Chapter 6: Countdown to Love
1284 Words
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 f*****g 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...
***
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 bit 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.
- Writer
