by C. D. Gorri
Several blue cocktails later, he was still rambling on about his relationship with the tall, model-thin, Tris Beverly, and they hadn’t even ordered their food yet.
Leya sighed miserably as she tried to appear sympathetic. Hmm. More like just pathetic, she rolled her eyes. Was she doomed to be a shoulder for guys to cry on forever?
“She said I was insensitive!” he said and took another swig from his Blue Hawaiian.
What kind of a man drank a Blue Hawaiian at an Italian restaurant for Pete’s sake?
“I’m sure she didn’t mean it, Gary. You’re the least insensitive man I know,” Leya said with an appropriate amount of concern in her voice.
She really wanted to end this nightmare of a dinner, but she didn’t want to offend him. The man was her boss.
Unfortunately, he seemed to think she was also his therapist. She sighed and looked longingly at the next table. Ooh, shrimp scampi over linguini! Totally drool-worthy.
Gary asked another question, and she nodded hoping it was the correct response. Her stomach grumbled.
He continued on and on, so, yes must have been the right answer. Good guess, she thought and sipped some wine.
Her stomach continued to grumble. Reminding her the half a mushroom appetizer was all she’d eaten since lunch.
Typically, it did absolutely nothing to quell her appetite. To put it bluntly, Leya liked food. She looked down at her ample figure. Well, duh.
“It’s just that Tris is so hot! A guy would be crazy not to want her, right? But-”
“Uh huh, but Gary-”
“See, I knew you’d get it, but she…”
While he droned on, Leya gazed longingly at the happy couples enjoying dinner. Why am I here? She’d worked for Gary for two years, and though they’d been friendly, he never asked her out.
Clearly, he was head over heels for Tris, and she was a fill-in. She paused as his perfectly manicured fingers captured hers.
Startled, Leya stopped at the sudden feel of his absurdly soft hand. No fireworks, but maybe…
“If only I could have fallen for a shy and vulnerable girl like you, huh?” He winked and took another swig of his bright blue drink, oblivious to the way his words sliced through her heart.
Leya knew her limitations. She was nothing like the thin, beautiful Tris. Nope.
Leya had an ongoing love affair with sweet rolls and mocha lattes that showed. Okay, she was over-weight, and she knew it.
She exercised regularly and tried to eat sensibly, but sometimes it was difficult. She worked long hours and often ate on-the-go.
Working as an administrative assistant in the big city was non-stop. The job had quickly lost its luster, but she stayed because, well, she’d been afraid to leave.
She had crushed on her boss since meeting him. Forever it seemed, but finally, tonight, she realized he’d never notice her as a woman. He saw her as a secretary and a buddy. A shoulder to cry on.
She withdrew her hand from his. Maybe they could have salvaged the meal, but Gary didn’t even signal the waitress.
She didn’t get a chance to order as he sent the woman for drink after drink! He just kept guzzling his Blue Hawaiian and moaning about his girlfriend.
Well, at least one good thing would come of this. She sighed and ran a hand over her pulled back hair.
Leya had to move on. She sighed as she paid the bill, Gary having forgotten his wallet at work. He stood to say goodnight and nearly toppled the table over. Just great. She’d have to see the jerk all the way home. Ugh.
“I can drive perfectly, I’ll be fine. Always drive myself,” he grumbled.
“No, really,” she insisted.
After about ten minutes of refusing, Gary agreed. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man had suddenly caught a case of the hands.
The entire taxi ride, he’d tried to cop a feel, which wasn’t all that easy to avoid in such a confined space. His too-soft hands groped her over her clothing no matter how many times she shoved them down onto his own lap.
“That’s enough, Gary. Okay, we are here. Thank you,” Leya said to the driver as she paid the fare.
“No problem, lady, you sure you don’t need any help with him?”
“Um, no thanks, it’s okay,” she smiled at the man’s kindness and exited the cab to find Gary sitting on the curb, attempting to take off his shoes.
“No, don’t do that here, Gary!”
