Chapter 11

M aisie stared at Rhys's broad back as she followed him up the steep track that led up through the forests behind the resort.

It was a marked trail, so at least she knew they weren't trespassing, but given there was literally no one else around – probably because they were all at the beach or lounging around in a cabana by the pool – she couldn't help but feel a little thrill at the idea that they were doing something illicit.

Even though we're absolutely not, she reminded herself firmly. Nothing that would get them thrown off the island in disgrace, like a failed Survivor competitor.

And besides which, the view is pretty nice here, she had to admit, raising an eyebrow as she appreciated Rhys's rear end as he climbed the steps in front of her, carrying the absolutely ludicrously sized hamper of food as if it weighed nothing at all. He was barely even breaking a sweat, despite the humidity, the walking, and how much that thing must weigh.

I wonder if that has to do with him being a shifter, Maisie thought. It had to come with some perks other than just turning into a griffin, right? She really had so many things she wanted to ask him, but everything had been in such a whirl for the last day or so that somehow, the moment had never seemed quite right.

But clearly, he'd healed up from his bullet wounds in no time – there was no sign he'd ever been shot at all right now. Just the fact he was up and walking around at all was proof enough of that, let alone everything else.

As tempting as it was to just keep staring at Rhys's arse and not ask any questions, eventually Maisie felt she had to say, "Uh, Rhys? You mentioned we were going swimming, but I really can't help but notice we're kind of going up a mountain right now."

And they really were – the scenery was beautiful, lush and green, with tall hoop pines breaking through the canopy of the other trees. She could hear bird calls, and in the shade it was a lot less warm and humid than it had been at the resort. But still, it wasn't really swimming.

"I promise we'll get there," Rhys said over his shoulder, flashing her a grin.

Ugh. I can't really argue with him when he does that, Maisie thought, as her legs, stomach, and brain turned to jelly. That grin will be the death of me.

She kept following him, until finally the path flattened out and then plateaued, leading to what seemed to be a lookout platform.

The view was stunning – the lookout faced away from the resort area and over the other side of the island, where the mountains hadn't been built on and all there was as far as the eye could see was the vivid green of the forests and the endless blue stretch of the sky. In the distance, she could see the sparkle of the sun on the ocean, a brilliant aquamarine color that Maisie had been sure didn't actually exist outside of tourism brochures.

"Wow," she murmured as she gazed out over the view. "This is incredible."

"Yeah." Rhys put down the hamper, and turned to her. "And it looks like we're the only ones here as well. We have the place to ourselves."

"That's for sure."

Maisie was shocked at how secluded this place felt, considering there was a crowded resort not a twenty-minute walk down the mountain. Here, everything was green, shady, and silent, aside from the sounds of the birds calling to each other as they flitted between the trees.

"Is there like… a water hole around here or something like that? Are we allowed into it?" Maisie asked, as she glanced around. "I mean, it is gorgeous, but why did you ask me to bring my swimmers?"

"Well… I just thought it might be nice for us to get some time somewhere a little quieter than the resort, nice though it is," Rhys said, rolling his shoulders. "Somewhere a little more peaceful."

Maisie raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Rhys nodded, then cocked his head. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

Frowning, Maisie looked at him. "Uh, no? I don't think so, anyway. Why? Where are you –" Suddenly, the look Rhys was giving her, and the memory that his griffin form had wings, came together in her mind. "Wait," she said, holding up her hands. "Wait. Now, just hang on a moment. Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I might be." Rhys grinned. "Well, what do you say? Fancy a little fly out to our own private island?"

Maisie shook her head – even as her mind immediately screeched Yes!

" Fly? " she asked. "Okay, you're really being serious right now. You're – you're saying you're going to shift into your griffin form, and I'm going to… what? Ride you?"

"If you don't object," Rhys said. "I would never, ever let you fall, Maisie. You can be sure of that."

Maisie knew, somehow, that she could believe him, but still – really?!

"What if someone sees?" she asked.

"Well… they might," Rhys admitted, but he didn't look very put off by the idea. "But look – we're pretty isolated out here. This side of the island doesn't have anything on it, and once we're out over the ocean I'll fly high enough that it's really unlikely anyone will see us."

