Second Chance with the Shifter (Stonybrooke Shifters)

by Leela Ash

  “I really have to go. It has nothing to do with you. That was amazing. Soon, I promise.”

  He pushed himself into his pants and tried to ignore the large wet spot on his crotch. She said nothing as she watched him go, though he could tell that she was disappointed in his leaving. She wanted exactly what he wanted, but she still had no idea what it was that she was getting into. It wasn’t right to take advantage of her like that. He had not been prepared for the chemistry they would have either. He realized he really like her. It just felt right.

  Walking out of the small house and getting into his truck was one of the hardest things that he has had to do in a long time. Every piece of him wanted to stay. It didn’t help that it was clear that she wanted him just as much. He knew that it was going to be a long week before they could mate properly, especially since he had hired her for a position that would put the two of them in such close contact all week long.

  Chapter 6

  Aria stayed up for hours after she got out of the bathtub. She did not know what to think about what had just happened and actually ended up having to finish herself off, so to speak. She had never been so turned on and then turned down before. Though she had never wanted to go all the way before, she was itching to know what going all the way really was like. Darryl was going to be the one to show her. She wondered if he was the reason she had felt drawn to this cold, desolate place to begin with. She believed in fate, and maybe this was where she was supposed to come to find her true love - her soul mate.

  Aria admonished herself for thinking that way. She had met him twice and climbed on his lap the second time she saw him. That seemed more like lust than soulmate. She hoped he didn’t think less of her, though she would not have changed a moment of it - except for the part where he walked away. She went to sleep fitfully, her dreams full of the wild Alaskan woods and the tattooed man that had cleaned her chimney and then failed to really clean her chimney. In her dreams though, he cleaned everything thoroughly.

  The next day she got up early and made her way to the address on the card, eager to make a good professional impression. She was surprised to find herself arriving at the huge building that she had spied when she first got into town. It was no small operation he was running, whatever it was. She still was not sure what the company actually did, but she was excited to see Darryl again. The details would reveal themselves.

  Passing through the front door, she was greeted by a large portrait of none other than Darryl right there on the wall. Even as she smiled to herself, he smiled back at her. It seemed fitting as she recalled visions of the night before. Her body inflamed with the very thought and she wondered if she was going to be turning crimson the entire week. She talked to the petite receptionist at the front and was directed to the elevator.

  “Take it to the top floor and put in the code four-two-four to open the door.”

  Confused, Aria thanked her and made her way towards the elevator. Four-two-four she repeated to herself. Kind of weird, she thought, but I guess a little extra security never hurt. There were only four floors in the building, but she felt like the elevator was taking forever. She was full of a nervous energy and an almost desperate desire to see him again. She wondered how he would act and what her job would be. She hoped he could handle being in such close proximity to him. If he touched her, she was a little afraid of how she would handle it. She imagined that all it would take would be one look and a soft kiss and she would be putty in his hands.

  When she got to the fourth floor, a buzzer sounded and she entered the code on a small keypad. The door finally opened directly onto a wide open floor plan consisting, for the most part, of numerous desks and workstations scattered about in what looked to be a pretty ergonomic, worker friendly design. There were no rooms or barriers to interrupt the flow and communication. It reminded her of some TV show she had seen on the latest trends in Silicon Valley startups. As she entered, several men looked up at her, displaying a healthy interest in the new woman in the room. Suddenly she wished she had worn flats. Her heels clicked as she crossed the floor, the sound drawing the few remaining eyes that had not already noticed her entrance. She smiled at the upturned faces as she took in her new surroundings. She was instantly struck by the rather distinct type of men Darryl seemed to have surrounded himself with.

  While she couldn’t see Darryl himself at first, she was immediately conscious of how much all these other men seemed to look like his carbon copy almost. They all seemed to have hard bodies, and even more noticeably all seemed to show signs at the neck and wrists that they too were heavily inked. This might not have made such an impression on her if she were at a motorcycle club or even in a gym, but they seemed decidedly out of place in what appeared to be pencil-pushing jobs. They could have also made a pretty good Chippendale’s crew, she thought.

  “Aria, back here.”

  As she turned to his voice she quickly forgot about everyone else. They might as well have disappeared. He was standing in the doorway of what looked to be his rather large corner office, which was built into the corner in the far back. Passing the men, she could help but feel their eyes on her. She knew she looked good in her heels and short skirt. Even more, these were the kind of men who could handle a woman like her. She only had eyes for Darryl though. Still, by the time she made it to his office door, she was beat red from all the attention. She walked on in and he closed the door behind her.

  “Don’t mind them.”

