“Don’t talk like that, we’ll figure something out, I know we will,” he said, turning her in his arms again. “This place is too special to be forgotten again; fate wouldn’t do that to us. I just haven’t figured out what the solution is yet.”
“Sometimes I wish we’d never found this place,” Stephanie said, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him. “But then I wouldn’t have found you, and you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He reached down and tipped her chin up, “No matter what happens to the crypt, we’ll still have each other,” he said, looking into her eyes and seeing the love she felt reflected there. “Maybe this was what was meant to be, maybe we were supposed to find this place to bring us together, but give it up to stay together. Does that make any sense?”
“I don’t know, I’m new to all this,” Stephanie said, gesturing to the crypt. “I did find something interesting in the mural, something I never noticed before. In fact, I’m not sure that it was there before.”
“Now you’re not making any sense,” he said, smiling down at her. “Do you want to try that again?”
“It might be easier if I showed you,” she said, tugging him over to the mural and pointing to an especially colorful section. “Look there, right next to that lake, there are two figures, one is a human and the other is a dragon. They look very familiar to me, but maybe I’m just tired or imagining things.”
It only took a second to see that she was right, and he stepped back, a bit shocked, then turned to Stephanie, who was watchinghim closely. “What does it mean?” she asked. “That’s us, I just know it is.”
“Look, we’re standing in front of the entrance to the cave,” he said, stepping back over to the painting. “You’re wearing a crown of flowers on your head and a white dress. I think we both know what that means.”
He turned to look over at her, and there was a blush slowly creeping up her cheeks. “I’m marrying the dragon,” she said. “It’s a sign that I accept you, all of you, but who did this? Where did it come from?”
Her question made the air in the crypt begin to hum, and Stephanie gasped. “Cooper, what is that?” she asked, a look of astonishment on her face. “It feels like someone turned on the electricity.”
That’s kind of true. You’re feeling the magic this place holds. I think someone is trying to answer your question, he said. It’s okay, there’s nothing to be afraid of. It's what gives me my power. It's what makes me a shifter. You're feeling it because of the connection between us.
“Oh, it feels a little strange, but now that I’m getting used to it, it might not be so bad,” she said, then turned back to the mural. “We’ve become part of the story of this place. Someone has added us to the history. I think that means we’ll be able to save it.”
“I think so too,” he said. “I’ve thought that all along.”
“Okay then, Mr. Smarty pants, how are we going to do it?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips. “Just answer me that, because I’ve been thinking about it for hours, and I can still only come up with one option.”
She looked so serious with her forehead furrowed in annoyance, her glasses slipping down her nose, her mouth turned down in frustration, that he should have been thinking anything but what he was as he stood there watching her. Takinga step toward her, he felt desire building inside him and decided it might be just the distraction they both needed.
“Maybe we’ve been thinking about this too much,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Maybe we need to take a break and think about something else.”
“Cooper, this isn’t the place…” Stephanie tried to protest, but he silenced her with a kiss that made his intention completely clear and before he let her come up for air, she was completely on board with his idea of a distraction.
***Stephanie***
“I think we should go back upstairs,” Stephanie said, her voice husky from the raw need that had begun to throb deep inside her, a need so powerful it felt like it was going to overwhelm her. “Everything feels too intense in here, and it wouldn’t be respectful.”
“Say no more, princess,” Cooper said, sweeping her up into his arms and heading for the stone steps. “I don’t like having an audience either.”
She snuggled deeper into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder, ridiculously pleased he could carry her with so little effort, and realized that it was nice to feel so protected. They were about halfway up the stairs when a cold breeze came sweeping up behind them, making her shiver even with Cooper’s warmth wrapped around her, and she braced herself for the next one, but he was already climbing the last step.
“It must be cold outside, that breeze was freezing,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck when he set her down. “Good thing I have you to keep me warm.”
“And the heater I brought doesn’t hurt either,” Cooper said, pushing her away just a little and helping her take off her jacket.“It’s nice and warm in here, but I think I can make things a little hotter.”
“Oh, you think so…” she said, then trailed off on a sigh when his hands slipped up under her shirt and cupped her breasts.
“Are you feeling the heat yet?” Cooper asked, then began to tease her nipples when she shook her head. “Is that better?”
She shook her head again, but her breath was coming in short gasps, and words would have been impossible even if she’d tried. “Then I’ll just have to try harder,” Cooper said, an evil smile on his face. “But just remember, you asked for it.”
Her heart fluttered with excitement, she knew deep down that he would never hurt her, that he would never push things too far, and decided to keep the game going. “You don’t scare me, Mr. McFarland,” she said. “I think you’re bluffing, and if you’re not, then I still win.”
He laughed, pulled her shirt over her head, unhooked her bra, then slid it off her shoulders, exposing her already sensitive breasts, and a hungry look appeared on his face. Her body was already throbbing with need, and she reached for him, but he stepped back a step, shaking his head, then reached for the button on her pants and slowly slipped it free. He took his time unzipping them and easing them off, his fingers brushing against the sensitive skin of her legs as he worked, making her gasp with each touch.
When he finally stood up, he stepped in front of her so there was only an inch of space between them, and growled at her again when she reached for him. “You’re not allowed to touch me,” he said, a grin of triumph on his face. “No matter what I do to you.”
Unable to resist the challenge in his eyes, she lifted her chin in the air. “Bring it on,” she said. “I can handle anything you throw at me.”
