by Stella Night
Instead of moving towards the trees, I edged closer to Nina’s.
Rachel sat framed in a window surrounded by golden light, as if she were glowing. She appeared to be writing something. Passion lit her eyes and a mysterious smile played on her pretty lips.
I hid behind a tree so that only my head peeked out. This felt like a private moment, and I felt like an intruder. I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t turn away. Her dark hair fell in curtains on either side of her face. She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ears, revealing the line of her pale neck.
She was beautiful in a way that made my head spin and my pulse race. The sweet scent of her still lingered in the air, torturing me. Desire burned my insides, savage and urgent. I wanted to kick down her door and pull her into my arms. I wanted to kiss those ripe lips and consume her, body and soul, until she was mine completely.
I clenched my fists and growled in frustration.
Life was a cruel bitch, bringing a woman like this to my doorstep now. Rachel could solve my problem of finding a mate, if only she weren’t human. Technically, I could Turn her. With one bite, I could make her a bear. Then there’d be nothing stopping me from choosing her as my mate.
But Turning her was easier said than done. I’d never do something like that unless she agreed to it. This meant I’d have to reveal my true nature to her first. Humans tended to be afraid of shifters. Their instinct was to run away, just like Anna had all those years ago.
Fuck, I must be having a bad night if I was thinking of Anna. My first love and my last. The woman who’d cut me the deepest. She was human, like Rachel. When I told her the truth about me, she disappeared.
I never saw her again.
The memory still stung like a thorn in my heart. I loved Anna, truly and deeply, and losing her wrecked me to this day. I couldn’t blame her for running. It was my fault. I rushed things. Back then I had no idea just how much humans could fear my kind.
I learned that lesson the hard way.
Now I felt like the universe was giving me a second chance. A chance at redemption. Fate had placed me in Rachel’s path, literally on a crash course. Who was I to fight fate?
If I could ease her into the truth, if I could find the right moment, maybe she’d understand. Maybe she’d let me Turn her and be my mate. Then all this business with the Elders would be settled.
The idea was ridiculous. How could I make all this happen in two days? Maddox knew what he was doing when he waited to tell me about the deadline. Two days was nothing. A blip on the radar. Blink and it was gone.
I could hear the ticking of a giant, invisible clock. Each passing second boomed like a hammer on an anvil.
But what other options did I have?
There were no she-bears in my clan who interested me. If there had been, I would have found them already. Then there was Gillian, but I didn’t consider her a real option at all. If I had more time, I could look for a mate in some of the other clans, but there wasn’t time.
As crazy as it sounded, my best option seemed to be Rachel.
She was the first woman in a long time who made me feel alive. She made me feel like Anna used to, back when I still believed I could fall in love, and back when I still believed that someone could love me.
Sure, we’d only just met, but finding a mate was different for bears than it was for humans. There was something instinctive about choosing a mate. When it was right, a bear could tell right away.
Rachel felt right.
Her showing up in my life now couldn’t just be coincidence. Surely this was meant to be. Going after Rachel was a huge gamble. If she didn’t want me, I wouldn’t have enough time to find another mate. I’d have to marry Gillian or lose everything.
I’d never let fear stop me from going after what I want. I wasn’t about to start now.
***
Rachel
I flipped through my notebook, drunk with excitement. Page after page of handwritten notes stared back at me. The words had flown out of me so fast my hand could barely keep up with my thoughts.
Admittedly, it wasn’t a story or even an idea for a story, really. It was just a jumble of feelings and descriptions, but it was more than I’d written in months. As I read back through it all, one common theme ran through the tangled mess of thoughts.
Everything I’d written had been about Noah.
Was it possible I’d found my muse? Had meeting Noah gotten my creative juices flowing? It sounded insane but the evidence was staring me in the face. I couldn’t argue with results.
Maybe it was crazy and maybe I was grasping at straws desperately, but I was desperate. I’d do almost anything to keep this momentum going. If that meant spending more time with Noah, I could live with that.
Chapter 6
Rachel
A loud banging at the door woke me from a dead sleep. I blinked my eyes and looked around in confusion. Early morning light filtered in through the windows. Who the hell was bothering me at this hour?
I rolled out of bed. Dull pain ached in my bones. I winced at the soreness from the accident. I hadn’t really felt it last night, but now I did. I could only imagine how Noah was feeling.
I padded to the front door in a tank top and shorts, moving gingerly. The door had a window covered by a sheer pink curtain. I could see Noah standing on the porch, holding a tray in his hand. I stopped short when I saw him.
A shudder ran through me as I looked at him. He wore a black sleeveless undershirt and faded jeans that sagged low on his hips. My mouth watered at the sight of his thick, corded arms and the sharp ridges of his abdominal muscles peeking out from his jeans. He’d looked good last night, but the man was stunning in the light of day.
He definitely brightened up my morning.
