The Bear's Reluctant Bride: A Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (15 page)

“I just thought you didn't find me attractive anymore. I couldn't help it. You don't know what these hormones do to me,” she admitted, leaning against his strength.

“Let me prove to you just how untrue that it,” he offered, then his lips crashed down on hers.

His kiss wasn't gentle and she didn't mind at all. Then he pulled back and smiled down at her wickedly. When his mouth returned to hers, his kiss became gentle, almost teasing. He used his tongue to trace her lower lip.

When she sighed with pleasure at the sensation, he took advantage to slide his tongue inside to continue his exploration, tenderly advancing and retreating in such a way that shivers of pleasure rocked her body. His mouth left hers suddenly then, though his hands were braced on her hips, maintaining their connection.

“Are you cold,” he asked wickedly, as his lips traveled to the crook of her neck.

“No, I'm most definitely warm,” she stammered, though gasps of pleasure made it hard to get the words out.

“Good,” he said as he gripped her hips tighter and lifted her so that she was perched on the edge of the table, giving him easier access to her.

She was so shocked by the sudden motion that she didn't see him grabbing for the edge of her nightgown. He made no effort to undo the buttons on the back of the garment. Instead, he gripped the seam and tore it right in half. He let out a growl and yanked the shredded fabric from her body.

She'd not bothered with undergarments when she went to bed because the pregnancy made her so hot in the night time. Finding her suddenly naked before him pleased him greatly as he growled in approval, burying his face in her quivering chest. His mouth latched onto one of her breasts, teasing and sucking the nipple until she could no longer keep from crying out in pleasure. Only then did his tongue gently travel from one tight bud to the other. He continued his tender exploration until her hips were bucking up off the table, so eager was she for him to enter her.

He pulled back with a predatory glint in his eye and said, “Eager, aren’t we?”

“You know I am. Please, let’s go back to the tent and make love. I want you. I need you now,” she said as she sneaked her hands under his shirt, exploring the hard lines and lean strength of his core muscles.

“Oh, we are not going back to the tent, my dear,” he purred as his lips returned to the crook of her neck, tracing the space with his tongue and making it rather difficult for her to form a coherent thought.

“Please,” she whispered. “I can’t wait anymore!” To prove her point, she extended her hand and caressed his manhood through the fabric of his trousers. “You're just as eager as I am. I can feel your desire for me. Take me! Take me now!” she cried.

“Oh, I intend to,” he said as he pulled his shirt up and over his head, exposing his bare chest before stepping between her legs.

“What are you doing?” she gasped, unable to believe that he was actually planning to take her right there on the table.

“I think you know exactly what I'm about to do,” he smirked as he pressed closer to her.

“On the table?” she gasped, as turned on as she was shocked by his plans.

“I intend to feast on your body, my love,” he said as he bent over her, returning his mouth to her chest. He stroked, licked, and sucked until she couldn't stand the sensation any longer. She writhed beneath him, her body so desperate for his that she could barely control it.

Luke, for his part, was absolutely wild in his desire for her. He took advantage of her nakedness to run his hands over every curve of her body. They came to rest on her buttocks, pulling her willing body against his. She cried out in frustration that the fabric of his pants separated her skin from his. He laughed as he moved his hand to her inner thighs, causing her to tremble in anticipation. He then used his fingers to touch the center of her desire and she nearly bucked up off the table as his fingers entered her. As he slid in and out of her, all she could do was grip his shoulders and pull herself closer to him. Though she enjoyed his attention immensely, she still ached to have him sheathed within her. She whimpered as her hips moved in anticipation.

She bit her lip to keep her shrieks of pleasure in check and the sight was too much for him. He needed her right then. He took a step back from her and removed his pants and undergarment. The sight of his naked body there in the moonlight was too much for Kalia and she began to literally shake in her desire for him. He didn't make her wait any longer.

He stepped to her again and gently positioned her buttocks at the very edge of the table, giving him better access to her feminine core. He stepped between her legs and used his thighs to spread her wider, opening her before him. His hands gripped her hips tightly as he pressed in to her as she gasped at the glorious sensation of being filled by his tremendous length.

To her relief, he didn't make love to her gently. After the days of craving him, she wanted the wildest part of him and that was exactly what she got. He tightened his grip on her hips to keep her just where he wanted her and he began fucking her wildly. She couldn't remember a time where he had been so lost in his own passion and that made her even hotter. His raw desire moved her, reassuring her he had never, not even for a moment, ceased to want her. His grunts and moans of passion emboldened her, giving her the knowledge that this big, strong warrior was a slave to her body. Her hands, which had been resting on his shoulders, traveled down until she found her target. She rested them on his perfect ass and squeezed tight.

The act was enough to throw him completely over the edge. Though she'd not thought it possible, his pace increased, his inner animal instincts completely taking over as he fucked her relentlessly. His hands shifted from her hips to her ass and he lifted her completely off the table as he pumped himself in and out of her, holding her at just the angle he wanted. Being completely at his mercy was the most sensual experience of her life and she could feel herself losing control.

They both came together, trembling as their passion rocked them and he filled her with his seed. Her walls clenched as they came simultaneously, her body’s effort to hold him within her forever. He sat her back on the edge of the table but he made no effort to remove himself from her. Instead, he rested his head, damp with sweat, on her shoulder and held her close. Kalia couldn't think of a better way to make the home their own than what they'd just done, cementing their love and passion for each other.

Without moving, he said, “I love you so much I can barely stand it.”