Maisie stared at him. "What do you mean high enough that no one will see us? "

She really hadn't been lying when she'd said she wasn't afraid of heights, but she'd more meant things like climbing up a ladder or looking down from the balcony of a tall building. She hadn't meant… well, flying around on a griffin's back over the ocean!

"It's safe, I promise," Rhys said, his voice filled with sincerity. "We might be high up, but I know what I'm doing."

"I don't doubt that," Maisie said, and really, she didn't. Part of her really wanted to just jump into Rhys's arms and scream Yes! Sweep me off my feet!! But the rest of her was asking if this was really about to happen right now. "Are you sure about this?"

But really, she was mainly hoping he'd talk her into it.

"Completely." Rhys smiled at her. "Do you trust me?"

Of course.

The words sprang into her mind before she could even think.

Maisie wasn't sure why , but she truly did trust him. It simply felt instinctive, in a way she couldn't explain.

"Yes," she said, quietly but firmly. "Yes, I do."

Rhys nodded. "Then I'll need you to stand back a little."

Maisie's breath caught as she took a step or two back, giving Rhys space. Even though she'd seen this before, that had almost felt like a dream – she'd been so caught up in everything that had been going on she'd barely known what was real and what wasn't.

But this time, I know it's all definitely happening.

She didn't even have to pinch herself to check if she was dreaming.

Maisie bit her lip, her eyes going wide as once again, the shimmer ran over Rhys's body before he began to grow, massive feathered wings bursting from his back, eagle's talons taking the place of his hands, and lion's feet taking the place of his back legs. His face turned from his own, criminally good-looking visage to that of an eagle – powerful, striking, and deadly.

And yet, somehow I still know it's him, Maisie thought, her chest heaving with her breath as she stared at him. Despite the powerful creature he'd become, she didn't feel in the least bit frightened of him. She knew, somehow, that he'd never hurt her.

And despite everything, she could still see that it was Rhys , in the depths of his golden eyes.

"Wow," she breathed, once the transformation was complete. "I wonder if I'll ever get used to that?"

In response, the griffin let out a low, soothing crooning sound, and Maisie laughed.

"I'm not sure what that means, but I guess it's supposed to be reassuring?"

The griffin crooned again, this time a little more eagerly, so she guessed she'd been right.

"Well, I guess… uh, that I need to… climb onto your back for this to work?" she said, as she approached him. She'd been carrying her swimmers and the bottle of champagne in a shopping bag, and she pulled it up over her shoulder as Rhys ducked down into a crouch, folding his wings to give her access.

"Well," Maisie murmured to herself. "Riding a griffin. Here goes nothing."

The feathers of his neck were just as soft as she remembered them when she ran her fingers through them, hoping she wasn't pulling too hard as she gripped them to pull herself up onto Rhys's back.

In this form, of course, he was even broader than when he was human, and Maisie found she had plenty of space once she'd settled herself on his powerful shoulders, just in front of his wings.

"I should tell you," she said, a little shakily, "that I've only ever ridden a horse one time, at school camp. And, uh, I fell off. So perhaps take that into consideration before you do any aerial stunts or anything like that."

The little chirruping croon Rhys let out was, she hoped, a reassurance that he wouldn't be doing anything of the sort. He glanced back at her over his shoulder, and Maisie could see herself reflected in the beautiful golden orb of his eye.

"Oh… I didn't think of the hamper," Maisie said, suddenly recalling it was sitting on the lookout platform at Rhys's feet. "Are you going to carry it in your, uh, talons?"

Rhys let out another little chirrup, before swooping his head down and picking up the hamper by its sturdy wicker handle. The contents were wrapped up in fancy pink cellophane, so Maisie hoped they wouldn't go flying out everywhere – she was pretty sure she was already illegally riding a griffin, and she didn't want to add littering to her rap sheet!

"Okay," she said, holding on tightly to Rhys's neck. "Okay, I think I'm rea- dyyy!!! "

The last part of the word was squealed out as, with a mighty beat of his wings, Rhys rose suddenly into the air.

For the fifth time in as many minutes, Maisie found herself breathless as they rose. She knew she shouldn't look down, but still, she couldn't help it – she stared, fascinated, as the lookout platform shrank beneath her, and then disappeared from view entirely as they burst through the canopy of the trees above it.

