by Vivian Arend
The storm faded from his hearing as he feasted on her, the sounds of delight from her mouth rising above the cry of the wind around the mast and, the slap of the water into the windows. The roar of fire through his veins was all he felt, the pounding of his blood in his ears all he heard. And her. Throaty moans, sharp gasps, delicate pants—all pushing him to make her pleasure peak cataclysmic. And when she called his name, her fingers laced through his hair, hips raised to him, his satisfaction matched hers.
The dire need to be all she wanted swelled in his mind. He pulled away to see her melted into the mattress, boneless and relaxed. The smile on her face as she reached for him seared his soul.
How was it possible that in less than a day’s time his heart ached at the thought of leaving her? Was it possible the magic even now filling the small stateroom was the result of something deeper than their attraction? He ran a hand up her torso until he cupped her face. She turned and planted a kiss on his palm.
“Are you ready for more?” she whispered. The taunting touch of her hands on his back made him shiver. When she grabbed his ass cheeks and squeezed, his cock jerked in reaction. Her aggressive, take-charge approach made him grin, the sensation of her wiggling under him sublime. She lined them up intimately and tugged on his hips to pull them together.
Oh crap. “Wait. Condom.”
Her eyes widened and she swore softly. He chuckled as he splayed across her, heated skin to heated skin, and reached with one hand to dig in the small cupboard beside the bed. This time she had forgotten. It was good to know he made her lose control as well…
A cracking noise followed by a resounding twang rang out, loud even through the storm, and the boat shifted violently, tumbling them both across the mattress.
Fuck. What now? “Stay here. I’ll check it out. No use us both getting soaked.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek and crawled off the bed to make his way to the deck.
The darkness of the sky obscured his vision, the rain and the wind competing in turns as they struck the sides of the boat. The edge of one of the sails had become untied and flapped like a rabid ghost intent on mischief.
Over in the corner he saw the splintered remains of a tie-down. The anchor rope had torn clean away, and Stormchild now moved under the propulsion of the waves and wind. Even as he rushed to the helm to manhandle the boat, an exposed sandbar rapidly approached. They’d be stuck until the storm passed and the tide turned. Who knew at what angle the boat would end up before the night was over.
They had to get away before it grew too dangerous with the rapidly changing depth of the bay beneath them. Leaving the steering to the sea’s whim, he grasped the walls of the saloon for support as he made his way back to the berth. Chilled water droplets clung to his bare skin and he shook his hair out of his eyes. It was a pity they would have to leave the ship, but with a little luck they’d be able to return in the morning and continue their journey.
Laurin stood at the door, her hands shaking on his skin when he drew their bodies together. “Are we safe?”
The tremble in her voice made him pause, and he stroked her cheek in reassurance. Passion flared between them again in spite of the situation, and he smiled at the ridiculous timing. “The ship should be fine, but right now we have to shift. We’ll wait out the storm in the water. Or we can swim to land and take cover there. When I found this bay I noticed there’s a couple of small cabins marked on the map.”
As he spoke she stiffened in his embrace.
He smoothed back the strands of hair that fell across her cheek. “It’s okay. I can help you.” If they’d had more time he’d have taken this step slower, but the storm forced his hand. A faint scratching sound dragged along the hull as the underside of the ship touched sand.
She shook her head and pulled away. Losing the touch of her against his skin physically hurt. “Laurin, what’s wrong?”
The rocking grew worse and she muffled a shriek. As she stared at him, her pupils were small dark pinpricks of fear. “I can’t shift. I need to… I need…” Panic rolled off her and he stepped closer, attempting to reassure her. The craft jolted and they both fell to the mattress. Laurin clawed at the sheets, her breaths coming so rapidly he feared she was having a panic attack.
He pressed her to the mattress, trapping her body with his own. They both panted, him from attempting to slow the unreasonable need surging through him to take her again. He forced his libido down, cursing whatever strange affliction affected his mind and body.
This wasn’t the time.
“I can help you. I’m a shaman. I can shift into any of the People of the Sea. No matter what form you are, I can guide you. Even if you’ve never done a shift.” The trembling in her body slowed. He stroked a hand over her ribs, sending calming thoughts, reassuring. He had to make her understand his powers were enough to break through whatever trouble she’d experienced in the past. He opened his shaman talent and poured it into her, sharing his desire to help her while he searched for her animal spirit.
“No!”
A blast of magic exploded between them, flinging him to the floor. Somehow she’d thrown him off and now scrambled away, out the door and through the galley onto the storm-lashed deck.
“Laurin!” He chased after her, both of them naked, both instantly soaking wet, between the pounding rain and the whitecaps breaking around them. Standing in the open doorway, he peered through the plummeting torrent. Ribbons of water descended around them in a curtain. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he shouted. “I can help you.”
She clung to the railing. Her body jerked, tossed by the wind and violent tilts of the vessel between the rockers of the largest waves. Resignation passed over her face as she looked into the sky, water streaming off her. “Damn it, I really don’t want to shift and I can’t swim.”
