Waking the Bear (Shifter Wars) (15 page)

“Oh?” She leaned back against the armrest and put her feet up. “I’d kind of gotten the impression that you didn’t want a relationship because you’d lost your family.”

Griff froze. He didn’t realize he was so transparent. “That has been the case, Amy.” He held his head in his hands. “I didn’t protect my family and they were murdered because of it.”

“You were a child.”

“I know. But I should have done something to protect my sister. I should have tried.”

She rubbed his leg. “That’s a horrible situation and you’re in no way to blame.”

He looked at her. “Thank you for saying that. It’s a hard issue for me.”

She scooted closer and took his face in her hands then kissed him on the lips. “You’re amazing, Griff. Any woman would be lucky to have you.”

His bear roared. She scooted back and stared into the flames and he moved her feet into his lap.

“I think if I had someone—someone who wanted me as much as I wanted her—I think even winter would be a happier time. I’d have someone to talk to and watch movies with and even get out and snowshoe or cross-country ski with.”

He rubbed the soles of her feet, working his way to her toes.

“Mmmm. That feels amazing.” Amy sighed. “Yeah, my boyfriends have all been losers. Drawn to an artist, but with no fire in their own bellies. No one I could ever commit to spending a lifetime with.”

So she’d had boyfriends, plural, not just dates. Griff scowled. The fire popped and sent a small shower of sparks onto the hearth.

“That tickles!” Amy pulled her feet away and tucked her legs under her. “My feet are too sensitive.”

“Sorry.”
Boyfriends. Grrr.
But he didn’t want to be a boyfriend. He was her mate.

“Tell me what you like in a woman, Griff. What do you look for? Ideally.” She peeked at him.

“Why do you ask?” He gave her his sternest look
.
“Interested in applying for the position?”

She responded with a pillow to his face.

“Oooof.” He grabbed at the pillow, intent on whacking her back, but she held on.

“Oh, no you don’t!” She laughed and hit him again, this time on the knees.

He swiped at the pillow, missing again. She jumped up, holding it in front of her, taunting him. He reached for her, tackled her around the waist and pushed her down onto the couch. She giggled and he held her tighter.

“Let me go.” She laughed, trying to hit him in the head with the pillow. “Now. You aren’t playing fair.”

“Anything’s fair. I don’t recall setting any rules.” He snatched the pillow and threw it across the room. “No more pillows.”

“But—”

“No more.” He stretched out beside her, one arm around her waist, his body pressed against hers from chest to knees. “Just me and you now. Doesn’t that feel better?”

She yawned. “Yeah. It does. I’m glad we got out of that bar. This is much more my style.”

“Mine, too.”

He listened to the crackling and popping of the fire. He laid his head on her soft chest and she ran her fingers through his hair. Her heart pounded and he closed his eyes to listen. If every moment with her could be so special, he’d convince her to be his mate in half a heartbeat.

“You didn’t answer me,” she whispered. Her fingers caressed his ear.

“What?” He snuggled closer, feeling the fire’s warmth across his back. He was about as close to heaven as he ever expected on earth. Who knew that snuggling one’s mate in front of a warm fire could feel so damn amazing? The events from earlier in the night faded fast. Elijah was speeding up preparations, Evers was nowhere near and Griff was spooning with his mate.

Life was good.

“What do you look for in a woman?” Her fingers stilled and he was sure he heard her heart skip a beat.

“I look for someone like you.”

“No, seriously...”

“Seriously.”

“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”

“There aren’t any other girls. I’ve never really had time to include girls in my life. Besides, I prefer women.” He ran his hand up the rear of her shirt, trailing his hand across the soft skin of her back.

“No one else, come on...” She squinted at him.

“Not in a long time. And never anyone important.” He fiddled with her bra clasp.

His bear growled with impatience, pacing. More than lust, more than desire, the bear needed to claim its mate.

Needed Amy.

But Griff had to make sure Amy wanted him, too, and the thought scared the hell out of him. And he could not claim her until she knew everything.

