CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sal wasn’t sure why she’d gone back into the main area of the cabin after her bath, but there she was, staring at the back of Nick’s head as he sat at the table. He tensed, so she figured he must’ve heard her come into the room.
She’d wanted to go to sleep. She was weary enough. But something was bothering her. It was calling her. Making her want to spend more time with Nick, even if he didn’t like her that much right now. She was still drawn to him. Impossible as it was.
“You’re right,” she said without preamble. “What Mr. Howell showed me was important. I feel it in my bones, and I do want to know more.” She walked farther into the room. Nick’s head turned to follow her progress as she walked around the table to face him.
“Would you say your instincts are pointing you toward learning more about magic?” he asked, a crafty look in his eye that she didn’t quite understand.
“My instincts say it’s important to learn from him. Mr. Howell is one of the good guys,” she allowed, sitting down opposite him.
Nick grinned faintly. “I told you. We allow only white-hatted cowboys on this island.”
“Then, why did you let me come? When you didn’t know, and probably still can’t say for sure, if I’m good or bad?”
“You’ve got your instincts, and I’ve got mine,” he told her. “My instincts say you’re on the right side, even if there’s evidence to the contrary.” He grimaced. “You’ve got me in knots, Sal. My cat side can’t believe anything bad of you, yet my human side knows you were keeping things from me and isn’t sure exactly why. Was it merely to protect your mother and your secret? Or was there something more sinister behind your lies?”
Now, that hurt. Sal got up from the table, humiliated. “For the record, I never lied to you. I just didn’t tell you everything. There’s a difference. And, though I doubt you’ll take my word for anything at this point, my only motivation, all this time, has been protecting my mom. Merely doesn’t even come close to describing the importance I place on her. She’s my mother.”
Sal would have stormed out gracefully, but somehow, Nick was out of his chair and standing directly in front of her, blocking her path. He moved like the cat that shared his soul. Fast and soundless, even in human form. It was more than a little scary. Sal caught her breath in surprise.
“There’s also this…”
He lifted one hand toward her, gently stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. The touch was gossamer light, tender in a way no man had ever been with her, and utterly enchanting. The look in his gaze as it met and held hers was molten. Intense, swirling magic shone from within, letting her know the cat was there, present in the man. She was speechless—anything she might’ve said caught in a suddenly dry throat.
“You confuse me on every level, Sal,” he whispered. “I want you. Have wanted you since the moment we met and I first caught your unique scent. That’s how we know when someone is special. Our cats recognize something in their scent. I can’t explain it any better than that, but it’s part of our unique magic.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. Years of cringing away from anything even remotely related to magic had preconditioned her response. He must have seen something in her eyes because he soothed her, placing both hands on her shoulders and rubbing in small, comforting circles.
“Come on, now,” he coaxed. “After everything you’ve learned about the world—my world—in the past day, you have to realize that not all magic is bad. Shifters have a unique sort of power. It’s part of us. It’s what allows us to change form at will, but for the vast majority of us, it’s not something we consciously control, like mages do. We’re not spell-casters or potion-makers. We don’t put hexes on people. And we definitely don’t use magic—or let it use us—in the way it’s affected your family. It’s just something that’s part of us. That makes us who we are.”
She swallowed hard. “I see that intellectually, but it’s hard to put aside the beliefs of a lifetime,” she told him.
“I won’t hurt you, Sal. Not ever,” he told her. “Although, I might have to keep you away from my Clan.” He looked a bit sheepish as he glanced around the cabin. “But I want you to know… If we can’t resolve this situation, and you have to leave the island, I’ll go with you. I’d give up my Clan in a heartbeat, if you asked me to.”
Sal’s breath caught. What was he saying? Was he truly willing to give up his family, his people, his duty…for her?
Sweet heaven! Was he feeling this, too? The almost uncontrollable attraction that made her want to drop everything and just run into his arms. Damn the consequences. Damn everything except the two of them…together…for all time.
A fairytale. That’s what it was. She had to be delusional to think he was feeling the same ridiculous urges she was. It just made no sense.
Nick drew closer…and closer. And then, his lips touched hers.
