Bear To The Bone (Bear Claw Security 1) (11 page)

“Then you’ll just have to hold on,” she said around him, which was hard because he filled her mouth. She couldn’t go very deep, he was simply too long, too thick, and she was too inexperienced. But as she drew him into her mouth, licking and kissing and letting him go only to take him again, she loved the way she was making him lose control.

She could hear his hands gripping the headboard, see his muscles tighten all over his body, his tight thighs, his taut stomach, those incredible pecs.

There was animal heat in his eyes as he watched her, as she looked at him sultrily and took him in for a long suck. She didn’t know how many licks it took to get to the center of a lollipop, but she was about to find out how many licks it took to get to the center of Cage.

With a growl, he let go of the headboard and pulled back from her, and she released him with a little pop of her lips, looking confused. The next thing she knew, she was on her back, wet and ready, and he was over her, grabbing the condom from the desk and tearing it open with his teeth as he held her in front of him.

She let out a little grin, loving his dominance. She could have been happy just having him go in her mouth and waiting for another time to do this, but she was glad he’d had the foresight to put it off so they could come together. She didn’t think she could forgive herself if she missed a chance to be with him in that way.

She couldn’t seem to stop grinning at what she’d done, and he shook his head in amusement, his face still strained from how close she’d gotten him.

“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you? Testing my control,” he asked, sliding the condom over himself.

She grinned and nodded and then felt his tip against her entrance, hot and insistent.

“But here’s the secret, Carrie,” he said against her ear as his body hovered over hers and his tip teased her, just barely pressing into her. “Nothing gets me as hot as thinking of being inside you.”

She felt blood flood her face, just enhancing the all-encompassing arousal, and she squirmed against him as he started to push in.

He was huge. She felt the blood drain from her face in shock as he began to come in, inch by powerful inch. She strained slightly, breathing hard as she tried to relax. She’d felt ready after his fingers and knew she was wet and hot for him, but still. He was
huge
.

“This is why I was trying to be careful,” he said.

But she could sense something just on the other side of this pushing feeling, and her heart beat hard at the thought of it. “It’s fine. Keep going.” She gasped.

He did, one more agonizing inch, and she felt an overwhelming tightness that would only be relieved when he was all the way in, his head deep inside her.

So steeling herself with a breath, she wrapped her legs around him and tightened, pulling him fully into her until they came together, totally joined hip to hip.

Like one person.

Her eyes widened at the feel of it. How emotional it was, how special to be so close to him. He looked at her, too, seeming almost as panicked as she was that this could feel so intense.

And then she became aware of the physical sensation of it. Him inside her, the pulses of her body as she tried to accommodate him, the feel of him up against every sensitive nerve inside her. She could already sense something building and he wasn’t even moving.

She dug her nails into his back. “Go.”

So he did, slowly, agonizingly, moving out in a way that left her empty and then pushing in again to make her full. But this time, there was no pain, only pleasure so intense she could burst as each inch of him stroked her.

“Oh, Cage,” she said. “That’s so good.”

“I’ve only started,” he said.

She wrapped her hands in his hair. “Don’t stop.”

“I couldn’t if I tried,” he grated out, continuing to thrust.

His dark hair fell over his forehead, and she could see the extreme control it took to keep this going for her. She loved him. She trusted him. After this, she didn’t see how she could ever look back or hesitate again.

They were one now.

Maybe she was just being a romantic female, but there was more than sex to this. There was something cosmic about it.

She’d loved him so long, and even despite the time apart, loving him again was like getting back on a bike. Too easy.

He continued to stroke, and she felt passion building inside her, felt all her body tensing, looking forward to something amazing, something better than anything yet.

“Carrie,” he said. “I’m close… I…”

“Me, too,” she said, leaning up to whisper in his ear. “Let’s go together.”

He nodded and continued thrusting, and she felt her body go up and over the edge. She screamed and clenched around him, her orgasm so different, so intense with him inside her. He groaned and went with her, and the feel of him tensing inside her kicked off another set of waves, making her scream again at the feel of him.

“Cage, oh, Cage,” she said, gripping on tight, burying her face against him. He looked down at her, his face tight with passion.

“Carrie, I love you. I’ll love you forever.”

“I know,” she said. “I know.”

And then he fell against her, his weight pleasant and warm as they held each other, riding out the last of their aftershocks.

