Chapter Twenty-three

Lindy woke up all smiles in Nathaniel's arms. She had been developing a habit of that over the weekend. She had always joked about her parents and Bryn and Anton constantly going at it like rabbits, and now she was understanding why. And as she relaxed more in bed with him, Nathaniel began teaching her things that left her trembling and gasping for more.

She got up to use the bathroom, noticing that the sun was still a bit above the horizon. Not quite ready to get back into bed, grabbed a pair of shorts and a cutoff T-shirt and pulled them on, wincing a bit when she realized they were still wrinkled from the suitcase. She really hadn't had a need for clothes for the last few days...

"Lindy?" She walked back into the bedroom when she heard Nathaniel's voice. He still sounded half asleep as one eye slitted open. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to go watch the sunset. Go back to sleep." She leaned down to kiss his temple. "You'll need your rest for later."

He chuckled a little as his eyes shut again. As she left the bedroom, she smiled as Nate rolled over to the spot she had been sleeping in. She stepped outside, intending to sit on the steps of the porch. Looking around, she noticed Jess was also watching the sunset, also sitting on the steps of the porch of the cabin she was staying in. Lindy instead walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Hi Je...Mom."

Jess smiled. "Hey, Lindy. How's things going?"

"Good. Tired."

Jess let out a soft snicker. "I'll bet. You didn't leave your cabin all weekend."

"Keeping tabs?" She blushed slightly, returning her gaze to the sunset. "It's not as if there's a lot to do around here."

"Oh yeah...we had a horrible time at the mall on Saturday. Dinner by the beach was boring, and the snorkeling was certainly nothing to write home about. I'm sure Alex didn't like the surfing much either. And driving around the island--why bother? Been there, done that..."

"Okay, okay, I get it. But we still have tonight and part of tomorrow night to do stuff."

"Stuff wouldn't be another euphemism for 'each other', would it?"

Lindy blushed even brighter. "Mom..."

"I'm sorry." Jess shook her head, smiling. "I'm glad you're happy, Lindy. And I'm glad he's treating you right. There's just one thing that I'm curious about. And it's really not any of my business, but..."

"But what?"

"Does he... how does he put it... feed from you?"

"Um...not really."

"Not really?"

"Well, he has bitten me twice, but not to feed. More like love bites," she said, squirming.

"Love bites. Did he ask you if he could, or did he just do it?"

"He--well, he just did it. But he didn't hurt me. He'd never hurt me. That's why it isn't feeding. He fed before the wedding...an animal, he said, because he knew we might be staying in all weekend. And then he was going to go out again tonight."

"And you're okay with these... love bites." When Lindy nodded, Jess blew out her breath between puffed cheeks. "Well, that's my hang-up, not yours. But there is one other thing... damn, I'm doing this ass backwards. I should have asked you this before the wedding."

"What Jess?"

Jess watched the sun sinking into the west. "Has Nate talked about Transforming you?"

"Yes. I thought he told you that?"

"He did. I wanted to hear your side of the story."

"Nate wants to transform me as soon as possible. We haven't really sat down and discussed it officially. It's just a topic that comes up from time to time. But...we're both committed to each other forever, and I don't just mean that as a human cliche."

Jess nodded, taking a deep breath. "You know, as a parent, you know your child will survive you when you die. I didn't think it would be by a few thousand years though."

"Mom..."

"Lindy, I'm not saying that its a bad thing. The thought just takes a little getting used to." She placed her arm around Lindy and hugged her. "I just want what makes you happy. And if it's spending an eternity with Nathaniel, go for it."

Lindy smiled, leaning a bit closer. It felt good to be in Jess's embrace. She couldn't believe how much she'd missed it lately. "We'll have to see...he may get on my nerves before the eternity is over."

Jess laughed. "Oh, I don't think so. I watched him during that ceremony. I think he'd bend himself over backwards for you."

The image she got in her head almost made her laugh out loud. Indeed, he would. He nearly had, just the other day. Blinking away the somewhat embarrassing visual, she glanced around for the rest of her family. "Where is everyone?"

"Amanda and Walter wanted to check out the volcano again. Alex forgot to wear sunscreen at the beach and is trying to heal up from a bad sunburn. Anne and Michael went horseback riding on the beach. I decided to stay with Alex and work on my tan a little. We're all meeting for dinner in about an hour. You and Nate are welcome to join us, of course. If you can keep your hands off each other in public that is."