Fireworks. And tingles. Little zaps of magic sparkled where his lips tentatively met hers. He went slow, as if waiting for permission before he proceeded. Not wanting to wait, she threw her arms around his shoulders and drew him closer. She couldn’t make it any plainer than that, and he seemed to read her message loud and clear as he tugged her even closer and melded their lips more firmly together.
Then, their mouths opened as if in perfect accord. The magic flared, but she knew how to control it now. Even that short practice with Mr. Howell had awoken her instincts, and the older mage had convinced her to trust them. So, when the magic rose, she let instinct lead the way, and it went from potentially problematic to harmless little energizing zaps kept between them.
She pressed as close to him as she possibly could, wanting to climb all over him, but there was too much fabric between their bodies. He deepened the kiss, and her head spun as he picked her up. She had no real sense of where he was taking her, but she hoped it was to one of the side rooms. Preferably one with a bed in it, and soft sheets.
When he lay her down on a bed a few moments later, it was as if her wish had been granted by a hunky genie. The sheets were as luxurious as she could’ve hoped for, but she had no idea about the rest of the room. Frankly, she didn’t care. As long as they could share this king-sized bed and get naked together, all would be right with her world.
Nick continued to kiss her as he took her down to the mattress, his hands powerful yet gentle as he guided them both to the downy surface. She pushed at his clothing, wanting it gone, but he wasn’t cooperating. This called for more drastic measures.
Unbuckling his belt, she slid her hand downward, into his pants, and wrapped around the hard length she found straining toward her. He groaned. Or maybe it was a growl. She couldn’t be absolutely sure, but the sound made her nipples peak and her insides squirm with heat.
Nick was sexier than she’d imagined—and she’d imagined quite a bit. She’d been having fantasies about the man almost non-stop from the night they’d shared that fateful cup of tea.
He’d intrigued her, made her flush with the thoughts running through her mind when she watched him move, the powerful lean muscles moving under the fabric of his clothing. Nick was hot with a capital H, and she’d noticed. Oh, boy, had she noticed!
She squeezed his length, hoping to get his attention. With any luck, he’d figure out that, while she was really enjoying his kisses and the way his body loomed over her, making her feel delicate and protected, what she really wanted was access to more skin. For both of them.
“Are you rushing me, doll?” Nick whispered against her lips. She could feel the curve of his smile against her mouth.
“Want to touch you.” She gasped as one of his hands moved downward to cup the area between her thighs, right through the fabric of her pants.
“I believe you are touching me, sweetness.” His voice sounded almost like it was underpinned by a feline purr. Was that even possible?
“Not enough. Want more.”
She could barely string together complete sentences. He’d reduced her to a simpleton, and she hadn’t even taken her clothes off yet. Would she even survive this? She had no idea, but she definitely needed to find out.
She squirmed against him, and he chuckled. “All right, princess. I’ll give you what you want. What we both want.” He nibbled on her lips then moved away. “I’d just thought I’d try to go slow this first time, for your sake. You are only human, after all,” he said, the teasing look in his eyes daring her to object.
“Come back here and see what this mere human can do, big boy.”
Now, where had that come from?
That line was like something out of a movie script, but she couldn’t remember ever saying anything even remotely like that to any of the few lovers she’d had over the years. She might act bold in her movies, but Sal was a bit…um…conservative when it came to the men she’d slept with and how she’d acted around them.
Seemed like Nick brought out all sorts of new facets she hadn’t known existed in her. First, the lust, when she’d been watching him the past couple of weeks. Then, the magic, when they arrived on this crazy island. And now, the femme fatale with the quick quips. She hadn’t known she had it in her.
Nick eased her hand out of his pants then stood, rising gracefully to his feet at the side of the bed. When his fingers went to the buttons on his shirt and began to slowly undo them one by one, her mouth went dry. His molten gaze held hers as he pulled the tails of the shirt out of his pants and opened it completely.
His chest was a work of art. His abs were the kind that Hollywood hunks spend hours in the gym trying to get—and failing. When he shrugged the shirt off his shoulders, the saliva returned to her mouth in a wave. He definitely had drool-worthy shoulders and biceps. She just wanted to lick him all over and find out if his muscles were as hard as they looked.
