“You won’t hurt me unless you walk out again .”
He pulled me to him and kissed me. “I’m here. I’m going to mark you. You’re going to be mine .”
“And you’re going to be mine .”
“Are you sure you want to be stuck with me ?”
I nodded. I was sure. I was more than sure .
He blew out a shaky breath. “ Marry me .”
I sat back and my ass honked the horn again . “Huh ?”
“I’m here to stay. I want to mark you, but I want you in every way. Marry me. Let me spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m here to stay .”
26
Denny
M y mouth was hanging open and I knew I needed to say something, but I was in shock . “Huh ?”
Raif smiled. “You said that already .”
I stuttered and fisted my hands in his hair. “You want to marry me ?”
He nodded, that smile still in place. “I want to marry you. I’ve been miserable without you. Every second of every day, I thought about you. Not just random thoughts, but deep shit. I thought about where we’d be in twenty or thirty years. I thought about not being with you in twenty years and I tried to imagine what’d you’d be doing. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t separate us in my ideas of the future. Every picture in my head was of us together .
“I thought I was doing the right thing for you when I left. I was just wrong, though. Our futures are intertwined .”
I blinked. “So, you want to marry me .”
He laughed and nodded. He looked up at me through his lashes and lightly shook his head. “I don’t ever want to let you out of my sight. Especially with that postage stamp of an outfit you’re wearing .”
I laughed. I don’t know why it was my reaction, but it was. I dropped my head back and accidentally honked the horn again. My body shook as I laughed, big convulsions .
“Not the response I was expecting .”
I snorted and covered my mouth, trying to get control of myself. “Yes! I want to marry you. It’s insane. This is insane .”
Raif pulled me down to him and kissed me. His hands pushed my dress off of my shoulders and did the same with my bra straps. “Was there ever a chance of it being sane ?”
I pulled at his shirt, desperate to feel more of his skin. My laughter died with his kiss and his hands on my skin had reignited the fire in me. “I missed you .”
He yanked his shirt off and pushed my bra down low enough to expose my breasts. He dipped his head and took turns taking my nipples into his mouth. Sucking and biting them, he reached between us and ripped my panties off .
Gasping, I shifted and honked the stupid horn again when he slid two fingers into me. “Those were handmade panties !”
He curled his fingers and pumped them into me. “I’ll make you more .”
I grasped at his belt buckle and then the button on his pants. “Off. Take these off .”
He put me on the steering wheel. My ass set the horn off in one long blare, and shoved his pants and briefs down enough to free himself. Pulling me back towards him, he rubbed his shaft against my core, teasing me .
I gripped his shoulders and nodded. “Please, Raif. I want to feel you .”
He lined up our bodies and slowly pulled me down on him. Impaling my body, he growled as I squeezed my walls around him and cried out his name. “Don’t do that if you want this to last .”
I dropped my forehead to his and gasped as he flexed his hips and moved in me. “Fuck me , Raif .”
He wrapped his arms around me and moved my body up and down his shaft, filling me again and again until my toes curled and I panted against him. He held my gaze and moved his hips up to meet my downwards thrust faster and harder .
I dug my nails into his shoulders and moaned. I needed him. Everything he could give me and more. I moved my mouth to his ear and begged him. “Please, Raif. More. Don’t stop .”
“Fuck .” His body surged against mine, a light coating of sweat making us slick as we moved .
He slipped his hand between our bodies and his fingers found my clit. Rubbing circles over it, he pushed me closer and closer to the edge until I couldn’t stop my orgasm .
My body grew tighter and tighter until a warmth spread from my core out. My orgasm started and then Raif dipped his head and sank his teeth into my neck. Explosions. Fireworks flashed behind my eyes and I screamed as waves of pleasure crashed into me and wracked my body .
Drawn by a compulsion to finish the bond, I moved forward and bit down on his shoulder. Another powerful orgasm started and shook me as I felt our connection snap into focus like a tangible thing .
Raif growled and pumped into me once more before coming with me. We held onto each other, our heartbeats syncing as we panted and tried to come down from that crazy high .
Raif dropped his head back on his headrest and let out a short laugh. “ Holy shit .”
I sank back and groaned when the horn sounded off again. “Holy shit is right .”
His lips slipped into a lazy grin. “You’re stuck with me .”
“Still want to marry me ?”
“I should be asking you that .”
I leaned into him and rested my head on his shoulder . “Yes .”
He kissed the top of my head. “I’d marry you tomorrow, Denny Wade .”
“Not today, though ?”
“Are you always such a pain ?”
“I don’t know. Are you always such a pain ?”
“Real mature .”
I sat up and slapped his shoulder. “Don’t call me immature .”
He shifted and rolled his eyes. “Did you hear me say the word immature ?”
My face heated and I felt my anger growing. “Stop it , Raif .”
“Stop it, Raif.” He mimicked in a girly voice .
I slapped his shoulder again and tried to climb off of him. “This isn’t funny. Stop being a jerkwad .”
He grabbed my waist and held me against his body. He was hard again, his body pulsing in mine. His eyes were darker, more intense as they met mine .
