She shrugged. "Well, asking that way sounds like you're not really interested in dating her romantically. It sounds more like you just want to hang out with a friend."
He pursed his lips, pushing them to the side. "How do I fix it then?"
"Text her back and tell her you have a plan," Mary said. "Be unique with your plan. Don't do the typical dinner and a movie."
"That's where I need your help," Brandon told her. "I don't really know what to do."
A smile spread across Mary's face. "It's cold outside, so take her to that hot cocoa bar that just opened up over on Maple. After that, take her ice skating. If she doesn't know how, it gives you a great opportunity to have to hold her hand or have her hold on to your arm."
Brandon shook his head. "She's pregnant. I don't think ice skating is a great idea."
Mary's jaw dropped. "She's pregnant and she's willing to go out with you?"
He shrugged. "That's why it took some coercion to convince her to give me her number. She says the father is out of the picture."
"No," Mary told him, shaking her head. "No you don't want to go there. There's bound to be all sorts of drama surrounding the baby. Even if she claims the father isn't in the picture, there's a chance he will want to be and another man around will only complicate things."
Sighing, Brandon told her, "Well, I'm going for it. There was just something about her that I can't put my finger on that makes me keep thinking about her." Mary didn't know about the whole shape shifting thing, so she definitely wasn't going to understand the attraction he felt to Alyse. He wasn't about to try to explain it to her right then.
Mary shrugged. "Whatever. If you think you can handle it, then I guess go for it. But still be original. Maybe instead of ice skating you could take her to the beach. It'll be cold, but you could light a fire and watch the sunset. Roast some marshmallows."
Brandon thought about her suggestion for a moment. "I like it. Thanks."
Nodding, Mary turned back to her computer screen. "Good luck," she said as she began typing away at the keyboard.
He walked back into his office and sat at his desk. Alyse still hadn't replied. "I have a great idea for what we can do," he texted. "But you'll need to dress warm."
A few minutes later, his phone finally buzzed. "I would love to. What time?"
He told her he would pick her up at four-thirty. He wanted to make sure that they had plenty of time to get to the beach and get a fire started before the sun went down. Mary was smart. A sunset at the beach would be beautiful and as shape shifters the cold wouldn't bother them as much. Excited for what the weekend was going to bring, Brandon couldn't help smiling.
* * *
Friday afternoon, Alyse was ready by four-fifteen. Brandon had told her to be punctual so they didn't miss out on what he had planned. She waited anxiously, wondering what he was wanting to do. The doorbell rang at exactly four-thirty and she jumped up, excited. Ben was still at work, so he wouldn't be around to interrogate Brandon, for which she was grateful. She had sent him a text message, letting him know that she was going out and gave him Brandon's number, just in case.
When she answered the door, she saw Brandon standing before her, dressed in a blue plaid shirt and dark blue pants. He had a black jacket over his shirt and a scarf wrapped around his neck. "You ready?" he asked, smiling.
Alyse felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach and she couldn't help smiling back. She nodded and accepted his held out arm, wrapping her hand through his elbow. "Where are we going?" she asked.
Brandon wiggled his eyebrows up and down. "It's a surprise," he said.
"You said to dress warm, so I assume it outside?" she replied.
He nodded. "Yep."
"You do realize we're shape shifters, right?" she said, laughing. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I can handle the cold. You were standing in the snow last night with no shoes on and it didn't seem to bother you."
Brandon shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's still a courtesy that I figured I should extend."
"How thoughtful," Alyse replied as he pulled open the passenger door on his car. He walked around and climbed into the car on his side. "So you won't give me even a small hint?"
"It's very hot," Brandon said as he pulled away from the curb.
Alyse looked at him, confused. "But you told me to dress warm."
He nodded. "Yep."
"So...how exactly is it 'very hot'?" she asked.
Brandon laughed. "That's your hint. Not my fault if you can't figure it out."
