by Jules Tyler
As he laved his tongue over her clit, Jesse’s cock grew harder as he watched Liz gave into the pleasure. Swirling his tongue around her, Jesse slid his finger inside of her, starting slow at first before working into a rhythm as he continued to work his sensual attack on her body.
“I need more, Jesse. I need you,” Liz begged as she clawed at his shoulders in an effort to pull him up.
That was all Jesse needed to hear. Standing up, he wrapped an arm around Liz’s middle and moved them to the center of the bed. As he took a moment to kiss her, Jesse paused and looked at his mate, feeling the depth of what he saw in her warm blue eyes. Her gaze held so much promise and a hint of something else. Something that looked a lot like love. And Jesse hoped that it was. He loved her from the moment they had met.
Positioning his cock at right up next to her warm folds, dipping it barely an inch inside of her, not pushing all the way in, he whispered to her, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Liz whispered.
Pushing inside of her slowly, Jesse found himself revelling in the tight clench of her body around him. Liz’s nails were digging into his back, pulling him closer to her, making him harder. Stroking inside of her with every thrust, he was making her moan out his name in pleasure.
He needed her, he needed this right here. It was where his world would begin and end. He was no stranger to pleasure, but this was a whole different world that he didn’t realize had existed. Pleasing his mate, her calling his name, this was true ecstasy would feel like.
“Jesse, Jesse,” Liz moaned, clawing at his back.
“That’s right, baby, say my name. Tell me what you like,” Jesse panted as he thrust into her again and again.
A few more thrusts and Jesse felt his movements becoming more erratic, he was close. Pressing his thumb to her clit, Jesse gently rubbed small circles. The pleasure between them was flowing now. It wouldn’t be long.
“Come with me, baby, do it. Come,” Jesse commanded as he thrust twice more into her before exploding inside.
“Jesse, fuck!” Liz screamed out as her body clenched around him, the orgasm he had given her rocking through her in waves.
Leaning forward, he pressed his body to hers, leaving his cock inside of her while her final waves of ecstasy rocked through her body. Pressing his lips to hers, he felt the warming sensation in his chest that told him their bond had begun.
“Jesse, Jesse,” Liz whispered reverently in his ear.
Rolling onto his side, he pulled Liz into his chest, “Shh, it’s okay, my love. Just close your eyes.”
Letting his own eyes drift closed, nothing could ruin this moment for him.
Chapter Fifteen
Liz woke up wrapped in Jesse’s arms as sunshine started to creep through the curtains in his room. He had woken her several more times throughout the night to please her, and the ache between her legs confirmed she had not dreamed the amount of love making they had done. Normally this is where she should be freaking out about what they had done and how fast this was moving, but she was making a solid effort to take Stella’s advice to heart and follow her instincts with Jesse, instead of giving into the anxiety that was trying to fill her mind.
She had to admit to herself, it had gotten easier to deal with her anxiety since meeting Jesse. It wasn’t gone, far from gone actually, but it was definitely becoming less of a hassle with him around.
Feeling Jesse nuzzling her neck, she whispered to him, “Are you awake?”
“Mmhmmm,” Jesse yawned before pulling her closer to his chest.
“I’ve gotta get up and start getting things ready at the restaurant for tonight,” she sighed.
“Fine,” Jesse sulked as he released her from his arms.
Sliding out of bed, Liz quickly got dressed and bent over to kiss Jesse goodbye, “I’ll come by after work tonight.”
“Sounds great, beautiful. I’ll see you then,” he said before kissing her back.
Pulling on her shoes at the door, Liz pushed open the door and headed for home. Crossing the grassy area between the two of their cabins in a hurry, she jogged up the porch to open her door.
“Well, good morning there, sunshine,” Stella’s voice chirped to Liz’s left.
Gasping in surprise, Liz turned to face her friend, “That is so not cool, Stella. You snuck up on me.”
“Technically not my fault. I’ve been sitting here for the better part of an hour waiting for my new best friend to wake up, only to find out she never came home last night,” Stella winked teasingly before popping an Oreo in her mouth.
Liz had found that Stella had an unhealthy relationship with all things cookie and Dorito when she discovered Stella trying to stash several boxes in the dry storage in the kitchen. The girl could not get enough of them.
“You know, if you would’ve waited, I could’ve made you breakfast at the restaurant,” Liz admonished her as she watched Stella dunk another cookie in her mug. “That seriously cannot taste good.”
“Don’t knock it till you try it, chef lady,” Stella quipped. “Besides, this isn’t coffee, it’s hot chocolate, so it’s perfectly acceptable and way more delicious that those weird biscotti things they sell at coffee shops.”
Liz rolled her eyes at her friend, “Come on in.”
Stella got up and walked past Liz into the cabin before walking over and plopping down on the couch, “So, uh, where were you?”
