by Leela Ash
She smiled sweetly and caressed his jaw. “It’s nice to meet you, Conner.”
“It’s weird. I haven’t seen anything, and now, when I was quite happy with where things were heading, the memories came back.”
“It’s better, though. Now I know who you are, and you know who you are.” Then she paused and her eyes filled with worry. “Am I still your mate?” she asked hesitantly.
Conner chuckled. He lost his memory, not his heart. “Of course, nothing has changed. I just know where I come from now, and I have my name. I feel whole now. I have my life back, but even better, I have you. And that’s what means the most.”
“I just wasn’t sure if the memory loss maybe misread our— situation.”
Conner couldn’t help it. She was sweet and sexy, and everything he could have ever hoped for in a mate. He leaned in and kissed her. The first was barely a brush of the lips. He sucked in a breath as soon as her lips touched his back. Such a small gesture, but it was perfection.
Chapter 5
Lana was happy he had his memory back, and she was also glad it had interrupted what was about to happen. She shook her head in disgust. Was she that desperate for affection that she’d screw the first man who touched her? She didn’t understand what she was feeling. Never before had she wanted to let go and just be with any man before. She knew it wasn’t the best time to be thinking about sex, and to top it off, the man she wanted had just killed another man and regained his memory after having amnesia. If that wasn’t inappropriate, she didn't know what was.
His memory returning was the cool down she needed. Handing Conner—it was nice putting a name to his face—the pile of clothing she found, she smiled tightly with a blush to her cheeks. “Here are some clothes you can try; shower is down the hall, last door on the right.” She stepped around his large body and took a deep breath, walking out of the room and leaving him standing there staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.
She went out to the mudroom and opened the fridge. He was most likely hungry, and she was too. Pulling out a dish of pre-made food, courtesy of her brother, she went back to the kitchen and preheated the oven. When she heard the shower come on, she went back into the room and found a pair of shorts and a tank top and quickly changed out of her work suit. It had been suffocating wearing it so long. Feeling much better, she went back to the kitchen and made some coffee. Normally she refrained from drinking it, but she was too exhausted to sleep and needed the caffeine boost.
The scent of coffee filled the cabin and she sighed, pouring a cup and trying to get the stress of the day to fall off. She put dinner in the oven and set the timer. Glancing out the window above the sink she sipped her coffee and closed her eyes. Rolling her shoulders she groaned at the pain that shot down her spine. She figured it must have been when Campbell had shoved her down. She shuddered at the thought of the man she left lying in a dirty parking lot—dead. Things were going to get ugly, and she wasn’t sure she could handle it.
A large hand slid onto her hip, and she jumped, turning towards Conner. He was wearing a pair a flannel pants and no shirt. She was mesmerized by the water glistening on his chest. She licked her lips and forced her eyes away. When she looked up, he was staring at her with a smirk. Like he knew what was going on in her head. She blushed and mumbled, “Feel better?”
His eyes twinkled. “Yes, thanks.”
“I’m making dinner, and there’s coffee if you want some.” She tried to move away from him, but he was so close, and she wasn’t a small woman. Shifting her body, she slid out from between his large frame and the counter. Her body brushed against him and heat flared in his eyes. He placed his other hand on her hip to hold her in place. She was stuck and found that once again she didn’t want to stop. She wanted this man, and for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to resist him.
“Lana, are you all right?”
“I don’t know, isn’t it too soon?”
He pulled her against his body and she gasped. His hard body felt right against her soft curves. “You’re my mate; it’s natural for you to want me.” It was as though he could read her mind. He knew she was feeling like there was something wrong. “Even though you’re human, you still get the effects of the mating heat.”
“That’s what this feeling is?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes, and don’t fight it, baby. It won’t do either of us any good if you do. I won’t be satisfied, nor will my bear, until we complete the bond.”
“Bond?”
Conner tipped her head back and smiled at her. “Yes, it’s what bears do, we bond with our mate, and that connects us together forever.”
“I see,” she replied, her eye lighting with lust. He didn’t need to tell her that bonding meant hot and sweaty sex. Her body clenched with need, and feeling his cock harden against her stomach told her that his was, too. She stepped out of his reach and lifted her shirt over her head, throwing it to the floor. Her breasts felt heavy, and she reached behind her back and unsnapped the clasp holding her bra on. Conner watched her, entranced as she slid the straps down her shoulders and revealed her large breasts to him. The cool air kissed her nipples, hardening them further. She shivered and licked her lips. His eyes traveled down her body.
“Lose the shorts,” he said. His voice was laced with a need she could relate to, and the gruffness turned her on even further.
She didn’t deny him; she pushed them over her hips and shimmied her shorts down her legs, revealing lacy bikini panties. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. She blushed but smiled. He actually looked as though he wanted to devour her. “You like?”
Conner nodded his head and gulped. She was stunning and everything he didn’t know he wanted. She was strong, independent, yet he could see her shyness and thought she was the most adorable woman. The fact that she was a kick-ass lawyer and put criminals away only made her more appealing. He stalked towards her like she was his prey, and at that moment he was too far gone to worry if he was acting more animal than man. She didn’t seem to mind. He stood before her, gripping her panties and ripped them down one side. “I’ll buy you more.”
