Chief Bear (Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (Rescue Bears Book 1) (7 page)

“Wow, this place is gorgeous.”

“It’s home,” he said, coming up behind her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss the crook of her neck. Electric need radiated through her entire body. She felt him harden against the small of her back, leaving her core damp and throbbing. He turned her around abruptly, and she reached up to enfold his neck with her arms.

“I need you Juliet. So fucking bad.”

Juliet sucked a sharp breath. His words worked their way through her body and brain, making her feel beautiful, wanted, and desired by this sexy, strong man in front of her. She pricked with heat and felt deliciously compelled to surrender to his will.

He lifted her up off the floor and wrapped her legs around his waist, gripping her ass in his massive hands. She gasped, not sure what to do. She wasn’t operating consciously anymore. Everything was pure instinct. She could see the animal in Levi’s eyes. He was wild, lawless. He walked across the apartment, not giving her a tour, not talking about the granite counters or the hardwood floors.

He kicked open the bedroom door and laid her on the bed as he crawled over her. The hardness of his erection and the weight of his body made Juliet raise her hands up over her head. She arched her back, and her breasts jutted up to him. His green eyes focused on her face, so reverent, so full of lust.

Levi kissed her, cupping her face to direct her mouth against his. Juliet melted into the bed, into him. His hand moved down, squeezing her breast through the fabric of her dress. His tongue darted in and out of her mouth with hot abandon.

“We need to be naked,” he growled.

He pulled away, ripping himself out of his suit until he stood in front of her in his boxer briefs. Juliet shook as she unzipped her dress, looking up at him. The planes of his muscles were like chiseled marble. She wanted to lick every inch of his taut skin. He knelt in front of her and pulled her dress down over her hips and off her feet.

She sat on the bed in only her panties. Her round breasts exposed, her pink nipples tight. She felt self-conscious, but the look in Levi’s eyes told her she had no reason to be. He wasn’t looking at her soft, round belly, full breasts, and wide hips in disgust. He was looking at her like he’d found the holy grail. It made Juliet quiver. Levi’s eyes left a hot trail over her body until they met her gaze.

“You are so fucking gorgeous, Juliet.”

“No one has ever told me that before,” she whispered.

“You’ve never been with a man before?”

“I have.”

“And those men didn’t worship you?”

Juliet snorted, knowing it was extremely unsexy. She just couldn’t help it.

“No. They didn’t worship me.”

“They were morons then. This body, this soul,” he said, running his hand over the spot between her breasts, “needs to be worshiped like the goddess you are.”

“Levi. You don’t have to say that. I’m already here.”

He looked up at her, shocked.

“You think I’m playing you?”

“No. I just…”

He hooked his fingers in her panties and began to tug them down over her hips and away from her damp pussy.

“Let’s get this straight. You are a goddess. You are
my
goddess. I want to worship every inch of your honey skin. Taste every ounce of your sweet cream. And I want to see the pleasure in your eyes when I make you come, over and over again.”

Juliet shuddered, letting out a shaky moan. He threw her panties away and gazed down at the space between her legs, pushing her knees apart with his hands.

Juliet was panting, confused, turned on like never before. The things he said to her made her mind reel. No one had ever said anything even remotely close to what Levi said to her now. Sure, she’d had boyfriends before, but none of them had told her she was a goddess to be worshiped. The last man she’d been with had told her the exact opposite.

Levi gripped her legs and leaned into her pussy, licking up her slit with a growl.

“You taste like heaven,” he groaned.

Juliet’s legs shook as he continued to feast on her pussy. Her breasts were so swollen and her nipples so taut she wanted to grab them and squeeze them herself. She reached up and grasped her breasts. Levi’s tongue dove against her clit.

Juliet rolled her nipples through her fingers, not even fully aware of what she was doing. She arched her back further, the flood of pleasure rising around her so high she thought she might drown. Levi pushed her legs wider and dipped his tongue into her entrance before licking back up to her clit. She was so wet, so open when he pushed two fingers inside her.

His mouth sucked up her swollen bud as he dove in and out of her, driving her to the brink. She groaned out loud as she came, her mind shattering with pleasure. But she had no time to recover before he crawled over her, taking her mouth in his.

