Page 8 of Bear to be Wild (Moonlight Siren #5)

ROAN

M aribelle. In her cabin. In her shower.

Every inch of me yearned to slip closer to her, agonized to join her in there, so I finally gave up and left her room.

That didn’t give me much leeway since I could only roam a short distance down the hall. With my bear protesting leaving our mate, it wasn’t easy not to head back inside the cabin.

I paced and paced, but eventually the urge—and my bear—won. Striding back to her door, I turned the knob.

Locked. Of course it was—I didn’t have her key card.

Minutes dragged until she emerged later, looking more refreshed in a loose blue tunic and a pair of black leggings. Her silvery curls bounced, falling damp over her slender shoulders.

“What are you doing out here, bear?” she asked with a quizzical look.

I rolled one shoulder. “Just giving you privacy.”

She stared at me with an appraising expression, studying me as if trying to figure me out.

“What?” I asked.

“I might have misjudged you.”

“How so?”

She tilted her head. “I thought you’d be just another cocky, womanizing shifter.”

I edged my chin up. “That doesn’t describe me at all.”

She nodded slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on me. “Trust me, I’m learning.”

A twinge of hope flickered inside my chest. “Where to now?”

She cast her gaze down the hall. “Will you come up to the spa with me so I can try to fix my mess?”

The Serenity Spa was quiet aside from the low trickle of a fountain.

The scent of bergamot and rosemary lingered in the air.

Maribelle moved with weary determination, flipping through a spell book on the counter.

She arranged oils and crystals with scientific precision.

She repeated incantations under her breath, voice low and melodic, weaving her hands through the air as if knitting an invisible blanket.

I sat in a chair, watching, captivated. My bear, who’d been restless since we’d met Maribelle, went still, just as enchanted by her working magic. Not only was she beautiful, breathtaking, she exuded such power and vibrancy.

After several minutes, she sagged against the wall, her shoulders drooping.

“It didn’t work,” she said, sounding resigned. Her tired blue eyes met mine. “I’m sorry.”

I stood and took a few steps toward her. “It’s okay,” I replied, keeping my voice gentle. “You’ve had a long day. You should rest.”

“But—” Her voice cracked. “You know what that means tonight? If we don’t come up with another solution…” She pursed her lips.

I knew. I’d been picturing it far too often since stepping into her cabin.

Her eyes fluttered back open. “We’re going to have to sleep in the same cabin.”

My bear cheered at that idea, but I forced myself to stifle the enthusiasm and not get carried away.

“Like I said,” I assured her, as steady as I could. “It’s okay.”

She drew in a deep breath, rubbed her forehead, and exhaled with a low whoosh. “I could use some fresh air.” She huffed. “And a tall drink.”

The Starlight Terrace buzzed with late-night revelers as we coasted toward the next stop, an island in the Caribbean.

The band had stopped playing earlier, so now the air was full of easy chatter.

A crescent moon shone brightly overhead in the clear night sky.

The scent of fruity cocktails from those who passed by mingled with the ever-present salty tang of the sea.

We ordered drinks from the poolside bar—a glass of red wine for her and a honey-infused beer for me—then stretched out on lounge chairs beside the pool. It was designed with colorful tiles to resemble a dragon.

She took a sip of wine, which left a sheen on her lower lip. “There has to be a way to unravel the spell.”

“You’ve already tried,” I reminded her gently. “If you push yourself too hard, you might make it worse.”

She tilted her head toward me. “What do you know about casting spells?” she asked with skepticism.

“Nothing,” I admitted. “But I know about overtraining.” I tapped my chest. “If you don’t rest, you’ll burn out.”

Her gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before she dragged it away. “You’re right, bear.” Her voice sounded softer.

We relaxed as we enjoyed our drinks, the tension between us softening.

“Tell me about yourself,” I encouraged.

“I grew up in Maine,” she said, swirling her glass.

“In a house where magic was as normal as cooking dinner. My grandmother taught me about magic. My mom was more into gardening, especially herbs, so I learned about that from her. My big brother?” She smirked.

“Annoying. I once bespelled his guitar to honk like a goose for teasing me.”

I chuckled. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Her smile faded a little. “We’ve never had luck in love, though. So maybe my family is cursed.” Before I could counter that, she added, “Anyhoo, bear, that’s my story. What’s yours?”

I took a slow sip of my beer while I figured out where to start. “I already told you I was a ranger and then a physical trainer. The forests and mountains were my escape. But something was missing. I was always searching for something.”

She leaned forward, her expression curious. “What?”

I chuckled. “Good question. But that’s what led me to venture out of Colorado and join this ship.”

She tilted her head, studying me. “You’re full of surprises, Roan.”

“Good ones, I hope?”

Her lips lifted into a sly smile. “Perhaps.” She took another sip.

And damn, if that didn’t make my chest warm.

She drank slowly, as if delaying the inevitable. I wasn’t dreading it the way she was. No, instead, I reminded myself multiple times to be a perfect gentleman, not to make any sort of move, not to take advantage of the situation.

But when her glass was empty, and a yawn forced a way out of my mouth, I covered it and said, “I should get to bed. Need to get up early for a class.”

“Right,” she agreed with a resigned sigh and stood. “Since I have the bigger cabin, we should go there.”

“Okay,” I agreed and stood.

We strolled across the deck, closer to the railing.

“Roan?” she said softly.

“Yes?” I turned to her. The sea breeze caught her curls, whipping them around her face. I picked one up before I thought to stop myself and tucked it behind her ear. “Soft as I imagined,” I uttered. Realizing I’d said that aloud, I added, “Shit.”

She laughed gently and tamed her wild curls with both hands until the breeze settled. Gazing up at me, her eyes searched mine. “Thank you.”

My throat tightened, and my tongue felt dry. I swallowed. “For what?”

“For keeping this a secret.” She stepped closer and her scent filled my nostrils, sweeping through me. “For letting me try to undo the problem rather than filing a complaint—and finding someone more talented with magic than me to fix it.”

“I—” I stammered. “I think you’re very talented.” Forcing some levity to diffuse the rising tension, I added, “After all, you were able to muffle my noise.” I slanted a grin.

She let out a soft, musical laugh. “With an added complication.” Her blue eyes shone so bright, locked on mine, and I couldn’t look away. She raised her hand, which trembled slightly, and she moved it to my cheek. “I owe you a favor—a very big one.”

I curled into the heat of her palm as if enchanted. My bear rumbled, mate.

Somehow, I rasped, “No, we’re good,” through clipped breaths.

Her shiny lips parted, drawing my gaze to them, and she moved up toward me on her tiptoes. I leaned closer to her, completely enchanted by this beautiful witch as we inched closer together.

Maribelle stopped and took a step backward, leaving me desperate, aching, yearning for more.

She stared across the deck. “We should, um… You need to get up early.” She nodded. “Right. We should head downstairs.”

Thoughts bounced around in my brain, sensations zipped through my body. We were just about to… Weren’t we?

What the hell just happened?

We walked in silence down to her cabin, the heat simmering between the tight walls high enough to combust the entire deck.

When she slid her ID to unlock her door, she fumbled with it and dropped the card. We both bent down to get it at the same time, and our hands brushed. For a few seconds, we remained there, neither of us moving.

In seconds, we’d be in her room. Alone. Together.

For the entire night.

“I got it,” Maribelle said quickly and rose. She swiped her card and stepped into the room.

When she held the door for me, I crossed over the threshold, anticipation firing up like lightning bugs inside. As she closed the door, I wondered if sleep was even possible.