She shrugged. “How could you have known that would happen, if I didn’t?” She looked at him and pressed her fingers lightly to his cheek. “I feel really drawn to you, Mack. I didn’t know when I came out for a swim tonight that I’d meet you, but I know you’re my mate. It feels right to be with you.”
He laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “When our gazes locked, I knew why my wolf had been urging me to the beach. It’s because you’re mine, too.”
She leaned in to kiss him, and this time he met her halfway. Their lips met, hers soft against his, and when their tongues touched, Mack felt it all the way to the center of his being. He’d been alone for so long. Even though he’d come to the singles’ resort with an open mind, he’d still been a little skeptical. Now he knew that he’d been given a second chance at love, and he wasn’t going to waste it.
Chapter 5
Mack helped Miracle stand, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her. She’d nearly drowned because her dragon was being an idiot. She couldn’t believe that she was walking next to her mate. The mate chosen by her dragon, not chosen by her king. She picked up the small bag that contained her flip-flops and her keycard, and held his hand as they walked toward the hotel. When they reached the end of the beach, he swung her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way.
She swiped her card at the security pad, and he held her close with one arm and pulled the door open with the other.
“I’m on the third floor, with the other females.”
“I’m on the fourth.”
“You need fresh clothes.”
“So do you,” he said as he climbed the stairs.
“Are we at an impasse already?” she asked with a chuckle.
“How about you first and then me?”
“Fine, be all noble.”
He laughed as he carried her down the hall to her room. She swiped her key card through the reader, and he pushed it open. He set her down but kept his hand on her hip, his palm warm against her. She wasn’t normally so chilled, but the stress of shifting so rapidly had left her feeling cold. Except when Mack was holding her. She felt downright toasty with him.
She looked up at him, aware she was ogling him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but stare. He was so gorgeous; she was certain she’d never seen a more handsome male. His gray eyes were stormy with emotion, swirling with the amber of his beast. His thick dark hair was just made for grasping in the throes of passion, and his broad shoulders and tapered waist were the stuff of female fantasy.
He spun her, pressing her back against the door. Lowering his head, he kissed the side of her neck, his lips making a slow path from her shoulder to her ear. He grasped her hair, wrapping it around his hand and tugging it gently to the side. Her whole body lit up as he inhaled deeply against her neck and then growled as he exhaled. “I could eat you up,” he said gruffly. “You smell amazing, like the mountains and sunshine.”
She fisted his shirt with both hands and said his name. Her brain was misfiring. The sexy male pressing against her, doing wicked things to her neck, was everything she’d ever wanted and never had. Strong, considerate, commanding. And to know that he was hers now…she didn’t want to waste a moment.
He released her hair slowly and pressed his hands against the door. Gazing down at her, his voice was a little lower and rougher when he said, “Go clean up. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
She rose onto her toes and kissed him, then ducked under his arm and hurried to the bathroom. Flicking on the light, she turned on the shower and then stared at herself in the mirror. She’d suspected she looked like a nightmare, but seeing the reality in the unforgiving mirror was enough to make her cringe. Then she changed her thought process. Just because the better part of her adult life had been spent listening to an asshole dragon describe her as everything from ‘too fat’ to downright ugly, didn’t mean that she was any of those things. Her ex was a terrible person, rotten from the inside out. She’d learned very early on that he rarely spoke the truth, especially when he was stinking drunk. Which, toward the end of their mating, had been practically twenty-four seven.
Since she didn’t believe him, she decided that his words wouldn’t have any effect on her anymore. She’d successfully broken the bonds of their mating, and she never had to think about him again. And with the sexy wolf in the next room, she was certain she’d never think of anyone else, ever. She looked at herself with fresh eyes. She wasn’t ugly, she was lovely. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed with passion. Her curves were highlighted by the white bikini. Mack had accepted her immediately, and the attraction between them was undeniable. It wasn’t just physical; it was everything.