The Cowbear's Mail Order Bride (Curvy Bear Ranch 6) (7 page)

“I’m shy.”

“Why? I think you’re gorgeous.”

He pushed the cloth aside, leaving twin trails of molten fire across her belly and hips. He smoothed his hands down over her buttocks.

“You’re so soft…” he murmured before grazing the top of her shoulder with his lips. His tongue darted out to trace a line across her collar bone. “…and sweet.”

“Oh, God.”

Her head lolled back as he nibbled the edge of her neck. The robe fell past her hips to pool at her feet. She kicked it away.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he said. “From the moment I kissed you this morning.”

“Me too,” she said.

“I wasn’t sure.”

“I’m still not sure,” she admitted.

“You’re not?” He pulled back slightly. “If you want me to stop…”

“No. I don’t want you to stop. But I’m not sure what this means.”

“It means we’re two, hot-blooded people who need each other right now. If you can’t handle meaningless sex, I get it. I’ll stop. But…” He traced the edge of her breast with his fingers. “…I don’t want to stop.”

“I don’t either.”

“Then don’t,” he challenged.

She reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair and drew his face toward hers. When their lips met, the all-consuming need to forget everything but the play of his tongue across her mouth won. Every last thread of restraint unraveled as she gave herself over to him completely.

He drifted lower. As he kissed her neck and shoulders, she ran her fingers across the hard plane of his abs. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had touched her with such reverence, with such intensity.

The tip of his tongue spread wet spirals across the tops of her breasts. She leaned into him. The support from his strong arms gave her a weightlessness she hadn’t felt in years. In all of her fantasies about Drew, she never imagined he’d be so sensual. The dichotomy between rough cowboy and gentle lover sent ripples of need across her glistening flesh.

As his lips plucked one taut nipple into his mouth, she moaned. Coherent thought dissolved into sheer sensation. His hands scooped under her butt. He lifted her and carried her to the bed. After laying her down, he dropped to graze her belly with his cheek.

“I don’t know if I can hold back,” he whispered. “But I will.”

Her mouth went dry as he knelt between her thighs. She arched in anticipation, so when he didn’t move to cover her, she flinched. Why was he stopping?

She got the answer a second later when he pushed back onto his belly. He kissed the inside of her thigh, leaving her to tremble in the wake of his lips.

“You smell so good,” he murmured. “I want to taste you.”

“Okay.”

She chided herself for the lamest answer ever. But what else could she say? The husky tinge of lust in his voice rolled through her like thunder. She’d never had a man talk to her like that before, especially not in bed. The sudden rush of feminine power filled her with a boldness she wasn’t accustomed to having.

As he brushed his lips closer to her sex, she lifted to meet him. With a grown, he wrapped his fingers around her hips and pressed her into the bed. Long, lavish swirls of his tongue coaxed her closer to the breaking point. She clutched the sheets in her hands and writhed against him.

The dull, aching throb in her pussy built until her breaths came out in short bursts. Mindless pleasure coiled from somewhere deep inside her. This was more than just sex. He worshiped her with his lips and tongue.

She lay sprawled across the bed. Her thighs trembled as the hard buds of her nipples ached to be touched. As if he’d read her mind, he reached up to rub the thick pad of his thumb over them.

Everything exploded. She gasped as tight, clenching waves of orgasmic ecstasy ripped through her body. She twisted to one side and screamed as she shook from the force of her orgasm.

He crawled up to cover her with his rugged body. She wrapped her legs around his hips and drew him in, taking every inch of his rigid cock. Her mouth dropped open. God, he was huge. Even bigger than the outline of his jeans had suggested.

Each thrust pushed the breath from her body. Each pull left her wanting more. And when he angled his hips in just the right motion, she exploded around him. She clung to him as if her life depended on it. He growled in response, driving into her with animalistic passion.

When she raked her nails down his back, he roared. She froze. The sound chilled her to the core. It was almost inhuman.

