But Ellison was difficult not to notice. His body had been touched by God, sculpted muscle under skin that moved with liquid grace. The silver and black Collar around his neck only drew attention to the bareness of the rest of his body.
He folded his arms and watched her, all that rippling strength becoming still, waiting. Ellison was a being of sunlight and shadow, but with a hint of the moon in his gray eyes.
Maria wanted to look her fill, to feast her senses on his beauty. She couldn’t not look at his cock, hanging thick and full between his legs, dark blond hair at its base.
“Ungh” was the only thing that came out of her mouth.
“Come on,” Ellison said. “I’m getting hot standing here.”
Maria’s face heated. He wanted her to strip as naked as he was and then jump into the water with him. A slow smile spread over his face, and her body flushed as hot as her cheeks.
Bareness to her meant vulnerability, fear. She hesitated, heart pounding.
“I told you,” Ellison said. “I’m teaching you to live life.” He came out of his watchful stance and stepped to her, his body filling her world. “Every bit of it, sucking up every drop.”
His hand went to the top of her shirt and undid the two small buttons there. Polite of him, because he could have just yanked the shirt off over her head. And he did, but at least he unbuttoned it so the shirt with its pretty design didn’t tear.
Maria stood in her lacy bra that Andrea had bought for her, hugging her arms across her chest. Her low-riding jeans suddenly felt too low.
Ellison came closer. The heat from his body touched her like sunshine. He smelled of musk and dust, sweat and warmth. He slid his hands to her waist and popped open the button of her jeans.
A shiver began deep inside her. Fire rose in Maria’s body, slowly surging until it blotted out fear, panic, shame. Need eased through her, tangled with warmth and desire.
Ellison’s fingers brushed her abdomen as he felt for the zipper. He tugged it down, more touches to her skin. At the same time, he leaned down and kissed her.
A slow kiss, no more frenzy. Ellison’s mouth was all that was good, his lips easing hers open. His tongue slid inside, a flicker, as he skimmed his hands up her back to open her thin bra.
Maria’s shiver deepened as she felt the bra loosen. Fetters coming off, freeing her.
Ellison traced across her now-bare back, though he didn’t pull the bra the rest of the way off. His touch went around her shoulders, up to her jaw. “Come on and swim with me.”
Maria swallowed, licking the taste of Ellison from her lips. “Be right there.”
He smiled, slow and fine. Another touch to her chin, and he turned away.
His bare backside was taut, legs lean and strong. Ellison unhooked his cowboy hat from the branch, setting it on his head to complete the devastating picture.
He grinned over his shoulder at her. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.”
Maria suddenly wanted to laugh. What in the world did that mean?
Ellison ran forward, jumped, caught another overhanging tree limb, swung himself out over the water, and dropped in with a magnificent splash.
His hat went flying. Ellison surfaced, swiped his hair out of his face, laughed, and grabbed the hat when it floated past.
“Come on, darlin’!”
Maria didn’t give herself time to think. She toed off her sandals, slid out of her jeans, tossed aside her underwear, and ran at the water, whooping all the way.
***
Maria landed in the water a few yards from Ellison, coming up with her black hair wet. She pushed the hair from her face and opened her eyes, teeth flashing in her big smile.
Ellison made himself start breathing again. He’d sucked in air and held it while her body had come into view, sweet and lush, br**sts high and firm, a brush of dark hair between her legs. She’d spread her arms to run in, as though embracing the pond, embracing the world.
The water now hid everything but her lovely face and dark hair, her eyes sparkling like the waters around her.
“Whoo!” she yelled again, and slapped the surface. “I feel like a little child.”
“You’re supposed to.” Ellison swam to her, his hat firmly on his head. He knew it was stupid to swim with his hat, but Maria liked it, so the hat stayed.
Cool water slid under Ellison’s arms, twining around his legs as he kicked his way to her. Maria hopped in a circle, taking in the banks, trees, bluebonnets, and the sheet of water. Her head and neck showed above the surface, her hair floating.
Ellison neared her, took off his hat, and sprang high enough out of the water to hang it on an overhanging limb. As he came down, he wrapped his arms around Maria.
Her body floated up to his, br**sts moving against his chest in a waft of softness. Her hair was heavy with water over his hands, her lips wet as he drew her up to him to kiss them.
Kissing was the best thing. Ellison rarely kissed, because any Shifter women he’d had the pleasure of bedding had been frenzied and interested in getting the job done. Human women were few and far between. In fact, in the last couple years, anything female had been few and far between.
And now Maria. Maybe the Goddess had made sure all the women who’d ventured to Shiftertown recently—Kim and Andrea, Elizabeth and Myka—had found mates in other Shifters so Ellison would be free when Maria came along. He’d joked that he was never fast enough off the mark, but none of them had touched his heart like Maria.
The Goddess had been good to Ellison. Maria tasted like fire, of woman and wanting.
But she was hurt, like a broken bird, like Deni, who was fighting to regain her life. So much had been taken from Maria, and Ellison wanted to give it back to her, without pain, without fear.
Ellison kissed the corners of her mouth, tasting sweetness. Water droplets lingered on her lips, his tongue finding every one.
Her plump mouth was softness itself. Her lips met Ellison’s, her kisses falling on the whiskers above his top lip, the curve of the bottom one.
Maria drew back and gazed at him face-to-face, her smiles gone. Ellison smoothed her hair from her forehead, the laughter leaving him as well. He read desire in her, and also terror so harsh it cut.
He’d have to be slow with her. It might take months, or years, of teaching her that he cared. That he’d never hurt her.
“Maria . . .”
“Shh.” Maria touched her fingers to his lips.
She kissed him again, resting her arms on his shoulders. He felt her feet leave the bottom of the lake, she balancing on him so she could let her legs come up.
Ellison forced himself to stand easy, though he caught her around the waist, steadying her so she wouldn’t slip under the water. He had to let her decide what to do.