CHAPTER 6
CHLOE
Chloe couldn’t believe her luck. She’d snuck out into the grounds after her shift was over to see if she could coax an internet signal from the far reaches of the island. Even climbing up the tree and wishing very hard for a satellite to cross overhead hadn’t achieved anything, and she’d been almost ready to throw the whole thing in—until he arrived.
She couldn’t describe the thrill that had run through her when she saw him looking up at her. At her.
Well, that was a lie. She absolutely, definitely could describe the thrill. She was a journalist, after all. Writing was her job.
It was just that it wouldn’t be appropriate to accurately describe this particular thrill. Not if she was planning to use him as a source for her exposé. Journalists weren’t supposed to have those sorts of thoughts about their sources.
She couldn’t stop staring at him. And not just because her mind was still cartwheeling over the idea that she had seen him turn into a giant goddamn lion.
He was so… big. All over. Including—
Eyes up, Chloe, she reminded herself. Including his… general physique. Yes.
“Can I help you down?” Mathis offered her his hand, nodding at the rocky slope down the bluff to the beach.
“Yes, please.” Chloe bit her tongue. She didn’t need his help getting down the slope. Not really. She’d practically made a career out of climbing in and out of windows during various work-related and extracurricular escapades; a shingly hill wouldn’t be any trouble.
But her white lie didn’t need to sound so eager, either.
Chloe’s cheeks blazed as she took Mathis’ hand.
His skin was warmer than she’d expected, and his grip on her hand was firm, but surprisingly gentle. Working as a reporter, Chloe was used to men who thought the best way to impress their importance onto her was leaving a literal impression on her hand. She couldn’t count the number of times she’d had to grin her way through some asshole trying to crush her fingers into paste.
Mathis didn’t crush her hand or yank on her arm as they picked their way down to the sheltered beach. He let her take the lead. His touch was firm, and considerate; wherever she stepped, he was right behind her, moving with her as easily as if they on a dancefloor, not navigating a rough slope.
The level of attention Mathis must have been paying to her every movement made Chloe’s blush deepen. She knew that if she did fall, he would be at her side in an instant.
It was almost enough to make her deliberately lose her footing.
Almost.
Mathis let her hand go as the slope leveled out. The loose stones and gravel made way for sand, and there was no point even pretending she needed his help on the flat. She tried not to feel disappointed.
The beach stretched out in front of them. The strip of sand was broader than it had looked from above, and the waves nibbling at the shore were ten or twenty feet away, glimmering in the thin moonlight.
Chloe took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the salty sea air. Down here, Harper’s sprawling estate might as well not even exist. No sound from the buildings reached them, and the only noise was the soft shush of waves on the sand.
She tipped her head on one side. “Do you hear that?”
Mathis walked into her line of sight. His forehead creased. “Hear what?”
“No wildlife.” Chloe filed the thought away for later, and let her mouth run on. “I wondered about it when I first got here. No seabirds, no manatees even though there’s a colony just a short way up the coast, and hardly any creepy-crawlies even. I thought at first there might have been some sort of environmental disaster that wiped out local populations and was being hushed up, but now I’m thinking maybe Harper’s guests got the munchies.”
Mathis raised one eyebrow. “That lot? I doubt they’ve chased anything more lively than the bubbles at the bottom of their champagne.”
“Of course,” Chloe replied glibly. When they’re not scaring off poor kids like Thandie.
She still hadn’t decided what tactic to take while she was interviewing Mathis. Pretend to know all about people turning into crazy animals, or admit her mind was blown?
Admit nothing! she told herself firmly. What if he tells Harper you came here under false pretenses? You’ll be screwed.
“Well, it’s a relief to know you’re all, uhh, were-animals, anyway,” she continued. “There were some strange stories coming out of this place, I tell you. I almost didn’t take the job. Back on the mainland people behave like this place is haunted, or cursed or something. Honestly, finding out it’s just a bunch of rich… were-animals… is kind of a relief.”
Mathis gave her a strange look. “Cursed? It’s a better cover story than some I’ve heard. And better than risking people find out about the… were-animals.”
Chloe winced. Right. “Were-animals” is definitely not the right word. Shit.
Mathis stepped closer to her, hands in his pockets and an amused smile on his face. “So… how much do you know about us ‘were-animals’, exactly?”