“Shh,” he whispered before kissing away her fear.

She relaxed. With all the blood rushing through her ears, she’d probably just misinterpreted the strange sound.

As he continued to plunge into her, sweat beaded on his body. Her hands slipped down to grab his butt. She pulled him in, taking everything he had to give until he pushed her over the edge.

A series of seismic waves rippled throughout her body. She pulsed around him, devoid of thought, lost in total abandon until he surged forward. His sharp cry pierced the air. As his hips pummeled her with relentless thrusts, she tumbled with him into a state of total ecstasy.

Silky heat filled her. She’d never been so completely satisfied. Every inch of her body went limp. She tried to raise her hands to caress his back but couldn’t. She could only lie there, basking in the glow of his adoration.

He spread soft kisses over her mouth before easing off to lie beside her. As he drew her into the crook of his arm, she sighed and placed her hand on his chest. At first, his heart beat wildly. But after a few minutes, it slowed to a normal pace.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?” came his sleepy reply.

“For making me feel alive again.”

“Mine,” he muttered.

He cradled her against him in a possessive move that would have frightened her had it been anyone else. But she had nothing to fear. Drew wouldn’t hurt her. She knew it in the depths of her soul. He was a good, honest man with nothing to hide…and she was completely unworthy of him.

Chapter 7

Drew opened one eye and squinted at the rising sun. Light filtered in through the window, casting the bed in a soft glow. His arm had gone numb but he didn’t care. A beautiful woman was worth a little bit of pain.

He carefully extracted his arm and flexed his hand several times. Pins and needles prickled along his skin as blood rushed in. He smiled. He’d shared one hell of a night with her. His bear chuffed in agreement. For the first time in a while, peace flowed through him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed being this close to another person. It wasn’t all physical either. There was something about her, something that made him want to be around her.

She’s our mate,
his bear said.

What?
Drew’s eyes widened.

She’s ours.

How can you be so sure?
Drew asked.

I’m sure.

Drew lay back and stared at the ceiling.
Ours?
Could Sharon be their mate?

He carefully rolled onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. The gentle rise and fall of her back continued. He didn’t want to wake her. Not yet.

Although he didn’t know her very well, he liked talking to her. The time they’d spent in Yellowstone the previous day warmed his heart, and not just because he’d been able to take her home and have mind-blowing sex with her. That was the cherry on top of an already amazing day. But was that enough to make her his mate?

He sighed. He’d have to get to know more about her before he could make a decision as important as claiming her as his mate. Maybe he just needed more time. If he could convince her to stay for another week, then he’d be able to determine whether or not fate had brought her to his doorstep.

A sheet was draped across her body as if she’d struggled with it in the middle of the night. It only covered her upper body, not her full, voluptuous butt. Her long, sexy legs were crossed at the ankle. Sure, she was incredibly sexy, but was she his mate?

She sighed and rolled slightly away. The sheet slipped from her back to reveal a long, jagged scar which ran from shoulder to hip. His heart stopped. Jesus, what had happened to her? He reached to trace a finger across the raised flesh. The scar wasn’t fresh, but it wasn’t too old either. If he had to guess, it was about a year old.

“Cold,” she whispered.

He slipped out of bed. A blanket hung over the edge. He grabbed it and covered her before heading toward the closet. They always kept extra sets of bedding in there in case the guests got cold. He opened the door and rummaged around in the semi-darkness. At some point, he wanted to install lights in all of the closets to make it easier for the guests.

His fingers closed over a soft, fuzzy blanket. Perfect.

As he pulled it out, it caught on something. He yanked hard enough to free it, but in the process, her suitcase tumbled off the shelf and fell open on the floor. He bent to put the contents back in, then froze.

A pile of driver’s licenses and passports littered the floor. He dropped to his knees and spread the plastic cards out. Different states. Different names. Same picture—Sharon’s picture.