“Oh, you’re just saying that.”

“I’ve never said it to anyone.” He held her at arms’ length, every cell in his body quivering in anticipation at the next words. “You are the woman for me, Amy Francis. My heart has known it since I first met you. Let me prove it to you. Besides, I think we’ve talked long enough.”

* * *

The kisses came hard and fast. Griff planted them on her shoulder, her collarbone, her neck. Amy, dizzy with desire, lay back on the couch.

“That feels so good.” She closed her eyes. If this never stopped, she’d be the happiest woman on earth.

“We’re just getting started.” He held himself over her and kissed her again, slowly.

His response was perfectly in time with hers and he slid his hand over her breasts, gently squeezing them, then tugging off her bra. She moaned. When his mouth met her nipple, she arched her body toward him, her mouth half-open. If she could capture this moment in time, she’d revisit it daily till the day she died. She’d never had such sensual sex.

He sat back and trailed a fingertip down her stomach, the featherlight touches leaving a row of goose bumps in their wake.

She opened her eyes, heavy-lidded. “Why did you stop kissing me?”

“Oh, I’m not done. Just taking a second to look at you. You’re so beautiful.”

She shook her head.

He took her chin and tipped it up. Leaning over her, he said, “You’re exactly what I want in a woman. Beautiful inside and out.”

“That’s so sweet.” She looked away.

He ran his fingers down to the waistband of her jeans and tugged. “Are you sure you want this? Sure you want me?” He peered down at her, his finger poised over the button.

She nodded, her eyes half-closed. Right now, there was nothing she wanted more. She’d worry about repercussions tomorrow. If she didn’t die from pleasure while having sex.

Griff bent and kissed her belly button and she giggled. He undid her jeans and pulled them off with a flourish. She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest.

Lying on the couch in only her underwear, she looked down to make sure she had on her pretty panties.
Yep.
Red lace.
Granny panties could’ve been embarrassing.
How awesome would it be to have a lover who didn’t judge you on what kind of panties you wore? Griff might be that guy, but for tonight, she was happy she had the red lace.

He pulled the quilt down off the back of the couch and covered her up to her neck then stood. “Hold on a second.”

It’s getting hotter by the moment
. She held out her hands. “Come back.”

He pulled his T-shirt off and tossed it on the chair, and she drank in the sight of him. His chest, broad at the top with a smattering of hair in the middle, looked like it belonged to a model from a menswear catalog. Not a gym rat and not a scarecrow, but a just right in-between.

He took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out a packet and set it on the table. Then he removed the rest of his clothing as she watched. Good thing she didn’t have a bucket of popcorn or she would’ve choked. Griff wasn’t a man ashamed of his body. If anything, he didn’t realize how attractive he was, but he wasn’t shy.

The firelight painted him in hues of gold and orange and his back muscles gleamed in the glowing light. He was turned so she couldn’t see his front completely, just occasional glimpses of hair on his stomach. In the half darkness, the situation almost felt like a dream.

A really awesome dream where he was slow dancing and stripping for her alone.

And he was.

She noticed a set of silver scars, parallel and curved, across his shoulder blade. Three lines, like furrows or eyelashes, but about four inches long. Maybe an animal scratch. The only mark on otherwise unblemished skin.

“Close your eyes, Amy. Relax. Let me feel you. You can trust me.”

An overwhelming sense of warmth came over her and it wasn’t from his touch. Yes, yes she could trust this man.

Completely.

She closed her eyes and almost immediately felt the quilt yanked away and his hand slid up her leg to her pussy. She let her knees fall open a little, though she shivered from his light touch.

“That’s it,” he whispered. “Keep your eyes closed.”

He stroked the inside of her thighs, then rubbed with his thumb, and she pushed against his hand, hoping he’d move to her more sensitive areas. His touch sent her nerve endings into a frenzy of pleasure.

“There’s no rush.” His breath was hot against her bare legs.

He slid off her panties. She smiled.

