Beauty's Beast

by Ann Cory

  He thought of her writhing body as she rode him. The way her pussy gripped him all tight and slick. It had been years since he was with a woman, and even then, he’d never had such an immediate connection. From the second he laid eyes on beautiful Mercedes, he’d wanted her. Nox fisted his cock harder, faster, recalling the deep heat between her thighs.

  Despite the burning pain in his muscles as he pumped and squeezed, he couldn’t let up. He imagined her plump lips wrapped around his cock, taking him all the way in.

  Right there, right there, yes, oh yessssss.

  The climax hit him like a truck and sent him into a mind spin. White heat spilled along his hand and coated his fingers. A throaty cry broke free and reverberated around the room. He desperately wanted to hold her right then. To have her breathless body in his grasp. To feel her pussy hold and release his cock while she quivered on his lap. And not for just one night. But he knew better than to hope for a long-term relationship. She’d never be with someone like him. Not if she found out the truth of what he was. The thing he became at every rise of a full moon.

  Nox reached over and grabbed a tissue to clean himself. His arm muscles burned from jerking off so fast, but at least he’d been able to get his mind off the anguish that was to come. He glanced at the clock as the numbers blazed midnight in a bright red hue.

  I can control it.

  His hands changed first, his fingers drawing long with claws.

  Damn.

  He slipped out the door and hurried toward the patch of trees behind the motel. In the darkness, he stripped off his clothes and concealed them in a bush.

  With a sense of resignation, he stalked deeper into the woods to become the beast that lived inside him.

  Chapter Three

  Mercedes opened her eyes at the first break of dawn. It took her a moment to realize where she was. Her neck ached from sleeping at an odd angle. The journal, her only glimpse into her past thoughts, still lay on her lap. She opened to the last pages she’d written and read them several times. A smile curved her lips. She whispered his name in relief.

  Nox. He hadn’t been a dream. He was real, and had been in this car with her.

  She straightened and peered out the window behind her. Several cars passed by, rocking the car gently. Her attention turned to an object in the backseat. A jacket. His leather jacket. He’d forgotten it.

  Mercedes grabbed it and put it to her nose, inhaling musk and ocean air. If Nox planned to hitch all the way to Astoria, he’d need it to keep warm in the night.

  Without a second thought, she started the car and drove toward the motel. She ignored the voice in her head telling her it was a bad idea and that he didn’t want anything more to do with her. Not only did he need his jacket back, but she also needed one last moment with him.

  Traffic was light, and she found herself pulling into the motel parking lot in under an hour.

  Mercedes parked in the first spot she came to and hurried to the motel office. A sign hung on the door that it would open at six, which was still another forty-five minutes away. Not knowing which room Nox was staying in, she didn’t have much choice but to wait.

  Glad to be out of the car, she stretched her limbs and worked the kink from her neck. She had a feeling the forty-five minutes would seem like eternity. Restless, she decided on a short walk to get her blood flowing again.

  She glimpsed a trail leading into a forested area across the parking lot. As she approached, a breeze blew and the familiar scent of musk and ocean curled around her head, making her dizzy.

  Nox.

  There was no mistaking his scent. He’d come this way, but when? Why? Had he been restless too?

  Mercedes started on the trail when Nox stepped out from behind a leafy bush. His rumpled clothing looked as if he’d slept in them, and his hair was mussed. With the two buttons missing from his shirt, it lay open, exposing the smooth planes of his chest. A sight she’d never tire of seeing.

  His gaze shifted upward, eyes widening when he saw her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Was that surprise or irritation she heard in his tone? She studied his face. Traces of dirt streaked across his face, and blood was smeared along the corner of his mouth. Her mind reeled. Think of something to say, she ordered herself. Say anything!

  “Uh, hi,” she blurted out. “Morning. I, um. I don’t know why I came back.” Flustered, she searched her mind. “Oh wait, now I remember. I brought your jacket. You left it in the backseat and I worried you’d get cold at night. It’s in the car, I’ll go get it.”

  “You didn’t have to bring it back.”

  Her body trembled. It hadn’t been that long but already she’d missed the sound of his voice. “Honest, I didn’t mind. Besides, it’s a nice jacket.”

  He wiped his forehead with the back of his arm, leaving another streak of dirt. “Well, thanks for bringing it.”

  “Sure.” She still couldn’t tell whether he was glad to see her or not. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why do you ask?”

  She pointed to her mouth. “You have blood on your lip. Right there. What happened?”

  “I was out…hunting.” He roughly wiped at his mouth.

  “Hunting?”

  He lowered his gaze and studied the ground. “Yes. For…a great jogging trail. I must’ve cut myself on one of the branches without realizing.”

  Mercedes nodded her head. She could tell he wasn’t pleased to see her. She felt like an idiot.

  “Okay. Well…” She pointed behind her. “I’ll go get your jacket now and let you be.”

  He reached his hand out and touched her arm, sending her pulse racing.

  “Wait. Don’t go. Did you want to get coffee? Talk a little? I feel I owe you something after the way I left things last night.”

