by Haley Weir
Unlike Sapphire and Jenny, Destiny and Tilly had yet to find their beastly mates. While Tilly was perfectly content to spend the rest of her life buried beneath grading papers at the school, but Destiny needed a partner in crime—or at least someone to discourage her father and Logan from controlling her life. She turned the page and wished the hero of her story would crawl off of the pages and whisk her away.
It wasn’t as though she hadn’t fooled around over the years or had her share of regretful relationships, but Destiny felt starved for male attention and she didn’t want to fall back into bad habits. The bell above the door chimed, signaling the arrival of a potential customer, but she was lost in the adventure. “Welcome to Books & Baubles. My name is Destiny Collier. How can I assist you?” Destiny asked without lookup from her book. She used the tip of her finger to slide her slipping spectacles up the bridge of her nose and waited for a response but it never came.
Instead, a large palm flattened over the page she was reading, thoroughly snapping Destiny out of her fantasy. She glared over the rim of her glasses at Dorian Chandler, the husband and mate of her best friend Jenny. “Do I jump into the back of your ambulance and mess with your stuff?” she mumbled.
“No, because you know what I do saves lives. This,” Dorian said while gesturing toward her messy bun and the meticulously placed pile of books upon the counter. “This is just you turning a profit while reading. I call it a hobby, not a job.”
“Hey! Books have been known to save lives.”
“Come find me when one saves a dying man from cardiac arrest,” he retorted. “Anyway, I came by to see if you could help me. Jenny’s birthday is coming up and she said that sex isn’t a proper gift. Which is a bunch of bologna, if you ask me.”
“Wow, I never though Prince Charming would be so bad with the ladies.”
“What are you talking about?”
Destiny shrugged a little. “Oh, it’s just that women always what exactly what they say they don’t want. If we say we don’t want presents on our birthdays, we totally do. And if we don’t get them, then we hang on to the bitterness until the next argument so we can use it against you.” Her wicked little snicker kicked up a notch when she saw his brow pinch in confusion.
“You’re saying that I should have sex with her as a present?”
“Absolutely,” Destiny exclaimed. She moved over to the teapot and refilled her cup. “But you have to make it special. Dip yourself in chocolate and lay across the bed for all I care, but buy something that any woman would want: like scented candles or a pair of shoes. Then you make love until you’ve thrown your back out…and then a little more after that, just to be sure.”
“Are all English women this forward?”
Dorian’s neck and ears were a vibrant red, tinged with the same embarrassment that slithered around his words. He looked around the shop for a while before saying goodbye as Destiny poured herself over her book again. It was an hour later when her phone vibrated so hard it nearly fell off the counter.
DESTINY, your date has agreed to meet you tonight at 7 PM. Once the date has come to a conclusion, please respond to this message with an offer to a second date or a rejection. Best of luck!
“We’re closing early! I’ve got a date!” Destiny shouted as she ran for the door to turn the ‘Closed’ sign over. She then hurried her customers out the door with their purchases and locked up before darting up the stairs to her apartment. Logan stood in the kitchen with a particularly amused expression on his face.
“What’s got you so flustered?”
“I have a date,” she replied before turning on the blow dryer. Logan hovered in the doorway and Destiny tried to ignore him as she struggled to do something with her hair. It seemed too dark, too straight, and too shiny. Actually, when Destiny looked at herself in the mirror, she thought she was too everything. In the end, she gave up on her hair and changed into a dress that was something other than black like the rest of her wardrobe. “How do I look?” She spun in a circle to show off the flair of the maroon dress that accentuated her curves.
“Asking the man who loves you how you look before going on a date with another bloke is evil, even for you.”
“I am not evil,” she scoffed. But before Destiny could berate her friend further, a knock came from downstairs. She gave one last glance in the mirror and then headed down to the shop for her date. The shadow cast upon the front door showed off broad shoulders and a barrel chest. Bulging arms, narrow waist, wide hips, and what looked like a good two hundred and seventy pounds of muscle filled the space entirely.
