The Mating Game

by Melissa Snark

  Hoping to get another look at it, she altered course and hastened her pace. The bird cried out again, drawing her attention, so she had her gaze turned up when she ran straight into a cluster of overgrown bushes. A branch whipped past her face, almost catching her eye.

  “Ouch. Damn it! Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I’ve been reduced to talking to myself.” Hands lifted to protect her face, she stumbled forward, attempting to find her way free of the thicket. The brambles snagged her hair like grasping fingers.

  “I can see the headlines now…San Francisco woman discovered dead. Murderous plants suspected. More at ten…”

  A minute later, she freed the last strand of hair from the thorns and escaped with only a few scratches on her hands to show for the ordeal. Combing her fingers through her hair, she removed broken bits of branches and pine needles.

  Reaching the top of a hill, she stopped to catch her breath, enjoying the cool ocean breeze. A short distance ahead, waves roared and she caught her first glimpse of white crests. Determined, she soldiered on, regarding the view ahead as her final reward.

  Cassie came to a precarious halt atop an outcropping of rock and gazed down upon the coastline. The water churned and crashed in a white-blue blur. The setting sun hung above the horizon. The brisk wind whipped her hair, and she shoved long strands from her face.

  The tumultuous ocean helped settle some of her anxiety. Even so, her thoughts churned with unrest. Had she done the right thing coming here? Should she have run farther? Faster? Was there anywhere she could go that Simon Lynch would not follow?

  At the same time, she looked forward to finally meeting her dulcet-toned employer with giddy anticipation. If he measured up to his voice, he promised to be a stunning specimen of a man. It had been a long time since a man had stirred such a provocative response within her.

  “Excuse me, but this is private property. Are you lost?” The unexpected male voice came from behind her and interrupted her reverie.

  Cassie shrieked in surprise and fear. She twisted to face the threat behind her and found a menacing man looming over her. Her foot hit an uneven patch of ground and her ankle twisted to the side. Her arms windmilled to help keep her upright.

  “Careful, watch your step,” he said, and reached for her.

  “Don’t touch me!” She panicked and her adrenaline surged. Cassie retreated further, struggling to control her fight or flee reaction. He stopped dead in his tracks, a stunned expression on his face. In a heartbeat, his entire demeanor changed from aggressive to watchful. Then, he shouted a warning and lunged for her, missing by inches.

  Loose gravel rolled beneath her feet and took her for a ride. Arms flailing, she lost her balance and went ass-over-end, tumbling down the hill. She grunted and yelped, trying and failing to recover. She made a blind grab, clawing for a handhold. Her feet went over the side of the cliff and her fingers found a tree root. Her shoulder wrenched in the socket when she jerked to a sudden halt. The world spun as she dangled above the churning ocean.

  For a second, Cassie could only gape at the water in uncomprehending shock. Her other hand latched onto the tree root with a death grip. Loose pebbles rained past her face and a rock hit her hard on the temple, so she winced and turned her face away. Below, waves broke over jutting rocks.

  “Give me your hand.”

  She looked up to find the man above her, leaning over the edge. His arm extended, bringing his hand within reach. “Give me your hand,” he said again.

  “I can’t.”

  “You can.”

  Cassie whimpered with fear. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears and her pulse raced, and yet everything seemed to have slowed. She couldn’t risk letting go and place her life in the hands of a stranger.

  “Trust me,” he said. So strong, so steady. His voice diverted her attention from her predicament. She recognized those honeyed tones from prior phone conversations. She had dreamt about that voice into the late hours of the night, one hand buried deep beneath the covers, imagining a face and body to match even though she had known that reality could never live up to her fantasy.

  “Kyle?” She craned her neck to get a better look at his face. Shadows obscured his features, but in that moment she wouldn’t have cared if he looked like a troll.

  “Yes, but I think we should save the formal introductions for later, don’t you?” He managed to sound both amused and confident. His voice, that voice, just reached right into her and melted her insides. Cassie clung to the branch and focused on her priorities. Number one—not plummeting to her death. It was not a good time to turn to taffy.

  “I’ve got you.” His unwavering confidence imparted courage and drove away the fear. If he possessed any doubt about his ability to save her, he didn’t show it.

  She licked her lips. Yes, she could trust him. She had no other choice. “Okay.”

  “That’s it. Now, one hand at a time.”

  Cassie swung her legs back and forth to gain momentum and close the gap between them. At the pinnacle, she let go of the root with her left hand and extended her arm as far as it reached. Their palms connected and his fingers closed around her wrist.

  “I have you. Give me your other hand.”

  Trusting her fate to him, she transferred her right hand to his forearm. With a clean motion, he hoisted her to safety. Before she recovered her balance, he wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her up the incline. Breathing hard, he dropped to the ground while retaining a solid hold on her. She landed on his lap, cradled in his arms, her bottom against his thighs and her head on his shoulder. The cotton of his flannel shirt felt soft against her skin; his broad chest bulged with powerful corded muscles.

  Safe at last, Cassie inhaled. She scented male musk, warm perspiration, not in a bad way but more like sniffing a mouth-watering pretzel. His breath smelled of peppermint—toothpaste or mints? She leaned in closer to get a better whiff.

  His white teeth flashed in a welcoming smile. “Do I need to brush?”

  Her cheeks burst with heat at her behavior. She dropped her eyes and looked away. “Nope. I was just remembering that I need to buy toothpaste.”

  A lusty rumble shook his chest. “Let’s wait until we get off this bluff, what do you say?”

  “I almost died.” She heard herself say, but it took several long moments before the truth of it registered.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, with a distinct note of apology in his voice. “Do you always overreact, Red?”

