By the Sea

Chapter 2

Dom

“He s*****d me and my god. That man, I’ve never come that hard. EVER!”

Sarah’s words rang through my head as I rested my hand on the doorknob. I didn’t know who she was talking to, but it was a huge boost to my ego. I knew that I shouldn’t be eavesdropping on her, but hearing her talk about last night let me know that she’d felt it too. That she’d been drawn to me as much as I was drawn to her.

I didn’t understand it, she wasn’t my mate. Things had been so much easier with Sarah than they had been with Lena.

Yet after just one night, I knew that I couldn’t let her go. I wanted her, my wolf wanted her. He wanted her to bear his claim, so that every shifter knew she was ours. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t my mate, neither of us cared. She was ours just the same. I wanted to collar her so that the humans would know that she was mine.

That thought shocked me, I’d never wanted to collar someone before. I’d had submissives before, but never had I wanted to do something so akin to marriage. The thought of someone else touching her, of her touching them, made my jaw clench and my teeth lengthen. I needed to get myself under control. I couldn’t go in there like this, I’d scare her away.

I listened to her end the call with her friend before pushing the door open. She was wearing another sundress, one that showed too much and not enough all at the same time.

“Dom,” she said, smiling shyly. She stepped closer to me and I realized that I was a goner. There would be no ending things after a weekend. She was mine. I’d need to tell her before tomorrow, for now I just wanted to enjoy my time with her. I didn’t think I’d be able to bear it if she rejected me.

The thought was more painful than when Lena had rejected me.

“You look good enough to eat.” I said, biting my lower lip as I stepped into the room. Kicking the door closed behind me.

Her cheeks flushed crimson and I was hit with the scent of her arousal. Thick and heady, mixing with the lingering smells of our activities last night. My body pulsed with need for her. She peeked up at me and I let out a groan.

“Breakfast?” I said, holding up the bag in my hands. The smell of bacon made my stomach rumble, I knew that my little human had to be famished. I’d taken her like she was a shifter, and she’d kept up with me every step of the way.

Her stomach growled, she nodded. Turning away from me. I watched as she made her way to the little table beside the balcony, opening the door so the ocean breeze blew into the room.

A part of me wanted to stop her, to seal up the room. To keep the combined scents of us trapped inside.

That part of me was silenced as I watched the sunlight stream through the thin fabric of her dress and my mouth went dry. Did she know how sexy she looked in that sundress? How much she was testing my fragile self control?

She sat down and I followed, I didn’t understand what it was about her that I liked so much. I knew that I wanted to find out. Sitting down across from her, I put the bags on the table. Pulling out one of the styrofoam containers and handing it to her before opening mine up.

Pulling the plastic fork out of its wrapper, I dug in, watching her do the same. I’d never taken pleasure watching someone eat. On a primal level, my wolf was happy to have provided for her. Scooping up some of the eggs onto my fork, I took a bite.

That was something this hotel did so well. The breakfasts were always amazing and Derrick had made sure I had more than enough waiting for me.

“So, Dom, tell me about yourself.” Sarah said as she picked up one of the fluffy biscuits. Tearing off a piece before tossing it into her mouth.

“Not much to tell, I’m boring.” I couldn’t tell her that I was a werewolf and an enforcer for my pack. Or that I had a secret stash of romance novels hidden in my closet at home. She already knew that I was a dominant

“I have a hard time believing that.”

“Tell me about you?”

“Oh, um.” She said, sitting her biscuit down almost as if she weren’t used to talking about herself. “I’m a waitress.”

“I think there is more to you than that. I like to read, that’s something.” I said and she looked up from her plate, giving me one of those smiles that made my stomach do funny things.

“I like to write. What do you like to read?”

“Mmm, that’s a secret for another day.”

“Then I can’t tell you what I write.” She said, her bottom lip coming out as she gave me a pout. My palm itched, I wanted to take her over my knee.

“Can’t or won’t?”

Her gray-green eyes sparkled at mine as she picked up a slice of bacon, taking a bite. She chewed it slowly, as if she were debating the question. “Both, you may not like my answer.”

“Romance, the hallmark-er the better.” I blurted out, feeling my ears heat up.

Her face lit up and I could see that my answer made her happy. “I write romance, I live for that happily ever after.”

“That’s how the best stories end. How about after this we go for a walk on the beach, maybe go check out some touristy things?”

“I’d like that.”

Breakfast was had with some light conversation and I found the more that I talked to her, the more that I was starting to like Sarah.

Once we were done eating, Sarah and I changed into swimsuits. She pulled the sundress back on before tying her hair up into a messy bun. Topping it off with a large pair of dark sunglasses. She pulled out a striped beach bag, “Did you need me to carry anything for you?”