Oh. Oh my God.

Pure exhilaration thrilled through Maisie's entire body as they rose higher and higher into the air.

She'd thought the view from the lookout was spectacular, but it was nothing compared to this – the vast greenery of the mountains lay spread out beneath them, the sky above an unbroken, incomparably beautiful blue. As Rhys beat his wings gently, turning them in a wide circle, Maisie could see the white ring of sand that circled the whole island, lapped by the waves of the crystal blue of the ocean.

It's so beautiful.

Maisie knew she should shut her mouth, but she really couldn't help but gape at the scene before her. Wind whipped through her hair, and she knew that this high up she should be feeling the cold, but instead, all she felt was the warmth and strength of Rhys's body as he carried her higher, his wings beating slowly but steadily.

Maisie had been worried about the height, but now, she wondered why – she felt so safe and secure here on Rhys's back that her fears now seemed silly. She leaned forward, resting her chest against the back of Rhys's neck, wanting to watch where they were headed – after doing one or two long, lazy circles over the pristine mountain, Rhys turned slightly, and headed out over the ocean.

One of the activities the brochure for the Burr Island Resort had boasted about was helicopter rides over the reef to view the coral formations from above, but Maisie didn't think they could possibly compare to this.

And, sure enough, after flying what seemed like only a short distance, she looked down to see the reef below, curving darkly beneath the surface of the shimmering waters.

"Oh my God, look!" she cried, pointing, knowing that she was being inane and Rhys had undoubtedly already seen it for himself, but she was so filled with excitement she couldn't help herself.

The ribbons of the coral wound their way between the tiny islands that were dotted here and there, each of them with the same snow-white sand and rocky cliffs. Each of them looked like a tiny slice of paradise, left here to be discovered.

Of course, Maisie knew that people must visit them – but right now, they seemed like they were here for her and Rhys's eyes only, a little secret just for them.

This must be what Rhys meant when he said we'd go swimming, Maisie thought, as she snuggled up tighter to the soft feathers of his neck. He wanted to take me out to one of these islands.

It was the single most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her…

… And I don't even know if we're in a relationship or not!!

Maisie grimaced, before forcefully pushing the thought out of her mind. She knew they'd have to talk at some point about what this, any of this, meant, but right now, she just wanted to snuggle up to Rhys's feathers and enjoy the view.

Even from up here she could smell the salty tang of the water, and she could see schools of silvery fishes swimming amongst the reefs and shoals. Slowly, Rhys's wings began to beat more frequently, and she realized that he was guiding them down, descending toward one particularly secluded little island.

It had the same white sand as the others, but it had sandy hills rather than rocky ones, topped with only a few trees. It was so small and separate from the other islands that Maisie couldn't really believe that anyone would come out to it.

There was only the lightest of bumps as Rhys folded his wings and came in to land, his eagle's talons and lion's paws sinking into the sand as he trotted along with the momentum of his flight.

Sitting up, Maisie gazed around them, awed by the beauty of their own tiny private island.

"Wow," she murmured, as Rhys carried her on his back up to where the greenery merged with the sand. "This is really amazing."

She really didn't want to, but still, she slid down off his back and onto the sand as soon as he came to a stop. She had to force herself not to give his neck feathers a few last strokes before he gently placed their food hamper down on the sand, and then shifted back into his human form.

"You weren't too scared, were you?" he asked, once he was fully human again, concern in his eyes.

"Not at all," Maisie assured him. "You were right – I knew you'd keep me safe."

Rhys looked pleased at that, blinking, his face flushing slightly. "You know I always will."

Surprise rippled through her.

He'll always keep me safe?

Of course, she liked the sound of that – but when did this become an always thing? Hadn't she just been wondering what they even were to each other?

Maybe Rhys could sense the sudden awkwardness in the air, because he followed that up quickly with, "So – eat first, or swim first?"

"Oh," Maisie said, feeling a little disappointed. She'd hoped he might have been about to expand on that keeping her safe forever thought. "Um. Well, my mother always did say not to swim for an hour after eating, and that ocean looks way too tempting for me to wait."