I swung the door open and a grin split his face. My heart fluttered in my chest at the sight of that smile. His icy blue eyes drank me in. The hungry look made me feel simultaneously self-conscious and sexy. My top felt too revealing and my shorts felt too short. At the same time, I wished I’d worn something sexier.
Noah didn’t seem to have any complaints. He seemed happy to see me. To be honest, I was happy to see him, too.
Then he spoke.
“Rough night?” he asked, grinning.
I raised my hand to my hair and realized that my curls were tangled like a thorn bush on my head. I could only imagine how my makeup must look. I’d neglected to wash my face before falling asleep.
My face turned scarlet, but my embarrassment was soon followed by anger.
“Good morning to you, too,” I said sarcastically. “Jerk.”
The smile faltered on his face. “What did I say?”
Typical man. They said something shitty and then acted clueless. It wasn’t worth arguing about. “Forget it.” My eyes flickered to the tray in his hands. It was covered by a white napkin. “What the hell is that?”
“It’s for you,” he said gruffly, shoving the tray forward. I lifted the napkin. The tray held a steaming plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.
My mouth dropped open. “You made me breakfast?”
“I did, but I’m regretting that decision. You’re kind of surly in the morning.”
I looked at the food. My stomach rumbled at the sight of it, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since noon the day before. Still, a part of me was on guard. Guys were never nice to me unless they wanted something.
“What’s the catch?” I asked.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Catch? There’s no catch. Nina’s house doesn’t have any food in it and you don’t have a car. I thought you’d be hungry.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “That was very thoughtful.”
“You’re damn right it was. So why are you making me stand out here like an asshole?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. Please come in.”
I stood aside and he brushed past me. “Do you always act this way when someone does something nice for you?”
I shut the door and foll
owed him to the little dining area. “I guess I’m not used to people doing nice things for me.”
He turned to look at me. Something lurked behind his eyes, but I couldn’t tell exactly what he was thinking. The man was a puzzle.
“That’s really sad,” he said.
Great, he thought I was pathetic. “Please don’t make fun of me,” I said.
“I’m not making fun of you,” he said, sounding sincere. “A woman like you deserves better.”
Emotion welled up in me. It took all of my self-control to keep from tearing up. This man. This goddamn man. How could he get me all twisted up inside with just a few words?
“That’s sweet of you to say,” I finally managed when I was sure my voice wouldn’t tremble. “But the world doesn’t give a crap about what we deserve.”
He seemed to consider it. “You might be right. The world doesn’t always give us what we want. We have to go after what we want, and we can’t quit until we get it.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I said. “You’re strong and tough. I’m not.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. You might be stronger than you think.” He gestured at the food. “Sit. Eat. Before it gets cold.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I sat down at the table and he sat across from me. I shoved half a slice of bacon in my mouth, followed quickly by a forkful of eggs. I groaned in satisfaction, forgetting all sense of politeness.
Noah didn’t seem to mind. “You must be hungry.”
“Why’s that?” I asked around a mouthful of food.
“Cause I’m not a very good cook.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Now who’s doubting himself? This is the best meal I’ve had in long time.”
He shrugged, his face neutral. Still, I got the feeling that he was pleased.
“So I had a friend tow your car to his auto shop. It’ll be a few days before it’s ready. He had to order some parts.”
I wiped my mouth with the napkin. “Oh my god. Thank you.”
“Not a problem,” he said.
“Well, you say that, but not many people would go out of their way to help me like this. I mean, considering that my car is messed up because I almost killed you last night.”
He smiled at that. “You barely scratched me.”
“No kidding. I’m sore as hell, and you’re moving around like nothing is wrong.”
He frowned at my comment, but the expression was quickly replaced with a smile. “Oh, I’m sore, too. I’m just too proud to show it.”
A red flag shot up in my brain. He was lying to me. I was almost sure of it. Only, I couldn’t think of a single reason for him to lie about something like that.
Pretending he wasn’t hurt when he actually was, that would make total sense. Macho guys like Noah don’t like showing weakness. But acting more injured than he was? What was the point of that?
I swiped up the remaining bits of egg with a piece of toast, trying not to let him see the confusion on my face.
“So listen,” he said. “I’m going into town later for supplies. How would you like to come with me?”
“I don’t know. I was kind of hoping you’d keep cooking for me.”
“Is that right?” he said.
“Yeah, I like having my meals delivered to my door by a good looking guy. A girl could get used to that.”
He quirked an eyebrow up at me. “It is kind of nice to have someone to appreciate my cooking, but I promise you, it’s all downhill from here. Unless you really like sandwiches.”
I heaved a fake sigh. “Fine. I guess I’ll go with you and pick up some things.”
“Smart woman.”
“Maybe I can cook you dinner?” I suggested. “Since you were nice enough to make me breakfast.”
“That sounds good,” he said. “I haven’t had a home cooked meal in ages.”
“Perfect. Give me like an hour or so. I need to shower and fix myself.”
He looked at me with a serious expression and nodded. “Yeah, you really do.”
My eyes widened in shock. “You bastard.”
