by Ruby Shae
“Is that the usual?” she laughed. “I don’t have a lot of experience with dating, as you’ve probably figured out, but all that seems really serious. Aren’t you worried about deceiving your friends?”
“No, not at all. Their relationships are all fairly new, and they don’t need to be worrying about me right now.”
“What will change in a couple of weeks?”
“They’ll see I’m capable of finding someone, that I won’t be alone forever, and they’ll back off some. The need to arrive on my doorstep unannounced will dissipate, and we can all get back to normal.”
“That doesn’t seem unreasonable,” she nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Great,” he said. “Let’s start by having dinner together tonight.”
“Tonight?” she laughed, nervously. “Don’t you have to work?”
“Nah,” he smiled. “I’m going to take the night off to be with my new girl.”
Chapter Four
Sierra followed Graham’s directions, and turned down the nearly hidden driveway at the edge of town. Dense trees lined each side of the long asphalt road, and a large house waited at the end like a beacon.
The end of the path opened into a clearing surrounded by the nearby forest, and the grand home stood tall between four smaller houses, two on each side. Even though it seemed odd that Graham and his friends all lived on the same property, she didn’t feel any of the creepiness she thought she should feel.
In fact, as she maneuvered her car to the house on the far left, and parked next to his truck, she felt comfortable, safe and happy. It was almost as if she was finally coming home.
She’d felt the same thing when Graham had asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend. At first, the idea had seemed stupid, but she also felt connected to him in some way—like they were part of the same team—and so she’d agreed. Saying the words had brought a sense of peace she’d never felt before, and that feeling had lasted the whole night.
Dinner the night before had felt like more than a fake relationship. They’d talked and laughed all through dinner, and then carried the momentum outside as they’d walked up and down Main Street.
Spending time with him had been fun and easy, and she’d even told him a little bit about her overprotective parents, and what she’d done to get away from them and take back her life. She’d never shared the full details of her plan with anyone else for fear of her parents finding out, but Graham was different from any other person in town. She’d easily confided in him about hiring and training her replacement without her parent’s knowledge or consent, and about her new job and apartment in Maple Bear Falls.
He praised her bravery and determination, but his response to her leaving town wasn’t anything beyond acknowledgement of her words, and the few minutes after she’d said them had been the only part of the night that their relationship seemed fake. In those moments, she’d silently reminded herself of their agreement, and quickly changed the subject. Of course, there was no reason for him to care about her leaving town, especially because that meant their charade would definitely end.
She reached for the pie box resting on the seat next to her, and grabbed the handles of the brown paper bag from Delilah’s. The contents of the bag and box made her smile as she exited the vehicle.
One of the things she’d learned first-hand the night before, was about Graham’s love of sweets. The man seemed to love dessert more than the main entree, and she’d watched in awe as he’d polished off an entire decadent dessert himself, and then finish her uneaten portion.
After all of that sugar, he’d still raved about the delicious pastries in the bakery, and if the building had been open, she had no doubt he would have ushered her inside.
The half dozen cinnamon rolls in the bag were for him, and him alone.
Graham came down the steps of his home, and took the box and bag out of her hands.
“You didn’t have to bring anything,” he said, leaning in for a chaste kiss.
Heat from his brief touch zinged across her skin, and raced straight to her core.
The same thing had happened the night before when they’d said goodnight. She’d hoped Graham would follow her home, so they could fulfill his part of the agreement, but he’d walked her to her car, placed a chaste kiss on her lips, and waited until she drove away before moving toward his truck.
Both displays of affection had seemed so natural, so real, that she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of real boyfriend he would make. A surge of irrational jealousy washed over her, but she pushed it away. Men like Graham didn’t date girls like her long term, and she couldn’t deny the truth. When their agreement was over, he would move on, and eventually find someone to spend the rest of his life with.
The thought of him touching someone else, loving someone else, made her nauseous, but she smiled big and ignored the unfamiliar feeling. He wasn’t hers, she didn’t own him, and she never would. Enjoying what little time she did have with him was the best thing she could do.
“I know,” she said. “But, I wanted to. The pie is for everyone, but the bag is just for you.”
He peeked inside the bag, and smiled.
“My favorite,” he beamed. “Thank you.”
She followed him inside the house, and after depositing the box and bag in the kitchen, he gave her a short tour.
The home was only furnished with the basics—which made it easy to identify it as a bachelor pad—but it was clean, and it looked like he always kept it that way. What surprised her was the multitude of empty space and the lack of gadgets laying everywhere. Because he was a tech nerd, she’d expected to see computers, or components, laying in every corner of the home.
The empty room on the second floor was even more of a surprise, and she couldn’t help but notice that her whole apartment, with the exception of the couch and bed, would fit into the expansive space. Of course, it would be an extremely tight fit, but there was no denying the room was huge.
