by Dianna Love
She couldn’t contain her smile that got bigger and bigger. “No die. I smile more if you not stop.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He lowered her down and gently pushed her arms to the ground on each side of her head. “How’s your shoulder?”
“Is good.”
“Glad to hear it, Eli, babe. I plan to put a smile on that face you can’t wipe off for weeks.”
“I like you talk dirty.”
He chuckled as he got busy unbuttoning the shirt he’d covered her in, but his humor fled as the cloth fell away and exposed her all to him. Moving slowly, he eased his hands to her breasts and massaged them.
She closed her eyes and moaned.
Then his fingers played with her nipples, gentle then a small pinch of teasing pain that she hissed at, but begged him not to stop.
“Not unless you tell me to, babe,” he said. “It would kill me, but I will always do whatever you want.”
She opened her eyes, struggling not to cry out as he continued to mix sweetness with the seductive torture of her nipples. “I want ... you.”
He muttered something wicked and dropped his head to one breast, using his tongue and teeth as he had his fingers.
She felt that in her womb and clenched her legs.
His free hand now moved to those legs, easing them apart and running his finger through her moist center. She could not take this forever.
Sliding his finger across the sensitive bud, back and forth, he then dipped inside her. He had big hands and the feel of that thick finger took her breath as he slowly moved it in and out, then drifted his fingers over the heat building between her legs.
She was panting. Muscles in her body were taut, anticipating something just out of her reach. Justin would not let up, but neither would he go ahead and give her relief.
Her body begged to be released from the tension twisting through her. Blades of grass snapped off in her fingers, but she kept her arms in place.
He swept his mouth from her breast to her lips and kissed her, in no rush to finish. Healthy shifters did not suffer heart attacks, but she might.
Her tongue had a mind of its own when his slipped between her lips. They seemed to know each other.
Justin pushed his finger insider her again and she forgot to keep her arms down. Her hands clutched his powerful shoulders. She shook hard as he drove in and out of her, then pulled out one last time and his finger stroked her perfectly.
She lost herself when everything broke apart inside her. The coil of need unleashed, lashing through her like an out-of-control whip of pleasure.
She clung to him, sure that she was safe in his arms.
He would not let her fall far before he pulled her back to him. Every time he touched her, she felt the zing of energy inside her race to meet his fingers as if recognizing him.
His head lifted up a few inches. “Better?”
“No.”
He dropped his head to hers. “Dammit. What is with that word and you?”
She laughed at him. “You funny.”
Picking his head back up, he said, “That’s not what a man wants to hear after making love to a gorgeous woman.”
He tossed words like “gorgeous” around as if they were so easy to attach to her. She brushed her fingers over his cheek and he turned to kiss them.
When his dark gaze returned to her, she said, “You want hear how good you do?”
“I wouldn’t complain if you said that.”
“Not good,” she managed to tell him with a straight face.
He frowned. “You’re joking, right?”
Fighting to stay serious, she said, “Not call what you do good. It would be insult. More like maestro with simple instrument you make sing as angels do.” Smiling up at him, she said, “Your kisses make me lose mind.”
There was the grin of a proud man whose ego might blow off half the mountainside if it continued to grow, so she added, “But not finish.”
“Huh?”
Now that his head had shrunk back to normal size, she explained, “I see great promise in pant bulge.”
He lifted his eyebrows up and down. “Liked what you saw, huh? I’m not one to brag, but it’s impressive.”
She chortled. “You crazy.”
“About you.”
She would truly lose her mind if he kept saying such things. “If so mighty, why not show?”
“Because I didn’t have any idea this would happen. I don’t have a condom, babe, or you’d get the full Monty.”
“Who is Monty?” Her eyes widened and she gasped, “You name that, too?”
He barked a laugh. “No. I’ll tell you about the full Monty later when I can demonstrate.”
“Need no condom. I know body. One week before can make cub. Now, more excuse?” she challenged, enjoying the banter.
“Hell, no.” He jumped up and had his pants shed faster than her next breath.
She stared up at the most incredible man. He was a vision of excellence from head to toe. The short dark hair fit Justin’s no-nonsense side, but with his clothes off and his signature grin in place, he was nothing short of delicious.
And he had not been exaggerating.
She licked her lips and said, “Hello, Monty.”
He dropped his head back and bellowed a laugh. When he caught his breath, he lowered himself to the ground and propped his big chest up with those formidable biceps. Then he dangled Monty down, teasing the small triangle of hair where her legs met.
“I wonder ...” she murmured then reached down to grasp him.
“Holy mother of ... ” Justin shouted.
She paused in her first stroke. “No like?”
“Are you kidding? I love it. I was surprised, but in a good way.”
Always with the sweet words, this one. She moved her hand again and he let out a sound of such happiness that it made her feel special to give this man pleasure.
“I use mouth,” she suggested.
Justin made a deep groan. “No way.”
“What?” She paused with him in her grip.