Folding her arms, Alyse sat back in her seat, wondering what on earth he could mean. She could sense his amusement at her confusion, which only made her wonder more. Finally, she gave up. "I have no idea," she said.
He laughed again. "You're just going to have to wait."
"Fine," she said, sighing. "So what do you do for work?"
"I owe a veterinarian clinic," he said, turning the car onto the freeway.
"Really? Are you a vet then?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yep. I figured I'm pretty familiar with animals, considering the whole shifting thing, so why not spend my career taking care of them?"
"I suppose that makes sense," Alyse said.
"What do you do?" he asked.
"I've not really settled on one thing," Alyse told him. "Most recently I've been a receptionist at a doctor's office. But I've also been a waitress, I tried my hand at owning my own cake decorating business, and I worked as a teller at a bank for a while."
Brandon whistled. "That's quite the résumé. Have you just not found what you like yet?"
She shook her head. "Not really, though I have enjoyed the secretarial job the most so far. It's not exactly challenging, but the work is a lot better than the other options."
"Well I hope you'll find something that you truly enjoy," Brandon told her. "I love my work. It makes the days go by much faster than if you're sitting there wishing you were somewhere else.
When Brandon pulled the car off of the freeway, Alyse figured out where they were going. "Are you taking me to the beach?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yep. I thought we could build a bonfire on the beach and watch the sunset. I also brought marshmallows to roast." He grabbed a grocery bag from the back seat and showed her that it was filled with all different types of marshmallows.
"Sounds fantastic," Alyse told him. "Usually any dates I go on are just dinner and a movie, or dinner and then he wants to go back to his place. Hence this." She placed her hand on her stomach and gave him a look.
"So was it a one-night stand type thing?" he asked, curious. He had avoided bringing up the subject of her pregnancy because he didn't want to make her talk about something she didn't want to, but since she brought it up he figured it couldn't hurt to learn more about it. As much as he hated it, Mary's warning rang in the back of his head.
"Not exactly," she said. "I've known him since high school, so when he asked me on a date I accepted without hesitation, thinking that I knew what kind of person he was. It was on our third date that we went to his house and one thing led to another. We dated for the next month, until I found out I was pregnant. The second I told him, he bailed on me. And here we are, another month later."
Brandon shook his head. "He sounds like a creep. Any real man would step up and make sure he was around for the kid, at the very least."
Alyse nodded. "I agree. I feel bad that this child will likely grow up not knowing their father, but I'll try to make up for that by being the best mother I can."
As he pulled the car into a parking spot before the sand, Brandon said, "I'm sure you'll make a great mom."
She smiled. "Thank you for that." They each climbed out of the car and Brandon took a hold of Alyse's hand as they walked to the beach. She didn't hesitate in letting him, for which he was grateful.
There was an area on the beach that he knew of where several people would go to make bonfires during the summer, so he led her to it. While she sat on a log around a pit, he began to make the fir
e. It didn't take very long and soon enough they were sitting next to each other, roasting marshmallows.
They had just enough time to eat their first marshmallow before the sun began to lower over the horizon. The colors of pink and orange sprayed across the water, causing it to shine and Alyse smiled at the beauty. She was glad that Brandon had been original in deciding what to do and she told him as much.
Brandon smiled. "I actually can't take credit for it," he told her. "I asked my secretary for help."
Alyse laughed. "Well, at least you had enough thought to ask for suggestions, instead of doing the usual date."
"Yeah, Mary has some good ideas sometimes," he replied.
As the evening wore on, Alyse couldn't help but feel a strong attraction to Brandon. She knew at times that shape shifters could bond with each other in a special way and she wondered if that was what was happening with her. She certainly didn't want a repeat of what had happened with the father of her baby, but also found herself wanting to be intimate with him. She found herself torn between what her body was telling her to do and what her mind was telling her to do.