It had been everything she wanted and more. She could never let this man out of her life.

T
hey slept
in each other’s arms that night, warm and close, and in the morning, they showered together, ate breakfast, and then lazed around watching TV and catching up on their lives apart.

Cage told Carrie about the friends he’d made in the military, and she told him about her schooling, how she’d bought the bar, what her plans were for it. Some updates on people they’d known in town, like other kids Cage had known who’d lived at Willow’s when Carrie was there.

Cage checked his watch and knew he had to go back to the compound soon and check in. And he needed to take another shot at getting in Pete’s computer without getting caught. Limes had sent him some software that he’d burned onto a USB stick, and he just needed to get it in long enough for Limes to get remote control.

And then he just needed to wait for all hell to break loose after Bronson met with the head of the national level Aces to discuss consequences and make sure the Aces would be shut down completely and unable to come back.

He didn’t think such a big club would like that the Winter Falls chapter was giving them a bad name.

And then what?

Then he’d run off with Carrie? Then he’d go back to his business?

What about Willow and the kids? What about Winter Falls? He’d made a life for him and Carrie in New York, but what if she didn’t want to go there?

If he stayed here, what could he do for her? Not a lot of work doing security or protection jobs. Of course, he had the money, but he just couldn’t imagine both of them not escaping this place.

He guessed they’d have to talk about it when all this shit with the Aces was done.

He wouldn’t let Willow pay him of course. She’d given him an excuse to come back and connect with Carrie, and for that he owed
her
. Maybe that had even been her plan all along.

“When we can, I’d still like to go see Willow,” he said, looking over at her as she finished a bowl of cereal and cutely slurped the milk.

She set the bowl down and went quiet.

“I won’t go in my leather,” he said. Not that it would matter. Willow knew what he really did for a living. Willow knew a lot about him.

Because Willow was a bear.

But he’d never tell Carrie that. As a female bear shifter, Willow would have had little chance of finding a mate or having children of her own, especially in a little town like Winter Falls. So it made sense she’d decided instead to take in other people’s kids. Kids who needed her.

Though not everyone would have made such a selfless decision.

He’d known what Willow was from the moment he’d met her, and he liked the idea that a bear shifter like him protected Carrie.

She didn’t know how she felt about him being a bear, but he did know she’d taken him aside once and given him advice about it. Without openly stating what she knew or talking about bear shifters, she’d given him some encouragement and help he’d needed.

So he badly wanted to see her. They’d been writing, but he wanted to scoop her up and give her a hug and ask her about Carrie and thank her for bringing him out.

But Carrie didn’t look keen on it. “It’s not Willow,” she said. “It’s the kids. Even if you aren’t wearing your Aces gear, some of them might know you’re in the club. Just because some of them, most of them, have family there. And I don’t want to trigger any of them.”

He nodded slowly. That was the last thing he wanted. “So what are you doing today?”

She pressed her lips together. She was wearing a purple robe over a blue sleep shirt, and her chubby, soft legs were bared underneath, making him want to run his hands over them. “I was actually planning to go see them. See if Willow needs any help or could use a break.”

He knew that was probably for the best. She would be safe there, and he needed to head back to the compound anyway. After the fight with Steve, there would be things to sort out. And if he stayed away too long, they’d start to question his allegiance, and he couldn’t have that yet.

For the same reason, he couldn’t let anyone else in on his secret. Because Carrie wouldn’t be safe.

He lifted her chin and pressed a kiss to each cheek and then her lips, holding it for a long moment before finally letting go. “I hate leaving,” he said.

“I know.” She agreed with a sigh. “I want to just stay in bed with you all day.”

He grinned. “I could go for that.”

“Too bad we’re adults, right?”

He nodded, pulling on his jacket and stretching. He started toward the door. “Will I see you tonight?”

She bit her lip. “I was actually thinking of locking up the bar,” she said. “Closing for the day. Just, after the fight, I think I need a short break.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She nodded, folding her arms. “It’ll be good for me to spend a day with Willow and the kids. They keep me calm.”

“What about me?” he asked, stepping forward, feeling slightly jealous they would see her and he wouldn’t, at least for a while.

“You keep me excited,” she said. “You make me jumpy, in a good way.”

“Good,” he said, chucking her lightly under the chin. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“But you also keep me safe,” she said as he turned to go. “So thank you for that.”