Finally, when it looked like they were almost at the end of the tour, Graham opened a door that looked like a closet, and she stood in the doorway in shock. The room had a desk, chair, bookcase, and wall to wall shelves on one side. The shelves held boxes of new and used computers, phones and several other items she didn’t know the names of. It looked like the inside of a secret operative’s office in some kind of action film, and she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly he did.
“I’m more than just a computer nerd,” he said, simply.
Obviously.
She nodded, and stepped back so he could close the door.
Strangely, the new knowledge didn’t surprise her. The fact that he was so much more than a computer nerd had been obvious to her the moment they met, she just didn’t know exactly why. Having her feelings confirmed only made her appreciate him more.
And want him more.
Damn!
She wanted to drag him back to his bed, and strip off all of his clothes. Not that she had any experience undressing a man, but unlike her time with other men, the thought of being in uncharted territory with Graham didn’t frighten her.
Unfortunately, they had other obligations to take care of first.
“I love your home,” she said. “Thank you for the tour.”
“Good,” he smiled. “I know it needs work, but I’m glad you like it. Should we go before Tegan comes looking for us?”
No!
Ugh, the woman best friend.
Sierra had forgotten all about meeting the most important female of the group, at least where her date was concerned. Graham and Tegan had been best friends for over four years, and even though they’d never dated, or been romantic in any way, and despite the fact that the woman lived with her boyfriend, Sierra was still nervous to meet the woman who knew him best.
A man’s female best friend was hard to impress under any circumstances, and Sierra was sure the woman wouldn’t like her.
If she didn’t, would Graham end their agreement?
She didn’t think he would, but the possibility lingered in the air.
Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out.
“Sure,” she nodded. “Let’s go.”
***
“What’s your choice?” Zach laughed.
“Um…”
A couple of hours later, Sierra’s nerves had been laid to rest.
Multiple times.
Graham’s friends, even the severe Aiden, had welcomed her as one of the family, and she and Tegan had instantly hit it off.
Seeing the two friends together wasn’t awkward at all, especially after seeing the way Tegan was with her boyfriend, Ethan. The two were madly in love, and everyone knew it. In fact, all of the men doted on their women in a way that was almost too good to be true…like something out of a fairy tale.
Some kind of amazing, extraordinary fairy tale where the men were all drop dead gorgeous, and the women were all curvy and beautiful. They seemed more like a family than a random group of friends, and she seemed to fit in perfectly.
“Come on, Sierra,” Zach urged. “We need a name, otherwise you’re going to have to call your boyfriend Grandma, and honestly, that might get weird.”
Everyone laughed at Zach’s analogy, and Sierra shared the only thing she could think of.
“Well,” she smiled, looking at their attentive faces. “I’m thinking of S’more, because he’s tough on the outside, but sweet and gooey on the inside.”
“Oh, geez,” Zach sighed, rolling his eyes and standing.
“I do not want to know about you being all sweet and gooey,” Aiden added.
The women, including Tegan, all cooed their approval at the same time that Tristian and Ethan expressed their disgust, and then everyone grabbed a plate and started clearing the table.
Sierra knew they were nearing the end of the night, so she didn’t worry about everyone moving after she answered the question, but she still hadn’t seen Graham’s reaction. She’d been having fun with his friends, but she hadn’t meant to embarrass him or make him angry.
She looked at him, and his huge smile chased away her nerves.
“I am so disappointed,” Zach joked, returning to the room. “There is no way I’m walking around calling him that. Ever.”
“I bet you will one day,” she joked back. “Just wait.”
“I’ll take that bet,” Aiden said, appearing behind Zach.
“Me too,” Zach laughed.
Graham leaned forward, and whispered in her ear.
“You can call me whatever you want,” he said, “but if those guys start calling me S’more, you’re in big trouble.”
The breath of his mockingly stern words brushed across her ear like a promise of what was to come, and a jolt of electricity shot straight to her core. Goosebumps popped up all over her neck, shoulder and back, and her pussy tingled with a desperation she’d never felt before.
Even though she knew he was joking—their fake relationship would be over soon—she wanted to be punished by him more than anything.
I can’t wait!
“Thank you for the pie, Sierra,” Tristian said, breaking the connection between her and Graham. “I had no idea Delilah made anything else besides cinnamon rolls.”
“Funny,” Graham said, deadpan.
“You’re welcome,” Sierra laughed, “I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.”
She and Graham cleared their plates, and once everything was cleaned up, the two walked back to his house hand-in-hand. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him.
Losing her virginity had never felt right—not once in her life—until now.
***
Graham loved the feel of Sierra’s hand in his, and he never wanted to let her go. Leading her back his home felt right, and he longed to tell her truth, but he knew he couldn’t. Not yet. He needed to earn her trust first.
“I like your friends,” she said. “Thank you for introducing them to me.”
“They like you, too.”
They did, and not because they had to.
“How do you know?”
“I can just tell,” he explained. “We’ve been friends a long time, in fact, we all used to live in the main house together.”
