After dinner, they lingered over coffee. Laura picked up one of her carving pieces, shaping it absently while they talked about plans for the gallery and the gifts she was making, or planned to make, for various people who had done her a good turn while in town. Gus just liked sitting with her, talking quietly. He liked being in her presence. There was something so calming about being with her and he found her absent-minded carving as soothing as she apparently did.
When she started to yawn, he took the empty coffee cups away and rinsed them in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher. Then, he returned to the living room area and scooped her up in his arms, much to her surprise and delight. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck, just as he’d hoped, while he carried her down the hall to her bedroom.
He kissed like a dream, and now that they’d already been intimate, Laura’s body knew the intensity of the pleasure he could give her. She had yearned for more of that ecstasy, and she was about to get what she’d been wanting. Gus undressed her with strong movements, ridding himself of his own clothing in record time. They were naked, together, standing at the side of the big bed, and urgency seemed to be riding them both.
Wanting something different and a little daring, Laura tugged Gus down onto the bed but turned over to look at him over her shoulder in silent invitation. She was a wolf, at heart, and sometimes, she needed to do things the wolf way. This was one of those times… If her giant teddy bear would cooperate.
Gus’s sexy smile said it all. He followed her downward onto the bed. They were both breathing hard with anticipation and need. This would be hard and fast, but that’s what she wanted. They were both feeling it. She could tell by the way he positioned her body under him that he was as excited by the prospect of joining with her again, as she was.
And before too much longer, he slid into her from behind. Her ass raised in the air, they did it wolf-style, the dominant male taking his female in an act as old as time, as filled with care and passion as it was urgency and need.
He stroked into her slow, at first, then speeding up as they found their rhythm. There was something so primal about the way this felt. It satisfied the wolf part of her psyche, which usually watched quietly inside while the human side was in control. But this was something the wolf understood. Something the wolf craved. Possession by its chosen partner. An act of life affirmation. An act of nature.
Scratch that. The way Gus did it, it was a force of nature. The pleasure built and built. The intensity of his possession made her feel…cherished, in an odd way. He was forceful, but also gentle. Strong, yet also compassionate. Fierce, tempered with care.
He was all the things she’d been yearning for and thought she would never find.
The pressure built as his motion increased. She felt the grip of his hands on her ass, her hips, moving, positioning her to his will. She felt the growl of her wolf spirit deep in her chest, and when she came, the wolf howled from inside her.
The roar of Gus’s bear joined the howl of her inner wolf as he came with her in an earth-shattering climax that went on and on…and on…
When Laura came back to herself, she was lying on her side with Gus behind her in the big bed. His arm was draped loosely over her waist, and she was using one of his arms as a rather muscular pillow. He was semi-hard and still inside her.
Oh, yeah.
She felt just languid enough that she wanted to bask a little, but other things were stirring inside her. The passion that remained like a banked flame in her midsection wanted to rekindle and burst into full flame. She knew already that Gus could easily wring that sort of response from her…all night long.
She placed her hand over his on her midriff. “Thank you,” she whispered, knowing he would hear her.
Gus placed a soft kiss just behind her ear that made her shiver. “If it’s in my power, I will give you anything you want, Laura. That’s the simple truth,” he told her in a gruff voice.
She heard the ring of certainty in his voice. He meant every word, and it touched her deeply. A little ember escaped from her tight control and rekindled the flame of passion in her body. She squeezed him where they were still joined and felt satisfaction at the evidence of renewed interest in that direction.
“Take me to the stars, again, Gus,” she asked, still whispering as the invisible fire of attraction unfurled between them once more.
Gus started to move slowly. The urgency had been dulled a little, so this time, he was able to take more time with his lover. She was so special to him. More special than she knew.
Gus enjoyed everything about being with Laura. She was strong and fearless when it came to lovemaking. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to give him direction. She was also willing to follow his lead, as she’d proven many times already. She was his perfect match in bed. Out of it? Well, he had his suspicions and beliefs, but he suspected there would be time to figure that out later. Much later.
Gus adjusted her legs so that he could penetrate more deeply. It was a slightly odd position, but the sensations were worth it. She took him deep and squeezed him until he thought he might come just from that, but he powered on, wanting to bring her to ecstasy before he found his own.
His efforts were rewarded a few minutes later when she cried out. His name. She had cried out his name in passion. That triggered his own release, and he joined her…among the stars, as she had requested.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next morning, when Laura woke, it was to the scent of bacon being cooked in her apartment. She smiled as she heard the soft sounds that meant Gus was up and cooking breakfast for her. Never had she had a man cook breakfast for her while she lazed in bed. She smiled as she thought about it. The men of Grizzly Cove were something else. Or maybe that was just Gus. Never had she met a kinder, sexier man than Gustav van Wilde.
He probably had some romantic notion of serving her breakfast in bed, but Laura had to get up. She went into the bathroom, took care of things and freshened up, then went out into the kitchen area to join Gus. As she’d suspected, he was loading a tray that must’ve been in one of the closets, but when he saw her, he adjusted easily, rerouting the large plate laden with fluffy eggs, crispy bacon and other items to the kitchen island instead.