  “Yes, I have a talent for it,” Cassie said. Her initial shock left her dazed, but she started to shake as the adrenaline ebbed. A hysterical bubble of laughter formed in her chest and she struggled to contain it. In the last twelve hours, she had run from the FBI and almost fallen off a cliff into the ocean. What had happened to her sane, reasonable self?

  “Hey, don’t cry. It’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you.” Her hero mistook her twisted humor for distress and she let him. Better he think her weak than crazy. Kyle’s soothing hand stroked up and down her back. Cassie clung to him and turned her face into his throat. The stubble of his five o’clock shadow prickled her cheek. The longer she sat on his lap, the more aware she became of the hard male body so close to her own and conflicting impulses seized her. The temptation to rub her cheek against his throat, to run her hands across his muscular chest, contradicted her fundamental fear of men.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She started to rise but he thwarted her escape.

  “Shh, don’t apologize.”

  She inhaled a deep breath and struggled to make the violent trembling cease. Her physical response helped distract her from her distress. She would have loved to run her hands over that beautiful body and call it therapy. Would he mind? And it was that sort of thinking that showed why she needed to get clear of his confusing proximity.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay. I’ll be covered in bruises but nothing’s broken. Please let me up
.”

  Kyle grew still. “Of course, but promise me first you’ll watch where you step. The ground here is treacherous.”

  She nodded. “I understand.”

  He set her on her feet and then stood also. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes, thanks to you.” She was taller than average for a woman, putting her at eye level with most men. With him, she tilted her head back to gaze up into his face for the first time.

  “You’re welcome.” His tawny brown eyes shone with good humor. Her breath hitched. Hot damn! Her worst fears and wildest fantasies were realized—the man suited his voice to a T.

  “Let’s get away from the edge,” he said.

  “Good idea. I’ve seen more of the ocean today than I wanted to.” She took the lead and they climbed the rest of the way up the steep slope to safety. They didn’t speak again until they reached the top.

  He extended his hand. “My name’s Kyle McCleod, but I guess you know that.”

  Talk about making a great first impression. Mortified, she felt her cheeks heat. It made her nervous to get so close to him again, but for the sake of politeness, she took his hand. “Hi, I’m Cassandra Claeys, your new illustrator.”

  “Weren’t you due next week, Ms. Claeys?” His brow drew together, and the use of her last name set a formal tone.

  Her mouth opened and then closed. She lacked the reserves necessary to explain everything to him. It troubled her to try after everything else that had happened. One slipup and all of her secrets would be spilled.

  “Don’t worry about it right now. We can talk later,” he said. “Let’s head back to the house.”

  She nodded, grateful for the reprieve. Kyle took the lead and she followed him. They walked in silence and the long hike gave her an opportunity to compose her thoughts. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the house became visible through the trees. They passed through the gated entry into the fenced yard.

  Outside of the house, he stopped and turned to her. “Ms. Claeys?”

  “Yes?”

  He started to speak and then smiled. His hand lifted. “There’s a piece of…”

  “I bet I’m a sight!”

  “A pretty one.”

  The hushed compliment caused her to blush. Damn, but the blasted man made her want to run every which way. From him, straight into his arms. Dropping her gaze, Cassie ran her fingers through her hair, trying to comb out the mess.

  “Did I get it?”

  He shook his head. “No. May I?”

  She took a deep breath. She had recovered much of her composure and, along with it, a natural reticence about being touched. Her first instinct led her to avoid even casual brushes with strange men. All he wanted to do was remove a bit of debris from her hair…Such a tiny thing, but it required a huge act of courage. She licked her lips and gave a small nod.

  He plucked the twig from her hair with deft fingers and cast it aside. “Dinner should be ready in about an hour if you’d like to clean up.”

  “Thank you.” She laughed because the man wore his fair share of sweat and grime.

  “Maybe I’ll take my own advice.” His white teeth gleamed as he grinned. “Have you been shown to your room?”

  “Mrs. Arthur did when I arrived, thank you.” Cassie wanted nothing more than to retreat to her room. She needed a hot shower and some privacy to recover her composure.

  “I’ll see you later,” he said.

  Kyle reached to open the back door, but Mr. Arthur hurried out of the house first. The Welsh man looked ready to burst, and his coal black eyes gleamed with excitement. Cassie hesitated, curious to find out what was going on.

  “Henry, what’s up?” Kyle asked.

  “Deputy Boggins called. There’s a hawk tangled up in barbwire out on Kendal Road near Colin’s Cross.” The gardener shot her a probing glance, but addressed his words to Kyle.

  “A hawk? Are you a veterinarian, too?” Cum architect?

  “I do volunteer work in wildlife rehabilitation.” Kyle spared her both a glance and an explanation. “I also have a license in falconry. My aviary is around the side of the house.”

  Her brow rose in astonishment. “Apparently, you’re a man of many talents, Mr. McCleod.”

  He flashed a smile and turned to Mr. Arthur. “Henry, do me a favor and call Deputy Boggins. Let him know I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  The gardener nodded and went back inside. Kyle started to follow, but Cassie touched his elbow to draw his attention. Those heart-stopping eyes regarded her with a silent question. Her anxiety about being alone with a man wasn’t enough to outweigh her sense of adventure. She’d resolved long ago not to allow fear to be her handicap.

  “Can I tag along? Please?”

  “Sure,” he said. “Meet me out front. I need to grab a few things first.”

  A feline mated to a werewolf?

  As a Chimera, half lioness/half human, Alexis Xanthis, has never released the beast within. Until she meets Lykan Alpha, Morgan LeVey. Being near him triggers a powerful need to mate, but is Morgan strong enough to dominate her feline side and still handle the human half with a gentle hand? And will the powers that be allow it?

  Find out in Destined To Mate by C.A. Salo

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