“Why not? I’m tired, and my feet hurt!” His whine hurt her ears, and she wondered how she ever imagined herself in love with this baby-man! Another fantasy bites the dust, she thought and rolled her eyes before hefting him off the curb.
“You’re almost home now. Come on, upsy-daisy,” she struggled under his weight as she helped him into the elevator.
Leya used the wall to try and keep him upright, but she lost hold of him when one of his hands suddenly dropped onto her blouse.
“Leya, Leya, Leya, you know, you have got one giant pair of boobs on you-”
“Mr. Trainer! Stop that!” She pushed his hand off, mortified by his behavior.
He started to slide down the wall, all the way to the floor. She had half a mind to leave him there, but being the responsible idiot that she was, she forced herself to help him up again.
She gritted her teeth and grabbed his hand to stop its wandering only to have him push his face way too close to hers.
The smell of sickeningly sweet alcohol made her want to vomit. She turned her face to avoid his slobbering kiss.
“Come on, Leya, Leeyyaa, maybe I should lay ya? Lay ya, Leya, ha, ha!” He snickered loudly.
She was tempted to drop him where he stood. The rat! But she made it this far and she’d see the asshat inside. Ugh.
“Mr. Trainer, please remember you’re my boss, and this is unprofessional!”
“Puhleease! Everyone knows how you feel about me, you know, Tris was even jealous, and I couldn’t believe it! I mean look at her and look at you! I told her, Leya is a good secretary, but I am not into chubby virgins!”
Heat burned her cheeks at his drunken admission. Did he really see her as nothing but a fat secretary who’d be so desperate to take what he was offering? OMG! And what did he mean everyone knew?
Mortification was making it difficult for her to breathe. He continued as if unaware of her sudden stiffness and pallor.
“You’re fat, but not bad looking,” his hand roamed again, and she was almost too stunned to move, “yeah, I mean, why not, I could take one for the team. So Leya, want me to lay ya?”
“What?!” she screeched.
“Come on, maybe I can show you what you’re missing, I can knock that halo off your head, a pity-fuck now and then is good for the soul, they say,” he giggled like a school girl and dropped his hands to grab her ass. That’s it! Before she could react, the door opened to reveal a pissed off Tris.
“What the hell?”
“I think this jackass is yours!” Leya said.
“Oh, baby, there you are, I was just, uh-”
“Gary your hands were on her ass!”
“Come on, Tris, you know she doesn’t do it for me. She’s a fatty nobody, but you’re the one I want,” as he fumbled with his apologies, Leya, narrowed her eyes and unceremoniously pushed him.
Gary stumbled forward, caught off guard. He surged forward and knocked over Tris. They both stared at her from their positions on the floor of his apartment with their mouths hanging open.
“Leya?”
“You little tramp-”
“Nuh uh, you don’t get to call me names. That’s it, I have had it. Mr. Trainor, I quit!”
With those words ringing in her ears, Leya Tremayne took the stairs two at a time. She stood outside trembling in the chilly night air as she hailed another cab. The noise and lights of the big city were nothing more than a blur through her unshed tears and the noise in her head.
She went home to her apartment and the first thing she did was turn on her laptop. After sending two shor
t but sweet emails, one to HR and one to Gary.
She informed them both of her decision to quit without notice and thanking Gary for his generous agreement to giving her two-weeks’ pay up front and without notice. Take that you jerk. She also gave them instructions on where to send the few personal items she left in the office.
Afterwards, Leya looked around her rental. It was a decent size, but it was sparse. As if she’d just moved in. She sighed and closed her eyes as she realized she hadn’t made a single real friend in the two years since she’d left her parents’ home and travelled to the big city to work for that jerk!
She was tired of being unappreciated and pitied! Leya sucked in a breath, willing herself to calm down. What she needed was a fresh start! But first, a little rest and relaxation.
Minutes later with an airline ticket and hotel room booked, Leya let out a long sigh.
Paradise, here I come!
CHAPTER 2
Marcus breathed in the warm, hibiscus-scented air and smiled. His Bear chuffed and snorted in his mind’s eye. The huge beast happy with their little escape. Paradise!