The taste of her sex on his lips made her pussy throb harder. Levi reached behind her and pulled a condom out of the nightstand before sliding it over his massive, swollen cock. He looked into her eyes as he held himself over her and guided his cock to her slick opening. He didn’t wait, didn’t ask. He slipped inside, looking deep into her eyes.

Juliet reached up to him as he filled her, stretching her body wide with his girth. She squeezed her eyes closed and moaned, panting, opening to him. Pleasure shot through her as he sank to the base of his shaft inside her. Levi ran his hands over her body, leaning down to suck her nipples into his mouth.

He growled into her neck and kissed the pulse point, drawing back his hips to thrust again. Juliet let go. She let go of everything that had ever worried her or held her down. All that was left was her and Levi. Making love. Making the world over in their image. It was a perfect moment of surrender. He met her sensitivity head on and he adored it. He loved her curves. He loved who she was inside. His body worked hers toward unexplored heights of pleasure.

He grasped her breast and dove his tongue into her mouth, shutting out any thought or perception of the outside world. She felt herself merging with him, ready to spill over for him. That’s when her climax slapped her like a lightening clap.

She took a startled breath and let out a long moan as it pulsed through her whole body.

“That’s my little goddess,” he growled into her neck, licking her ear.

He moved into her in waves, flicking his tongue into her mouth as she came over and over again. Time and space stood still in that eternal moment. Levi stiffened and groaned, thrusting hard several more times. Juliet held him close.

His seed shot hard into the condom and Juliet could feel the heat of it, even through the latex. They held each other tight, their bodies throbbing, as one. He held himself over her, not wanting to crush her. But he was panting, sweaty, and spent. Slowly, he rolled away, taking her with him to lie on his chest. Levi pulled a blanket over them and kissed the top of her head.

“Fuck, baby. I’m not going to be able to let you go now.”

In the mushy haze of her mind, Juliet didn’t quite know what to do with those words. Had she committed to him somehow? Was this what she really wanted? Her body still sang from his mind-shattering love making. It had been the best of her life, without question.

She closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep, but Quinn’s apprehension about mating with a shifter wouldn’t leave her alone.

L
evi’s eyes cracked open
. He turned to find Juliet’s long black hair swept over his shoulder. She had her back to him, and her head rested on his arm. Early morning light streamed through the windows of his bedroom. He and Juliet were nestled together in bed. The night before had been mind-blowing. Amazing. Unforgettable.

Making love to Juliet was like coming home after the war. It was as if he finally knew what life meant. But he also knew the consequences of dating a human. He looked down at her beautiful, curvy form under the blanket. She groaned at his movement and turned away.

It was dangerous to get involved with a human woman on so many levels. Last night, he hadn’t been able to contain his bear any longer. When Juliet had suggested they leave the party, he was all too willing to oblige. Leaving the party meant one thing to his bear: mate. Translated into human speak, that meant fuck Juliet’s brains out.

He’d been able to contain the bear enough to give her the pleasure she deserved. He wanted nothing more than to see the light of climax in her eyes as he took her. It had been so unbelievably hot, he’d come the second she did, her pussy clenching on his rod like a warm glove. The thought of it made him hard again. He wanted to take her now, in the light of day.

Levi knew last night had been in the realm of a mistake. They hadn’t decided to take things further. He’d hadn’t even asked her if she really wanted him. He’d just gone by the look in her eyes. Now, anything could happen. Juliet could decide it had been wrong and run away from his love.

He leaned over and put his hand on her shoulder, whispering softly in her ear.

“I’m going to get us some coffee and breakfast,” he said.

She groaned and flipped her hand in the air dismissively. He smiled and stood from the bed, pulling a robe over his shoulders. It was still so early in the morning. He made his way through the living room and into his kitchen. He trudged across the tiled floor and stopped at the counter in front of his coffee pot. A few moments later, dark liquid percolated into the pot. He fixed himself a cup and leaned against the counter, contemplating the view.

There was one thing he knew for certain now. He needed Juliet. He would do anything to make her his. If that meant keeping his distance a while longer, he would have to do that. As he was wresting with his bear, trying to convince the beast it wasn’t prudent to go slide inside her again, Juliet entered the kitchen wearing his extra robe.

“I never do this kind of thing,” Juliet said with a groan.

“Do what?” he asked.

