Once Upon a Shifter (23 page)

“Dina,” she replied, her voice an octave higher than usual.

“We met briefly online,” he said.

“I know,” she replied, with a giggle.
Idiot
. She’d planned to come across as mysterious and sexy, but she was so stunned by his good looks that she was acting like a teenager. He frowned, as if uncertain how he should phrase his next sentence.

“You’re even more beautiful than your photos. I appreciate that you think I’m not your type, which is why I couldn’t find you on the app after you received my message. But when we first made contact, I felt so strongly that we were a match. When I saw your photo, it was like a bolt of electricity was connecting your phone with mine.” He laughed, embarrassed. Then he paused, frowning adorably, before he began to speak again. “So I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to give it another chance. Maybe we could hang out today, and get to know each other a little?”

“It was a mistake – “ Dina started to say, but she was cut off by Lauren giving a little scream.

“Oh my god, I’m such a klutz!” Lauren exclaimed. Dina’s head snapped to the side, and she saw that her friend had spilled her drink down the front of her dress. “Goodness. I’d better go to the restroom and fix this,” she said, grabbing Dina by the hand and beginning to run. “I’m sorry, Logan, it was nice to meet you. We’ll catch you later!” she called over her shoulder.

“Oh no, you’ve ruined your dress,” Dina said, as they reached the restroom.

“It’ll be fine with a little water,” Lauren said. She took a paper towel from the dispenser, moistened it under the faucet, and began dabbing at the stain with a napkin. “Honey, you’ve got to make Logan work a little for you. You can’t let it come too easy. Let him woo you and seduce you. Guys need to feel like they’ve won you over somehow, and it’s important for you to feel like they’ve made an effort.” Dina gaped.

“You’ve spoiled your dress to tell me this?” Lauren looked a little embarrassed.

“Well, I could see you were steaming in there like a bull at a gate, and I had to hold you back somehow!” Dina laughed.

“But are you sure about this?”

“Trust me. Connor and I courted for a long time on the app before we ever met up, and then he took me out for some really romantic dates. The chase is half the fun of dating.”

“Ok. I’ll do what you say. You’ve never been wrong before. You’re the best, Lauren,” Dina said, and hugged her best friend tight.

Dina looked at her reflection in the mirror and applied more lip gloss and Lauren helped her primp her hair a little.

“Now go, and be romanced,” Lauren said, eyes sparkling.

Logan hadn’t moved from the spot where they’d left him, but he was holding two fresh cocktail glasses. The sight of him, waiting for her, made Dina catch her breath. This time Lauren introduced herself to him properly, shaking his hand.

“I need to go catch up with my man now, so I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” she said, and floated off. The front of her dress was still wet, but she managed to carry it off with total elegance.

Logan turned to Dina, and she suddenly felt weak and quivery at being alone with him. He had such a strong, powerful presence, and he towered over her, which was a delicious sensation. At her height, there weren’t too many men who were capable of doing that.

“You look breathtaking,” he said. “And your dress suites you so well. You remind me of a fairy, or a woodland pixie.” Dina blushed, and bit her lip, forcing back the self-deprecating comment that was threatening to spill from her mouth.

“Thank you,” she said instead. He held out both cocktail glasses.

“I took a chance on the drinks,” he said. “This one’s a Lavender Martini, and this is a Summer Negroni. Take your pick.” Dina took the Martini from him.

“I love Martinis,” she said, smiling up at him. Her eyes lingered on his full lips and his sexy, perfectly-trimmed goatee.

“I’ve heard there’s another garden just behind this one. Would you like to go investigate it with me?” he asked.

“Sure, that sounds like fun!” They began to walk towards the rear of the garden, and Dina did feel a little like a fairy, floating along in her gauzy dress, tiny in comparison to this huge man.

At the edge of the garden, they passed through an archway, made of climbing roses entwined with vines, and they entered a second, completely different garden. A tall, manicured hedge stood directly in front of them, stretching all the way to the left and the right.

“Is this a maze?” Logan said, excitedly.

“I think it might be!” Dina said. “I used to love playing in mazes when I was a kid.”

“Which way?”

“Let’s try left,” she said, and began walking. The path was narrow, just wide enough for them to walk side by side. At the end, it twisted around to the right, and then forked. They picked the right fork.

“Is your family from Hope Valley?” Logan asked her.

“Yes. For several generations. And I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else. I just love the feeling of community, the way that everyone knows everyone. I guess I’m a typical small-town girl,” she finished, with a shrug. “How about you? I don’t think you live downtown, or we would’ve met long ago.” He laughed.