Only none of the IDs had the name “Sharon” on it. Instead, he found a plethora of other identities. He grabbed a stack and filtered through them. The state driver’s licenses ranged from Arkansas to Washington. The pile contained almost every state in the US.

He let the cards fall from his fingers. Who the hell was in that bed?

He stood and stalked closer.

***

“Get up!” A gruff voice snapped her awake.

Cindy whirled to find Drew walking toward the bed. He held something in his hand. At first, she couldn’t make it out. Then icy dread poured down her spine. He held a bundle of her driver’s licenses.

“I can explain,” she whispered.

“What are you? A criminal?” he shouted.

“No.”

“A spy?”

“No,” she choked.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“I never should have stayed.” She hung her head.

“Are you on the run from something?”

“Yes.”

“What?” When she didn’t immediately respond, he ripped the blanket off the bed. “I saw the scar.”

She curled up into a ball and folded her arms over her chest. How could she have been so careless? She should have slipped a shirt on after they’d made love.

Drew stomped across to the suitcase. He scooped it up and tossed it on the bed.

“Get out,” he said. “I don’t know who you are, or what kind of trouble you’re in, but I’m not letting you drag my family into it.”

Tears formed in her eyes. What happened to the sweet, gentle man she’d given herself to last night? The man standing before her exuded a level of rage the she didn’t think Drew could possess.

Her bottom lip trembled as she stared at him through a thin sheen of tears. She’d made a mess of everything. She should have left all the IDs in the car.

“I’m not leaving until all of your stuff is gone,” he said. “Move.”

“Please, let me explain,” she said.

“There’s literally nothing you could tell me that would make this okay.”

“I had to run. I had to protect her.”

“Who?” he asked.

“Brooke. My daughter.”

He blanched. “You have a daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?” he asked.

“Staying with my parents where she’ll be safe,” she said.

“From what?”

“Her father.”

“Why would a father want to hurt his daughter?” he asked.

“To hurt me. He lives to hurt me.”

“I saw your back,” he said. “Did he do that to you?”

“Yes.” She bowed her head as shame crept into her heart.

“What happened?” The anger in his tone had dissipated a bit, but it still held an edge.

“I tried to leave him.”

“It’s an old scar,” he said.

“It’s been a year since it happened.”

“Did you go to the police?” he asked.

“Yes.” She laughed bitterly. “A lot of good that did.”

“What happened?”

“They messed up the chain of evidence and the judge threw out the assault charges. The day he walked, he found me. I didn’t know he was out. No one called to warn me.” She stopped as her voice began to waver.

Drew picked the blanket up off the floor and tossed it to her. She wrapped it around her body, grateful for the warmth.

“I was at my parents’ home. My mom had left to pick Brooke up from school. I was…I was having a hard time.” She looked away. There was no need to confess the number of days she’d spent in total despair. If only she’d known then that the pain in her heart was nothing compared to what was to come.

“So, your mom was gone...” he prompted.

“Yes. I was in the living room. I heard something in the backyard but didn’t think anything of it. The next thing I knew, Liam, my ex-husband, was running toward me from the kitchen. I immediately went into shock,” she said.

“He was supposed to be in jail.”

“Right,” she said. “So it took me a few seconds to react. I jumped off the couch but he was already behind me. He had a knife. He made the scar on my back.”

“How did you get away?” he asked.

“I fought. God, the place looked like a war zone.” She pictured the broken vases, shattered picture frames, and holes in the walls.

Drew stood in the same spot as if rooted to it. He hadn’t made a move in her direction.

“In the end, my mom came home,” she said. “That’s what stopped him. She took one look and called the police. Then she yelled for me. Liam turned and ran. It only took five minutes for the cops to arrive, but they were too late. He’d escaped, but not before telling me that he’d hunt me to the edges of the earth. I believed him. I still believe him.”

“When was the last time you saw him?” he asked.

“That day. It’s been a little over a year.”

“But you’re convinced he’s still hunting you?”

“I know he is,” she said.

“Then you’ve knowingly put my family in danger,” he said.