“I said keep your eyes closed and just feel,” he said. “No peeking. No thinking. No second-guessing.”

“Okay. I’m trying.” She lay back and concentrated on not moving, though her legs shook slightly under his touch.

“That feel okay?” He trailed a finger into her wetness.

She nodded, aware that her hips thrust forward of their own accord at his touch.

He pushed his fingers in, slowly, his other hand massaging her clit, and she tensed, clenching her hands.

“Are you okay?” He stopped moving. “Do you want me to stop?”

“I’m trying to relax. Nothing is wrong. Just go slow.”

“You got it. Nothing I’d like better.”

He stroked and rubbed with both hands, lightly then more firmly as she moved against his fingers.

She focused on his touch. He wasn’t Darren. He wasn’t going to take her emotions and stomp on them with no regard to her own feelings. Griff cared about her.

“You okay? Tell me what I can do.”

“Feels so good.”

Griff took his time and was making sure she enjoyed their lovemaking. He wasn’t selfish.

“Please don’t stop.”

He rubbed and massaged until she squirmed and her thighs were wet with arousal. He moved against her, but was in no hurry to actually enter her.

She reached for him, trying to return the pleasure, but he batted her hand away.

“Time for that later.” His chest was red with the flush of desire.

“Promise?” was all she could get out.

“Oh, I promise.” He pushed his erection against her leg.

She moaned under his ministrations and her pleasure deepened.

When was he going to fuck her? She was sure she had asked him to at least three times but he hadn’t answered. He finally tried slipping a finger inside her again, and this time she didn’t tense. She gripped the couch cushions and moaned. She needed more and now.

“Please.” Her voice sounded foreign to her, strained. “I can’t wait any longer.”

“I’m not going to make you wait.” He gently pulled his hand away.

“What’re you doing?” She lifted her head to see.

She heard the rip of foil. She hadn’t been on the pill since Darren, so a condom was a wise idea.

“Oh.” She laid her head back on the couch and waited.

“Ready?” He crouched over her in the darkness.

“I’ve been ready. For a while.” She giggled, nervous energy dancing in her stomach. “I think that’s obvious. I want to feel you inside me, Griff.”

He lay on top of her, moving her legs apart as he did. She was so wet, he entered without any resistance. She met his thrusts immediately. He felt so right, so perfect.

With his weight on her she couldn’t move much, but she rocked up toward him as much as she could, trying to feel him everywhere at once. He held himself off her and she pulled him back onto her. She wanted to feel the weight of him.

She peeked at him and he smiled. The heat of the fire plus their exertion caused them to sweat and their bodies to slip as they moved against each other. He pushed her hair out of her face and stared down at her as he moved inside her, each thrust sending shocks of desire through her. Soon, she couldn’t tell where one thrust ended and the next began. He moved faster, and his smile turned to an intense gaze as he took her, though she could barely see him in the darkness. She tried to keep her eyes open as the pleasure of his thrusts took over, but they closed on their own and she focused on the rhythm of his movement.

When he bent and kissed her, warmth bloomed in her pussy and her climax hit her fast and hard. Somewhere, seemingly far in the distance, yet maybe from inside her, she heard Griff moan as he came.

Once wasn’t going to be enough with Griff. Not physically and not emotionally. She’d never had such a fantastic lover. So caring and thoughtful. Her crush was becoming more and she wasn’t even going to try and fight it.

Not tonight anyway.

Chapter Sixteen

What in the fucking hell?

Griff sat up, his limbs stiff and sore and his back like a twisted Slinky.
Where am I?
He stretched his arms above his head and looked around. He’d slipped on his T-shirt and sweatpants from the Jeep. He was on his couch.

Correction.
The couch in his old cabin. The cabin Amy rented. He rubbed his eyes. Yep, he was in his old cabin.

His family’s cabin.

Damn!
He’d fallen asleep after sex. That was bad. He should’ve talked to Amy more. Made her feel as special as she was. Yeah, he was tired for weeks after hibernation, but how could he fall asleep with his mate in his arms?

