“I know, Marjorie, because that would be fantastic advertising for Fated and Mated.”
“It’s not just that, Cassie. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.” Cassie headed to the door. Opening it, she breathed in the fresh air and the whole of her body buzzed with excitement. “I am so nervous.”
“You shouldn’t be nervous. He already loves you and needs you in his life.”
Cassie smiled. “And I need him.”
With that she headed home, threading her way through the streets she knew so well, past the park and the local store, but for some reason they all looked different. They all looked new, as if she was seeing them for the first time.
When she got home Rhianna was waiting for her. “Right, Cass, you need to hop into the shower and wash your hair, and then I’m going to style it for you and do your makeup.”
“Since when have you been an expert at makeup?” Cassie asked.
“Well, I’m not an expert. But I am good at decorating cakes; there can’t be a lot of difference between the two.”
Cassie erupted into laughter, feeling light and silly. Rhianna giggled too, and Cassie could tell just how excited her best friend was that Cassie had found her mate. And yet for Cassie the whole thing held a hint of sadness. She’d been friends with Rhianna all her life, and lived with her here for six months; now all of a sudden, that part of her life could be ending, and her new life with Logan beginning.
And as she went to her room and grabbed her robe before heading to the shower, she wondered what that new life would be like. He lived in the city, a place that held no appeal to her, but would he leave his job and come back to Bear Bluff if she asked him to? Or would she have to go and live away from the mountain, away from the forests, away from all the places that she’d learned to love since moving to Bear Bluff?
In reality, she had no choice. She would live wherever he was, because they were meant to be together.
Once she was dry, with her hair piled on top of their head, and towel wrapped around it, she went to Rhianna’s room, where her best friend had set out her makeup on her dressing table. Feeling a little uncomfortable, because she didn’t really wear makeup, Cassie sat down, feeling like a doll. But she had to admit that by time Rhianna had finished she looked like a completely different woman.
Turning her head from side to side, she looked at the sophisticated hairdo that Rhianna had managed to tease her hair into. It was secured with so many pins and so much hairspray, Cassie figured that no matter what happened between her and Logan, her hair would remain in place.
And then her mind conjured up images of them rolling around in bed together, and she wondered if, tonight, she would be putting Rhianna’s hairdressing skills to the test. And whether by the morning her hair would still be up, or if Logan would have taken it down one pin at a time.
“Hey, Cass.” Rhianna placed the brush down on the dressing table. “I don’t know what you’re daydreaming about. But I think it’s time you got ready, Logan will be here in half an hour.”
Cassie jumped up and went back to her bedroom, with Rhianna following. She opened her wardrobe and looked at the clothes hanging up. In that moment she wished she had taken Marjorie’s money, and gone and bought herself something new.
But it didn’t matter. He was hers, she was his, and no matter what she wore, that would never change.
Chapter Eight – Logan
He parked his car, and got out, walking quickly up to her door, only just stopping himself from running. Yes, he was that keen to see her again, to check she was real and he hadn’t dreamed her, or hallucinated. He took a moment to breathe, to calm himself down, before he knocked on her door.
But she had heard him, and before he raised his hand, she had pulled the door open, radiant and beautiful.
“Wow,” he said. “You look amazing.”
“Really?” She stood before him, turning from side to side, and he sensed her unease.
“Yes, you do.”
“I didn’t know where we were going, and I don’t have a lot of clothes, so…”
“It’s perfect, you’re perfect.” He came to her and kissed her cheek.
“Told you.” A pretty young woman, about the same age as Cassie, poked her head out of a door leading off the hallway. “Hi, I’m Rhianna.”
“Hi Rhianna. Logan.” He waved.
“Oh, I know exactly who you are. And you should know that I am the person you’ll be dealing with it anything happens to Cassie.”
“Please don’t go there,” Cassie said, turning to Rhianna and giving her a warning look.
“Hey, it’s OK.” He placed a hand on her arm, and saw her reaction, as if he had shocked her. “I like that you have someone looking out for you.”
“Good answer, Logan.” Rhianna came up to Cassie and kissed her cheek. “Now, you two go and have fun. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’ll just stay here on my own.”
“Maybe you should sign up to Fated and Mated,” Cassie said. “There must be someone out there for you.”
Rhianna smiled. “Maybe I will. That way when they do their official launch, I’ll be already on there for a nice, rich, handsome shifter to see.”
“I like that you aim high, Rhianna.” Cassie turned and hugged her and whispered, “Wish me luck.” Logan was sure he wasn’t supposed to hear it, but he did; Cassie really was nervous. Was he such a scary old bear?
“OK, so you have a choice,” he said as they made their way out to the car, while Rhianna stood in the doorway, watching and waving them goodbye.
“A choice about what?” she asked, slipping into the passenger seat of his car, giving him a flash of her lovely curvy thighs as her dress rode up.
She pulled it down, looking demure, but he could still feel the heat of her lips on his, their intense first meeting branded on his brain, and he thought he should add another choice, back to my place, but he didn’t, instead he asked, “Do you want to stay in Bear Bluff? Or we could drive over to Bear Creek?”
