Under the Cove Read online

  I’d never expected to have the opportunity to have sex in my place of work, but now that I did, I didn’t have enough blood rushing to my brain to determine if it was the best idea ever or the worst. Her hands grabbing me by the hips and pulling me deeper into the cradle of her thighs didn’t help my thought processes in the least.

  “Margaret,” I said, letting my version of a growl loose with the word. Letting her feel a little rumble through my body.

  She bit her lip—the tease—and whispered back, “Matthew.”

  I loved my name on her lips, but that voice, that tone, was pure sex. The sound wrapped itself around me and fed the flame of lust already burning me up from the inside out. This woman seemed made from dangerous waters, pure and simple, and I was ready to dive in headfirst.

  “You can call me Matt.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  That saucy answer only made me smile. “Okay. You make the rules.”

  “I like that plan. Don’t even think of calling me Peggy.”

  “Understood.”

  By that point, my hands—totally of their own volition and completely out of my control—had begun to explore. Following every curve and dip I could reach to learn about my Margaret. Her hands weren’t still either, her touch leaving a trail of tingles in its wake as she teased me with fingertips on my waist, my hips, sneaking around to my ass. I dipped down and breathed her in, unable not to, needing so much more of her already. Wanting to explore every naked inch. That thought brought with it images of my new mate in nothing at all, which fueled the desires running through me. It also knocked a little sense into me. My human side came to the realization that doing anything at the library likely wasn’t a good idea. Even my inner beast reluctantly agreed—he wanted his mate alone. On his terms. Where he could have her all to himself. It was time to put on the brakes.

  But still, I brushed my lips over hers. Unable not to. Not kissing, just…whispering a touch there. So close.

  Alone.

  But first, manners. I may have been a beast, but I wasn’t an animal all the time. “Can I take you to dinner?”

  Margaret blinked up at me, obviously a little off-balance from the subject change. “When?”

  “Tonight.”

  “Where?”

  It was my turn to pull back, to feel uncertain. “Wherever you want, I guess.”

  She stared me down, both of us backing away. Her rising to a sitting position but keeping her hands on my hips. Holding me in place between her knees but forcing space between us. I felt completely at her mercy and wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not.

  Finally, she cocked her head. “Do you like true crime?”

  It took me a solid three seconds to make those words make sense. Or try to, at least. I failed at it. “What?”

  “There’s a new documentary series that just came out today, and I was really looking forward to getting some takeout, curling up on the couch, and watching it.”

  Disappointment stung, the knowledge that she’d rather sit at home and watch TV than spend time with her mate filling me with a sense of dread over what our relationship would be like.

  “Ah, well…okay. So, maybe another night—”

  “Want to come to my place and cuddle up with me on the couch?”

  I let out a breath, practically sagging under the relief of her invitation. I could not have cared less what we did so long as I got to spend time with my new mate. This was an easy request to fulfill.

  “Yes. Absolutely.”

  Margaret grinned at me, her light eyes on mine and her face so filled with joy that I couldn’t resist her. I leaned in and kissed those plump, pink lips, groaning as I got my first taste of my mate. She pulled me closer, both of us deepening the kiss, a sound like a mewl escaping her as I clutched her to me. The animal in me wanted more, pushing me to strip her right there and slake my need even if we couldn’t be all alone, but I resisted. There was so much to build, still. So much to learn about each other. A fated mate was not something to take on recklessly. This woman had been deemed perfect for me, and I’d been waiting for her for a long damn time—I would forever treat her as the gift she was.

  When we finally broke apart, both of us breathing hard again, she held me close enough to keep our foreheads together.

  “That was nice,” she said, chuckling under her breath. “We should do that again.”

  “Whenever you want me to kiss you, just let me know. I’m all yours.”

  Margaret darted a look up at me, so much emotion in her eyes. Questions, too. I understood her hesitancy—I had to imagine we’d both done the dating thing in the past. This wasn’t dating, though. This was more. I would need to get to know her, but we were it for each other. I was 1000% in on a future with her. I could only hope she felt the same.

  “You need to get back to work,” Margaret said with a sigh. “Brittani was about ready to toss that laptop out the window when I showed up.”

  I sighed, knowing she was right but still not happy about it. “Okay. Let’s exchange numbers so you can text me your address.”

  We pulled out our phones, unlocking then exchanging them to make the input a little easier. She added a heart to her name, something that made me grin in what felt like a sappy way when I saw it.

  “What time?” I asked, gripping her thighs one last time before helping her to her feet.

  She led the way out of the room and back into the library proper, heading for my boss’s office. “Six sound good?”

  Four hours. Not nearly enough time to make it to the coast and get in some swimming. My inner beast would be mad, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. We would just have to find a way to deal with the wait. “Perfect. I’ll bring wine.”

  “And I’ll order food.”

  “Sounds like a date.”

  She looked over her shoulder, shooting me a grin. “It does, doesn’t it?”

  We walked through the library, neither of us rushing. Margaret tugged me to a stop just before we reached Brittani’s office.