She’d never seen such a specimen of a man—including the overly-ripped actors she’d worked with. They were skinny string beans compared to Nick. All man. All muscle. Lean, mean, fighting machine.
And he was all hers. At least for tonight. Sal promised herself she’d make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while she could.
She had no illusions that the passions of the moment would lift when the sun rose. He might be willing to say he’d give up everything for her if he had to in the heat of the moment tonight, but tomorrow, when they’d sated their lust for each other and real life returned with a bang, things would likely be very different.
She didn’t blame him for that. That’s just the way it would probably go down, and she had to prepare herself to be fine with it. No matter how much it might hurt.
But for right now, she would enjoy the man candy in front of her eyes. He smiled a lazy, secretive smile as he threw the shirt behind him then started slowly on the zipper of his pants. She’d already unbuckled his belt and undid the clasp at the top, but she hadn’t had the patience to deal with the zipper.
Nick took it down, one tooth at a time, the little snicks of sound overly loud in the quiet of the night. She found herself holding her breath as he lowered that zipper, hanging on every motion as if her life depended on it. What would be revealed when it came all the way down?
She’d felt what had to be the biggest, hardest cock she’d ever had the good fortune to handle. Would he look as good as he’d felt? She’d bet good money that answer was an emphatic yes. Everything about Nick was almost too good to be true. Why should this be any different?
The white of his underwear blocked her view as the last tooth of the zipper snicked free. But not for long. Nick hooked his thumbs beneath the waistbands of the tighty whities and the pants and shoved them both down together, stepping his long legs out of the fabric and leaving it on the floor.
When he straightened, he seemed to pause, letting her get a good long look at him. It was immediately clear that, with a body like that, Nick had absolutely nothing to hide. He was magnificent.
Every muscle was in perfect proportion. His great height was balanced by his lithe musculature. He was Adonis. Michelangelo’s David. The epitome of male perfection.
And he was coming for her. She couldn’t wait.
Nick stalked forward like the jaguar that lived in his soul. Soundless. Intent. Sure of himself and his acceptance.
And why wouldn’t he be? She’d given him every indication of her desire. She wanted him, and she didn’t want to wait.
Nick reached her, continuing his stalk right up onto the bed, where he crouched over her. She felt trapped, but not in a bad way. She knew he’d move aside the moment she became uncomfortable, but she wasn’t in the least wary of him right now. No, she was totally on board with the way he covered her, leaving room for her to look and feel—and room for him to do away with her clothing.
Praise the lord! She was finally going to get skin to skin with him.
She tried to help, but her fingers fumbled, excitement slowing her down and making her clumsy. Nick took care of her, removing her outer garments with the utmost care. Her breath caught multiple times as he turned the simple act of undressing into a sensual delight that couldn’t compare with anything she had ever experienced before.
No other lover had been this attentive, this tender, this…perfect. Only Nick. And they hadn’t even really gotten started yet. Sal mentally strapped herself in and prepared for a wild ride.
She almost couldn’t believe they were actually doing this. She’d dreamed about it many times but had never really expected it to happen. Fantasies were one thing. Reality, in her experience, was quite another. Reality had always been disappointing, but she had a feeling her luck was about to change. In a big way.
Nick lowered the straps of her bra one at a time, as if he was savoring the moment and giving her plenty of time to feel every little motion and anticipate what would come next. By the time he bared her breasts, she was a quivering, super-sensitive bundle of nerves just waiting to be soothed by his breath, his touch…his tongue.
He kissed every inch of skin he exposed, laving her nipples as if they had all night for him to do just that. But she wanted more. So much more.
She made impatient sounds in the back of her throat, and he answered her with a deep rumbling purr that vibrated through his chest, making her shiver. His inner cat was definitely enjoying this, which made her feel better about not reciprocating right away. It was all she could do to lay back and enjoy what he was doing to her. She felt so boneless, she could barely lift a finger at the moment. While she wanted to touch him the way he was touching her, it would have to wait until she had better control over her limbs.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, it felt like his main goal was to pleasure her right now. The rest would come later.
An unselfish lover was something new in her experience. She’d known Nick was special, but this just drove home to her how very different he was from other men.
