“I just don’t remember Lost Creek ever being so wild,” she said.
“Do you like it?” he asked slowly.
“I like it a lot,” she whispered.
“Good,” Bodhi’s lips skimmed hers. “Because so do I…”
She could feel his hot breath on her face and something dark flashed over his eyes. In that moment, as their bodies truly touched for the first time, something powerful was raging inside of him and it was transferring over to her. For a second, his eyes weren’t the same. They weren’t human. He breathed out deeply and she was sure he growled at her, low and deep, like something savage and raw. Natalie was so turned on she could barely breathe. He hadn’t even kissed her yet, but her body was trembling and she wanted him so badly she couldn’t control herself. Her pussy ached for him, and she wanted to reach out and grab hold of him properly, but something he was doing to her was keeping her still, as if he had put a spell on her and was keeping her rooted to the spot.
“You’re special,” he whispered as he stared into her eyes. “I knew it the second I saw you in the middle of the street yesterday.”
“I feel it too,” she panted. “I can’t explain it… there’s just this draw.”
“I know,” he breathed. “It’s something big.”
Natalie was quivering like jelly in his arms and she was a mess of desire. If he didn’t kiss her soon, she honestly felt as if she would collapse to the ground and never recover.
He reached up to her face and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. The sensation of his fingertips connecting with her skin sent pulses of electricity rocketing through her and her whole body reacted. Bodhi pulled her closer to him and held onto her neck. Their lips still hadn’t touched but she could already taste him, she could already feel him and she felt every inch of what he could do to her.
When he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her, it was as if the world stopped turning. Natalie’s vision was blurred and as she closed her eyes and kissed him back, she felt as if she had been lifted up and suddenly gone completely weightless.
Bodhi was an animal. He growled as he bit her bottom lip and slipped his tongue into her mouth, opening hers and kissing her so hard he took her breath away. His skin was so hot he felt like he was on fire, and his hands were so rough and strong it was sending her into a frenzy.
He held onto her wrists and gripped them tight before bringing them behind her and holding them at her lower back. He was completely overpowering her, but it was so subtle to anyone looking on, and it was sexy as hell.
“You bring something out in me,” she whispered. “I didn’t even know it was there… hiding…”
“I’m sure there’s plenty more where that came from,” he said as he kissed her again and held her gaze.
Behind them, the bar was getting even busier and the crowds of people swarming around them were pushing into them and knocking their bodies even closer together. Bodhi held onto her wrists and smiled at her knowingly, asserting his power and letting her know that unless he decided to let her, she wouldn’t be moving. Natalie felt a little gush in her panties and bit her bottom lip.
“What do you want to drink?” he asked her.
Natalie shrugged. She was happy to let him choose anything and she would gladly accept.
“Or maybe we should skip the drinks and get straight on the dance floor?” he said as he raised his eyebrows.
“If you’re wanting me to do anything like that, then I’ll definitely need some Dutch courage,” she said.
Natalie had never been much of a dancer, and for some reason, she had the feeling that Bodhi wasn’t either.
“Good,” he grinned. “Because I was just kidding.”
He looked into her eyes again and she felt weak at the knees. She wanted him to kiss her again so badly, but at the same time, she knew she had to have some reserve, she didn’t want to go in too hard and too fast.
Bodhi ordered two beers from the barmaid and wrapped his arm around her as they leaned back against the bar and watched the tourists dancing like maniacs on the dance floor.
“Imagine coming here for vacation,” Bodhi smiled. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love my hometown, but I also want to see the world. Know what I mean?”
Natalie nodded. She certainly did know, but that didn’t mean she would ever have the nerve to see it through.
“I wonder why we’ve never met before yesterday,” Natalie suddenly said as she looked up to the side and into his eyes.
“Maybe we have,” he shrugged as he took a sip.
“Really, do you think?”
“We must have crossed paths at some point,” Bodhi said. “But Kodhi and I lived away for quite a few years, we left when we were in our early teens and didn’t come back until three years ago.”
“Why?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. She just didn’t have the patience to wait for him to offer the information.
“Family troubles,” he said. “Amongst other things.”
“And what made you want to come back?” she asked.
He shrugged.
“Home is home,” he took another swig. “From what you’ve said tonight, I shouldn’t have to remind you of that.”
He winked.
“True,” she said. “Sounds like we have a lot in common.”
“I think you’re right,” a little smile flitted across his lips and flashed his amazing teeth.
Natalie leaned into him and felt safe. After spending such a long time away from Lost Creek, it was so crazy to be back and slipping into a way of life she had dreamed of for so long. She almost didn’t dare believe it was real.
She looked down at her watch and saw it was nearly 11pm. She was no Cinderella, but she didn’t want to hang around Main Street all night, and she had a lot to think about when it came down to her setting up her business. Plus, it wouldn’t be so bad to keep Bodhi wanting more.
“I better get back soon,” she said.