  “I want to give you this before we walk back in there and have to be subtle.” She rose up onto the balls of her feet to place a soft, warm kiss against my cheek. “I’m excited to have met you, and I can’t wait for tonight, my big, bad wolf.”

  My stomach dropped. I had so much to tell her, so much to admit. Things I hid from the world. Things no one in this town knew about me. But this was my mate, my one and only. My partner for life. She needed to know.

  Not quite yet, though. It simply wasn’t safe…for either of us.

  “I will see you and your tufts tonight. Now, let’s fix a laptop.”

  4

  Margaret

  The rest of the day went quickly, from Matthew finally fixing Brittani’s computer—it did not, in fact, need to be turned off and rebooted but instead required some sort of download of a program—to my mate walking me out of the library like a gentleman. My time in the library was practically perfect. Practically because another ten minutes in a study room alone with Matthew would have been ideal. That said, by the time I left the hall of books and headed into town, I was in a wonderful mood.

  “Margaret! It’s good to see you.” The old woman who ran the diner in town hurried over, giving me her motherly smile. “Eating in or taking home?”

  “Taking home. I have a date coming over tonight.”

  “A date, huh? Sounds intriguing.”

  I couldn’t hold back my grin. I didn’t really date, and this was so much more. “It’s…I mean…he’s my mate.”

  “Ah, the fates finally blessed you.” She reached up and kissed both my cheeks, her fox energy high and bright. “Sit down at the counter, and I’ll make you a coffee. What sort of dinner do you want?”

  “Actually, I have a little bit more running around to do. I wanted to head over to the bakery for some sweets—”

  “Misty’s there today. She will get you set up right.”

  “But I wanted to place an order for t
onight’s dinner before I ran over there.”

  “Of course. What sort of shifter am I dealing with here?”

  “He’s a wolf. A big one, from what I understand.”

  “Ah, a classic.” She gave me a wink and pushed me toward the door. “We do a surf and turf—crab-stuffed salmon for you and a classic T-bone for him. I’ll make it on the rare side—all my wolves love their steak a little bloody. What time are you picking it up?”

  I glanced at my phone, calculating how long it would take to finish my errands before heading home. “Maybe an hour?”

  “Good. Go…tell my daughter to come say hello to her mother once in a while. Your food will be ready when you get back.”

  And with that, she pushed me out the door and onto the sidewalk. The Kinship Cove Diner made wonderful food, but the owner wasn’t for the faint of heart. Still, it had been a favorite since I’d moved here, and I put up with the craziness because their food was amazing.

  I quickly crossed the street and made my way to my second favorite establishment in the Cove—the Cake-Ily Ever After bakery. Home of the most amazing macarons, pastries, and cupcakes. And the sassiest fox shifter around.

  “Hey, Misty,” I said as I walked in the door. The woman in question—daughter of the lady who ran the diner—popped her head up from behind a display cooler.

  “Margaret! Haven’t seen you in a while. How’s it going?”

  Good. Great. Amazing. Splendid. All the things that I wanted to babble to her, but I kept myself under control.

  “Great. I wanted to stop in to pick up some sort of treat for tonight.”

  Her eyebrow went up—just one—and she began to creep down the counter toward me. My bobcat reacted to that look with a wary sort of attention, making me take a step back.

  “Misty?”

  “What’s so special about tonight?”

  “Oh, not that much,” I said, retreating even farther. The fox was on the hunt, and her prey was information. “I’m just having company.”

  “Of the male variety? Are we talking a date?”

  The room suddenly felt much hotter, my clothes practically sticking to me. “I mean, yeah. A man is coming over.”

  She nodded. “Booty call or something serious?”

  I swear, foxes have no filters. “Something else. I…met my mate.”

  The grin that exploded on her face mirrored the joy in my heart at being able to say those words. Fated matings were celebrated in a shifter town, always had been. Misty made sure to let everyone know when there was a new pairing in the cove, which meant the whole town would know by their morning coffee about Matthew and me.

  A sudden sense of dread plummeted into my stomach—I hadn’t told Brittani yet. She was my best friend, my ride or die. The woman I texted whenever I was out so it wouldn’t take days for police to be notified if I went missing. She was my person, and I had just…skipped over telling her about Matthew. In my defense, Matthew had dragged me into her office then did this sort of bending lean over her desk, totally killing the brain cells that kind of discussion would have required. I would forever blame him. Still, Brittani and I needed to have a conversation…stat.

  “Okay, so your mate is coming over tonight,” Misty said, totally pulling me from my thoughts. “What breed is he, and do you happen to know what he likes?”

  “He’s a wolf, and no. Not at all. We just met.”

  “Do I know him?”

  “Maybe. It’s Matthew, from the library.”

  Misty did that whole head-back, eyebrows-up thing people did when they totally knew who or what you were talking about. “He’s a black coffee, cream horn kind of guy.”

  The best part about being friendly with someone as nosy as Misty was the intel she always provided. “Can I get three cream horns, then? And a cupcake for me.”