He was breathing hard. “Babe, I would love your mouth on me, but I want this to last more than a few seconds. I’ve wanted you twenty-four hours a day since coming back from your walk to the beach.”
“Oh.” She knew he meant the wolf attack, but he would not bring that up now.
“Hey, don’t say ‘oh’ like I can’t last, but not this first time. I want you so much I’m barely hanging on.”
She gave him what she hoped was a coy look and kept stroking him, reveling at the velvet feel of his skin. She nipped his chest and he kissed her neck, mumbling words she couldn’t understand but they sounded sexy.
When she quickened the pace, he lifted up out of her reach. She asked, “Now what?”
“Now ... this.” He watched her until he lowered his mouth to kiss her stomach, then moved further down until his lips touched her in the most intimate way.
Opening her legs gently, he did things with his mouth she didn’t think possible. She arched, clinging to her sanity and pleading for him to keep going.
He did and stars burst into her vision.
Her climax rushed through her this time like a flash flood of heat. When he finished, she was limp all over.
Then Justin began kissing her all over as he worked his way up her body, massaging muscles and loving each inch of skin. He did not bypass her breasts and they thanked him for the extra attention.
As his face came into view above her, he eased Monty inside her just a bit. He kissed her thoroughly and she lifted up her hips to take more of him.
There seemed to always be more.
For that, she was thankful and appreciative.
He was next to her ear when he whispered, “Ready?”
She said, “Why ask? I fall asleep if ... ”
He filled her to the hilt and she sucked in a breath.
“You okay, Eli, babe?” his voice murmured next to her ear.
“Yes. Much okay.”
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His voice was tight, but still held a smile when he said, “I love the way you talk, especially when you leave out the word no.”
“Less talk. Move,” she ordered, unable to stop smiling at this crazy man.
He did as she’d ordered.
His hand cupped her bottom and lifted her to him where he pulled out and slid back in deeper this time.
She dug her nails into his arms.
He grunted, but it sounded like a happy grunt.
Her legs shook from the strain of another climax building. Justin started moving faster. He gritted out, “Still okay?”
“No. More!”
“Waiting on you.”
“I help.” She reached down and touched herself.
That must have been all he could handle. He slammed into her over and over. She cried out a second before he shouted her name.
She would never get tired of hearing him say Eli, babe.
Little by little, he slowed, but even when he stopped he was still partially hard inside her. She had a feeling he could do this for many, many hours.
Being careful not to put his full weight on her, he lowered his body and rolled, bringing her over on top of him as he breathed deeply in and out. Her hair draped over his chest.
She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck.
His arms had never let her go. He held her in a possessive way.
She did not want to open her eyes and have this all vanish.
He had seen her bear and liked what he saw.
Justin held her as she came completely back into her body, because she was sure she had left it at some point.
Those were not normal orgasms. Not one of them was like being with the polar bear guy. She did not even recall his face now. The only face she saw in her mind was Justin’s.
No, this did not just feel different.
It was ... different.
Could her bear be right?
Could Justin be her mate?
Her sleepy mind drifted into a happy place. She walked the shores of PK picking up shells and talking to her sweet Nico. He laughed at a bird and ...
Her eyes flew open. Mate?
No, she could not take a mate. What was she thinking? She had to save Nico and could only do that with a Boudreaux Clan mate.
Closing her eyes tight, she held back the tears threatening to burn down her cheeks.
She wanted Justin as hers forever.
But if she stayed with him, she would break her end of the deal with her father.
She would lose Nico.
That could never happen. Then she thought on all Justin had told her. He had grown up in Clan Boudreaux. He did not like them, but he was a male bear shifter of that clan. Her heart lightened at realizing she could have Justin, but ... only if he wanted a mate.
Her eyes blurred suddenly and the world twisted.
The vision she’d had in San Francisco occurred again, but with more detail. A wolf shifter chased her through the forest. He was much faster than her. Another wolf showed up. They ran her into the ground. She could see Nico in the distance, but she would not get to him in time. He started fading. She reached for his little body and grasped air. Howls followed close behind. Turning to take a stand, to call up her bear would make her vulnerable to the wolves. At the last minute they lunged and ... the image blurred and turned dark.
Elianna squinted, trying to discover the last part.
What did it mean?
She should tell Justin, but if she did he might take her straight to Clan Boudreaux or the place he called a safe house.
Not yet. The vision could be for much later when she and Nico left the clan. For now, she could not give up control.
CHAPTER 18
Justin couldn’t wipe the ridiculous smile off his face as he packed up the backpack while Eli stepped away for a nature call. A real one this time.
He’d found his mate.
She was a pistol and a half. She’d shifted just to get his reaction. His happiness dimmed a bit when he realized she’d been shunned for being an ursid hybrid and had expected that from him.
Were those shifters in Russia crazy?
They rejected her for being mixed blood?
