by Maria Amor
Mack dropped his hand and Gia wiped her lips with her fingers. She twisted, turning halfway as he released her hair. She looked down the road just as he grabbed her shoulder hard.
“He’s not coming, so stop looking. His barn’s on fire, love, with no sprinkler to stop the spread. He’s too busy to come after you.”
Her stomach sank. After what she and Trey said to each other, and his inability to trust her or feel confident that she wouldn’t reject his scars, she wasn’t sure he would come anyway. But the barn…his precious horses!
“What the hell do you want?” She hissed.
Mack studied the Tahoe, likely trying to decide if he could get it out of the ditch.
“You know how much you could be worth to me, Gia? I tried to ask you nicely, but you had to be a bitch about it. So, here we are.”
“Worth to you?” Even as she said it, clarity crossed her mind. The mixers. The thief and the men who’d been robbed. “You want me to steal for you?”
Mack sneered, looking down her body and back up, settling on her breasts. “Oh, it’s gone past stealing, my love. What do you think they’d pay for one night with you?” Gripping her chin in his hand, he forced her head up and brought his lips inches from hers. “Here’s the thing, Gia. You can work for me willingly, or someone can get hurt until you come around. That’s how it works. Your choice.” His free hand smoothed down her ribs. She recoiled, disgust rising bitter and hot in her throat. Shuffling backward, she tried to spin away from him.
“Get in the truck.” Mack hissed through clenched teeth.
Softening her stance as if to comply, she stared at him, chest heaving. It was now or never—hell, she’d never stop fighting. Shifting enough to give herself aim, she brought her knee up, hoping to make contact with his crotch. He moved, and she hit his inner thigh, close enough to his balls that he jerked and released her. Scrambling to grab her again, Mack lost his footing in the slippery dirt, giving her time to cross the road and start to run.
“Gia!”
The familiar voice made her heart flip. She turned, taking in Mack rushing after her at the same time Trey ran down the road. Trey’s hands were on his waist, unbuttoning his jeans, shedding them while barely losing his stride. Mack glanced back, did a double take and slid to a stop. In mid-run, Trey began to shift. Tatters of his shirt fluttered behind him, pulling away completely as his head and torso morphed into the bear, his lower half following suit, until, in two blinks, he was barreling down on four legs. A vicious growl ripped the air, making the hair on her arms stand up.
“You’d better run,” Gia heard herself say with a slow look over to Mack. Hope filled her heart. Trey.
She’d recited his name a hundred times in her mind in the last few minutes, knowing full well that she wanted him, despite the misunderstandings. Aspen Ridge Ranch is where she wanted to be, forever.
Mack looked side to side as if he wasn’t sure where to go, then made a beeline for the SUV. Scrambling down the incline, he scooted inside the driver’s side and threw the truck into reverse. Trey slowed, tipping up his brown nose in her direction as if to ask if she was okay. She nodded, heart in her throat. His huge black body turned with streamlined precision, disappearing into the ditch just as Mack hit the gas and started to rock the Tahoe. The tires dug into the wet soil, spinning clumps of mud and grass.
Gia ran behind the SUV, giving it a wide berth, fearful for Trey. The rain made it hard to see -- a flash of black against a backdrop of vivid green grass, the flash of metal as the truck door flew open. Another booming growl lit the air like thunder. The truck tires suddenly stopped spinning, the vehicle coming to rest.
“Trey? Trey!”
Silence save for the rain hitting the pavement and bouncing off leaves. “Trey?” Branches cracked, followed by the sound of grunting… a cry for help and… silence.
Unable to wait, Gia moved closer but stopped with a start as Trey appeared, dragging Mack’s limp body. Trey plopped the man down on the side of the road, then shook his great body like a dog dislodging water. On instinct, Gia knelt by Mack, gasped to see shallow, red bite marks around his neck as if Trey had gripped him there. She felt for a pulse, looking at the bear beside her.
Trey shook his head, and she swore he rolled his eyes as if to assure her he wouldn’t kill… even if he’d wanted to. Sure enough, Mack’s pulse beat steadily beneath her fingers.
Before she could speak, Trey ran down the road away from her. He shifted and disappeared behind a curtain of rain. Hugging herself against the wet and cold, Gia waited, breathing a sigh of relief as he reappeared, clad in his jeans, with his arms outstretched. She ran into them, comforted by his amazing warmth, exactly where she wanted to be.
Where she was supposed to be.
*
Gia stepped from the bathroom, a towel around her and one loosely wrapped on her head, to find Trey laying on her bed with his hands crossed behind his head. He’d showered in his room and come over, barefoot, in his loose jeans with his dark blonde hair all wet and tousled. He sat up when he saw her, gave her a long, slow appraisal that made her flesh heat.
The cops came, took her statement and hauled Mack away. He’d confessed to operating a small theft ring, and extorting a handful of women into participating, and starting the barn on fire. The fire department had come, and was still here, dousing what remained of the barn to be sure it would not re-ignite.
The fire inside her didn’t need any help in that department. She was sure it was still adrenaline mixed with her primal attraction to Trey, but hell, whatever it was pumped through her like a delicious kind of electricity.
“Here,” Trey moved to the edge of the bed and patted space between his legs. “Sit.”
She did, scooting her butt back into the firm juncture of his thighs. Removing the towel from her head, he used it to dry her long hair. Long, firm strokes and quick little pats against the ends. Tired, yet wide-awake, Gia sank into the ministrations.
Suddenly, his lips were on her neck, working their way to her ear. “I’m sorry, Gia.” He nibbled her earlobe while smoothing the towel from her forehead, down. “I’m a million times sorry for being the biggest asshole ever.”
