“He’s the best,” Lori agreed.
“I have to admit I had my doubts about you dating him when the other girls said he was a tortured soul. I thought you’d been through enough not to have to deal with that. But just now he looked completely different. It was as if all the darkness had left him. I can see that you bring light into his life.” Lori explained what had happened with his previous mate, and why he thought he couldn’t be with her.
“Poor guy. It all makes sense now,” Andrea said, her face full of pity.
“He says we’re mates,” Lori said. Andrea gasped. “I knew it. And so did everybody else! I’m sad it’s taken this to make him realize it, but at least he got there in the end.”
“And after he killed those bikers in his bear form, he carried me on his back, all the way back to the truck.”
“No way!” Andrea breathed.
“What? Is that unusual?”
“Maybe not for bears, I guess. But I’ve certainly never ridden on Magnus’s back.”
“I can’t really imagine it,” Lori said.
“Neither can I,” Andrea said with a giggle. “Most of the time I let him get on with his shifter thing. You know midnight hunts and stuff like that. The only time I really engage with it is when we mate.” Lori giggled.
“I have to admit that I’m pretty curious to find out what having sex with a shifter is like. Although, I’m starting from such a low base with my ex-husband, that anything would be an improvement!” Lori said. They both laughed.
“People also say that if you see your mate in their animal form before you mate for the first time, then it makes things extra intense,” Andrea said.
“Is that true?” Lori breathed, as a silvery thrill ran through her. There had been something totally primal about being on Bruno’s back, feeling his big, strong body carrying her so effortlessly. She wanted to watch him shift. When the biker had shifted into a wolf it had been scary and gross, but she bet that seeing Bruno become his bear self would be something else entirely. He was so dignified in his animal form, yet he’d killed those two men out of pure animal instinct. The thought was exciting and unsettling in equal measure.
Lori looked down at Nancy. She was fast asleep, totally oblivious to the conversation.
“She’s knocked out, isn’t she?” she said.
“I think she’s just glad to get her mom back,” Andrea replied with a smile.
“I’m so glad to be back with her too,” Lori said, gazing at her tiny daughter’s face. She didn’t know what the future held for the four of them, but her instincts told her it was going to be happy.
Chapter Sixteen
The following morning, Lori woke up to a message from Bruno:
Call me when you’re awake. I want to make sure you’re ok, and find out if you’re free for a date tonight xx
A shot of adrenaline jolted her wide-awake. Yes! Things haven’t changed overnight! Her last thought before she’d fallen asleep the night before had been that maybe he’d only been saying those things in the heat of the moment, and he hadn’t really meant them. The thought of him, of the fleeting kisses they’d had yesterday filled her with vitality as she got up and bathed and fed Nancy.
She waited to call him until she was fully awake and showered, her voice no longer thick with sleep. He answered on the first ring, as if he’d been waiting for her call.
“Good morning, my beautiful mate,” he said in his rich, rumbling voice, and her breath caught and she tingled all over.
“Good morning, yourself,” she replied in a playful tone, surprised that she was capable of speech.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m good. I spoke to Andrea for a long time last night, and told her everything that had happened. She was really good and caring. It made me feel a lot better. Bruno – if I didn’t say so last night, thank you so, so much for rescuing me. I can never express my gratitude to you.” He gave a rumbling laugh.
“There’s nothing to be grateful for. First of all, I would have rescued anyone in that situation. And second of all, you’re my mate. Which means that I’d do anything for you, as second nature.”
“Your mate,” Lori whispered, liking the feel of that phrase on her tongue. He laughed again.
“Yes. I’m sure it’ll take some getting used to though.”
“No, I like it too!” she said.
“So – I was wondering if I could have the honor of having a date with you at our home tonight? I promise I’ll take you out on a restaurant date very soon, but I think Tad needs me to be at home tonight.”
“Yes, that sounds fantastic!” she said. “But are you sure Tad wouldn’t like to have some one-on-one time with you instead?”
“No, he’s excited to help me with cooking, and can’t stop talking about you! Please bring Nancy too?” Lori smiled to herself. They were too adorable.
“In that case, we’d both love to come,” she said. “And I’m not feeding Nancy any longer, so I’ll bring some wine for us to share.”