Smiling to himself again, Justin shook his head. Their loss and his gain. He couldn’t be happier than he was at this second ... except for convincing her to be his mate and finalizing their bond.
They would have beautiful cubs with winter-white coats, brown coats, but hell, he didn’t care what color. He’d love to have a little female cub that looked like her mama.
Cubs? Was he ready for that?
He’d never felt such a sense of peace. Yes, he was ready for a mate and a family. He couldn’t wait. He had never been in a hurry to get tied down, but damn he wanted to make Eli his in the worst way and see her pretty stomach bulge with a cub.
Reality stepped in to disrupt his happy parade.
There was still the small issue of Clan Boudreaux expecting Justin to deliver Eli to them. That might require some serious negotiating, but the Guardian would never expect Justin to give up a mate when he had no doubt she could accept his power when they bonded.
Finding mates for the Gallize shifters was near impossible.
Wouldn’t the Guardian do all in his power to make this happen?
Justin was going to do this right. First he’d take her to the Guardian who he believed would immediately recognize they were destined to be mates. They had some intense energy flowing between them. Hadn’t Cole said that was another sign of meeting a mate?
The Guardian had rocked around for three hundred years. He’d seen a lot. Justin put his faith in his boss. The Guardian would know how to make everything work out.
Justin thought about that energy again.
Could Eli be a Gallize?
Wouldn’t that be the jackpot? He didn’t give two flips about her being Gallize as long as she could take his power. Supposedly, a non-Gallize bear shifter could survive the bonding and he knew from touching Eli she was far more powerful than the average shifter.
He heard her walking into the clearing they’d stomped down earlier. She’d taken a bottle of water and rag with her to clean up, but nothing short of a long bath would remove the lingering succulent smell of their lovemaking. He pulled in a deep breath, soaking up that scent.
“Need help?” she asked.
He finished stuffing the bag and turned to find her smirking at him. His new goal in life was to keep her lips curved up and that twinkle in her eye, which was only there at the moment because she enjoyed taunting him.
“Sure.” Without warning, he tossed the bag in her direction, but not at her. He’d never risk harming her even if she was a shifter.
Her left hand shot out fast as a snake on attack and snagged the bag in midair. She didn’t even look at it that whole time, confident in her ability to catch the bag.
Alpha woman through and through.
What more could a man like him want in a mate?
Not a damn thing, but he still had to ask, “When were you born?”
She cocked her head. “Do not know. Why?”
She didn’t know? He asked, “Not even the year?”
“Oh.” She looked up as if calculating and said, “Think I am twenty-two. Born in winter.”
He calculated the months in his head, because every Gallize shifter he knew had memorized the true blue moon months, which was a month with a second full moon in a twelve month period. He didn’t think she fit the birthday criteria and she had blue eyes, not mismatched eyes.
“One more question, Eli. Do you have any older siblings?”
“Brother. Ten years more than me. Never meet.”
Interesting, but not something Justin would sweat right now. He also noticed that over the last two days of conversing with her that Eli’s English was improving in spots. Beautiful and bright, but most of all sweet.
His Eli was no diva.
She unzipped the side of the backpack, pulled out a
n empty plastic bag which she put her rag into, then stowed that and appeared to be dropping the pack to the ground.
Justin was turning to check for anything left behind when he sensed a missile coming his way. In a swift move, he swung completely around with his hand already out to retrieve the flying backpack.
She’d tossed it at him. Straight at him. He grinned. “Gonna be like that, huh?”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Like you. I test reflex.”
Opening up the bag, he started toward her, but he didn’t fool her for a minute. She didn’t hesitate to spin and run.
Tossing the bag to the ground, he was after her.
Justin would never be as fast as Cole and Adrian, wolf shifters, or even Rory since he was a jaguar, but he could hold his own with any other non-Gallize bear shifter.
When Eli broke out of the trees, she had fairly level area to run across if she didn’t hit a hole or stumble over a rock.
A ledge that dropped off forever was fifteen feet away on her left.
Worry intruded on his fun.
He didn’t want her hurt.
He closed the distance between and started to shout at her to slow down when her bubbling laughter reached him. His heart skipped a beat.
It just paused right there to hear that musical sound.
At the other side of the clearing, she slowed from the hard sprint to stand with her back to the next tree line and showed him a face he wanted to see every day of his life. He gave up jogging and walked, taking his time to enjoy this moment with his future mate.
As he passed a large outcropping of boulders, a bee flew up in his face.
He jerked back, twisting and waving his hands.
A bullet slashed across his forehead and struck the rocks.
The rifle report followed.
He screamed, “Get down, Eli!”
Good advice. He should have hit the ground himself, but he hunched over instead, holding his head and raced toward her.
She still stood, looking confused.
He yelled again. “Get down!”
She squatted, looking around then zeroing in on him. Blood oozed between his fingers.
“You are shot?” she called out.
Shit, she wasn’t low enough. He wanted her flat on the ground.