  “Of course. We’ve got strawberry margarita and an aviation—which is floral with sort of bittersweet cherry notes. We also have what should be a Malibu and pineapple one, but Ginger decided to try that peach whiskey everyone is drinking on social media.” She held up a perfect cupcake crowned in a peach-colored frosting with chunks of candied pineapple decorating one side and a big red cherry right on top. “I don’t know what this thing is called, but it’s amazing.”

  “Sold. I’ll take one of those.” I gave the case one last look, making sure I wasn’t missing anything. I didn’t get to the bakery as much as I would like because the dispensary had been crazy busy ever since catnip had been legalized for recreational use by the township council. Long hours meant stuff like afternoon strolls across town were simply impossible. Except for today. “Oh, and can I get one of those eclairs as well? A girl needs her chocolate.”

  “You’re not lying. I was telling Clark last night that chocolate kept women sane.” She glanced up at me, a wide smile on her face. “He claimed nothing kept us sane and we should all just embrace our feminine crazy.”

  “Sounds logical.”

  “My mate is a logical wolf.” She put everything in a bag, grabbed a cup from the espresso station in the back, spent a solid minute making…something…then headed my way. “Your treats and a cappuccino, all on the house.”

  I took the bag and cup from her, already shaking my head. “I can’t take all of this. Let me pay—”

  “Absolutely not. A new mating should be celebrated. Consider these your welcome gift to the mated women club. Long shall we live without trying to kill the men who drive us insane.”

  I laughed, unable not to. Misty always had been a fun fox to be around. “Well, thank you. I will continue to make sure to send the customers from the dispensary this way to buy the quality munchies.”

  “You’re a good woman, Margaret. Now go—get caffeinated and on a sugar high to be ready for tonight. Are you going out or…?”

  “He’s coming over to my house. In fact, I’m picking up dinner from the diner so I don’t have to cook. Oh, and your mother said you need to stop in and say hello more often.”

  Her smile fell, and she threw her arms wide. “I was just there for lunch! I swear, that woman is going to drive me to drink.”

  “But you do drink.”

  “More. She’s going to drive me to drink more.”

  Seemed likely, to be honest. I knew I’d be drinking more if I had to deal with that family.

  With one last thank-you and a wave, I left Misty to her pastries and irritation with her mom and headed out into town. I needed to stop at the dispensary one last time to make sure the night staff had everything they needed, then I could head home with my food, my treats, and my excitement.

  I was having dinner with my fated mate.

  But first, I needed to make a call. My phone felt heavy in my hand as I pulled it from my pocket, and the screen made my fingers burn. Or perhaps it was the guilt.

  “Hey, girl,” I said as soon as Brittani answered her phone, my tone so fake even I heard it. “How’s that laptop working out for you?”

  Her voice came through completely flat and monotone as she asked, “Something you forgot to tell me?”

  Six words, and the guilt might as well have set me on fire. She knew. She knew and was mad at me about not telling her. Friend fail.

  “Yeah. So…Matthew is sort of my mate.”

  “I’m aware, no thanks to you.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry. It was so crazy—one second, I was talking with you and picking on Griff, and the next, Bam. Mated. My entire brain exploded into pieces, and I forgot how to put it back together until just now.”

  “Good thing he’s not a serial killer, then. You’d be dead by now.”

  “Likely.”

  She sighed, but her voice sounded much more upbeat as she asked, “Are you excited about this?”

  “Extremely.”

  “Good. He’s a great man—I like him a lot.” There was a noise in the background, something that sounded suspiciously like a growl, and then I heard her hissing a hush. “Sorry. Griff doesn’t like it when I compliment oth
er men. He gets growly.”

  “I’d say that was manipulative behavior and you should be careful, but I’m pretty sure he’s not a danger to you.”

  Brittani laughed. “No, not at all. Speaking of which, what are you two doing tonight?”

  “He’s coming to my place.”

  “What time?”

  “Six.”

  “Okay. And you’ll be having dinner?”

  I looked both ways before crossing the street, frowning. “Yeah. Dinner then we’re watching the new docuseries on Son of Sam.”

  “Ooh, Griff and I are doing the same. Okay, well, text me when you can so I know you’re okay.”

  “He’s my mate…”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  She was right—it didn’t. We always had been protective of the other.

  “Fine. I’ll text.”

  There was again muffled noise from her end, almost like she was covering the mic of her phone and having another conversation.

  “Britt?”

  “Sorry. Griff and I were just placing bets.”

  “On what?”

  “What time you’ll get naked.”

  I felt the need to be shocked, but I wasn’t—Matthew was my mate, and he was coming to my house. Sex was definitely on the table.

  “What are you two guessing?”

  “Griff says by eight if dinner is served about 6:30. I figure you’ll definitely get through at least one episode of the doc series, which puts you closer to nine in my head.”

  I nodded, spotting the sign for the dispensary at the end of the block and striding that way. Dinner, treats, docuseries…time calculation wasn’t usually my thing, but I had a solid idea of what I wanted to happen.

  “I’m leaning more in support of Griff’s guess.”