Bared for Her Bear (6 page)

she was away from the powerful magnetism that surrounded Charlie the brighter this night would

look. Once she was downstairs and had her clothes picked up and haphazardly put on Ary turned

toward Charlie when she heard him enter the room. The stillness was a heavy presence that surrounded

her, not to mention the sudden weirdness that bounced between them.

“Thank you for … tonight.”
God, Ary. Smooth. Real freaking smooth.
They stood there, neither

saying a word. The whole situation had felt so very right at one time, and now it was so very wrong.

She turned to leave, but then remembered he had driven.

He sighed heavily and said, “Come on, Kitten.” Charlie grabbed his keys off the counter, and

she followed him outside. Once she was on the bike with the helmet on Charlie climbed on. He

reached behind him and grabbed her hand, bringing it around his waist then doing the same to the

other one. His abs clenched under her hands, and she swallowed. Her arousal started to creep through

her body, and she pushed it away. Everything had gotten so weird between them, and instead of her

being curled around his hard body, and in his warm bed she was feeling awkward sitting behind him as

he raced down the road. The roar of the engine didn’t soothe her as it did earlier in the evening. They

reached Shifty’s quickly, and a part of her was relieved while another part was disappointed. It had

been several hours, and she could see her car sitting alone under the streetlamp. Candace and Melissa

had driven together, and Melissa’s car was vacant. Climbing off the bike she handed Charlie the

helmet, but before she could turn and escape he took hold of her hand and stopped her retreat.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to freak like that, it’s just…” He ran his hand over the back of his head.

The engine stilled roared, but it seemed to fade in the distance as she stared at him.

Sighing, Ary knew that she was acting ridiculous, but she had never encountered anything like

this. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” It wasn’t like he knew she was fertile in just a few days.

Shifters had a great sense of smell, but they couldn’t scent something like that days away. She was at

least thankful for that, because she’d really hate to see Charlie’s expression or how he’d act with that.

No, nothing bad would happen, and she needed to chill the hell out. “I just freaked.” Looking at the

gravel she kicked a few stones. “As hard as this may seem to believe I don’t go home with random

men.” Lifting just her eyes to look at him she was surprised by the gentle expression he wore. It

changed his whole demeanor.

“I know, Ary. I never thought you were easy.” The brush of his thumb back and forth over the

back of her hand soothed her. “I wanted you, and I knew you wanted me. It was as simple as that.”

A one-night stand.

She had gone in knowing this, of course, but hearing him all but say it still made her feel

slutty. “I just wanted you to know.” Pulling her hand away she offered him a smile.
God, this is so

damn strange. Is this how all one-nighters are when everything is said and done?

“Okay, well, thanks.” Ary cringed at her words and internally berated herself. She walked

away, not expecting him to call her back, but feeling even shittier that he didn’t. No more going home

with random men. If she had to go through this again she might be liable to shoot someone later. Once

in her car she forced herself to keep her eyes anywhere but where Charlie still sat. She could hear the

purr of his Harley, and like a string being pulled and forcing her gaze to his she looked at him. He sat

there in all of his hotness, one hand on his thigh and one leg braced on the ground. His blue eyes

regarded her curiously, and maybe if she wasn’t surrounded by metal and glass she could have scented

the air to gauge his emotions. Lifting her hand in a pathetic wave she started her car and left, yet he

still sat there, and she watched him disappear through her rearview mirror.

She reached for her cell in her purse and slid her finger over the screen to unlock it. She needed

to talk to Melissa about everything. Although she knew Candace would have been the comforting

friend she needed right now, Melissa’s quick wit and matter-of-fact attitude would slap some sense

into her. She also didn’t want to freak Candace out with the gritty details of her night, but knew she

had to talk about them. No, Melissa was the right one to speak to at the moment, and when she felt

calmer and less frazzled she’d talk to Candace and get her thoughtful advice. The phone rang four

times, and just when Ary would have hung up Melissa answered. At the sound of her friend’s heavy

breathing and intimate giggles she instantly regretted making the call. How could she talk about

having sex with Charlie Wylde when Melissa was no doubt sleeping with his brother right now?

“Hello? I know you’re there, Ary. I can hear your obscene breathing.”
Her
obscene breathing?

Did Melissa not hear the way she panted? “Come on, girl, I’m right I the middle of doing some crazy

contortionist positions over here.”

Oh. God.
Yeah, this was a really bad idea.

****

Charlie watched Ary drive away. He curled his hands into tight fists. He had meant to have her

stay with him, wanted to ask her to, even after the whole broken condom fiasco, but he had seen the

freaked-out look in her eyes and had kept his mouth shut. She was already on edge, and he knew he

was to blame for that. When he went into the bathroom and realized the latex had broken he had

instantly worried. It had never happened before, but then again he had never fucked a female like he

had Ary. He had no doubt been rough, but then again she hadn’t complained, but had asked for more.

Even now his damn cock was sore from pounding her so hard. That had his mouth forming in a smile,

because fuck he wanted to do it again. Charlie wanted to do nothing for an entire day but be buried

deep inside of her tight, wet heat. He wanted them so exhausted that the following day they couldn’t

walk, and could only stay entwined with each other. It had only taken a few hours of feeling her

clenching around his shaft for Charlie to be an addicted fiend when it came to her. He would let her

run, but she wouldn’t get very far, because for the first time in Charlie’s life he wanted a female for

more than one night.

“I still can’t believe you let loose and fucked Charlie Wylde.” Leave it to Melissa and her foul

way of stating things. Oh no, Ary’s friend couldn’t put it more eloquently, but then again that was one

of the reasons she loved her so much.

