by Elena Aitken
“I’m sure it will,” Nina conceded. “It’s just…you can’t run away from your life.”
“And I’m not.” Not wanting to waste any more time, Harper packed the few items she’d bothered to unpack earlier. “We just got here. And I can’t go back right now anyway. Not until John gives me the all-clear.” She turned and looked at her best friend. “And frankly, even when he does tell me it’s okay to go back, I’m not sure I’m going to want to.”
“You’ve been here less than twenty-four hours. You can’t be serious that you want to stay here.”
“Maybe not here.” Harper shrugged. “But maybe.” She shook her head and turned away. “I don’t know. All I know is I don’t know if I’m going to be in a hurry to go back to LA and that life. Because even when John does clear my name, and he will, there won’t be anything left for me there. My reputation has already been destroyed. I won’t be able to work. And even if I could…”
“You hate LA,” Nina finished for her.
Harper nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress. “I do.”
Nina wrapped her arm around Harper’s shoulders and squeezed. “I know you do. Maybe it’s for the best that everything happened.”
Harper laughed. “Well, I’m sure it could have happened in a slightly different way and I would have been okay with that, too.”
“Agreed.” They shared a laugh and a hug. “So you’re going to stay? With Axel?” Nina wiggled her eyebrows. “I guess I don’t blame you,” she continued. “He’s yummy and I meant what I said earlier. You do deserve to have a little fun. Even if it’s just temporary. Go for it, girl.”
Harper smiled. With everything she was uncertain about, staying at Grizzly Ridge, at least for a little while, suddenly seemed like the best idea she’d heard in a long time. Especially if it involved a little fun with a mountain man like Axel.
Chapter Six
It almost killed him, but Axel reluctantly agreed to wait until the following evening after dinner to move Harper’s things to his cabin. He’d spent the majority of the day answering Nina’s questions about the Ridge and trying to avoid Harper. Fortunately, Luke had taken her on another hike. Fortunate only in the sense that if Axel had even one second alone with the woman, he was fairly sure he would have pinned her hands over her head and kissed her until her legs would no longer hold her up. He needed her with a primal urge he’d never experienced before, and judging by the way she’d stared at him over the dinner table, she felt exactly the same way. It would be torture for him to take her into his cabin and not show her in graphic detail exactly what he’d fantasized about all day.
But he would.
Only if she wanted him to.
“I’m sorry the accommodations aren’t ideal,” he said as they walked out into the night air, toward his cabin. “It would be preferable to keep you in the main lodge, but with the big group coming tomorrow, I guess this is the only real solution.”
He was lying through his teeth; having his mate in his cabin was absolutely the ideal solution. Axel also noted that neither of them mentioned the other, probably more practical solution of Harper staying in Nina’s room. A solution that conveniently enough had never been brought up.
“It’s fine.” She flashed him a smile that made his crotch ache. Either she had no idea how sexy she was, or she did and took joy in torturing him.
In a desperate effort to get his mind off all the things he wanted to do with her mouth, Axel made another lame attempt at conversation. “I suppose you could have waited until morning to bring your things over. We didn’t have to move you tonight.” He had her suitcase under one arm, the other wrapped protectively around her shoulders as he led her through the dark to his cabin. Not that he’d wanted her to wait. It was exactly the opposite, in fact. He wanted—no, he needed—her as close as possible to him. Now that he’d found her, the bear in him was not going to let her go without a fight. It didn’t matter that they’d just met. They were connected on a much deeper level and she knew it too, even if she didn’t know what it was that she was feeling. Axel was sure of it. More than he’d ever been sure of anything in his life. And for the moment, that would have to be enough for both of them.
“There didn’t seem to be much point,” she said. He could tell she was trying to be brave, but the events of the last few days had definitely taken their toll. She looked exhausted and as much as Axel would have liked to show her a different way to relax, he was going to have to take his time. “Nina thinks I’m crazy for staying over here at all,” she continued. “I mean, I don’t even know you.”
Axel stopped and put his free hand on her arm. “You already know everything you need to know.” His eyes pierced hers and even in the dim light he could see her pupils react to his stare. “And anything else you want to know,” he continued as he started to walk again, “all you have to do is ask.”
“I plan on it.”
He tried but failed not to smile at her bravado. She was definitely a feisty one. Good. She’d have to be to survive everything her ex was putting her through. The one thing that continued to bother Axel was how she could have let herself get into such a situation with a man. She was a strong woman; he could see that. So why had she let any man use her the way he had? She deserved more. So much more. And Axel was just the man to show her exactly what she deserved.
Harper hesitated as they stepped up to the porch and he opened the door to his cabin. Each of the brothers had built simple homes, and although they were all similar in a lot of ways, they were also very different. Axel’s cabin consisted of two small rooms and an oversized bathroom that boasted both a double spray shower and an extra-large jetted tub. His brothers teased him about the bathroom, but he didn’t care. There simply wasn’t anything better than sinking into a tub full of steaming hot water after a hard run through the mountains.
