“Okay. I’ve got all the evidence entered into my system. The postmarks are excellent clues.”
“The police said it was useless.”
“Maybe for them, but my systems can do things the cops can’t or won’t do. It’s going to take a while, though. There’s a lot of video data to go through for this search.”
“How do you have all this technology?” she asked.
It didn’t seem right that he had more advanced technology than the police. Who was he? What was he doing with this stuff?
“I invented it. I’ve just kept it to myself. Releasing it to the world would cause drama that I don’t want to deal with. Now, how about that boat ride?”
Chapter 7
Corey led Willow out to the rowboat, not sure what the hell he was doing. It was just supposed to be him innocently helping the woman his crew had tricked into coming to Fate Mountain.
He wasn’t supposed to be taking her on a romantic picnic. He helped her into the rowboat and took a seat at the oars. Willow held the picnic basket on her lap, looking as confused as he felt.
She looked away as he rowed, casting her eyes out over the water. It was a gorgeous day. The sky spread out blue and big above the rich green forests and towering snowcapped mountains. It was nice to get away from the computers for a while. He didn’t do this kind of thing often enough.
Willow had mentioned she’d needed a break from her own work. Working at home could make it easy to become obsessive about what you did. The boundaries between work and off time were blurred so everything became work time. Corey didn’t mind so much, since his work was his life. But he was beginning to suspect that if he took more leisure time it might help his mind perform at its optimal level.
He’d just have to ignore the incessant growls of his bear to mate with Willow here and now in the rowboat.
Intent on enjoying the day despite his bear, Corey rowed Willow out to the best swimming hole on Lake Fate. It was tucked away in a secluded corner, only accessible by boat. He only knew about it because he’d rowed all around the lake when he’d first moved to the lodge three years ago.
He rowed the boat to the shore and jumped out to pull it onto the sandy beach. They’d landed in a secluded cove, sheltered from the lake by trees. Corey looked into Willow’s eyes as he helped her hop out of the rowboat in that long flowy dress that hugged her curves.
In that moment, the thought of her skinny-dipping in the swimming hole crossed his mind. His grizzly launched onto its hind legs, exhibiting the strongest display of male power Corey had ever seen from his bear. He almost dropped Willow’s hand as he squeezed his eyes closed, trying to get his bear under control.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing his distress.
“Nothing. My bear.”
He let go of her hand as she placed both feet on the sand. He backed away, shaking his head. He couldn’t get the scent of her out of his nose. The bear paced back and forth behind his third eye. Corey’s body blazed with vivid need, and he hid himself from her until it subsided.
“We can go back,” Willow said, gripping her elbow as she held the picnic basket in her other hand, looking awkwardly up to the side.
She looked so cute, biting her lip like that. So innocent. So luscious. Her breasts were perfect round globes, ripe for squeezing. The images of her moaning as he rolled her nipple in his hand flashed across his mind’s eye.
Corey growled and gritted his teeth. That was the last sexy thought he would allow to cross his mind for the rest of the day.
That was final.
“Really. I don’t need to swim,” Willow said.
He could tell she was uncomfortable.
“I wanted to spend the day by the lake. I’ll just put out this blanket and try to relax. You go swim.”
“Corey. I don’t want to torture you.”
“It’s fine. It’s over.”
He grumbled at himself as he put the blanket out in an area of the beach with dappled shade from the branching trees. He sat on the blanket that lay over the warm sand and pulled the sandwiches and lemonade from the picnic basket.
Willow stood above him with her hands on her hips, one eye squinted in the sunshine.
“You’re a strange man, Corey Bright,” she said.
“I’ve been called worse,” he said.
“Are you eating?”
“Might as well.”
“I’ll eat with you then.”
She sat beside him and opened her sandwich. She took a big bite, her eyes not leaving his face. He hadn’t wanted it to be awkward like this. He didn’t know what he’d expected. And how had he found himself on a third date when he’d never wanted a first one?
“These are good,” Willow said, looking off into the pool of blue-green water.
“Yeah. I love the bread. Zach’s mate bakes it at the new bakery in town.”
“I’ll have to check it out. I love bakeries.”
“Fate Mountain is a great place to live.”
“Seems to be,” she said, glancing at him again with that skeptical look in her eyes. “I think I’ll go for a swim now.”
She stood and started toward the shore, pulling the long dress she wore up over her head. Corey watched her as she slid into the warm summer lake, her luscious curves filling his imagination with too many ideas.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was standing too. He pulled off his shirt and kicked off his sandals, stepping into the water behind her. She turned to look at him, her eyes lingering on his muscled chest. Her mouth dropped, but she looked away.
“The water’s great,” she said, walking further into the swimming hole.
As she walked out, the water rose around her hips, then over her waist, until her breasts bobbed in the silvery surface. She swished her arms slowly out on either side of her and turned back to look at him. He’d followed her to the same depth, standing a few feet away in the warm water. It felt so good. Everything felt right.