“No, I live out by the national park. There’s a few of us there.”

“The guys Connor introduced me to?”

“Yes! All the clan are together. I’ve lived near the park all my life, and my parents live on the opposite side of it now. It’s nice to have a little distance from them, but I could never be too far away.”

“Must be great to be out in nature all the time?” she said.

“It’s a necessity for me. If I lived in the city, I think I’d wither away. I need to wake up and hear bird song, and smell the forest.”

Dina glanced at him when he wasn’t looking. She loved the way that he was so connected to the earth. It was fresh, and genuine.

“Have you been on Shiftr for long?” he asked hesitantly.

“Nope, I’m a newbie,” she said. “Lauren talked me into joining after she met Connor through there.”

“That’s great,” he said. “Connor and I joined at the same time, after Tamika hunted us down and told us how great it was. He found his match pretty quickly, but I’m still looking for mine. I mean, I was, until – ” He broke off, and glanced at her. She looked up and met his gaze. The sun was shining full into his eyes, making his irises appear lighter than before, and she could make out the quick dilation of his pupil. “I know my profile isn’t very good,” he said. “It’s so hard to write about yourself. I guess I felt kind of embarrassed, and it came out really lame.”

“Oh, mine was terrible!” Dina said. “I had to have Lauren help me out with it.”

“Well, the end result was worth it,” he said. “I only got to see it for a minute, but I remember your photos, and how beautiful you looked in that red dress. And your eyes were so green and sparkly, just like they are now.” At that moment, Dina stumbled in her heels on a large stone. Logan’s hand shot out to steady her, curving around her waist.

“Are you ok?” he asked, eyes full of concern.

“I am now,” she replied, with a smile.

Afterwards, he didn’t remove his hand immediately, but let it linger on her hip. She could feel the heat from his fingers coming through the flimsy fabric of her dress, scorching her skin beneath. She also became aware of his scent – rich, spicy and outdoorsy. She didn’t think it was cologne, but his own natural smell. She inhaled deeply, letting it fill her nostrils, and it hit her like a drug, making her feel hungry and full of desire for him. She was also weirdly conscious of the sound of his breathing. It was a very subtle undertone – a low rumbling sound, kind of like a cat’s purr.

“I loved that you were into dancing and hiking,” he continued. “Two things that I really enjoy in life.”

“Yeah, I love to hike,” Dina said. “I’ve always dreamed of doing one of those famous trails, like the Appalachian.”

“Me too!” he said. “If you ever need a partner – ” he trailed off, realizing what he was saying. Dina smiled to herself. There was something delightfully awkward about him, as if he wasn’t used to dating.

“And you tutor kids too?” he said.

“Yes. I’m an elementary school teacher, and I also volunteer a couple of times a week at a local project to give vulnerable kids a little extra support. I’ve been doing it for a few years and I can see it makes a difference to these kids’ lives.”

“That’s great,” he said, eyes shining. “I really believe in supporting the younger generations too. I take on a couple of apprentices at my wood-carving business every year. They’re shifters though, of course. It would be too difficult to hide our true nature from humans, day-in day-out.”

“I’m surprised it’s been kept a secret for so long,” Dina said.

“Oh, it’s been closely guarded for generations. There are some who are nervous that the app will ruin everything. But the truth is that there are a lot of lonely shifters out there, who don’t have the skills to meet the right woman, and their species is dying out as a consequence.” He stopped walking and looked at her very seriously.

“Dina, how do you feel about me being a bear?” he asked her. At his words, a bolt of heat hit her clit, and ran deep inside her. The truth was, she was beginning to find it very sexy.

“It was something new to me, of course,” she stuttered. “But I actually really like it. I think it’s nice.” She looked up at him, into those smoldering chocolate eyes, and she couldn’t hold back. “I think it’s really hot,” she said, at last. Logan’s breathing became louder, a definite rumble, and he leaned towards her, his lips inches from hers.
He’s going to kiss me!
she thought, at the same moment that he straightened up, and began walking again.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No, don’t be – ” she said awkwardly. Falling a step behind him, she shook her head.
Damnit. He still thinks I don’t like him.
She gazed at his muscular back, his black jacket straining over his powerful shoulders. But nothing could be further from the truth.