He tipped an imaginary cap. “No problem, ma’am.”

She laughed, holding her stomach. “Goof.”

“Yup,” he said, putting his hand on the front door handle. “So when will you be back from Willow’s, then?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I usually stay the night about once week. We stay up and watch movies.” Her blue eyes looked genuinely regretful. “I wish you could come. It’s only a day, though.”

He understood. “Yeah. So tomorrow, then?”

She nodded. “Of course. You be careful at the compound.”

“I will,” he said. “You be careful at Willow’s.”

They exchanged another hug and a kiss, and as he walked out the front door, he realized he meant it. For some reason, he felt like she needed to be extra careful staying with Willow tonight.

Looked like he’d need to be outside the compound tonight after all. His bear wanted to watch after his mate.

C
arrie felt totally
different as she walked the long walk over to Willow’s place. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the forest smelled fresh and piney.

And her body felt aware in a whole new way. She was deliciously sore from where he’d been inside her, and she could still think of how it felt without much effort at all.

She didn’t bring anything with her today. She just planned to spend time with the kids, help Willow cook, and be with the people she considered family.

She knew it meant a lot to the kids to have adults around who cared. She badly wished she could bring Cage. She knew the little boys would just idolize him, especially Tim and Thane, the twins, who tended to think they were action heroes anyway.

They would think the fact that he served in the military was so cool.

She blushed as she realized she was already inserting Cage into her family. What else had she expected once he came back? Winter Falls was a part of her, the only place she felt at home. Was he really planning to settle here? He made it sound like he was only temporarily with the Aces. But then, did he think the Aces would just let him live in Winter Falls as a non-member? Or they would give up on the bar?

She would think him naive, but she knew he understood the Aces far better than she did.

She hated to admit it, but it would be hard for him to leave. She wondered, not for the first time, if maybe she would have to just give up her bar. If maybe that would be considered enough to barter them staying away from her and Cage and Willow’s place.

But it would always feel tense here, as long as those men were here. They didn’t rule the town by any means. There were still normal businesses running, though she didn’t know how many were dirty. But for the most part, life went on.

Except for the kids or the women tossed aside by the men that had no compunction taking what they wanted and taking no responsibility after.

She gritted her teeth together and remembered Cage’s wounds as a boy.

When she got to Willow’s, she felt like climbing over the fence and walking out on the grass for a minute. Maybe the air just smelled really good. She took a look at the house, which was quiet, and then walked in the direction of the forest on the other side of the meadow. She’d always considered it kind of a mystical place. As a kid, she’d wondered if she’d ever find a fairy or something inside it.

One weird thing had kind of happened. She’d found a bear cub in a trap, and even though she thought she’d be really scared, she’d somehow felt totally at peace. Maybe just because she knew she had to help him, but she could have sworn he was looking at her with a human presence. Then again, humans always tended to ascribe human attributes to animals.

But this was different. He was really watching her. Even nodding, if she remembered right. Or had she been hallucinating?

One odd thing, and it might have just been a trick of the dark or her flashlight, but he had blue eyes. Dark blue, like Cage’s. A shiver ran up her spine as she tried to remember. But she was so young then.

And didn’t she meet Cage just after that?

Maybe it was some kind of sign, something letting her know what would happen.

She shoved her hands in her pockets and sighed in frustration. No, she didn’t believe in things like that. Things she couldn’t see.

Even though, for one night, she’d believed a feral bear wouldn’t hurt her.

She’d even released him from the trap, giving him full access if he’d wanted to get at her. But he’d simply followed behind her, as if watching out for her as she went home, and then disappeared back into the brush.

A part of her had always waited for the bear to appear again, because it felt like there had been something between them, but he never had.

She sighed and started back toward the house and noticed Willow walking out toward her. When she got close, she pulled Carrie into a hug.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “It’s been a rough couple of days.”

“How so?” Carrie asked.

Willow sighed. “The twins’ dad, Tom, is causing trouble. He’s come by a couple times asking for money. I can’t let the kids see, and I refuse to give him anything when he doesn’t even care for his own children. I just ran him off a few hours ago.”

Carrie’s eyes widened. “Ran him off? With what, your broom?”

Willow grinned, and the crinkles around her eyes deepened. “What else?”