His hand caressed her hip and wrapped around her ass. It was big and firm in his hands. She gasped when he yanked her to him, and then he kissed her like a man starving. She didn’t disappoint and kissed him back, opening her mouth and licking his bottom lip before she nipped it lightly. “Let’s take it to the bedroom.”
He lifted her into his arms and sped down the hallway. He tossed her on the bed, shucked the pants she loaned him, and climbed on top of her. He couldn’t take his time, not this time. He needed to be in her. Needed to mark her and make her his. He gripped her wrists and pulled them above her head, and then he used his knees to spread her legs.
“You’re mine, Lana. Forever.” He didn’t wait and drove into her soaking wet pussy. Turns out she was ready. She cried out and arched off of the bed with such power it nearly knocked him off of her.
He kissed her lightly now and slowed his thrusts, making love to her. Sweat covered his brow, and he clenched his jaw. She moaned and thrashed her head back and forth. “Oh my god!”
He growled, more bear than man as his canine teeth lengthened and her eyes widened. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt,” he said. She nodded, completely trusting him, humbling him when she submitted. His bear preened with happiness and he struck the side of her neck.
She screamed long and loud and her pussy clenched tightly around him, bringing him to his release. He growled against her throat and thrust faster. His body was shaking with overwhelming emotions as the bond formed. He went crazy, and the bed shook and creaked beneath their weight. She lifted her hips, meeting and matching his movements. After he marked her, he nuzzled her neck before kissing her wounds. She shivered.
Their bodies were slick with sweat, and both were panting.
“Whoa,” she said, chuckling.
He pulled out from her body and rolled over beside her on his back.
He closed his eyes slowing his breathing. Turning his head, he looked at his mark on her neck. It was already healing. There would be scars; everyone would know she was his. Nothing ever made him happier. He could feel her emotions: She was tired and a little worried.
“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked, turning towards her.
“What happens if we go to jail?”
“We won’t. You said your mom will pull some strings.” He hesitated saying what he wanted, but she was his mate. “We’ll go to the den and live. No one will find us. My family will keep you safe.”
“I can’t just run.”
“If it’s bad, I won’t give you a choice. I’m sorry, Lana, but I won’t allow you to be stuck behind bars. You didn’t do anything.”
“I left the scene. That looks terribly guilty. I’m just scared. I just found you, and I don’t want to lose you.” She rolled toward his body and buried her face in his chest.
“You won’t,” he whispered. And he meant it. Nothing would take her away from him.
Chapter 6
The next morning Lana woke up hot and covered with a large male body. She smiled to herself, thinking of all the ways he had continued to make love to her. He was seriously insatiable. Her body ached in places she didn’t know existed, and she was tired. But overall, she felt amazing. She could feel the bond between them, though she wasn’t sure if it was in the same way he did. He had her heart and soul, and even though they didn’t know everything about each other it felt right.
She was a little worried about what her mother would think, but hopefully she would just be supportive like she was with every other choice Lana made. Laying there she thought about Campbell’s lifeless body. Someone would have found him by now, and she shuddered with the thought of what was to come. She wouldn’t survive in prison. Too many people were behind those bars because of her. She was the top prosecuting attorney in the area, after all.
Conner pulled her closer to his body and sighed. She watched his eyes shift beneath his lids. He was dreaming of something. It was surreal to be lying next to this man, who wasn’t only a man. He had a whole different side to him that was just as important. His bear played a major role in who he was as a person. And only once when she saw the bear standing over Campbell’s body did she fear him. He was big and cuddly. He was the perfect man to complement her. A little domineering, but mostly he was protective and apparently possessive. It was nice to be wanted that badly.
“What has your eyes crinkling so seriously this early,” he murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her side. She squirmed and giggled.
“Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Lana. Remember, I can feel your emotions. You’re all tied up in knots.”
She sighed. “I just want to know what’s going to happen. I’m worried is all.” And that was the truth.
He rolled onto his stomach and hovered over her. “I understand, but you can’t focus on this. It will drive you crazy. I know what it’s like. I devoted my life to finding the man who killed my mother, and look what happened to me. The only good thing that came out of nearly dying was finding you.” He kissed the tip on her nose, and she scrunched it up in disdain.
“I don’t like thinking about that, either.”
“Well, think about what it will be like to meet my whole family. You could help with the business. My father would love to have a kick-ass lawyer on our side. The oil business is a tricky one. And people try to screw us all the time. You’d be paid better than you get paid now.”
“So your family has deep pockets too, huh?”
“You have no idea, baby. It’s nice because really we can decide to never work again, and our kids and their kids, and so on for generations will be well off. We don’t ever have to worry about future generations.”
“So you’re saying our kids are going to be spoiled rotten,” she said before thinking and glanced away. It was way too freaking soon to talk about babies, but it was nice to know he had his own fortune and didn’t want or need hers. So she knew he wasn’t like other men and with her for her money.