Then, he removed her pants and panties in one long pull, and she was totally bare before him. He hadn’t taken his time with her pants like he’d done with her top. No, he was starting to look like a hungry predator, too long denied. And she was feeling about the same, if not worse. He’d driven her too high already. She needed completion. She needed relief from the tension he had built so expertly. And she needed it now.
Reaching forward, Sal grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him down over her. She sought his lips in a hard kiss that spoke of her urgency and need. Thankfully, he seemed to understand. Either that or he felt exactly the same way, because a moment later, that magnificently hard cock she’d had in her hand earlier was probing the entrance of her willing body.
He joined them together, going slowly, but with steady pressure, until they were one. Then, he paused, looking downward to meet her gaze. A timeless moment stretched between them.
Peripherally, she was aware of sparkling light surrounding them, touching her skin, making it tingle. Magic, she realized. Coming from her. Created by her reaction to this incredible man and his tender loving.
Benevolent magic, touching, sensitizing, even encouraging. It was a wonder to her that such a thing could exist, when she’d always associated magic with terrible things.
One part of her mind was able to identify the source of the light and the champagne-like bubbles tingling against her skin, but the rest was firmly focused on Nick. He began to move, his sinuous muscles taking her in a way she had never before experienced. Everything with Nick was a new adventure, a new horizon. He made it special and unique.
After all the buildup, she came to a quick peak, but it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Nick continued to thrust, varying his speed and angle, testing different motions to see what she liked best and what brought them both the most sensation. He was learning her, teaching her and pleasuring her all at the same time.
He was magnificent. And with him, she discovered things she had never known about her body, and his, and the capacity for bliss they shared together. She stroked him, petting his hard muscles and smooth skin, enjoying the way his purring increased as he drove them both higher.
She climaxed again and again as he continued the steady push toward some goal only he could see. She was eager to learn where he would take her, and her body responded to every challenge his posed, showing her that what she’d taken for fulfillment in the past was only a paltry example of something she’d never fully understood.
It was Nick. Only Nick, who could drive her to these heights and catch her while she fell. She screamed his name as she came for the final and most devastating time. She thought she heard him call out for her, as well, but she was close to mindless at that moment and couldn’t be certain.
White light engulfed them. A benevolent shower of sparks filled the small room, bathing them in glory, warming them with an amazing peaceful magic that she had never known existed.
As she came apart in Nick’s arms and he caught her, all was right with her world. Finally. Forever.
Nick had never purred in human form before, and that’s when he knew what his instincts had been telling him for a while now was absolutely true. Sal was his mate. The one. The only. Forevermore.
Now, he just had to find a way to make it happen—and still retain his Clan, if at all possible. Of course, if it couldn’t work out, he’d give up his friends and family for her. That hadn’t been an impulsive claim. It was the absolute truth. Clan was one thing—and it would be very hard to say goodbye—but mating…mating was something special that only came along once in a lifetime if a shifter was very, very lucky.
Mates came above all else. They were sacred. Goddess-blessed. The others would understand if he chose her over the Clan. They’d accept, even if they wished it could be otherwise.
But it would all depend on her and what happened with her magic. It would also depend on whether or not she felt and recognized the bond that had been forged between them just now. He felt the connection like a pulsing heartbeat shared between them.
Nick worried that it might just be a shifter thing, though Mark had claimed his human mate said she felt it, too. Would Sal? His entire future was riding on it.
“Will you stay with me, in my bed, tonight?” he asked her after they had both calmed down a bit and were laying together, cuddling a bit. He felt nervous as a teenager with his first girl.
“Just try and kick me out,” she responded, a challenging note of humor in her voice as she snuggled closer.
She sounded sleepy and sated, and his inner caveman wanted to pound on his chest with glee. He’d done that. He’d satisfied his mate so completely she was even now falling asleep in his arms. He watched her for long moments, basking in the glow for a while, until he joined her in sleep.
He woke her a couple more times in the night for more leisurely loving. She rose to meet him every time and began to push him for more. She touched him in ways he’d dreamed about since meeting her. She drove him wild with her gentle touch. So few people in his life had ever touched him with tenderness. It was significant to him that Sal did so.
Perhaps she was feeling something for him? He would do all in his power to make that happen because, more than anything, he wanted her to feel the mate bond and agree to be his forever.
