up — and wake up. And she didn’t think there was a more beautiful and peaceful way to wake up than doing yoga on a verdant bluff overlooking the crystal clear blue waters of Haven Bay. A pier jutted out from shore and the resort’s water taxi bobbed gently on one side. The empty side was reserved for the boat that brought guests in.
The bay was ringed with lush jungle and protected by a coral reef that extended almost all the way across the mouth. Only the most adept watermen were allowed to traverse the tricky opening. Too many had run afoul of the reef and needed rescuing.
“Breathe out and let your arms relax to your side. Now we’re going to move into the Lord of the Dance pose, which is meant to open your sacral chakras.”
As the students contorted their bodies into the more difficult pose, Katie padded around the bluff checking on each person’s pose, tucking in an ass here, extending an arm there. Finally she reached poor Arnaud. He was the only first-timer in the class, and it was painfully obvious. She was imp
ressed he’d shown up at all.
She’d fallen asleep thinking about him, naturally. Who doesn’t dream about her knight in shining armor when he rescues her from the jaws of certain death? Sleep was elusive but when it finally took her, sparkling gold-brown eyes, bared fangs and hooked talons filled the blackness.
At one point, she woke up with her heart pounding and she wasn’t sure if it was from residual fear or growing lust. The only way to know for sure was to test the waters, so to speak, so she slipped a hand beneath the sheet and down to the juncture of her thighs. Damp.
Yup, she was horny.
Closing her eyes against the dark, she conjured up images of Arnaud. Arnaud lounging in that cream chair in his suite, the sleeves of his white button-down rolled halfway up his forearms. Arnaud striding across grounds from the Legal Office with his briefcase, his blond hair ruffling in the warm tropical breeze. Arnaud striking the Bridge pose, his hips thrust up in the air, the muscles of his bare chest quivering with exertion and glowing with a light sheen of sweat as the back of his shoulders held most of his weight. His short shorts tightly hugged every bulge — there was plenty to hug — and his thighs showed every sinew, every muscle.
Okay, that last one was pure fantasy, but it did the trick.
She was hot and damp, and simply thinking of Arnaud in such a way was all it took to take her from sweaty to heaving. Her fingers delved inside, slicking up with her desire, as she imagined what she would do to him.
He’s holding the strenuous pose, every muscle straining from the effort, when she kneels down to adjust his pose. Her palms skim the hard plane of his back, caressing their way to his tightly clenched behind. Firm ridges and sharp angles slide under her fingers until her breasts are pressed tightly against his side and her fingers cup each cheek.
“Like this,” she whispers in his ear as she pushes his butt a fraction of an inch upward. Goosebumps break out across his skin and, before her very eyes, his bulges are growing even bulgier.
Unable to resist her any longer, Arnaud drops from the pose and pulls her down on top of him, his sweat soaking through the front of her skimpy jog bra, leaving little to the imagination. His hands roam across her skin, one burying itself in her hair, pulling her lower. She feels completely safe in his arms. He would never let her go.
Her hands never stop moving, touching him everywhere she can reach. Every single part of him is hard as rock, including the most important part. And…hello! She sends a prayer of thanks to whatever deity created such a perfect creature.
Dipping his head, his lips skim hers and heat flares at her core. Then his lips have claimed hers, penetrating her with his tongue as he rolls them over so he is hovering over her, his need pressing into her thigh.
Pulling back, he holds up one hand for her to look at. The fingernail grows and curves until his entire index finger is an eagle talon. Her heaving breath catches in her throat, wondering what he’s going to do with that claw. Gradually he lowers it to the top of her jog bra and in one quick swipe, cuts through the fabric like it was butter.
She gasps in surprise as her breasts pop free and fresh air cools them, tightening her nipples to tight buds. A tiny droplet of blood forms between her breasts,where the talon has nicked her skin. She doesn’t even feel it but Arnaud sees it and clamps his lips to it, kissing away the blood and any pain she might feel.
What she’s feeling is far from pain. Her tiny scrape tended to, he kisses his way over to the tip of one full breast, cupping it with his hand to better savor it. As his tongue swirls over and around it, flicking it until she moans, her core tightens with desire. She needs him inside her…right NOW!
But he won’t be rushed. No matter how much she grinds and bucks and moans underneath him, he takes his time making love to her, tormenting her.
Retracting the talon, Arnaud tugs her yoga pants free of her legs and gazes down at her form. She can see in his golden-brown eyes that he wants to dive in and never come out, and she hopes he does just that. As if reading her mind — because, hey, it’s her fantasy — he lowers his head between her open legs.
His tongue is a bare whisper on her sensitive flesh and she sighs with pure happiness. He’s slicking in and around her folds, tasting every inch of her, driving her to the brink. When he slips a finger in, she groans. When the hard tip of his tongue finds her swollen nub, she thrusts into his mouth, crying out.