“Babies, huh?” he said and laughed before kissing her. “I like that you’re thinking about kids with me. I wasn’t sure.”
“Of course I want children. In fact, I want as many as I can have. I’d like to stop working in a few years and be a mom full time.”
“How were you planning on being a mom if you hadn’t met me?”
“Sperm bank. At that point of planning, I didn’t feel it was necessary to have a man.” He growled and she laughed, knowing he didn’t like the thought of her carrying a baby by any other man besides him. Hell, she knew talking about past relationships was going to be a blow out. “But now I have you, so that’s moot.”
He straddled her hips and held her wrists down. He seemed to like keeping her immobile. She didn't mind it either. “You really thought it through, then?” He shifted her towards the middle of the bed and kissed her, not giving her a chance to respond.
Lana spread her legs, cradling his erection between her thighs. The tip rubbed against her and she moaned. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more, but she would certainly try.
“You’re sore,” he said and she nodded. He kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Let me make you breakfast.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I want to.” He climbed off the bed, pulled on the borrowed pants, and walked towards the door. He looked over his shoulder and winked. “Just relax, baby. Let me take care of you.”
Not knowing what to do and figuring arguing would be pointless, she nodded and relaxed into the mattress. She really was tired. Her night had been busy, and then she woke up in tears. She didn’t know if her incident with Campbell would ever be one she got over. It had struck something deep inside her and made her feel real fear for the first time. And she hoped it would be the last time after everything got settled.
Maybe it was time to quit her job. For the past several months, she was beginning to think she was burned out. It would be nice to do something more relaxing and less dangerous. Working eighty to ninety hours a week wasn’t her idea of fun, and it left her no time for anything else. It was time for a change, and Conner offered her a chance of freedom, something she didn’t even know she wanted until he mentioned it.
Chapter 7
It was three days of passionate and pretty much non-stop making love. Conner was in heaven. He learned everything about Lana, physically and mentally, that he could. He could have spent another week locked up in the cabin with her, enjoying her luscious body, but all good things must come to an end. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met—inside and out. Never before could he have imagined being with someone like her. In the past, women only wanted him for his family name. As much as Lana’s name was known and envied—even feared— in the human world, his was in the supernatural communities. His father was the strongest and most powerful Alpha in the United States, and Conner knew he was in line to take over soon.
The knock at the door caused him to jump. His bear growled, wondering who would be pounding on the door. But then Lana opened the door and a woman, who looked much like his mate, only older, stepped into the cabin. She was fiercer looking with colder eyes that held a wisdom, much like his father’s did. This woman knew her shit, and he hadn’t even heard her speak.
She walked in like she owned the place, and her eyes narrowed in on him. He’d gotten up to cook breakfast so he was shirtless. Her eyes traveled over his bare chest, and then she spun and locked onto her daughter with those eyes. He couldn’t see her face, but Lana blushed and beamed.
Couldn’t be bad right?
“Shacking up with the man who killed your stalker, Lana? Really, that is ‘you’re guilty and stupid one-o-one’.”
Lana gasped and looked at him before turning her attention back to her mother. “Mother, shacking up is such a horrible thing to say, and I know how it looks, but it’s not, so really let’s focus on your news. A
nything good?”
Conner’s hackles rose. His bear rumbled his unhappiness at what was said and Lana’s emotions rising from nervous to worried and concerned. He didn’t want her worrying about what being with him looked like. Instead of staying quiet, he decided he would stand his ground right away. He had a feeling her mother expected Lana to be with a strong male. Well, he’d show her.
He stepped into the living room and glared at his new in-law. “With all due respect, your daughter and I are not shacking up. She’s my mate and I’m hers. It’s as simple as that. Please don’t insult what we have.”
“Mate?” Her mother asked, then stared him down. She was almost his height which was intimating enough. But Lana wasn’t shitting him when she warned him about her mother.
Damn, the women were tall in the family.
“Yes I’m her mate, and I’m not an ordinary man.” He held out his hand, remembering the manners his mother taught him. “I’m Conner Lawson.”
She took his hand and shook it like any dominant man would have. This woman was the Alpha in Lana’s family. She was strong and fierce, protecting her cub. He couldn’t help but respect her for it. “Lawson? I know that name.”
“You do?” Lana asked, surprised.
“Honey you don’t get as far and deep into the community like I did unless you network. Your father is Graham?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Conner replied.
“You come from a wonderful—” she paused as if trying to say something delicately, “and unique family line.”
Yep, Lana’s mother knew what he was. “Yes we’re werebears.”
She nodded, waving off mention of his other half, and turned back towards her daughter. “I guess now we need to talk.”
They sat on the couch, and she looked at Conner. “Why haven't you contacted your father? He could have had this problem wrapped up even quicker than I could.”
Conner shrugged. “I guess because I don’t want our kind to get under the spotlight. I changed in front of cameras, I assume. That cannot be connected with Graham Lawson. He’d be ruined, and it’d be my fault. I lost control, and it doesn’t need to fall on the rest of my clan. And if I called him, he’d drop what he was doing and fix it for me.”