“Great! We’ll look forward to seeing you guys at around 8.”
Lori put her phone down, glowing with happiness.
*
Bruno drove to pick Tad up from his best friend’s house on the way back from his shift at the fire station. He felt calm and rested, as he couldn’t recall having felt in the past few years. He was at peace, he realized. The night before, he’d slept deeply. As usual, he’d had vivid dreams, but this time, the woman he was chasing wasn’t Karen. It was Lori. She was wearing a long white dress, and a train of fire followed her, but he understood that it was harmless. At one point, she stopped running and let him catch up with her. She turned around, her face lit with a joyful smile. And he knew it meant that they could be together.
On the journey home, Tad chatted constantly about the food they were going to cook for Lori and Nancy, and he wanted to know if he could help feed the baby. For the first time ever, Tad’s interest in Nancy brought Bruno pleasure, rather than guilt that he didn’t have a little brother or sister.
They stopped at the store and bought dessert and ice cream, and then stopped at Dalton’s place and picked up fruit and vegetables. Dalton was a full-time gardener, and he had every type of vegetable imaginable.
“Who you guys cooking for?” he asked.
“We’ve got a date!” Tad exclaimed.
“We’re having Lori and Nancy over for dinner,” Bruno said, a little self-consciously. Dalton’s brow furrowed.
“How’s she doing?” he asked.
“She’s coping well. Especially considering what she’s been through. She’s a tough one.”
“You shoulda got the clan to go with you out there, Bruno. That gang of wolves is real dangerous.”
“I know,” Bruno replied, squeezing his shoulder. “There just wasn’t time for anything. I knew I had to find her as fast as I possibly could, before they had a chance to hurt her. And I only got there in the nick of time.”
“I understand, bro,” Dalton said, nodding seriously. In a flash, Bruno understood that he’d offended his clan by not asking for their help, and they all probably thought that he hadn’t needed them. Tomorrow, he’d go and speak to every one of them, and explain that it hadn’t been the case.
“Thanks for the vegetables, Dalton. Let’s hang out at the weekend?”
“Sure thing,” Dalton said, and they gave each other a rough, growly hug.
When Bruno and Tad arrived home, Tad unpacked the groceries while Bruno shifted quickly and went out hunting. He came back with rabbits and a small deer. He prepared them for the barbecue out the back, got the fire started, then went and showered. As he toweled himself down in the bathroom, he glanced at his face in the mirror, suddenly feeling a little uncertain. He hadn’t had a date in so long. In fact, his last date had been with his previous mate. He’d never felt awkward around Lori, as he usually did around beautiful women, as he hadn’t met her as a potential mate: she’d been an accident victim, and then someone he th
ought he could never be with. And then she’d been a victim of abduction. But now, everything felt new. He knew she was his mate, and Shiftr had identified that they were a perfect match. But it still felt as if they were meeting as strangers.
He had a surprise that he couldn’t wait to tell her about. He’d spent half an hour on the phone with his buddy at the DEA that morning. The governmental agency had completed its evidence gathering at Lori’s old store, and, because the materials inside the building were hazardous, his buddy had signed off on the fire service clearing it out. This meant that Bruno could supervise the work, and he and his firefighter friends could make it real nice for her, so she’d be able to go in and start to get it looking like her old place again. His first shot at getting her business back for her had gone awry, so he was determined that this time, everything would be perfect. He’d also been making enquiries into the members of the werewolf gang. As far as everyone could discover, there had only been six of them. Four of them were going to be in jail for the foreseeable future, and the other two had been dispatched by him. He was satisfied that the gang wasn’t going to give Lori any more trouble.
He went into the kitchen and supervised Tad while they prepared the vegetables together, and before they knew it, the doorbell was ringing.
Lori looked stunning. Her hair was pulled up, off her neck, and her sparkly eyes and pretty lips were accentuated with make-up. She was wearing a dress with a low v-neck in the same violet shade as her eyes, and it clung to her curves in all the right places. She was carrying Nancy in her arms, and the baby’s eyes were wide open and full of curiosity.
“Nancy! Tad yelled, and held his arms out. “Can I hold her?”