His mate. Oh god, he’d made love to his mate.

It was more wonderful than he’d ever imagined. So much better than purely physical sex. With his mate, there was a bond that only the two of them could share. Sex between mates was better than regular sex.

Now he knew.

And he was going to have to tell Amy everything.

Elijah was going to laugh his ass off. Then, he was going to have to help Griff come up with a plan to protect her.

Oh gods
, he was going to have to tell her about his bear.

They weren’t bond-mated, he knew that. He hadn’t performed the bite that sealed their souls together. He’d had sex before, but of course that wasn’t with his mate. Still, he hadn’t felt any magical stuff happening, other than the normal orgasm. No strands of energy meshing, as his mated friends had mentioned. Good thing, as he hadn’t discussed it with Amy yet.

He hoped she would agree to be his mate. Forever.

He’d fallen asleep right after sex. Not his best romantic move. Hopefully, he was worried over nothing.

Where was Amy? She wasn’t on the couch with him.
Dammit!

He finally decided he wanted a mate, even in dangerous times and with Evers lurking about, and he might have seemed to minimize how he felt by falling asleep. He’d talk to her and clear it up immediately.

That meant they could have makeup sex.

Sort of.

He scanned the main room of the cabin, then stood and tugged his sagging sweatpants up on his waist. Well, he’d gotten dressed, so maybe he hadn’t fallen asleep immediately. He scratched his head and yawned. No fire left—only ashes with a few orange coals winking from the fireplace. Coffee cups sat on the kitchen counter with a few other dirty dishes, and the kitchen chairs sat in disarray.

Maybe Amy was asleep in her bedroom. Not like the couch was roomy enough for both of them. Sex was one thing, a sound night’s sleep quite another. He crept down the short hallway and stood outside her door, hand on the doorknob.

Dare he?
Hell, yeah
.

This was his cabin, his bed and his Goldilocks.

He pushed the door open slowly and peered inside. The room was dark, with only a sliver of light coming in from the crack in the curtains, so he crept to the bed.
Wonder if she wears clothes when she sleeps?
His dick hardened remembering her soft, bare pussy against his fingers.
Mmmm.
He couldn’t wait to explore more. He ran his hand over the bed, the cool sheets soft under his hand and...no Amy.

Where the hell was she? He flicked on the overhead light. The bed had possibly been slept in, as it wasn’t made, but she wasn’t in it now. A silky peach-colored nightgown lay on the pillow, and he grabbed it and smelled it. Sweet, floral...and female.

Mine.
The thought resonated deep in his bones.

If things had gone well, he could’ve been cuddled up to that silky nightgown covering his mate. Now, he had to find her. He’d only begun to show her how many ways he could love her.

Oh my gods.

I love her.

Hurry
.

He rushed out to the hallway and knocked on the bathroom door. No answer, so he opened the door. No Amy.

Where the hell was she?

He headed for the kitchen, running scenarios in his mind and sending his stomach into fits. What if Evers had snuck in and kidnapped her? His bear growled and reared up inside, pawing at the air and ready to rip Evers to shreds. He’d kill him if he hurt Amy. What were the odds Evers had shown up and taken Amy while he slept?

Griff shook his head. He’d have heard the commotion and Amy would’ve called out for him. There were no signs of forced entry.

No
.

He spied a piece of pink paper on the counter beside the coffee cups. She’d left a note. He snatched it up.

Griff,

Didn’t want to wake you. Such a beautiful morning! I’m going to Rocky Knob to sketch. Don’t worry, I’ll stay at the overlook. I need some time to think about what happened last night. You’re probably feeling the same way.

You go on home when you get this note and we can talk later, okay?

xo

Amy

Griff crumpled the paper then banged the counter with his fist.

She’d gone out alone into the mountains. Why didn’t she listen? This was bad. If she ran into Evers, she might not escape this time. Now that Evers knew she was Griff’s, he’d be out for blood.