Finally, they slept, twined together as close as he’d ever been with anyone, until well after dawn.
It was a knock on the door of the cabin that finally awakened Nick, sometime around nine a.m. He left the bed as quietly as possible, figuring to let Sal sleep more, if she could, while he went to see who was at the door.
If whoever it was had gotten close enough to knock, Nick must’ve really been sleeping hard. Normally, he’d awaken at the slightest sound his sensitive shifter hearing could pick up. That meant the crunch of feet walking toward the cabin should have been enough to wake him. The fact that it hadn’t meant he’d let his guard down completely.
On the one hand, he was fascinated by the idea that being with Sal had allowed him to relax so completely. On the other, it was damned dangerous and not a good precedent to set. He had a job to do, and a mate to protect. He couldn’t allow himself to slip so badly like this.
He’d been messing up a lot since Sal had come into his life. He supposed he should cut himself a little slack, considering finding one’s mate was bound to mess with your head. Still, Nick couldn’t afford to be sloppy. Not like this. Not with her safety, and the security of the entire Clan, on his shoulders.
Then again, they were on Jaguar Island. If he had to have a lapse in his usual vigilance, this was the place to do it. Nobody could get to her here. She was as safe as he could make her. Maybe that’s why his subconscious mind had allowed his guard to fall so completely.
Nick wrapped a fallen sheet around his hips as he went to answer the door. Nakedness wasn’t normally a problem among shifters, but it just might be Shelly’s dad at the door. No way would Nick want to flash Mr. Howell and make the old man uncomfortable. Not when he was helping Sal so much.
But when he opened the door, it was Mario on the other side, grinning like a fool. He gave Nick—and his sadly lacking attire—the full once over before lifting a picnic basket in one hand.
“I come bearing breakfast,” he said, still smiling to beat the band as he pushed past Nick into the cabin. He headed for the kitchenette to put down the basket then turned to Nick. “Sorry if I interrupted…uh…anything. Did you have a good night with the movie star?”
“None of your damned business,” Nick growled.
He didn’t really mind the teasing. Mario was a good guy, and Nick was sure the rest of his security team was going to be razzing him about this, too, but he didn’t want Sal to hear. Who knew how she might react? Right now, he didn’t want to upset her. The relationship was too new to rock the boat just yet.
“Why don’t you get me up to speed?” Nick redirected his subordinate. “Anything happen overnight that I should know about?”
“Nothing much, except maybe a couple of us stationed around the cabin noticed a bit of a light show happening a few times. It was mostly just light from the bedroom window and a few stray sparks that seemed harmless enough. No real energy behind them. No destructive intent. Just pretty special effects, which is what we’ve decided to call them since there’s a movie star involved.” Mario was chuckling, now, and Nick just shook his head.
“Do me a favor and ask everybody to keep that to themselves. I don’t want you guys embarrassing her. She’s just barely convinced that all magic isn’t evil. I’d like to give her a chance to explore her power without being self-conscious about it because of you guys.”
Mario sobered. “Come on, Nick. You know we wouldn’t do anything to embarrass the lady. We like her.”
“You do?” Nick was surprised. He hadn’t expected his people to accept Sal so quickly. They were usually much more wary than that.
“Hell, any woman who can get the mighty Nick Balam to let his guard down has to be pretty special. We all took a vote, and if she’s your mate—which I think is a pretty sure bet after the way you answered the door just now—then we’re all for it.” Mario’s tone grew more serious. “We want you to be happy, Nick.”
Nick didn’t know how to respond, and frankly, he got a little choked up at the idea that his people cared so much for his happiness. He hadn’t ever thought about it before, but he should have realized they cared for him as much as he cared for every single one of them. They had worked closely together for a long time, and bonds of friendship had built up between them all.
Something warm unfurled in his heart as he realized all this, and he gave Mario a solemn nod, unable to speak for a moment. Apparently, no words needed to be said. Mario came over, gave Nick a back-pounding hug, and then headed for the door.
“Oh, by the way, Mr. Howell is planning to come over after breakfast to give your lady another magic lesson. You might want to eat up and get dressed so you don’t have to answer the door wearing a wrinkled sheet again.”
Nick could hear Mario’s laughter long after the door shut behind him.