Chapter 3
The more they talked, the more Brandon found that he was attracted to Alyse. She was funny and sweet, on top of being incredibly attractive. He didn't want to be just like the man who had gotten her pregnant, but he found it more and more difficult to not try to kiss her. Finally, after the sun had set and they had each roasted their last marshmallow, he decided to try.
She had just finished laughing at something that he had said when she turned and looked at him. He looked into her eyes and saw desire there. Slowly he began to lean in so that she was aware of what he was about to do and could stop him if she wanted. Luckily, she didn't. Rather, she also leaned toward him until their lips met. Instantly Brandon felt electricity in the air around them.
After a moment, they pulled away. His lips tingled where her tongue had trailed across them and he smiled as they looked into each other's eyes. She smiled as well and moved in for another kiss, pressing her lips against his. Brandon placed his hand on the back of her neck as her hands began to work on the buttons on his jacket. Once it was open, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Brandon growled low in his throat as his hands wound their way underneath her shirt. He slowly worked his way up until he reached her breasts, which he began to massage. Alyse moaned as his fingers teased her nipples until they were taut. Her breasts were full and firm and he immediately felt himself growing hard.
Alyse lowered her hands and unclasped the button his pants before pulling down his zipper. Her hand reached into his pants and grabbed his cock. "Mm," she said, smiling. "Already hard."
Smiling, Brandon stood before her. He took his jacket off and laid it on the sand next to them. Pulling Alyse by her arms, he helped her stand. Kissing her once more, he unclasped her pants and allowed her to pull them down while he pulled his off. He felt that the air was cold, but it didn't chill him like it would others. He knew that as a shape shifter, the cold wouldn't bother her either.
He laid down on the ground and Alyse followed him. Swinging her leg over his stomach, she straddled him, placing her opening at the tip of his cock. She bit her lip as she lowered herself onto him, moaning with pleasure as he filled her. "You're so big," she whispered, pulling herself back up.
Brandon pushed himself into her, moaning as she surrounded his cock. Slowly they began to move in tandem, gyrating their hips together. The fire cracked and sizzled next to them, casting a soft glow over Alyse's dark skin. She was naturally beautiful, but in that moment her beauty stunned him. She had a satisfied smile on her face as she moved her hips back and forth and her eyes glowed with happiness.
* * *
Alyse couldn't believe that she had allowed herself to give in to the desire she had felt pumping through her veins. Brandon was incredible and she had truly enjoyed their evening together, but giving in to a man too quickly had gotten her in the frustrating situation of being pregnant without the father sticking around. However, she somehow knew that Brandon was different and the attraction she had felt to him only grew stronger as the night went on.
She smiled happily as she felt him fill her with each thrust of his hips. He was the biggest she'd ever had and it felt incredible to have him inside of her. As she moved her hips forward and back, her clit rubbed against his pelvic bone and she moaned with pleasure. The longer she moved on top of him, the more the pleasure grew until she knew that she would soon orgasm. "I'm close," she whispered to Brandon, causing a smile to spread across his face.
His smile lit up his eyes and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was. His hands had been on her hips, but now he slowly moved them upward, pushing up her shirt until her breasts were exposed. She wore a bra, but he pushed the cups off of her breasts, allowing a full view.
Brandon began to tease her nipples, adding additional pleasure. Within moments, she felt the tension in her body explode as the orgasm swept across her body. She cried out, pressing her hands into Brandon's chest to help support her. He still moved his hips, causing her clit to rub more against him and extending the orgasm.
Finally, she began to calm down as the orgasm stopped. Her breathing began to slow and she looked into Brandon's eyes with a smile. "That was amazing," she told him and began to move her hips again.
"I noticed," he said and moved his hips in motion with hers. She watched as pleasure passed across her face and she knew that he would soon come. Alyse began to move her hips in circles and he moaned louder. As he thrust himself inside of her, Alyse began to feel another orgasm coming and she moaned as well.