Griff growled and ran his hand through his hair. He had to get to her before Evers. He needed backup. If the Sen Pal were out in the forest, who knew how many lions he’d face?

He dropped the paper onto the counter.

He pulled out his cell. Barely a charge.
Great.
He dialed.

“Powell? It’s Griff.” He struggled to hold it together. If Evers put one finger on Amy...

“Yeah, man, what’s going on? Where’ve you been? Elijah was looking for you last night.”

Griff knew Powell would alert every den member within fifty miles. “Busy. No time for small talk. I need your help. I’m sure Elijah filled you in on what happened with Evers, the Sen Pal Enforcer.”

“Yeah, he called me.”

“Today, Evers is after my mate. We have to go after them, now.”

“Shit! Where?”

“She went up to Rocky Knob. Evers is probably tracking her. Can you grab some guys and meet me?”

“Of course. I’ll let Elijah know, too. Do you think the Sen Pal are attacking?”

“I’ve not seen any signs that this is anything other than Evers.” Griff gripped the phone. “Marco and Mason were prowling around, but they didn’t bother me and Amy. I’m guessing they were hunting Evers. After thinking about all this, I think he’s gone rogue. I’ll bet Maximillian sent them to find him. There may be other lions out searching for him, too, so let everyone know. I don’t think they are on offense yet, or the twins wouldn’t have run.”

“Okay. I’ll get a few bears and meet you up there as quickly as I can.”

“Hurry. She won’t stand a chance if he catches her.”

“We’ll be there. You go. Be careful. He’s a nasty lion.”

“That asshole is dead meat.” Griff clicked to end the call and stared at the time. One o’clock. No longer morning, and definitely after lunch. Amy was in trouble—he felt it.

He had to get to her.

He stripped off his clothing—he’d make better time as a bear. He headed out onto the porch and noticed the dark clouds over the mountains. Rain beat against the ground and puddles had already formed in the indentations in the yard. Spring weather changed quickly.

When Amy had left, the weather must’ve been good and she obviously hadn’t checked the forecast. He closed the front door and stood on the porch looking out toward the peak called Rocky Knob.

The rain was going to make things much harder, especially if the clouds were low-hanging and covering the mountains with fog. His bear screamed for release.

Mate
.
Needs me.

Hold on, boy. We’ll take the Jeep, then you can run.

* * *

Amy scowled at the mess around her car. Her emergency blinkers flashed in time with the rain beating against her windshield. She’d turned off the radio a few minutes ago so she could think. She was stuck and she wasn’t sure what to do.

Why couldn’t sketching be a simple, no-risk thing? Even Griff couldn’t have predicted a rockslide. She was following his requests—she wasn’t out in the woods alone. She was in her car sitting in the middle of the road. She sighed and leaned her head back on the headrest.

She’d decided to give her and Griff’s relationship a real chance.

The sun was shining when she left. She’d gotten a few sketches done at the overlook, then was packing up to head home when the rain started. By the time she got to her car, everything was soaked. She’d pulled out of the overlook parking lot and onto the road and was headed home and that’s when hell had broken loose.

At least that’s what it felt like when part of the mountain slid down. At first, several boulders bounced down and landed on the road in front of her, blocking her way, then a loud rumbling started. It shook the car and she’d looked up in time to see the mud and rocks coming down the face of the mountain beside the road and straight for her car.

She’d thought she was going to die. She covered her head and ducked down as the rocks pelted her roof and the mud oozed down around her tires. Thankfully, no large rocks hit the car and the slide ended with her stuck, but alive.

She gripped the steering wheel. The car wasn’t going anywhere now.

The car was a clunker anyway. What were a few more dents and scratches? She’d laugh if she were back at the cabin warm and dry, but right now it wasn’t very funny.

She’d figured if she sat in the car and waited, someone would happen by. It was a national forest, and tourists visited all the time. So far, no luck. She stared out the side window into the rainy landscape.

