Bear Shifters: Hunt Collection #1 (9 page)

The GPS got him to Abigail’s house pretty easily.  Mark was in shock.  He thought the directions would take him through the long way, but there he was in front of Abigail’s home.  He stood there and looked at the small cottage, complete with a white fence surrounding the home.

Small town living was a different world to Mark.  He was used to skyscrapers and office buildings.  There weren’t many houses where he lived, with everyone choosing apartments.  Having grown up in New York City all his life, the only time he was ever in a house was when visiting his relatives upstate.  Never before had he imagined what life would be like living in a house instead of an apartment, but seeing Abigail’s home had him rethinking the decisions he made in life.

Walking up to the door, he felt bad that he hadn’t stopped off at the florist he drove by and picked up a bouquet of roses.  He didn’t like the empty-handed feeling.  At the same time, he didn’t want to come on too strong, especially for a first date.  He didn’t know what country girls liked.  The last thing he wanted to do was offend Abigail.

Here goes nothing
, he thought.  At least he would know after tonight what to expect on the dates they had for the rest of the week.  He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.  It felt like an eternity as he stood there, waiting for her to answer.

Mark couldn’t believe the sight in front of his eyes as the door opened.  This surely wasn’t the girl he met at the diner.  That girl had her hair thrown into a ponytail and no makeup on.  But this woman that stood before him, she was even more stunning.  Abigail was wearing a dress that clung to her body, showing every outline and curve.  Her hair was done with big curls, cascading on her shoulders and her makeup was flawless.  He couldn’t describe how her face looked when she was all made up. 

Abigail opened the door and invited Mark inside.  He was in awe with her beauty that he stumbled walking into the living room, causing Abigail to laugh.  “Sorry, I should’ve warned you about that little rise in the floor.”  She invited him to sit on the couch while she went to get her coat and purse.  As she walked to the closet, she noticed that Mark hadn’t moved his eyes from her view. 
I knew I overdid it with my look for tonight.  Why did I bother listening to my friends on how I should dress for a date?  I bet Mark hates it
.  She turned to face him, hoping he’d say something.

Mark tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth.  Just looking at Abigail made him lose all his senses.  “Ab...Ab…” They were only sounds he could speak, but it was enough to get her to turn around.

“I knew it.  It’s too much isn’t it? I knew I shouldn’t have listened to my friends from work.  This isn’t even my dress.  I borrowed it from one of them.  They said it was perfect for a first date.  But now I see, it's too much.  This isn’t me.  If you don’t mind waiting, I can go and change quickly.”

“Change?  Why would you do that?”  Mark was happy he could finally speak. 

“It’s obvious from your reaction that you don’t like it.  I bet you think I’m one of those girls who throws themselves at guys.  But I swear I’m not.  Let me go get out of this outfit and wash all this makeup off…”

“Abigail, the reason why I couldn’t speak was because of how beautiful you looked.  I was wondering how a guy like me could end up with someone as amazing as you for the evening.  Not that you weren’t beautiful when we met, but just that seeing you all made up like this, surprised me.  I assure you it did not disgust me.”

“Really?  When you weren’t saying anything to me, I thought it was because this was too much.  I meant it when I said I’d go change.”

“You really don’t have to.  It was just that I was only used to seeing you in the waitress uniform and your hair pulled back.  But now I get to see the real you.  Well, at least the non-waitress you,” he smiled.

“To be honest, I used to dress like this back in the day.  Up until I began college.  I used to be a pageant queen in town, from ages five until eighteen and then I retired from the competition.”

“I knew it from the moment I saw you open the door.  I said to myself you must be a beauty queen.  It explains why so many people here know you.”

“That was a major adjustment for me growing up here all my life.  Now you know why I want to get out of here at some point.  It would be nice to be some place where people don’t come up to me and bring up my past.  When I gave up my beauty pageants, I thought they’d forget who I was.  I was wrong.  But I shouldn’t be boring you with this nonsense.  Did you have anything planned for tonight?”

“I did find a place not far from here for dinner.  But if you have another idea, I’d be open to do that instead.  Since the conferences began today, I didn’t get to see much of the town besides your diner and the hotel and then the arena for the meetings.”

“I won’t allow that to happen.  I will show you around the town.  Then after, we can get dinner.  That is if it’s alright with you,” Abigail smiled.  “I know all the places around here.”

“Your idea is much better than mine.”  Mark got off the couch and wrapped his arm around Abigail’s waist as they got to the door.  “I rented a car for us to go places.”

Abigail had Mark driving all around the town.  Showing him her high school, the college she graduated from, where she hung out with friends as they grew up.  He couldn’t help but to notice how happy she was reminiscing as she told him stories of her childhood.  The final stop on Abigail’s tour was the home she grew up in.  Not much different than where she lived now and Mark could’ve sworn he saw tears in her eyes as they drove away.  From there, Abigail gave him directions to one of the best restaurants in town.  A perfect way to end their first date.

