She should have run. She should have gone into the house, and found somewhere to hide, or grabbed a knife with which to defend herself. But she didn’t. Instead she stood, her mouth open, pointing at the bear. Who cocked his head on one side and studied her, with the same intense look she had seen in Adam’s eyes.
What had happened wasn’t real, couldn’t be real. But in Lynn’s world, everything had to be quantified and proved. That was what her parents had taught her. So when she reached out her hand and the bear touched her with his snout, breathing his warm breath on her, she had to believe.
Either in the bear, or that she had gone completely mad.
Chapter Fourteen – Adam
She hadn’t run away. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? Adam sniffed her hand, his bear taking in the scent of her, and imprinting it on his brain. Lynn’s scent, their mate’s very own, unique scent. Of course, it was mixed with a cocktail of cleaning fluids, but underneath that it was all her. And she was all theirs.
Because she hadn’t run away.
Carefully, he took a step forward, and rubbed along her leg, like a big, soft pussycat. If he could have purred, he would have. Instead he shivered in a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Should he change back now? Had Lynn had enough of the bear experience to know he was real, and more importantly that he wouldn’t hurt her?
The answer came when she took a stumbling step back and he saw the vacant look in her eyes. The experience had overwhelmed her, and he shifted back into his human form, arms outstretched to catch her as her arms flailed.
“I’ve got you,” he said, scooping her up in his arms, and cradling her against his chest, bowing his head to kiss her. “I’ll always look after you.”
She tilted her head back, and said, “I can take care of myself.”
“I know,” he said, with a small laugh. “But could I just carry you inside? Just this once, let me look after you.”
She settled back against him. “I guess that would be OK.”
Her voice seemed distant, and he feared he had lost her, that she had seen his bear and decided she did not want her life to be some kind of a freak show. If that were true, he would spend the rest of his life trying to persuade her otherwise. He wanted her, she had to be his. It was fate.
Adam carried her to the dining room; there was still a bed in there. But Lynn said, “The sofa. I can’t sleep in that bed.”
He turned back around and carried her to the old lumpy sofa; it had a blanket and sleeping bag on it, and a pillow. “This is where you have been sleeping?”
“Yes. My bedroom set doesn’t get here until tomorrow.” She put out her hand to steady herself as he lowered her down onto her bedding.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked, standing back, not knowing what to say. How exactly did you discuss something like this?
“There is the rest of the wine. I think that might be better than tea.”
“I think you might be right,” he said, cursing himself for not bringing something stronger with him. Lynn looked pale with shock, and Adam felt guilty for being the cause of that shock.
He went to the kitchen and fetched the wine with two mugs, because they were the first things he saw, and the rest of the apple pie his mom had sent over the first day Lynn had arrived.
“Here, have a drink and something to eat. It should make you feel better,” he said, fussing over her in what he hoped was an attentive way. He didn’t want to foist himself on her; if she wanted him to leave, he would.
And if she doesn’t want us to come back? his bear asked.
Adam didn’t know if he could agree to that. Ever. He wanted what was best for Lynn, but to Adam, that was them being together. They were born to be together: she was his mate, it was fact.
He stopped the stream of words that went around and around in his head. He needed to calm down, to let Lynn speak, and tell him what she wanted. And he would have to respect it, because that was part of being a mate. Love and respect were at the top of the qualities a bear shifter prided himself in. That was what his parents had taught him his whole life.
“Thank you,” Lynn said, as he passed her a plate full of pie. She took a bite, taking her time to eat it, avoiding his eyes.
“Are you OK?” he asked eventually, unable to stand the suspense. He needed to know if he’d blown it with her. He should have been more patient, but he wanted her, and she wanted him, physically at least. There was no way he could have claimed her, not without her being fully aware of what she was taking on.
“That I’m not sure about,” Lynn answered. “Truthfully, I would be happy to go through my life not knowing shifters exist, because that is some kind of weirdness no one can be prepared for.” She sighed, and looked up at him. “But my great-uncle did try.”
Adam frowned. “He told you about us?”
“Not exactly.” Lynn set her fork down on her plate, her pie not quite finished. “But I think he told my parents.”
“Why do you think that?” Adam asked.
“Because we used to visit every year, and my mom and dad would talk on the phone to Uncle Freddy most weeks. Then it stopped. Abruptly. I never knew why. All my mom would ever say was that Uncle Freddy was half crazy, and delusional, and they didn’t want me near him.”
“You think he told them about shifters?” Adam sat back on his haunches, and thought about it. “He knew about us, but he wasn’t a shifter himself. He did have a relationship with a shifter from over Bear Creek way. They weren’t mates. My dad said they lived together for a few years, before she moved out. Dad was never sure if it was because she found her true mate.”
Lynn sighed. “This was never on my agenda. You know, when I decided to move here, I just wanted a quiet life. I was tired of the hotel business, and wanted to dial it back a bit, breed alpacas, make wool… Make something that was mine.”
“Why can’t you still do that?” Adam asked. “Nothing else has changed.”
“Really?” she raised her eyebrows at him. “A hell of a lot changed. Ten minutes ago I found out you were a bear shifter.”
