Bear Cop: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (4 page)

By the time they slowly climbed out of a small ravine that had suddenly barred their path, the sun was sinking towards the horizon, the shadows lengthening, although at least the rain had stopped again. Before them had now appeared the roof that had alerted them with its distinctive red, and when they wearily stumbled upon a narrow path, it led them right up to what they could now see was a little hut—not one of the larger houses that got rented out to tourists, but a small building little more than a shack.

“Looks like a hunting lodge.” Chris gave the door an experimental pull. “Locked.”

“Wait,” Eve replied as she made her way over to where a pot stood near the corner of the house. A bedraggled looking small rose bush was planted in it, but when she lifted the pot slightly, there was the telltale gleam of metal beneath.

In triumph she waved the key at Chris when she returned. “There’s really not much of a chance for break-ins out here. It’s usually either a flower pot or the mat.”

Chris looked at her with warm approval, and again she felt that by now familiar tug in her belly—desire and want, strong as she had never felt it before, but all mixed up with the simple pleasure of his company.

Cut it out
, she told herself sternly.
You’ve only known him for a day.

But in that day, he had saved her life and endangered his own for her. Whatever this instant attraction was, it was a lot more than mere desire.

Although the desire was definitely there as well,
she thought with appreciation as she watched him pull off his wet shirt once they had made it inside.

He looked even better than she had imagined. Moisture ran down his back in trickles that made her want to reach out and trace them with her fingers, follow them down to where they vanished when they reached his pants. He’d thrown open the shutters of a window to let in some light and fresh air, and what little sunlight remained glistened on his torso.

He looked like the sort of statue she'd expect to find in a museum: all smoothly muscled chest, arms and thighs strong enough to carry her to safety, and the sort of handsome, square jaw that Eve was sure would cause quite a stir among the women of Linden Creek. Then he turned towards her. His eyes were dark with need once more as he looked at her.

When was the last time anyone had looked at her like this?

The bulge in his pants was impressive. She had to swallow as she imagined what it would feel like to run her hands over it, to feel the firm hardness of him in her hand. She didn’t want to wait anymore. She didn't want to always be afraid of the past. She’d waited for so long, after Jeremy, and she was sick of it. She was sick of always feeling like she wasn’t good enough, like she didn’t deserve happiness, like anything she built would come crashing down around her soon enough.

She wanted Chris. She knew that Chris wanted her too, and she ached with the need to feel the heat of his skin against hers.

Touching him was like an electric shock. She rested her hand on his chest; his skin was hot and damp, and beneath, his heart was racing.

“Eve,” he said, his voice very dark.

It truly was a growl, but she didn’t feel afraid. She was light-headed from how much she wanted him. The scent of him was overwhelming: the clean virility of rain, soil and wind, paired with something that said warmth and comfort and safety. And
desire
.

There was a bed in a corner. It was narrow; they’d have to sleep in each other’s arms, and the thought sent new longing through her as they stumbled towards it. Chris’ mouth was at her throat, his hands beneath her shirt, stroking up her sides with a tenderness that belied the hunger of his lips.

When Eve raised her arms so that he could pull the shirt off, he groaned, staring at her with eyes full of need. Before the usual apprehension could return at being so uncovered, his mouth was on her breasts. His hands cupped her warmly through the fabric of her bra. His lips were hot and soft against her skin. Then his thumb flicked against a hard nipple and she gasped, a new wave of heat surging up from between her legs. She could feel how wet she was already as she squirmed beneath his hands, suddenly impatient.

Her nipples ached for more of his worshipful caresses. No one had ever made her felt so completely undone with just a few touches! She moaned as he unhooked her bra. Then her breasts spilled free and he surged forward to take a nipple into his mouth, sucking and flicking his tongue against it as she arched her back. His tongue was so hot, and it felt so good it was nearly an ache.

Need throbbed between her legs now. She had to bite back a whimper as he dropped a hand to her jeans, opening the button and the zipper while his tongue continued to tease her nipple until she thought she’d come from that alone. Was that even possible? God, he seemed intent on making it possible.

“No, no, come on!” she gasped finally as she pulled free for a moment. “Clothes off, all of them!”

He stared at her with hunger in his eyes while he pulled off her jeans. She wanted to squirm again, she wanted him that badly.

“You’re so beautiful, Eve. Look at you,” he said hoarsely.

She looked up at him, nearly unable to breathe from the vision of him above her.

“It’s like you’re glowing in the light,” he continued with reverence. “You’re all sunlight and gold and vanilla. Has anyone ever told you that? Your hair’s like honey. I just want to eat you up.”

Outside, the sun was setting now, and the last rays of sunlight gleamed on Chris’ tousled brown hair. His chest was heaving as he looked down at her with unabashed hunger, and she ran a hand up his thigh until she could feel the hard length pressing against his pants.

“Inside me. Now,” she said and gave him a little squeeze before she leaned back to recline on the bed.

Her thighs spread a little, and she could see his breathing speed up when he caught a glimpse of her damp panties. For once, she’d worn the white and purple lacy ones instead of the sensible cotton. Now she was glad, because he groaned and then moved forward, his hands gently stroking up her thighs until they spread more, kissing her right there through the fabric until her hips arched up, begging for more.

He pulled off her panties. Then his hands were back, spreading her until she was exposed to his gaze—and then there was another kiss. This time, there was no fabric in the way. She moaned when his tongue flicked against her clit. It felt incredible. Jeremy had never liked to do that for her.