Did she regret last night? He couldn’t take it if she did. It had been by far the best night of his life.

“Get drunk and sleep with someone on a second date,” she said, walking across the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.

“Do you regret it?” he asked, his voice almost breaking.

She looked up at him, a little hurt showing in her eyes.

“Regret? No.”

Levi watched her stir sugar and cream into her cup.

“What then? You enjoyed yourself,” he said.

“I did. I enjoyed it a lot. I just. You said…”

“Did I say something wrong last night?”

He searched his mind, trying to remember what he could have said to upset her. He’d been so overwhelmed by his need for her, he could have said any number of inappropriate things.

“Nothing. It’s fine.”

He knew she was lying. It wasn’t fine. He’d scared her off. Fuck. Dating a human had serious repercussions, and he was already screwing it up. What if she decided he’d manipulated her and then told everyone she knew that a dirty shifter had taken advantage of her.

He put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. She deserved to be at peace. It was important to him that she feel safe.

“I want you to know, whatever you want is what I want.”

“That’s sweet,” she said. Her tone was suspicious.

Crap.

Levi decided to change the subject.

“Let me make you breakfast.”

“You cook? I thought you had people for that,” she said.

“Shane is an excellent chef but my bacon and eggs over easy are legendary.”

Levi invited Juliet to sit on a stool in front of his granite counter while he began to make breakfast. His story of his legendary breakfast had not been exaggerated. He’d been making it for the gang ever since their days in the military.

He began frying bacon, home fries, and eggs over easy. Juliet watched him with hooded eyes, her chin resting on her hand. He plated the food and slid one in front of her before carrying his own around the other side of the counter and joining her on his own stool.

They ate without talking, and when Juliet had cleaned her plate, she moaned with pleasure and pushed it away.

“You were right, that was delicious,” she said.

“I aim to please,” he said.

“Thank you so much for breakfast, but I think I need to get back to check on the bride.”

“If you aren’t busy this evening, I would like to take you out again for another date,” he said.

“I’m not sure. There’s still so much to organize before the wedding,” she said, going back to his room to throw on the clothes she’d been wearing the night before.

Levi felt like he was losing her. He had to think fast. All he could conclude was that she needed space and he had to respect that.

He walked her toward the front door of his suite and leaned down to kiss her softly on the cheek. She was pulling away, but he couldn’t resist showing her some affection.

He watched Juliet walk away, still in her pretty red dress and black high-heeled shoes. She had looked so damn sexy the night before. And even this morning, disheveled and slightly hung over, there was something so sweet and pretty about her.

Juliet hadn’t been ready to make love to him. He had told her that she was his fated mate while they were at the gazebo. That didn’t mean that Juliet was ready for it. His bear could smell her arousal every time she looked into his eyes. That was all the bear needed.

Unlike shifters, a human woman needed a great deal more time and romance to come to the kind of commitment Levi wanted, the kind of commitment his bear wanted. To satisfy the will of his wild bear, he’d let himself take her last night. It very well could have been a fatal mistake for their relationship, no matter how much she seemed to want it at the time.

J
uliet closed
her bedroom door behind her and groaned. Levi’s breakfast had taken the edge off her hangover, but Juliet still felt disgusting, exhausted, and ashamed of herself. Under normal circumstances, she never would have lost control and slept with a man on the second date.

As much as she wanted to feel Levi’s hands on her body, when he’d told her he’d never let her go, it terrified her. Quinn’s fears about shifters wanting a lifelong commitment came back to haunt her. Juliet had wanted Levi. Oh yes, she’d wanted him.

Juliet remembered the feeling of Levi’s arms around her, his warm chest against her breasts, and the feel of his erection pressed against her wetness. Her body quivered in remembrance. Last night had been the hottest, most erotic night of her life. Levi was a prince among peasants when it came to taking care of a woman in the bedroom. So why was she so confused?

She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the warm stream of the shower, thinking of Levi’s kiss and the feeling of his strong arms around her petite frame. He was everything she had always wanted. He was a man, responsible, intelligent, kind. There was a quiet strength inside him that Juliet knew was the natural alpha within him.

Juliet knew that each group of shifter males had a central leader who they called their alpha. It didn’t matter what kind of shifter it was. It could be a wolf or a mountain lion or a fox, for that matter, but each type of shifter formed clans or packs and each clan had an alpha who led them.

