by Ruby Shae
“No—”
The sound of breaking glass cut her off.
A small window on the back door had been smashed inward and the house alarm began blaring. A black gloved hand reached in the broken square, trying to unlock the door, and Logan’s roar filled the room. He dropped the eggs and shifted into the largest grizzly bear she’d ever seen.
The animal made eye contact with her briefly and then charged through the closed door. Glass and wood flew toward the intruder and then another type of growl filled the air. The house alarm still blared in an off and on pattern, allowing her to hear only snippets of the animals fighting in the back yard.
She ducked behind the island and watched the back door, waiting for Logan to reappear. His cell-phone started to ring and unsure of what to do next, she answered it.
“Hello?”
The person on the other end of the phone talked between the alarm pauses.
“Becca…this is Jacob, Logan’s friend…is Logan okay?”
She’d heard Logan use the name earlier, so she decided to trust him.
“I’m not sure…someone tried to break in the house…he’s fighting in the back yard.”
“Okay…stay where you are…help is on the way.”
The line died, signaling Jacob had hung up, and she covered her ears and waited.
Hours seemed to pass as she stared at the door, but in reality it had only been a few minutes. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she screamed at the same time the alarm shut off. The man hovering over her held his hands in the air, and she backed away from him until her back hit the cabinets behind her.
“Becca.”
She looked toward the door and saw Logan standing in his human form. He wore the same t-shirt and jeans he’d worn before he’d shifted, and they were in the same condition. His short brown hair stuck up in a few places, but it looked more like he’d styled it that way and less like he’d been in a fight.
The only evidence of the incident lay on his arms and face. Several scratches lined his forearms and biceps, and three were slashed across one of his cheeks. Other than that, he seemed uninjured.
She looked up at the man who’d tapped her shoulder, and then back to Logan. The man stayed against the island with his hands up as if to placate her, and Logan faced her with his arms in the same position.
She stood slowly, and kept her eyes on Logan.
“Becca, I know you’re scared, but everything is okay,” he said, calmly. “That man is Jacob. He’s a good friend of mine and he came here to help you. To help us. I know my bear is scary, but it’s still me. I would never hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid.”
She wasn’t afraid, she was turned on.
From the moment he’d meet her eyes in his animal form, she’d known how stupid she’d been to run away all those months ago. Logan was the same man he’d always been, the same man she’d fallen nearly instantly in love with, and the same man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
The fact that he’d protected her like he’d promised sent her pulse racing, and seeing him after the battle made her want to strip off her clothes and let him take her on the counter. Her panties were soaking wet and she had to touch him.
She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He slowly let out the breath he’d been holding and closed his arms around her.
“I’m going to need a new door, and a clean-up crew,” he said over her head to Jacob.
“I’m on it. I’ll also move the meeting here and tell Mason to pick up some food. How does pizza sound?” Jacob asked.
“Pizza good?” Logan whispered in her hair and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
“Pizza works,” she whispered back.
“Sounds great,” he said to Jacob.
“Okay, you two sit tight. I’ve got everything under control.”
She heard Jacob leave the room, but she didn’t let go of Logan until she remembered his cuts.
“We have to get those cuts cleaned. Do you have a first aid kit?”
She pulled back to look at him, amazed by what she saw. The scratches on his face were nearly healed, and some of the smaller ones on his arms were completely gone.
“You’re nearly completely healed,” she said. “That’s astounding.”
“Fast healing is one of the perks of being a shifter,” he nodded in agreement. “For future reference, I do have a first aid kit in every bathroom for bigger wounds, but these scratches weren’t that deep. I’d better wash some of this blood off, though. I hope I didn’t get any on your jacket.”
“I doubt you did,” she said, following him to the sink.
The desire to stay by his side nearly consumed her, but she didn’t question it.
“What happened to the other guy?” she asked.
He looked at her, and sighed as if admitting defeat.
“Some wounds can’t be healed,” he stated emotionless, as if expecting the worst.
“Oh.”
Though he’d admitted to killing the other man, it didn’t bother her like she thought it would. Instead of feeling vulnerable and scared, she felt safe and secure.
“Are you immortal?” she asked.
“No,” he laughed, “but we do live a few years longer than full humans.”
“How many is a few?”
“About twenty-five. Less if we don’t have someone to share our lives with.”
His comment made her heart ache, but before she could answer, noises from the living room drifted toward them.
“Pizza’s here,” Jacob said, popping his head in from the living room, “and so are most of the guys. Mason caught our intruder’s friend and put him in the holding cell. He’ll be here in a few minutes and so will the remodeling team.”
“Okay, thanks Jake,” Logan said. The man left them alone again, and Logan pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. “Let’s get some food in you, and then I have some work to do.”
She followed him into the living room and he introduced her to his friends. They all seemed like nice guys, and they all treated her as if she were a special part of their group. A few had even called her Becca, although some of the younger men used her full name instead.