"Sure thing. You did bring your swimmers, didn't you?"

"Of course I… did… uh…" Maisie trailed off as she looked inside the bag she'd brought with her, fully expecting to find the bright blue bikini she'd bought at the shop for some obscene amount of money that she'd decided not to care about, even though she did , if only because it seemed ridiculous that so little material could cost so much money.

But inside the bag there was only the bottle of champagne, and nothing else.

Shit, Maisie thought, as she took out the bottle and then shook the bag upside down, as if the bikini could be hiding somewhere in there. Which it obviously wasn't.

"Uh, I thought I brought them," she finished lamely after a moment or two of futile shaking. "Dammit! That thing wasn't cheap." She felt so stupid ! The whole point had been to come out here to swim, and now she –

"Hey," Maisie said suddenly, realizing suddenly that she was hearing some very suspicious noises coming from Rhys's mouth. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, not at all," Rhys told her, his sincerity completely destroyed by the smile that he was doing absolutely nothing to hide. "Why would I be doing that?"

"You totally are!" Maisie tossed the – obviously completely empty – bag at his chest. It bounced off his bulging pecs and fell to the sand. "Oh, that is it! Well, if you think this is going to stop me from swimming, think again!"

She didn't care – she was not missing out on the perfect sunshine on this perfect beach. And she'd just flown here on a griffin's back . If there was anyone around here to see, she doubted they'd care about a bit of skinny dipping after that .

"Hey, hey, wait, what are you doing?" Rhys asked in alarm, his hands covering hers suddenly as she fiddled with the ties on her dress.

"I'm going swimming, obviously ," Maisie told him curtly. "I don't care if I have to do it naked."

And I don't care how frumpy I look compared with you, Mr. Every Month of the Year in the Hunks of the Century calendar, either!

"Maisie, Maisie, just… wait a moment," Rhys said, as he gently pulled her hands away from the knot at the back of her neck that was holding the bodice of her dress up. "Can we talk for a second?"

For a moment, the thought Is he really that horrified at the thought of seeing me naked? flitted through Maisie's mind, before she decided to ignore it. She knew she was hardly the bombshell type, but she'd seen the way Rhys's eyes had widened when she'd walked out of the shop wearing this dress.

And there was something between them, even if they hadn't talked about it yet.

A spark. A feeling. A something.

"What's the matter?" she asked, frustration welling up inside her. "Is there a problem? Are you too prudish for a bit of skinny dipping?"

"No! No, it's not that," Rhys said, a slightly wild look in his eyes. "It's just that… Maisie… I don't really know how to put this, except to say I think we should talk before you go tearing your clothes off. Not that I don't want you to tear your clothes off. In fact, it's kind of the opposite… ah geeze, I'm really making a complete fucking hash of this, aren't I?"

Maisie stared at him, revolving his last few words in her mind. So… he does want me to get naked. But what is it he's making a complete hash of, exactly?

"Look, Maisie – there's something I have to tell you. I've been wanting to tell you since the first time I met you… well, the first time I met you that I was with it enough to know I was meeting you."

"Back in Sydney? In the rain?" Maisie asked, puzzled. "We really hadn't talked then, and you acted like you'd never seen me before."

"I know," Rhys said. "But believe me… I knew you. My mind didn't remember it, but my soul did." He grimaced. "That's such a corny line, but it's true."

Maisie shook her head. What the hell is he talking about? "Rhys, I'm a girl who likes corny lines as much as the next one, but my issue is you're not being very clear about what you're even being corny about . If you want to ask me out on a date – and really, I was kind of wondering if we aren't already on one – you can just say that. I'm not that complicated, I promise."

Not complicated at all, when it comes down to it, she thought. You've got a nice smile, amazing abs, you give off that ‘I'm a tough guy but I'm kind of sweet and shy inside' vibe, and you turn into a griffin. Take me home, I'm sold!

"Look, Maisie, you already know about the griffin thing. But there's something else about me that you don't know," Rhys said.

"If this is about how you actually do turn into a half-man, half-goat, then –"

"You are really obsessed with that, aren't you?" Rhys shook his head, throwing his hands up in frustration. "No, it has nothing to do with goats, half-goats or otherwise. I'm trying to tell you that you're my mate!"