He turned to her and pouted like a child who had lost his toy.
“You serious?” he asked. “I haven’t even got to spin you around on the dance floor yet.”
Natalie laughed and shrugged.
“Maybe another night, Bodhi,” she winked. “I have the feeling I’m going to have a very busy day tomorrow.”
“You sure will,” he said. “What time can you make it down to the store?”
Natalie held her hands up.
“I’m easy, when can you guys get there?”
“Ten?” he asked.
Natalie smiled and nodded.
“I’m not pushing you to take it, either way,” he said as he trailed his fingertips over her jawline. “But there’s no catch, and I want to help you out.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ll sleep on it.”
Bodhi nodded and smiled before he took the drink from her hand and placed it down on the bar behind them.
“Let me walk you home?” he said as he slipped his fingers up in hers and began to walk with her through the crowd.
Back outside on the street, the town showed no signs of quieting down. People were singing and dancing, laughing together and throwing snowballs as they scooped up handfuls of white and hurled them across the road.
“I wish it had been like this when I was growing up here,” Natalie said. “It’s so much fun.”
“Yes, it certainly can be,” Bodhi agreed.
They made their way back down the hill toward the intersection and he wrapped his arm around her tightly, making sure she was warm and didn’t slip on the icy ground. Cars flashed past them slowly and the odd horn beeped as Bodhi raised his hand and waved at residents he recognized.
As they stopped and waited for the lights to change, Natalie became aware of his grip tightening on her and she heard a low, gruff growl coming from between his lips. Her eyes shot up to him and she could see he was staring down the road to the right at a group of men standing on the street, loitering outsid
e what looked to be a dingy bar with motorcycles and rock music blaring from the inside.
The men were all looking back at him, and none of them appeared to be very friendly. Natalie’s heart began to pound hard in her chest and she went to speak but she didn’t have chance before Bodhi growled again.
What the hell is going on? She thought. What is he doing? Did he really just growl? Or am I hearing things?
She blinked and shook her head slightly to try and clear her thoughts, but when she opened her eyes again and looked at Bodhi, his lip was curled into a snarl and he was baring his teeth like a dog would to warn off an intruder. A low, menacing growl was rumbling out from within him and it made the hairs on the back of Natalie’s neck stand on end.
“Bodhi?” she whispered, not really daring to speak. “Bodhi… what’s happening?”
He was fixated on the men down the street and they had now all taken a step closer with their arms raised out wide as if they were encouraging him to fight.
Natalie pulled at Bodhi’s arm, trying to break his concentration on them and to focus on her. She wanted them to run and get out of there. She had no idea what was happening, but she was pretty sure that the closer the gang of boys got to her, the more she was beginning to recognize them.
They were certainly much older now, but they looked eerily like the boys from the forest that used to torment her and her brother when they were younger. The ones that used to chase them around the trees, mock them and ruin their games… the ones Natalie’s father had always warned her to stay away from.
“Bodhi,” she said again, this time with more desperation.
He looked down at her and his eyes were glowing an intense black. So intense it made her stumble with shock.
When he saw he had frightened her, his demeanor quickly changed and he clung to her as he pulled her forward and away from the group approaching them.
“What the hell,” she stammered as he tried to calm her down.
“Shush,” he whispered.
“What was going on there!? What happened to your eyes? And why were you growling?” Natalie was wailing now and she could hear the laughter of the group of men following them down the street.
Bodhi turned and glared at them, his shoulders were wide and he was so broad he looked bigger than them all put together, but that didn’t seem to deter them.
“Not now,” he snarled at them. “Not here.”
The group stopped and the man at the front, a mean looking guy with a scar right down his face, curled his lip and shrugged.
“Whenever you’re ready then, bear,” he said with menace, and then he turned and walked back through the group before they all followed him back into the night.
Natalie’s heart was pounding, and she could see the anger in Bodhi’s eyes, but she had no clue what she had just witnessed. Had the man with the scar down his face called him bear?
Bodhi looked up to meet her gaze and sighed before he shook his head and winced apologetically.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said quietly. “And I will explain it all to you, I promise, it’s just…”
“No,” Natalie said instinctively. She had been on her own long enough and she knew when she had to protect herself. “It’s all right, you don’t have to explain anything. Thanks for a lovely evening.”
She turned on her heel and began to walk as fast as she could away from him, down Main Street toward the turn off that would lead her up to her home. She could hear Bodhi calling her name behind her, but she waved her hand in the air in annoyance.
“Stop, Natalie! Come on, let me explain!” he called.
“No!” she shouted back angrily.
She stormed off into the night and felt the tears welling up behind her eyes. After such a perfect evening, with so much chemistry, she couldn’t believe what had just happened, even more so because she didn’t actually even know what she had just witnessed. Her mind was scrambled and she just wanted to get home to the safety of her own bed.