“Why does that alter your plans?” he asked. Then he paused, a sense of foreboding filling him. “You’re leaving?”
“No,” she said quickly. “But I need some time to let this sink in. What about when we have kids?”
He grinned. “We’re at the when we have kids stage. I like that.”
“Well, if you are my mate, then I’m at least going to have to give it a chance to work out.”
“Thank you.” He leaned forward, his lips close to hers. “You know I want to kiss you?”
“I figured you might. Although I taste of apple pie.”
“Perfect.” He kissed her lips, savoring the sweetness of the pie, mixed with a special flavor that was all Lynn.
She threaded her hands around his neck, her fingers pushing into his hair, while her lips moved against his. He nipped her bottom lip, then slipped his tongue inside her mouth, claiming ownership as he wished to claim ownership of the whole of her body and soul.
Adam slipped his hands beneath her and turned Lynn to a sitting position. He wanted to get naked with his mate. He needed to know if this was what she wanted too. One hand cupped her breast, and she gasped, but didn’t push him away. He rubbed his thumb over her taut nipple, a sign she was aroused, but he would need more than that before he made love to her.
“You understand what it means, when I say you are my mate?” Adam asked.
“It means you want to make love to me. And that you think I am going to be your wife,” Lynn said.
“It means a heck of a lot more than that,” Adam said. “It means you and me forever, no matter what.”
“Unless I kick you out?” Lynn said.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck. “I hope that never happens, but if you ever want me to leave, I’m bound by the bond to never hurt you. So yes, unless you kick me out.”
“Then you had better be a good husband. And father,” she sai
d.
“I aim to be,” Adam answered. “Does that mean you will marry me?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Let’s take it one slow step at a time. If I marry you within a month of moving here, then my parents will be crying out that I’ve been taken advantage of.”
“I truly do want to take advantage of you,” Adam said. “Right now.”
“I guess it would be good to see what you have to offer,” Lynn said.
“Then let me assist you with your clothes.” He lifted the sweater over her head, his eyes fixed on her luscious breasts, which he left encased in her bra, while he worked on taking off her jeans. His fingers fumbled briefly in his excitement. He was like a kid at Christmas and Lynn was most definitely the best gift he could ever wish for.
“There,” he said with triumph as he finally pulled her jeans down over her thighs. Lynn helped, lifting her bottom up off the sofa, which pushed her mound toward his eager mouth. He couldn’t resist, lowering his head and grazing her clit with his teeth through the cotton of her panties.
She gasped, and held her bottom off the sofa, her hand in his hair, pulling him toward her. Adam nipped her through her panties, his tongue a hard point pressing against her clit until she whimpered, her back arched, offering herself to him. He planned to take what she offered. To take her to heights she had only ever dreamed of.
Hooking his fingers into the elastic of her panties, he pulled them down, throwing them to one side, not caring if she ever found them again, not caring if she ever wore them again. He would like nothing more than to have access to her whenever he wanted, which, the way he felt right now, would be all the time. If he could be with Lynn, kissing her, licking her, and fucking her every minute of the day, he would be a happy man.
So what if he didn’t want to live in the real world right now?
Lynn watched, her head bent, intent on what his fingers and mouth were doing to her. Adam pressed two fingers inside her sex, a smile crossing his face when he saw how wet she was. There was no need to ask if she wanted him, her body told him in its own way. Lowering his head, he kissed her clit, and then licked her, tasting her intimately and relishing it.
Thrusting into her deeper, he hooked a finger to slide along her inner walls, while he licked and nipped her clit. Lynn’s hands in his hair became rougher, the sounds escaping her mouth those of a wounded animal as her orgasm raced toward her. It hit her hard, and fast; he could have taken his time, and next time he would, but his cock was so incredibly hard in his jeans that he was being a little selfish. He wanted to claim her. And soon.
Adam didn’t let up. He ensured she rode her orgasm out to the end. Two fingers became three, in and out, rough, then gentle, he took her to the edge and then let her go. Her cries filled the room, her juices covering his chin as her sex throbbed around his fingers. He closed his eyes and imagined her hot, wet sex around his cock, until with a groan, he released her.
Standing up, he stripped his clothes off, tearing at his shirt when the buttons didn’t give way quick enough. Bending down, he scooped her curvy body up off the sofa as if she were a blade of grass. He nestled between her thighs, and she held on, kissing his mouth, while he guided himself into her.
With her impaled on his cock, he turned and sat down on the lumpy sofa, letting her adjust to his cock which was buried deep inside her. Lynn moved her hips, circling them around, stretching herself on his cock, playing with him. He liked the way she took control of her own pleasure, of the way she experimented. Up and down, around and around, she moved.
“You like it like this?” she asked.
“Uh-huh,” he ground out, his voice lost in the confusion she wrought in his brain.
“How about this?” She placed her hand between his thighs, leaning back to reach his balls. Then she cupped them, none-too-gently, fondling them while she rode his cock like a rodeo rider.
“Fuck, Lynn.”
“I am fucking,” she said with a lazy smile, which told him she was getting a good kick out of this.