"I think we can manage," she said, smiling. "I should go wake him up, though, so he can feed first. That's the most important meal of his day."

She stood up, wincing at her aching muscles. She tried to brush it off, but she still caught Jess smirking at her as she turned around.

"See you in an hour."

"Take your time."

She shook her head, walking back to the cabin. She felt sore all over, but she wasn't about to complain. Opening the door, she could hear Nate's snores already. [Eternity? I'll need to buy stock in earplugs.]

She opened the door to the bedroom. He was curled up on her side of the bed, her pillow clenched tight in his arms. Smiling, she walked over to the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, wake up, sleeping beauty."

He stopped snoring abruptly but didn't open his eyes. Waiting for him to wake up, she impatiently leaned closer. "Nate!"

She wasn't expecting him to reach out and grab her wrist, his arm snaking back to drop her on the bed next to him. She shrieked as she fell, bouncing on the mattress, and he immediately gave up his grip on the pillow for something better. With a contented rumble, he dragged her closer, wrapping himself around her, nuzzling his face against her hair...and immediately began to fall back to sleep.

"Nate, wake up."

"Hmm?"

"It's after sunset, lazy butt."

"You like my butt. Said so yourself."

"I'd like it a lot better if it were moving."

"I can handle that." She squealed as he rolled over on top of her, laughing hysterically as he began moving his pelvis against her and nuzzling her neck. "You've got too many clothes on, Lind."

She squirmed beneath him, her hips meeting his rhythm, despite her intentions. "I know, but Mom's asked if we wanted to join the rest of the family for something to eat."

"Mmmm... I've got something I'd like to eat right here." He nipped at her neck, siding his hands under her shorts to cup her ass. "C'mon, gorgeous, I want to hear you howl like you did this morning."

She bit her lip. [We do have an hour. A few minutes wouldn't kill anyone.]

Pushing him off of her far enough to unzip her shorts, she started pushing them down, along with her panties, her heart beating even faster as he hurried to help her. They slipped off neatly over her shoes, almost as if she'd planned it that way. Tossing them to the floor, she sucked in a shaky breath as Nate dragged her back beneath him. Without warning, he plunged deep inside of her, groaning loudly, sinking heavily against her.

"Oh yeah...that's so much better, gorgeous."

Lindy arched beneath him, giving a long moan. She lifted her arms as Nate pushed her shirt up over her head. He grinned when he realized that there was nothing else for him to remove. "No bra? Kinky, Lind..."

Her arms went around his back, nails lightly biting into his skin as he started to thrust. "Oh God, Nate, a little more to the left."

Nate rolled his hips, shifting the angle his cock hit her walls slightly. "Like that, gorgeous?"

"Oh yeeaaah..."

He lifted her opposite thigh, holding her leg in the air, tucking his arm beneath her knee, keeping his thrusts angled exactly where she wanted them. He had a goofy, self-satisfied look on his face as he leaned over her, grinding his pelvis against hers.

Lindy moaned. She felt like a complete slut being so open and exposed, but really didn't care because he was making her feel so good. An idea crossed her mind which brought a devilish glint to her eyes. [If I'm gonna feel like a slut, I might as well act like one.] Making sure she had Nate's attention, her hand slid down her stomach to between her legs, teasing her clit. She cried out, rubbing herself in time to his strokes.

He let out a low purr, grinning ferally at her. "Yesss, baby...you look so hot, and you feel so good when you squeeze me like that..."

She gasped when he leaned even farther over her, bracing his hand next to her head, his angle pressing her thigh to her chest. He started thrusting harder, deeper, his eyes closed and his face a mask of pure concentration. Squeezing his hand between her thigh and her breast, he rolled her nipple back and forth with his thumb.

"Cum for me, gorgeous."

Her eyes rolled back in her head. She gave a little shriek, trying to buck beneath him, but couldn't get any leverage. Her nails bit into his shoulders, and she shook beneath him.

Releasing her leg, he settled down on top of her and captured her mouth. With a few last deep thrusts, his pelvis rubbing hard against hers, he let out a low moan as he shuddered from his orgasm. Rubbing himself firmly against her clit, he coaxed her into coming along with him.

Lindy shuddered again, rippling along the length of him. She gave a sharp gasp as the tingling sensation traced through her body. She buried her face in his neck, breathing heavily. "God, Nate. That was wonderful."

