The more time she spent with the Aussie bear shifter, the more she liked him, and the more she craved his kisses…and other things.
The grueling efforts of the assembled firefighting forces to dig fire breaks and clear defensible perimeters around vulnerable buildings on the outskirts of town began to pay off.
Hannah and the other residents of Bearpaw Ridge and its outlying farms and ranches eagerly followed the daily firefighting progress reports that Dane issued via the BPRFD's Facebook page and Twitter feed.
25% contained…30% contained…40% contained.
Then the rains came, a strong and very wet storm that rolled in from the Pacific Northwest and drenched the entire state for two days.
And just like that, the town's weeks-long ordeal by smoke and flame ended.
The grateful residents of Bearpaw Ridge quickly organized a huge "Thank You" celebration that included live music, catered food and drinks donated by every restaurant and pub in the area, and large party tents to keep everyone dry.
Hannah and Sam sat together in one corner of the live music tent, their feet tapping as they listened to a talented country music band performing with fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and bass.
They held hands with almost desperate fervor. Hannah was acutely aware that the quenching of the enormous and destructive wildfire also meant that the mutual-aid fire crews would be heading back to their homes very soon.
"Hey," she said softly, leaning into the tall Aussie sitting next to her. "Do you want to come home with me rather than going back to the camp tonight?"
"You know I do," Sam replied. "But I'm on cleanup duty at dawn." He grimaced, and Hannah saw the shadows of fatigue on his face.
Everyone involved in fighting the fire was bone-deep tired, but victory had given them all an extra boost of energy, so they danced and celebrated and enjoyed the temporary surcease.
Tomorrow, the grim task of assessing damage and conducting mop-up operations would begin. But for tonight, everyone was taking a well-deserved break to enjoy some good food and good music.
"That's all right," Hannah assured him. "I have to be at the bakery in time to open it at 5:00 a.m. I promise I'll get you back to the camp in plenty of time."
Sam gave her a slow, sweet smile. "I reckon neither of us are getting much sleep tonight."
"I sure hope not," Hannah replied fervently.
She rose, and Sam followed her eagerly.
She waved at Kayla on her way out. Her sister, who was dancing with fellow firefighter Michael Jacobsen, waved back and gave her a thumbs-up.
Kayla had made it very clear that she liked and approved of Sam, and hoped that Hannah might be able to talk him into staying in Bearpaw Ridge.
Tonight's the night I ask him to stay, Hannah thought, as she and Sam left the tent and ran through the pouring rain to where she'd parked her pickup, which Sam charmingly referred to as her "ute."
* * *
Why am I so nervous about asking him? Hannah asked herself as she pulled up in front of the Queen Anne Victorian house on the Grizzly Creek Ranch.
She and Kayla had moved in to the lovely old house last autumn, right after their mom had moved out to go live at the Cougar Lake Ranch with her new mate Daniel Langlais.
Because it'll kill me if he says no.
He won't say no, her bear assured her. It sounded a lot more confident than Hannah felt.
She'd meant to ask Sam during the drive from town, but had chickened out and instead had asked him a bunch of questions about what it was like growing up on his parents' cattle station.
His answers made it sound like his childhood had been a lot like hers, minus the benefits of living in a shifter community.
She opened the door to her home and ushered him inside.
"Alone at last," she said, shutting the front door behind them. "Kayla won't be home for hours, maybe not at all."
"Well, in that case…" Sam bent to kiss her, then swung her up into his arms.
He carried her through a large cased opening into the living room, which was furnished with a selection of Victorian furniture that had come with the house. It wasn't really to Hannah or Kayla's taste, but the two of them hadn't yet gotten around to figuring out what they wanted instead.
Sam made a beeline for the huge Victorian horsehair sofa. He lowered her to it, and slid the hem of her new sundress up her thighs, revealing the new, lacy panties she'd bought for the occasion.
He paused to admire them.
"Nice knickers, possum," he told her, using the nickname he'd bestowed on her.
Hannah didn't mind. She had finally gotten around to looking up Australian possums, and discovered that they were every bit as cute and adorable as Sam had claimed.
Sam hooked his fingers under the lace, and pulled them down her legs. She eagerly lifted her hips to help him, then reached to unfasten the front of his jeans.
They finished undressing each other with breathless haste, scattering their clothes all around the sofa.
Sam retrieved a handful of condom packet from his jeans and brandished them triumphantly. "I came prepared to conquer this time," he informed her, grinning.
"I love a detail-oriented man," Hannah replied, eyeing his impressive erection with anticipation. She reached for him. "Allow me."
She took her time rolling the condom on him, caressing and teasing his hard, hot length.
