“Sure. Our work here is done.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Serena~
She woke up when the truck door slammed. But it was too much trouble to open her eyes. Part of her felt Anton’s hands undoing her seatbelt. She could not mistake the feel of his hands. Not even asleep. He lifted her out of the truck and over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift.
Even this indignity did not fully rouse her. She knew she was being carried. She knew she was safe. She let herself drift back to unconsciousness. The chatter of birds woke her. Sunlight was dancing on the ceiling around the edges of the drawn blinds. The smell of coffee competed with the aroma of bear shifter. Aroused bear shifter.
“Ah, you’re awake,” said Anton. He handed her a mug of coffee as soon as she had hauled herself to sitting. His hair was damp and so was the V of chest hair visible under his robe. He had been up long enough to shower.
“Thank you. What time is it? I’m supposed to be at work by six thirty.” She had to go home, clean up, and get herself presentable.
“Robin Fairchild called. The Bear Claw site is closed until 1300 hours. Lunch is not being served on site today. And you have the day off.” Anton drank from his own mug.
The coffee was waking her up. Now her arms and legs ached. So did the scrapes and nicks she had gotten navigating the stream. “How’s Carmody?”
“Just dandy. Back home. It’s her mom we should be worried about. As we suspected, she wanted to play with the baby raccoon. So she sneaked out of the house and went looking. We don’t know why she went into the dog house instead of going back home, and we probably never will.” Anton grinned. “I’m so glad I’m not the poor slob debriefing her.”
“How did she get out of the house?” Serena asked.
“Through the kitchen door. Probably while her mom was in the bathroom. Babcock thinks she tried the window first.” He shrugged.
“Why do people have kids, anyway?”
Anton chuckled. “I have it on good authority that they are worth all the trouble. Babcock tells me that some of the guys are going over after work to install bolts on Samantha’s doors that are too high for a kid to reach. Even if she stands on a chair.”
She had a day off. Suddenly she was feeling less battered and more languid. She gave Anton her best come-hither smile. “So what are your plans for your free morning?”
“Research.” He set his mug down.
“Research?” she squeaked.
He took off his robe to reveal his fully aroused body. “I intend to discover all your secrets, my love.”
She threw back the covers. “I have way too many for a single morning.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and grinned cockily at her. “Is that a challenge? I love a challenge, my sweet.” He kissed her. A nice, slow, good-morning kiss that rapidly became something more.
She grabbed his head and held him hard as their tongues tangled lovingly. She suddenly didn’t give a damn about her parents’ disapproval. Or about his take-charge attitude. All that mattered was slaking her passion for this big, furry bear. He pulled back a little. His lips left hers pouting at being abandoned.
Brown eyes searched hers. “You’re mine, Serena Merryman,” he vowed. And then the force of his mouth claiming hers drove out everything from her awareness but the scorching sensation of his body moving against hers.
He must have stripped her before he put her to bed, because she was as naked as he was. Her limbs were gently abraded by the curls on his chest, belly and legs. Was that her humming like a dynamo? His hand covered her pussy. And she did mean covered. His hand was so big he could rest the heel on her mound while his fingers played between the globes of her butt.
She pressed upward, aligning the roots of her clit so that the motion of his hand stimulated her. Bliss rocketed through her.
“Like that?” he growled into her ear.
“Uh huh.”
He blew into her ear and traced its outline with his tongue before suckling the lobe. Lightning surged down the sensitive tendon of her neck, straight to her nipples which tightened in pleasure so intense it verged on pain. She squirmed. He rubbed his chest against her rock-hard nipples, setting off yet more sensual fireworks.
Her humming turned into moans. His lips left her earlobe after a playful lick as he nibbled his way along her neck and down to her right breast. His spare hand cupped her left breast and kneaded gently while his mouth covered her right nipple with warm suction. His tongue swirled around the hard berry and he sucked harder.
Her tension ratcheted higher. Her whole body clenched. Her head went back as her muscles stiffened.
“Let go,” he commanded.
Waves of release pounded through her. She screamed like a great cat. Anton’s arms gathered her close. He kissed the hollow of her neck and held her while her climax swept her from head to toe like surf surging during a storm. For a brief instant it felt as if her aura and his resonated in perfect harmony. Making her complete.
“Anton, Anton, Anton,” she chanted.
She fell asleep to the sound of chuckling.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Anton~
He stopped laughing when Serena’s limp peacefulness registered on him. His mate was fast asleep. He was wide awake and throbbing. Well, dang. There was only one thing to be done, and he did it. He cuddled Serena against his aching cock and went back to sleep with her clasped in his arms.
His internal alarm woke him at noon as he had known it would. Serena was smiling sheepishly at him. “Did I miss the main event?” she whispered.
“Uh huh.” He admired the blush that rose from her berry-bright nipples to her forehead. “Want to help me conserve water?”
She stretched, jiggling her breasts provocatively. Of course he found Serena’s every breath provocative. She wrinkled her nose. “If that’s a subtle way of telling me I need a shower, you’re right. And I’ll be happy to save water by sharing yours.”
The old-fashioned claw-footed tub and shower had not been designed with two in mind. But a Marine was supposed to get the job done no matter what. He handed her the condom. “Want to saddle me up?”