“Or we could go somewhere where no one knows us,” she said, and he grinned.
“My thoughts exactly. I’m all for promoting online shifter dating, but not tonight. I want this to be just you and me.”
“I like the idea of that.” She put her seat belt on and settled down in her seat, and he couldn’t help but lean across and kiss her.
Cassie turned her head, her hand going to the nape of his neck, stroking his hair, sending shivers along his spine, which instantly made his cock harden. His place should definitely have been one of those choices. She kissed his lips, sighing contentedly as he pushed his tongue into her mouth and gently entwined it with hers. He wanted to touch her breasts, to rip the fabric from her body, but he knew there was a good chance Rhianna was still watching them from the doorway.
Like a cold bucket of water had been poured over his head he pulled back from Cassie and said, “Shall we go?”
“I think that might be a good idea.” She sat back and adjusted her clothing, and he could see the flush of her cheeks, telling him she was as aroused as he was. But he had promised her dinner; sex could wait for later.
His bear wasn’t quite so sure.
“Do you mind if we drop by Melanie’s first? She asked me to collect something for her, for the baby. Taylor is out of town on a delivery run and wouldn’t be back until late, so I said I would pick it up.” He cast her a sidelong glance. “Is that OK? I can be very quick.”
“That’s fine. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for her when the baby is so close. I’m not good at waiting.”
His mind filled with images of a heavily pregnant Cassie, and the two of them waiting for their baby to be born while stuck in his apartment in the city. It was no place for a bear cub to grow up. He looked up at the Bluff towering above them and remembered the days he’d romped all over there with his brothers.
It was early days, but Logan understood that finding his mate was about to upset his world entirely. He had b
een married to his job, a job he loved, but now changes were happening and he had to change too.
“Here we are,” he said, and pulled up outside the cabin Taylor shared with Melanie. “I won’t be a second.”
“I’ll come too. Look, I can see you’re worried about Melanie, so let’s both say hello, and then we can go for dinner.”
As they got out of the car, he pulled her into his arms. “I think I’m the luckiest person alive, to have a woman like you.”
She kissed him, pressing her body against his. “I’m not so sure, I think I got a pretty sweet deal too.”
Chapter Nine – Cassie
When Melanie opened the door, she looked exhausted. “Oh, thank you, Logan, there was a mixup with the first crib, and I was beginning to panic that the baby would be born before the correct one arrived.”
“No problem, we thought we would come in and say hello,” Logan said. “I’d like to introduce you to my mate.”
“Cassie, it’s so good to meet you properly. I’m so thrilled you’ve landed a good man.” It was obvious just how much Melanie loved Logan, and that made her feel happier than she could imagine. To hear someone else tell her he was amazing, backed up her own rather biased feelings.
She suspected having a mate made you see them with rose-tinted spectacles, rather than as the person that they really were. Not that she doubted for a minute that Logan was a good person, but they had only just met and it was nice to see her first impressions backed up by Melanie.
“Hi, Melanie, wow, are you pregnant,” Cassie said. “Well, what I mean is, you sure look as if you’ve got a big baby in there.” Cassie wasn’t really sure what you were supposed to say to pregnant women, and she hoped she hadn’t upset Melanie.
“I certainly am. I can’t wait to move onto the next stage; it’s time this baby came out, and said hello to the wonderful world.” Melanie rubbed her hand over her stomach as if she was lovingly stroking the child within.
“Don’t say that too loudly, not when Taylor is out of town. I know he’d be mortified if he missed you giving birth. I never knew my brother could be quite so excited about something other than food.” Logan smiled and put his arm around Melanie. “Is there anything we can do? Have you eaten?”
“I was just cooking something now. Well, if I can summon the energy.” She smiled weakly, trying to put a brave face on it, but even Cassie, who didn’t know her well, could see it was forced.
“Why don’t we prepare you something? Or we could order in, can’t we, Logan?” Cassie wondered if she had said the wrong thing, she knew Logan wanted them to go out to dinner and spend some time alone, but she hated leaving Melanie.
Logan turned to Cassie with something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite fathom, and she began to wonder if she really had said the wrong thing.
“No, no, please. You two were going on your date.” Melanie looked awkward.
“We can date any time, can’t we, Logan?” Cassie looked up at Logan, searching for an answer in his face.
“Are you really sure, Cassie?” Logan asked. “Although I must admit, I’d feel much happier if we stayed here with you, Melanie. Or do you want to call Mom?”
“I’m sure by now even your mom’s had enough of me,” Melanie smiled. “I’ve never felt quite so needy in all my life. I hope once the baby comes I’ll get back to my normal self.”
“This is your first child, Melanie, and you’re part of our family, so you know that we’re all there for you. Especially Mom, who is probably as impatient as you are, for this new bear cub to enter the world.”
“I think that’s the thing,” Melanie said. “Your mom is so anxious that if she sees me like this, so worried and on edge, she’ll worry even more. And I really don’t want that.”
“That settles it, then. We’ll order in, if that’s okay, Logan, because then there won’t even be any washing-up to do.”