“I know the feeling,” she said with a playful giggle.

“Promise me that you'll not do any more training on your own,” he said gently.

“Let’s not fight now. That was such a wonderful experience. Don't spoil it,” she said with a sigh.

“I'm not trying to spoil it, darling. Can we compromise? If you'll not do anything to put yourself at risk or hurt yourself until the baby comes, then I'll train you myself. You’ll be the fiercest warrior I've ever trained. I promise,” he vowed to her, pulling her body even tighter against his.

“That's all I ever wanted,” she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck.

“And all I want is to make you happy, so we'll both win, won’t we?” he asked with a chuckle.

“I don't even know how to tell you how much this means to me,” she whispered to him.

“Just keep yourself and our child safe,” he sighed, running his hands through her long hair and kissing her gently.

“That I promise you,” she swore, kissing him again and savoring his physical closeness.

They stayed like that, tangled up with each other, for what felt like an eternity. They savored the safety and the peace of their new home and of the love that filled it.

*

In the weeks that followed, they worked together to make the cottage a home. Luke moved each piece of furniture from the tent into the stone cottage with the exception of their bed of pillows. He made, by hand, a bed from the tree branches that surrounded their clearing. They were woven together in such a lovely way where it looked as though they'd grown together to form the shape of the bed naturally. It also served her purposes because she'd hoped to convince Luke to allow her to keep the tent. As much as she loved their new home, it nearly broke her heart to think of their first home being torn down.

Because they didn't need the bed in the new house, she made the successful argument that they could visit their tent from time to time for carnal purposes. After that suggestion, Luke wasn't hard to convince that the tent should be allowed to continue to stand.

After she won that victory, it was easy for her to throw herself in to their new home. Since she'd given up her evenings of secret warrior training, she had much more energy and she put that into creating the finishing touches needed to make their house a home. Her mother and Mali often came with her younger brothers in tow to help her as the pregnancy made some things a bit harder to execute.

It also gave her mother time to tell her and her sister about what to expect when a baby came. It was reassuring to her to have her mother on hand. While they worked on the house, Luke kept his warriors in the yard as they advanced in their training. More than once, she caught Mali looking out the window at the young warriors and she laughed to herself, wondering if her little sister was imagining which one of them would one day be her mate.

One day, she decided that it was perhaps time to speak to her about it.

“See anyone who appeals to you?” she teased as she came up behind her, staring out the window yet again.

“That's not what I was doing,” Mali gasped.

“Yes it was. All young female bears do. There's nothing wrong with picturing your future,” she said with a laugh.

“There's no point in it though, is there? It's not as though we get to pick our mate,” she said, looking frustrated.

“We might not get to choose, but that doesn't mean we can let our future be dictated for us. You must always remember the future is yours to do with what you like,” she said with a comforting smile.

“Thank you, Sister!” she cried as she wrapped her arms around her.

“And if you're ever unhappy with the mate you're given, then I'll smuggle you away. I promise you that,” she said, squeezing her tight.

“You're truly the best of sisters,” Mali said with a laugh.

“Of course I am. Now get up from there. I need your help in the kitchen. This baby belly makes it hard for me to really scrub the floor well and I want this place spotless when the baby comes,” she ordered.

“I'll do anything for my little niece or nephew,” her sister said with a smile.

“I'm going to remind you that you said that,” Kalia answered with a wink.

With that, they returned to their work of preparing the home for the baby. The weeks stretched on and things came together. All that was left was for the little one to make its arrival. Then, one evening when she and Luke were alone in their little sanctuary, the wait ended.

“You look odd, my darling. Are you feeling well?” Luke asked as he noticed that Kalia seemed a little pale when they were sitting together near the fire, enjoying some tea made from local herbs after their dinner was over.

“Yes, of course. I've just been a bit more tired than usual. That's all,” she said, shaking her head.

“Are you sure? You look a bit pale. Maybe you should go to the bedroom and lie down,” he suggested, feeling really worried about her.

“No, I'm perfectly content here with you,” she said when a sudden sharp pain shot through her and she clutched her stomach.

“What is it?” he cried as he jumped from his chair and came to kneel in front of her.

“It was just a little discomfort,” she said, trying to reassure him.

He took her hands in his and looked deep in her eyes, trying to determine if that was the truth. She did her best to keep her face calm and she nearly had him convinced when another wave of pain came and ruined her composure.

“That's it. Something is wrong. Tell me now, what is happening,” he demanded, looking scared for her.

“I don't think anything is wrong but I do think that the baby may be on the way,” she said, smiling through the pain.

“Is it not too soon for the baby?” he asked in what could only be described as a panic.

It was almost funny for her to see her big, strong warrior so worried for her. He was a man who would've taken on any enemy or pain in the world to spare her from it, but he was helpless to do anything for her now. All he could do was watch her and wait and she knew he wasn't going to be able to handle that well.

“It's not too soon. It'll be a fine and healthy baby. I need you to trust me,” she said, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach.

“What do I do?” he asked, a little at a loss.

“I want to message my mother so that she can come to deliver the baby,” she explained, bracing as another contraction came.

“I'll not leave you,” he roared as he pulled her from her chair and sat her firmly on his lap as he sat on the floor. He held her to him and she felt as though he would never let her go, which was just fine with her.

“You don't need to go anywhere to summon her. Do you see that leather satchel there on the mantel?” she asked, pointing to it as she spoke so that there could be no confusion.