Then, he came over to her and wrapped one strong arm around her waist, tugging her in close. Sexy move by an even sexier man. Her heart did a little flutter as her body remembered the passion he’d shown her the night before.
“Good morning,” he rumbled near her ear before sliding his lips over her cheek to zero in on her lips.
Their kiss was slow, lazy, but filled with heat. She almost told him to skip breakfast and take her back to bed, but he ended the kiss before things could go too far. He set her away from him and turned back to the stove, where he had left things cooking. She shook her head. She was glad one of them was able to focus.
Laura looked around, noticing the fresh bread on the counter near the toaster. Had he already gone out to the bakery and come back? It sure looked like it. She went over and put some slices in the toaster, wanting to help him.
“Looks like you were up early,” she commented as she worked. She liked working alongside Gus. He was easy to be around, in so many ways.
“Yeah, I went across the street and picked up a few things,” he said offhandedly. Laura knew the bakery was open even before dawn because Ashley got up during what Laura thought of as the middle of the night, to start work on her artisanal breads each day. “Nell was working with Ash this morning because John was doing some late-night conferencing with Master Hiram. When I got up and happened to look out the window, I saw the lights in the front of the bake shop go on. Usually, Ash keeps only the work area lights on while she’s prepping her breads, and Tom is always with her. When I saw Nell in the front of the shop, I decided to go over and see what was going on. Tom was in back with Ash, so I just picked up some fresh bread and supplies and came back.”
That was Gus. Checking to see if
everything was okay. He seemed to look at the whole town as his responsibility. Then again, most of the bears seemed to feel that way about this town. It was amazing, really. They were all so Alpha—each in their own ways—but they all seemed to band together behind the idea of making this town and keeping everyone in it safe. The guys of Grizzly Cove were something special, all right.
When the toast popped, she brought it over to the kitchen island. There were two stools there they could sit on while eating. It was informal and perfect for the cozy morning they were sharing.
“Master Hiram,” Laura said, after Gus had turned things off and taken his seat beside her with his own heaping plate of eggs, “he’s the Master vampire of Seattle, right?”
Gus nodded as they both ate. “John is on good terms with Master Hiram, but of course, their communications have to be made at night, while Hiram is fully awake. John can leave messages for him during the day, but if they want a live conversation, John has to accommodate Hiram’s schedule. From what I understand, Hiram has a personal secretary who keeps track of everything. Hiram’s got business interests all over the world, and his working day is while this side of the world is sleeping, so he’s booked pretty solid with conference calls to humans on the other side of the planet, and meetings with Others who understand Hiram’s limitations. It’s hard to get an appointment with him, actually, but he manages to fit John or Zak in whenever they need to talk, which we all find gratifying.”
“Why’s that?” she asked, just for something to say.
The very idea of being on such close terms with a bloodletter was both fascinating and a bit troublesome to her. Her Pack had been very leery of the bloodletters that went north to take advantage of the long winter nights. Of course, most of those stuck to the cities where there was more and easier prey for their kind, but the occasional vampire passed through, making everyone more vigilant. Shifter blood was more powerful to their kind than human blood, and they would seek it if they thought they could get away with it.
The entire Pack went on alert whenever a bloodletter was known to be in the area, and the weakest of the Pack were protected at all times of darkness by the strongest of the Pack. That’s just the way it worked in a healthy Pack. It reminded her of the way the bears of Grizzly Cove looked out for each other and everyone under their protection. She’d missed Pack life, but Grizzly Cove was similar, if not even a little bit better for someone like her.
She thought privately that she might feel a bit smothered in a Pack setting after her ordeal. They would mean well, of course, but wolf Packs were all about togetherness, and right now, Laura felt like she needed a bit of alone time to settle back into her human skin. Grizzly Cove was giving her the space she needed, but also the camaraderie and protective feeling a wolf Pack gave its members. It was the perfect place, really, for her to recover.
“Well, Master Hiram put a portion of his money into Zak’s restaurant. He’s the silent partner, in fact. And, when he washed ashore after the leviathan chomped on his yacht, killing his entire crew and injuring him almost beyond repair—even for a vampire—he proved to be a man of his word. The relationship between him and Zak was cemented that night, and his understanding with John wasn’t far behind.”
“Why Zak? I thought John was the Alpha and Brody his second. Where does Zak fit in?” she asked as they ate.
“Zak was the first one to encounter Hiram, and he allowed Hiram to drink his blood in order to protect Tina, who was also part of that initial confrontation. A bond formed between them because of that link. I’ve asked Zak about it, but he won’t say much. I think the bloodletter is more aware of the bond than the victim—or, in this case, donor. But it’s definitely there. Zak is linked to Hiram now. A small magical tendril stretches between them.”
“That’s really interesting,” Laura said, meaning every word. She had little to no experience with bloodletters. Even the Venifucus who had held her captive didn’t deal with the ancient immortals all that often.