  She nodded, but didn’t say anything else. He was so close, she could feel his body heat. When he turned towards her, all she could think was that he was going to kiss her again. She actually closed her eyes and puckered her lips, but the kiss never came. After an awkward split second she sat down in the seat and looked down. Embarrassment was plain on her face. He was making it clear that whatever they had that was personal had no place here. She didn’t’ know if she would be able to keep them separate though. It turned out that he had wanted her as a sort of assistant or secretary. That worked fine for her, as she had the requisite skills. She wondered what he would have done with her if she couldn’t type. The relief of being a job she felt comfortable in was short lived however. Throughout the day as she typed out letters and made calls in the office it took everything she had to focus on the work at hand and not make another embarrassing move to somehow touch him. She was actually more afraid that she would not stop at just a touch. She wanted to rip his clothes off.

  The rest of the week, the tension in the small office was palpable. She had come to learn that he was actually in charge of a very old family business which had mineral holdings in land through Alaska and even into Canada and around the world. They were into everything from gold to diamonds to abrasives. They even had a division dedicated to residential housing…and another for their fisheries. His family had been among the first to settle the area more than 200 years ago. Some rumored they had been here even longer, if that was even possible. Anyhow, she was even more in awe of him now. Here was a man who literally was in control of billions of dollars…and he had taken the time to stop by and meet his new neighbor…and even clean out her chimney.

  She could not hold back the steamy looks she was giving him, and she was further confused by the equally hot looks he was returning her way. She wished that he would stop with his epic levels of self-control and take her right there on his desk. It didn’t help that he always seemed to glance over right while she was lost in one of her fantasies. Annoyingly the fantasies remained nothing more than fantasies as they continued to go about their work.

  Thinking that maybe he had completely forgotten about their plans for her to see the ocean ice over the weekend, Aria tried to find a way to bring it up. It had been a busy first week though and the moment never seemed to arise. Still feeling chastised for apparently not understanding their new relationship, she just kept quiet as she gathered up her things and started to leave on Friday afternoon.

  “Oh Aria, remember our hike? I hope you still w
ant to go. I was thinking around noon tomorrow if that works for you. Remember to wear something warm okay?”

  She nodded her head and as she walked out the door. Just like that her world turned from blackest night to the beautiful day. She knew she shouldn’t be so swayed, but she couldn’t help it. She felt like her heart was going to soar. She hadn’t even realized how disappointed she had felt before brought it up again. But all that was forgotten now. She couldn’t wait. She instantly picked up her pace as a smile practically split her face. She couldn’t wait for the next day. Who knew what might happen between them. As she walked out she again ignored the looks of the other men in the office. She had not had a chance to ask Darryl about the tattoos or who paid for the company gym membership. It did seem like Darryl was keeping her separate from the rest of the men there though. She had not been so much as introduced. It was kind of weird, but she just imagined Darryl wanted her all to himself. Well, she thought, he was going to have to put a little more on the table if he expected her to just wait around forever. She had high hopes he would do just that on their little excursion.

  Chapter 7

  Noon was so slow to come Aria felt like a five year old on Christmas morning. She woke up early and then tried to get back to sleep to get some beauty sleep, but it was a waste of time. She was so excited there was no way she was going to get to sleep. Finally she had to just get up. The time still crawled by. She had a few cups of coffee and then set top figuring out what to wear. Aria settled on some semi-rugged, but very curve hugging jeans and boots. It dress obviously wasn’t appropriate. She skipped undergarments to feel a little naughty. It actually did the trick for her confidence in some weird way. Finally the appointed hour came and his truck appeared out front right on time. It was exactly noon when she looked at the clock and she had to giggle to herself. Darryl was nothing if not punctual. She liked a man who kept his word, even for something like this. When he said something, you could count on it and Aria really liked that about him. It made her feel safe as well as appreciated and valued

  Not able to wait for him to knock, she opened the door when his feet hit the porch.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi.”

  Overwhelmed by her beauty and her incredible curvy figure, Darryl walked up to her and grabbed her face gently in both hands. Pushing her against the door frame, his lips met hers and his tongue teased at her mouth. She almost whimpered, as she was finally receiving the kind of attention she had so badly been craving all week. He responded by holding her even more tightly as their hips fought to rip through the very fabric of their clothes as they finally embraced. When he eventually broke the embrace and pulled away, her eyes remained closed a moment as she sought to catch her breath and compose herself.

  “I’ve been wanting to do that all week.”

  With his words Aria finally recovered and opened her eyes again, the green flecks sparkling even more brightly now.

  “Mmm, you should have. I thought I was going to go crazy. If that is your impulse, then please follow it any time you feel the urge.”

  He hissed air through his barely parted lips and kissed her again. This time his hands squeezed her braless breast and she could feel a hard knot forming against her. The way he got so easily turned on, turned her on to no end. She didn’t have to wonder if he desired her, she could feel it every time they touched. The idea of his long shaft inside of her made her go weak at the knees and she allowed herself to almost hang on him. She loved how he towered over her, supporting her with his strength.

  He pulled back after a time and grabbed her hand, leading her towards the truck. They drove for quite a while before Aria could hear anything over the sound of her own heart pounding in her chest. She snuggled up against his body as he drove, allowing herself to bask in the happiness of the moment. When they finally stopped, she got out of the truck and looked towards the sea. There were still several places where the ice still reached out to the land.