From what she could see, Logan was clearly in charge, and everyone answered to him. Jake seemed like his second in command. She instinctually understood their business had nothing to do with the security company Logan owned, and everything to do with his bear and his place in the clan.
She wanted to know more, but she knew her questions would have to wait for another day.
After they’d devoured all the pizzas, she excused herself and followed Logan’s directions to his guest room.
One look inside the pristine room sent her running across the hall to his bedroom. The two spaces were nearly exact opposites and she knew she’d never be able to sleep in the sterile room he’d sent her to all alone. More importantly, she didn’t want to be alone.
Common sense tried to seep into her conscience, but she was exhausted and desperate for his touch. The way he’d held her in the kitchen, and took care of her, made her think he might want her, too.
She had to take a chance.
She kicked off her shoes and placed them under the bench at the foot of the bed, and then she removed her sweatshirt, bra and jeans. She left on the pink t-shirt and her panties, and crawled into the center of his king sized bed.
Surrounded by his scent, she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
***
Logan stared at the closed door to the guest room and willed it to open.
It had been nearly three hours since he’d sent Becca to bed, but he’d hoped to somehow find her awake when he’d finally sent everyone home.
When she’d arrived earlier, he could sense her hunger and exhaustion, and he’d immediately wondered when she’d last eaten or slept. Her condition had been unacceptable, and he regretted not feeding her and forcing her to rest before garnering the information he needed. Ev
en if it made the least amount of sense.
He’d needed her story so he’d know what they were up against, and she’d finished filling him in just in time.
God he wanted to touch her.
In the month they had dated, they’d never gone beyond kissing. He hadn’t wanted to move things further until he told her about his bear, so they spent their evenings kissing, holding hands, or wrapped in each other’s arms.
Becca had never questioned him, and though his cock had been permanently hard on every one of their dates, he had wanted her to get to know the man before he exposed his bear.
Unfortunately, she still ran.
She’s not running now!
She wasn’t running, and she had even found solace in his arms after the break-in, but it didn’t mean that she’d changed her mind. She needed protection, and after he’d handled the perpetrator, she had proof of what he’d professed six months ago.
He would always protect her.
When the guest room door didn’t open, he walked into his own room and sat on the edge of the bed. He knew the room better than any other in the house, and he kept the light off as he started to remove his shoes.
Behind him, a small moan filled the air and he instantly hardened.
Shit!
He turned to see Becca sleeping on her side, facing him, in the center of his bed. His initial thought had been that she’d mistaken his room for the guest room, but common sense dismissed that idea. She’d come into his space on purpose, but why?
She doesn’t want to be alone, dumbass!
Right.
As much as he’d hoped she’d come to him out of love, she’d had a difficult couple of days. The break-in had most likely stirred up the images of what she’d seen the night before and compounded her fear. She’d obviously chosen his bed as a source of comfort and security.
He watched her steady breathing in the darkness for several minutes, and then he attempted to move her. He walked to the empty side of the bed, slid his arms under her lush, soft body, and slowly pulled her toward him.
Other than snuggling deep into his spare pillow, she didn’t budge. He let out a sigh of relief until he tried to adjust the blanket. During the move, the material had slipped from her waist to mid-thigh and he got a perfect view of the pink lace covering her round ass.
He wanted to rip the scrap of lace away and enter her from behind. She’d been created specifically for him, and he knew she’d be a perfect fit. His cock throbbed and he hastily pulled the covers up to her chin.
After exchanging his shirt and jeans for a pair of work-out shorts, he carefully laid down on his back on the other side of the bed. His side. He shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He didn’t have a side, and neither did Becca. As soon as it was safe for her to return home, she’d leave him alone again. No matter how good it felt to have her near and hold her in his arms, he had to remember that she wouldn’t stay forever.
He closed his eyes and thought about the last six months.
Other women did nothing for him, so he couldn’t date, and after the warning from his clan leader, he needed to refrain from working out. How would he spend his free time? He needed a hobby. Maybe he should take a class or join a club.
Fuck that!
He only wanted Becca.
Seeing her again only validated what Layla had been telling him all along. He needed to push aside his pride and find a way to get her back, but first he needed to sleep.
His dick ached for release, so he closed his eyes and thought about the remains of the intruder from earlier. The man had picked a fight with the wrong bear, and he’d never had a chance.
He felt his muscles relax and he succumbed to sleep.
Seconds later, or maybe minutes or hours, movement on the bed woke him. Becca had moved from her side, placed her head on his shoulder and plastered her body against him. His dick sprung to life again from the contact, and he looked down to see if she was conscious or unconscious.
Her brown orbs met his in the darkness and he fought the urge to roll her onto her back and sink his dick into her warmth.
“Is this okay?” she asked.
No! I want to rip your clothes off and fuck you! I can’t think with you this close!
“Yeah, you’re fine,” he lied.
“Good,” she said, and scooted closer.