Usually the alpha was the strongest male among the group. And strength could mean almost anything, but usually it meant the virility of the shifter animal inside. Juliet hadn’t met Levi’s grizzly yet, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to.

As much as she liked Levi, she still wasn’t sure about the whole shifter thing. She was far from being a racist against shifters, but she had to admit that the idea of committing to a man who was part animal scared her. The idea of committing to any man scared her. She knew that it was possible for a shifter to turn a human into a shifter, which was even more terrifying. There was so much about shifter culture that Juliet could never understand.

She finished her shower, trying to push the thoughts of Levi aside for now. She seriously needed to get some things sorted before the wedding. But first, she wanted to get a short nap in to finish recovering from her beer hangover.

As she laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling, she contemplated what it meant to her that she was a shifter’s fated mate. As much as she didn’t want to think about it, she couldn’t help it. It was a big deal, really. To be someone’s perfect match was a lot to live up to. But at the same time, there was a strange comfort in it. She envied shifters that they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who was perfect for them. She was perfect for Levi, but did that that mean Levi was perfect for her? If her body’s reaction last night was any indication, then he definitely must be. But she couldn’t make her human consciousness and hesitation completely agree. As wonderful as Levi might be, she had just met the man.

She closed her eyes with a heavy sigh and tried to relax. She felt much better after a shower and changing into her pajamas, but the swirling emotions inside her body would not let her rest easily. She knew she desired Levi. That was a plain and simple fact.

This morning, in those brief moments in his arms before she had become fully conscious, there had been a deep sense of satisfaction that she and Levi had been together. There was something so right about it that now, as she lay in bed trying to sleep, that feeling deeply confused her.

Juliet had had plenty of boyfriends in her life. She was in her early thirties, and even a woman as introverted and sensitive as her didn’t get through life without having couple of long-term relationships by her age. But never before had she felt as complete as she had in those brief moments before waking up in Levi’s arms.

Her body finally let her drift off to sleep. Juliet had only napped for a few hours when her cell phone began to ring. It took her a moment to wake up and find it. But it stopped ringing and quickly started ringing again. She found the cell phone in her bag under a chair and flicked the screen to answer the call from Charlotte.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Harry’s gone,” Charlotte said frantically on the other end of the line.

“What do you mean he’s gone?”

Harry wasn’t the kind of groom who would just disappear the day before his wedding. He and Charlotte had been together for a long time. They lived together. They were best friends. He wasn’t about to get cold feet and disappear.

“The groomsmen said that they’d been drinking and a few of them drove up into the mountains and hiked out into the woods. Harry was the only one who didn’t make it back to the car.”

“Where did he go?” Juliet asked, rifling through her suitcase to find something to wear.

“I don’t know exactly. But his friends said they took a rental car and drove up into the mountains.”

“Have you informed anyone?”

“We’ve already informed the lodge, and I know that a search party is being formed. It looks like your boyfriend, Levi, is the head of a search and rescue crew,” Charlotte said, her humorous tone belying the panic underneath it.

“Don’t worry, Charlotte, I know that Levi and his crew will find Harry. He probably just got drunk and got lost somewhere.”

“I know, you’re right,” Charlotte said.

Juliet told Charlotte she would meet her down in the dining room where the rest of the bridesmaids were having brunch. Juliet put on a warm, comfortable outfit and scurried down to the dining room. Everyone looked slightly hung over and Charlotte looked like she was about to lose it.

“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Charlotte moaned.

Juliet slid into the chair beside her friend and patted her back.

“Everything’s going to be okay, Charlotte,” Juliet said.

Levi approached the table with a notepad and a pen, dressed as if he was ready to go out into the snow.

“I’ve taken the statements from your fiancé’s friends. It sounds like they drove up to the summit trail and were messing around up there.”

“They were pretending to be bad asses like they could hike the summit in the middle of the night,” Charlotte muttered.

“Night hiking the summit when there’s still heavy snow pack is not advisable for inebriated and experienced hikers,” Levi said.

“Will you be able to find him?” Charlotte begged.

“Don’t worry, ma’am, my crew is already on it. I wanted you to know that we are heading up to make our base camp at the trailhead.”

“How long do you think it will take to find him?” Charlotte asked.

