A Werewolf to Call Her Own (Mystic Isle, Book 2) (4 page)

The passion in her voice warmed him from the inside out. What else was she as passionate about? No. Don’t go there. Contemplating such things would only torture him later. And possibly hurt her in the long run.

“I should walk you to your door,” he said, standing. He held his hand out to her, and she slipped her palm against his, so trusting.

Ceara enjoyed the way he moved her, strong hand at her back, directing her so easily. Warming her skin.

She didn’t want the night to be over. In fact, her heart ached at the thought of going back to her room, lukewarm compared to him, her sheets cold. Avery in the next bed. But she nodded. He’d given her an amazing night. A truly amazing night filled with memories.

“I understand.”

It took everything in her to say those two little words. In reality, she did not understand. Wasn’t a man supposed to be so overcome with passion that he couldn’t control himself? More importantly… was that what she wanted?

Yes
. Her nerve endings screamed a little louder,
yes, yes, yes!

He stopped, the hand at her back, angling her toward him. “Do you?”

When she didn’t meet his gaze, he tipped her chin up with a single press of a finger.

No! No I don’t understand. Anything. Why your eyes are so beautiful that I get lost in them. Why it seems like I’ve heard your voice in my dreams, known you for years rather than minutes. I don’t understand the need running through me, the desire that’s so overwhelming that I’ve given up the urge to fight it. I don’t understand why my body is on edge, waiting for your touch. Why every second in your presence makes me anticipate your kiss.

He regarded her so slowly, so thoroughly that she started to worry that he’d been reading her thoughts. But his gaze skipped to her lips again. “Do you understand just how badly I want to throw you over my shoulder and carry you off somewhere? Do you understand why I shouldn’t do it? You are a grain of sand in the hourglass of your life and you deserve a man who can offer you—”

He cut off abruptly, shaking his head, then focused on the ocean.

“What are you offering?”

“That’s just it, beautiful. I can’t offer you anything more than a hard fuck.”

She licked her lips, eyes smarting. Too good to be true. She should have known. She’d gotten swept away in the moment, in the idea that she could have a happy ending like Coco and Grayson. That she could have a werewolf to call her own.

“A one-night stand,” she said, amazed that her voice sounded as steady as it did. The concept was not foreign to her. Avery had engaged in several one-night stands, claiming that sometimes she just had an itch that needed scratching. Whatever that meant.

“You deserve better.”

That made her laugh. They’d known each other for an hour and a handful of minutes. “How do you know?”

He stared at her for a long time. Thoroughly. She got the impression that nothing got by him. What did he do? What had he seen in his life? It was obvious that he was much older, much more worldly. Somehow that didn’t seem like such a gaping chasm between them.

“I just do.”

“As it happens, I’m leaving here in three days.”

She didn’t know what she’d expected. Maybe for him to smile and whisk her away. Something. Anything but the frown that deepened.

“Come on. I will walk you to your room.” His accent deepened.

He held out his hand to her. She stared down at it, seeing every crease on his palm. So this was it. One life-altering, soul-awakening kiss and it was over? Wasn’t this a sex resort? She’d come along for the ride, not planning to meet anyone special. But she had. And he’d ignited a yearning inside her. Made her want things… hot things she’d never wanted before. His touch put images in her mind. Beach sex. Kisses beneath a waterfall. Nights basking naked beneath the stars.

Sighing, she placed her hand in his. “I’m actually in one of the cottages.” She pointed quickly before dropping her hand to her side.

“You never did tell me why you hate demons,” he said after a lengthy pause. Maybe he was just trying to make small talk.

The reason wasn’t a secret. And it definitely cooled her desire, so she pulled the memory to the front and said, “A demon murdered my parents seven months ago.”

He halted and faced her, his gaze searching hers in the darkness. “That’s awful,” he whispered.

She blinked back the tears threatening to fall.

“I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“It’s all right. You didn’t know.” She offered him a watery smile. “I’m not crying for my parents. Not really. They’d reared me, but their form of love was suffocating. They told me things to keep me scared.
Compliant
.”

