He’d take Odin for another walk, but he’d done that a dozen times, and he was afraid he was going to run his little dog’s legs off. So, he waited and waited and paced around the suite. He filled Odin’s food and water dishes and fluffed his little buddy’s pillow before announcing it was finally time to go.
“You be a good boy for a bit. I’m going to meet up with my mate and hopefully your new momma.” Nick grabbed his keys and wallet and practically ran to the elevator.
ChapterNine
Gina had never laughed so damn hard in her life. Not only was Nick a great conversationalist, but he was also funny as hell. The more he talked, the more she was sure that it was her spell that had brought him to town. It had to have been magic, just like it was magic that drew her to Misfit Bay. Though she had never truly confirmed magic was involved in her cross-country move, she’d bet her tits on it.
Much like her story, he’d decided out of the blue to pack up and move.
After dinner, they walked down by the bay. The midday heat had finally cooled, and a light breeze had picked up, blowing away the miserable humidity that had been dragging them down all day.
“It’s beautiful out here by the water,” Nick said, turning to face Gina.
“It truly is. I was so used to living in the city, I had no idea how much I would like living in a small bayside town,” she said, looking out at the moon rising over the water.
“I think it will be a pretty easy adjustment for me once I get settled in with my new job.”
“Tell me about it. What will you be doing?” she asked, genuinely curious as to what kind of work he did.
“I’m a restaurant and bar manager. The hotel that I’m staying at has had their facilities closed for a while now because they couldn’t find anyone to manage it. The hotel has undergone a full renovation, so it’s like getting a whole new restaurant and bar to set up and run. I’m pretty excited about the opportunity.”
“That sounds great.” She could tell he was stoked about the opportunity.
“I can’t believe how everything seems to be falling into place with a completely random and spur-of-the-moment decision to get a fresh start.”
“It’s funny how life works out sometimes, isn’t it?”
Gina knew exactly where Nick was coming from. She could’ve never imagined how quickly her life and outlook would turn with a split-second decision based on a reoccurring dream.
“It is.”
His heat surrounded her, his scent enveloping her. She wanted to know if his lips were as soft and warm as they looked. The look of desire was clear in his eyes. There was no question in her mind he was interested in her.
Nick stepped closer, decreasing the distance between them. His warm breath fanned across her face, making her hormones surge to a freaking unbelievable level. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach.
Without warning or asking, Nick pulled her into his arms. His lips closed over hers, sending goosebumps racing across her skin. His kiss was determined and hot and set off all the right nerves in her. Her arms encircled the planes of his thick, hard body. His heat enfolded her, his scent drugging her senses to the point that she was ready to toss him down on the sand and have her way with him.
It was almost as if he had read her damn mind. His hands tunneled under her shirt, and goodness, they were so warm against her skin.
“Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth as his thumb brushed over her hardened nipple.
“Your skin is so soft. I need to taste every inch of you,” he growled in between kisses.
Gina pulled back and looked around to make sure they were alone. There wasn’t a soul in the area other than them. There were no bright streetlights, nothing to give away their position. Once she was certain they were truly alone, she yanked her shirt over her head and tossed it on the ground at her feet. She shimmied out of her shorts and left Nick standing on the sandy beach with his mouth agape.
“Care for a swim?” She tossed her panties and bra onto her pile of clothes and proceeded to wade out into the warm water of the bay. She didn’t pretend to give a single fuck about her curves or stretch marks or the years of wear and tear on her body. They were what made her who she was. Nick could take the way God made her or walk away. Gina was done being in relationships where she felt guilty about the extra weight she carried.
Now it was time to see if Nick had the spontaneity she longed for … a man who wasn’t afraid to shed his clothes and get naked at the drop of a hat. To do things others may shy away from.
She didn’t look back at him. Instead, she kept going into the deep water, holding her head high and wondering if he had the balls to join her.
* * *
Nick could barely believehis luck. One minute he was walking on the beach with his mate, kissing her softly. The next minute, she was naked and summoning him to join her for a late-night swim in the bay. Once he picked his mouth up off the ground from her impromptu suggestion and her boldness at undressing in front of him without a single blush, he made quick work of stripping naked and following behind the lovely sway of her naked backside.
She was more beautiful naked than he could have ever imagined. Those amazing ass curves of hers had his cock hard instantly. His bear wanted his mate. He wanted to sink his cock and his fangs into her at the same time and claim her. He wanted her to know she was his and he was hers. Always.
But he held his beast at bay, knowing it was far too soon to profess his claim on her. Humans didn’t do that. Especially not on their first date. He counted himself lucky she was naked on their first date. Whether or not it led to sex didn’t matter. Well, it did, but he wasn’t going to count on the whole sex thing. She could just want a nice evening swim without getting her clothes wet. Either way, he’d take what was freely offered.