His grip tightened on her throat, just enough pressure to send her world into fireworks. She could feel him expand inside her as he let her go and pulled her hips up and down on his shaft.

He groaned as he came deep and hot inside her. Laurence collapsed beside her, pulling out in a rush. He lay down on the sand and panted, heavily. Suddenly, the feeling of coldness enveloped her. She liked Laurence, a lot, but he was a totally different man when they had sex than he was normally.

She sat up, his seed still seeping from her body. Looking over at him, she watched his chest rise and fall. The mass of him and the sheer size of his body filled her with longing and made her somehow feel safer. “That was great,” she whispered, pulling her clothes back on.

“It was.” Laurence stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the back of her neck. “I like you, Vivian, I do.”

“I like you too. You don’t have to say anything else. We’re on the same page.” She pulled away and slung on her jacket.

“My bear, he wants you, in a lot of ways. He’s demanding I mate you. We both know that would never work.”

“Demanding you mate me? Is that some kind of shifter slang? I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“When shifters mate, they mate for life. To take a mate means to mark them, claim them. It is far more binding than a wedding ceremony.”

“I’ve been bound before. I don’t want any part of that.”

“A shifter can’t force his mate to do anything she doesn’t want to. That isn’t the point. You and I can’t work. You’re a witch. I should have kept my bear under control, but I can smell how much you want me. I figured, why not? You know? We’ve got nothing better to do out here.”

“Sure. Whatever,” she said, annoyed at his stupid excuses. It wasn’t that she wanted to be his “mate,” because she didn’t. Did she? No. She didn’t. She barely knew him. She totally needed a rebound from Harold, but there was no way they’d work. He was right. She should be thanking him for keeping it real.

She gazed at the sea and suddenly spotted a dark form out on the horizon. “Look!” she shouted, pointing toward the vessel.

“Hurry, light the fire!”

Vivian ran down the beach toward their signal fire and pointed her finger at the pile of logs far above her on the cliff. Concentrating as hard as she could, she recited the fire spell she’d known since she was a young witch.

Nothing. Shit.

She ran farther down the beach, closing the distance between herself and the readied wood. Again, she pointed and recited the spell, willing the fire to blaze with every part of her soul.

It burst into red hot flames above her on the cliff. Smoke billowed into the clear air above the island and high into the sky. She looked at the ship and saw the glint of an SOS signal flashing toward them. She ran back down the beach to Laurence who was wearing the dark look he usually had when he looked at her. “It’s coming,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you for everything, Laurence. I owe you a lot.”

“Don’t mention it. After what we’ve shared, there is no owing.”

“I feel terrible about your boat.”

“It isn’t a problem. I’ll have a new one within a month. Don’t worry about it. We part as friends.”

He looked down at her, towering above her. He reached out one big hand, offering it to shake. She took it, smiling halfheartedly. She knew she should feel relieved but part of her just felt heartbroken. Stupid. He was never her boyfriend, or even a lover. He was just a guy who she fucked on an island. That was all.

The rescue boats motored to shore and helped Laurence and Vivian inside before they hurried them across the calm sea to a cruise ship. Aboard the ship they were given clean clothes and shown to a room to share. Vivian closed the door behind her awkwardly. One room. I guess giving us a free room on a thousand-dollar cruise was enough charity.

Laurence put his bundle of clean clothes on the king sized bed and looked her up and down. “You want to take the first shower?”

“Um. Sure. Thanks.”

She gripped the clean clothes tightly to her chest and went into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, she heaved a sigh of relief as she breathed the hot steam.

She’d be home and safe in no time, and she finally had the last ingredient for her spell. She slipped out of her dirty clothes and into the shower.

Warm water sliding down her back felt like absolute heaven. She groaned, feeling how sore her muscles were. Running soap over her body and between her legs, she realized how badly she still wanted Laurence. Damn it. She had to get him out from under her skin. He was nothing but trouble.