As if he couldn’t help himself, he pulled her against him and wrapped his arms around her. Strong, solid, and warm.

“I guess I am crying for me. For relief. So much of what they told me is false. And it took their death to set me free.”

“I can understand that.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back, soothing her in a way no other hug ever had. “Did they find the bastard?”

“No. He was a drifter. My parents’ property has a cottage on it. He wanted to rent it, but they preferred… women. Couples.”

“Not single men snooping around their daughter.”

She nodded. “They tried to hide me away from the world.”

He stepped back and reached for her hand. “Then they definitely wouldn’t approve of me.” He didn’t sound the least bit insulted.

“But I approve of you.” They were almost to the cottage and she thought about refusing to tell him which one was hers so that he couldn’t drop her off. “That’s what matters,” she whispered. “We’re here.”

He led the way onto the deck and escorted her around to the front door. She liked the way he moved, an easy, loose gait that spoke of the predator he was underneath. She adored the feel of his hand at her lower back. Familiar. Proprietary.

“Ceara…”

“Don’t worry, Maxim. I may be young and inexperienced, but I understand the game.” Not that she’d ever played it. But the words sounded good, confident. And it was true. She’d studied so many aspects of humanity. And more recently, watched how her covenmates dated and interacted with the opposite sex.

He made a sound of disbelief. Somewhere between a grunt and a sigh.

Why did being with him make the shyness fade away? Before tonight she couldn’t have imagined standing on her doorstep, having such an easy conversation with a man this gorgeous. Feeling… at ease. She frowned, realizing she’d never felt like this before. The ease. The complete lack of fear that she was doing something wrong. That her parents would disapprove.

Twin sconces hung on either side of the door, casting the two of them in a soft yellow light. For the first time in her twenty-one years, she felt as if she were emerging from the darkness. Spreading her wings. There was no one hovering over her, questioning her choice of attire, music, companionship.

She liked it. Liked him. Was thankful she’d met him. So very thankful.

“Do me a favor,” she said while she had the courage.

“Anything.”

“Kiss me goodnight?”

He made that sound again. She liked it too.

“That’s hardly a favor.” He dropped her hand and cupped her face. “Goodnight, my beautiful vamp.”

This time she closed her eyes so he wouldn’t see the tears there. This time, he kissed her with such exquisite mastery, restrained and filled with goodbye that she balled her fists against his chest.

How dare he awaken her true nature and leave her unfulfilled.

But that’s exactly what he was doing. After breaking the kiss, he took a half step back.

“Go inside while I can still let you.”

Chapter Five

Ceara watched Maxim disappear down the beach, memorizing his easy swagger. How had she, little Miss Quiet, managed to find herself on a pleasure island, lusting after the one man who wouldn’t take her virginity? Life seriously wasn’t fair sometimes. She’d always believed that life was what you made it. True, she hadn’t pushed back when her parents had sheltered her, but she’d been well on her way to putting her foot down. While women her age were getting degrees, partying all night, or marrying, she’d been sitting at home playing her violin until her fingertips bled. She’d been learning, reading… not living.

She was ready to live, darn it.

Tired of staring at the glittering waves and not feeling the breeze against her skin, she grabbed her pillow and strode onto the deck. There was still time to enjoy the fresh air before the sun came up.

A few minutes later, Avery jogged up and dropped into the next chair. Her long black ponytail was severely disheveled.

“You missed a great game.”

Ceara envied Avery’s ability to fit in. To join the group. Even V had gotten into the action. She wanted to learn to be more like that. The first step, of course, was opening up. She liked Avery well enough. She was cheerful, outgoing, confident in her sexuality. All qualities Ceara admired and wanted to emulate… even if her roomie was a sports nut and a little too gung–ho about running each and every morning.

“I met someone,” Ceara murmured.

Avery went still, and then turned in her seat so quickly she almost fell out of it. “Really?”

Ceara felt a little lightheaded just thinking about him. He was so… powerful. Masculine. His intensity left her raw and bare, exposed in a way she’d never felt before. She nodded.

“Well, tell me all about him.”

After licking her lips, she said, “His name is Maxim. He’s a werewolf.”

“Oh, here we go again.”