She’d had plenty of time to think about how her relationship with Griff had progressed. The way he touched her. Kissed her. The way they’d fit together so perfectly. The fact he would talk to her about his feelings and ask her about hers. He seemed too good to be true.

If he would have her, she’d be his girlfriend in a heartbeat.

She didn’t want to get hurt or hurt him, and she’d only be in the mountains a little while longer. He knew that. She couldn’t stay in the tiny town—what kind of job would she be able to do? Without money, she wouldn’t have food or be able to pay rent.

No, it wasn’t practical to stay in the area.

It had been almost an hour and no one had ventured up the mountain road to save her. Of course, one direction was blocked by the slide. Maybe there were other slides, too. Or maybe they’d even closed the park because of the weather.

She was going to have to get out of the mess herself. Then she’d have to listen to Griff complaining about her going out alone again. Who knew that just driving down the road could be hazardous? Normally, it wasn’t. It was like the mountains were cursed or something. Like someone didn’t want her here.

“Shit.” She tapped her cell phone again. No signal and almost no charge left. She slipped the phone into her pocket. That was one thing she’d be glad to get back to when she returned to Atlanta. Consistent cell service.

That, and good sushi.

She tried to push open the driver’s door, but it wouldn’t budge. She peered out the window. A medium-sized rock blocked the bottom of the door. It had fallen in such a way that it wedged itself between the ground and the door. No way the door was opening. She crawled over and looked out the passenger-side window.

Mud had oozed down the mountainside like a slow-motion waterfall, and she wouldn’t be surprised if it was most of the way up her tires. Who knew mudslides could get so bad, so fast? She knew the spring rains caused a lot of slides, but this was a significant pile of rocks and mud.

As if to punctuate her predicament, the rain picked up and beat on the car roof harder.

She laid her head against the seat. Griff had jinxed the mountains. He’d been the one to keep pointing out the dangers. Why hadn’t she listened?

Because he’s not always right
. She frowned.

What he’d done to her last night certainly felt right. His touch, so gentle for such a large man, had awoken nerves in her she hadn’t realized she had. The way he looked into her eyes—like she was the only woman on earth—had intensified her pleasure.

She sighed. Maybe she should give him a chance. Even if it was only for a couple weeks, as long as she knew that going in, and he knew it, too, what was the harm in a little fling? Sex relieved stress, right? And stress relief was one reason she had taken this vacation in the first place. But he didn’t seem likely to agree to a temporary arrangement. She gripped the wheel.

Dammit, Amy.
She laid her head on the steering wheel. Now was not the time to think about Griff Martin and sex. She had a bigger problem.

Right now she needed to get back to the cabin.

Whether she’d be spending the night in Griff’s arms didn’t matter now. She’d waited in the car long enough—she didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the mountain at night. Not with lions and bears roaming the woods. Who knew what else? With more rain pelting the ground, the mudslide could worsen and cause more rocks to fall. She didn’t want to be in the car if that happened.

She scooted back to the passenger side and unlatched the door. When she tried the handle it didn’t move at first, then slowly, there... The door creaked open, and the sound of the pouring rain filled the car. The smell of wet dirt quickly permeated the air and she wrinkled her nose. The mud right outside the car looked to be at least eight inches deep, coming up nearly to the side of the door opening. If she stepped out, it’d come well over her ankles.

“Yuck.” She tugged the door closed and backed into the driver’s seat. What could she do? Not many choices and all but one would include her getting wet. She wasn’t staying in the car. Maybe if she climbed onto the car roof, she could see a way to get out without tromping through so much mud. She’d get soaking wet, but wet was better than wet and muddy. She paused. Not really much of a choice. She didn’t want to sit in the car any longer, waiting on someone to come rescue her.

She rolled down the driver’s window and pulled herself out. The roof was slippery and she struggled to climb on top of the car. She’d worn sneakers—at least they gave her a bit of traction. The dented roof bowed under her weight yet felt stable. She peered around, but with the heavy rain and foggy mist, visibility was terrible.