Sucking and licking and lapping, he draws her further along the path to bliss, until she’s right on the very edge. Her head is about to explode when he abruptly stops and pulls away.
A moan of protest passes through her panting lips, begging him to continue. And then his lips are on hers and his hardness is pushing into her, filling her up agonizingly slowly. When did he get naked? She doesn’t care.
He’s got her hands pinned above her head, holding her captive. She tries to thrust into him but she can barely move. He’s in total control and it’s driving her mad.
Only when he’s fully seated inside her does he loosen his grasp enough for her to pull her hands free. Clutching at his tight ass, she pulls him deeper, then rocks backward until he’s sliding out of her a little. Frantically, she repeats the process until he’s moving on his own, slipping almost all the way out of her wetness before slamming back in to the hilt. Over and over, he plunges deeper and deeper until she’s a quivering wreck. Each thrust takes her closer to the edge of sanity, and still she tries to pull him farther inside her.
A warm heat rushes up from her core to the tippy top of her head, making her toes curl and her butt rise up from the damp grass. Her entire body tightens like a spring and then, boom! Sweet release as wave after wave of tension flows out of her, leaving her a whimpering pool of love.
“Yes?” his voice permeates the fog of ecstasy.
“Oh yeah…” she murmurs back, basking in the afterglow and panting to catch her breath.
“Um, am I doing the pose wrong, Katie?”
She snapped back to reality to find herself staring at Arnaud as he clumsily attempted the Lord of the Dance pose. How long had she been standing there fantasizing about him? And furthermore, how long had she been drooling?
Shitknockers.
Arnaud didn’t even remember coming down for the early morning yoga class. One minute he was looking in the mirror, shaving, and thinking about his mute promise to Katie, the next he was doing the Cat pose to stretch his back and do something to some chakra, whatever that was.
His normal morning routine, one he rarely varied, included a morning flight for his eagle and a jog for him, a light breakfast of coffee and smoked herring, a shower and a shave, all by 6 a.m. This yoga nonsense was completely unnecessary, and as early as she thought it was, would put him behind schedule by at least an hour.
Yet here he was. Interesting.
Katie had bounced up to him when he arrived, leading him to the back of the group. She must have known instinctively that he would be uncomfortable being front and center. It wasn’t that he minded looking like a fool, he just didn’t like looking like an idiot.
“Just watch me and follow along as best you can,” she said as she set him up with a tiny foam mat. Then she thrust a foam block into his hands. “If you can’t quite reach the ground in a particular pose, just use this.”
Yeah, he was still on the part about watching her. He had no idea if he’d be able to do yoga properly but he had no doubt he could watch her all day long.
He still couldn’t get over how infectious her happiness was. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She was a ray of sunshine in a dark world. She really was the cat’s meow. All the other cliches that were swirling around in his head flew right out when she shrugged out of her pink hoodie to reveal…almost nothing at all.
Uh oh.
Well, his baggy sweatpants weren’t coming off, that much was clear, and he thanked his lucky starts that his tank top was on the longish side. He’d never been to a yoga class before but he was fairly certain that popping a bone
r was frowned upon.
It took a monumental effort to drag his gaze from Katie’s Lycra-clad form and focus on her male co-instructor, Brutus. If Arnaud’s eagle eyes didn’t deceive him — and they rarely did — he was pretty sure the guy was a hummingbird shifter. He could almost see an iridescent shimmer in his hair, and he certainly had the energy of his shifter animal, but how did such a big male reduce down to the tiny size of a hummingbird?
“Okay! Let’s get down to fucking business! Don’t fucking wimp out on me now, people!”
Brutus seemed more suited for a weightlifting class than serene yoga, but it was a unexpectedly big class and Katie probably needed the help. Arnaud couldn’t miss the irritated glances some of the students were giving each other. They obviously weren’t morning people.
After a series of gentle stretches, which felt surprisingly good, Brutus and Katie moved the class into more difficult poses. Even though he never took his eyes off Brutus, Arnaud was keenly aware of Katie moving around the group, helping people perfect their poses.
Even out of the corner of his eye, he could see that her pink-tipped toenails had collected droplets of dew as she moved across the dense ground covering. It wasn’t really grass but it was soft and green and slightly damp, and an image of him laying her naked body down on that verdure popped into his head unbidden.
Dammit! Just when he thought he had his junk under control…
He shifted his gaze to the sky, where seagulls and petrels swooped and glided on the morning thermals. His eagle strained to join them — and maybe snack on one — but now wasn’t the time. It settled down and simply tracked the other birds, much like he’d been tracking Katie.
Yeah, he could snack on her, too. No, wait. She’d be a feast.
Shaking the thought from his head, he returned his attention to Brutus, who had twisted himself into the most awkward, impossible position imaginable. Everyone around him was trying to contort themselves into some semblance of the pose but it was proving tricky.