“Oh, loads,” Chloe lied. “Like, uh, it’s not just werewolves—some of you can turn into other animals. And, um…” Her gaze trailed over Mathis’ face and arms. She was sure the wolf had bitten him on one arm—fore-leg?—but there was no sign of the wound there now. “And you heal quickly.”
“Uh-huh.” Laughter lines creased the corners of Mathis’ eyes. “And how much do you know that you didn’t figure out just now by looking at me?”
Chloe’s blush crept down her neck. “Let’s see,” she said, playing for time. Damn it. She took a deep breath—and hesitated.
She could try the mind trick, bamboozle him long enough to get the impromptu interview back on track. But something stopped her.
Time to come clean. “Let’s say that I knew… nothing at all?”
To her relief, Mathis laughed.
“Oh, hell,” he croaked, wiping his eyes. “Don’t let Harper hear you admit that! How did you manage to get the job, if you don’t even know about shifters?”
Chloe thought back to all the social media profiles she’d pored over prior to making her own fake profile and applying to the job. Those weird phrases she’d included in the profile that had got her the job—they must have been some sort of code for them. For shifters.
“I… just slipped through the cracks, I guess. And honestly, I’ve been working here for a month now, and it’s never come up.”
Mathis stared at her, his eyes shining. “You’re incredible.”
This time, Chloe was the one who burst out laughing. “I’m incredible? You can turn into a lion! A—” She waved her hands around, searching for words. You’re a journalist! Words are your bread and butter! And the best you can come up with is… “An actual lion!” she finished lamely.
Mathis’ eyes softened. “And you’re a human woman who’s managed to crack open the secret my kind has been hiding for hundreds of years, without even trying. Right under the noses of what must be some of the most paranoid shifters in the country. You’re incredible.”
Chloe’s skin felt hot. It wasn’t a blush, this time. It was excitement sending heat prickling across her body as she met Mathis’ eyes.
Mathis’ eyes were a pale gold, the same startling hue as they had been when he was in his lion shape. As Chloe held his gaze, she thought they were going dark—then realized it was his pupils expanding.
“Chloe,” he whispered, his voice husky. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
Chloe wanted to scoff. He was clearly talking shit. Mathis didn’t know anything about her. They’d only exchanged a handful of words, for God’s sake!
But that didn’t stop her breath catching in her throat as she stared into his eyes. It didn’t stop her skin from thrilling at the memory of his touch, and the way his eyes had roamed over her body as she climbed out of the tree.
Or the way he was looking at her now, gold eyes black with desire.
Chloe’s heart thudded in her throat. Wow, she thought. Just… wow.
She licked her lips. “So… what else is there to know about shifters?”
Mathis raised one eyebrow. He stepped closer again, so close Chloe could swear she felt heat pouring off his body. She swayed towards him, like a moth to a flame.
“For a start,” Mathis murmured. “We’re incredible in bed.”
“Is that a fact?” Chloe replied, whip-fast, before her brain caught up with her ears. Oh. Uh. Wow?
“It is.” Mathis leaned down, whispering into her ear. “Though since you’ve never met any shifters before, you should probably do some research.”
Chloe’s pulse started racing. Unfortunately, so did her mouth. “Well, that’s not entirely true,” she babbled. “If what you’re saying is correct, then I’ve met loads of shifters already, actually. I’m even sharing a room with one.”
“True.” Mathis’ breath tickled her ear. “Are any of them as interesting as I am, though?”
“N-no…” Chloe’s voice caught in her throat, and she swallowed hard. Mathis was standing right up against her—but he wasn’t touching her. Not yet. Just standing there, being really, really… touchable.
The hell with it, she thought, and before her brain could convince her it was a bad idea, she kissed him.
Mathis’ lips were soft, and warm, and responded to hers with a tenderness that made Chloe’s insides melt. His blond stubble scraped deliciously against her chin and she raised her hands, trailing her fingers across the sharp line of his jaw. The pulse in his neck thundered under her touch.
She gasped as he broke the kiss, but recovered quickly.
“Interesting, you said?” Chloe said slowly, getting her breath back. “Well, that’s a good start, but real research will require—”
She didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence. Mathis pulled her close, crushing her to his chest and covering her lips with his own. This kiss was deeper than the first, more passionate. Mathis’ tongue flicked against her lips.
Chloe let herself fall against him, molding her body against his. Her breasts pressed against the hard lines of his chest. She didn’t have to imagine what he looked like under his shirt… or his pants.