A little business mixed with a few nights on the beach was just what the Bear ordered! He’d worry about finding someone to settle down with later. Ugh. Settle. He hated that word.
Once upon a time he would have wanted something else, something like Ignatius and Dolores Devlin had! His great-great grandparents were rumored to be truly matebonded as only fated mates could be.
Such an occurrence was a rarity among Shifters. His father told him the tale of their love when he was just a cub. But Marcus didn’t believe in fairytales anymore.
His mother and father had a strong no-nonsense kind of marriage until his mother died. His father mourned her in his way, they all did. It had been three years now.
His father retired from the bakery, but he still ran their small Clan. He was whole after his wife’s death, leading Marcus to believe that his parents were not a truly matebonded couple. They were not fated mates. Maybe it really did only exist in fairytales?
He shrugged. So, what? He just needed someone to fill this ache in his chest, to settle his Bear, then his life could continue like it had been. But first things, first, vacation time.
“Welcome, Mr. Devlin!”
“Hi, Mr. Gordon,” Marcus had been in contact with the hotel manager the past few days organizing his stay.
He nodded and took the man’s hand careful not to squeeze it too hard. Mr. Gordon was a normal.
He smiled and looked around the huge lobby of the hotel and smiled. The open concept was fluid and very modern, unlike most of the other hotels, he stayed at.
This one had undergone renovations recently, and Marcus approved. The lobby was large and clean. Inviting was the word that came to mind.
The guests seemed to think so too as they milled about with wide, happy smiles on their sunburnt faces. This was going to be the perfect place to relax before he went back home and resumed his search for a mate. Mr. Gordon motioned for a bellhop to come and take Marcus’ bags.
“Shall I show you to your room, Mr. Devlin?”
“Let me drop in on the store first. I’ve missed Mrs. Leeds.”
“Ah, certainly, sir! The Bear Claw is a most welcome addition, and the guests are raving about it!”
“Great to hear, Gordon.”
“Certainly! I will send your things up ahead of you.”
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, sir!”
Marcus nodded and turned to the shining glass doors of the Bear Claw Bakery. When he entered, he was greeted with the familiar scents of their famous morning honey buns and sweet raisin rolls.
His smile grew broader as his impeccable sense of smell told him Mrs. Leeds followed his instructions regarding their signature recipes to perfection.
“Mr. Devlin! I see you’ve come to check on me!” a booming, accented voice reached his ears.
“I see you’ve added that coconut honey bun we’ve been discussing to the menu? I’ll take two to go and a large iced coffee, black, darling!” He greeted the older woman with a warm hug and friendly smile.
“Oh, yes! You will love it, I am sure! Right away, sir!” She smiled at him and swatted him playfully when he tugged open her apron strings.
“You tease, now if you go wandering round the island this visit, you just watch yourself, a pack of wild dogs was seen just last week over at your favorite lookout point, Mr. Marcus,” she told him and giggled like a girl when he kissed her round cheek.
Her hands went to tidy her pretty, gray braids as she moved quickly behind the counter and told a young man to fill his order in her native tongue. She smiled at him with all the warmth of a grandma to her young cub and he grinned like one back.
“Thanks for the warning, dear.”
Cheerful music played through the speakers, as Marcus quickly checked the equipment over. After taking a few notes and listening to some of his feisty manager’s suggestions, Marcus took his bag of goodies and his iced coffee and left the store.
He was proud of Mrs. Leeds. She’d been an unemployed housekeeper when she came in for the interview. Older than what he would have liked, she was proud and determined.
He’d been dubious about her skill, but he soon found that she not only had a head for business but in the kitchen, her fingers were pure magic.
Later, she brought on two grandsons, a daughter, and her brother, to work for him. He liked the idea of the place being run by a local family, and he readily hired each one of them.
In just a few days, the Leeds family learned how to run and operate the small branch of Bear Claw Bakery. Marcus and his brothers had been thrilled!