Carrie laughed and put a hand around the thin woman’s waist as they walked back toward the house. “All right, I’m glad I’m here, too.” She gave Willow a squeeze. “I missed you.”

Willow stopped and Carrie stopped with her. “Wait,” she said. “I came out because I wanted to talk to you. The kids are watching a show. They’ll be fine.”

Carrie looked at her curiously. Willow looked extra tired today but seemed determined to talk about something. She wore a worn gray fleece over her work jeans and looked ready to walk, so Carrie gestured toward the forest.

“Want to walk along the tree line? Like we used to?”

“Sure,” Willow said, joining her arm through Carrie’s. After they’d walked a moment, Willow spoke again. “You know, Carrie, I’ve taken in a lot of children in my years. Some for only a short while, as foster kids, some as my own, until they were ready to go out into the world. But really, the only one I’ve ever considered truly mine is you.”

Carrie felt tears bite her eyes as she looked at Willow. “You don’t know how much that means. I’ve always thought of you as my mom.”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Willow said, continuing forward under the shade of the trees overhead, keeping them in range of the house. “I felt like a mom to many of the kids. But I felt I only had them a short time and, eventually, they would go back where they were meant to be. But I always felt you belonged with me.”

Carrie nodded, not sure where this was going. She focused on the soft, wet grass beneath her feet, still damp from morning dew. Willow’s beautiful lush lawn. The little house where she’d grown up for most of her formative years. “I like it here.”

“But then, when you bought that bar and decided to settle down, I started to worry for you.” Willow kept walking. “I realized, as much as I wanted to keep you around, there was a reason I kept encouraging kids to get out in the world. Winter Falls isn’t safe.” She cast her eyes in the direction of the compound. “Not while they’re here.” She sighed. “And then there’s the matter of Cage.”

Carrie bit her lip. “Right. Him.” She hoped her blush wasn’t showing, but Willow let out a loud laugh.

“So he’s gotten to you already, has he?” she asked with a grin. “Figures. That boy has been head over heels since he met you.”

“Weird, right?” Carrie said.

Willow stopped and faced her with a fierce expression. “Not weird at all. You’re a beautiful woman, Carrie. Strong, fierce, gentle. He’d be lucky to have you.”

“I’d be lucky to have him,” she said, realizing she meant it, even if he was an Ace at the moment.

Her throat tightened as she realized Willow still might not even know that.

“But if that man wants to marry you and take you away from this place, you go,” Willow said.

“No,” Carrie exclaimed. “I couldn’t. I want to stay and help you with the kids.”

Willow snorted. “I’ve lived my life the way I want to live it. I’ll take care of who I can, and when I’m dead, I won’t regret it. But you deserve to spread your wings, too, girl. I’ll always think of you like a daughter, but I want you to know if you get a chance to go live your life, you take it. Don’t stay here for me.”

“But—” Carrie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know of any life without Willow.

“Sometimes new things are scary, but they turn out fine in the end,” Willow said. “And you can still come visit.”

“But how will you stay safe?” Carrie asked. “Who will take care of you?”

“A lot of families owe me favors,” Willow said. “Not that I see it that way, but there are a lot that will help. It doesn’t always have to be you.”

“But the bar—”

“I know,” Willow said. “I should have been more clear that you didn’t need to do that. I just thought you were smart and wanted to use your degree. But we’ll be okay, Carrie. I have stuff saved aside.”

“You’re an angel,” Carrie said. “I stand by that. I’ll miss you.” Then she blinked and laughed. “I don’t even know what I’m saying. How can I miss you? Where would we even go?” She kicked at the grass. “Cage hasn’t talked about anything like that.”

“Well, that boy has been gone for ten years. Don’t you think there are probably things we don’t know?”

Carrie nodded.

“A man like that doesn’t go out into the world just to come back to where he’s from. When he comes back to get his woman, it’s to take her to a better place, one he’s made for her.”

Carrie blinked back tears and wasn’t sure why. But it sounded true. It just wasn’t what was happening currently. “That’s what I always thought, too. But Cage isn’t—”

She almost blurted it out there, almost told Willow that Cage was one of the Aces. But then she heard a child’s yell from inside the house, and Willow gave her a reluctant grin. “We’ve been caught. I’m not supposed to keep you to myself. Better go inside.”

Carrie grinned. “All right. But I love you, Willow. Thanks for the help.”