She’d seen everything back in the ring. He’d been sweaty and panting straight after his transformation, and Chloe had been thunderstruck by the sight of two men changing into giant animals, but…
She was a reporter. She might have been thunderstruck, but she’d still noticed certain details.
One of which was currently pressing into her stomach.
“Um,” she mumbled into Mathis’ lips. “So… how deep is this research going to go?”
Mathis hesitated. With an awkwardness that made Chloe bite her lip to stop herself giggling, he carefully re-adjusted his hips.
“Ah,” he said. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” The words were out before Chloe realized what she was saying—and the moment she spoke them, she knew they were true. She’d just been kissing him like he was the sexiest man on Earth. It was no surprise he’d had a physical reaction to it.
To her.
Just like she was having a physical reaction to him.
Warmth blossomed in her lower belly, growing into a heavy need. Chloe groaned.
She shouldn’t do this. She really shouldn’t do this. Sleeping with a source? It went against all her journalistic ethics.
Even just being this attracted to him was pushing up against the hell-no-bad-wrong line.
Of course… that only mattered if she was actually going to write the piece.
Mathis looked uncertain. “No, I am. Sorry. I shouldn’t just jump on you—”
“Seriously?” Chloe grinned. Screw it. “Jump away.”
She didn’t expect him to take it literally.
Chloe squealed as Mathis leapt at her. For a moment, she was airborne, his arms closing around her. She braced herself to hit the ground but the impact, when it came, was surprisingly gentle, cocooned in Mathis’ strong embrace. He lowered her to the sand, kissing her until her mind swam.
Chloe ran her hands up his chest, reveling in the hard curves of muscle under her palms. She slid her hands up to his jaw, feeling the scratch of stubble, and then around his head. His hair was too short for her to get a grip on and she grumbled wordlessly against his lips.
Mathis laughed. “I’ll grow it long,” he murmured, and bit teasingly at her lower lip.
“You—” Chloe broke off as Mathis slipped his hands down her sides, his fingertips sneaking under the hem of her shirt. He drew tantalizing circles on her skin, his touch just the safe side of ticklish. Chloe squirmed, and he hesitated.
“No, keep doing that,” Chloe gasped. Her fingers grasped at his too-short hair as he resumed his teasing strokes, and she bit back a growl of frustration. She’d always been ticklish. And she’d always hated being tickled. But this was different.
She stretched out under Mathis, letting her hands drop back over her head. But as delicious as it was to let him tease her, she wanted more. She’d already seen what was under his clothes, and now she wanted to feel it.
Chloe grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled on it. Mathis got the message at once, sitting up and stripping off the thin t-shirt. Chloe’s eyes roved over his bare chest. She knew he was tanned, but he looked pale in the darkness, the lines of his muscles etched sharply by the thin moonlight.
His muscles weren’t the only thing the moonlight caught on. Chloe picked out dark lines on his abs, and bruised patches on his shoulder: all that remained of his wounds from the fight that evening. She touched the marks on his stomach hesitantly, not knowing if she should.
“Does it still hurt?”
Mathis covered her hand with his own. “Terribly,” he said, grinning. “In fact, I think there’s only one thing that could distract me from the pain…”
Chloe grimaced, but couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, really?”
She sat up, grabbing Mathis’ shoulder to balance herself. His eyes lit up and he pulled her up, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist.
“Really,” he said, deadpan.
“I should probably help you out then.” Chloe smiled, playing along. Her hands crept along his sides—and then she struck.
Mathis yelped as she tickled the sensitive skin under his ribs. He retaliated immediately, pulling her shirt up and effectively trapping her arms above her head. Then he let it go and focused on her body, planting hot kisses along her breasts just above the cup of her bra.
Chloe fought her way out of her shirt-trap, half-amused, half-exasperated, and increasingly aroused. Fooling around with Mathis was one thing, but she was beginning to think it wouldn’t be enough. Weeks of frustration, of carefully hiding her real identity and trying to investigate shadows, had built up in her until she was ready to blow.
And what better way to irresponsibly blow up than by sleeping with the hottest man she’d ever met?
She caught Mathis’ eye, and the atmosphere between them changed. Before, they had been playing; this was serious.
Neither of them bothered with words. She was still straddling his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist and his cock pressing against her stomach.
