Savor (24 page)

“Fuck.” The curse slipped from my lips. Maybe this was a trap. How were we going to get in? Gareth had made it seem so easy, and I knew he couldn’t be stronger than me. Gareth and his people weren’t witches, but they talked about gifts all the time. Maybe they’d an enchantment on it. I was willing to believe anything at the moment.

“Let me try.” Vera elbowed me out of the way. She touched the boulder and easily pushed it out of the way.

She grinned. “Getting weak on me, future mate?”

“No, sorry to disappoint you. There has to be an enchantment preventing an outsider from moving it.”

“Or so you say to save face.”

“No, it makes sense. It’s protection.” I stepped inside. “Be the lookout for a minute. I want to make sure there are no surprises.”

I slowly walked through the narrow opening into the open part of the cave and saw and sensed no one. I lit the lantern left at the entrance. The light might lure out any potential danger.

After waiting a minute longer I turned around and returned to the front. “We’re good.”

Vera entered the cave and easily rolled the boulder back into place. “Let’s say I believe you. Gareth booby trapped that door to only work for his flesh and blood, the question is why?”

“You’ll see.” I retraced my steps again back into the cave. I walked into the open area with the large and colorful crystals, and she followed.

“You weren’t kidding about the crystals, but I thought you meant just one or two.” She reached up to touch a crystal, but I pushed her arm down. “What the hell?”

“The orange ones are hot enough to singe your skin. The purple ones are cold enough to freeze it.”

She leaned in to get a better look at the one she’d come close to touching. “They don’t look that way.”

“Feel free to do it, but last time I checked bears didn’t heal as fast as Pterons.”

“I’ll take your word for it then…”

I waited while Vera walked around the large open room.

After a moment she joined me again. “If no one else but specific Ursus can move the boulder in front of the cave, does that mean we have to wait for one of them to get us?”

“You can move it so we can leave. We’re not stuck.” I tried not to dwell on the fact that my safety now depended on Vera. Technically I was at her mercy.

She grinned, probably following my line of thinking exactly. “So you can’t leave without me.”

“So?”

“So? I’m all powerful.” She grinned.

“On a power trip?”

“I’m just reflecting on the shift in dynamics.”

“Shift in dynamics?” I raised an eyebrow. “When were you not in a position of power over me in the last few days?”

Evidently that was the right thing to say. She grinned. “You’re right.”

“So Ms. All Powerful, what do we do now?”

“What
should
we do? Or what do I want to do?”

“The former is probably more important, but your desires may have merit.”

“I’m stuck alone in a cave with you. I can come up with some things to keep us busy.”

“Sex? You’re thinking of sex at a time like this?” Vera was always full of surprises.

“You were thinking about it too. Admit it.”

Of course I was. We’d been close to having sex an hour before, and I’d seen her naked again during that hour. “I’ll admit the thought crossed my mind.”

“Just crossed your mind?”

“Believe it or not, I was worried about some other things too.”

“Me too.” She gazed at the boulder.

“You’re worried about everyone else.”

“Of course I am.” She touched the wall beside the boulder. “Don’t you kind of feel like a coward, running in here?”

“Yes, but I’m willing to put some faith in your parents. Protecting these crystals and coming here had to be important.” I decided not to point out the significance of her words. She felt bad running. That was a real change for Vera.

“Me too.”

“Good. So stop day dreaming about sex.”

She put a hand on her hip. “Hey, you admitted I’m in a position of power. You might want to be careful what you say to me.”

“Why? You want to be stuck in here forever too?”

She crossed her arms. “I’m a bear, caves don’t bother me.”

“This one doesn’t bother me.” Well, not as much as other small caves. I still didn’t love it.

“Want to explore then?” Her eyes sparkled.

“You sound almost as excited about that possibility as you did about the sex.”

“We could combine them you know. A little bit of exploring followed by a not so little bit of sex.”

“Now you’re the one trying to distract me.”

“Why won’t you at least admit you don’t like it here?”

I laughed. “Am I that easy to read?”

“You mean aside from being a Pteron in a tight confined space?”

“It’s not that tight.”

“Not as tight as other things.” She laughed.

“You have a dirty mind.”

“So do you.” She pushed a finger into my chest.

The simple touch set me on fire. “Let’s explore.”

“Ouch.”

“You weren’t really offering sex. Besides, I’d rather not be getting it on with you if your father shows up.” Or someone else. We still didn’t know anything about the so-called team.

“Fine. We can explore first.” She grabbed the lantern from me and headed toward the back passage of the cave.

“For the record, I’d never choose exploring a cave over having sex with you.”

She stopped walking. “What if it was exploring somewhere else?”

“There’s very little I’d pick first.” Sex with Vera topped my to-do list.

She turned to me. “What about flying?”

“Maybe we could combine those.” I winked.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Would that be possible? I mean, could we really actually have sex while flying?”

“I suppose anything is possible.” I continued walking, hoping she’d follow me with the lantern light.

“But you’ve never done it?”

“Nope. I’ve never even had sex with my wings out.”

“Wow, something you haven’t done?”

