My bear has literally fallen asleep, content and at peace now that we’ve found our mate. I put my hand to my chest, truly happy for him. He can finally rest because we’ve found her.
We’ve found our mate.
6
JACKIE
Ishould be enjoying the view, the calm water and the open sky, trying to keep my mind off my problems.
Instead, I’m hyper-aware ofhim.
He’s been following me for the past twenty minutes. A massive shifter with shoulders broad enough to block out the sun. Every time I move to a different spot on the deck, I feel his eyes on me—an intense, unnatural shade of green. And every time I turn around, he’s there, standing awkwardly, staring at me like staring at me like I’m something holy.
I glance over my shoulder again. Still there.
Goddammit.
The ship shifts beneath me, and I hold the railing a little tighter. Maybe if I ignore him long enough, he’ll get the hint and leave.
But when I turn around fully this time, preparing to head toward the bar, he blocks my path. Up close, he’s even more imposing—at least six-foot-seven of solid muscle, with rich brown skin that glistens with a light sheen of sweat in the summer heat.
I scan him up and down, irritated at myself for noticing how the worn fabric of his oversized t-shirt hangs loosely from his frame, clearly too big even for his massive build. His baggy jeans hang low on his hips, bunching awkwardly at the ankles like he grabbed whatever was closest without caring if it fit. His short curly hair and messy beard look like they could use a trim, but somehow the unkempt look works on him. He has the innocent, wide-eyed expression of an oversized puppy, which only makes my annoyance spike. No one this physically intimidating should look so damn... sweet.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Can I help you?”
He clears his throat, running nervous fingers through his messy beard. When he finally speaks, his voice comes out almost shaky, deep but uncertain.
“You must get bit by a lot of mosquitos.”
I blink, then narrow my eyes and plant my hands on my hips. Oh no, he did not just say that to me. What an asshole. After twenty minutes of following me, this is the first thing he decides to say?
I already know where he’s going with this. Another man making assumptions about my body. Another comment about my size from someone who thinks they’re being subtle.
“Let me educate you before I tell you to go straight to hell,” I snap. “That’s been well debunked by scientific evidence. Bigger people do not attract mosquitos more than anyone else.”
He scrunches his nose in confusion, clearing his throat again before running a hand through his messy short curls.
“That wasn’t a derogatory comment regarding your weight,” he says, his voice taking on a deeper timbre.
“Well, what the hell was it then?” I shoot back.
He steps closer, so close I can feel the heat radiating off him like a furnace. He leans in, his face just inches from my neck, and breathes in slowly. Once. Twice. Three times.
When he pulls back, there’s a nervous smile on his lips, but his eyes are deadly serious.
“You smell like honey,” he says. “Sweet honey. The sweetness of your scent, in fact, would attract a lot of mosquitoes.”
I narrow my eyes, lift my arm to my nose, and sniff. “I don’t smell like honey. I don’t smell anything—and that’s not a perfume I wear.”
The mysterious shifter’s lips quirk upward. “You wouldn’t smell it.” He reaches out, and before I can flinch away, his finger brushes over the tip of my nose in a playful gesture. “Pretty woman. It’s in your blood, beyond your human detection.”
“Oh...” The word escapes me before I can stop it, my stance softening. The deck beneath my feet seems to sway more than the gentle rocking of the ship should cause. “What kind of shifter are you?”
“I am a bear shifter,” he says quickly, his chest puffing out with pride. “A member of the Frost Clan.”
I pause, giving him another once-over. “Oh wow, bear shifter. Well, you’re definitely big like one—practically towering over this deck.” I nod toward the level above us, where his head nearly brushes the ceiling. “That explains why you like the honey smell.”
His expression falls, a frown replacing the eager look. “Not all bear shifters like the scent of honey.” His eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that makes my heart skip. “And your scent is distinct. It would only attract one male.”