“I like a woman who knows how to be in charge,” Logan said. “I also like a woman with compassion. And I think that’s you, Cassie.”
Cassie blushed, feeling impossibly self-conscious as both Logan and Melanie looked at her. But she liked the way he spoke about her; she felt as if she had passed some kind of test, as if she had proved that she could fit into his family, and that meant more to her than she ever thought it would.
“I really don’t mind what we eat,” Melanie said. “But don’t you have dinner reservations?”
“No, we were trying to decide where to go. We were heading to the city, to stay under the radar.” Logan added, “Why don’t we let the pregnant lady choose what she’d like to eat?”
“No, let Cassie choose,” Melanie said.
“No, I insist,” Cassie said and laughed. “As long as it’s not something weird, you know, not a strange pregnancy craving.”
“OK. Deal. Thank you both.” Melanie looked on the verge of tears again. Her emotions were all over the place, and Cassie was glad they were staying. “I’ll see if I’ve got any menus.”
Melanie headed toward the kitchen, and Cassie moved to follow, but Logan stopped her, kissing her neck, and whispering in her ear. “Thank you. I would never have asked for you to give up our first date, but I know I would have worried about Melanie if she was alone. As soon as Taylor gets back, we’ll leave.”
“And do what?” she asked, turning so her lips were so close to his, she could feel their touch as she spoke.
“I thought maybe a trip to the city might be a good idea.” His voice was strained as he tried to control himself.
“We’ll have already eaten,” she whispered in her most seductive tone.
“I know, but there are other things we could do.” He slid his hand down her back and over her bottom, giving it a squeeze. “Other ways to entertain ourselves.”
She ducked her head down, knowing her face would be bright red, but heat crept through her body, and she leaned into him, nipping his earlobe with her teeth.
“Damn it, I might have to excuse myself and visit the bathroom,” he said, adjusting his pants. She looked down to see his pants stretched across his obviously hard cock.
“I don’t know; I like seeing you uncomfortable.” She placed her hand on him and squeezed.
He groaned, his lips on her neck, and then they jumped apart as Melanie said, “How about Indian?”
“Isn’t hot and spicy supposed to bring on contractions?” Logan asked.
“Maybe that won’t be a bad thing? What do you two fancy?” she asked.
“Bear,” Cassie whispered in his ear, and then turned to walk to the kitchen, making sure he got to look at the way her bottom wiggled as she walked, and she was sure he made a sound like a strangled animal.
Logan’s voice called, “You two decide, I need the bathroom.”
Cassie smiled, her eye meeting Melanie’s, and they giggled. It was good to see her looking happier.
“He’s met his match in you, hasn’t he?” Melanie asked.
“Has he?” she asked, not sure what Melanie meant. “Is that good or bad?”
“Oh, most definitely good. He’s a successful man, and he needs a strong woman.”
“I might be strong, but I don’t match his success,” she said.
“Yet. He’s a couple of years older than you, give yourself a break.”
“The only thing that worries me is where we’ll live. I’ve never wanted to live in the city, yet it’s where Logan works; he has his career there.”
“He’ll commute if he has to.”
They heard Logan coming downstairs, and Melanie looked up and said, “You know, I could murder a burger, and ice cream.”
“Not in the same mouthful, I hope,” Logan said, coming into the kitchen, looking cool and calm.
Pity, Cassie thought. She liked it when he was hot and bothered.
“No, Logan, that is not what I meant.” Melanie produced a menu. “Wait until Cassie is carrying your child, then you’ll know what it’s like.”
Logan’s eyes flicked acros
s to meet Cassie’s, and a deep understanding passed between them, and their bears. She felt her animal side stir as Melanie’s words sunk in. This man in front of her was the going to be the father of her child, and it was weird knowing this, that they were fulfilling their fates, even though they had not made love. Yet.
And in his eyes, he told her he would always be willing to get up at stupid o’clock in the morning, to go and buy her whatever she craved.
But Cassie knew the most intense craving she would ever have was for Logan.
Chapter Ten – Logan
“The night is still young, and tomorrow is Saturday, so I don’t have to get up early for work,” he said as they left Melanie’s house. Taylor had come home, tired, and relieved to find Logan and Cassie there. He had been worried about his wife being home alone.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, as he opened her car door for her.
He slipped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close. “I don’t know, this whole making babies thing seems to be a good idea.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, before saying, “If you had asked me two days ago, I would have said that having children was the furthest thing from my mind, but now…”
“I know, it’s like that’s the most important thing in the world, putting a child in your belly.” He stroked his hand over her stomach, and then went lower, the lightest of touches across her clit, but she felt it, and reacted by pressing her hips forward.
“Get in the car,” he said, and held her hand as she climbed into the passenger seat. “I think I’m going to have to watch myself or else I’m going to break all the speed limits trying to get home fast.”
She sat in silence as he got in the car, the reality of what would happen when they went back to his place affecting both of them, his nerves making his hands sweat and his body shiver, as if he had a fever. Always sure of himself and his physical prowess, he was suddenly unnerved: what if she was disappointed in him?
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