Rolling on to his side, pulling her with him, Nathaniel stretched leisurely and gave her a lazy grin. "It's always wonderful with you, Lind."

She smiled, snuggling closer to him, placing her thigh over his. As her foot tapped against his calf, he frowned and glanced down.

"You've still got your shoes on."

She nodded, giggling. "You didn't exactly let me take my time getting undressed."

"If it were up to me, you'd never wear clothes at all." Rubbing his hand over her back, he kissed the bridge of her nose. "I suppose I should go feed, but I don't want to move."

Lindy smiled. "If it were up to me, we'd never have to leave from here." She sighed a bit. "I've never been happier, Nate, and I'm not looking forward to what we have to face when we get home."

"You let me worry about that, all right? If he's gonna be mad at someone, I'd rather it be me. I'm used to it, remember?" Kissing her briefly on the mouth, he sat up. "What do you say we go down and play on the beach after dinner? I think I know exactly how I'd like to get there."

Lindy sat up on one elbow. "Oh? Care to share?"

Nate gave her a slow grin. "You'll see, gorgeous." He stretched as he climbed off the bed. "I guess we better get dressed for dinner."

"Yeah." She got out of the bed, watching Nate dress as she grabbed her own clothes. She wouldn't have thought it, but watching him dress was almost as erotic as watching him undress, since she knew exactly what was being covered by each piece of clothing

After they'd both dressed, and several lingering kisses, Nate went out to feed and Lindy stayed behind to pass the time before dinner with her family. She'd almost expected them to treat her differently now, since she was a married woman, but there really didn't seem to be a difference. At least, not until Nate returned. It was amazing how easily he fit into the family, laughing and joking with them. They had a nice dinner with plenty of good conversation. Afterwards, Lindy helped with the dishes while Nate went outside to prepare the surprise he'd planned for her.

A while later, she heard a sharp whistle and glanced at Jess. "Should I be insulted that he's whistling at me like a dog?"

Jess laughed. "I'd say so. Maybe you should make him wait."

Except she didn't really want to. Deciding to go outside anyway, she opened the door to see him sitting on the back of a big black horse.

"Care to join me, gorgeous?"

"Okay, but I'm not that much of a rider." Lindy looked around. "Where's my horse?"

Nate just grinned and patted the horse's withers. Lindy grinned as he offered his hand. She let him help her up and settled with his belly to her back. She leaned against him as he wrapped an arm around her waist as he nudged the horse with his heels.

They rode down the long driveway to the ranch, pausing once they reached the road to watch for traffic. As soon as the road was clear, Nate led the horse across the road and down a steep trail towards the beach. His hand slid up a little further on her stomach, holding her tilted backwards against him as they rode down the hillside. His thumb settled in her cleavage, his fingers just below the curve of her right breast. She couldn't help the sudden tightening of her nipples. And she could feel him growing hard against her ass.

"I think we need a horse of our own, Lind. We may have to rethink that whole townhouse idea."

"Little place out in the country?" Lindy leaned back against him, purring as he stroked his thumb along her sternum. "Other than we'd have to get Bryn to paint the bedroom again and the commute to San Francisco being hell, I don't see why not."

"Hmm...maybe it could be our weekend home?" He turned the horse onto the beach, letting it plod slowly across the sand towards the water. "There's nothing saying we have to stay there all the time. We could hire a caretaker to watch the animals. A couple of horses, maybe some dogs...but we'd keep Montel with us, of course."

She nodded. "We just have to be careful picking the dogs. I don't want to have to be fighting them every time we're out there to keep alpha status." She looked out over the ocean. "God, Nate, the stars are beautiful tonight."

"Mmm," he murmured in agreement. He was silent for a moment, leading the horse along side the breaking surf. "Speaking of alpha status...just how long were you planning on keeping it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...how much longer do you want to stay a werewolf, Lind?" He adjusted his grip on the horse, taking hold of a bit of its mane. "I can handle a few months or even a few years, but pretty soon you're going to start aging and I won't. That might be a bit awkward if we ever..."

"If we ever what?"

He cleared his throat. "If we ever decide we might want kids."

She turned back to look at him a bit. "You want kids, Nate?"

"I...maybe. I never really considered it before, but I was on my own then." He gazed out towards the ocean, not meeting her gaze, as if embarrassed. "I would if you did, I guess. Then again, it would be kind of pointless if you didn't." He shook his head. "Anyway, it's not anything we have decide now. I just wanted the possibility to be out there."

