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, and 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.”
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 lov
e. 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.”
“What was it about?”
“I can’t say for sure. They don’t have any digital files explaining what the argument was about. But he was fired soon after that.”
“My company is headquartered in New York. All the editors live there. How could he have sent those letters from all around the Seattle area?”
“He moved out here three months ago.”
“I’ve never worked with this guy. How does he even know about me?”
“That, I haven’t been able to pinpoint either. But my educated guess is that he had something to do with your books and got attached to you. When they fired him, he decided to follow you out to Seattle.”
“That’s crazy. Why?”
“It’s a mistake to expect his motivations to be rational.”
“Well, what now?”
“I’ve sent this information to the detective overseeing your case. I’m afraid it’s in their hands now.”
“They aren’t going to do anything,” Willow said, crestfallen.
She’d hoped that Corey would have a plan past just sending the information to the useless police.
“I could have some of my contacts in Seattle look into it. I know some guys who could take care of this man, once and for all.”
Willow looked at him, her mouth dropping open in shock. Was he suggesting they have Charles Shaw murdered?
“You’d have him killed?” she whispered, her voice croaking.
“Of course not. I’d just have him beat up a little and told to leave you alone.”
“I guess that doesn’t sound too terrible.”
“Don’t you want him to leave you alone?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Good. I’ll let my guys know. They’re ex-military. Very good. Very subtle.”
Willow stood up from her chair and started to pace around while Corey made some phone calls. He was smiling and excited like this was the most fun he’d had in ages.
Learning the name of her stalker and seeing his face hadn’t made her feel any better. She wished the cops would just do what they were supposed to.
Maybe she should go home and get a restraining order now that she knew who he was. She could legitimately have him arrested for bothering her after that.
She knew that would take forever and it would largely be ineffective if he did come after her. At least Corey was doing something. She was grateful he was taking control of the situation. It made her feel safer.
He hung up his phone sat beside her on the couch.
“My guys are going to look into it. You won’t be bothered by that sicko again.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“It’s nothing. You saw how easy it was to find him. The cops could have done something similar. But to be honest, they just don’t care that much about this kind of thing.”
“You’re telling me.”
“I’m glad I could help you, Willow,” he said, taking her hand.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the tender flesh between her knuckles. A sharp shiver went up her spine and her entire body shuddered.
She didn’t want him to betray his own decisions, but it was too late. He’d pressed his lips hard against hers, and she was lost in the flood of desire that overflowed inside her.
Their tongues tasted each other as they breathed each other in. Willow moaned into his mouth, feeling like she was bound to him by a powerful magnetic force.
“I want you, Corey. But I know you don’t really want me. I don’t want you to betray yourself.”
“I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
“I want more than a casual fling with you, Corey,” she said.
“I…I can’t give you more.”
“But why? I’m your fated mate.”
“Willow, when fated mates claim each other, the bond never ends, no matter what either of them do. Do you want to be trapped in that for the rest of your life?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Neither do I. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to be hurt either. The safest thing for both of us is to end this now.”
“You just had your tongue in my mouth,” she said, incredulous.
She’d known he would hurt her. Sharp pangs of despair shot through her veins. She felt sick, like she might throw up. She stood, starting to the door.
“I’m sorry, Willow. You’re right. I made a mistake. I never should have let it get this far. I got caught up. My bear kept insisting so strongly, I… I admit it. I lost control. You were right to stop me. You can see what the fated mate attraction does to people. Just imagine what it would be like if we mated and I claimed you. We would be forever bound. We would never be free o
f each other again.”
“Then I’ll say ‘goodbye’ now. Thanks for the help with my stalker. Nice knowing you.”
She hurried to the door and flung it open, running off into the night and away from Corey forever.
9
Corey watched Willow hurry away, feeling like a complete tool. Why had he let himself lose control with her? She didn’t deserve this. He was doing to her exactly what his father had done to his mother, and he would never forgive himself.
The best thing for both of them was to break it off right now. He regretted turning her on to him more than any other single thing he’d done in his entire life. He’d seen the terrors of war, and hurting Willow was worse than that.
He sat down in front of his computer, bringing up his latest project. He typed a line of code and then deleted it. He couldn’t focus. All he could think about was how he’d hurt her.
Even finding her stalker couldn’t make up for the hurt he’d caused. Nothing could make up for it. He’d used her animal attraction to him so that he could feel the pleasure of his fated mate under his hands.
He wanted to punch something for being so weak. Instead, he stood from his computer and started to pace the room. He’d called his contacts in Seattle over an hour ago and still hadn’t heard anything back yet. He went to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.
His inner bear growled and groaned inside his mind, reminding him that his mate was close. The bear was single-minded in its focus. All it cared about was claiming his woman at the soonest possible moment. The bear would not be soothed and neither would Corey.
He felt ashamed of himself, and it was clear why. He also felt depressed. Seriously depressed. It was an emotion Corey wasn’t used to. He usually didn’t bother with it. If there was something he wasn’t happy with, he’d just change it. There was no use feeling depressed about it. He considered it illogical.
But as illogical as he tried to tell himself it was, he couldn’t make it stop. He was genuinely sad. And why? He searched his feelings. Something Corey wasn’t used to.
He had to figure out what was going on. These feelings were highly uncomfortable and were getting in the way of his work. That’s when he realized why he felt depressed. He loved Willow! The shock gripped his chest and grasped his heart as he gasped. He really loved her.