Staring at him, Maisie felt her mouth pop open involuntarily, before, deliberately, she closed it again.

Mate?!

She wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but she felt she could take a pretty good guess.

"Your… your mate," she repeated back to him after a moment. "You mean… like…"

"I mean the person I'm meant to be with," Rhys said, reaching out and grabbing her hand, desperation in his eyes. "All shifters have one, but we don't always find them. We can have a happy life and a relationship with someone who's not our mate. But every shifter dreams of finding them – the one person they have a fated bond with, that we recognize from the moment we first touch them."

Maisie could feel her mouth hanging open again.

Uh… what?!

"That's how my parents explained it to me, anyway," Rhys continued after a moment. "I wasn't really with it the first time we touched –"

"Uh, you mean when you stuck my fingers in your mouth," Maisie pointed out, and Rhys winced.

"Yeah, that. But my point is, even if I was too zonked to fully realize it, the moment I saw you again in the rain, I knew. It's you, Maisie – you're my mate. The person I was fated to be with. We have a bond I can't really explain, except I do know it exists. You felt it too, right?"

Maisie stared up at him, her eyes wide.

It sounded way too fantastical to be real, but then…

More fantastical than a guy who can turn into a griffin? More fantastical than there being a whole agency of law-enforcing shifters who track down shifter criminals? More fantastical than a quokka hacker who lives in a terrace house in Bondi Junction with his cassowary girlfriend?

Put like that… Maisie thought she could accept being soul-bonded to the most handsome guy she'd ever seen in her life.

And he has to know by now he doesn't have to pull this kind of thing if he wants to do the deed, she thought. He's not making it up just to get me into bed. He wouldn't have to! He flew me out to a private island paradise for God's sake!

But the desperation in Rhys's eyes told her this wasn't some fast seduction move. And hadn't she felt a connection with him since the first moment they'd met? Time and time again, she'd felt, somehow, that she could trust him, even if she didn't know why.

"I get it, it's a big bit of news to swallow," Rhys said, and Maisie suddenly realized she hadn't actually said anything in response to his soul-bearing.

I could say something so filthy right now about swallowing big things, she thought… but in the end, she decided that it wouldn't quite be appropriate. Rhys had clearly been nervous about telling her this and unsure about how it would be received. So in the end, what else could she do?

Standing on tip-toes in the sand, Maisie did what she'd been longing to do ever since the first moment she'd laid eyes on him, and brought their lips together.

She'd never imagined anything like this – and certainly, no other kiss she'd ever experienced had felt anything like this before. But then, she wondered, feeling just the slightest bit faint, perhaps it was just because she'd never been kissing her fated mate before.

His mouth was hot against hers as his tongue swept into her mouth – she parted her lips quickly and eagerly, returning his fervor with her own. She couldn't think of any better way to tell him that she accepted everything he said – that she not only believed him when he said they were destined for each other, but that she willingly, gladly accepted it, wanted it.

There was no other possible answer. She'd felt the way electricity seemed to spark between them even when they weren't touching, the instant, almost animal connection between them. She'd never been more attracted to anyone before in her life, but more than that, she'd known him somehow – as if her soul had just been waiting for him to show up, and it knew him from the first moment it had encountered him.

It sounds like something out of a romance novel, Maisie thought hazily as she threw her arms around Rhys's neck, drawing him closer. But it's not. This is real. This is real life.

Rhys's hands came up, cupping her jaw and lifting her face to him. Maisie shuddered, pressing herself against him. His palms against her skin were warm and callused, his thumbs stroking over her cheekbones as if she was something infinitely precious.

Warmth gathered within her, winding tightly in the pit of her belly as their kisses grew hungrier, more demanding, and Rhys's broad chest pressed against her breasts.

Maisie couldn't stand the fact that there were layers of clothes between them – she felt a growing wildness within herself, one she'd never felt before. It seemed impossible how much she wanted him, but right now, all she could think about was how badly she wanted to feel his skin against hers. Her fingers were trembling with the force of her desire as she started fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, frantic to have it off him – but then, just as she'd started tearing the first few buttons open, Rhys suddenly pulled back.