“Of course!” Lori said, and handed her to him. “Hi,” she said, turning to Bruno. The soft, intimate tone of her voice sent shivers down his spine. To his surprise, she tilted her chin up towards him and stood on tiptoe, her soft pink lips pursed. He dipped his head and kissed her on the mouth, picking up the scent of a rich, floral perfume, like night-flowering jasmine. He also smelled the sweet, clean scent of her skin, and freshly shampooed hair. She handed him a bottle of wine.
“I hope it’s ok,” she said. “I took my time choosing it since it’s my first one in almost two years!”
“It looks great,” he replied. “Please come in.”
Since it was a beautiful, warm evening, Bruno and Tad had set up a table outside, near the barbecue.
“This is – amazing,” Lori said. “I can’t believe you guys did all this!” She went back to the car to pick up Nancy’s high chair, and Bruno and Tad served the food.
They ate, drank and talked and laughed constantly. Tad chatted about school and his friends and playing sports, and Bruno was touched to see that Lori was genuinely interested in what he was saying. Tad looked really happy to have the attention of two adults. Lori mashed Nancy’s food up and fed her expertly, in between feeding herself, and took occasional sips from her wine.
“I have something to tell you,” Bruno said, when there was a pause in the conversation, and he explained how his team was going to be working on her old store, getting it looking flawless for her. Lori gasped.
“Oh my god, that’ll be incredible!” she said. “I’ll call the real estate agent tomorrow and check he’s still happy to sell.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I already did that. He said he’s very happy to sell, as he needs to raise the cash to restore the other properties on the street, and he looks forward to the positive effects of your business operating there.” Lori’s face lit up.
“Wow! I can hardly believe it. And it’s all down to you, Bruno. Thank you so much!” He shrugged, embarrassed.
“It’s the least I could do. And anyway, us shifters shouldn’t have let those werewolves run rampant in Hope Valley for as long as they did.”
When they’d finished eating, Tad surprised Bruno by volunteering to clear up.
“Thanks, son, but let’s make it a joint effort,” he said, noticing that Lori needed to attend to Nancy. Afterwards, they all hung out a while longer, until it was time for Tad to go to bed.
“Are you too old for a bedtime story?” Lori asked him.
“Never!” he yelled. “As long as I get to tell you one as well!”
“I would love that,” she said with a grin.
They all went upstairs and Tad scrambled under the covers of his bed, which was carved in the shape of a train, and Bruno, Lori and Nancy gathered at the bottom. Tad picked out one of his favorite books and Lori read aloud to him. Then he began to tell a long, involved story about bears, wolves and magic dragons. As it went on, his words got slower and slower, and his eyes started to droop. Bruno tucked him in and they kissed him goodnight and tiptoed out of the room.
“He’s such a lovely kid,” Lori whispered. “And I think this one’s ready for bed too.”
“Do you need to go?” Bruno asked.
“I guess so,” she said, but her eyes were full of regret.
“I do have a playpen out the back that you could put Nancy in if you wanted to stay longer?” he suggested hesitantly, not wanting to pressure her. “I’ve got plenty of spare comforters too.”
“That would be great,” she replied immediately. He brought it inside and wiped it down. He used to use it when he was watching friends’ kids, but it hadn’t been taken out for a while. Lori put Nancy down on the comforters and she continued sleeping.
“She’ll be out for a while,” she said.
They walked over to Bruno’s huge leather couch and sat down, a little distance away from one another. The tension between them was so strong that the air seemed to be crackling with it. There were so many things that they wanted to say to each other, but they hardly knew where to begin. Bruno stretched out his muscular hand, seeking out hers. She laid it in his palm, and he closed his long fingers around it, almost engulfing it. The roughness and calluses were already familiar, and the warmth of his skin ignited a fire deep inside her. He laced his fingers between hers, gently sliding them back and forth, and clasping them tight from time to time. It was very erotic – a small-scale replica of how their bodies could be entwined. She yearned for a closer contact, to feel his skin against hers, unhindered by clothing. But at the same time, she wanted this moment to last forever. She’d never known romance like this before, never known that the lightest touch could be so arousing. That tender spot between her thighs was aching, worse than it had when Bruno had lifted her off her feet and kissed her so hungrily in the forest. He leaned closer to her. His pupils were huge, turning his irises stormy with passion. The fingertips of his other hand danced along the bare skin of her upper arm.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. He stroked her jaw, ran his thumb across her lips. She parted her lips and licked it, tasting salt. He drew in a ragged breath. She was turning him on. Butterflies fluttered in her belly in excitement at arousing the desires of this big, sexy man. He leaned still closer, and kissed her, gently at first. She sensed the restraint in him, and wondered what it took to control his animal. Her mouth responded and he began to kiss her harder, his tongue slithering between her lips while his soft lips crushed on hers. She made a sound of need, and something in him seemed to snap. He pushed her back on the couch and threw himself on her. His kisses became hard and biting, and his hands ran up and down her body, snatching at her thighs, her waist, her hips. She pulled him close, wanting all he had to give her.