He grinned at me mischievously and winked. “Kidding. You’re gorgeous.”
The compliment surprised me. It sent a fluttering heat through me, right to my core. I searched my brain for a witty response, but nothing came.
Noah turned away and headed out the front door. He called back over his shoulder. “One hour. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Then he was gone.
I took a deep, shuddering breath to still my racing pulse. Noah was an intriguing man, and not just because he was so hot he was almost hard to look at. He was cocky and guarded one minute, and the next he was making me breakfast and being almost playful. There was more to him than what was on the surface.
I couldn’t figure him out, and it was impossible to know where I stood with him. Was he just being nice or was there something more between us? And I still wasn’t sure how I felt about him. He was dead sexy and looked like he’d be a hell of a lot of fun in bed. But I also felt like he was hiding things from me. That was a deal breaker. I didn’t want to fall in love with someone I couldn’t trust. Not again.
I needed to spend time with him for creative inspiration, but I couldn’t let myself fall for him. I just couldn’t.
Was it possible to control myself around him or would I just end up getting hurt?
***
Noah
An hour later, I walked up the path to Rachel’s place. Before I got to the porch, she emerged, looking so damn sexy I forgot to breathe.
She wore a light blue sun dress that was snug in all the right places. It was low cut enough to show off some serious cleavage, and believe me, it was worth showing off. Fuck, I wanted to bury my face in those tits and never come up for air.
“See something you like?” she asked, knowing damn well what I was looking at.
I knew I was staring, but I couldn’t seem to stop. What was I supposed to do? Not look? Fuck that. A woman this sexy deserved to be admired. Otherwise, what’s the point? It’d be like walking past the Mona Lisa and not taking some time to stop and appreciate it.
“Hell yeah,” I said, locking my eyes with hers.
She’d looked damn good at breakfast. The way her tank top clung to her breasts had made it hard to think. I’d have cooked her a hundred meals in exchange for that view. But seeing how amazing she looked now put her earlier appearance to shame.
I was tempted to say screw going into town. I wanted to carry her inside, throw her on the bed, and rip her clothes off with my teeth. Then I wanted to spend the next few hours tasting every inch of her.
As good as that sounded, rushing things would be a mistake. This wasn’t a pump and dump woman like so many of the others. For me, sex was a painkiller like any other drug. All those other women had been a temporary fix. Rachel was different.
She could be the cure.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said before I could change my mind.
The drive into town was quiet. I could sense she was burning with questions, but she didn’t ask them. Instead, she just looked out the window. I appreciated that. There were too many questions I just couldn’t answer. Not yet anyway. But I had some questions of my own.
“So Rachel,” I said. “You never told me what brings you out here.”
She looked uncomfortable with the question. “It’s kind of complicated.”
“Well, I don’t want to pry,” I said. “How about the simple version?”
“I’m a writer, and I’ve been kind of having some problems with my next book. My publisher is on my ass to give them something soon. There’s way too many distractions in the city. I needed to get away from it all.”
“So how does Nina fit in?”
“Nina moved in to the apartment next to mine a while back. She brought some cookies over one time and we’ve been friends ever since. We hang out a lot. She tells me fun stories and I usually complain about my life.”
I nodded. “I’
m glad to hear that Nina isn’t alone out there. When she went off to see the world, I worried about her.”
“She’s doing well. Anyway, I told her about my writing problems and she recommended I come out here. She said it would be good for me.”
I looked at her. I got the feeling she wasn’t telling me the whole truth, but I didn’t feel like pressing her.
“So you’re a writer, huh? What kind of stuff do you write?”
She looked a little embarrassed. “Probably nothing you would read. Romances mostly.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, I’m more of a mystery, thriller kind of guy. I don’t go for the mushy stuff.”
“Yeah, you’re not exactly what I picture my readers look like.”
I laughed. “No, I suppose not. Well, I’m glad she sent you out here.”
Rachel looked at me and smiled. I couldn’t help but smile back.
It was almost impossible to keep my eyes on the road when a beautiful sight like that was right next to me. She was gorgeous, and every time we hit a bumpy patch of road, her tits bounced in a distracting way. I couldn’t help but look at that either. I was only human.
Well, mostly human.
Rachel was seriously distracting. She got me so worked up, my cock strained painfully against my jeans. I hoped she couldn’t see it. If she did, she didn’t say anything.
I gritted my teeth and tried to rein myself in before I got into a wreck.
I wasn’t used to feeling this way. So out of control. So off-kilter. It was like the more time I spent around her, the more I wanted her. What started as a single snow flake was snowballing into an avalanche.
Oddly enough, the effect Rachel had on me was reassuring. All these feelings meant she was the perfect girl to be my mate. I’d made the right decision to pursue her.
The only question now was whether I could make her feel the same way about me.
Chapter 7
Noah
I parked the truck in the lot of the shopping center. Before Rachel could get out, I hurried over to the passenger side and opened her door.
“Thank you,” she murmured, looking a little embarrassed as she exited the truck.
