The Cowbear's Christmas Shotgun Wedding (Curvy Bear Ranch 3) (9 page)

Chapter 9

The next morning, Kate woke with a kink in her neck. Something warm and heavy lay across her hip. As she opened her eyes, she looked down to find a huge bear paw resting on her thigh. She smiled as she listened to Logan’s bear snore. She had no idea bears could snore.

The bear huffed a breath and shifted to pull her closer. She could have lain in his arms all day, but she needed to go to the bathroom.

“Logan,” she whispered.

She’d never woken up a bear before, so she wasn’t sure how to do it without getting a face full of claws. As she eased out from under his paw, a low growl came from deep within his throat. She turned to find him looking at her.

“I have to get up,” she said.

Growl.

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

Chuff.

“Logan, let me up.”

He relented, sliding his paw off her hip and rolling onto all fours. She gave his head a pat before hurrying down the hall.

When she returned, Logan had shifted and was standing at the end of the hall. He smiled.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Pretty good considering I had a thousand-pound grizzly’s paw on me.”

“It wasn’t like that all night,” he said.

“Where else did you stick your paws?” she asked with an arched brow.

He threw back his head and laughed. “You think I let my bear take advantage of you? Trust me, if that had happened, there would be no doubt.”

“I’m sure there wouldn’t be.”

“So are you ready to shift and go running around the forest with me today?” he asked.

“I don’t know.” Her belly churned. Turning into a thousand-pound uncontrollable beast had seemed plausible last night. But now it didn’t seem like such a good idea. “Maybe we should wait.”

“Are you scared?”

“A little.”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you stay safe.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward the door. She dragged her heels until he turned and gave her another tug.

Outside, fresh powder blanketed the land, covering the remains of the barn in pristine snow. She looked at the road. Not a trace of their footsteps remained. It was as if they were the only two people left in the world. She raised her face to the sun, welcoming its warmth.

“Do you remember how to shift?” Logan asked.

“I could only do it when I was really mad.”

“There are other ways to do it.”

“How?” she asked.

“When I want to shift, I think about the things I need most in life—food, water, shelter, sex. But not necessarily in that order.” He winked.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She laughed. “I’ll go with food. I’m starving.”

“Okay. So then I think about my bear’s favorite food—huckleberries. I think about how plump they are and how their juices explode in my mouth when I eat them. That’s usually enough to rile my bear up so that I can shift.”

“It sounds simple. But I haven’t shifted very many times. I’m not sure what my bear loves to eat,” she said.

“We’ll figure that out today. For now, think about your favorite human food.”

“Cheesecake.”

“What kind?”

“Cherry.”

“Now think about the perfect cheesecake with cherries dripping over the edge to puddle on your plate…”

As she visualized a huge cherry cheesecake, her mouth watered.

“Now, imagine picking up a huge chunk of it with your fingers.”

“My fingers? No fork?”

“No fork.”

“Okay,” she said as she imagined scooping up a handful.

“And now, tell your bear that she can have it as soon as she shifts.”

“That’s messed up.”

“What?”

“Teasing your bear like that,” she said.

“It works,” he said with a shrug.

She refocused her attention on the imaginary cheesecake and willed her bear to come forward. As she concentrated, the first pop of disconnecting tissue fissured and pulled away from muscle to begin the transformation.

Within seconds, fur sprouted on her body. Hands and feet morphed into paws and her face elongated. Although she couldn’t see herself, she knew when she’d finished shifting. A wildness entered her blood. The overwhelming urge to run through the snow took over and she bolted toward the nearest hill.

“Wait!” Logan cried.

She turned and watched him shift into a magnificent silvery-brown grizzly. Stunned by the realization that she was looking at her mate, she sat down on her hind legs with a huff.

Her
mate
? Could it really be Logan? Was he the perfect man for her? Who better to understand her than another shifter?

As he approached, she trotted forward to nuzzle his cheek with her snout. He returned her affectionate caress with his entire face. She brushed up against the side of him, then growled and tackled him to the ground. They rolled down the hill in a tangle of flailing claws.

Even though her bear couldn’t laugh, it grinned with a light-heartedness that made her soar. She’d never been so happy to be with another person—err—bear. Well, his person was still inside him too.

As they rolled to a stop, she pushed her paws under her and stood. She tossed her head back and roared at the top of her lungs. Huge chunks of snow fell down from the nearby trees. She backed up a step, frightened by the power of her voice. She glanced at Logan to see what he’d do.

When he tossed back his head and roared, breath whooshed from her chest. Relief flooded her muscles. If he could roar and shake the trees, then she could too. There was nothing wrong with her; this was normal bear behavior.

She waited to see what he would do next. When he took off toward the lake, she followed. He headed to the left, toward the edge of the property. As they reached the ravine which marked the edge of her territory, she stopped.

Logan turned and waved a paw indicating that she should keep walking. She shook her head. He padded back to her and rubbed his face against hers as if telling her that she should trust him. She did, so when he started toward the ravine, she followed closely behind. He broke into a run along the beach, his paws occasionally splashing in the lake.

The scent of day-old campfire filled the air. Even with the storm, the charred wood stayed strong enough to attract her attention. She wandered off toward the scent. Logan walked alongside her until she spotted the source of the fire.