“Someone is nosey,” Liz laughed as she went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee for herself.
“Damn right, I’m nosey. You’re the only lady friend other than Mama that I’ve got up here, and I can’t very well be asking Mama what kind of amorous activities she’s been up to, now can I?” Stella sassed from her perch on the couch.
“I think that might be a little awkward if you did,” Liz agreed, taking a deep breath of the delicious coffee aroma that was now filling her house.
“Precisely, so I’d rather gossip about your amorous activities instead,” Stella winked.
“Must you?” Liz complained as she pulled a coffee cup out of the cupboard and crossed to the fridge to grab her caramel flavored creamer.
“If you don’t start talking about what kind of dirty things you and Jesse were up to last night, I’m going to start going into very detailed description of what positions Brady and I were doing last night, and you and I both know you don’t want to know,” Stella threatened teasingly.
“You wouldn’t,” Liz mocked.
“Oh, but I would,” Stella said, pointing her cookie at Liz before popping it into her mouth.
“Okay, okay, fine. I stayed the night at Jesse’s last night and we, uh… Yeah,” Liz said awkwardly. Even in college, she had never gossiped about what happened in the bedroom with Alex with anyone. This was completely new territory.
“I knew it!” Stella exclaimed. “Tell me about it. Was it mind blowing? Fantastic? Did he bite you?”
Liz’s face screwed up in confusion, “I mean, I’m sure we all have our kinks, but what does it matter if he bit me?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Brady likes to bite in the bedroom, so I figured I’d ask,” Stella tried to play it off.
“Uh huh, okay then,” Liz said into her coffee cup. Man, Stella could be a bit eccentric, but she really liked having a friend.
“So are you gonna stay the night again tonight?” Stella pried.
“I don’t know, maybe. It is Friday, so I know I’ll be at the restaurant late tonight. I really doubt we’ll do anything more than sleeping after how tired I’ll be from the Friday night rush,” Liz shrugged.
“Uh huh, I see,” Stella said thoughtfully. “Maybe we should hire you some help.”
“Oh no you don’t. That restaurant may be owned by you, but it is my baby. Don’t you go hiring anyone else to come in there with me. Things run smoothly as it is right now. I don’t need anyone coming in there and muddying up my work,” Liz wagged her finger at her.
“If you’re absolutely sure,” Stella g
rinned.
“Is this really why you came over this morning, or did you have something important to tell me?” Liz asked.
“Nope, just came over to harass you while you drink your morning coffee is all,” Stella said as she put her feet up on the couch and set her cup on the table next to her.
“Ah, I see how it is,” Liz shook her head at her friend.
“Well, once Landon and Tyson find women of their own, then I’ll rotate who I annoy this early in the morning. For now, you’re the only captive audience I have. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if you wouldn’t get so worked up about it,” Stella explained.
Liz knew she was right, but as much as she pretended to be annoyed by her friend’s antics, she truly appreciated them. It was nice to have someone that she could confide in.
Chapter Sixteen
Jesse glanced at his watch for what was probably the tenth time in the last five minutes. The day was moving slower, and he swore that his watch must be broken but knew that was likely not the case. He just wanted to see Liz again. It was only six o’clock, so what was he going to do until then? At this rate, he was hoping that it would get easier for him to wait for her to come home after he had claimed her. Tonight was the night. He was going to show her his bear and explain why everything between them was so easy. He was just praying that she would understand and accept him as he was.
Pacing the floor a few times more, Jesse resolved that he just needed to let his bear go for a run. Maybe then the time would pass quicker for the both of them. Strolling out the front door of his cabin, he undressed in a hurry so no one would see him and gave his body over to his bear. Bones popped and cracked into different shapes, fur coated his body as his incisors grew long and sharp, and before long, he fell forward on four large, clawed paws. Chuffing in appreciation at his quick shift, Jesse ambled towards the cover of the trees so he wouldn’t spook the campers.
Climbing the rocky slope, Jesse gave his mind over to his bear and let instinct take hold. Scenting the air, he could smell Liz’s cooking from up here but could also a deer roaming this part of mountains. Feeling up for the chase, Jesse pressed forward in search of the big game.
A while later, Jesse glanced up at the sky only to realize how long he had been out. Tracking down that deer had proven more difficult than he had anticipated, but he didn’t think he had been gone for long. The moon was high in the sky, and if he wanted to be back in time for Liz to come back from the restaurant, he needed to act quickly.
Chapter Seventeen
Liz carried the leftover cobbler that she had saved for Jesse back to her cabin so she could shower. The lights were off at his place, which told her he was likely out with the guys or helping out a camper. Tonight had been such a rush. Every weekend was busier than the one before it. It was great! People were actually coming to her restaurant and enjoying her food. She felt like she was living a dream, and in a way she was, but she was living her dream. It definitely was a major bonus that not only had she found the job of her dreams, but she also had found a great man to fill her time with.