Or at least he hadn’t thought there’d be anything better. He stole a glance over to Harper next to him. He’d been wrong. Climbing into the bathtub with his mate would be infinitely better. But he was getting ahead of himself.
He flicked the light switch to illuminate the main room of the cabin. “After you.”
She stepped into the room. It was comfortable, but fairly unadorned with a desk in one corner, a small dining set in the other, and two overstuffed chairs and a couch that faced a rock fireplace. Two large bookshelves lined one wall. Reading was another thing his brothers liked to tease him about, but he didn’t care. It was his preferred way to spend the evenings.
At least it had been.
“Make yourself at home,” he said. “The bedroom is right through here.” Axel led the way through the door into the back bedroom. “It’s not much, but you should find it comfortable enough.” He tossed the suitcase on the king-sized bed and moved to the long low dresser against the wall. “I’ll just empty a few drawers for you. I don’t have much stuff any—”
“What about you?”
He froze and turned slowly at the question. “What about me?” She stood close. Really close. He inhaled deeply and filled his senses with the essence of her. She was all spice. She smelled like cinnamon and cloves, with just a hint of sweet apple. He’d never get tired of her scent. But there was something else, too. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, aware of how it must look to her.
“Where are you going to sleep?”
Axel opened his eyes to see her watching him. A smile played on her lips and she took a step closer. Her aroma intensified.
Arousal.
That was it. She was turned on. He’d caught a sniff of it a few times in the last few days, particularly the night before when they’d shared that kiss in the Den. But now it was different. It was intense. How had he not recognized the scent earlier?
That was easy. He’d never had his mate in front of him before. Let alone his mate standing in his bedroom. Turned on. His cock thickened in his jeans with the knowledge. Axel knew he should be the gentleman. He should excuse himself to sleep at Luke’s. It shoul
dn’t even be an option. It wasn’t an option. Except, with the way Harper looked at him, it was.
He took a step toward her to close the small gap between them and reached out to brush a strand of hair from her cheek. “That depends.”
She tilted her head and lowered her lashes in a look that was both so innocent and dangerous at the same time, Axel’s body vibrated from the effort of restraining himself.
“On what?” Her voice came out almost as a whisper, but there was no mistaking the strength behind the question.
He couldn’t hold back. Not anymore. He had to have her.
“On, this.” Axel wrapped one hand behind her head and pulled her into him. His lips met hers in a crush. He should be gentle, ease her into the kiss, but what he should do and what his bear needed to do were definitely not one and the same. A moan slipped from her lips and she pressed herself closer to him, until he could feel the heat of her soft, curvy body through his clothes. That was all the answer he needed.
Axel’s other arm wrapped around her; his hand rested on her perfectly round ass. He grabbed on and spun her, walking her back toward the wall. He was careful to soften the blow as they hit the wall, but the moment he had her trapped between the logs and his body, he released her. His arms caged her in. He kissed her again. This time, his tongue found his way inside her mouth. It tangled with his as he explored the heat of her, tasted her spicy sweetness. He could get drunk on the taste of her, but he wanted more. Needed more.
He pulled back to look at her. Harper’s chest heaved enticingly as she worked to regain her composure. His eyes lingered on the heavy, full breasts that strained against the cotton of her shirt. It would only take one quick move to release them. To have them in his hands. His mouth. With a groan, he forced his gaze upwards, to her lips red and swollen with passion, her blue eyes, dark with a need of her own.
“You didn’t answer my question,” she said after a moment, her eyes not leaving his.
Her whole body trembled from his kiss. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed so thoroughly. Hell, she’d never been kissed like that. And she wanted more. But she also needed a moment to breathe. To pull together her thoughts. She waited for him to answer her question, both needing and dreading his answer. She didn’t have to wait long.
Axel stepped forward and closed the tiny space she’d put between them. His eyes, normally so dark, held flashes of gold in them. She couldn’t look away; they held her. His hand slipped up to her chin, cupping it possessively before sliding down to her neck. His touch sent chills racing through her and moisture pooled between her legs.
Axel’s hand twisted through her hair and when he gently but firmly pulled it to one side to expose her neck to him, she thought her body might explode from the need building in her.
“Babe, nobody will be sleeping tonight,” he growled before his mouth pressed to the sensitive skin beneath her ear and he worked his mouth along her neck. He held her firmly in one hand as his other gripped her hip to hold her up, which was a damn good thing because Harper could no longer trust her legs to support her.
Heat and hunger flowed through her as he nipped and sucked the skin on her neck. She knew he was marking her, but she didn’t care and she couldn’t have moved her head away from his strong grip if she wanted to.
And she didn’t.
Harper had never moved so quickly with a man. Not that she’d had any opportunity to move any way with anybody in years. In fact, it had been so long since she’d been with a man, she was a little worried. What if she didn’t do it right? What if she forgot how? Axel seemed so sure of himself, so…dominant. She’d be mortified if she screwed it up.
Axel’s lips stilled on her neck and then he pulled away. She felt the absence of his mouth instantly. “What’s wrong?”
Harper shook her head. “Nothing.” She smiled in a way she hoped was seductive. “Absolutely nothing.”
