Sondrae Bennett: Chasing Paradise

Pleased with her find, Gwen paddled back toward shore to consume her meal.

Ethan walked out of the sliding glass doors and breathed a sigh of relief. The cool evening air soothed his frayed nerves as he leaned on the railing of the deck to stare into the darkening ocean.

He’d come to the hotel bar hoping to find female companionship for the night. There’d been plenty of opportunities. His genuine interest in people and friendly attitude tended to draw others to him, especially women. But not one woman inside had attracted him on a sexual level.

Worry trickled down his throat, settling heavy in his gut. The thought of having sex with any of the women he’d met tonight left a sour taste in his mouth. He hadn’t felt the vaguest tingle of interest.

Out of nowhere, an image of the serious-looking otter he’d met earlier came to him. The look of wonder as she’d gazed at him had caused her already round eyes to widen. The deep brown had pulled him in and held him captive. Her heart-shaped face was tanned but lighter than the other staff. Best of all, she had a slightly upturned nose and pouty lips just begging to be kissed. If only that encounter had ended differently. He could be in her bed, her legs wrapped around his waist this very minute instead of trying to solve his sudden disinterest in women.

Cute women had never appealed to Ethan before. He preferred sexy or beautiful. But something about this particular woman tugged at him. His mind wouldn’t let her image fade. He had to find out who she was.

Movement on the beach caught Ethan’s attention. He searched the waves, trying to figure out what it was, and saw a small wet otter waddle out of the surf with a large fish in its mouth. Maybe his imagination was playing tricks on him, but he somehow knew without a shadow of a doubt this was the woman. His woman.

He watched from the deck as she devoured her meal and started drying her fur with her mouth. What was it about this woman that fascinated him, even the most mundane things? Ethan stared, mesmerized while she puffed air into her fur. His focus paid off as the figure on the beach began to shift, the pops and cracks drowned out by the noise of the ocean. Straightening, Ethan sucked in a startled breath as the human woman’s curvaceous form took shape. As she lay on the sand panting after the change, Ethan absorbed every aspect of her body. A small groan escaped as his eyes moved past her hips and down her legs. He could only imagine how phenomenal those legs would feel wrapped around him, and he wanted to taste the salt from the ocean on those voluptuous breasts. As his imagination ran wild, his pants became uncomfortably tight, forcing him to shift his weight. Whatever had been ailing him all evening fled with the arrival of his mystery woman. There was only one thing he wanted tonight. One woman.

Suddenly, the form on the beach sat up and turned in his direction. How had she known he was here? He strove for a nonthreatening pose even as his wolf cried out for him to hunt and take. Scaring her wouldn’t help him accomplish his goals.

As she continued to stare, Ethan could almost feel her mind grappling with a difficult decision. He held his breath, anxious to discover his fate. Something whispered to him that the next few moments were vitally important. Eventually, she bushed the sand from her body, pulled on her clothes, and fiddled with her long, waist-length hair, pulling it back into the same drastic bun from earlier. The determination to take her hair down and run his hands through it burned in him.

Ethan let out the breath he’d been holding as she made her way to him, his eyes riveted on her hips gently swaying with each step. A breeze rushed over his face, bringing her scent with it. He breathed it in like a drowning man. The scent blended perfectly with the smell of the ocean. He licked his lips, tasting the salt on them and imagined he was tasting her. He wanted to bury himself inside her until she was as crazy as he felt.

When she stopped in front of him, her eyes locked on his and he was powerless to look away.

“Hi.” Her gaze shifted to the side as if searching for something to say. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier, or thank you for saving me from the wall. I’m Gwen.”

She thrust out her hand to shake his, and Ethan stared at it. How would she react if he pulled her into his arms and ravaged those beautiful lips like he wanted to? Instead, he gave her a smile and shook hands.

“Actually, you did manage to thank me.” Utterly charming him in the process, too. The blush that stole over her cheeks only endeared her to him more. “I’m Ethan. Can I buy you a drink, Gwen?”

Her gaze drifted to the open doors behind him. “I probably shouldn’t. I try not to mingle with guests.” She continued to stare into the bar before glancing back at him, her doe-like eyes hiding nothing. She wanted to stay with him and was fighting an internal battle with her conscience. It would be easy to tip the scales in his favor.

With any other woman, he’d swing his arm around her shoulders, and guide her toward the bar with a charming smile. Instead, using his intuition as his guide, he cupped her cheek with his hand. Her eyes closed as she nuzzled her face against him but flew open moments later as he drew her closer. His other hand slipped around her waist as he tilted her chin up, aligning her lips with his.

As soon as his lips brushed against hers, his wolf growled low in his chest. Something about this woman captivated him. The need to touch her, taste her, move inside her, was unbearable. Resisting the urge to crush her against him proved difficult and he struggled to keep the kiss light.

Despite his resolution, the feel of her lips parting in silent invitation proved too much for his tightly-strung control. His tongue thrust inside, exploring her mouth as his arms pulled her tighter against him. Her hands closed into fists, pulling at him as if to draw him closer. Breaking away, he gasped for air, need setting him on fire. Gwen rested her head on his shoulder, panting as well.

“What say we skip the drink and go back to my room?” Ethan suggested, desperate to know her better.

“No.” Her quick reply was so unexpected, it took him a moment to process.

He stared down at her in confusion. No? He thought they had been on the same page. Her hands were still fisted in his shirt, her body a comfortable weight in his arms. Everything indicated she had enjoyed the kiss as much as he had. Hell, she’d practically melted against him. What had he done wrong?

Fighting the urge to growl, Ethan took deep breaths to calm his wolf. The woman sorely tested his laidback attitude. If she thought she was getting away from him, she was crazy.

With his charisma and handsome face, he wasn’t often without a playfellow. It didn’t hurt being one of the officers in his pack with significant influence. Women usually fell at his feet.

His sexual appetites tended to be fairly large, but the moment he’d met this woman, everyone else had ceased to matter. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. It devastated him to think she might not feel the same way. Letting her go tonight would be one of the hardest things he’d ever done. But if that was what she wanted, he’d find a way to walk away. But it wouldn’t end there. Wolves were persistent when they wanted something and he wanted Gwen. Nothing would stop him from coming back until she was ready for him. He’d win her over eventually. No other outcome was acceptable.

“My room is bigger.”

It took a moment to process the meaning behind her words, but once he did, his soul leapt and he fought the impulse to howl. No waiting. Gwen would be his tonight.