“What? Of course you can. I’ll help you and we can swim together.” He reached for her, scrambling along the slick decking. The ship creaked on the sandbar, lurching to the side as the waves smashed the craft. He stumbled and barely caught the railing beside her in time. “We have to leave now. Please, Laurin, jump with me. I promise I won’t leave you.”
She threw back her head and, to his surprise, laughed. Sheer and utter delight broke from her lips. The burst of joyful sound cut through the violence of the storm and made his heart ache with concern. Had fear pushed her over the edge?
She shook her head, her eyes bright as she gave him a wry smile. “You won’t leave me? Oh, Matt. Since it seems I have no choice in the matter… I might not be able to swim. But I can fly.”
She threw herself over the railing and he scrambled to catch her, his fingers slipping off as she shimmered. A heartbeat later an osprey circled back toward the ship before gliding upward, away to safety above the storm.
Chapter Five
Laurin skimmed the water’s surface where she’d last seen the dolphin rise. She headed for the nearby shore, back-winging inches above the sand before resuming her human form. The wind lessoned here in the lee of the hillside, but the night air and the rain chilled her naked skin. She wrapped her arms around her torso to fight the cold.
Staring over the ocean, she wondered how Matt would respond to her being an air shifter. The sound of his cry as she’d leapt into the air reverberated in her head—he hadn’t wanted her to go. The temptation to stay wrapped in his arms puzzled her, almost as much as the need she felt to physically join with him.
She’d never needed someone this desperately before in her life. Her whole body itched to have him back. She wanted to hear his gentle laugh, and to feel again the way he stroked his knuckles over her skin. Oh damn, what was the matter with her? Less than twenty-four hours had passed and she ached to be in his presence.
Her rain-soaked hair hung in tangled ropes over her face, water pouring in rivulets down her back. A deep sense of peace warmed her heart as his head broke the surface of the water.
Long firm strides brought him quickly to her side. His naked skin glowed in the pale
moonlight that snuck through a short break in the clouds. Around them the storm raged in gusts, whipping her hair around her head. She lifted her hands to clutch it back and he took advantage of the moment to step closer, pressing their bodies together.
“Air shifter.”
She smiled into his twinkling eyes. “Shaman.”
A shiver traced her skin. He wrapped himself around her, their lips meeting, tongues tangling. Heat built between them, driving the night away. Their skin, slick with the rain and the ocean’s salt water, slid together easily as he lifted her into his embrace. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms over his shoulders, mouths never separating.
Need swept through her, her breasts tingling where they pressed tightly against his firm chest. She linked her fingers into his hair and tugged until he released her lips. They both sucked in air.
“Damn it, I am so paddling your ass for not telling me sooner,” he growled.
Laurin’s heart skipped a beat at the erotic pictures that flashed through her mind. A tingling sensation settled heavily between her legs and she ground her crotch on his rock-hard abdomen. Matt groaned and dropped his head on her shoulder for a second. He took a deep breath then spoke, barely audible above the crash of the waves on the shore. “You’ve got to stop. I don’t know how or why, but for the last five hours I’ve fucking seen everything you imagine doing sexually with me.”
The heat pulsing in her veins egged her on. “I’d think you’d love it.”
He broke into a laugh and cradled her against his body. Quick steps carried them toward the tree line. “Hell yeah, but it’s making this whole situation even harder to figure out. Come on. Let’s find shelter.”
He cracked open the lid on another plastic storage bin. “Jackpot. Dry off and I’ll get the fire going.” A clean blanket settled around her shoulders, soft and warm, his hands massaging her gently for a moment before he winked and turned away.
The tidy little cabin had been unlocked when they found it. A small wood-burning stove nestled in one corner, a table with one chair next to it. The single bedframe was attached to the wall, its mattress rolled and standing upright in the corner to protect it from mice. Laurin scrubbed at her skin vigorously, trying to rid herself of the lingering chill. After toweling off her hair, she wrapped the grey blanket around her like a sarong and joined Matt where he squatted by the open stove.
“Here, I’ll take over. You need to dry off as well.” They brushed shoulders as they switched positions. Laurin resisted the urge to lean into him, the heat of his body drawing her like a magnet.
“Coffee?”
Even the sound of the word made her mouth water. “Oh Lord, yes. Are you sure it’s okay to use these supplies?”
Matt nodded. “You know the rules. We’ll leave the cabin in as good a shape as we found it, and I’ll restock whatever we consume as soon as possible. I’m sure we’re not the first unexpected visitors here. The fishermen understand.”
That was true. She’d had to shelter in a small trapper’s cabin in the mountains before and never felt guilty. The kindling crackled before her and she fed a few more pieces of wood to the flames. Building heat reflected back at her and she sighed with relief.
She glanced at Matt. He’d dried off and found a pair of shorts in one of the totes. He grinned when he saw her watching him and held out a pile of fabric. “I don’t mind what you’re wearing now, but you might want a little more warmth.”
They worked around each other in a companionable silence. Laurin pulled on the oversized shirt, its tails hanging low enough to touch her knees. Slowly the room warmed. The rain continued to beat on the roof, but now it sounded pleasurable, a part of the rhythm of the place. Rich coffee scents floated enticingly on the air, and she turned from where she’d been making the bed.