I stopped trying to get off him and moaned. “That turns you on ?”
“You don’t talk to anyone else like that. That turns me on. You get heated with me .”
I wanted to think about it but he was moving and my brain short-circuited. I sank down on him and moaned as the horn went off again .
Raif flipped us over on the bench seat and grinned down at me. “Want to yell at me again ?”
I grabbed his hair and pulled him down to me. “Shut up and kiss me, jerkwad .”
He moaned as he kissed me. “Bossy .”
THE END
Billionaire Bear’s Bride
Kodiak Island shifters (COLTON )
Sneak Peak
1
“T ake a seat Doctor Cooper.” Hannah’s lawyer proffered a chair opposite his paper-strewn desk. He adjusted his spectacles before continuing, “It’s all fairly straight forward—all monetary assets are to be transferred from your uncle’s estate at your earliest convenience .”
Hannah smiled tightly, not really knowing what to say. It had been an overwhelming week. It began with her uncle’s funeral, a man she hadn’t spoken to in years and only vaguely recollected. It was now ending, on a warm Friday afternoon, in her lawyer’s office, discussing the deposit of a large inheritance into her bank account .
“I have to say,” the lawyer continued, “it’s a rare pleasure allocating such large funds to someone so risk-adverse. You have a very healthy credit record, Doctor Cooper .”
“Well. I don’t come from a wealthy background, Mr. Moore. I think that helps .”
“Indeed.” He nodded, “There is, however, another matter I wanted to discuss with you today.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “Your marriage to a Mr…” He peered down at the document in his hand, “Bradley …”
“Brad Crawford,” Hannah interrupted him. “Yes. We’re not actually married. I mean
, we’re married, technically, but… well, haven’t been together for many years now. We just never got around to a divorce .”
“I suggest that you do. You understand, of course, that he could cause,” he hesitated, looking for the right word, “issues as your legal husband if you were to receive the inheritance and then opt for a divorce. My suggestion to you would be to obtain signed divorce papers before the transfer proceeds .”
Hannah nodded, “I don’t think that will be a problem… once I track him down .”
“You don’t know Mr. Crawford’s location ?”
“No. I haven’t seen him in ten years.” Hannah shrugged, she really hadn’t thought about him for an entire decade. They broke up a month before she left for medical school, and neither of them had been in contact with one another since .
“Well, I suggest you locate him. My understanding is that these funds will enable you to start your own medical practice ?”
Hannah nodded, “Yes… and pay off my student loans .”
“Admirable. I hope it proves a fruitful endeavor. I will have the divorce papers drawn up for you by next week. Once you have the co-signature, we can reconvene and transfer the funds .
“Okay. Well, great.” Hannah rose from her chair, and shook her lawyers hand. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Moore .”
“It’s a pleasure, Dr. Cooper .”
R iding the elevator down from Delaney, Smith and Wexler LLP, Hannah felt dizzy. She had hoped that one day she’d have the financial means to open her own practice specializing in family medicine, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that day would come so soon. Thank you, Uncle Henry. May you rest in peace .
All she had to do now was get a divorce. She slipped on her RayBans as she stepped out of the office building and into the bright Chicago sunshine, heading towards a Starbucks across the street. Hannah wasn’t on call, so this was only the second cup of the day. If she was going to start trying to locate Brad Crawford, she reasoned, she’d need all the help she could get .
As the barista smiled at her mechanically from behind the counter, Hannah contemplated her options. She knew that neither of her parents had heard from Brad in years, and she wasn’t really in touch with anyone from High School. That was one of the drawbacks of medical school; you could forget about maintaining old friendships during the four years of intensive study, as lab partners and classmates became the only faces you ever saw. The four years of residency that followed had been no easier, but at least Hannah had shared an apartment with two other young doctors who understood the need to get shit-faced drunk the first day you lost a patient, that black-out conditions were mandatory during the day if you were on night shifts, and that the fridge needed to be stocked with Diet Coke twenty-four seven .
Hannah figured her best bet for tracking Brad would be to start with his sister. A few months ago, Hannah was sure she’d seen a new baby announcement on Facebook with Brad’s sister tagged in the group. Lila, that was her name. Lila Crawford. As far as Hannah could recall, she still lived back in Montana, so maybe Brand was near that area too. It would be nice to visit. Maybe she could pop by and see her parents .
With renewed vigor and a tall steaming black Columbian coffee, Hannah set off back home to her apartment .
“L ila?” Hannah asked when she heard a confused ‘hello’ at the other end of the line .
“Speaking. Who’s this?” Lila’s voice sounded sleep heavy .
“It’s Hannah Cooper. We went to High School together.” Hannah prompted .
“Oh, yeah. Brad’s wife .”
“Yeah,” Hannah paused. She hadn’t exactly expected a warm reception, but Lila’s tone was particularly cold. “I was actually looking for Brad. Do you know where he lives now ?”
“Not really. I haven’t heard from him in over a year. No surprise there .”
Hannah made a sympathetic noise, “Any idea where I might find out ?”