"I see, Nate. It's just... I've never thought about it. I'm not sure that I could even have kids, and adoption would be a bit difficult, given what we are. I mean, how do you explain to your five year old not to call any golden retriever she sees Mommy?"

He snickered a bit at that. "That's kind of why I wanted to talk about Transformation, Lind. It won't be much easier dealing with adoption, but it might be a little easier when it comes to explaining ourselves to the kid...we could call it porphyria until he or she is old enough to understand what we really are." He sighed. "I don't know. I suppose it doesn't matter either way. If we were to adopt, it would still have to be through 'unofficial' channels, no matter what we are at the time."

"I have no problem with it being 'unofficial,' Nate. That's how Jess adopted me." Her hand rested over Nathaniel's, fingers interlacing. "I guess the timing is the question of it all. You're right that it should be soon, but I'm not certain that I'm ready yet. Things have changed for me so quickly that I feel like I'm still trying to catch my breath."

"I know, and I don't mean to push you." He pulled her head closer with his free hand, pressing his lips against her temple. "I know you've had a lot to deal with, with your house, and moving, getting married, and then there's...Anton." He tried not to growl as he said the name. "I just wanted to start talking about it. Seriously. We've sort of danced around the issue before. I think I take it for granted that you know about my lifestyle, because you've been around vampires before--but there's a lot more to it than just the Transformation. There's a whole other dark area we're going to have to explore, and I wanted you to be ready for that."

"You're talking about feeding, right? Killing to survive? Nate, I'm a werewolf, a predator. I've killed humans before, as part of a pack, and on my own." She sighed. "I've never told you the whole story about how I met Jess, right?"

"No."

"I had killed the werewolf who molested me, but I had no where to go, no one to turn to. So I lived on the streets, life of a stray dog. I saw a lot of ugly things then, but the one thing that always sent me into a killing frenzy was a pimp or john abusing a prostitute. I slaughtered them, Nate, without pity and without remorse. That was what caught Jess's attention and led her to find me. And it was what I was doing one night when Anton stumbled across me. If you're worried that I won't be able to kill to live, don't. I'm more than capable."

"All right, you're capable, Lind. That still doesn't mean you're going to want to do that every other day for the rest of your life. There's a big difference between getting angry at an abusive man and killing him...and having to kill an innocent person, who was doing nothing wrong, just so you can continue to survive. It may not bother you the first time you're really hungry, or even the second time, but after a while it starts to sink in that you're nothing more than a murderer. I hate that part of myself, Lindy, and I'd do anything to keep you from having to do the same...but if it means having you in my life, for the rest of my life, I'd be willing to do it."

"I know, Nate. I said I was able to do it, but I never said I really enjoyed it. I would be willing to do it to be with you Nate. I know you don't enjoy killing, despite of all the legends and stories about vampires. I know you do what you have to survive, and try to treat your prey with some respect. And I love you for that. " Lindy kissed the underside of his jaw. "Was that the only dark side you wanted to talk about, or is there more?"

"Well, you'll have to give up daylight too. Maybe that doesn't seem like a big deal, but after a while it really starts to get on your nerves. I'd give just about anything for a nice tan, you know." He smirked a bit when she grinned at that. "I guess you're lucky you live now, when light is plentiful. Being a vampire back in Middle Ages was the pits. Fire was all we had, and I don't think I have to tell you that I'm not too fond of the stuff."

"I get the idea, Nate. I spend a lot of time awake at nights before, but I will miss being able to watch the sun rise or set. I could say that's what videotape is for, but I know it's not the same thing. Maybe in a few years, virtual reality will have come far enough so you could sorta experience the sun somehow.

"Maybe." Stopping the horse, he slid to the ground and lifted his arms to help her down. She smiled, letting go of the black mane to place her hands on his shoulders. He pulled her towards him and set her feet on the ground, taking her hand and leading her towards the water. Although the sand was still warm from the sun, the water was chilly and had a powerful undertow. Keeping clear of most of the surf, he started scanning the ground. "Let's see if we can find some nice shells. I thought it might be cool if we made a frame from some driftwood and shells, and put our wedding picture in it."

"That sounds nice," she said, impressed with his creativity.

"Yeah, maybe we can give it to Anton. Wouldn't he just love it?"