"Does this mean… does this mean you accept me as your mate?" he asked, his eyes darkened with lust, his voice husky. He was breathing heavily, his tanned cheeks flushed.

Maisie stared up at him. "What the hell do you think?!" she cried, too crazed with desire by this point to even think about phrasing it more politely.

Luckily, she heard the rumble of laughter in Rhys's chest as he leaned down to kiss her again, deeply, passionately, as if it was the only thing he'd been made to do – that either of them had been made to do.

If he doesn't hurry up and get naked soon, I don't know what I'll – Maisie began to think – but the thought was never completed, because at that moment, a sudden rush of cold swept over her legs and splashed up her thighs, knocking her off-balance and sending her toppling.

A wave! she realized after a moment, by which point she'd already let out a little yelp of surprise and almost-but-not-quite regained her balance. But just as she'd started to right herself again, the wave rushed back from the shore and the sand beneath her feet gave way, sending her sprawling.

Laughing, she tangled her hands in Rhys's shirt and brought him down with her – though she had no doubt whatsoever he could have kept his balance easily, he fell with her, until they were both lying together in the wet sand, locked at the mouth, his arms around her back, pulling her against him.

Maisie didn't care that she was soaking wet now and covered in soggy sand – the only thing she cared about was the feeling of his hands on the bare skin of her back, his lips against hers. Together, they rolled over until she was straddling him, her thighs either side of his hips, her hands on his chest.

She pulled back a little, breathless. Around them, the water rushed up onto the shore, before receding again.

"As much as I'm enjoying the wet look on you, perhaps we should take this elsewhere," Maisie managed to get out, in between the heaving pants of her breath.

And it was true – Rhys did look good right now, with his lightly curled hair plastered to his forehead, his shirt sticking to his chest.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Rhys murmured as he looked up at her. "God, why didn't I just tell you all this days ago."

"Well, day ago, to be fair," Maisie panted as she reluctantly pushed herself up from his chest. "Though it seems like way longer, somehow. I can understand why ‘Oh, by the way, I'm a griffin and we're fated to be together forever and ever' might seem more like a conversation you should have after you've known each other slightly longer than twelve hours."

"Okay, point taken." Rhys grinned as, standing, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm over his shoulder, before sweeping her up in his arms bridal-style and carrying her up the glistening white sand to the greenery that sat in the center of the island.

Maisie yelped again, laughing, before allowing herself to rest her head against his chest, listening to the strong thud of his heart.

Safe. He makes me feel safe.

It wasn't a feeling she was used to – not from another person, anyway. She'd always had to look out for herself, especially once she'd moved to the city and her parents had been hours and hours away. She'd had bad boyfriends, and she'd usually been too slow to break up with them, because she'd felt it was her responsibility to try to fix them and find the goodness they kept buried – though all too often, that goodness had simply been a figment of her imagination. She'd often felt alone even when she'd been in a relationship.

But with Rhys…

She'd felt confused, frightened, and shocked as things had unfolded with Rhys, but she'd always felt, she realized now, safe . She'd known, somehow, she could trust him.

And not to be shallow, but God, can he ever kiss…

Fire seethed through her veins as he carried her up the shore, as if she weighed nothing at all. Her dress was clinging soggily to her, and by the time Rhys laid her down on a patch of greenery, she was desperate to get it off.

His lips were on hers, searingly hot, as soon as he'd put her down. Rhys leaned over her, and his weight on her sent a shivering thrill down her spine as she reached up to drape her arms around his neck, pulling him down even closer against her. She could feel his growing erection against her thigh, and she couldn't stop herself from arching up against him.

Rhys groaned into her mouth, his fingers lacing through her hair as he kissed her. His kisses were growing more urgent by the second, and Maisie could feel the same hot, insistent desire rising within her – the same impatience with everything that kept them from lying skin to skin.

She pulled at the knot of her dress where it was digging into the back of her neck, but her fingers felt clumsy, and after a moment, she felt Rhys's rumbling laugh against her lips.