“I know—” Ceara said quickly.

Izzy, the beautiful Russian blonde in their coven, hated werewolves. Truly despised them. And with good reason. Coco had told Ceara about how she and Valencia had found Izzy in an alley in Paris. Raped, beaten, bleeding, almost dead. Valencia had changed Izzy, saving her life. Making her immortal. And though Izzy had adapted to vampirism, she’d never forgive the wolves. Ceara couldn’t blame her.

But then Izzy’s best friend, Coco, had secretly started seeing a werewolf. Things had been intense when Izzy had found out yesterday. Coco had said it was nothing; there was no relationship with Grayson. But that had turned out to be a lie.

Ceara didn’t have a best friend. In fact, she was still learning how to be friends with the other girls in the coven. They were likeable enough, but she’d spent most of her life locked away in her room.
Alone
. Valencia’s mansion was plenty big enough for everyone. They all had their own space. But Ceara craved the closeness… something she’d never felt with her parents.

Though she didn’t have a best friend, she could understand how Izzy must have felt by the secrets Coco had kept. Luckily, the secret came out quickly, before serious damage could be done. Coco had gone from single girl on the prowl to happily mated in under a week. Would mating give Ceara the closeness she craved? Close friends and family?

“Just be upfront with Izzy,” Avery said.

“Upfront about what?” Izzy’s voice carried across the deck.

Ceara wrapped her ponytail around her index finger and twirled it tight.

Avery glanced from Izzy to Ceara and back.

“Ceara met someone.”

Izzy immediately sat on the end of Ceara’s chaise. “Is he hot? What am I saying; if he is immortal he is hot, no?”

Ceara smiled at Izzy’s way of thinking. Most immortals were drop dead gorgeous so she had a good point.

“He’s… dreamy.”

“Vampire?”

Ceara shook her head.

“Demon?” Izzy’s eyes brightened, hopeful.

Ceara shook her head again.

“Fae? He is not a god, is he?”

Ceara shook her head again.

“Oh.” Izzy screwed her mouth around.

“But he’s nice to you?” Avery asked, shifting the conversation back to a safe topic. Ceara was grateful as she didn’t wish to alienate Izzy.

“Very. He rescued me from a demon.” Ceara was still in awe of the way he just seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hadn’t seen him before she’d run headlong into him and she considered herself a very observant person.

Years of watching the world go by made it easy for her to pick up on details. Her coven mates told her she was a good listener too.

But right now, they were all ears.

“Really?” Izzy said, her tone expressing her disbelief.

“Tell us everything,” Avery added.

Ceara felt silly. Her fear wasn’t as strong as Izzy’s. But it was real to her. Demons made her jittery.

“The guy you ran into on the terrace,” Izzy said a moment later, her voice rising as if she’d just realized something.

Ceara nodded. “The demon started my way and I turned to… well, to run.” One day she’d be strong enough to stand her ground. But not today. “And I ran into the wolf. He kept me from falling. He must have seen my fear.”

“Probably scented it,” Avery said quietly.

“He acted like he was my… lover. Boyfriend? I don’t know. But it dissuaded the demon who left. The wolf, Maxim, asked if he could walk me somewhere. And I nodded.”

“That’s it?” Avery asked, surprise and disappointment coloring her voice.

“Well… no.” She didn’t want to give everything away. Not how deeply she’d been attracted to him. It was so new. She’d never experienced attraction before, on any scale. And to be hit with it to the point that she could hardly breathe some moments, where she could think of nothing but him, his hands, his lips. She felt drunk.

“We’re waiting.”

“The owner told us someone had spotted dolphins so we went up to the roof to look for them.”

Avery’s inky-black eyebrows notched upward. “That’s it?”

“We saw the fireworks.”

“But were there fireworks between you?” she asked.

“When he kissed me…” Ceara touched her lips. If she closed her eyes she could still feel his heat there.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Izzy said, her accent thick. “If you like him, he kissed you, you saw fireworks, why is he not with you? Why are you here alone?”

Ceara chewed her lower lip. “He says he can’t give me anything more than a night or two and that I deserve better than that.”