As they’d been walking, the turns in the line of hedge had become more frequent, and they’d picked the directions subconsciously, lost in their conversation. They were now deep in the maze, and the tall, dark green hedges seemed to be crowding in on them. Dina might have felt uneasy if she’d been alone, but Logan made her feel safe, somehow, even though he was still a stranger to her. Another turn brought them to a small open area. There was a bench, with a canopy of vines arching above it, and in front was a tiny rose garden, and an ornate fountain, tinkling softly. They peered into the water. It was full of orange and white koi carp.

“I think we’ve found the center!” Logan said. It was a lovely spot. The red, pink and white roses were beautiful, and, as they walked closer, Dina could see that the vines were passionflowers – her favorites.

“This was so worth the walk,” she said.

“Shall we take a rest here? It’s nice to be in the shade for a while,” he said.

“Sure.” She sat down on the bench and took a sip from her drink. She’d been so caught up in Logan’s presence that she’d forgotten to drink it. It had lost its chill by now, but the alcohol made her pleasantly lightheaded. Logan sat down too, leaving a small space between them. The scent of the passionflowers was intoxicating, but the smell of him was much stronger. It was a masculine, deeply exciting scent, and she longed to be close to him, smelling his neck, wrapped in his strong arms.

“I’m not surprised you rejected my profile, Dina. It was pretty poor. But I’m so, so glad that you’ve given me another chance to get to know you today,” he said. Dina looked into his eyes, feeling giddy, almost hypnotized by the intensity of his gaze, and the nearness of his firm, full lips. She couldn’t conceal the truth from him any longer.

“It was an accident,” she said. “My clumsy thumb swiped in the wrong direction. I was trying to look at your bear photo again, but instead I deleted you from my list altogether.” He broke into a grin, his straight, white teeth dazzling.

“Really?”

“Yes. Unfortunately I am that much of a doofus,” she said, her cheeks warming.

“So the message I sent you didn’t put you off? I was so happy when you said you wanted to find out if we were a match. Then, when you deleted me right after you saw my message, I was worried I’d come on too strong.”

“Not at all,” she said. “I thought it was beautiful. And I came here today because I was hoping I’d find you here.”

He gave a deep rumble. Dina jumped.

“What was that?” she exclaimed.

“It was my bear,” he said. “It’s a sound of happiness.”

“It does that every time you’re happy?”

“Yes.” he shrugged. “It’s an instinctive reaction. Actually, I want to show you my bear now.”

“You mean you’re going to shift into a bear right here?” Dina said, caught between horror and fascination. Logan laughed and pulled his phone from his breast pocket.

“No, I was just planning on showing you the photo that you were looking for. If you still want to see it?”

“Of course!” Dina said. She watched as he opened the app, and located his profile. The screen filled with the photo of him that had initially drawn her to him so strongly. He swiped left, and a large bear filled the screen instead. She took the phone from him and looked closely at the photo. The bear was huge, with glossy black fur, dangerous-looking black claws, a long, blunt muzzle, and deep brown eyes. It was standing on its rear legs, its front legs up against a fir tree.

“He’s beautiful,” she said, knowing instinctively that Logan would appreciate a compliment on his bear side.

“One day you’ll see me as a bear, if you’d like?” he said.

“I really would,” she said, her voice a shade above a whisper. Unconsciously, they’d moved closer together to look at the photo, and his knee was now brushing against her thigh. He leaned towards her, hesitantly. She met his eyes, seeing that his pupils were dilated, and reached out and touched his chin. He edged still closer, and, as his face went out of focus, she closed her eyes and their lips met. His lips were impossibly soft, gliding on hers. She felt the warmth of his breath, and the softness of the stubble on his chin. He drew back, as if assessing her reaction, before planting another kiss on her lips, and then another. They were sweet, soft kisses that made her impatient for more. She made a small sound, and her lips parted under his. He began to kiss her more confidently, his lips caressing hers, sensitively, exquisitely. A spark of desire was ignited deep inside her, and when she felt the flickering touch of his tongue, the spark grew into an intense warmth, suffusing her body. She hadn’t been kissed for so long that she’d almost forgotten what it felt like. In fact, she’d never had a kiss like this before. His lips were so soft and tender, making her dizzy with pleasure, and the touch of his tongue was velvety and exciting, as it danced into her mouth and seeking out hers. Logan’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and she responded by clasping hers around his neck. From time to time, his stubble brushed her cheek, and she found herself wondering how it would feel brushing her tender inner thighs. His hand moved into her hair, his fingers getting caught up in the strands, measuring its weight.