"Need some help with that?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind," she muttered, but she was smiling, and he returned it, his eyes hooded and dark. Maisie couldn't help but shiver as they raked over her face. He lifted her hair out of the way, and his fingers made short work of the tie – she wasn't sure if he actually untied it or just pulled it apart with his bare hands, and right now, she found she didn't care. She just wanted him – more than she'd ever wanted anything before in her life.

"God, Rhys," she gasped, as he finally stripped the wet material away from her upper half, revealing her bra, which, just like the rest of her clothes, was soaking wet.

Rhys kissed his way down her throat, his hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs rolling over her nipples, still covered by the thin material of her bra. She shivered, gasping, as sensation tore through her – she'd never felt anything like it before. Her fingers tightened on the muscles of his shoulders as finally his mouth found her breasts. He pushed aside her bra to mouth at her nipples, teasing with his teeth and tongue.

Maisie cried out, writhing beneath him, her eyes flying open to take in the endless blue of the sky above.

"You are seriously going to drive me crazy," she managed to gasp out when Rhys raised his head from her breasts, looking way too pleased with himself.

But despite his apparent smugness, she couldn't help but return the smile. As his eyes drifted down her body – her exposed breasts, the skirt of her dress rucked up around her thighs – she realized suddenly that he was still fully clothed, and this simply did not seem fair to her.

"Hey, when are you going to get naked, exactly?" she asked teasingly, as her fingers fumbled at the buttons of his shirt. "I think it might be your turn now."

She made short work of his buttons despite her shaking fingers, and Rhys quickly stripped the wet material from his shoulders as soon as she'd undone enough of them for him to pull it off.

Maisie couldn't hold back her gasp at the sight of his body – of course, she'd seen it back when he'd crashed into her apartment, but this time he wasn't also covered in blood and mystery green goo.

Wonderingly, Maisie ran her fingers over the place on his shoulder where the bullet wound she'd treated had been – there was only the faintest of pink marks there now, barely noticeable. No scarring, and definitely no bullet hole, even though it had only happened a day or so ago; it seemed impossible, and yet, she was seeing it with her own eyes, touching it with her own hands.

Even as he kissed her again, Maisie was wondering how it could be possible, and whether there was anything medicine could learn from shifter healing powers – Imagine if it could be used somehow to help other sick or injured people…

But right now, Maisie thought, all that was in the future. Right now, all she wanted to do was run her hands over Rhys's sun-kissed skin, trailing her fingers over his hard pecs and the tight grid of his abs, and through the dusting of hair that led down into the waistband of his pants.

She knew she was staring, but she just couldn't help it – and even looking at him was enough for more wetness to gather between her thighs.

Rhys was clearly as hungry for her as she was for him, if the look on his face was anything to go by. He was looking at her as if he was a starving man, and she was a six-course meal of all of his favorite food. She threw her head back as he kissed her neck, his one hand on her breast, the other sliding down her hip to pull her dress up higher, his fingers skating over the sensitive skin of her stomach. She jerked with every movement as electricity thrilled over her skin.

Arching her back, she pressed herself against him, her fingers sliding down his back and over his hips to scrabble at the buttons of his pants. She felt as if she'd go insane if she didn't touch him – her blood pounded in her ears, her chest heaving with her breath. She was so wet that she was sure he must be able to feel it as his fingers slipped over the outside of her underpants, teasing her and making her shiver.

Finally, she tore open his pants and slid her hand inside. He was hot and achingly hard against her palm, his hips jerking as she ran her fingers over his length, gasping at the feel of it.

"Are you going to make me wait even longer?" she gasped out as Rhys shuddered above her, her hand working over him.

"I'd never make a lady wait," Rhys said, his voice obviously strained, and Maisie laughed.

"Okay, that's fine for ladies, but what about me?"

Rhys laughed, deep and rich. "Well, I won't make you wait either. I don't think I could hold myself back anymore, anyway."

Grinning, she managed to remove her hand from his cock for long enough to shove his pants down over his hips, taking his underpants with them. He sat back, his erection jutting out from the dark patch of his pubic hair, as he rolled her underwear down her legs and over her ankles, before tossing them aside.

I'll probably need those later… Maisie thought briefly, before the thought was completely obliterated from her mind as Rhys slid his hand down between her legs, pressing a finger against the warm, wet heat of her.