Chris’ tongue teased at her folds, lapping at her with little licks and long strokes until she was writhing beneath him, her entire body throbbing. Everything seemed to come apart in long waves of pleasures that grew and grew until his mouth fastened around her clit and he
sucked
, and she cried out as pleasure exploded through her in the most intense orgasm of her life.

***

Chris looked down at where Eve was spread out beneath him, out of breath and flushed with pleasure. The dying light of the day lingered on her gorgeous curves and made her glow in all the tones of the old masters, warm gold and soft pink and red, as though he were looking at a painting in a gallery depicting a goddess of love.

My love
, he thought,
my mate
, still barely able to believe that he had found her.

“Mmmm.” The sound she made was very nearly a purr as she stretched.

He was suddenly reminded of the ache of his own erection as it continued to throb against the tight confines of his slacks.

Only one way to change that…

His pants joined the pile of their discarded clothes on the floor. The air was a little chilly on his damp skin, but her skin was hot enough against his own to warm him.

“D’you think whoever owns this place left behind condoms?” he asked a little sheepishly as he opened the drawer of the nightstand.

Candles. A lighter. A battered copy of some murder mystery. Damn.

“IUD,” she said and laughed at his relieved expression. “Because I could never remember if I’d taken a pill in the morning—not because I thought that one day I’d wind up stranded in the wilderness with the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”

“Hottest guy you’ve ever seen? Really?” he couldn’t help but ask, even as he was smiling at her infectious laughter. “And a woman who’s prepared for survival in the wilderness. I like that.”

She wrapped her arms around him with a grin and tugged him back down for a kiss. “Less talking now.”

“You’re the one who’s talking,” he teased, loving the way her eyes shone when she laughed up at him.

God, her scent was the most delicious thing he’d ever smelled. All the sweetness of her bakery and that tantalizing aroma of honey. Was it really just the cupcakes, or was this what it felt like to breathe in the scent of your mate?

“But I know how to make you stop talking for a while,” he added with a little growl. She was so hot and slick against him as he leaned forward. He positioned himself, and then—

They both moaned simultaneously as he slid inside. She arched against him, her thighs around his waist as her inner walls contracted around him, and still he slid even deeper, filling her slowly and completely. It was incredible. She felt so good, so overwhelming—he slid into her again and again as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him as close as possible. He could feel her breath against his throat, hot air ghosting across his skin, the little moans that escaped her every time he pushed deep inside her again.

When he drew back, he could see that her eyes were half-closed, hazy with pleasure. He knew that he could quickly become addicted to this. No—
was
already addicted to this. It seemed impossible to live without this vision of her completely abandoned to her pleasure. Strands of honey-gold hair were sticking to her cheeks, her lips were swollen and red from their kiss, her thighs soft and warm against his sides as he buried himself inside her again and again.

I'll have to tell her,
he thought in desperation.
I'll
have to tell her about the bear.

She would understand. He didn’t want to have secrets from her. He’d kept it secret for so long, but now he suddenly longed to share this with her. To share everything with her.

My mate.
He couldn’t say it yet, but one day soon he would.

“You’re so beautiful,” he gasped again and leaned down to take one of her nipples into his mouth.

A little whimper escaped her at the touch of his tongue. He sucked gently while she tightened around him, again and again, as though she was trying to force his pleasure from him.

When it happened, she came with him, crying out in surprise as her body pulsed hot and tight around him. He groaned her name into her hair, yearning to speak the word
mate
, because that was who she was. His perfect mate. Beautiful and sweet like honey, her curves tantalizing and sexy even as they came to rest against each other at last in exhausted silence.

“Wow,” she said after a moment had passed, and he nuzzled at her shoulder, breathing in her scent and trying to caution his bear to patience.

Our mate
, his bear growled proudly, and Chris agreed again.

It had taken a long time to find her.

But
, he thought as he looked at her face, aglow with bliss as she rested in his arms,
it has been worth all the years of loneliness.

He’d never really had a family of his own; his father had left soon after his youngest brother was born, unhappy with an arranged marriage to a shifter who wasn’t his mate. His mother had died when Chris had still been young. He was grateful to the aunt and uncle who had brought him up, but it had never been anything but obligation.

Chris hadn’t even talked to his two brothers in years. He wondered all of a sudden what they would think of Eve.

No. That didn’t matter. Having a family had always seemed an unattainable dream, even as he watched others settle down and find the sort of happiness he had only been able to dream of as a child. He had sometimes wondered whether he was incapable of it. He’d feared that the reason he couldn’t find his mate was simply that he didn’t know how to love someone like that. But now he was surrounded by love.

He loved everything about her: her gentle hands, her eyes filled with passion when she talked about her bakery, the way she had touched with both boldness and hesitation, as though she wanted him more than anything but was afraid of being rebuffed.

I'll tell her soon,
he thought, wrapping one arm around her side to pull her even closer.

She needed to know that she was everything he had ever dreamed of, and more. She had been so brave when the accident happened, he was sure the bear wouldn’t scare her, not if he explained it right. And then… and then, perhaps, this lonely bear would at last find his home and his happily ever after.

***

When Eve woke in the morning, the sun had only barely begun to rise. She stretched with a yawn, unable to keep from smiling. The sex had been so incredible it had left her thoroughly drained. Also, Chris was wonderfully warm, and although it had become chilly in the small cabin overnight, she had never felt as comfortable as she did right now, with his arms around her and his mouth against her neck.