Gus went on to describe that initial meeting with the Master of Seattle in more detail as they ate, but eventually, his tale wound down, and the food was gone. Any excuse to linger and not begin their day was rapidly diminishing as the sun rose higher in the sky. Reluctantly, it seemed, they both got up and tidied up the kitchen, pausing here and there to share a smooch or loving touch. It was fun, working with Gus, even at such a mundane chore as cleaning the kitchen.
They kept up the banter and lighthearted flirting as they moved down to the gallery and set to work. They worked together all morning, setting up displays on the side of the room that was ready. The tribe’s wares were a pleasure to handle and exhibit, and the tone and feel of the art pieces worked well with the subtle shades of the murals on the walls. Everything complemented everything else, which gave Laura a deep sense of satisfaction.
She’d been afraid, when she saw the luxurious colors and textures of the art and jewelry items the tribe had given into Gus’s care, that her murals would clash, somehow. But it had all worked out. The murals merely set the scene, allowing the pieces to shine in their own right.
Gus had been working on subtle changes to the miniature track lighting that was concealed in the ceiling. Laura hadn’t known about it until he’d turned it on and started focusing the small lights on various items in the display, setting them off beautifully. He really had an eye for that sort of thing, and she was surprised to learn that she loved setting up the sales area and, of course, working alongside Gus.
Laura was alone in the gallery for a few minutes while Gus went to get lunch. She was putting the finishing touches on another section of the cabinet along the long wall when she heard the door to the gallery open. Expecting Gus, she smiled as she turned, only to be surprised by someone completely different.
One of the old ladies she had seen at the stone circle stood near the doorway, taking her time looking around as if she owned the place. Laura’s smile faltered a bit, but she wanted to be friendly.
“Hello.” Laura greeted the woman, unsure of her footing. The old lady wasn’t looking at Laura, but at the displays. She was looking at them as if evaluating them. Laura stepped forward hesitantly. She had no idea what to do in this situation. Elders were revered in her culture. She would try to be patient, but she was in a new country, among new people, where traditions were different, which made her unsure about what the proper response should be.
Just when Laura was about to try speaking with the woman again, the old lady turned her deep brown, penetrating gaze on Laura. “It is good to see you looking healthier than when you arrived here,” the lady began, her voice heavily accented. She sounded sort of…Russian, maybe? Laura wasn’t that great with accents. “Everyone here calls me Babushka. Is Russian for grandma, yes?” She didn’t wait for Laura to answer. “Really, I am grandma to Peter only, but I like his friends and treat them like I would treat my own grand-cubs.”
Laura had a little trouble following the old lady’s words—mostly because of the accent—but she thought she got the gist of it. She seemed friendly, in a foreign sort of way.
“Do you know Kamchatka?” Laura only had time to shake her head in the negative before Babushka went on. “Is Siberia. Very wild. Coastal. I have many relatives there with little enough opportunity to make money. I have talked to Gustav about this, and he mentioned possibility of Kamchatka art displayed here.” She turned to survey the room once more. “I like what you have done,” she pronounced, and Laura felt unaccountably flattered, though she really didn’t know this rather eccentric woman. “Paint this wall for Kamchatka, and we will do brisk business. I will provide inspirational photos. Tell Gustav. I return tomorrow to discuss display.” With that, she headed for the door, pausing with her hand on the knob to look back at Laura and smile. “I am glad you are recovered. Be well, little wolf.” The kind words sounded like a benediction, and Laura felt emotion well in her heart as the old lady left the room.
Only after Babushka was gone did Laura realize
she’d only gotten one word out. The Russian grandma was a force to be reckoned with. No doubt about it.
Gus came in a few minutes later while Laura was still marveling at the exchange. “Was that Peter’s grandmother I saw coming out of the building? Did she stop in here?” he asked.
Laura couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up from somewhere. The old lady’s behavior was amusing in retrospect. She was scary, but the encounter had been harmless enough. Laura told Gus all about it as they moved upstairs to eat lunch.
“Sounds like she likes you,” Gus observed, when Laura told him about Babushka’s parting words. “You could do a lot worse than have that woman on your side. She is one scary bear, even as old as she is. Have you ever heard about Kamchatka bears?”
“No. I’ve never even heard of the place before. She said it was part of Siberia?”
“It’s a peninsula off the coast. Very rugged. Very isolated,” Gus told her. “The bears there are huge and very fierce, though they don’t interact with humans much. There was one occasion, though, a few years back, when a mining company did something the local Clan didn’t like, and there was not only bloodshed, but the bears surrounded the compound where the miners were living and blockaded the place. They wouldn’t let the men out for a week. Made the international news and everything. Humans thought it was pretty strange, but after the hubbub died down, the Clan got concessions from the mining company.”
“You mean the mining company knew to negotiate with the Clan? I thought shifters weren’t supposed to reveal themselves.” Laura was confused.
“They didn’t. The Clan is a large part of the local government, and the miners didn’t realize the crazy bears were also the tough politicians they had been negotiating with. Though, it was a close thing. Those bears are a little nuts. They take big risks. Peter’s just the same, but I’ve never met a man with a truer heart. He’s a good guy, even if he does have a slightly insane berserker side.” Gus chuckled at his own words. “That family has dragon blood, or so they claim.”
Spirit Bear Page 11