“Ugh, Melissa, can you keep your voice down if you’re going to talk like that?” Candace said

in a hushed voice and glanced around the small café they were currently in. A few days had passed

since Ary had been with Charlie. She hadn’t spoken or seen him, although that wasn’t much of a

surprise since she didn’t have his number, and hadn’t gone back to the bar.

“Candace, stop being a damn prude.”

Candace narrowed her eyes and leaned back in the chair.

“Ary, you have to tell me all the raunchy details.” Melissa took a large drink of her iced tea

and seemed to be waiting expectantly.

When she had called Melissa right after she drove away from Charlie she had quickly hung up.

No way was she planning on explaining everything while Melissa was naked and in bed with one some

male. It turned out she hadn’t gone home with one of the Wylde brothers, but instead with a lion

shifter. It had taken a few days before the three of them could get together, but now Ary was debating

whether this had been a good idea. But it was too late for any of those doubts because Melissa already

could tell she’d fucked Charlie, even if Ary hadn’t confirmed anything, and no way in hell would her

friend let it go. Candace on the other hand was more interested in her phone all of the sudden, and the

smile on her face led Ary to believe it might have something to do with her coyote shifter.

“Why don’t we talk about Candace and that coyote she was flirting with at the bar?” Melissa

turned and looked at Candace. Ary mouthed “I’m sorry” to Candace when her friend pinched her lips

together and tossed her phone back in her bag.

“You bitch.” Candace’s words held no heat. She sighed and glanced at Melissa. “First of all,

Ary
, you called us here to talk about
your
drama. No way in hell are you turning this around on me.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Candace is right.” They both glanced at Melissa. “But we will be getting back to you,

Candace. I’ve been dying to ask you about the waiter with the tight ass anyway.” Candace groaned, but

didn’t otherwise respond. Both of her friends turned and glared at February. “Well, spill it, girl.”

Ary rubbed her eyes, finding this so much harder than it actually was. It shouldn’t have been a

big deal, not when the three of them had talked about sex many times before, but now, telling them

about Charlie, was a hell of a lot more difficult for some reason.

“Okay.” Ary inhaled deeply and looked between them. “So, yeah, I slept with Charlie Wylde.”

Melissa grinned in a way that made her think her friend was silently saying “I told you so.” Ary

immediately lowered her voice and glanced around. Fortunately, no one paid them any attention.

“I knew it, you whore.” Melissa’s grinned from ear-to-ear. “You go first.”

“I go first what?”

Melissa gave her a bored look. “Pulease! You tell me the dirty details, and then I’ll spill it on

Nick and the wild freaking sex we had.” Melissa took another drink and said, “I’ll even tell you the

freaky shit he wanted to do.”

Ary didn’t bother responding on the whole Nick the lion shifter thing, or question her friend on

why she hadn’t gone home with Bram, because she had only been on the phone with Melissa for one

minute, and it had been sixty seconds too long. It seemed like Nick enjoyed talking dirty, or at least

that was what she had picked up on when she heard him in the background while talking to Melissa.

“So, yeah, I was with Charlie, and it was incredible, but then…” Melissa and Candace’s eyes

grew wide and they both leaned in closer. “It broke.” Candace’s brows dipped low, and she glanced at

Melissa.

It didn’t take Melissa any time at all to understand what she was talking about. “Oh. My. God.

Ary, what happened? Was he angry? Did he turn in to the biggest jackass? You know how those bear

shifters can be, all growly and territorial, like it is the female’s fault everything in the world goes

wrong.” Melissa waved down the waiter and ordered an oversized margarita. “I’m going to need some

alcohol to get through this conversation.”

“Well, yeah, he freaked out, just like I did, although I think I took it to a whole other level.”

The waiter came back with a big ass margarita and set it in front of Melissa. “I walked out, but then

realized he drove us to his place. So after I looked like an idiot he took me back to my car.”

“So, was he an ass?” Melissa sucked down her drink and watched her. “I bet he was. Lord

knows Nick was a hot piece of ass, but way too alpha and pushy for me, and that was just in bed. I hate

to see how he acts with a female he’s in a relationship with.” That had Ary lifting her brows in

surprise. “Yeah, I mean I like my men all controlling and whatnot, but some of the stuff he wanted to

try at the end just wasn’t for me.” Melissa waved her hand in front of her. “More on that later, though.

Anyway, finish up, girl.”

Ary spilled the rest of it. The more she talked the better she felt. She told them in detail how

she freaked out so much because her fertile time was nearing. That little tidbit had their eyes widening

even further, because any shifter female knew the full severity of the situation. Over the past few days

Ary had thought long and hard about what would happen if she did end up pregnant. The chances were

slim, of course, but it was still possible. When a shifter female went into heat there was a one-hundred

percent probability that conception would occur. Most single males stayed away, for obvious reasons.

“Holy crap, Ary. That is serious.” Leave it to Candace to state the obvious. “What did he say

when you told him? You have to know that unprotected sex even days before a shifter’s fertile cycle is

dangerous.” Candace’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Oh my God.” Candace looked between them.

“You could be pregnant with his cub.”

“God, Candace of course
she
knows that. You’re cute, but sometimes I don’t know about you.”

Melissa turned her full attention back on Ary. “What did he say, and when are you going to see him

again?”

Ary wasn’t going to admit that she had been thinking about him nonstop. She had one night

with him, that was all, and chances were nothing unexpected would result from that mind-blowing