"Enough," he growled finally, and lunged on top of her.
He covered her with his heavy body, devouring her mouth as his hands tangled in her long hair.
Hannah wound her arms around his neck and returned his kiss as every nerve in her body seemed to catch fire.
"I want you so badly." She wrapped her legs around his hips and reached between them, guiding the blunt head of his cock so that it pressed against her wet, aching entrance.
Sam moved into her with one powerful thrust, filling her completely.
"Oh. My. God," she gasped, relishing the way he stretched her. "Don't stop."
He took her fast and hard, his mouth covering hers, muffling her moans as he moved against her, his stiff length caressing her clit with every long thrust.
Her climax wound up rapidly, then released deep inside her, rocking her with powerful pulses of pleasure. Her climax went on and on without dying away, lifting her on blissful waves that rocked her into ecstasy.
She clung to Sam as his thrusts sped up and he went deeper and harder. He gasped against her lips, and she felt every muscle in his body tense as he came, his thrusts faltering and losing their rhythm.
When he was done, he rolled them both over, and held her draped across him, still firmly joined to him.
"Mine," he said, kissing her long and slow and deep, just as she liked.
Then he started moving under her, his cock still hard. Hannah pushed herself up and prepared to enjoy the ride, relishing the solid strength of him between her legs as she moved in rhythm with his thrusts.
This time, his movements were slow and deep as he drove her to a second climax before coming himself.
"Mine," he said again, as she collapsed on top of him. "I want you to be mine, Hannah."
"Yeah," she agreed and received a breathtakingly sweet smile in return.
He cuddled with her for a bit, rekindling her arousal with teasing caresses over her sensitized breasts.
Then he urged her up and off the couch. He sat up and put her on his lap, sliding her down onto his renewed erection. She straddled his legs while he took her from behind. It was raw and animalistic, his fingers digging into her hips as he went even deeper than before.
She gasped and writhed and quickly found herself coming again.
A brief respite of kissing, then, unbelievably, he was ready to go again. This time they spooned together on the sofa, his hands cupping her breasts as he moved against her.
When he came, thrusting up into her with a loud growl, he reached around her and stroked her to yet another climax.
She began realize that he hadn't been overl
y optimistic when he'd brought that many condoms on their date.
"God, I love shifter guys!" she panted, reaching back to pat his hip. She gathered up her courage and added, "I'm going to miss you so much when you go home, Sam."
He flattened his hand over her belly in a possessive gesture that made her melt inside. "I really wish I could stay." Her heart soared. Then he added, "Promise you'll come and visit me in Oz."
You have to make him stay with us! her bear ordered.
Hannah forced herself to laugh. Keep it light. Don’t scare him off. "You might have to keep trying to convince me."
She turned in his arms to face him, and kissed him in a series of slow, teasing nibbles that traced the perimeter of his mouth. "Are you up to the challenge, Sam?"
"You know I am," he said, reaching up to tuck a long lock of her dark hair behind her ear. "Now, I want to hear you come for me again."
He rose above her and proceeded to kiss and nip his way down her body until he reached her thighs.
He opened her knees wide and bent eagerly to pleasure her with his hot, hungry mouth as she bucked and writhed under the firm restraint of his hands.
"You taste delicious," he told her. "I don't ever want to stop doing this."
She came again and again, sobbing with almost unbearable pleasure as his lips and his tongue worked magic on her body.
Finally, when she was wrung out with pleasure and tucked against him on the sofa, he said, "I know we haven't known each other very long, but I don't want to leave you."
Her heart soared.
"I don't want you to leave, either. I've been trying to find a way to tell you without scaring you off," she confessed.
His low chuckle rumbled through her. "Ah, no worries, possum. You fed me and brought me home, so I reckon you're stuck with me now."
"I…I really like you." More than just like, but how do I tell him that?
"It's more than that for me, Hannah," he said roughly. "My bear has chosen you as our mate, and I'm fine with that."
Hannah wasn't surprised by the rush of joy that moved through her at his words. "So, you'll stay here, with me?"
Sam shook his head, his expression regretful. "I can't, Hannah. My parents are getting older, and they expect me to take over the station when they retire." He took a deep breath. "Come to Australia with me. You'll love it there, I swear to you."
Yes! Yes! Her bear was ecstatic. He wants to be our mate!
Hannah wasn't expecting the terror that came charging at joy's heels. She'd been dreaming of this day, wanted to be his mate…but she'd never considered leaving everything and everyone she knew behind to move to a different country. It was a huge change.
And I've never been farther from home than Seattle!
"I…my mom…Annabeth really relies on me to help her at the bakery…" The excuses tumbled out, propelled by her sense that she was standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing that she could never turn back if she decided to take a chance and step forward.
