by Jaide Fox
They returned to the cave with his catch. Despite the fact he’d seen everything she had to offer, she ducked inside to shift.
She’d just bent to retrieve her dress from the floor when a draft breezed through her hair. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Braeden standing with the skin pushed aside and a glazed look in his eyes.
“A warning of your entry would be nice,” she said, straightening and slipping her dress back over her head before facing him. She wasn’t shy. With a big family, she’d had almost no privacy back at home.
“There’s no door for me to knock upon, Red,” he said, shaking off the look as if he’d never been staring at her backside and bare cleft. He’d put his breechcloth back on before coming inside, but she could see the bulge tenting the cloth. He snatched his wool pants off the floor and covered himself. His embarrassment at being caught, and the fact that her body aroused him gave her a devilish delight and put wicked thoughts in her head.
She made it a point to exploit his intrigue at least once a day, but she worried she might be caught in her own trap if she wasn’t careful.
Chapter Four
Days passed, each much the same as the other. Her only highlights were the times she teased him by dressing, and it often left her painfully aware that something was missing. They spent their time readying for the coming months when moving outside would become impossible--gathering a stockpile of wood, and sometimes he would hunt with her as their beasts. Kimber enjoyed the wild with him, for she’d always preferred roaming the land in beast form. Braeden’s interests mirrored her own—which was good.
She often caught herself sneaking peeks at him when he disrobed to transform into his bear. And she liked what she saw.
He’d been lucky today, snaring three good-sized fish for their dinner. Kimber watched him through a slit between the cave and the taut skin as bear became man and man redressed. The play of his back and hind muscles made tingles erupt in her belly. The foreign sensation seemed to grow stronger the more she was around the big male—to the point that she’d begun rubbing her sex in an effort to alleviate her discomfort. But that only seemed to make the gnawing ache worse. She was sick of the clawing emptiness gripping her insides. An idea had taken root that she could not shake.
Braeden turned to come inside, and she backed away from the entrance like she hadn’t been watching. He pushed the skin aside and tucked it back in place with a rock, giving her a quizzical look when she stood there quietly.
His brow furrowed. “Something the matter?”
She cleared her throat, gathering her courage. “I’ve given your words of earlier some thought. I think we should strike another deal,” she said spontaneously, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Words? What words?” Braeden looked both alarmed and confused. “Will it be unpleasant as the last deal when I allowed you to stay? There is a look in your eyes I am beginning to recognize.”
She cocked a grin, feeling an exhilarating confidence overtake her. “I would like you to school me in the matters of men and women.”
“Did you fall on your head while I was outside?” He gave her a wary look, backing up a step as if preparing to run away. “I’m no teacher. What gave you the idea I could do this?”
How amusing that she made him nervous! Her inner imp delighted in provoking him. She spoke in a quiet, soothing voice, taking a step forward to take his hand. “But you could be my teacher. I think you would do quite well.”
Braeden made a strangled sound, turned, and exited the cave. Kimber stared at the covering flapping in the wind and followed him out. He’d gone back up to the spring to collect water. She climbed up to where he stood and watched him dowse his face and chest with the cold water. The cold made his nipples tighten and his skin pink beneath his dark chest hair. “What are you doing?”
He stopped long enough to look at her. “I thought perhaps I was in a nightmare and that this would awaken me. I see I was wrong. You’re still here.”
She laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little woman.”
He grunted, shrugging and slinging water off his face and hands. “I’m not afraid of anything. I’ve just got enough sense to know when something is a bad idea. A disastrous idea. You ought not to tempt a man with an offer like that.”
“Are you trying to be a cad?” she said, her hands propped on her hips. Her feet had begun freezing on the ground since she hadn’t taken the time to put her shoes on. This fool of a man would catch his death bathing off in this weather. How he’d reached the age he had was beyond her—obviously, he needed a woman around to keep him alive. Since his mother wasn’t here, she would accept the task. “Come back to the cave. I will warm you up by the fire and we’ll have some dinner.”
Reluctantly, he took her hand and allowed himself to be led back to their cave. His hand engulfed hers, reminding her that she was much smaller. She harrumphed, thinking he was just a big baby, or maybe a gentle giant—loud, but easy going in spite of his size. Malleable.