Matt gestured to the cup resting nearby. “I added extra sugar. Thought you might need it.”
She wrinkled her nose and nodded slowly. “I guess I owe you an explanation.”
He handed her the cup, then sat on the bed and carefully pulled her onto his lap. “Drink first. If you haven’t shifted in a long time you need the calories.”
Which warmed her more—the smooth liquid heat sliding down her throat? The heat passing from his body to hers where they touched? The caring tone in his husky voice? He ran a hand down her back, stroking and rubbing gently. She wanted to purr and nestle closer.
The emotions this man produced in her were incredible. Passion and lust and sweet longing for home, all wrapped together in a vibrating burst of life. Too much and not nearly enough.
She looked up at him. “Why do I feel like…”
“…you want to crawl into my skin? Spend the entire night wrapped together?” He brushed her chin with his knuckles. Stroked her jawline with his thumb. “I feel it too. An air shifter. I never dreamed of this happening.” Their gazes meshed. The knowledge he saw her every desire made heat rise to her cheeks.
“Never dreamed of what happening? Getting trapped by the storm? I hope your boat is all right.”
He shook his head. “Stormchild will be fine. We probably could have stayed onboard, only we’d have been sleeping on our heads with the tilt she’ll hit before the tide turns. That’s not what I meant. I can’t believe I didn’t realize you were from the air clans.”
Laurin snuggled tighter into his body. It felt too right to fight anymore. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Why keep it a mystery? Shifters get along, most of the time. No matter what species.”
Laurin debated how much she needed to tell him. Her one-night stand had turned into something bigger. If she was honest, Matt attracted her immensely, but not only by the physical pull between them. The caring way he had behaved opened her tightly locked secrets. She wiggled off his lap to face him more easily.
“I left the mountains two years ago. There were too many power-hungry shifters trying to woo me to their side and frankly I got sick of the whole thing. Teaching is what I’ve longed to do, but they wouldn’t let me alone. I applied for the traveling position, and I’ve been with the People of the Sea ever since. My family knows how to find me, but as long as I didn’t shift the others were unable to track me down.” She sighed and finished her coffee before placing the cup back on the table. “Now I’m going to have to figure out how to chase them off again. I bet by the time the storm clears we’ll have a dozen of the more astute of the eagle and hawk clans winging their way here looking for a fight.” Matthew’s shocked expression made her laugh. “What?”
“Why would you have men from more than one clan type chasing you? You shifted into an osprey…”
Damn. “Well, about that. I’m kinda—”
“Holy shit, you’re a shaman too.” The light in his gaze burned too hot for her to maintain eye contact.
“No, hang on a second. I’m not what you are. In fact, I’m the exact opposite—I have no magical abilities on my own. Yeah, I can shift into any of the air clans. But that’s the point. Since I can shift into anything, all the second sons and third cousins who hope to break into the upper hierarchies want me as a mate. I’ll boost their powers.”
Matthew’s smile burst like a sunrise on a clear summer morning. “I think we’re meant to be together.”
“Oh God, not you too.” The words escaped before she could seal her lips.
Confusion raced over his face. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Look, just because I…we…” She stood, disappointment washing over her. She’d thought he would be different. She didn’t want someone taking advantage of her innate skills, wanting her only for what she could bring to them. Before she could take a step he caged her, dragged her closer in one bold motion to rest on his chest as he lay back on the bed. Rolling quickly he pinned her beneath him. “Let me go,” she demanded.
A raise of his brow answered. “You’re being unreasonable. I want to talk and if this is the only way to get your attention—”
“The
last time you tried to get my attention by flattening me you ended up on your ass.” How dare he control her this way? She tried to ignore the small part inside reveling in the command he took over her. Mentally chastised herself for even thinking about enjoying his bossy behavior.
“Hmm, you really do like the idea of me paddling your ass, don’t you? Laurin, listen. I’m not trying to take over your life. I’m offering you a solution to your problems, and mine.” He nuzzled her neck and she shivered.
“Stop.”
Matt chuckled. “Why?”
“I can’t think when you do that.”
“You’re not supposed to be able to think when I do this.” He laid a line of kisses along her collarbone, unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her torso to his gaze. “Fuck, woman, you make me lose all control.” He pulled away and sat up, stroking her arm gently. “I need you, Laurin, but not to take over your life. I want you as well, and I think between the two of us we have the beginnings of a beautiful relationship. If you want to listen to my proposal.”
Chapter Six
He nearly swallowed his tongue at his poor choice of words. The expression on her face returned to almost as panicked as she’d been back aboard the Stormchild before they’d abandoned ship. Shit, his brain had tangled in knots. He was never this stupid, never so undisciplined.
She was a bloody air shifter. Never in a million years would he have guessed she was from the mountains and not the sea. He felt so comfortable with her. So…right. As if they belonged together. He shook his head slightly and tried to clear the cobwebs from his brain.
“Relax, Moonshine, I’m not suggesting you and I get hitched. If what you say is true, there could be a mess of jerks looking for you on the morning wind. I’m a very convenient solution.”