“I love you, too, rascal,” Willow said. “But you shouldn’t stay the night tonight. You should get back to your man.”

Carrie shrugged. “Let him wait. I waited ten years; he can wait a day. Plus, isn’t that supposed to make me more desirable? Hard to get?”

Willow barked out a laugh. “Honey, you couldn’t get more desirable to that boy if you tried.”

Then they went inside, still laughing and confusing the children, who’d completely missed out on the joke.

P
ete waylaid
Cage on his way into the compound, when the older man grabbed him by the arm. Cage pulled away with a glare and stared him down, waiting for whatever he had to say.

“Where were you last night?”

“I just gave her the jacket,” Cage said.

“Then bring her to the compound,” Pete said, folding his beefy arms. His red face looked redder under his red hair, and he seemed to be in a mood this morning.

“She isn’t ready. I’m not either.” Cage leaned against the wall and tried to look casual, though his blood was boiling. “I haven’t had the best treatment by the Aces. My ‘brothers’ keep trying to attack me, and I honestly don’t understand your obsession with a civilian bar.” He shrugged his large shoulders. “You have plenty of places to deal out of. You don’t need another one.”

Pete’s eyes went cold as he glanced around him to see if anyone was listening. “Come with me.”

Cage nodded, following with his hands in his jacket pockets. They walked down the hall to Pete’s office. He guessed despite Pete’s gruff demeanor, he trusted Cage more than most, due to being close to his dad, the last president.

Pete sat heavily in his chair and set his booted feet atop his desk. Cage waited in front of him, trying not to eye the computer.

“How much do you know about your mother leaving?” Pete asked.

Cage shrugged, looking nonchalant. “She couldn’t take it here. She hated it. She ran and didn’t look back.”

Pete shook his head. “We think that’s not true. Well, your dad and I did.”

Cage tried not to sneer. Of course they didn’t think she’d run off willingly. What woman would run after being taken in as an old lady of the Aces? “So what, you think something happened to her?”

“No, she definitely left. But she wasn’t some innocent. She took something with her when she went. That night, according to witnesses, she went only two places. That bar and a local gas station, where she caught a cab.”

“I see,” Cage said. He hadn’t known any of this, and he didn’t know how it applied to the Carrie situation.

“We think she hid it somewhere in the bar. The guy who owned it originally was a gun-toting anti-MC nut who wouldn’t let us near it without threatening to call the police. The guy after that didn’t care as much, but we still weren’t able to search the place. Any of the back rooms.”

“What exactly did she take?” Cage asked, raising an eyebrow.

“If I told you that, I’d have to kill you,” Pete said. “But anyway, that’s why we need your girlfriend’s bar.”

Cage nodded. “She has agreed to sell it.” He lied. “But she needs time to talk to the bank.”

“We’ll pay what she needs,” Pete said. “We aren’t absolute monsters.”

But Cage wasn’t sure about that. The Aces, so far, had kept a fairly clean public image. Sure, they were involved in the usual things, weapons, drugs. Some women. But nothing out of the ordinary for a club. But Cage had grown up there and seen flashes of things that were over the line.

He hoped the proof he needed was in Pete’s computer. But how to get rid of Pete?

Luck ended up helping him out in that measure.

“I want you to stay here at the compound today. Hang out with the recruits, let them see you around. I’m going out with the leaders on an important ride. We have people to talk to.”

“Fine,” Cage said.

Pete stood slowly, folding his arms over his massive girth, the leather on his black jacket crinkling. “You’ve had a rough start here, and you need to earn respect. With your lineage, you could run this place one day.”

Oh, I’m going to run it one day
, Cage thought.
Run it into the ground and dance on its grave.

“That look in your eyes. That mean, dirty look. Reminds me of your dad,” Pete said, spreading his lips in a grin that exposed yellowed teeth. “I like it.”

Cage felt slightly sick at that.

“All right, get out of my office,” he said.

And Cage did, standing and swiftly leaving before he could vomit at the thought of being anything like his abusive, horrible dad.

He was nothing like him. He’d spent years serving his country, protecting the innocent, and building a business.

Carrie was right about how dangerous being here was. It was starting to eat at him, starting to wear. With these concrete walls all around him, it was too easy to forget he’d escaped. Too easy to sink back into habits of hate and rage.