“One night stands with humans don’t leave much time to experiment with your paranormal side.”

“Good thing you left your man-whore days behind then.”

“Yes, who would have thought I’d be settling down with a bear?” I laughed dryly.

“Yeah, settling down,” she said with disbelief.

“You did agree to be my mate, hun.”

“You asked as a joke. I said yes as a joke.”

“A joke? Is that all it was?” I teased. Teasing her was easier than anything else.

“What else would it have been?” Fear entered her voice.

“Relax, I wasn’t declaring my undying love, but I figured I couldn’t have you running off with another bear on me.” My whole plan of laying it all out there was going to have to wait. I couldn’t risk setting her off.

“Oh yeah? Afraid of losing me?”

“You did have a lot of great options. I mean come on, who wouldn’t want a guy you could knock out with one kick or how about one half of a rare Ursus twin? Or heck, I bet you could have had both.”

A large object flew over my head. “What did you just throw at me?”

“A rock.” She jutted out her chin.

“That could have hurt me.”

“And you just made a joke about me mating with a set of twins.”

“I’d have thought a girl as adventurous as you wouldn’t find that upsetting.” I didn’t actually know. Personally, it wasn’t my thing.

“I’m a one partner girl. “

“We have that in common.”

“So you never had a threesome?”

“I didn’t say never…. but it’s not my preference.”

“Of course. You’ve probably had orgies before.”

I laughed. “Yeah, not quite, but glad you think I could handle that much.”

She groaned.

“I know I could, but think of how much more one girl would get if she were alone?”

“I know all about what that one girl would get.”

I turned after walking down a side corridor, needing to see her face. “Have fun last night?”

“Yes… I’d been looking forward to a repeat performance.”

“But we got interrupted.” I stepped toward her.

“We did. I also liked that kiss tonight.”

“Even if it was in front of your parents.”

“Who cares? If they put me through that ridiculous ritual they could handle watching us kiss.”

“Especially since you picked me as your mate.” I waggled an eyebrow.

“What does that mean exactly? I mean I know we’re not actually going to mate, but what does that mean for us? Is this like a fake engagement?”

“I didn’t get you a ring.”

“We’re in a cave full of precious gems, yet I don’t get any bling?”

“Would you prefer burn blisters or frostbite?”

“Neither. I’ll wait for my diamond.”

“A diamond? I never took you as a diamond girl.”

“What would I be?” She jutted a hip out slightly. I wondered if the motion was conscious or not.

“For some reason I keep thinking emerald.”

“Because I wore green tonight?”

“You looked gorgeous in it.” The bright green material had hugged her body like a glove, and it showed just enough skin to get my attention but leave me wanting more.

“Now you’re being sentimental.”

“It’s sentimental to find you incredibly sexy?” I closed the distance between us.

“Sexy, huh?”

“Yeah.” I brushed my lips against hers. I’d lost out by avoiding her lips the night before.

“You looked sexy too.”

“The cotton outfit worked for me?” I brushed my lips against the sensitive skin of her neck. Vera was the most dangerous woman I’d ever met. I should have been concentrating on the trouble looming outside, but instead all I could think about was finishing what we’d started at the house.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“I’m glad.” I tugged on her hip, pulling her body toward mine. She would know exactly what I was thinking, but I didn’t care. She wanted it too.

Her hand slipped under my t-shirt. “But you look so much sexier without a shirt on.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.” She set aside the lantern, and I pulled off my shirt.

“You look sexier without a shirt on too.” I smiled.

“I thought you’d say that.” She pulled off her tank top.

“You weren’t kidding about the sex after exploring.”

“I thought we’d walk a little further so we don’t have to worry about anyone walking in on us.” She undid my belt and unbuttoned my pants.

“I guess we don’t have to worry about that back here.” I was being an idiot. I should have been thinking about so many other more pressing concerns at the moment, but they all disappeared as she took me in her hand. I groaned.

“This makes me feel powerful too.”

“What does?” My eyes were closed shut. I’d been touched by many girls before, but none of their hands had ever felt like hers.

“Knowing you’d let me do anything and everything to you.”

Her words had almost as much of an effect as her hands. “Just don’t chain me to a wall.”

“I was there with you that day. Don’t forget.”

I opened my eyes. “You saved me.”

“I did.” She undid her shorts and slipped them off. I didn’t wait for her to get rid of her panties. I did that myself, pushing them slowly down her long legs. “Are you as against cave floors as you are walls?”

“Floors are okay.”

“Good.” She pushed against my chest. I was startled by her touch and fell to the ground. I would have complained, but she followed me, and I heard the sound of a wrapper ripping. “I came prepared.”

Before I could respond she slid me inside her. I took in a breath. The cold floor below me disappeared as she started to move on top of me. I lost all sense of everything as she took control.

“By the way, when I’m done with you you’re going to associate caves with
this
.” She moved up and down faster.

“I’ve already forgotten everything else.”

“Good. “

I held onto her hips as she rode me, knowing once again that I’d never get enough of her. She was like a drug. The more I was with her, the more addicted I became. There was no turning back.