Ocean waves crashing over the sound of a light breeze was the perfect greeting upon exiting Zack's lush, silver Porsche. I carefully removed my Jimmy Choo's, the same pair I'd worn earlier in the day, and tossed them onto the seat along with my clutch. I was ready for my feet to meet the sand. It had been far too long since I'd seen the ocean. I don't even remember the last time I was down here, despite living so close. Zack removed his shoes as well and placed them on the floor of the driver's side, tucking the laces carefully so they wouldn't get ruined. I admired the way he handled them - like they were glass dolls that he didn't want to break. After he shut the door, he regarded me with a playful look.
“Somebody is eager, I see.” He smiled and extended a tan hand, the empty space between us electrified with mystery and exhilaration. I took his hand.
“It's funny. I live nearby, yet I hardly come down to the beach. It's one of my favorite places to be.”
Zack responded with a kind laugh and said, “I'm glad I could be the one to bring you out here.” His gaze never left my eyes when he spoke to me. I found it hard to look away.
I inhaled deeply as we wandered across the sand to a darkened pier a couple hundred yards from where we parked. It hadn't dawned on me that I might not be safe out here with Zack. In fact, I never once questioned his intentions with me – I just automatically assumed my company was satisfactory, but now I was starting to doubt everything. I paused.
“Zack?”
“Yes, Skylar?”
“Uh. I'm..." I didn't know how to say it without sounding like an idiot.
"You can tell me anything," he said as he squeezed my hand.
"...afraid.” Yeah, I did sound like an idiot.
“Afraid of what?”
“You.”
I expected him to be upset or disappointed, perhaps even angry, but the features in his face only softened further as his eyebrows drew together. He took both of my hands in his and looked deep into my eyes. This wasn't the same gaze from the club. This was much more intense than that initial captivating glance. His eyes opened. His pupils blossomed and expanded, and the blue surrounding them swirled into a paler shade. Suddenly, I found myself inside a riptide, his eyes pulling me deeper and deeper into their vast and expansive waters.
“Skylar Jones, I would never harm you – I absolutely promise you with every fiber of my being. If you no longer feel safe, we can return to the car, and I'll drive you home. I will not be angry at all.”
His explanation was surprising. Why was he being so kind to me? I was of no real significance in the world of Hollywood, and I certainly hadn't made any huge impressions on anyone lately. So, what about me was keeping Zack Rider interested? As if he could hear my thoughts, he went on:
“I'll admit that it's been torturous to keep my hands off you the entire evening, but I will not press forward unless you give me permission to do so. I don't want to alarm you, but wolf shifters like myself mate for life, and our encounter is no coincidence. I believe we were meant to meet.”
The breeze picked up as he went silent and I followed its path up towards the moon that was glittering down upon the sand around us. Another wave crashed nearby. My eyes traced our footprints up to where we were standing, and I raised my eyes to meet his once more.
“I'm not sure I understand,” I managed to say.
He simply watched me silently, peering deeper into my eyes. I hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time. Ever, really. And I had no way of justifying this to myself. I had strict rules about what I let happen on first dates, and that was usually just sex. This... this felt like more. I couldn't explain it, but there was something about this man that just totally and completely consumed me.
"I believe we were meant to meet," he repeated, almost in a whisper.
My chest nearly exploded as realization crashed down on me. He thinks I'm his mate. That can't possibly be right. He's Zack Rider, and I'm... well, I'm the farthest thing from the women men like him typically date. Let alone mate with. I could feel my heart beating so loudly, and by the way he watched me, I knew he could hear it, too.
"Please say something," he said to me, wrapping his hands around mine.
"I know this will sound ridiculous," I whispered to him, as he pulled me closer towards him, "but I have never felt this way before. I don't really know what to do."
“Nor do I,” he laughed. His warm, boyish laugh loosened my nerves a little bit. He pulled me in close, and I leaned into his chest, thankful for the excuse not to speak for a moment.
He kissed the top of my head, a sweet and comforting gesture.