“Sure do.” She rolled the condom over his cock, getting in a little slap and tickle.
“You might want to consider backing off a trifle, love. I’m on a hair trigger as it is.”
She only giggled and winked at him. “How are we going to manage this?”
He wasn’t wearing his prosthesis, of course. He sat on the edge of the tub and picked her up by her bottom. “I’ll have to hold you so we both fit.”
She wound her legs around his waist so that her folds rubbed against his six-pack. “I can see that. You going to hold me up one-legged? I’m no lightweight.”
“You bet. My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure. Also I do weighted squats. And you are the perfect size for this bear.” He kissed her thoroughly. “Perfect in every way.”
When he raised his head, she giggled delightedly and clutched his shoulders. “I’ll wash you, if you wash me.”
“Unless you object, I’m going to let you ride me until we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” He eased her down over his erection so that her iridescent, rainbow-colored bush mingled with his black pubes. She slipped down over his cock as if she had been created for it. As she had.
“Anton!”
“Was that a yes or a no?”
“A yes!”
He swung them both under the warm spray. Braced his stump and knee against the side of the tub. “You handle the shower curtain.”
She couldn’t stop laughing at their awkwardness. But there was no meanness in her amusement, just joy. He juggled her into a better position and helped her rise and fall. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her mouth found his. She tasted of the sea and some feminine sweetness that was the perfect aphrodisiac.
It was better than he could have imagined. His mate had truly been made for him. Her every movement made his heart expand and his c
ock leap. He held back as long as he could, enjoying the squeezing and release of her slick passage. He waited until the pulses began in her pussy and spread out to where his hands were cupping the juiciest ass in the world. He caught her shriek of pleasure with his mouth, but nothing could capture his own bellow.
Pleasure more intense than he had ever felt radiated through him. A delight that went beyond the mere physical and encompassed his spirit as well. His climax seemed to last forever, but gradually he became aware that Serena was washing his hair.
“Aren’t you tired of holding me up?” she asked. Her hair was plastered to her head.
“Nope. You ain’t heavy, you’re my mate. Want me to set you down?”
“You’ll never get to work if we don’t separate,” she said wistfully. “I’ll bet you want breakfast too.”
His cock was half inside her still and her hips were swiveling. In a minute he would be ready for round two. Regretfully he lifted her away from him. “We have a lifetime to play,” he said. “I have to get to the job site.”
“Also your strength is as the strength of ten.”
“You got that right, sweetheart.”
“Is there anything in your kitchen to eat?”
“Eggs, bacon, coffee. All the most important food groups.”
Eating breakfast across from his freshly scrubbed mate was about as good as life got. Bears weren’t made to live on the peaks at all times. There was a lot to be said for everyday pleasures.
Serena looked adorable and sexy as hell with her bare shoulders peeking out of his oversized T-shirt and her pretty hair in a wet braid. Too bad she had declined his shorts in favor of Barbara’s baggy sweat pants.
“You are a great cook. What did you do to these eggs?” he asked.
Her brows rose. “Scrambled them.”
“They sure as heck don’t taste like mine.”
“If that is a compliment, thank you.”
He chuckled. “Certainly, it’s a compliment. I figured I knew how to scramble an egg. Apparently not.”
The pounding at the front door wasn’t really a surprise. “Sounds like your ride is here.” He shoved the last scrap of egg in his mouth and swallowed.
“My car is still in the employee lot.”
“Uh huh. That door isn’t going to take much more abuse. What’s your father using, a battering ram?”
Sure enough, Roger Merryman was standing on the front porch, fist raised. Brows gathered like thunderclouds.
“Good morning, sir. Serena,” Anton called. “Your dad’s here. Won’t you come in? Serena and I were just eating breakfast, would you like a cup of coffee?”
“This isn’t a social call, Benoit. What the flaming heck are you doing with my daughter?” Roger strode past him toward the kitchen. “I thought you promised to stay away from this danged bear?” he roared.
Serena stood up. “No, sire. I promised not to marry him without your consent. Have you come for your trident?” She poured more coffee and added cream to it before passing it to Roger.
He sat down heavily and glared at his daughter. He had taken a gulp of the coffee before he remembered he was angry. “I’m not going to agree to that! Ever!” he declared.
“Not even if I locate your greatest treasure?” Anton asked conversationally. “I thought that was our deal?”
Steam didn’t actually come out of Roger’s ears, but he gave the general impression that it might.
“Much as I’d like to stay and chat, sir, I have to be at work in five minutes.” He gave Serena a possessive kiss. “I’ll call you later, darling.” He was gone before Roger could get his mouth in working order.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Sully~
“Otto will have to go,” Sully said. “It’s going to take some doing, but we can’t have him muddling around in the last century any longer. Last night was the final straw. Why was he stumbling over his own feet in the Old Forest, while Carmody was freezing to death in her own neighborhood?”
“Calm down. Carmody’s fine.” Robin poured him his coffee and held the delicate, hand-painted china cup and saucer out in one gracious hand.
