Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
brIA
Three days before Christmas
When I stirred awake, pleasant warmth surrounded me.
It felt so good, wrapped in a luxurious warmth I never wanted to leave.
I leaned back into him, nestling into Darius’s powerful embrace, and relished every detail.
The steady rise and fall of his chest against my back, the slow rhythmic beat of his heart, the protective weight of his muscular arm slung around my waist. For a blissful moment, I breathed him in, inhaling his wild musky scent—smoke, rum, and sinful decadence.
My body ached in the most wonderful way. Sated.
My panther purred lazily inside as she stretched in satisfaction. We found the one, she murmured. Our mate.
I didn’t argue. Not this time. Last night had been…
incredible. Every touch, every moan, every look had taken me to newer heights than I’d ever imagined.
The connection between us had crystallized, turning sharper and undeniable.
Darius had been patient and attentive at times, and untamed and feral at others, as if sensing exactly what I’d needed and when.
We’d spent half the night coiled in each other’s arms, wrapped in heat, until one of us stirred and started our insatiable exploration once more.
When I’d finally fallen into a deep sleep in the early hours of the morning, tangled in his arms, I’d done so with dreams of him in my mind.
Could we have a future beyond this voyage?
Yes. We need to claim him, my panther said.
I bristled. No. Not yet.
It was easy to fantasize while recovering from a passionate high, but early morning light revealed real-life complications.
I glanced around his massive suite, reserved in the exclusive section on an upper deck with the most expensive rooms. It made my tiny room on the lower deck below feel the size of a mousetrap.
The golden light drifting in from the massive window overlooking the private balcony softened the sleek modern lines of the furniture.
It whispered of luxury, fueled by money, earned through his business. Which reminded me of how we began.
Business.
A deal.
He’d only wanted me for a business deal.
But last night hadn’t felt like business—it had felt like a new beginning. Of something big, epic. And that terrified me more than anything had ever before.
There was a reason why I didn’t do feelings.
It was easier to remain detached and simply pursue temporary pleasures.
And if I was smart, I should remember that this connection between us was also only temporary.
He’d leave the ship and me once this cruise was over, and if I didn’t want to get blindsided when it happened, I’d better force my shield back in place.
A cool shower, that was what I needed to slap some sense back into myself. But when I tried to slip out of bed, Darius tightened his arm around me, pulling me back to him.
“Where are you going, beautiful?” he murmured, his voice rough from sleep.
I froze, half turned toward him. His hair was mussed, his gold-flecked eyes soft with that sleepy heat that made my stomach flutter.
“I was going to shower,” I said.
He flashed a devilish smile. “Later.” He kissed my shoulder, sending a wave of heat inside, melting me. “I thought we’d stay here a while and have breakfast in bed.” Brushing my hair aside, he nuzzled my neck and the solid thickness of his erection pressed against me.
“That sounds good,” I purred and melted against him.
He slipped his hand over my hip, along my thigh, and in between my legs, and I moaned. All those thoughts about reason, about protecting my heart, they all went up in flames as the dragon captured me in his heat and made me forget everything else but how good his body felt on mine.
A few hours later, Darius and I disembarked for a few hours while the Moonlight Siren was docked at one of the smaller islands. It was my panther’s favorite stop as she could prowl through a wooded area beyond the edge of town.
The seaside stores and restaurants were decked out for the season, advertising Christmas gifts and food specials.
We stopped for lunch at a mom-and-pop sandwich shop that I frequented with outdoor tables shaded by palm trees.
The scent of grilled fish and spices hovered in the air, making my mouth water.
After we ordered, I eased back in the chair and glanced out at the sunlight shimmering on the sea. The calm breeze ruffled my hair and not a cloud dotted the blue sky. I should have felt at peace, but inside, I was unraveling, caught between instinct and reason.
Every time Darius looked at me with those intense eyes, my pulse skittered up.
Each time his fingers brushed any part of me, I melted into his heat.
And the primal urge that called louder, especially with my panther’s constant purring about our mate, warred with my common sense, warning me to remain detached.
The sound of waves against the shore mingled with easy conversation and laughter from nearby tables. I longed for that breeziness, yet a storm twisted in my gut.
When the server brought our drinks, I raised my pina colada and toasted, “To temporary pleasures.” His slight frown made me instantly regret it.
“Is that what you think this is?”
“Isn’t it?” I pushed my hair off my shoulders and took a sip of my drink. The delicious coconut and rum flavors rolled over my tongue. Because if I admitted how I was growing attached to him, it would mean trusting the universe not to rip him away. Which I couldn’t do.