“Why are you looking for him anyways? You two haven’t seen each other in years .”
“I just wanted to catch up with him, see how he’s doing…” Hannah trailed off. “I also need him to sign some divorce papers. We never really got around to it, before, you know ?”
“You getting hitched again?” Lila asked .
“No, no, just getting my paperwork in order .”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Eventually Lila sighed .
“Well, last I heard, he was in Alaska .”
“ Alaska ?”
“Yeah. He was doing odd jobs here and there. No idea where he’s at now though .”
“Okay, thanks Lila. Do you know what area ?”
“ Port Ursa .”
Hannah had never heard of it. So much for her trip to Montana .
“Great. Thanks, Lila, you’ve been really helpful .”
“Anytime .”
The phone went dead before Hannah had a chance to say goodbye. Hannah stared bemusedly at it. Lila had always been a bit of an oddball, and as far back as Hannah could remember, she’d never gotten along with her own brother .
The Crawford siblings hadn’t exactly had the Leave it to Beaver upbringing, though. Brad may have been the all-star favorite on the school basketball team, but he had also been a wild card–constantly in trouble, forever in detention, and he often missed long periods of the school semester. It was that wildness that had attracted her to Brad in the first place. Hannah smiled to herself, remembering her days as a straight-laced high school student. She had been forever studying, positively obsessed with getting straight ‘A’s. Brad had caught her attention during senior year, and they had started dating casually .
When High School came to an end, they and a group of their friends decided to celebrate their freedom with a cross-country road trip. Predicated by a night of free drinking at a casino, and Hannah’s first actual falling-down drunk, Brad and Hannah had found themselves in an Elvis Chapel in Vegas, pledging their future to one another .
Hannah went into her bedroom, and dug out a shoebox from beneath her bed. It was full of old photos and mementos. She searched through the piles, till she came to the cheaply framed picture of her wedding day. Brad had insisted on dressing up in a Rhinestone body suit. It still made Hannah laugh. He looked ridiculous, but she didn’t look any better. Having drunkenly decided to go “full Vegas,” she’d found the tightest, shortest mini dress she could find and the highest stilettos. In the picture they were surrounded by their friends—people Hannah hadn’t seen in years. She looked at the picture fondly. Brad had been troubled, no doubt about that, but he had been fun. The foolish marriage aside, she would never regret that vacation. Her last hurrah, a taste of much needed freedom before she buckled down to carving out her career .
She was intrigued to see what had become of Brad. She was actually surprised that this much time had passed without him contacting her to get the marriage annulled. Hannah’s dating landscape had been pretty barren, solely due to her working hours and somewhat narrow-minded focus on her job, but she would have thought Brad would have found a nice girl to settle down with by now .
“Do we have any ice-cream?” her roommate, Laura, stood in the doorway looking utterly miserable .
“No, honey, we don’t. Are you okay ?”
“No,” she pouted, “Long shift working with Grayson. It was horrible. He yelled for hours, and I was so tired I didn’t even know what he was yelling about .”
“Yuck. I’m sorry, that sounds rough.” Grayson was the Chief of Staff at the general hospital where Hannah and Laura where finishing off their residency. He was an acidic demon, and getting on the wrong side of him would lead to shifts ending in tears. For Laura, it always necessitated buckets of ice cream .
“Come on,” Hannah ushered her into the living room, and wrapped her up in a blanket on the sofa. “I’ll go out and get some .”
“Really?” Laura’s eyes lit up, “Thank you, thank you. I’ll do your laundry duty next week .”
Laura smiled sheepishly .
“By the way, “Hannah continued, “have you heard of Port Ursa ?”
“In Alaska ?”
“Yes! Do you know it ?”
“Not really. My dad went fishing there once. I think it’s a bit of a nightmare to get to–like, one of the islands you can only get to by boat or bush plane or something .”
“Of course it is,” Hannah sighed, “Salted caramel ?”
“Can you get that and a cookie dough one ?”
“Don’t push your luck.” Hannah picked up her keys and purse. “Be back in five .”
Laura gave her a helpless wave from her position on the sofa .
Hannah marched down the stairs, mildly annoyed that the one rare week she got off would be spent traipsing around in Alaska, no doubt freezing her ass off, trying to locate her legal husband .
2
“I think we should expand,” Colton Sterling leaned back in his chair, idly scratching his lean torso as he waited for his brothers’ response .
“It’s risky, Colton,” Wyatt spoke in measured tones, “It makes me nervous that we couldn’t cover it with the income from the current fishery .”
“But we can easily cover it with Sterling Outfitters,” remarked Colton, “We’re running a multi-billion-dollar chain. What else do you want to do with the profits ?”
Colton’s brother sighed .
“Come on, Wyatt. You know he’s right.” Tucker Sterling broke the silence, “He was right the last time, he’s right this time, and he’s going to be right next time .”
The three brothers sat around the table. They had been playing a game of poker, but talk had turned to business as it so often did. The whisky had stopped being poured as they tried to reach a solution, the game on pause while each man carefully considered the options .
Wolf Detective Page 10