Jesse was just so different from anyone she had ever met. He helped her push her limits and control her anxiety in ways she never thought possible. Everything was just so open between them, it was nice to feel like he wasn’t hiding anything from her.
After scrubbing herself clean and braiding her hair down her back, Liz quickly dressed and headed for the front door. Walking past the window in her living room, she paused to check if Jesse’s house lights were back on yet. Frowning to herself, she checked the clock on the stove. He still wasn’t home yet, and it was almost midnight.
Where are you?
Hoping everything was okay, she planted herself in the armchair that sat next to the window and curled up with the book that was resting on end table next to her. She was all about reading a good romance, and this was one that Stella had lent her earlier in the week when she ran out of books to read that she had brought with her. This one was about shifters. Liz hadn’t read very many books from this genre, but she was definitely interested in the idea of being able to find the person you were meant to be with and automatically know they were yours. It took all the anxiety of meeting someone new out of the question. That must be nice.
Our eyes connected from across the bar. His eyes were blazing gold, only adding to my intrigue with him. Tousled brown hair and a stylish five o’clock shadow kicked up his sex appeal. Something inside of me was pulling me in his direction. Whether that was magnets, the Fates, or liquid courage, I did not know.
His glowing eyes told me what I needed know; he was like me. Not quite human, not quite animal, we were each the perfect balance of both.
Mate. My tiger purred inside of me.
Could it be that I had finally found my intended?
Glancing up from the book, Liz noticed something large coming down the mountain side by Jesse’s cabin. Leaning towards the window, she felt the air escape from her lungs. It was a bear, and a rather large on at that. He was easily as big as her car outside.
Go away. Go away. Go away.
Liz sat and watched as the bear moved towards Jesse’s porch and stood on its hind legs, stretching even taller. He easily stood over twelve feet tall. Liz knew she should be running to the phone and calling the lodge to tell Stella what she was seeing so Brady and the guys could scare the bear off, but she wanted to make sure he didn’t head towards the campsites first.
After a moment, the bear did something strange. He hunched forward and slowly looked as though he was shrinking. Rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, Liz leaned closer to the window. The bear was shrinking! Several agonizing seconds passed and the bear shrunk smaller and smaller, losing fur and claws, finally resulting in a very naked Jesse standing on his porch before moving to quickly enter his cabin.
What the fuck just happened?! My boyfriend is a bear? No, no, no, no. That is the shit that happens in books. Not real life.
Liz’s fight or flight kicked into gear… And she chose flight.
Fuck. I’ve gotta get out of here.
Getting up and dashing for the bedroom, Liz hastily packed her bag. She could come back for her shit. Luckily Stella had just given her her first paycheck, and it would more than cover a couple of days in a hotel until she figured out her next move. Stuffing as much as she could into her bag, she rushed into the bathroom and gathered her toiletries too. There was no way she was going to be able to fit everything into her duffle bag, so she would have to call Stella and ask her to ship the rest of it to her wherever she ended up.
Heading for the front door, she snatched her keys and cell phone from where she had left them. There was no need to use them up here when there wasn’t any cell service, and Stella ordered all of the food to be delivered up here.
Getting to the car, she refused to look in the direction of Jesse’s cabin until she had fully started it and shifted into drive to head towards the mountain road that led towards Boise. Tears began to run down her face. She thought she had finally found someone who would share everything with her. Her heart felt as though it was breaking into a thousand pieces. She had shared some of the deepest darkest corners of herself with him, but he chose to keep hidden the biggest secret of all from her.
She knew she should be afraid of Jesse and what he was but she wasn’t. She was angry. He had tricked her, just like everyone else in her romantic life had. He had chosen to only tell her what he knew she would want to hear. This was his ultimate betrayal.
Chapter Eighteen
Getting out of the shower, Jesse quickly dried off and got dressed. Liz hadn’t come over last night, so he figured she must’ve just been tired and chose to stay home. Pulling his boots on, he headed out the door and ran right smack into a pissed off Stella.
“What the fuck did you do?” Stella demanded. For a petite female, she was sure brave for trying to go toe to toe with a grizzly shifter.
“I’m sorry?” Jesse asked, sincerely confus
ed about what she was talking about.
“Liz called me from Boise this morning in tears, told me she had to quit, and needs me to pack her shit up to ship it to her. So tell me, what the fuck did you do?” Stella nearly screeched.
Jesse’s eyes darted to where Liz’ car was normally parked alongside her cabin, but it was gone. Replaying the events from the night before, Jesse tried to figure out where he could’ve gone wrong. He had come home late from chasing that elusive deer through the mountains, shifted, then came inside and waited for Liz to come over. Suddenly, it dawned on him what may have happened.
“Shit,” Jesse muttered under his breath. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.”
“Shit what, Jesse? What did you do?” Stella demanded.