The turmoil inside seemed to exhale out of her, like a balloon finally free of poisonous air. Trey turned her face and captured her lips in a soft, loving kiss. “In my gut and soul, I knew you weren’t responsible for the thefts against my clansmen. But I let my hang-ups from the past get in the way.”
Gia slid off the bed and turned between his knees, one hand holding the towel in place, the other finding his strong thigh. “I would never think less of you because of your scars.” Kneading muscle through his jeans, she wished her touch could reassure him of the sincerity in her heart. Trey looked down as if grappling with something inside, then looked up with a renewed lightness in his eyes.
“I know that now.” Lazily, he trailed a finger along the top of her towel, tracing the skin over her chest until goosebumps lit her flesh. He brushed her hand to the side, encouraging her to let go of the towel. She did, closing her eyes as the towel fluttered around her feet. An appreciative rumble rose from Trey’s throat as he cupped her breasts worshipfully. He ran his thumbs over her pert nipples before gathering her closer and leaning down to take one into his mouth.
Gia wound her fingers into his hair, gripping and pulling. His mouth was everywhere, a flurry of soft sucks and press of his lips, nibbling over tender flesh with enough pinch to make her jump, but with soothing kisses that made her tremble. Desperate to feel his skin, Gia grabbed his shirt and worked it up and off, tossing it onto the floor.
She caressed his chest to his neck and over his strong shoulders, sliding behind them to touch the demarcated line of rippled flesh. He tensed but didn’t pull away. With bold strokes, she smoothed her hands as far as she could reach, pressing her palms against his scars, massaging and loving his skin until he relaxed.
“Move back on the bed,” she ordered right before taking his
mouth in a deep kiss. Trey growled around a smile as she raked her nails over the hard lines of his chest. “That’s right, big bear. Do as I say.”
He scooted back, giving her room to crawl onto the bed and straddle his hips. Trey pulled her down, devouring her mouth as his touch feathered over her hips, her thighs… between them. His fingers gently parted her, found the sensitive bud begging to be touched. He obliged, generously, until Gia’s hips found a rhythm that pressed her pelvis into his touch, heightening the pleasure, driving her closer.
She was vaguely aware of the sound of his zipper, and the wiggle of his lower half as he kicked out of his jeans. Trailing little bites along her throat, Trey pinched his teeth at the muscle just below the curve of her neck.
“Do you want my mark?” He kissed the spot he’d just nibbled. “Stay with me, Gia. My mate, mother of my cubs. The ranch is yours. I’m yours.” The hopeful eagerness edging the pride in his voice brought tears to her eyes. Reaching between them, she found his rigid length and gripped him hard. With a slow stroke, Gia gave over to sensation for a moment, too filled with the need for release to form words.
Trey halted her hand, stilling his own, and their eyes caught. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I want your mark, your babies, your love.”
A tender smile pulled at his lips as he brushed hair away from her face. “It’s yours, especially my love.” Grabbing her hips, Trey positioned her above him and brought her down. Gia guided him inside, the slide of his thickness robbing everything except the sensual feeling. His whispery voice floated through her mind as he began to thrust… to stroke, bringing her to the edge.
“It will only hurt for a second. Gia?”
She nodded through the pleasure-fog. Existence wound down to a blend of sensation—slight pain over her shoulder, Trey’s fingers digging into her hips and the crashing waves of potent release. Trey tensed beneath her as his upper body pressed into hers, his mouth closed over the mark he’d made, crushing her to him as he pulsed long and hot inside her.
A euphoria-filled cloud carried her away, floating gently down, Trey’s gentle voice whispering lovely things into her ear. When clarity returned, Gia found she was tucked against his side. She touched the tender skin where he’d marked her, wincing a bit. Sinking into Trey’s loving gaze, she knew a little discomfort was worth it.
He kissed her knuckles. “We’ll name him after your father, if that’s what you’d like.”
Pushing up on one elbow, Gia scrunched her face in confusion as she traced a finger along his chest. “Who?”
An amused smile lit his face, one big hand coming to rest over her belly. “The son I just put in you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Just… just like that?”
“Yes, just like that. A baby always comes from a mating mark, and the firstborn is always a boy.”
Gia laid back against the pillow. Unbelievable. A handful of days ago, she’d felt stuck in a restless life, and today, she had everything she’d ever wanted offered up with all the love she could handle. Joy flooded her chest, tears filling her eyes as Trey leaned over her.
“Welcome home, Gia.”
THE END
Message From The Author:
Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end, I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did I would love it if you could leave me a rating on the store. :)
If you liked this then you can check out all my other shifter romance books by looking at my Amazon Author page here!
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ALSO BY MARIA AMOR....
THE PLAYBEAR BILLIONAIRE
“When A Billionaire Playboy Werebear Meets His Potential Mate...”
Alexander Oberon is the Billionaire CEO of Oberon Industrial. He is also a Werebear.
Since he is young, good looking and very wealthy he can have almost any woman he wants and he knows it. Hence, why he has no interest in finding a mate.
That was, until he met the beautiful and curvy Daphne Jackson.
For the first time ever, Alexander feels he might have met a potential mate and he wants to make Daphne his. However, when a face from his past shows up things are not going to be that simple.
Can Daphne really be the one to tame this PlayBear Billionaire? Or is a Bear like him impossible to tame?
START READING NOW AT THE BELOW LINK!
Amazon.com > http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VS9KTH6
Amazon UK > http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VS9KTH6
Amazon Australia > http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00VS9KTH6
Amazon Canada > http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00VS9KTH6