An illegal campsite with a makeshift fire pit and a soft-sided popup camper appeared. She padded around the site sniffing the ground. Since the scent of humans wasn’t present, she nosed through their trash. They were supposed to put it in bear-proof containers, but they hadn’t even attempted it. She sniffed through the brown paper bag before tearing it open with her claw.

Leftover eggs, bacon, tortillas, and salsa had been carelessly discarded. Her bear chuffed with approval before digging in. Logan nosed his way into the bag and soon they had the remnants spread out across the campsite.

It would have been enough food if she’d been in her human form, but her bear was hungry. She clawed at the mesh screen on the camper until she was able to gain access. Jackpot!

The humans had cheese, crackers, peanut butter, fruit, and sausages laid out as if they’d planned on returning soon. Knowing that she wouldn’t have much time, she stuffed everything she could fit into her mouth then chewed with gusto. Beside her, Logan crammed a smorgasbord of food into his mouth. He stopped long enough to grin at her.

She’d just swallowed another mouthful of food when she heard voices outside. She turned and looked at Logan who had a wicked glint in his eyes. He jumped out of the camper and roared at the top of his lungs.

She followed, just in time to watch the screaming humans scatter. It was all she could do to keep from falling over from chuffing so hard. She quickly recovered and ran after Logan who was chasing the humans through the forest.

After scaring them into a nearby campground, she turned and grinned at Logan. He grinned back. Who knew being a bear could be so damn fun?

***

Later that night, after returning to their human forms, they cuddled together in front of the fire. She giggled as she remembered the looks on the campers’ faces.

“It was kinda mean,” she said.

“It was hilarious. Did you see the dad? I thought he was going to shit bricks,” Logan said.

“The mom was worse. I thought she was going to faint when she saw you roar.”

“How was it, being a bear?”

“More fun than I thought it would be. Aside from scaring the crap out of those trespassers, I loved running through the forest,” she said.

“I shift at least once a week. It helps work out all the extra energy I have.”

“I’ll have to try that.”

“Do you want to sleep with my bear again tonight?” he asked.

“Not tonight.” She yawned. “I loved cuddling with you, but my back wasn’t as thrilled.”

“Okay, maybe some other night.”

She wouldn’t be here for many more nights. As much as it would hurt to leave him, there was no place for her here. To soothe the sudden pain in her heart, she scooted closer and leaned against his arm.

“I had fun today,” she said.

“Me too.”

She turned to find his lips just inches from hers. As their lips met, she relaxed into the kiss. Everything about the day, including this moment, was perfect. She couldn’t imagine having more fun with another person. If nothing else, she’d enjoy the rest of the time that they had together.

As he pulled her into his lap, she parted her lips and melted against him. Her arms wound around his neck but she wasn’t quite comfortable. When she shifted to wrap her legs around his waist, molten liquid heat pooled in her belly.

He pulled her against him. Heat rolled through her as her bear snarled, frustrated by the way she tried to hold back. It was no use. Logan was awakening a side of her that she never knew she had.

For years, a cage of ice had formed around her heart to keep her from trying to love anyone. But she didn’t have to try with Logan. The way they’d run and played together today had done more to melt that cage than anything she’d ever experienced. She wanted him with more than just her body. She wanted him—heart and soul.

“Take me to bed,” she whispered.

“Are you sure?” he asked as he gazed into her eyes.

“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”

He scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. After laying her on the bed, he started a fire in the fireplace. As he walked toward her, he unbuttoned his shirt. Each time a button popped free, another blast of need coiled in her sex. By the time he reached the bed, she wanted to tear her clothes off.

As she reached to pull her sweater over her head, he unbuttoned his jeans. Transfixed, she stared as he peeled them over his hips and dropped them to the floor. His boxers quickly followed. Flickering light from the fire caressed the ripple of muscles across his stomach. It illuminated the thickness of his thighs and highlighted the firmness of his tight ass.

She shivered in anticipation. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she rested them by her side. More than anything, she wanted him to undress her.

He didn’t disappoint.

With the grace of a slow-moving bear, he stalked toward her. After relieving her of the sweater, he caressed her shoulders. In the wake of his touch, he pressed feathery kisses against her skin. His hands slid around to unclasp her bra. As he pulled it down, his gaze dropped to her breasts.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for days,” he whispered.

“Me too.”

“Lie back.”

She fanned her hair out across the pillow and settled into it. If she hadn’t been lying down, she would have floated away on a cloud of bliss.

His mouth met hers and lingered until he dragged his breathless kisses across her throat. The quiver in her belly grew as he licked tiny circles around her nipples. When he sucked one between his lips, she moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. He captured the other nipple and tugged and tasted until she ground her hips into the bed.

Every touch brought her closer to him. Every caress bound them together. As he dipped lower to kiss the curve of her belly, she arched against him, desperate to have him inside her.

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Shh… I want to go slow. I want to remember every second of making love to you for the first time.”

The first time?
She bit the edge of her lip. This would be the
only
time. She’d waited for someone like him for years, but he belonged at the Curvy Bear Ranch and she didn’t. But the thought was short-lived as he unbuttoned her jeans. How could she leave him after this? He’d hinted at wanting more than just sex when he’d said he wanted to make love to her.

The second he pulled the zipper down, she stopped thinking. His mouth grazed her panties as he tugged her jeans over her hips. She kicked them off.