Destiny swallowed thickly and turned the lock on the door.
***
When the door swung open, Brock nearly lost his nerve. But the sight of those big hazel eyes rimmed with black coal held him captive. He shuddered and held his breath as his gaze took in all of her glory. With a porcelain complexion, raspberry lips, and a bone structure that was sure to make any blueblood envious, Brock knew he was staring at his mate. Nothing else could explain the way his heart painfully knocked against his chest or the call of the rampage that burned in his gut.
But the shift never came and the bear was never summoned. Colors exploded behind his eyes. Smells prickled at his senses, lights seemed brighter, and Brock swore he could hear the sound of her breathing. His hands shot out and traced the beautiful features, but he could not hear the sound of her voice through the roar in his blood. A voice in Brock’s mind screamed “Mine” over and over.
He leaned down to kiss those beckoning lips and felt the sharp sting of her palm connecting with his cheek. Brock jumped back and clutched the frame of the door. “W-what happened? I…I don’t understand.” Dorian and Anders never said he would feel so intensely after finding his mate. “You’re…”
“I’m your mate,” she breathed. And it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. Destiny closed the door and pushed against his shoulder until he was pressed into the glass. “I need…to check your body. Do I…ugh…have your consent?”
Brock nodded eagerly. In truth, he would have told her she could rip out his heart if it meant feeling her hands on his body. Destiny gripped the hem of his shirt and lifted it to expose the scarred flesh of his abdomen. A sudden spark of fear struck him so profoundly that he pushed her away. “Don’t! Don’t touch me!”
He dropped to the floor and trembled with his hands in his head, rocking back and forth as though it would banish the darkness. Warm, soft, loving hands pushed a few stray curls from his forehead and met his gaze. “You’re Brock, aren’t you? Michael’s brother? The one that was...taken?”
“Yeah.” Brock was too overwhelmed to feel ashamed of the scars or the fact that his mate knew what had been done to him. Well, maybe not everything, but she clearly knew enough to feel some sort of pity. Brock didn’t want her pity. He did, however, want to feel the warmth of her palms roaming his face in a way that was comforting. It felt as though she could reach into his soul with those hands and he would let her.
“What were you looking for?”
“The mate mark,” she stated simply. “Some get it, some don’t, but I’ve always wanted one. Jenny’s looks like a bear paw.”
“Could you stand back so I can check? I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do it. Not yet.”
“I understand.” Destiny stood up and smoothed down the fabric of her dress. “But just so you know, everyone has scars. And I’m the last person in the world who would pass judgment.” There was a story there...one he would have to coax out of her.
Brock checked all over his body and found nothing. However, when he turned his back to Destiny she spotted a faint mark on his ribcage. She slowly, gently grazed it with her fingernail and Brock saw stars. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to calm himself. The animal inside wanted to toss her to the floor and devour his mate until she forgot every man that came before him.
The dominant streak within Brock wanted the same, but he knew the seduction would be sweeter if he to
ok his time. He licked his lips and lowered his shirt, turning to face her with eyes darkened with wanting. The tiny shiver that ran through her called out to him.
Her hand pressed to the center of his chest. “I made reservations.”
He shook his head to clear the lustful fog that cluttered his mind. “Reservations?”
“We have dinner plans. My survey said that my ideal type would like to eat.”
Just then Brock’s stomach chose to make a sound that reminded him of a dinosaur. He felt the heat spread across his face and bit his bottom lip bashfully. Destiny chuckled lightly and laced their fingers, tugging him out of the bookshop. Brock’s heart stopped once again, for he had been so enchanted by her face that he hadn’t noticed the voluptuous figure that his mate possessed. Succulent, he thought. The way her hips swayed and the swell of her breasts made his mouth water.
“You’re Hell on a man’s self control.”
