I stood there, dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to say. He was right. I’d pushed away everything that had made me happy, everything that had made me the Shade my mother loved because I’d been led to believe there was something wrong with me.
The question was, could I ever get that person back? Could I become the Shade my mother always hoped I’d be? The one she could be proud of?
“Come on,” he bid, dropping his hand and interlacing his fingers with mine. “There’s somewhere I want to take you.”
Teeny-Weeny Red Bikini
SHADE
As I followed Caelan, I couldn’t stop thinking about our kiss. It had been everything I had ever hoped for and then some. I found myself craving more. More of him.
I couldn’t understand it. I’d spent so long pushing down any flicker of desire, training myself relentlessly to not feel anything because emotion was weakness. But one brush of his lips and all my carefully constructed walls came crashing down.
I wanted Caelan. I wanted him like I had never wanted anything before. My body needed his touch like my lungs needed air.
He was my mate. We were two halves of the same soul, destined for one another by the Goddess herself. And when I amplified his feelings, his prevailing emotion had been desire. Desire for me.
I tried to remind myself not to get too carried away. Yes, there had been moments late at night when I was all alone, when I’d fantasize what it might be like if we were together, but I never imagined that it might actually come true.
There were still a lot of things against us. My father, Sunny, and Dark Moon were all trying to keep us apart.
“Just a little farther,” he explained.
I tightened my grip on his hand, and his smile grew wider.
“I really think you’re going to like this, Shade. At least, I hope you do. It’s one of my favorite spots in the world.” His voice was almost giddy with excitement.
No matter what we were doing or where we were going, I was going to like it because I was with him.
“Here’s the entrance,” he said.
I peeked around him to see the mouth of a dark cave. But this wasn’t like the cavern at the Sloping Falls. This opening was much smaller, and a series of natural steps led down into the ground.
There was a bag sitting next to the entrance, and Caelan released my hand to grab it.
“I had Taffy run this up for us earlier,” he explained as he dug through it. “I was kind of hoping I’d get the chance to take you here today.”
He pulled out a pair of swim trunks and then handed it to me.
“You can go change behind the trees if you’d like a little privacy,” he offered, peeling off his T-shirt.
I stared at his bare chest, forgetting myself as my fingers gripped the bag tightly. He grinned, giving me a wink as he reached for the waistband of his shorts.
I ducked my head, my cheeks on fire as I hurried toward the tree line.How embarrassing! I’m practically drooling over him just taking off his shirt!
I appreciated his understanding. Even though we were mates and we’d kissed, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be totally naked around him. Honestly, I wasn’t sure who’d have more trouble controlling their desire at this point, him or me.
I carried the bag over behind a sturdy oak, pursing my lips when I saw what was inside.
Dammit Taffy. I should have known.
Inside was the red bikini that Taffy had picked out for me when we went shopping. The one that I’d never have the courage to wear on my own. I huffed, stripping off my clothes and slipping on the teeny-tiny scraps of fabric held together by thin pieces of string. It barely covered the essentials, leaving very little to the imagination.
I might as well be naked. It’s one thing to show off some skin when shifting, but this? This is flaunting it. Goddess, I hope Caelan doesn’t think I’m trying to throw myself at him.
I grabbed the dress I’d been wearing and pulled it back over my head, feeling a little better as soon as I was covered.
I stepped out from behind the trees to find Caelan waiting for me in his swim trunks. I bit my lip, looking over the hard lines of his body. Somehow this man managed to get more beautiful each time I saw him.