They were loyal, hardworking, and, they were Shifters, not unlike him and his brothers. The Leeds were Cormorant Shifters, a type of bird native to the island that evolved to be expert fishermen.
Mrs. Leeds and her kin were excellent additions to the Bear Claw Bakery family. Marcus was more than happy with their performance. He paid well, unlike most jobs on the island, and he offered benefits too. Yes, indeed, Marcus liked his new hires.
He lingered in the shop a few minutes until Mrs. Leeds went back to the ovens. He sipped his coffee and stood up to head for his room.
Shit, he thought and patted his pants pockets. He never got his key! Ugh. With a sigh, he yelled goodbye to Mrs. Leeds and headed back towards the concierge.
He took a deep breath, shaking his head in the process. A hauntingly sweet aroma filtered into his nostrils, stopping him suddenly in his tracks.
What the-? His Bear stood up in his mind and roared. Loudly. The fuck, dude?
His Bear was not hearing him. The more than eight-hundred-pound beast was literally doing somersaults and roaring so fucking loudly that Marcus almost fell to the floor with the force of it.
What was the source of that amazing fucking smell? Like honey and flowers, a sweet heady musk that made everything else pale in comparison. This scent was everything!
He needed to find it. Now. Must. Want. Need. The elusive source of the fragrance was driving him nuts. He inhaled a great deep breath. He took it down inside of himself and savored its flavors. Warm and sweet. Sexy as hell. MINE. That one word had his knees buckling.
He turned towards the head concierge. The scent was stronger in that direction. It was like heaven. All his favorite things. Honey buns and lavender. It was like home and warmth, sex and need, possession and sweetness all rolled into one.
His head turned and he stilled. A predator that had found his prey. The source of that delectable honey and lavender mix. The fount of that tantalizing scent was very near.
Perhaps behind the large plant that obstructed her from his view. Need to find her now. And it was a her, that much he knew.
His blood thundered in his ears as he sought the source of his torment. Yes. It was a woman. At least he thought so, but it was hard to tell under that hideous frock she wore.
He frowned as he took her in from head to toe. T
his was the cause of his heart pounding so hard he thought he was having an attack of some kind? WTF? He breathed in again, yup, it was her.
At first look, she was nothing special. She was in her late twenties, medium height, but what stood out besides the tendrils of blonde hair that escaped the ugly ass bun she’d tortured her locks into, and the no-nonsense set to her shoulders, was an outfit so utterly unflattering that the words butt-ugly would be a kindness.
The woman was talking to one of the hotel greeters, but he missed the sound of her voice as he pondered why someone would wear that? Did she have no sense of style? Was she color blind?
“Hello, welcome to Moongate Island!”
“Thank you, um, can you help me?”
Marcus was staring. He couldn’t help it. The woman smelled like heaven, but she looked like hell. She wasn’t ugly, well, not that he could really make out her face, but her outfit was decidedly unattractive.
Mine, his beast growled. Apparently, his Bear didn’t give a fuck about her lack of style. She’d be naked most of the time anyway. Naked he could do. He supposed he could live with it. If he had to. He frowned at her.
Puke-green slacks hugged her legs and hips, long legs and well-rounded hips, he was happy to note, but the color was hideous. Thankfully, she somewhat covered the glaring pants with an oversized, long-sleeved blouse.
Unfortunately, said blouse was printed with huge flowers in pink, orange, and that same puke-green. Whoever designed the shirt must have stolen it off a 1970s sofa reject. Yikes!
He started to turn away, he’d best think about how to approach the unfortunately dressed woman. but he’d moved too slow. She spotted his blatant interest. Fuck, now I have to talk to her. He was pissed as hell at the thought, but then he saw what the plant and her sunglasses had hidden from him.
Startling blue eyes in a heart-shaped face met his. Holy shit! He was a goner. Fucking beautiful. She glared at him and her lips pressed into a thin line before she ignored him. His Bear roared at her disinterest.
Had she just dismissed him without a second glance? No fucking way. But that was exactly what she’d done.