Something flickered in her gaze, but it was gone before he could analyze it. Destiny pasted on a smile and walked beside him as they made their way down the street. The restaurant was well out of his budget now that he wasn’t working at the moment. He cleared his throat and hesitated before stepping inside.
“If you pull out your wallet one time on this date, I will stab you.”
The off-handed remark caused a laugh to burst out of Brock. He stared at Destiny with something akin to adoration. Her teasing smile was enough to bring him to his knees, but for the sake of propriety, he quelled that urge. “If you insist…”
“Oh, I do. I don’t intend to pick at a salad all night while you eat a steak. Besides, all that muscle…you could probably eat whatever you want.”
A lewd remark was on the tip of his tongue. Brock bit the inside of his cheek and shot Destiny one of his lazy grins. Her eyes dropped to his mouth and he felt a familiar thrill race through him. “We’ll talk about what I really want to eat later. For now, let’s have a nice dinner and enjoy one another’s company.”
Chapter Four
It was clear that Destiny had fallen down the rabbit hole and was in some alternate universe...right? It was the only logical explanation for how she could be sitting across from the gorgeous lumberjack with eyes that flickered in the chandelier light. Where Logan could be considered somewhat of a pretty boy, Brock was all masculine energy. Destiny could almost sense the bear within him, simmering just below the surface. “Are you going to stare at me all night or are we going to have a conversation?”
She blinked rapidly, trying to bring herself back to the real world. “Sorry. I have this habit of getting lost in my own thoughts. My friends always give me trouble about it.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind you staring,” Brock teased. “I just need to know if you want me to pose or not. Maybe I’ll take my shirt off again.”
Destiny flushed violently and lowered her head. Jenny and Sapphire were the bold ones of their group, so she didn’t really know how to respond to his flirtatious demeanor. “You seem quite eager to diminish my lady-like sensibilities. I’ll have you know, I was raised with a steady hand and will not be defeated so readily.”
“Oh, you want a competition?” The smile on his face was dangerous and sensual. “How about we strike a bet to make things interesting?”
“And the terms of this wager?”
“If I can get you to beg me to kiss you, then you submit to me...completely.”
Destiny’s eyes shot up to his burning gaze. She dropped her hands beneath the table and picked nervously at the thread of her dress. “Submit?” she croaked. Destiny’s rosy blush brightened further as she reached for her glass of water to quench the sudden dryness of her throat.
“Yes. My standards of physical intimacy are different than most people. Everyone expects my brother, the billionaire playboy, to be the dominant one. But I need to have control.” The waiter walked over and served their meals. Brock looked at her plate with approval in his eyes. “I like a woman who satisfies her cravings.”
“And if I never beg, then you have to tell me everything that happened to you.”
The smirk dropped from Brock’s face before she could get the last word out. Fear and something else entirely settled on his handsome features, darkening his appearance until he looked almost angry. Destiny bit her lip, but refused to back down.
“That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
“No,” she replied. “I’ve been controlled by powerful men all my life. It would take a lot to get me to do so willingly.”
“And you think having a slew of commanding sugar daddies is equal to the pain I’ve endured?” Brock leaned back in his chair, nostrils flaring with indignation.
“Sugar daddies?!” Destiny stood up so quickly that her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Before she could walk away, Brock grabbed her wrist and forced her back down. He released her and leaned over the table to speak in a hushed tone.
“Don’t make a scene.”
“You just insinuated that I was a whore,” she hissed.
“You may have had doms, but you’ve never had a mate.”
“When I said that I’ve been controlled by powerful men, I wasn’t talking about anything sexual.” Her face felt as though it were on fire. Destiny hated having to explain something so shameful to a man she had only just met. “My father and brother, if you must know. Not to mention a particularly troublesome ex, or whatever Logan was.”
She watched Brock’s jaw clench at the mention of her former lover’s name. Good, Destiny thought. She wanted him to stew in jealousy.