He didn’t look as if he believed her, but his hands reached out and wrapped around her hips, squeezing the flesh there before slowly working their way up her sides. His fingers traced the swell of her breasts. “You’re tense.”
She shook her head, but when his fingers circled slowly over her nipple, it took her breath away. Through the thin fabric and lace of the bra, her nipple hardened and Axel made a sound of approval. “You need to stop thinking.” His fingers still moved in slow, torturous circles. “Just let yourself feel.” His fingers locked over her hard, throbbing nipple and pinched just hard enough to make her gasp and drive all thoughts from her head. “Better.”
The delicious pulsing coursed from her nipple through her body until she could feel it in her core. And then his fingers were gone. Harper only had half a second to recover from the intensity before Axel’s mouth locked over her breast, suckling her through the layers of her clothing. The feel of him was exquisite. She threw her head back, arching against him to give him better access.
“Axel…I…”
“Stop.” He lifted his head from his task and stared at her. “Thinking.”
He released her, almost causing her to stumble backward, but caught her quickly with both hands on the front of her t-shirt. In a move so quick she almost didn’t see it, he tore through the cotton of her shirt, leaving it in shreds. Her bra hung from her arms as well, baring her heavy, heaving breasts to him.
“How did you—”
Her question was cut off with a firm pinch of her nipple while his mouth latched onto the other breast, giving it the attention it had been aching for. A mixture of pleasure and pain radiated through her and she writhed against him, desperate to press herself against his hard body.
“I like it better when you stop thinking,” he said with a dangerous grin. “I like it so much I’m going to make sure you can’t think of a damn thing tonight except for how good you feel.”
Her body shuddered with the possibilities and she couldn’t think of a good reason to object. Especially with the way he looked at her with hunger in his eyes.
He was moving too fast. Not for him, but for her. Every once in a while, he could see a flash of hesitation in her eyes. But he also saw desire. Need. A whole hell of a lot of need.
The logical part of his brain told him he needed to slow down and court her a little bit, but the bear inside him was not about to be tamed. He needed her and he hadn’t realized just how much until she was in his cabin. The tiny space was full of her scent, heavy with desire. Harper needed him just as badly as he needed her. She just didn’t know it yet. She was overthinking everything too damn much.
But that was about to change.
He squeezed his hands into the soft flesh at her hips. Just enough curves to sink his fingers into. She was perfect. With ease, Axel lifted her and just as he knew she would, Harper reflexively wrapped her legs around his waist.
“No,” she protested. “Put me down. I’m too heavy.”
“You’re perfect.” He dropped his face to her bare breasts and kissed and suckled them until the protests died on her lips. He knew exactly how to make her brain shut off so all she could focus on was feeling what she needed to feel and that’s exactly what she was going to do. “But you have too many clothes on.”
Without giving her a chance to protest, he kissed her hard and deep; he lifted her away from the wall and carried her the short distance to the bed, where he placed her softly on the quilt. His fingers traced the inner seam of her jeans to rest on her belt buckle. He locked eyes with her, giving her a chance to call it off. It was the only chance she’d have because if he thought he was hard to control right now, he’d be totally lost the second she was completely naked in front of him.
She nodded and her tongue darted out between her lips.
Axel growled as his cock pulsed hard in his jeans. He ripped the belt buckle free and tore her pants from her body.
Harper’s eyes widened, but not in fear. “How…what…”
“Later,” was his only answer. “First.” He knelt on the floor next
to the bed and with his hands on her thighs, pulled her close with one tug. “This.” He bent his head and licked her center. The sweet, spicy flavor of her burst on his tongue, and Axel had to concentrate to keep from losing control. Her body trembled with her need for him, and it only made him hungrier for her.
With both his hands, he held her deliciously muscular thighs open and ravished her with his tongue until he could feel the telltale quiver in her body. She was close. So close. He wanted to give her everything. Over and over again. Without hesitation, he slipped first one and then two fingers inside her while his tongue circled and flicked her hard clit. Seconds later, her body tensed as she arched her back and cried her release, but still he didn’t relent his attentions on her body.
Harper moaned and squirmed under him. She was perfect. Responsive, gorgeous, and all his. His mate. He knew it in every fiber of his body. His bear was so close to the surface, he needed to hold back to keep from frightening her. But as he kissed his way up her body, focusing on the soft flesh at her waist—So wonderfully curvy and sexy. His—he knew she felt it too. The only difference was Harper couldn’t know what it meant. She was not a bear.
Or was she? His instincts were muddled, but there was something about her scent he couldn’t quite place.
It complicated things.
He couldn’t focus on that right now.
“Axel, I…I need you.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice. Lightning fast, he picked her up and dropped her back softly on the bed before he reached into the nightstand drawer to find a condom. He sheathed himself before he poised himself at her entrance. He paused. There would be no turning back. At least for him. Once he was with her, he’d be lost. She’d be his forever. Even without claiming her. He knew it. And if she didn’t feel the same way…if she didn’t love him and accept him…he’d be alone.
