Laurence paced the bedroom, wanting more than anything to burst into the bathroom and take her in the hot, steamy shower. The smell of floral perfume and her body filled his scenes to the point where he could barely keep control of himself.

The woman had bewitched him. In all his life, he’d never let a women get under his skin like this, let alone a witch. When she sauntered out of the bathroom with a trail of fragrant mist on her heels, her head wrapped in a towel, and her face pink from the heat, he tore past her into the bathroom.

He’d asked the ship captain for separate rooms, but they couldn’t accommodate them. He wouldn’t spend the rest of the journey back to the mainland in the same room with her. The temptation to take her again would be too great.

His bear roared inside him as he took off his clothes. The animal was so close to the surface, clawing to get out and feel Vivian’s skin, still warm and damp from the shower. No. He had to be stronger than this. A witch cursed his mother and caused her death. If avoiding getting enchanted by a member of their race meant he had to be at odds with his inner animal, so be it.

He got in the shower and cleaned quickly before getting out and getting dressed. In his fresh clothing, he felt like a new man. Laurence could rough it like any shifter, but two days on an island with nothing but boar meat and a witch fire was a bit much for even the toughest of shifters.

He came out of the bathroom to find Vivian gone. His inner bear groaned loudly and Laurence shushed it down. What did it matter if she wasn’t there? When they got back to Mystic Harbor, they probably would never see each other again.

Maybe he’d take his new ship back to Alaska, home of the great Kodiak bear clans and find himself a position with his cousins. His brother would be fine here with the black bear family. He didn’t need Laurence to babysit him. Besides, the fishing was so much better in Alaska.

Laurence left the room with a smile on his face, feeling as if he’d made a good decision. He’d never quite meshed with Oregon, he told himself. The winters were far too mild. No need to hibernate.

He made his way to the dining room and began heaping food onto a plate from the buffet. At the end of the line, he shoved a giant prawn into his mouth and looked around the room.

Vivian sat at a table by herself, looking out onto the sea through a floor to ceiling window. The bear within shoved him forward, growling and groaning. Laurence grimaced.

Fine. He’d eat lunch with her. They’d be on their way after that anyway. He might as well have someone to talk to at lunch. Not like he knew anyone else on board.

He strode over to the table and sat down, his plate piled high with all kinds of shipboard delicacies.

“Hello,” she said softly, looking a bit lost. She gave him a half smile and looked back out to sea.

“Hi,” he said gruffly, taking his seat. He dug into his food, only briefly looking up at her because his instincts forced him to stare at her breasts. He glanced down at her plate and noticed she’d hardly eaten anything.

“Not hungry?” he asked, wiping the crumbs from his face.

“I’m just thinking about what to do about my ex-husband. There are so few options and none of them are good.” Her voice trailed off. He gazed at her, finally giving her his full attention.

“What are you going to do?” he asked, looking at her sideways. She looked green, seasick, but he knew Vivian didn’t get seasick.

“I don’t know, Laurence. I don’t know. I wish there were an easy way out of this. A way that made me feel less afraid, less…”

“Less what?” He couldn’t help wanting to help her, to protect her. It might be the result of his bear’s demands to mate the woman, but he felt it nonetheless.

“It doesn’t matter. Is that chocolate cake over there?” She stood and wandered back to the buffet. Laurence watched her curvy body sway through the crowd and come to stand in front of the buffet table, piled high with every manner of desert.

She took a small plate and dished herself a slice of chocolate cake. A satisfied smile crept over her lips. At least she seemed happy now. Then he reminded himself, his bear, that he didn’t care if she was happy. She was a witch and probably up to no good.

She came back to the table and sat down across from him. Her smile had grown broader, showing her teeth. She picked up the small fork and lifted a bite into her full pink mouth. He watched as she licked a crumb off her lip. Lust lurched inside him and he growled.

“This is delicious! Here, have a bite.” She leaned over the table, her cleavage tipping forward for him to get a better view. She lifted the fork to his mouth, pressing it between his lips.

Their eyes locked and the delectable chocolate and coconut flavor burst over his tongue. It was made a thousand times more delicious by the sight of her breasts, her shining eyes, and her smile. She slid the fork out of his mouth and sat back down.

“Good,” he grunted.

An announcement sounded over the loudspeaker that they would be coming into port soon. This was it. The whole stupid ordeal was over. Now Laurence could focus on replacing his boat and traveling back to Alaska.

He stood and turned, but a small hand grabbed the thick muscle on his upper arm. He turned to see tiny, curvy Vivian standing before him. Her eyes were wide and beguiling.

“Laurence. Thanks again. For everything. I really enjoyed… everything. If you ever want to come over… um… here’s my address and phone number.” She shoved a piece of paper into his hands and hurried off.

He pushed the paper in his pocket. And strode to the exit ramp. He wouldn’t call her. He wouldn’t go over to her house. That woman had devilish work to attend to and he wanted no part of it. No part of it whatsoever.