Mating between shifters was a forever commitment. That meant that moving to Australia, a place she'd never visited before, and one that was on the other side of the world, would also be a forever commitment
Sam expression was visibly disappointed. "I know it's a lot to ask, but I don’t want to live without you, Hannah. Please tell me that you'll at least give it serious thought."
"I will," she promised. "I really will."
"We still have a few hours before I have to be back at camp. Show me your bedroom and let me do my best to convince you."
Chapter 9
Guilt Trip
Bleary with lack of sleep, pleasantly sore, and wracked with indecision, Hannah drove Sam back to the firefighters' camp in the wee hours of the morning. They parted with lingering kisses made bittersweet by the cloud of his impending departure and her inability to commit to leaving her home and her family.
She dragged herself through her work at Cinnamon + Sugar until her shift ended at lunchtime. With a few hours remaining until she was due to help Annabeth deliver dinner to the firefighters, Hannah decided to drive out to the Cougar Lake Ranch and visit her mother.
She knew that Daniel would be at work, which was good. She wanted to have a private conversation with her mom.
"Hannah! What a nice surprise!" Margaret Swanson exclaimed as she opened the door of the newly-renovated ranch house that she shared with Daniel.
Hannah's mother was a tall woman with shoulder-length straight reddish-brown hair heavily frosted with silver, smooth skin bare of any makeup, and a warm smile. Crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and the smile lines bracketing her mouth enhanced the air of quiet strength and kindness that surrounded her.
She leaned forward to peer at Hannah. "Is everything all right, my dear?"
"Hi, Mom. I really need your advice about something," Hannah said.
Something in her expression must have betrayed the depths of her anguish, because she suddenly found herself folded into a soft hug. "Oh, my dear. Is this about the Australian firefighter that you've been seeing?"
Hannah nodded, her face still buried in her mother's shoulder as she held tight, breathing in Mom's familiar, comforting scent.
"Kayla told me that he's one of us, a bear shifter. She really likes him," Margaret said, drawing Hannah into the house. "Why don't I make us some tea, and then you can tell me all about it?"
* * *
The tea was her mom's favorite mint blend, and tasting it reminded Hannah of all the things that she'd miss if she moved away across the ocean.
They sat on the brand-new couch in the great room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows providing a stunning view over Cougar Lake and the densely forested hills that surrounded the lake.
Margaret and Daniel had bought all new furniture in a comfortable, contemporary rustic style that complimented the great room's rustic wood beams and vaulted ceilings.
Hannah found herself spilling her guts about meeting Sam, their whirlwind romance, and his proposal to her.
Margaret listened quietly, nodding occasionally. Hannah figured that her mom had heard quite a few of the details already— no secrets in a small town like Bearpaw Ridge— but Margaret's eyes widened when Hannah told her about Sam's proposal…and the fact that he was determined to continue living in Australia.
"…I think I'm in love with him. My bear wants him as our mate, but I don't know what to do!" Hannah finished, her voice rising with emotion.
Her mother's expression was troubled as she set aside her mug. "Australia? Oh dear, but that's so far away!"
"I know," Hannah said, miserably. She stared down at her tea as if hoping to divine answers from the patterns of rising steam.
"My dear, I know you have strong feelings for Sam," her mother said, gently. "But you really need to think this through. Do you really want to leave your home? And spend the rest of your life away from all of us?"
Her mother's words echoed the same doubts and questions that had been swirling around and around Hannah's head since last night.
"And what about grandchildren?" Margaret continued. "You know how much I miss Patrick, living so far away in Alaska. Seeing photos of Olivia by email and video chat isn't the same thing as being able to spend time with her and watch her grow up. It would break my heart if the same thing happened with your children, Hannah."
"But I love him!" Hannah's voice sounded very small.
Her mother smiled compassionately. "And I love you, my dear. I would miss you so much if you moved away to the other side of the ocean."
What do I do? How can I decide when I know that I'm going to hurt someone I love, no matter which course of action I take?
Chapter 10
Cold Feet
"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer? Just a few more days?" Hannah begged Sam a few hours later.
She had returned from her visit with her mom feeling more conflicted than ever.
Then she and Annabeth had made their dinner run to the firefighter's
camp, which was already emptying out.
Sam shook his head, and pulled her tightly against him. "We're flying out first thing in the morning. In fact, we've already packed up our gear and the tents, and we'll be driving to Missoula tonight."
"Oh no." Hannah couldn't believe that this was really good-bye. She'd been counting on having at least another few days to think about her decision. "Oh, God, Sam. I can't believe this! I'm going to miss you so much."
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