She could've sworn she saw his fangs sharpen just a bit as he grinned at her.

Anton looked at the baby furniture, a bit bewildered by all the choices. He was used to only having to deal with antique cribs, and realized that he had a lot to learn and fast.

To be completely honest, his mind was elsewhere. Bryn had been very quiet since the fight the other evening. Yes, they had made love, and yes, she had said she forgave him, but there was still a distance there he could feel clearly, one that he wasn't sure he knew exactly how to bridge. Or even if he could bridge.

His ring was back on his finger, and he twisted it thoughtfully. True to her word, Bryn had gotten it inscribed. She hadn't said anything when he read the script running along the inside. "In you, I lose myself; Without you, I am lost again." And lost described how he felt at the moment.

She walked slowly between the aisles of furniture, chewing on her lip, dividing her time between looking at the cribs and glancing at herself in every mirror she passed. Whatever she saw there, she got a sad, hopeless look on her face, turning this way and that, before moving on again. She finally stopped in front of a furniture set made of honey oak, the crib and accessories covered with opposing leopard and zebra-skin print. She touched the tiger sitting inside, next to the pillow, and gave a small smile...one of the first all day.

"Do you think this would work for a boy or a girl?" she asked. "Maybe not the furniture itself, but the layette stuff?"

"Um, it seems a bit masculine, but it would go wonderful with what you've painted on the walls. Better than the lavender and yellow set we were looking at earlier." He placed a hand on her back, jerking it away when she flinched.

She tightened her hands on the tiger, closing her eyes for a minute. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"S'okay, my dear." He placed his hand on her back again, cautiously. "I know I have a lot to make up for, Bryn. I only hope I can." He ran his hand up and down her back. "I know you probably can't answer this, but is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know." She leaned back against him, letting out a sigh. "I just...I know it's stupid but I don't feel very attractive anymore. With my stomach growing, and..." She broke off, her voice cracking. "Never mind. We should just decide if we like anything here or not."

"I do like this animal print, Bryn, but we don't have to buy tonight." He kissed the crown of her head. "And I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful, my dear."

"Thank you." She turned around and gave him a small smile, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I think we should get this set, and then go do something fun...like maybe go go-cart racing, or see a movie. We haven't gotten out to do anything lately. Is there an amusement park around here we could go to?"

He smiled back, her grin warming him through and through. "Amusement park, no, I'm afraid not, or at least it will be closed by the time we can get to it. But we could go visit Pier 39 or drive up and see Coit Tower, or go walk through Golden Gate Park."

"Let's pay for this before the store closes, and then maybe go to the Marin Headlands and see where we're getting married?"

"Sounds good, my dear."

Lindy pushed the tape into the VCR, fast-forwarding through the static until she reached the first scene of the ukulele player and bongo drums. Smiling, she casually watched her wedding video as she unpacked their suitcase. They'd returned from Honolulu only hours before, saying goodbye to her family before heading back to the townhouse. She'd have to pick up Montel in a few hours, when the vet finally opened. Now, they were busy getting back to normal--sort of. While she unloaded their luggage and several over-stuffed bags full of gifts and souvenirs, Nate sat on the floor cursing the hot-glue gun.

Going ahead with his plan of giving a wedding picture to Anton, in a custom- made frame, Nate stuck his tongue between his teeth and tried to glue two pieces of driftwood together. Unfortunately, he kept gluing himself to the frame in the process. It was a good thing he healed quickly, because the room already smelled of burnt flesh.

"I can't get this damned thing to work. Why can't they make cold glue guns?" He scowled. "Do they really think people enjoy being scalded alive?"

"They do make cold glue, Nate, it's called Elmer's."

"Smart ass."

"You want me to kiss it and make it better or not, Nate?"

He pouted, but held out his hand to her. Lindy took it, made a few sympathetic tsking noises, and pressed her lips to each finger. When she reached his thumb, he dragged it across her lips. Holding his hand in place, she lapped at his thumb before sucking it into her mouth.

He swallowed heavily, his mouth dropping open as he watched her. "You know, I think I dripped a bit of that glue further down...you think you could kiss that for me, too?"

"Liar."

"Well, I am feeling sore, and I'm pretty sure it's red and throbbing, too."

She snickered. "You'd better not be dripping any glue there or it'll take more than kissing to make it feel better."

"Oh?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Just what did you have in mind?"

"You're relentless, you know that?"