But then he jerked away from her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be acting like this,” he said, shame showing all over his handsome face.
“Maybe I want you to. But perhaps not here,” she said with a giggle, casting a glance at Nancy’s crib. He looked at her very seriously.
“How would you feel about staying the night?” he asked, after a pause. She bit her lip.
“Excited, nervous and a little scared,” she admitted. He stroked her face as if her words had affected him deeply.
“Same here,” he said
. She stared at him. She’d thought it was only girls who felt like that. He seemed so confident and comfortable in his skin. “I haven’t been with anyone since I lost my mate. And she was my first,” he said. “So, I feel a little – umm – out of practice.” He gave an embarrassed laugh. Lori gazed at him in awe. She’d assumed that he’d been with many women, not least because he was so sexy and charming. Discovering that he’d been saving himself for his mate – his first one, and now her – filled her with such tenderness that she almost burst into tears.
“I’ve only been with my ex,” she admitted. “And I never liked it. I never understood why people got so excited about sex.” Bruno lifted her hand and kissed her fingers.
“Mating is more than sex. It’s the most intense, powerful connection that you can have with your mate,” he said, and she gave a little smile, happy that his words echoed what the other girls had been saying. “Of course, it hasn’t been easy for my bear to go without mating for so long.”
“And how does your bear feel right now?” she asked.
“Oh, my bear is never easy to restrain when it sees you, but I’ve gotten used to it now. I can mostly hold it back, except for those rare occasions, like a moment ago.”
“Wow,” she said, intrigued. It was a little uncomfortable, but also very exciting to be discussing having sex with Bruno before they’d even done it.
“Shall we go to bed?” he whispered, and her head spun. She stood up and took a look at Nancy. She was sound asleep, and safe and comfortable in her bed. She turned around and gazed at this unbelievably handsome man, who wanted her, because of, not despite her big, curvy body.
“Yes,” she said simply.
Bruno took her hand and led her through the lounge, across the hallway, and up the wooden flight of stairs. He brought her to the bedroom door, then dashed across to the corner of the room and lit a lamp, suffusing the space with a soft orange glow. It was a rugged, masculine room – just as she’d expected. The bed was made from knotted dark wood, with a white comforter and a woven blanket on top. It looked supremely comfortable. They stood beside the bed, and she lifted hesitant hands and touched his arms, feeling the huge muscles of his forearms and biceps. He stood quietly and allowed her to explore his body. Growing more confident, she ran her hands over his pecs and amazingly tight abs. She restrained a sound when she felt how soft his skin was. She’d expected it to be rough like his hands, but it was silky-smooth. Impulsively, she lifted the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it up as high as she could. He helped her, lifting it right over his head, and casting it aside. She drew in a breath at the sight of his torso. His photo on Shiftr didn’t begin to do it justice. His skin was dusky colored, a deep honey tone, with a sexy scattering of dark hair across his chest, running in a line down the middle of his body to his navel, and all the way to the zipper of his jeans. His pecs were very well developed, and his abs and obliques were like the ripples of sand dunes. His hipbones just peeked out above the waistband of his pants, along with those diagonal grooves that she didn’t know the name of, but had drooled over many a time before when they belonged to models on the cover of Men’s Health. When she laid her hands flat on his pecs, his nipples hardened at her touch. They were flat and dark brown. Just delicious. She brought her mouth to his right one and licked it. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. She smiled. She’d never done that before, but she enjoyed his reaction a lot. She did the same thing to the left one, circling her tongue around it, and nibbling very gently.
Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Lori) BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 5) Page 14