  She frowned. Great, he thought she wouldn’t leave him alone unless he did something nice. “You don’t owe me anything, Nox. I’m not like that.”

  “No, that isn’t what I meant.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’d like a chance to explain.”

  His eyes were soft, almost pleading.

  As if she could deny him. “Coffee sounds great.”

  “Let me fix up my room and turn in my key. I’ll meet you in the café.”

  “Perfect. I’ll get us a table.”

  He took a step forward and paused. “I’m glad you came back, beautiful.”

  Heat rushed to her face. Before she said or did something stupid, she hurried toward the café.

  Nox let out the breath he’d been holding. Had she seen him any earlier, she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him, much less have coffee. At the same time, he hated that he lied to her.

  He returned to his room, straightened his bedspread and washed his face of the blood and dirt. The manager was just unlocking the office door when he dropped off his key and thanked him. On his way to meet Mercedes, he considered leaving without saying a word. He’d hate himself for it, but couldn’t afford to get closer to her. The timing was all wrong.

  Before he could make up his mind, she waved to him from inside. The morning light illuminated her fire-red hair and made him want to sink his fingers in it.

  Caught, he waved back and entered the café.

  “Are you hungry?” He asked and sat down across from her.

  “A little. I wouldn’t mind a muffin.”

  “Order anything you want.” Nox didn’t know how much money he had left on his bank card, but hoped it was enough.

  After they’d ordered, he sat back and watched the way she flipped her hair back over her shoulders. She appeared nervous and he wanted to put her at ease.

  “So you must have an important job to afford a nice car like yours.” Immediately he wanted to take that back. Could he have sounded more ridiculous? Why didn’t he ask what she did for a living instead?

  Okay, he was nervous too. They’d make a fine pair.

  “Actually, I bought it on a whim,” she replied, not seemi
ng insulted by the question. “Much as I love it, I can barely afford the payments. I’m always in between jobs.”

  He nodded. “I know what you mean.”

  “I guess so if you’re doing construction and stuff. Then, you travel a lot?”

  “From time to time. I go wherever the job takes me.” Nox didn’t want to talk about himself. He hated the deceit spewing from his lips. What was he doing here?

  “Do you know how long you’ll be working the job in Astoria?”

  He’d missed the sound of her voice, and the way she looked at him. It made him feel wanted and not so alone. And here he was feeding her a bunch of crap.

  “It’s sort of an in and out job,” he answered. “I don’t expect it will take long. Hopefully I’ll have a skilled crew to work with. Otherwise it becomes a pain in the ass.”

  With each lie, he felt dagger in his gut. He’d lied to women before and never thought twice about it. Why did Mercedes have such a hold over him when he barely knew her?

  “I can imagine.” He loved the way she blew on her coffee before she took a sip. “I always thought construction was dangerous work. Have you ever been hurt on the job?”

  “Uh, yeah once. I—no, wait.”

  Nox had enough. He brought his fist down against the table, hard enough to make the coffee cups rattle in their saucers.

  “I need to stop this right now.”

  Concern sprinkled her features and she started to get up. “Oh. Okay, I’m sorry. I should go.”

  He leaned over and grabbed both her wrists.

  “I don’t want you to leave.”

  She gave him a guarded look. “Okay.”

  He loosened his grip and took a big gulp of coffee.

  “I’ve been lying to you,” he confessed. “I’ve lied to you a few times now and it’s not sitting right with me. Anyone else and I could care less, but you—you’re different.”

  Her gaze didn’t falter from his.

  “You don’t owe me any explanation, Nox. It’s not like we’re a couple.”

  If he could change that, he would. “I know. Give me a chance to come clean. I don’t want to leave you with all these lies between us. It’s not what I’m about. Call it a pride thing.”

  “Okay.” She rested her chin on top of her hand and smiled. “What have you lied about?”

  “There isn’t a construction job in Astoria. Or at least, not one I plan to do.”

  She shrugged. “Big deal. It’s not really my business where you go. Just because we were intimate doesn’t mean you have to bare your soul to me.”

  “It’s more than that,” he continued. Suddenly it felt as though the temperature in the café had risen a few degrees. “I also lied about jogging earlier. I was hunting, but not for a trail.”

  Her brows arched. “What were you hunting for?”

  “Food.”

  “Ah, so you’re one of those warrior types who likes to hunt for your own food. Again, it’s nothing you need to explain. Is that it?”

  Nox thought about the right way to answer while she finished her muffin.

  “That I’ve lied about, yes.”

  “Well, that was pretty painless. Do you feel better?”

  Sweat beaded along his brow. Inside he was screaming to bolt for the door and not look back. But looking at her face, her eyes, her lips, he couldn’t. “No. I feel worse.”

  Her cup was in mid-tilt to her mouth. “Why?”

  He didn’t know how he was going to tell her, or how she’d react, but she deserved to know.

  “Because I haven’t told you the truth about me.”

  Mercedes felt the hairs on her neck bristle. “The truth?”

  “Of what I am.”