“It’s nice to get away from work for a while,” he said, dipping down further so that his chin touched the surface.
“I know exactly what you mean,” she said.
She waded toward him, smiling into his eyes. He could smell her scent more strongly with each inch she moved. She enveloped his senses.
If Willow hadn’t been so smart and beautiful, maybe resisting her would have been easier. But he liked her, damn it. Despite what his bear was doing to his mind and body, he liked this woman in front of him for who she was.
She had an inner fire that intrigued him. If she weren’t his fated mate, maybe he would have liked to spend more time with her. He liked the way she made him feel. It wasn’t just his instinct. It was Willow.
He knew she could understand many of his struggles. He already felt as if he understood her in the same way.
Maybe we can do it. Maybe we can make it work.
He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms. She gasped and looked up at him, folding her arms around his neck. He gazed down at her, the feeling of blossoming love overflowing in his chest. Her lips parted and her pupils dilated.
He leaned in slowly and kissed her, holding her wet curves in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him more tightly, pulling him closer. She felt so soft, crushed against his hard chest. Her lips tasted sweet, like lemonade.
He hardened against her and plunged his tongue into her willing mouth. She moaned and melted into his arms. His hands traveled her body, wanting to take in every nuance of every curve to remember it forever.
She moaned, sounding so sexy. He smelled the scent of arousal pouring off of her. He pulled her against him again, rubbing her pussy.
“Do you want to stop?” she breathed into his ear.
His fingers slid between her legs, pulling back her bikini. He rubbed along her swollen lips and slowly dipped between them, feeling out her wetness. She gasped and licked his chest, nibbling on his flesh.
His fingers focused on her arousal, dipping inside her, an
d then pressing circles against her tight little nub. She pulled him into a kiss, the heat between them intensifying by the second.
She was his fated mate. He would never want anyone more than her. He would never desire anyone more. He would never feel more than he did with her, right now. She threw back her head as she orgasmed on his hand.
Her pussy clenched around his fingers and she groaned. He couldn’t stand it. He had to taste her sweetness. He had to feel her come on his tongue.
His mind lost in the daze of his instinct, he plucked her out of the water and carried her ashore. He placed her on the dry blanket over the warm sand and began to peel her out of her sexy swimsuit.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she gasped, helping him pull the swimsuit over her curves.
He looked down at her naked body, in awe of her generousness. She was a goddess and he wanted to worship at her altar. He’d never been more sure of anything in his life than he was of that in that moment.
Corey licked her puckered nipple as she spread her legs below him. It made him stiff as steel. He could smell her hot need. He knew she wanted him.
He ran his tongue over her body, tasting the lake water on her skin. Willow moaned and squeezed her breasts together as he sank between her legs.
“Corey, I want you inside me,” she moaned.
Corey gripped her thighs and spread them apart, gazing at her glistening pussy in the sunshine. The berry colored flesh of her sex called out to him. He sank down, taking in her sweet scent.
“I want to lick you until you scream my name,” he said, his voice not his own.
The grizzly was coming through so strongly, he wasn’t quite sure who was in control. He was in control, he decided. He wanted this. He needed this. The taste of her sweet nectar was so close.
He dove into her pussy, licking her up and down with his big, thick tongue. He gripped her thighs as she squirmed under him, gasping his name.
Corey wanted to taste every last drop of her cream. He needed to consume her. Claim her. His tongue darted in and out of her opening, and she grabbed a fistful of his hair.
He plunged his mouth over her clit, sucking and pumping it with his tongue. Willow gasped and stopped breathing. He could feel her quiver and explode under him. She let out a long groan as she arched her back. Her pussy throbbed against him, but he didn’t want to stop.
She tried to pull him up to her. He wanted nothing more than to sink inside her wet core, burying himself forever in her softness.
But he couldn’t do it.
She sat up and put her hand on his shoulder.
“Are you all right?” she asked, her voice worried.
“We…should stop.”
“What?” she asked, pulling on her dress to cover her obvious embarrassment.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Willow. I like you too much.”
“I like you too, Corey.”
Chapter 8
The entire time Corey rowed back to the lodge, Willow stared at the water, wondering what the hell had just happened. By the time they got out of the boat on the dock, her emotions were a conflicted ball of confusion. Their “date” hadn’t gone as Willow had originally imagined. Now she had the sinking feeling that she was making a serious mistake with Corey. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting more.
Corey led her up the path to the front door of his cabin, and they went inside. He’d gone from being one hundred percent against doing anything with her to making her come on the beach. She didn’t feel like that was progress. Now, she was in the middle of his indecisiveness.
There was a small voice inside her telling her that he was going to hurt her. When would she ever learn?
They might be fated mates, and supposedly perfect for each other, but Corey was an exception to the shifter rule. Most shifters couldn’t wait to find their mates.