“That all depends, ma’am,” Levi said.

“Why don’t you go with them, Juliet? You go up with your new boyfriend and give us updates.”

Juliet felt trapped, but she wanted to help her friend.

“You can come along if you’d like. I think it might be a little boring for you, though,” he said.

“Won’t you be hiking out into the woods?” she asked, trying to get out of it.

“I am the rescue coordinator. Usually, I stay down at Alpha Station to supervise the rescue and decide how to utilize Corey’s analysis.”

Realizing she couldn’t get out of it, she said, “I’ll get my coat.”

She wanted to get to know Levi better, but that didn’t mean this all wasn’t totally terrifying. Out on the rescue, she could see him in his element, doing his thing. Levi was a leader. He ran the entire lodge, and he had been the crew’s superior officer back when they were all Navy SEALs. There was something so sexy about a man in charge that made shy little Juliet prick with excitement. However, it didn’t make her any less confused about dating a shifter or the kind of commitment these men wanted from a date.

In many ways, she and Levi were complete opposites. She was a sensitive, shy artist while he was a business owner and a leader of strong men. She had never led anything. In fact, in her office, she was a low level creative, who took orders from middle management. But somehow, no matter how opposite they might be, they really did fit together. Juliet could see that, though she didn’t quite understand why.

She grabbed her coat from her room and met Levi back in the lobby before he showed her out to his crew cab pickup truck. It was a brand-new, silver Ford Ranger with heated leather seats that contoured under her when she sat down.

“I hope you won’t be too bored up at Alpha Station,” he said as he turned the key in the ignition.

“Are you sure you want me to come?” she said hesitantly.

“Of course. I love having you by my side,” he said with a grin, looking directly in her eyes.

She giggled softly and looked away, feeling her heart speed up at his words. He did want her there. He had told her the day before that she was his fated mate. The woman who was perfect for him. She was still having a hard time understanding exactly what that meant. Then he’d said he’d never let her go after they had sex. What was she supposed to do with all this?

“I’m sure it will be entertaining enough to watch you do your thing,” she said.

“I just don’t want to ignore you,” he said, driving out the lodge’s driveway and onto the main highway.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s my job to worry about you.”

He drove down the highway into a national park and high into the mountains. As they ascended, the snow pack increased. By the time they made it to the turn off to the trailhead, the snow was several feet deep.

They parked in front of a canopy under which tables with computers had been set up and connected to a generator. Levi and Juliet got out of the truck and joined the technician under the canopy. Three other men were busy gearing up to go out into the woods. Juliet recognized one of the men as Duke, the man Quinn had gone off with the night before. She recognized the blonde man as Zach, the stripper called Rock Hard.

“Juliet, I believe you’ve met Zach and Duke, but my friend here at the computer is Corey and the big guy putting on his snowshoes is Angus,” Levi said. “Angus made the table in the gazebo.”

“Oh, that was so beautiful,” Juliet gushed.

Angus tilted up his bearded chin and smiled at Juliet. “Thanks,” Angus said.

“Guys, this is Juliet. I met her on Mate.com.”

Corey turned around and looked up at Juliet. “How is that working out for you two?” Corey asked.

“It’s working out fine,” Juliet said in a timid voice.

Corey went back to his computer and continued typing as maps and data flew across the screen. Juliet watched Levi give his crew directions and was impressed by his swift decisiveness and natural authority.

Zach, Angus, and Duke took off up the trail, giving status reports to Levi as they went.

“We really could use a fourth,” Juliet heard one of the men say through a walkie-talkie.

“I’m not bringing Shane on any rescue missions yet, Angus,” Levi said.

“I’m just saying, we could use him,” Angus said through the walkie-talkie.

“I hear you, Angus. And I trust your opinion. That’s why you’re my second in command. But I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one. Shane is a loose cannon. I’ve almost fired him twice since he started in my kitchen.”

“Have it your way, boss,” Angus said, his voice cutting out over the walkie-talkie.

Juliet felt like she was seeing the inner workings of the group’s dynamics, and wasn’t sure if she was comfortable being that intimate with their process. She hadn’t agreed to be Levi’s mate yet. It wasn’t her place to be so involved with Levi’s crew. But he didn’t seem to mind her witnessing the group’s interactions. She didn’t know whether or not to be flattered or nervous.