He bent his arm at the elbow and rested his palm on his abs to avoid sliding his hand between her legs. Unfortunately, the action brought attention to the fully erect cock tenting his shorts. He closed his eyes to avoid her censure.
Her soft lips touched his shoulder, and then her hand gently closed around his dick. He could feel her warmth through his shorts and boxers and he nearly came from the contact. He held his breath and waited for her next move.
“I want you, Logan,” she said, moving her hand slowly up and down his cock. “Don’t you want me, too?”
God, she was killing him.
“You know I do, but you’ve been through a lot the last couple of days. I don’t think—”
“Don’t think,” she interrupted playfully, “just love me.”
He shouldn’t. He knew he’d regret it later, but he couldn’t deny her what they both wanted.
In one swift move he had her flat on her back. He covered her soft body with his hard one, and pressed his lips against hers in a demanding, possessive kiss. His hands shackled her wrists, and he held them above her head as he devoured her mouth.
He only freed her hands to move down her body, and he kissed a trail down her neck and chest to her breasts. Her hard nipples poked through the t-shirt, and he sucked one of the covered pebbles into his mouth.
Becca moaned and threaded her fingers through his hair.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered.
“I love you,” he responded.
The words slipped out of his mouth naturally and he clamped his lips over her other breast to keep from revealing anything else. She moaned, spread her legs and rubbed her pussy against his cock. If she heard his declaration, she ignored it, and he was grateful. Now that he finally had his mouth on her, he didn’t want to stop because he’d uttered something stupid.
There were too many layers between them, and he moved lower to remedy the problem. She pulled on his hair and whimpered until he ripped away the lace covering her core and buried his tongue between her folds.
She spread her legs wider as he licked and kissed her flesh from her pussy to her clit. He jabbed her clit several times with the tip of his tongue, and then repeated the pattern over and over again.
Becca writhed and begged beneath him, but he didn’t relent. When the sounds she made became wilder, and her movements became more restless, he held his thumb to her clit and thrust his tongue inside her soaking wet pussy.
She exploded in his mouth.
She tightened her fists in his hair and he was sure he’d have a few bald patches in the morning, but he gladly endured the pain in exchange for the way she moaned and screamed his name.
He continued to fuck her cunt with his tongue, licking up every drop of her honey, until she relaxed and loosened her grip on his head.
He pressed a final kiss to her shaved mound and then pressed his lips to hers.
“Don’t move.”
He crawled off the bed, removed his shorts and boxers and pulled open the drawer on the nightstand to locate a condom. In his urgency, he pulled harder than expected and the table released the drawer, sending its contents flying across the room. The knob on the drawer came off, and the wooden box landed on his toe.
“Shit!”
Pain surged up his leg and he covered his injured toe with his other foot. He looked around the dark room, but he couldn’t locate the unopened box of condoms in the dark.
Becca crawled to the nightstand, righted the lamp, and flipped it on.
“Are you okay?” she asked between giggles.
“There they are,” he said in his best eureka voice.
&nb
sp; He tore open the box, grabbed a foil packet and ripped it open. After carefully rolling the protection over his cock, he stalked her to the center of the bed.
She continued to giggle until his lips touched her ankle, and then she watched as he left a trail of chaste kisses up her inner thigh, over her stomach, between her breasts and all the way to her lips. He liked that she didn’t flinch or try to hide as he worshiped her body. Instead, she opened her legs and welcomed his touch.
When their lips met, his cock nudged the entrance to her pussy, and she wrapped her legs around his thighs and dug her nails into his ass.
When she realized he wouldn’t be hurried, she begged.
“Logan…please.”
“Not yet,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “This is payback for giggling while I danced around in pain.”
“I’m sorry for laughing,” she said, “but in fairness, I was laughing at the way you ripped the drawer of its hinges, desperate for a condom, not because you got hurt.”
“That was pretty funny,” he agreed.
“And sexy,” she added.
“Hmmm… I think you like having a big strong bear around,” he said, licking her collarbone.
“Only one.”
Her admission, no matter how innocent, pushed away his playful side. He entered her pussy in one smooth, swift thrust. She cried out in pleasure and he groaned at the feel of her tight pussy contracting around his cock. He pulled out slowly, and then thrust into her again, and again. Liquid heat coated his dick and he ditched the slow, swift thrusts and pounded into her hard and fast.
Becca moaned long and loud as he pushed her into another orgasm, and he roared his release two thrusts later. They stayed connected until their breathing returned to something recognizable, and they could form coherent sentences.
“That was amazing,” she said.
“You’re amazing.”
He kissed her lips and then pulled out of her warmth, discarded the condom and rejoined her on the bed. He pulled her into the crook of his arm and she wrapped herself around his waist and thigh. Seconds later, her steady breathing let him know she’d fallen asleep.
He closed his eyes, but like earlier in the evening, sleep eluded him. Her hand moved toward his bellybutton and his still semi-hard cock twitched as if waiting for her touch. Though he didn’t regret making love to her, he knew it had been a terrible decision.