Not a single shifter she’d ever studied had ever rejected his fated mate. They all wanted lifetime love and commitment. They wanted a home and family.
Deep in her heart, that’s what Willow wanted too. She might be in love with her work, but she knew there was more to life than her characters. She wanted real love of her own. She wanted kids, too, and a peaceful home where she could live a peaceful life.
Wouldn’t her work be so much more satisfying if she had someone to share her life with? No matter how busy or how crazy her life was, she knew deep inside that it was true. Life was always better with someone to share it with.
Corey sat down in front of his computer and started to tap on the keyboard. She slid into the seat beside him. The moment Corey sat in front of the computer, he became completely focused on the matter at hand. Data scrolled on the screen in front of her and she couldn’t make sense of any of it.
“So, I’ve been able to narrow down some video footage of the post offices where the letters were sent. The software has narrowed down a dozen possible suspects. Would you like to take a look at them now, see if you recognize anyone?”
“Okay…” she said, not sure she really wanted to look at possible stalkers.
It was all kinds of traumatizing, and now she was embroiled in this thing with Corey. Willow had a life that she kept on an even keel. These last few months had added way too much stress to her world. She didn’t know if she could deal with any more.
He brought up a dozen video capture images of possible suspects. Willow inspected them, not recognizing a single one.
“This is it?” she asked.
“These are the people who were present in the area during the dates when the letters were sent. Since they are postmarked at different locations around Seattle, it actually makes the search much easier than if they were all postmarked from the same place. Instead of thousands of results, we have a dozen.”
“I don’t recognize any of them. What now?”
“Now we look at each suspect and try to determine which one might have a motive to stalk you.”
“Let’s do that then.”
Corey started to type. A few moments later, he stopped to look at her.
“Okay, the system is doing background checks on each of them. It might take a little while.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll go back to the lodge.”
“Give me your number. I’ll text you when I get the results.”
She stood up, and they exchanged numbers. Taking her wet swimsuit in one hand and the picnic basket in the other. Willow strolled back to the lodge, feeling insecure and embarrassed.
The pleasure Corey had given her on the beach was unparalleled. She’d never received pleasure like that in her life. But it came with a price. She should run away as fast as she could, but something about Corey called out to her.
She could feel that there was something wounded inside him that kept him blocked off from love. Maybe if she could help him past it, things could work out for them.
But Willow also knew that Corey hadn’t wanted a fated mate. He was going against his own ironclad decision. That made her uncomfortable.
She wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin again. She dropped the picnic basket off at the front desk and continued up to her room.
Once inside, she took a shower and dressed in clean clothes. Her laptop was sitting there, staring at her.
“I’m going to write,” she said to herself. “Just not today.”
She sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. A local commercial came on, advertising the exciting shifter-run businesses in the area. If Willow hadn’t already been involved with a shifter, that commercial would have made her want to be. Whoever was behind that marketing campaign was a genius.
She clicked through the channels and settled on a movie she wanted to watch, wishing that Corey was here to share it with her. Why would she want to share a movie with Corey? They’d just met. All he’d done so far was confuse the hell out of her.
She rubbed her temples, admonishing herself.
“Willow,
pull yourself together. You’d think you’ve never had male attention before. He isn’t that great.”
But he was that great. Maybe even better than great. He was so sexy, handsome, smart, and capable.
She groaned at herself.
“I’m pathetic,” she said.
Lying down on the couch, she curled up in a ball and watched the movie. As the characters went through their own dramas, Willow realized she wasn’t pathetic. She was just lonely.
She’d been alone for a long time. It was getting to her. She needed some love of her own. But should she let herself fall for Corey?
As the credits rolled on her movie, her phone pinged. She sat up and grabbed the phone. The screen showed a text from Corey.
“I have a lead,” it said.
“I’ll be right over.”
Willow drew herself off the couch with a low moan. Was she getting a headache or was she just excited to see Corey again? Maybe both.
As she made her way over to his cabin, her heart fluttered in her chest like it was about to explode. When she made it to his door, it flung open before she had a chance to knock. The look on his face made her heart stop.
He was wearing a huge smile that told her he was overjoyed to see her. Or was it just that he’d found the stalker and was excited about his own genius? She couldn’t quite tell.
“Come in,” he said, holding the door open for her.
She stepped inside, looking around his living room. She walked over to the chair that still sat beside his in front of the computer.
“So, I’ve been doing background research on the dozen suspects we found earlier.”
“You said you had a lead?”
“Yes. Look at this man. His name is Charles Shaw. He used to work for your publishing company.”
“How do you know my publisher?”
He gave her a look that said, “Oh please,” and went back to clicking through the tabs on his screen.
“Anyway, Charles Shaw used to be a minor editor at your publishing company. He was fired three months ago after an altercation with the head editor of the romance department.”
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