  Oh god, here it was. The guy was a murderer. He was trying to tell her he hunts young women. Probably targets the women out driving around offering hitchhikers a ride home, and he’s giving her a head start before he comes after her. It was the damn horror movie all over again.

  Her hands trembled so bad she had to put her coffee cup down or risk dropping it. “So, um. Then what’s the truth about you?”

  “I become a beast at night.”

  If memory served her correctly, and it was rare, she considered most men beasts in the bedroom. She belted out a laugh and then noted the seriousness of his expression. The waitress looked over at their table and her ears burned. Mercedes leaned in and lowered her voice.

  “How do you mean a beast? Define beast from your perspective.”

  “I become several different creatures in one. I take on the form of something hideous.”

  Pain tugged at his eyes, and in his voice. He didn’t was appear to be joking around or teasing her. In fact, he was the picture of sobriety. She stared at him a good long time while absorbing his words.

  “You…you’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “I’ve never been more serious.”

  “How can that be?” Even when she tried, she couldn’t picture what he’d described. “Turning into a beast, how does that happen?”

  “I’m a scientific experiment gone wrong. A mistake robbed me of a normal life.” He sat back and rested his hands on his thighs. “I become a beast in every sense of the word. If you want to leave right now, it’s okay. I’ll understand.”

  Sure, she wanted to hightail it out of there, but Mercedes resisted the urge. If she was going to run, she wanted to know what she’d be running from first. “I’m good at the moment.” She took a clumsy drink of her coffee, almost wearing it instead, and cleared her throat. “When do you become a beast? I mean, you aren’t one right now.”

  “No. It happens when I get angry or feel threatened. And after midnight during a full moon, which is why I was in a hurry last night to get to the motel. I couldn’t have you see me change after we’d been intimate.”

  “I see.” It made perfect sense, and she hated that she felt relieved while he looked worse for the wear.

  “I’ve been working on ways to control it,” he continued. “I don’t stay in beast form as long, either. I hope one day I’ll stop changing or find a cure.”

  Mercedes struggled to process his story. She’d come up with a number of explanations for why he left the way he did last night, but this one didn’t even crack the top one-hundred list. She drummed her nails on the counter, wanting to know more without bombarding him with questions.

  “So you’re always on the run because you’re a beast?”

  “I run because I’m being hunted.”

  “By who?”

  “By the people who made me this way.”

  Her breath hitched. “How can they find you?”

  “They placed a chip inside me. I don’t know where. It triggers whenever I change. Something about the chemical changes in my body that sets off some sort of homing device back at the lab. That’s why it’s important that I keep a handle on my emotions. Otherwise it won’t matter where I go, I’ll be found.”

  Her mind whirred from all the information. “That can’t be an easy way to live,” she said, wanting to fill the silence with something.

  “No, it isn’t. That’s why I’m going to Astoria. To end this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m tired of the cat and mouse game. This time I’m hunting them.”

  Her pulse sped up. “Why would you do that? You could get hurt.”

  “It’s what I need to do. I’m out of options.” He shrugged.

  “If you were a mistake, why are they trying to capture you?”

  “They consider me their property. They want to chain me up and do more experiments. If those fail, they’ll destroy me.”

  Her entire body convulsed. How could she be okay with letting him do something so dangerous that he could die?

  “Let me drive you there,” she offered. Maybe on the way she could convince him not to go through with it.

  “No.” He shook his head and leaned in. “No way. I don’t want to involve you.”

  She shrugged. “Too l
ate. You involved me the second you told me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I told you because the lies were eating me up inside. I happen to care a great deal for you. I’m not sure why, but I do and won’t let you get mixed up in my issues.”

  “I’m driving you there. Like it or not.”

  “I won’t get back in the car.”

  Mercedes bit back a laugh. Two could play this game.

  “Fine. Then I’ll drive beside you the whole way and hold up traffic.”

  His mouth twitched and then bowed into a wide grin that melted her heart.

  “Damn you’re a stubborn one. Something tells me that no matter what I say, you’re going to win.”

  She clasped his hands in hers. “You’ve got that right.”

  “You’re an amazing woman, did you know that?”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  He circled his thumb around her hand, sending goose bumps up her arms.

  “Last night I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I’m glad you came back.”

  The words were music to her ears. “You sure you didn’t leave your jacket on purpose?”

  “No, but I wish I had. It would’ve been clever.”

  The waitress came over and left the bill. She watched Nox reach into his wallet, but she was quicker. “I’ve got it.” From her pocket, she pulled out a ten.

  “I have money,” he said.

  “I didn’t say otherwise. I got it. You get the next one.”

  “Fine.”

  Mercedes stood and pushed in her chair. “This letting me win thing suits you.”

  “Don’t get used to it.”

  She chuckled. “You ready to get out of here?”

  “I am.”

  Chapter Four

  They laughed and took their time getting back to the car. Before she climbed in, she noticed her journal on the seat and quickly shoved it beneath the seat.

  He climbed in and gave her a skeptical look. “What was that?”

  “Huh? Oh, nothing. Just a book I’m reading.” She buckled up and cursed to herself. Now who was telling lies? “Actually, it’s my journal.”