Chloe rolled her hips forward. She was kissing him, her hands sliding from his chest up his throat, and she felt his moan of desire reverberate in her lips and fingertips.
Mathis slid his hands down under the waistband of Chloe’s sweats, and her breath caught in her throat. Her hips rolled of their own accord as he fondled her ass, moving down to her upper thighs and pulling her pants down the further he explored.
I’m really doing this, Chloe thought, breathless. Oh. Wow.
I am definitely not going to write that story now.
Mathis’ fingers brushed up against her slick entrance and Chloe gasped. There was no going back now. She was as ready as he was. And she wanted him so badly it almost hurt, a low, demanding ache inside her that only had one cure.
She kissed him again, long and hard, until her lips stung and she was almost vibrating with need. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders as he lifted himself just long enough to shuck off his own pants, and then they were skin to skin.
Mathis’ cock slid against her folds. Chloe groaned. Her pants were still around her thighs, forcing her knees high against Mathis’ sides. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling herself up. This was going to be awkward, but she couldn’t wait. Didn’t even want to think about changing position, about losing the heat of skin-to-skin for even one moment, about rearranging limbs and balance and—
Then Mathis’ hands were on her hips, guiding her down, and his cock was at her entrance and pushing inside her and it wasn’t awkward at all.
His cock was thick and hard and filled her like they were made to fit together. Chloe mewled, her head hanging on Mathis’ shoulder as she took his cock all the way inside her in one smooth, perfect connection.
Her breath left her body in a single shuddering gasp. She was so wet that she hadn’t noticed how big Mathis’ cock was until it was inside her, but it didn’t hurt. It felt amazing. Everything was…
“Perfect.” Mathis’ voice was a rough whisper, hoarse with desire. He stroked one hand up her back, cupping the back of her head as she collapsed against him. “You’re perfect. You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever seen.”
Chloe rolled her hips, clenching herself around his cock, and he groaned again. His breath tickled her neck. “And definitely the most perfect woman I’ve ever—nggg.”
“I’m not sure I caught that last bit,” Chloe taunted him, rocking her hips back and forth. Every movement deepened her desire and if their first kiss had swept Chloe away, now she was drowning with no land in sight.
She didn’t care that she was naked on a beach with a man she’d only just met buried deep inside her. Or that she would probably—definitely—lose her job if anyone found out.
She didn’t even care that this whole charade was for nothing, because there was no way in hell she could go back to the mainland and tell her editor she’d stumbled on a secret society of the super-rich who could turn into wild animals.
Nothing mattered except Mathis’ bare skin against hers, slick with sweat, and his cock pushing deep and insistent inside her.
She mumbled something that wasn’t quite words into Mathis shoulder and his hand shifted from the back of her head to under her jaw, tipping her head up. His pale gold eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. A thrill went down her spine.
Chloe pressed up against Mathis, sliding her breasts against his chest as she rocked back and forth on his cock. Mathis moaned, and then he was kissing her, one hand fondling her breast while the other gripped her ass, pulling her, pushing her, as greedy for her body as she was for his.
Mathis’ clear desire for her body pushed Chloe closer to the brink. She ran her hands over his chest, down his waist, wanting more, wanting everything.
Pleasure was pulsing through her. Every nerve in her body sang with anticipation. Mathis surged beneath her, meeting her rhythm with his own need and she was close, too close—
Chloe cried out as she came. The last knots of frustration—God dammit, that fast?—burnt away in the white heat of orgasm, leaving her weak and panting with satisfied exhaustion.
Mathis rose up onto his knees, lifting Chloe with him. His fingers dug into her ass as his thrusts became more powerful, driving hard and deep into her until his whole body tensed and he came with a growl that shook Chloe’s bones.
Breathing heavily, he slid to the ground, drawing Chloe to lie on top of him. He cupped her cheek in one strong hand and pulled her into a kiss that did nothing to bring her back to Earth.
Hot damn, she thought. He really knows what to do with his… everything.
Lying on top of Mathis was nice—but cold. A thin sheen of sweat made her skin gleam in the moonlight—and made her shiver, as a soft ocean breeze whispered across the beach. Chloe wriggled down to rest against Mathis’ side, nestling herself into the curve of his shoulder.
Chloe stretched, which had the entirely unintentional effect of letting her slide her breasts against Mathis’ chest as he rolled to face her. He slid one arm under her head and she let her head fall onto his firm bicep.