In a few moments, Brandon cried out and thrust himself further into her, pausing with each spasm of his orgasm. At the same time, Alyse came again and she gasped as a stronger orgasm swept over her body. Together they allowed the pleasure to encompass them, eventually calming as they finished.
When they were done, Alyse pulled off of Brandon and collapsed next to him. He took up most of his coat, so she turned on her side and laid her head on his chest, listening as his heart beat in his ribs. "That was amazing," he said, wrapping his arm around her.
She nodded. "I'd have to agree. Was that what you had in mind when you brought me?"
Brandon laughed. "Definitely not. I was hoping for maybe a kiss at the end of the date."
"I think we could work that out," she teased.
He laughed again and pumped his fist in the air. "Yes," he said, jokingly.
After a few moments, they both began to dress again. It was beginning to grow darker and they didn't want to be on the beach too much longer. While Alyse sat on the log, Brandon put out the bonfire, making sure all the hot coals were soaked.
They got back into his car, Brandon making sure to open the door for her, and drove away. "I guess you're taking me home now?" she asked, hoping she was wrong. She didn't want to feel like she had given herself up to him and then that was going to be all he wanted of her.
Brandon shook his head. "Nope. I have something else planned. That is, if you're up for it."
Alyse nodded. "Absolutely. My brother won't be home for another hour, at least, and I don't really feel like being alone."
"Good," he said, smiling. About twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of a hot cocoa shop that had recently opened. Alyse had heard good things about it, but had never been there.
"This is where we're going?" she asked, surprised.
Brandon nodded. "Yep. I hope you like hot chocolate."
"I love it," Alyse said. "You're either a hot chocolate person or an apple cider person. I am definitely a fan of hot chocolate."
Shrugging, Brandon took her hand. "I don't know. I think it's possible to like both. I'm sure there are weird, crazy people out there like that."
Alyse chuckled. "Yeah, probably. But I'm glad I don't know any of them."
They walked into the shop and the smells of chocolate and cinnamon drifted over them. There was a menu sp
read across the wall with all sorts of different combination options and Alyse was surprised at how many different ways there were to make hot chocolate. "Have you ever been here before?" she asked, trying to decide what to get.
Brandon shook his head. "I haven't. Again, Mary suggested it, since it's cold outside."
"Does she know about your, uh, abilities?" Alyse asked him.
"No, she doesn't," Brandon told her. "I should probably hire somebody who does know, so that way I don't have to keep making up excuses about why I understand the animals so well, but for now I don't really have a choice. I can't just fire her. She's a good worker and a good person."
They had reached the cashier where they placed their order. Alyse ordered a white hot chocolate with peppermint flavoring in it and Brandon ordered dark chocolate with hazelnut. While they waited, the two talked more about their lives. Alyse told Brandon how she lived with her brother, Ben, whom she described as a protective teddy bear.
Brandon told her that he had sisters who were twins. They all lived in their city, but usually only saw each other on holidays, birthdays, or other family occasions. His parents were both shape shifters, so when he and his sisters were born, it was only a question of which clan they would take after. Brandon took after his father's side while his sisters took after their mother's. She was a cougar shifter and so were both of his sisters.
"How does that work?" Alyse asked him. Their drinks had finally come and she took her first sip.
"What do you mean?" he asked, taking his own sip. "Oh, this is good."
Alyse nodded. "Mine too. I'm glad I went for the peppermint. I mean how does it work with one side of your family being wolf shifters and the other side being cougar shifters?"
He shrugged. "I could see that it might have been a problem longer ago, but these days people are more open-minded. They don't care that you marry in a specific clan, only that you're happy."
"That's nice," she said. Even though she was also a shifter, she didn't have any family that may care whether or not she married a cat or a wolf. She had always assumed that other clans were more strict.
ROMANCE: HIGHLANDER ROMANCE: Seduced by highlander (Historical Mail Order Bride Time Travel Romance) (Military Fantasy Romance Short Stories) Page 81