“No, no,” she said frantically. “There’s no way he can find me here. I’m careful. That’s why I have so many driver’s licenses.”

“What you’re doing is illegal. Why don’t you go to the cops?” he asked.

“I did. I filed a report. But if they couldn’t do their job when he was already in jail, then how can I expect them to help me now?”

His eyebrows knitted together.

“I didn’t know what to do. I just ran and I haven’t stopped running,” she said. “But after a year, I’m tired. I’m tired of running.”

“That’s why you went online to find a new husband? I’d think that after what you’ve been through, you wouldn’t ever want to get married again,” he said.

“I needed a place to stay. I figured that a ranch in Montana was far enough from a big city that he’d never find me,” she said.

“What about your daughter? Were you going to spring that on me after we got married?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t think that far.”

“I don’t know if I can believe you,” he said softly. “I want to. God help me, I do. But…all I have is your word and you’ve already lied to me in a hundred different ways.”

She stood and wrapped the blanket around her before crossing to where he stood.

“I’m still the same woman you were getting to know.”

“I need to think.” He ran a hand through his hair. “If what you say is true…”

“It is.”

“I need to think,” he repeated.

He quickly pulled on his clothes. As he walked toward the door, he shook his head. He opened it, then paused. Without turning to face her, he spoke in an angry tone. “What’s your name…your
real
name?”

“Cindy.”

***

“Cindy,” Drew muttered as he stomped down the stairs. “Not Sharon.”

The rage in his belly reached a boiling point the second he stepped onto the front porch. His bear huffed. He wanted out, and Drew was ready to unleash him.

After sprinting into the woods, he let his bear take over. The cracking, ripping tear of muscle and bone echoed through the forest. His hands stretched and grew sharp claws. His feet morphed into furry paws. He dropped to all fours as his back elongated. His nose stretched to become a snout. When the transformation was complete, he let out a roar loud enough to shake globs of snow from nearby tree branches.

He padded over to the nearest tree and stood on his hind legs. With both paws, he shook the trunk in an attempt to release his frustration. He’d made the mistake of getting his hopes up. A suitable wife wasn’t going to magically appear. He should have suspected there was more to her story. Now he didn’t know what to believe.

Was she really a battered woman running from her ex-husband? Did she actually have a daughter that she was trying to protect? Or was everything she’d just told him a lie too?

He hated liars more than anything in the world. But what if she wasn’t lying? What if her story was true?

As he lumbered through the forest, he crawled over fallen logs and across thick snowdrifts. He headed toward his special place, where a thick group of pine trees formed a windbreak. From the other side of the trees, he could look out over the river valley. No one else knew about this spot. Unlike everything else at the ranch, this was all his. He didn’t have to share it.

He plunked down on his butt. Sunlight glinted off the frozen river. A flock of birds flew low before rising up over a nearby hill. This is what he wanted—peace.

He wasn’t the kind of man who needed much in life, and he preferred to be alone. A loner at heart, he enjoyed the solitude. But over the last few months, he’d started to doubt his need for seclusion. His brothers were all so happy with their mates. Hell, even Logan, the perpetual ladies’ man, had tied the knot. If he could settle down, then anyone could.

As the wind picked up, a veil of snowflakes obscured his visibility. He couldn’t see through it clearly. He couldn’t see through Sharon either...or Cindy. If she really was on the run, a part of him wanted to help her. His protective instinct reared up.

She’s not our problem
, Drew grumbled.

She’s our mate.

Ugh, why was his bear such a pain in the ass?

If she’s our mate, then why did she lie?
he asked.

Scared.

Maybe. He tried to think of what he’d do in her situation, but he didn’t have a point of reference. He could easily protect himself and his family. But he was a bear shifter, she wasn’t. What would it feel like to be defenseless?

Scary for sure. His bear
was
right about that much. But was it enough to justify running away and lying to people along the way? What if he hadn’t found out her secret? What if he’d fallen for her?