She knew he was following her ten paces behind, but she didn’t once turn to look at him. She knew he was making sure she got home, but after what she had just seen him turn into, she wasn’t sure she was safe from him either. As she approached her front door, she heard him call softly.
“Good night, Natalie, there was no way I was going to let you walk home alone.”
She stopped and sighed, debating whether to reply or not. Her heart wanted to so badly, but her head was screaming for her to run. It was as if he was morphing into his psycho brother and a wild animal all at once, and Natalie was not the girl to cope with that when she had so much change going on in her life.
She waited a moment as she held onto the handle and she heard his feet on the gravel of her driveway. But she just couldn’t do it. It was better to pull off the Band-Aid now, rather than doing it slowly over time. Without a word, she just opened her door and locked it behind her, before she slinked her way quietly to bed.
9.
Natalie lay on the sun lounger on the decking outside of her parents’ home, wrapped in a huge woolen blanket, and drinking hot cocoa. The sun was blazing down on her through the thick clouds, but the air was still icy cold and the snow was still crisp and fluffy on the ground. She was looking up at the snowcapped trees and at the mountains as skiers made their way slowly down. Shoop, shooping from one side to the other and having the time of their lives. She was jealous of their fun, because she had never felt so low. She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that she had working its way inside of her.
All night, she had tossed and turned having crazy and frightening dreams. Bodhi had worked his way into them and he had clawed at her, bit her, scratched her and maimed her. She had fought back but only instinctively; really, she had wanted to let him continue. His touch had been electric and she had woken up red hot, with her heart pounding and her panties wet. She was panting and full of lust, it was so overwhelming she felt as if it could drive her insane.
She had rolled over and buried her head in the pillow, but had found it impossible to get back to sleep. So when dawn had broken, she had gone out to the veranda, wrapped herself up nice and warm and watched the scenery and the view of the mountains.
Her head was spinning and she was still so unsure of what to do, but if her sleepless night was anything to go by, she knew there was no way she was going to be able to leave things like that with Bodhi. When she had walked away from him the night before, she had been determined she would have nothing more to do with him. But it was already tearing her up inside and it hadn’t even been a day.
She thought of the space down on Main Street, and of what it could mean for her if she agreed to take it on. It would be a life changing move for her and she had a really good shot at making her business work. It was something she had dreamed about doing since she was a little girl. She loved the idea of running her own store and pampering people with her unique talents. Now she was literally being handed the opportunity on a plate, with no risk to herself. Why wouldn’t she take it? Just because she was proud? Or because she was terrified that getting more involved with Bodhi would lead to her getting hurt?
She sipped her cocoa and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
What she was beginning to realize was that he could clearly hurt her in more ways than one. He had a power hidden deep within him. He was dangerous and he wasn’t like other guys. The way he had growled. The way his eyes had blacked over and turned to something not human. It had been frightening to see, but it was also intriguing.
She wanted to know what he was. And she didn’t want to lose him when they had such insane chemistry and had hit it off to such a fantastic start after all of the initial confusion around him and his brother. She just hoped that after she had stormed off like a brat, he wouldn’t think she was crazy or not worth the drama. After all, she had been nothing but trouble to him so far. Surely, she should be able to forgive him for the way h
e had reacted to the group of guys out on the street. It wasn’t like she knew the backstory and understood what was even going on…
But something was just so strange about it all. Something big was obviously at play, and she was walking right into the middle of it willingly and with open arms. She just didn’t know if she had it in her to survive whatever it was Bodhi may have to throw at her.
But he did say he could explain…
Natalie drained the rest of her mug and sat forward. The tip of her nose was ice cold and she shivered as she looked around. Her parents had gone out early to travel to the next town and they wouldn’t be back until much later that evening. Natalie had a whole day ahead of her, with nothing to do but think and punish herself.
She got to her feet and wandered back inside and down the corridor to her bedroom. As she walked in and looked around, her desk lamp was already on and shining down on her journal, like a beacon trying to draw her attention to it.
She knew what she had to do.
She couldn’t play it safe for the rest of her life. She had come home to take a chance, and now, if she walked away from such a golden opportunity, she would only be kicking herself for years to come. She may never get the chance again to occupy such a great location in town, and certainly, not for free.
She sighed and picked up her cell phone. She hadn’t heard back from Carly since she had told her she was going on a date, and she was, in a way, relieved. The last thing she wanted to do was explain herself and have to relay what had happened out there on Main Street. She tapped at her computer keyboard and watched it come to life. As she opened up the search engine and began to type in the words, she was already beginning to feel nervous.
Arlo’s, Lost Creek.
It only took a split second and before she knew it, she was staring directly at the telephone number. And that was all that stood in her way from changing everything.
She took a deep breath and punched the numbers into her cell and then she looked at them for what seemed like an eternity before she finally pressed the call button.
Shifter Romance: BODHI (LOST CREEK SHIFTERS NOVELLAS Book 4) Page 7