“But you know the bond. You sense it,” he insisted, his expression now serious. He straightened. “Especially after last night.”
He’s right, my panther agreed.
I knew they were right. That didn’t mean it changed the outcome when he sailed away after Christmas was over.
“You were married, Darius. Wasn’t she your mate?”
He winced. “Bria…”
When he didn’t continue, I prodded him. “Darius.”
He tipped his head back and swallowed. “What happened with my wife happened decades ago. Losing her hurt me tremendously, but I can’t live in the past.”
I didn’t know what to make of all this. Being married meant they’d had a commitment. But what did Darius and I have? A week-long cruise. We didn’t talk about what would happen after it ended because we both must have known on some level that it wouldn’t go anywhere.
“It’s better if we keep things from getting complicated.” I forced a smile. “Don’t look so serious, dragon.”
The server arrived with our sandwiches, a Reuben for him and a roast beef with boursin for me, my favorite.
Her interruption gave me a reprieve from the heavy conversation.
I took a healthy bite and moaned at the familiar tasty flavors.
“I love this and get it almost every time we dock,” I said, an attempt to avoid answering a question I had no idea how to answer. “How’s your sandwich?”
“Fine,” he mumbled. Darius was quiet while we ate, and a worry line creased between his eyes.
I adjusted in my seat, looking for something to say. So I rambled on about the weather and my favorite spots on the island. “After lunch, I need to let my panther roam in the forest.”
Darius lifted his head and his eyes gleamed with interest. “I’d like to meet her.”
My brows arched. “You want to meet my panther?”
Yes! She cheered.
“Of course.” His voice lowered to a husky whisper. “I want to learn everything about you, Bria.”
Oof, the way he said my name with a slight, delicious roll of his R sent a heated shiver over my skin. My mind flashed to last night and all the decadent ways we’d explored each other with our shields down. And again this morning.
I hesitated, chewing my lower lip. I turned toward the tree line in the distance, where the island was quiet, the shade soothing.
Curiosity and my panther’s jubilation won out. “All right.”
Conversation came easier after we’d made that next plan. When I asked Darius to tell me more about his island, his eyes gleamed as he detailed the intricacies of the distillery, his successes, his plans.
“What about the island itself?”
He cocked his head as if surprised. “Oh, it’s paradise. White sand, lush greenery, the air thick with sugar. I love to walk barefoot in the sand, feel the sun on my skin, and take flight after the sun sets.”
After we finished our meal, I led him down the narrow trail leading into the wooded area.
The air grew thick with the scent of foliage, soil, and the small beat of wildlife hiding under camouflage.
When we reached a spot with storage space for shifters to disrobe, I turned to Darius. “Don’t freak out.”
“Of course not.” He flashed a lopsided grin. “I’m a shifter too.”
“Well.” I shrugged. “You never know how someone will respond when you sprout fur and fall on four legs.”
His eyes twinkled. “Same when you grow massive with wings and scales.”
I couldn’t hold back a grin. “Then I want to meet your dragon.”
“You will,” he assured me with a solid nod. “One night.”
I undressed slowly, not to seduce Darius, but because he appeared to drink in every inch of skin I exposed, and I liked the way his eyes felt on me.
Once free of all clothing, I met his eyes once more, feeling a shade more vulnerable.
That was odd—nudity didn’t bother me. But I sensed it had nothing to do with being nude and more to do with sharing more of myself with him.
Closing my eyes, I crouched lower and initiated the shift.
Energy rolled through my muscles, reshaping them, and reforming bones.
Black fur sprouted along my skin as I fell onto all fours.
When I reopened my eyes, the forest sharpened into brilliant focus—every scent, every heartbeat amplified.
I stretched in panther form, sleek muscles rippling under sunlight.
When I glanced at Darius, his eyes widened in wonder. “Beautiful,” he whispered.
I padded closer to him and rubbed my head against his thigh, marking him with my scent as I inhaled the spicy scent of his. He brushed his fingers over the top of my head, trailing them down my shoulder.
“So soft,” he murmured. “My magnificent black velvet panther.”
My panther purred at the praise, reveling in his touch.
We walked together down the path. My panther typically ran through the brush, but she prowled close to Darius.
I thought you wanted to hunt, I said.
She sniffed. I’m not leaving our mate.
Well, don’t blame me when you get the itch to prowl when we’re on the ship.
We continued to walk together through the forest, and the sense of just how right this felt unraveled me. The danger wasn’t just in losing him when he left the ship. It was in how much I wanted him to stay.