"Hmm." He pulled back his hand, holding up the frame for her inspection. All in all, it really didn't look too bad...of course, he'd have to scrape the trailings of glue from the glass over the picture, but that wouldn't be too hard. She hoped. "What do you think?"

"It looks very nice. It's kind of a shame you're wasting it on Anton."

"Well, maybe Bryn can fish it out of the garbage when he's not in the room." She shifted around to snuggle beside him. Her arm went around his waist and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Why is this so important to you now? While we were dating, it seemed like you couldn't care less what Anton thought. But ever since the wedding, you've been making these comments. What's going on, Nate?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. The first wedding I ever went to was when my mother married his father. I guess it brought back some memories. And then there was being there with your family, and seeing how close all of you are. I just...he's the closest thing to family I have left, other than you. And I always wanted him to like me when I was a kid. Maybe that never really changed." He closed his eyes, a weak smile coming to his face. "Not that it really matters. More than anything, I don't want us getting married to come between what you and he already had. He was your friend and business partner first. I'm trying to respect that."

She kissed his cheek. "I appreciate that, Nate, but you are the one my first loyalties are to. If he can't handle the fact that I love you and that I'm going to be with you for all time, then I will quit my job without a second thought. Yes, he's my friend, but you're my husband, so you win hands down." She tightened her grip around him. "And maybe eventually he'll come around an realize what a great brother you are."

He pulled her a bit closer with the arm around her shoulders, using his other hand to cup her cheek as he kissed her forehead. He held the kiss for a long time, and if she hadn't been so close to him she would've missed the shuddering breaths leaving his chest. When he finally pulled away, he tucked her head against his neck and rested his chin atop of it.

"I love you so much, Lind. I don't think you'll ever have any idea how much. I couldn't possibly begin to explain it."

"I love you too, Nate." She nuzzled his neck, lightly brushing her lips against him. "We need to discuss tomorrow, though."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. How we're going to do this. Do we walk in together, or do I show up first and you join me later on?" She leaned back a bit to look in his eyes. "We can't hide what happened, but I know Anton has a temper when it comes to you, and I don't want you to be hurt."

"We'll go in together. I don't particularly like the idea of you having to tangle with him alone, either. Although, you're probably better equipped to handle him than I am," he said, with a grin. "If he messes with you, you can just go a little wolfy on him."

"Go wolfy?" She crossed her arms. "Is that like going bitchy?"

"Must be."

"You'd better be glad I don't feel in the mood to go wolfy right now."

"Bring it on, lady. I'll gladly let you attack me."

She gave him a sly smile. "Remember, you asked for it."

He opened his mouth to make a smart ass comment when he found himself knocked flat on his back. One arm was pinned under his back, the other held securely to the floor. Her weight rested on his upper thighs, immobilizing his legs. He blinked, looking up at her grinning face. His eyes slid back shut as she lowered her head to his neck, opening her mouth...

... and blew a wet raspberry against his skin.

He squealed like a girl below her, wiggling to get free from her grip, laughing hysterically at the ticklish sensation on his neck. Laughing with him, but not relenting, she continued to hold him down and torture him until she practically had him in tears he was laughing so hard. Panting, trying desperately to catch his breath, he met her gaze.

"You're...cruel!"

"Hey, you told me to attack you." She grinned. "I can't help it if you didn't specify *how*."

"Domestic...abuse!" He swallowed heavily. "Neighbors...are probably calling...the cops."

Lindy shifted to lay beside him. "You're no fun," she pouted.

"Hmm... that's not what you said on the beach the other night." He rolled onto her side, sliding a leg between her thighs.

"Yeah, but we scared that poor horse. I always thought that was just a saying."

"You're assuming anyone thought you were a lady in the first place." He grunted when she punched his arm. "Ow. This is domestic abuse. I'm going to have to go to a shelter and everything. Battered husbands unite!"

"You're just a wimp." She pulled his unbuttoned shirt aside and kissed his arm. "There, all better? It bet it won't even leave a bruise."

"You'd be surprised. My skin is very delicate."

She snickered. "Yeah, you're a real petite little flower. Your back seems to be just fine, given all the times I've scratched it in the past five days."

"Yeah, but you heard me yell when you dug in your claws."

She traced her finger over his cheek. "You know, I got the distinct impression you were yelling for an entirely different reason."

Nate caught her hand in his. "You know, gorgeous, it's a few hours until da