For a while they just lay together. Chloe waited for her heartbeat to settle back to its usual rhythm, but realized after a few minutes that that just wasn’t going to happen. Everything about Mathis was just too, too much for things to go back to normal now.
He took one of her hands and started playing with her fingers, kissing her fingertips. “If you don’t mind me asking… why are you here, if you’re not a shifter?”
Chloe sighed, hoping it sounded genuine and not like a stalling tactic. “I guess I just… I don’t know. Wanted to try something new. Go somewhere new. Of course I didn’t realize just how far away from normal life this job would take me…”
Mathis brushed his lips against the pad of her thumb, making her shiver. “Running away from something?”
“Oh, no. Always running to. Actually…” The words spilled out of her before she could stop them. “It’s not like I had a lot to run away from, anyway. I was brought up in the foster system. Lived with the same foster parents from eleven to eighteen, and they were great but there were so many of us, you know? They had a lot of love to go around but it wasn’t really individuated as such…” She laughed. “What am I saying? Not running away from anything, that’s it. Just trying to find my place in the world. Which I guess this isn’t, after all, what with everyone here being magical…”
“You can have everything in the world and still be running to find something new,” Mathis said softly.
Chloe wriggled closer to him. It was true, about her foster parents, but she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She’d never told anyone that before.
Maybe Mathis sensed her discomfort, because he changed the subject.
“So,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head, “Do you think our research was a success?”
Shit.
A shaft of guilt lanced through Chloe. Great change of subject, but…
She had lied her way onto this island to write a story about illegal animal fighting. Instead, she’d found a scoop beyond anything she could have imagined.
And slept with him.
She groaned. Mathis’ arm tightened around her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern in his voice.
“It’s just…” Chloe bit her lip before the truth slipped out. God, I’m such a piece of shit. “You know, I’m pretty sure there’s something in the employee handbook about… fraternization.”
There was. She’d laughed at it when she read it—good luck to any boss trying to keep employees out of each other’s beds on an island with no entertainment except the self-made sort.
Now she wondered if, like with everything else in this place, there was more to that line in the contract than met the eye.
The tiny journalist inside her head stirred. She couldn’t help it. Even if she wasn’t going to write that article, she needed to ask. Every atom of her body wanted to know more about him.
“So… Is that another shifter thing?”
Mathis frowned. “That what?”
“That… this…” Chloe gestured at their naked bodies, still half-entwined. “I mean, I wondered at first if the whole ‘separate residences for male and female staff, immediately report any fraternization’ thing was because Harper was some sort of mega-prude, but is there something else to it? Something shifter-y?”
She could almost see the cogs whirring behind Mathis’ pale gold eyes. Her heart sank. Whatever he’s about to tell me, it’s going to be fifty-per-cent lies, at least.
Not that she deserved anything more than that. After all, the only true thing he knew about her was her name.
“It’s… complicated,” Mathis said at last, and Chloe had to fake an amused snort.
“Oh, really?”
“Mmm. Maybe it’s our animal side, I don’t know. Or maybe Harper is an old prude.” He half-closed his eyes, a smile licking around his lips, but Chloe had been waiting and she saw it. The hesitation before he slapped on the easy smile and the bedroom eyes. He was hiding something.
Chloe ducked her head under his chin, just in case her own face betrayed the cold twist of emotion in her stomach. Why are you reacting like this? It’s not like you’re being honest here. Who the fuck cares if a one-night stand wants to keep things back?
Especially a one-night stand with the sort of secrets Mathis had. The sort of secrets they all had. How hard must it be, to keep something like this from the world?
She couldn’t blame him for being private. She really, really wanted to know more—seriously, the urge was so strong it almost hurt—but she had to respect his privacy.
“It’s all right, you don’t need to tell me,” she murmured into his collarbone. “This is only 101 research, not thesis-level.”
He chuckled, for real this time, and his cock hardened against her belly. Already? Geez, okay, this has got to be a shifter thing.
His hand ghosted down her side, making her shiver against him.
He opened his mouth, but Chloe got in first.
“Please don’t let the next words out of your mouth be something about ‘extra credit’.”
He winced. “Took the analogy too far, huh?”
Chloe laughed. Maybe we’re both lying. But that doesn’t mean we can’t both have fun, too.
And then, since his mouth was right there, she kissed him.