*****

It was that evening he knew he was in trouble. He didn't even need to listen to his bear to know it for himself.  Mark never fell in love this quickly before.  Now that he thought about it, he didn’t think he had ever been in love with any of his girlfriends.  Sure he had told them that he did, but that was because they would say those three words first.  “I love you.”  It was hard for Mark to know if the girls really did love him or just loved his money.  After they professed their love for each other, the girls would dump him not long after the expensive gifts started to fade. 

His business was a roller coaster. Some months he was flushed with cash and his girlfriends were always happy with him. Then it was always those frugal months that things changed. He wanted to find someone that loved him for who he was, someone he could share everything with, and someone that his bear would know as his life mate.

Abigail’s experience wasn’t much different with guys.  They only dated her because she was a beauty queen.  Not one cared about her personally.  When they found out she wasn’t fast and easy like the other girls in town, she was dumped.  But with Mark, there was something different.  She came clean to him about being a local celebrity and yet, he treated her the same way as when they first met.  He liked her for her, it seemed.

As Mark promised, each day he took her out on a date somewhere different than the night before. Each night, the two got closer and closer; from a peck on the cheek on the first date to deep and soulful kisses on night three that made his inner bear roar with passion. By the fourth night, Abigail decided to let Mark plan the whole date.  The past three nights he had her decide, claiming he was still trying to figure out the whole town.  But now, he was more than familiar with all the places after the tours she’d given.  She sat on her porch steps, waiting for him to pick her up.  After the first date and realizing that Mark liked her even when she was dressed in her work uniform, she didn’t see a point in getting all dressed up for the date.  She would dress comfortably, as she normally did when she went out.

Neither of them wanted the week to end.  They were having an amazing time being together.  It was hard to believe that in three days, Mark would have to go back to New York City and Abigail would have to go back to the way life was without him around.  There'd be one of the biggest decisions she ever made in her life, if she’d want to continue with a long distance relationship or say goodbye to Mark on his last day in town.

Mark took Abigail to the restaurant that was inside the hotel he was staying.  If everything went smoothly, he hoped she’d go with him and spend the night after dinner.  He wanted to hold her in his arms. Plus, the late night kissing was just teasing his bear.

“They put you up in a nice hotel,” Abigail looked around.  “I’ve never stepped foot in here.”

“It is nicer than I expected, I’ll be honest.  But then again they put all the business people here.  Guess it’s a popular hotel for when there’s conventions.”

Abigail reached across the table and held Mark’s hands.  “Mark, I don’t want you to think I’m being too forward or anything but I think I’ve fallen in love with you. I know it's sudden and it has only been a few days. Honestly, I can' believe it myself,”  She couldn’t believe she just said those words.  But the four days she spent with Mark, she never felt that way with any man she’d been with before.  It was different with Mark and she knew it must’ve been love.

“You.. you love me?”  He couldn't tell if the emotion he was feeling was shock, relief, or happiness. The truth was probably a mix of them.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.  Look, don’t feel like you have to say it back to me.  I just wanted to get it out there.”

“Abigail, no you don’t understand.”  Mark noticed Abigail was about to cry.  “I’ve been falling more and more in love with you each day we’re together.  I didn’t want to say anything because I was afraid I would scare you away.”

“You love me?  You’re not just saying that?”

“I mean every word of what I said Abigail.  It’s refreshing meeting someone like you.  You went on a date with me without really knowing me.  And even after I told you everything about my life, you still wanted to date me.  And now you love me.  I know for the first time the girl saying those words really means it.”

Mark leaned over across the table and gave Abigail a quick kiss before the waiter delivered their food.  The first time ever in his life, Mark was experiencing true love.  Abigail didn’t care he was well off or if he was a pauper.  Who she loved was Mark Conklin, the man she met at the diner.  The one who treated her like a real person, not used her celebrity status in town.  Now he knew what his friends talked about when they said they were in love.  His only wish now was that in three days, Abigail would want to continue their relationship and for them to make it work long-distance.

****

Mark and Abigail casually walked to Mark's hotel room after dinner, both knowing what it meant. Neither knew if it would be something they'd regret later, but they tried not to think about it. Inside, Mark locked the room and tossed his jacket on the chair. He went over to her and sat beside her, looking deep into her eyes.

"You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to. I'm completely okay with us not taking it to the next level if it is something that makes you nervous or if it is too fast for you."

She leaned over and kissed him deeply, wrapping her hands around his neck and drawing him nearer to her.

"Mark Conklin, I assure you there is nothing on this earth I want more at the moment than this," she breathed into the warm skin of his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms against her chest. He took his time kissing each side of her neck and just behind her ear. She closed her eyes and let him give her soft and pleasant strokes of his tongue.

He spread her dress out and down her arms, noticing the nice bra she wore. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “Take it off. Hold me in your hands again.”

He unsnapped her bra with one hand as she looked at him with surprise. She dropped the bra off her shoulders and tossed it on a chair. He kissed each of her soft, rounded breasts then pushed her dress down her legs.

He started to pull her panties down and she stopped him. “No. You have to get undressed before I’m naked. It’s only fair.”

Mark got out of his clothes in seconds. She watched him take his underwear off, kicking them to another corner of the room. His erection was impressive; big, thick and long. She dropped to her knees in front of him. She looked up into his eyes before she kissed his cock and rubbed her cheek along the shaft.