Abruptly, Sully realized that he was still in his unkempt fisherman’s aspect, bushy beard, rumpled curls, and all. At least he was wearing the elegant robe she had bought him. Silk by the feel of it.
His beloved was of course as chic as ever, not a hair out of place. She was wearing one of her tailored dresses and a string of pearls just as if she weren’t sitting across from an unwashed sasquatch. Just as if she hadn’t been up half the night organizing the search of the business district.
“Don’t bother,” she murmured, as he would have transformed himself. “Tell me how you plan to get rid of the sheriff. I would remind you that it’s an elected position, which Otto has held for over twenty years.”
In Sully’s considered opinion about nineteen years and eleven months too long. “I know. We have to persuade him to retire and hold an election.”
“Do you have a replacement in mind?” Robin asked.
“Wally Babcock.”
Robin replaced her coffee cup in its saucer without so much as a clink. “A good man, and a capable officer. But he’s on the town council. Walter would have to resign in order to run. I don’t think he’ll do it. And then we would need a deputy to replace him.”
Sully laughed. “Not a problem. Lots of people could use the extra money. And we’re trying to find something for Benoit to do to keep him on the island. He’d make a good deputy.”
“Two objections to that last plan,” Robin said thoughtfully. “One, Anton is a hunter and scares people. And two, there are lifelong residents who will want that position.”
“True. But Benoit proved himself last night. People were impressed by how he got the neighbors to double-check each other, and didn’t try to hog the limelight when little Carmody was found pretty much where he said she would be.”
“Moira says Anton is a talented carver,” Robin informed him. “He brought an oyster shell he’s working on into her shop. Rough, but obviously going to be a thing of great beauty. Moira says she could sell his work at the co-op in a heartbeat.” As a former Seattle gallery owner, Moira Fairchild Drake was an expert on salable art.
“I don’t know,” Sully mused. “Benoit doesn’t strike me as the kind of fellow who would think making fancy jewelry for tourists was a respectable way for a man to make a living.”
Her brows rose. “Then we’ll just have to change his macho attitude. Serena is the best catering manager I’ve ever had. I don’t want to lose her. Roger and Pearl surely don’t want their grandchildren living on the mainland. And I want to see the population of Mystic Bay slash West Haven grow, not fall. We’re hemorrhaging young people as it is.”
Most residents of West Haven lived within the town limits, but not all. He and Robin were united in their desire to raise the birthrate and grow the community, the town of Mystic Bay, and the economy. “Magic?” he asked.
She sipped coffee while she thought. Then she shook her sleek, silvery-blonde head ruefully. “No. Not for the long-term. A spell that changed Walter or Anton so profoundly wouldn’t last. We just have make Walter think running for sheriff is his duty, and get Anton to realize that making shell art professionally is manly. Moira already told him to use power tools.”
Sully laughed. “Power tools were a good idea. Might not be enough, but it was a good thought. And Otto?”
“Last night folks stood around grumbling about what that old fool meant by setting his siren and disappearing,” Robin pointed out. “No announcement. No organization. No plan. No information forthcoming. If it hadn’t been for Martha Furlong getting out her sound system and telling people what was going on and where they should start looking, nothing would have happened. The sheriff was nowhere to be found.”
“You’re right, Robin. And when Carmody turned up at Mrs. Crick’s place after Otto was supposed to have searched the neighborhood, that turned grousing into real out
rage. Our intrepid sheriff was out in the Old Forest, upsetting the Old Ones and the dryads.”
Sully paused. “I think Marla will have to start hinting that it is past time he took his pension.” Marla was Otto’s long-suffering wife. “You want to put a word in her ear?”
“Marla and I have been friends for years. I’ll give her a call right now.” Robin reached for her cell. “But if Otto upset the trees, he’s in big trouble.”
“Say that again.” The Old Forest was a mysterious place where the trees did not acknowledge human control. Sully stood up. “I’d best be off.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Serena~
“My father is still dead set against you.” Serena ran her fingers through the curls on Anton’s chest by way of apology, found his nipples and teased them. “I thought that seeing you help to find Carmody would make him regard you differently.” Her voice trailed off unhappily.
Her father had spent half an hour this morning telling her all the reasons why a mermaid-bear match was an offense to reason and right. Even last night’s accord had not given him any real respect for her judgment. Nor had Anton locating Carmody.
Her small rebellion in bringing Anton back to her house was beginning to feel childish, although her feelings were anything but childish. She burrowed closer to his comforting warmth.
Anton’s deep sigh ruffled her hair. “Not much I can do about being a bear.”
“It’s not so much that you are a bear. More that you’re not a merman.”
“Even less I can do about that, sweetheart. Even if I wanted to. And I don’t. I like being a bear.” He kissed the side of her head.
Peace and a sense of rightness flooded her. Despite his machismo, this man was made for her. And she was strong enough to push back when her bear got bossy.
“I get it, Anton. Being a mermaid is who I am. Just as being a bear is your nature.” She didn’t want him to change. She loved her bear. “But I don’t see any way forward for us. Dad is the king. And he never changes his mind.”
“Never?”
Beloved by the Bear: A Shifters in Love Fun & Flirty Romance (Mystic Bay Book 3) Page 12