Moaning, Maisie squirmed beneath him, clenching her thighs around his hand. She gasped into the kiss he gave her as his fingers teased against her, shocks of pleasure reverberating through her body.

She cried out when he – finally – slipped a finger inside her, and she was wet enough, ready enough that it was quickly joined by a second. Her hips bucked up as he worked his fingers in and out of her, his thumb grazing gently over her clit, and she cried out again, tossing her head, her eyes squeezed shut.

" Rhys… "

But he really hadn't been joking when he'd said he didn't really have the will to go on teasing her for long. Although she missed the feeling of his fingers immediately, she could feel anticipation pulsing through her when he withdrew them.

Panting, Maisie forced herself to open her eyes and look at him as he drew back a little, kneeling between her open legs. He lay down over her, his golden eyes meeting hers. He captured her lips in a kiss as he moved his hips forward, sliding inside her – Maisie arched her back, her toes curling, and moaned into his mouth as she felt herself being filled by him, stretched to absolute perfection.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

The thought sprang into her head unbidden, but it was true. She'd never felt so complete .

His first move against her was nothing more than a shallow thrust, but even that gentle motion had her crying out, pushing back up against him. She wanted more – and Rhys seemed to understand immediately what she wanted.

His next thrust was harder, his hips driving forward. Maisie cried out again, burying her hands in his hair, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist.

It had never felt like this before, she thought hazily, aware that she was being loud, her own voice filling her ears, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Who was going to hear them anyway, here on their own private little island?

When his mouth met hers again, their tongues twining around each other, she could feel the heat of his breath against her face as his thrusts grew even stronger, more desperate.

She could feel her climax gathering inside her, rushing through her body like a wave with every move Rhys made. Pleasure bloomed through her, wiping away all thought, all ability to think, and filling her with boundless, mindless ecstasy.

She locked her ankles at the small of his back, urging him on. Every thrust brought her closer to the edge, until, finally, she felt herself topple over it, her orgasm a white-hot wave of ecstasy that burst through her, overtaking everything with pleasure, roiling along her veins like fire. A moment after her own climax she heard Rhys cry out, his voice hoarse, his cock pulsing inside her, as he came, his hips jerking, muscles pulled taut.

Maisie shook, crying out as she came a second time. It unwound through her, filling every corner of her body, blocking out everything except the feeling of their joined bodies.

But not just bodies, Maisie thought vaguely as she coasted down from the wave of her climax. I feel like we're joined in our souls somehow…

She'd never thought about things like that before. Of course, she'd wanted to find Mr. Right, settle down, and have children. But that had always seemed like something she'd just do in due course; she'd wanted a love that would sweep her off her feet when she'd been younger, which she supposed accounted for why she'd always gone for slightly dangerous types. They'd just seemed exciting.

But none of them had ever made her feel like Rhys did – and as it turned out, emotional unavailability, far from being exciting, got extremely tiresome after a while.

But with Rhys…

Somehow, she knew he was right. They really were made for each other.

Maisie shuddered as aftershocks of pleasure ran through her body as Rhys slowed his movements.

She didn't want him to move away, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him in place, as together they breathed heavily, their sweat mingling on their skin. Finally, however, Maisie knew they had to move. Regretfully, she released him, and he rolled away from her with a groan, coming to rest against her side.

"Mmm. That's just how I feel," Maisie breathed, as she snuggled herself against his side. "That was… well, I don't think I actually have a word for what that was."

"Good, I hope," Rhys said, with a small laugh. "Because that's what I'm going with."

"Just a little bit more than good ," Maisie told him, joining in with his laugh. She ran her hand over his chest, marveling at its strength, at the way it glistened in the sunshine. She shivered when Rhys leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"So," she said after a long moment of silence. "Is this what being mates is all about? Because if so, I think I could probably go for seconds." She paused, shifting a little, languor unrolling though her body. "But maybe in about half an hour."

Rhys laughed again, low and soft. "Whatever you want, whenever you want."

Maisie thought she liked the sound of that – but right now, all she really wanted to do was snuggle up close to Rhys's side, drink in the warmth of his skin, listen to the sound of the waves lapping at the shore a few meters away, and simply enjoy her holiday.