  She followed Darryl as he grabbed a backpack from his truck bed. He hefted it easily onto his back and they walked towards the majestic scene before them. The ice was thawing and receding weekly but it was still strong enough by all account to traverse. Aria was a nervous wreck, but she would have followed Darryl anywhere. He didn’t seem to have any doubts whatsoever about stepping out onto the ice. He was incredibly nimble for a man of his size.

  They stopped several times to take in the views all around them. The sun glared off the white surroundings and she was thankful for the sunglasses he handed her. The pair watched a whale breach the water’s surface far out where a wide gap had already opened up in the ice. Aria felt a spark of magic in that moment. I felt like some kind of “sign” that all of this was somehow meant to be.

  “I can’t believe I am up here in Alaska out on a floating sheet of ice. This is amazing. Thank you so much for bringing me. It really is beautiful. I never would have had the guts to come out here otherwise. Thank you for being my guide.”

  She started to turn towards him, looking to initiate another embrace, when she heard a loud cracking sound. Her face went ashen, even as Darryl tried to signal her not to move, but it was too late. A huge fault opened up right beneath her and as one entire piece flipped up, Aria slid into the freezing sea and disappeared beneath the ice in a flash. Her scream was cut short and was replaced by an abrupt silence.

  Darryl scrambled towards the gap in the ice, realizing he could easily join her if he wasn’t careful. He spotted her almost instantly, several feet away, under the thick ice. His fist beat at the ice near her, almost instinctively, but it was far was too thick to break through.

  From under the ice, Aria was in shock from the searing cold and gripped by absolute terror as she stared wide-eyed up through the ice, her eyes darting to and fro as she beat at it and searched for a way to freedom. Through the distortion of the ice she was suddenly able to make out Darryl as he sprawled on hands and knees above her, as he too pressed his hands against the ice. But just as he was there, his hands suddenly pulled away. It had already been ten or fifteen precious seconds since she had gone under. She could not see what was happening…all she saw was shadow and a flurry of movement. She saw shadows…clothes... appearing on the ice…and a cast off boot it seemed. His hands were again against the ice except now things were no longer making sense. His hand pressed above her was changing…it had changed…She made out an enormous paw…and a second…Above her now through the ice was a mammoth shadow. It almost looked like a great white bear.

  Aria knew that she was losing consciousness and that these were probably her last moments. She had liked him so much. Her body and mind were shutting down her brain was now causing hallucinations. She almost had no feeling now. The pain of the cold was gone. Suddenly she felt a massive pressure wave come through the water as the bear entered the water and swam up beside her. She felt her entire body tossed in the current as the bear positioned itself beneath her. Its massive body was pushing her through the water. Just as she saw stars and blackness closing in on her vision her head broke the surface. She felt her body lifted like a puppet’s. The bear had the belt of her jeans in its jaws as it lifted her out of the water and onto a safe patch of ice a good distance from the hole. Even as she lay there, waves of emotional relief and physical shaking coursed through her as she tried to make sense of the whole ordeal

  “Strip.”

  Aria heard the word in her mind and she looked over at the white bear with black markings. It was looking at her with familiar eyes. She was already so shaken her mind did not even question the impossibility of this beast. Somehow the power of the message, and some strange familiarity were enough, and she tried to pull her clothes off with her trembling fingers. The bear came forward and with a clawed paw caught at her jeans and actually ripped almost literally ripped them off. She gasped at the biting wind on her cold, bare flesh as she managed to remove the last of her soggy garments. The polar bear sat down in front of her and urged her forward with her paw. She u
nderstood and nuzzled up against it warm belly. It’s thick water repellant hairs felt dry against her cool skin. She instantly felt the warmth envelop her and after several minutes, her shaking body lay warm and still against the bear which had now curled around her. Burying her face into the warm animal, she thanked him silently, feeling the bear instantly hug her tighter.

  After a short time she felt her strength coming back and she sat back up, finally turning her attention back to the miracle of the enormous bear besides her. She had one last shock to endure as she watched the bear begin to shrink and morph before her eyes. Its fur receded even the entire body began to change shape. So much for the law of the conservation of mass, she thought. The entire creature transformed almost eloquently back to that of the man she knew. Finally he just sat there, naked before her. Although she was still freezing, naked herself in the cold, she could not take her eyes off the tattooed man as he got up and walked towards her. He grabbed her hand as he gathered up the clothes he had apparently strewn about in his haste to shift and rescue her such a short time before. He handed her each item of dry clothing in turn so she could dress. Although he was still standing there totally naked, he even handed her his boots. Through the clearing haze, confusion, and outright shock of this entire experience she must have still registered an extra layer of incredulity as she covered herself with the last of his clothing.

  “I don’t feel cold the way that you do.” Was all he said.