“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions—”
“Never assume that you know anything about my life,” she interrupted. Brock took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second as though he were counting to ten in his mind. Destiny fidgeted with the napery on the table as she downed the last of her water. “Besides, you’ve may have never been in a proper relationship, but I’ve heard all about your exploits. Where I’ve only had four lovers, you’ve had dozens. In fact, I bet if you were asked, you couldn’t even name them all.”
Finally some humility appeared in his expression. “I’m sorry. I just got defensive when you stated your conditions.” Brock sighed like the world was on his shoulders and Destiny waited patiently for him to continue. “But I accept your terms.”
“Because you’re certain that you’ll win?”
“No, because I’m afraid that I won’t.” He looked up from his tightly clenched fists and met her gaze over the table. “Do you agree to the terms?”
“I do.”
Destiny smiled down at her plate and took a bite of the lobster that she ordered. Something in the air shifted and she startled at the touch of Brock’s trouser-clad leg brushing against her calf. She licked her lips, chasing the flavor, and watched his pupils dilate until there was barely any silver remaining in his eyes. “Brock? Wh-what’s wrong?”
He gripped the table and snarled quietly. Destiny noticed that his hips bucked slightly beneath the table whenever her tongue peeked out to taste her meal. She gasped when his foot hooked around the chair and pulled her closer to the table. Brock was out of his seat and looming over her before she could blink.
His hand moved her jaw and, despite his size and intensity, his touch was surprisingly gently. Brock leaned close to her ear, warm breath fanning across her skin. Destiny dropped her fork, hearing it clatter onto the plate as he tilted her head to the side and raked his teeth at the pulse point in her neck just to watch her flinch.
“You’re a tease, Dezzy.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“You didn’t have to try,” he growled.
***
The little noise Destiny made when he traced her ear with his tongue made Brock shiver. He loved her smell and the gasping sounds that escaped her lips. She clutched his arm and turned her head until her lips were barely an inch from his. Brock didn’t care that people in the restaurant were watching them. Especially when the tell
tale tilt of Destiny’s head called out to him. His delicate little mate was naturally submissive.
“Watching you come apart at the seams will be so delicious.”
Brock barely registered the pressure against his chest as she tried to push him away. He looked at her questioningly and shook his head, but she persisted.
“We just met,” Destiny stated. “This isn’t a Disney movie. I’m not just going to fall in love with you the second we meet.”
“You…you can’t feel this? You can’t feel what’s happening between us?”
“Just because we feel a pull toward one another doesn’t mean that I’m jumping into bed with you the first day we meet.” She gave him a pointed look until he returned to his seat. “I’ve seen what happened between Jenny and Dorian. And everyone knows how messy things were with Anders and Sapphire.”
“We aren’t like them.”
“I don’t want to get hurt.”
Brock waved the waiter over to get the check, but Destiny snatched it before he could get a look at the price. She handed over her credit card, signed the check, and then requested containers to take their unfinished meals home. Brock was uncomfortable with the entire situation. “You remember what I said about needing control? Well, that doesn’t just mean in the bedroom.”
“It does this time.” Destiny looked down at the steak knife on the table and smirked, reminding Brock of her previous declaration to stab him if he tried to pay for dinner. A startled laugh burst from his chest.
“Let’s get out of here.”
They exited the restaurant and walked back to the bookshop. It was dark inside, but a light came on behind the counter as soon as the door opened. Destiny gasped and Brock followed her line of sight over to a man he had never seen in town before. He looked between the two of them and sensed that there was some sort of history. Brock’s suspicions were confirmed when the man rushed him.
He dodged out of the way...or so he thought. The stranger dropped to one knee and flipped over Brock’s body like he was some sort of ninja. Brock hit the ground hard with the man’s legs locking him in a painful hold. He felt the bear rising and knew if he lost control a lot of people would get hurt. Brock grabbed the man around the waist and slammed him on the ground hard enough to shake one of the nearby shelves.