“I want to spend time with you. Here. And I want to keep spending time with you,” I whispered into his broad chest, taking in the smell of his expensive cologne.
I couldn't see, but I could feel him smiling. I noticed that as I stood pressed up against him, I could sense so much of what he was feeling. Was that a shifter thing?
“That is by no means a promise to be your mate,” I added quickly. “But I'm positive I don't want tonight to end.”
He traced my arms with his fingers and didn't stop until his palms were gently cradling my face.
Someone once told me that shifters can't choose their mates, they have no control over who it is or when it happens. For many shifters, it's not an issue because they take on many mates over their lifetime. Wolves are unique, in that they mate for life - no exceptions. I never believed that story about shifters, thinking it was their excuse to take who they wanted, when they wanted. Now, however, I knew it to be true. I could feel it, somehow. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.
“Skylar,” he whispered. “Do not fear me. I will take care of you.”
Without hesitation, I leaned into his lips as a signal of agreement. I hardly knew what my own emotions were telling me, but I felt no bad energy. He didn't seem manipulative. He wasn't trying to pull some typical suave moves like most Hollywood shifters. He was just holding me under the moonlight with the cold sand pressing against our bare feet. The particles of our skin melted into the surrounding wind, and we became one with the sand, the ocean, the sky, the moon, and even the cars zooming across the highway in the distance. I felt their tires rattling the ground with their electric vibrations. This sort of energy could shatter the earth, but we sustained it between our lips as they continued to play.
“Let's walk further. I love the view from this pier.” He nodded towards the wooden structure just a hundred feet ahead. I agreed, gently tracing the veins in his hands as we walked. What a strange night this was turning out to be.
Our footsteps echoed underneath the pier as we made our way to the end, way out from where the water broke upon the shore. Long, rolling waves crashed in the distance as the wind whipped salty bits of water against our exposed skin. Water lapped at the posts holding the pier, and I looked down through the darkness to watch it shimmer under the light of the moon. I shivered. Zack removed his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders and then returned his arm to my waist. The warmth was comforting, so I leaned into his body and rested my head against his chest. I finally recognized his cologne to be Armani, a robust scent that filled my nostrils and stirred the emotions sitting at the bottom of my stomach. My sense of smell was getting better – interesting. I nuzzled his neck with my nose which elicited a soft moan that was barely audible above the sound of the wind, the waves, and the warring of my heart against my brain.
Zack's fingers found my neck and traced circles up to my ears while his lips gently decorated my throat, a motion that immediately caused my knees to buckle. He caught me and laughed.
“I didn't know I could do that.”
I laughed. There was nothing else I could do. He was perfect. This was perfect.
Instead of pulling me back up, he lowered me carefully to the ground and positioned himself between my legs with one hand on my hip and the other cradling my head. His lips trailed down my throat to my chest where they paused as his eyes asked for permission to continu
e. I nodded yes and moaned into the breeze, as he bit down on the fabric of my dress and tore open the front buttons with a slight jerk of his head. He slowly kissed my skin as he worked his way down my chest until he reached the mounds of my breasts. With clever hands, he nimbly unclasped my bra as if he'd done it a thousand times before. I tried not to think about that.
His tongue plunged beneath my dress to my nipples where he deliberately devoured each one as if tasting something sweet for the first time. His hands smoothed my straps off my shoulders as he playfully sucked and bit at my soft flesh, moaning adorably with delight. I carefully unbuttoned his shirt, doing my best to steady my arms from the pleasure I was feeling. I trailed my nails across his broad chest as he lifted the hem of my dress to massage my legs, working his hands up my thigh as I moaned into his neck.
The anticipation became too much, and he tore his shirt off as I fumbled with his belt and zipper. His shirt disappeared into the distance with the breeze as he kicked off his pants. I lifted my torn dress over my head as I watched him undress. I shivered again, but not from the chill of the wind. His body was absolutely amazing, a fortress built from years of running and switching between forms. His tanned skin had traces of freckles, and only the smallest amount of hair trickled down below his belly button. I noticed a scar above his left nipple that ran from his