I grabbed some sunscreen from my bag, handing it to her. Our fingers brushed as she took the blue tube from my hand. I felt sparks move along my skin. She sucked in a breath and I looked up at her, my lips twitching into a smile.

“Can’t have you getting sunburnt.”

“You either.” She said stepping closer to me, her fingers running up my arms. Her soft touch made me shiver. Smirking, she tossed the tube into her bag, before turning away and grabbing a pair of sandals. I let out a long sigh, following her towards the door.

We left the room and I locked the door behind us, slipping her the keycard. I grabbed her hand, threading our fingers together as I led her towards the elevator. “So, do you want to walk to the beach or we can take my truck?”

“Let’s see how hot it is? I’m leaning towards walking if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure you’re not too tired after last night?” I asked, pressing the elevator button before looking at her.

Her tongue darted out, moving over her lower lip as she shook her head. “I slept good, I’ve got plenty of energy. For, um walking.”

My heart thudded and I knew that it was too soon to be happy that she’d slept well because she was next to me. My heart didn’t want to listen, even though my mind was screaming at me that she wasn’t mine. I leaned closer to her, my hand cupping her cheek. Her eyes slipped closed as she tilted her head up.

“Hey, man.” Derrick said as the door to the elevator chimed open. Sarah’s eyes snapped open. Widening in surprise, she stepped away from me.

“Morning.” I said, rolling my head to glare at Derrick, mentally cursing my friend for interrupting us. I wasn’t ready to share her just yet.

“I was just coming to check on you.” He smirked, looking between the two of us. “Looks like you’re doing just fine. Going down?”

“Better than fine, we’re headed to the beach.” I said, looking down at Sarah. Her cheeks were stained red. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her into the elevator as the door slid shut. “Sarah, this is my friend Derrick.”

“The hotel owner?” She asked, looking over at him.

“Yeah, this is his hotel.”

“So it’s kinda his fault for the mixup?”

“Mixup?” Derrick said, pushing his dark hair out his eyes as he looked between the two of us.

“Yeah,” I smirked, “Sarah was upgraded after an accident in her room.”

Derrick frowned and I laughed, “To my room, I thought-”

“It wasn’t me, I promise.” He said, lifting up his hands. I knew that he was thinking of the last time he’d left me an escort in one of his rooms. How pissed I’d been. This time fate had left me a gift and I couldn’t be upset about her. “And you don’t, I mean. I know that you-”

“I know,” I said, stopping him from saying anything further. Sarah didn’t need to know that about me just yet. “Either way, we’re having a good time.”

Leaning closer to Sarah, I brushed my lips against her temple. She looked up at me, shifting from foot to foot. I could almost feel her anxiety and it was such a strange feeling, I’d have to ask her about it later.

“Good, how about you guys head to the private beach and I get some drinks sent out to you?”

“Free drinks, you know I won’t say no.” I looked away from Sarah as the doors slid open and Derrick stepped out.

He gave me a smile before tipping his head towards Sarah, “I should say thank you for pulling this guy out of his funk. Thank you, if you need anything, let me know.”

“Thanks, I will.” Sarah said as I guided her out of the elevator and towards the back entrance of the hotel. The walk to the private beach was a short one, and I was happy to show her this quiet beach spot beside the hotel.

“This is beautiful.” Sarah said, pulling her sunglasses from her hair and putting them on.

“It is,” I said, pulling my phone out of my back pocket. I swiped my screen open, turning us away from the water as I wrapped my arm around her waist. Pulling her body against mine. “Take a picture with me.”

I held the phone up and we smiled up at the screen. Clicking the button, I took our photo.

“Could you send it to me?”

“Sure, you want to enter your number?” I held out my phone to her and she tapped away at the screen, sending it to herself. Before handing it back to me.

“Thanks, I want to send it to my best friend.”

I thought about her phone call earlier, I didn’t want to bring up what I’d heard. She didn’t need me to push her. “Trying to show me off?”

“Something like that.” She said, walking over to one of the white chaise loungers. Dropping her bag, she kicked off her sandals. I gulped as she slipped her sundress off. The bikini she had on wasn’t skimpy with its boy shorts that hugged her flared hips. It still made me want to pull her closer to me. To feel those curves pressed against my body.

She turned around and my mouth fell open, the bikini top pushed up her full breasts. Her skin bore love bites from last night, and my wolf wanted to howl in delight that we’d marked her in such a way. I wanted to claim her, to see my bite on that sweet spot low on her neck.

“Swim with me?” She asked, turning towards the crystal blue water. Tossing my shirt onto the lounger, I all but tripped over my flip flops trying to follow her.