Well, he was going to play his part, and make sure she had the same wonderful experience as he was. Unclasping her bra, her breasts fell out into his eager hands, and he cupped them, one in each of his large palms, massaging them, feeling her sex clamp tighter around him as he lowered his mouth and sucked her nipples, each in turn. Sucking and licking, his teeth grazing the hard little buds, he made her arousal kick up a notch, which transmitted from her sex through his body, his cock incredibly hard and ready to explode.
Unable to hang on any longer, he erupted inside her. It was Lynn’s turn to help him ride through his orgasm. He roared out her name, his hips bucking like a wild stallion as he fucked her. Releasing her right breast, he placed his thumb against her clit, brushing it as Lynn moved, pinching her harder, until she exploded around him, her sex gripping his cock and milking it of his essence.
Their orgasms began and ended, and then began again. Their voices mingled together, filling the old house with the sound of two lovers. Of two mates. This was where their future together began, even as their lovemaking ended.
Chapter Fifteen – Lynn
Adam had stayed until the early hours of the morning, and then he had left her on the sofa. As she moved her stiff body, glad that by the end of the day she would have a proper bed to sleep in, Lynn was hit by a terrible thought that made her feel like a fool.
What if this had all been a setup? A man changing into a bear. The whole story of fated mates, and how they were destined to be together. What if she had been used, so they could make her a laughingstock of the town? What if the whole point of this was to make her feel so ashamed, so stupid, that she would leave the ranch, and sell it to the Williams family?
“Not happening,” she told herself as she filled the kettle with water and put it on to boil.
“What’s not happening?” Adam asked, coming into the kitchen behind her, a large box of groceries in his arms. “I went into town after I did my chores. You have nothing in these cupboards, and the guys bringing your furniture are going to want food and water, not to mention my family, who are coming over at about ten, to help.”
Lynn stood staring at him. “You know, I need to get my hearing checked, the amount of times you creep up on me.”
“It’s a skill. Too many hours spent playing hide and seek with my brothers. We used to go out into the forests and track too, both as men and bears. So I’ve learned to be quiet.” He kissed her cheek, and then pulled back, his face at once filled with excitement that quickly changed to concern. “Are you OK?”
She started, as if being sparked into life, her earlier worries gone, to be replaced by something else. “Your family is coming to help?”
“Yes. Everyone but my dad…” Adam held up his hands, as if to stop her thoughts, which he read perfectly. “Don’t worry. It’s not because he doesn’t like you or holds a grudge. He has paperwork to do. I think he’s figuring out the wording of the contracts we are all going to sign. He is going to make sure we are all bound so tight, we can’t renege on anything and split the ranch up when he’s dead.”
“I wasn’t thinking that,” she lied. “Are you sure though, about your family? Skyla and Jordan are visiting, they shouldn’t be lugging furniture around. What if Jordan hurts his back?”
“They insisted. Although Jordan will insist Skyla is on tea duty. Not that she’s going to be content with that.”
“I can find some light jobs for her to do. I have the kitchen to unpack. A lot of the stuff is going to have to stay in boxes anyway, at least until I have the wiring done.”
“Which also reminds me,” Adam pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, “I took the liberty of asking Ron, the guy who does work over at the ranch, to come by later and give you a quote. I know you will want other electricians to look the place over, and I know you probably don’t want me interfering, but he’s good and he won’t rip you off.”
“Thank you.” Lynn stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. �
�That is very thoughtful of you.”
“He’ll come over about eleven. I know you are busy, but since there are so many of us, I thought you would find time to speak to him. He’ll have to measure up, but he says if you want him to go ahead, he’s had a cancellation and might be able to squeeze the job in next week.”
She stood back, a shocked look on her face. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you either have a magic wand or a hold over the guy.”
“To be honest, he does owe us a couple of favors.”
“What kind of favors?” Lynn asked.
“Family secrets,” Adam said with a wink.
“So when I become part of your family, I get in on all the gossip?” Lynn asked.
“You do,” Adam said. “So shall I make some tea while you go get ready?”
“Yes. One thing I will love when the wiring is fixed, is being able to put a coffee pot on while I go take a shower. I like baths, but sometimes you know when you just want to jump into the shower?”
“I do,” Adam said, his hand snaking out and grabbing her around the waist. “A shower is just the thing. You know … after a hard day at work. All that soap.”
“Tea. I have some things I have to do before my furniture arrives.” She looked at her watch. “The truck is due in an hour.”
“So put me to work.” Adam offered.
“I was going to put all the furniture that belonged to Uncle Freddy in the dining room. Then all my furniture can go into the sitting room and the bedrooms. From there I can figure out what stays and what goes.”
“The lumpy sofa is staying though, right?” Adam asked, a wicked grin on his face. “You know, because if we conceived our first child last night, I’d like to have it as a keepsake.”
“Tea.” Lynn shook her head, blushing furiously, and left the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time to put some distance between her and Adam, or else they might be finding a completely different activity to pass the time before the truck filled with her furniture arrived.
Cowboy Bear Blues: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (Cowboy Brother Bear Book 1) Page 10