He nodded toward Tristian’s home, and Sierra glanced at it before turning her attention back to him.
“Really?”
“Yeah, well, just the guys, me and Tee. This was years ago, right after the club opened, and before the other homes were built. It was also before Tegan and Ethan became a couple, and they were the first to pair up in our group.”
“Wow,” she said. “That must have been interesting.”
“It was,” he agreed. “There were some trying times, but it was fun, too, and we all grew closer because of it.”
“They’re a great group,” she said.
The words held a wistful quality, and he desperately wanted to tell her that they were her family, too. Again, he knew he couldn’t, so he said the only thing he could say, and changed the subject.
“Thank you. Do you want to come in and hang out for a while? I’ll share a cinnamon roll with you.”
“I can’t eat another bite,” she laughed, “but I’d love to come in.”
“Good.”
He opened the door, and waited for her to enter his home. Having her there felt right, as if she’d been the one thing missing all these years, and he never wanted to let her go.
He motioned toward the couch, and they both sat down.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked, grabbing the remote.
“No, I want you to kiss me.”
Thank, God, because that’s what he wanted, too.
Graham leaned forward, and gently pressed his lips to hers. He repeated the careful exploration, and when Sierra let her hand roam up his chest, he licked the seam of her lips, desperate for more.
His mate opened her lips instantly, and he slid his tongue inside the warm, comforting cavity. Their tongues danced slowly around each other, exploring the other’s mouth, and the sensation, combined with Sierra’s hands on his chest, made his cock swell to the point of pain.
He pulled back, determined not to rush her, but she wouldn’t let him go far. Sierra met his lips with her own, and soon their tongues were dueling again. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was the kiss, the best one of his life, and he knew they had to stop.
Both the bear and the man wanted to claim their mate in more ways than one. He tried to pull back for a second time, but Sierra’s words stopped his retreat.
“I need more, Graham,” she pleaded. “Please.”
Fuck me!
He quickly found out that he couldn’t say no, not that he wanted to, to his sexy, curvy, begging mate. This time, instead of pulling back, he moved forward, and he was soon laying on top of her, nestled between her thick, gorgeous thighs.
“Are you sure?” he asked, grinding his hips against her clothing covered core.
“Yes, definitely,” she whispered.
“Let’s move to the bedroom,” he said. “I don’t want your first time to be on the couch.”
“The couch is fine. It doesn’t matter where we are.”
She wrapped a leg around him, determined to keep him in place, but she’d actually helped him with his goal.
“It matters to me.”
He slid a hand under her back, and lifted them both off the couch.
“Graham!” Sierra screamed. “Put me down, I’m too heavy.”
“You’re joking, right?”
He moved his hands to her ass, and proceeded to walk up the stairs toward the master bedroom. With every step, the heat from her pussy seeped through two layers of clothing, and branded his cock as her pussy rode up and down this hard, thick, throbbing length.
Holy fucking hell!
It was bliss and torture all rolled into one, his own personal hell, and he didn’t care. He’d take his mate any way he could get her, and if she changed her mind about tonight being the night, he would
wait an eternity until she was ready.
When they finally reached the bedroom, he set her down next to the bed, and then slowly pushed her shirt up her waist. She helped him remove the garment by lifting her arms above her head, and he threw the material across the room.
He peppered her shoulders and collarbone with kisses, and then moved on to her bra. Her breasts looked gorgeous encased in the black, lace demi-bra, but he wanted to see her completely naked, so he reached around her back, undid the clasps, and threw the bra in the same direction of her shirt.
“You are so beautiful,” he said, lifting the soft globes, and closing his mouth around one of her hard nipples. He swiped his tongue over the hard pebble, and then let her breast fall out of his mouth with a plop before moving to the other one.
Damn!
He could spend all day loving her perfect, ample globes, but he wanted to see the rest of her, so he let the gorgeous mounds go, and dropped to his knees. He placed his hands on her waist, and he liked the fact that she didn’t flinch when he placed several chaste kisses across her round, soft belly.
He loved her sexy curves, and sooner or later—but hopefully sooner—he planned on getting personal with every inch of her skin.
He moved his hands to the button of her jeans, and then slowly lowered the zipper, revealing the black lace, matching panties she hid under the denim. He pulled her jeans down to her ankles, leaned forward, and placed a chaste kiss on her lacy covered mound.
Sierra weaved one hand through the short strands of his hair, and the smell of her arousal filled the air. He hooked his thumbs around the material hugging her hips, pulled the lace down, and helped her escape the cumbersome fabric.
Her bare mound acted as a beacon to his aching cock, and he placed another kiss on the sexy, soft skin before rising to his feet. Her creamy complexion was rosy from his love, and he couldn’t wait to make her come, but she deserved to see him, too.
He griped the hem of his t-shirt, and ripped the material over his head in one swift move. Sierra raised her hand, as if to touch him, and then let the limb drop heavily to her side.
