skin, as the last ecstasy took her. Owen’s growl as he came was followed a second later by Raina’s cry as the most powerful orgasm she’d ever felt exploded within her. She writhed and screamed, not caring what she looked or sounded like. All that mattered was the ecstasy that engulfed her like the heat of the sun.
Once again, Raina became aware of the world around her. She lay limp and languid, still trembling with the aftershocks of that intense orgasm. Owen was holding her tenderly, stroking her back and hair.
“So...” Raina said at last. “You said that bears mate for life. Was that a proposal?”
Owen looked abashed. “Dammit. I meant to get you a diamond engagement ring fit for a princess, go down on my knees, the whole nine yards— wait!”
He scrambled up, fumbled in the pocket of his discarded jeans, and detached the smallest ring from his ring of keys. As Raina began to laugh, he knelt, cupped it in his hands, and said, “I’ll get you a better one later— along with the rest of the nine yards— but I’m not letting you leave these woods without something. I love you. You’re my princess, and you always will be. Raina Williams, will you marry me?”
Raina’s amusement at the steel keychain ring, presented to her by a billionaire, faded as she saw the true love and commitment shining in Owen’s eyes. She slipped the steel ring on to her thumb, which was her only finger wide enough for it, and replied, “I will. And I wouldn’t care if a keychain was all you could afford. I want you , Owen, not the billionaire— the billionbear!”
He laughed. “I hope you want Owen the billionaire and Owen the bear, too. But if you really like that ring, I could have it melted down and reforged, and set it with a diamond.”
“Steel and diamond,” Raina said thoughtfully. “Strength and beauty. I like that.”
Raina kissed Owen. She was completely happy, with his ring on her finger and his arms around her body. The fairytale was real. Owen was her Beast and her Prince Charming. But more than that, he was her mate.
“Happily ever after,” she said.
***
Chapter One
Paisley
––––––––
P aisley Clark pulled the drapes in her hotel room, shutting out the white glare of the street lights. The room was almost certainly too high for anyone to see into— that was why she’d picked it— but you could never be too careful.
She took off her black wig, careful not to disturb the pinned-up braids of her long blonde hair. Then she stripped out of the expensive clothes she’d worn to check in. For a hotel this fancy, she’d needed them to blend in. Her false ID had passed without a blink.
Paisley barely glanced at her nude body in the full-length mirror. It didn’t matter what she looked like, so long as she was agile enough to leap, strong enough to climb, and fit enough to run.
She’d seen other women checking themselves in mirrors, and heard them worrying that they were too fat or too thin, too dark or too pale, too curvy or too flat, too s omething or too something else to attract a man. But Paisley’s problem wasn’t what she looked like, but what she was. She was a loner— an outlaw— a freak of nature. The closest she ever got to a relationship was a one-night stand, and that was the closest she ever could get. No man who knew what she was could ever want her.
Paisley fiercely pushed away the pang of sadness that had pierced her at that thought. She was always going to be alone, and that was just how it was. No point getting all weepy over something that couldn’t be helped, especially when she had a job to do. There were more important things in the world than whether or not one orphan werecat had someone to love.
She concentrated on catness . Being covered with a soft layer of pure black fur. Being able to see in the dark. Seeing the world in black and white and shades of gray. The ability to leap ten times her own height. The irresistible desire to pounce on small
Once again, Raina became aware of the world around her. She lay limp and languid, still trembling with the aftershocks of that intense orgasm. Owen was holding her tenderly, stroking her back and hair.
“So...” Raina said at last. “You said that bears mate for life. Was that a proposal?”
Owen looked abashed. “Dammit. I meant to get you a diamond engagement ring fit for a princess, go down on my knees, the whole nine yards— wait!”
He scrambled up, fumbled in the pocket of his discarded jeans, and detached the smallest ring from his ring of keys. As Raina began to laugh, he knelt, cupped it in his hands, and said, “I’ll get you a better one later— along with the rest of the nine yards— but I’m not letting you leave these woods without something. I love you. You’re my princess, and you always will be. Raina Williams, will you marry me?”
Raina’s amusement at the steel keychain ring, presented to her by a billionaire, faded as she saw the true love and commitment shining in Owen’s eyes. She slipped the steel ring on to her thumb, which was her only finger wide enough for it, and replied, “I will. And I wouldn’t care if a keychain was all you could afford. I want you , Owen, not the billionaire— the billionbear!”
He laughed. “I hope you want Owen the billionaire and Owen the bear, too. But if you really like that ring, I could have it melted down and reforged, and set it with a diamond.”
“Steel and diamond,” Raina said thoughtfully. “Strength and beauty. I like that.”
Raina kissed Owen. She was completely happy, with his ring on her finger and his arms around her body. The fairytale was real. Owen was her Beast and her Prince Charming. But more than that, he was her mate.
“Happily ever after,” she said.
***
Chapter One
Paisley
––––––––
P aisley Clark pulled the drapes in her hotel room, shutting out the white glare of the street lights. The room was almost certainly too high for anyone to see into— that was why she’d picked it— but you could never be too careful.
She took off her black wig, careful not to disturb the pinned-up braids of her long blonde hair. Then she stripped out of the expensive clothes she’d worn to check in. For a hotel this fancy, she’d needed them to blend in. Her false ID had passed without a blink.
Paisley barely glanced at her nude body in the full-length mirror. It didn’t matter what she looked like, so long as she was agile enough to leap, strong enough to climb, and fit enough to run.
She’d seen other women checking themselves in mirrors, and heard them worrying that they were too fat or too thin, too dark or too pale, too curvy or too flat, too s omething or too something else to attract a man. But Paisley’s problem wasn’t what she looked like, but what she was. She was a loner— an outlaw— a freak of nature. The closest she ever got to a relationship was a one-night stand, and that was the closest she ever could get. No man who knew what she was could ever want her.
Paisley fiercely pushed away the pang of sadness that had pierced her at that thought. She was always going to be alone, and that was just how it was. No point getting all weepy over something that couldn’t be helped, especially when she had a job to do. There were more important things in the world than whether or not one orphan werecat had someone to love.
She concentrated on catness . Being covered with a soft layer of pure black fur. Being able to see in the dark. Seeing the world in black and white and shades of gray. The ability to leap ten times her own height. The irresistible desire to pounce on small
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