The cleaned fish lay on a flat rock near the fire to keep them from freezing before they could be cooked. Kimber sat the him on the floor and stoked their campfire. She grabbed one of his wools and draped it around his shoulders, then slipped her cloak and shoes on before going out to collect the makings of a spit and more wood for the fire. By the time she’d finished her preparations, she’d worked up a sweat under her clothes and had to fan her face to keep from dampening her dress. Braeden watched as she spit the fish over the fire before taking a seat just next to him. He sat with a stiff spine, not daring to look away from the flames. She was amused that someone as small as she could put alarm into someone so big.
“Now, you are warm and soon fed, you can hear me without complaint,” she said, poking the fire with a stick. The fat from the fish dripped into the fire and crackled, smelling heavenly and making her stomach rumble.
Braeden swallowed audibly, making the lump on his throat bobble. His odd anxiety tickled her. He slanted a glance her way, and she put her hand on his knee trying to reassure him. “I wish you to introduce me to uh…private matters.”
He opened his mouth, closed it, and was silent a long minute before finally speaking again. “I’ve no idea what you are talking about.”
She scowled and waved her hands in exasperation. “I see I’ll have to resort to being crude if I’m to be understood.” She looked at him pointedly. “Sex, Braeden. I want your lessons in sex. You seem capable enough. I enjoy looking at your body, and I can see you enjoy looking at mine. We will fill the cold winter nights with my lessons, and by thaw, I will be ready to find a mate of my own with the confidence I lacked this year. You are not so handsome that I will form an emotional bond with you.”
He wrinkled his face into a frown. “Thanks for your honesty,” he said in a gruff voice. He groaned and covered his face with his hands before slowly returning his gaze to her. “I lied. I’ve no experience. And you are a madwoman for even thinking this. I should have known from the start that you were since you decided to stay. ‘Tis clear you don’t know what you’re asking, and I’ve doubts you’ve any experience of your own.”
“I’ve made up my mind, and no amount of lies will deter me. I’m no dummy. My mother made sure we all learned to read, write, and do mathematics. You needn’t worry about virgin’s blood. That’s been taken care of.” She looked away when she said it, but he uttered a strange sound, and when she glanced at him, his face had lost all its color. She thought he might be sick or faint, but he pulled himself together with her attention on him.
He nodded. “Prepared except in personal matters.”
She sighed. “That is my dilemma. Our differing clans should work to our benefit. I can’t see myself attaching to a bear, nor you to a wolf.”
“Your inexperience and youth show in your grand plan. You’ve not given this a lot of thought, have you?” He scrubbed his chin, giving her an assessing stare. “I can’t be bothered with this unl
ess you agree to do everything I say.”
She lit up, realizing she’d won him over with little effort. She tried not to get too excited in case he suddenly changed his mind. “Well, within reason—”
He held up a hand. “No. No. I’ll have your full cooperation or we part ways right now.”
Kimber twisted her hands through her hair, idly separating her loose curls. “Agreed. When do we start?”
“I’ll need some food in my belly if you expect an extended performance,” he said grumpily. “We’ve all plenty of time. Have some patience, Red.”
She felt quite pleased with herself and the arrangement she’d made—enough that she didn’t bother correcting him again on her name. The fact that he was completely resistible and the exact opposite of her ideal mate could only be to her benefit. As he said, forming an emotional attachment would be detrimental to her plans. And without the worry of becoming pregnant from interspecies mating, she could see no bad side to her proposition—except that he seemed in no hurry to begin. She hoped she didn’t die of boredom before he decided to start. She’d never been much good at waiting.
The fish finished cooking, and Braeden divvied the flesh between them. They ate in silence, and she kept a watchful eye on him. He’d allowed his wool skin to fall to the floor and drape around his hips as he sat cross-legged at the fire. When he finished eating, he scooted away from the fire and lay down on his furs, propping his head on his hand and looking at her. She waited expectantly and obediently, watching his eyelids flutter until they finally closed.
Kimber stared at him. “Are you going to sleep?” she asked loudly.
He snorted awake and glared at her. “What?”
She crawled across the floor and sat directly in front of him, then gestured toward the cave opening. “It is early yet. The sun is still up.”
He yawned and lay back on his bent arm. “There is something about having a full stomach that makes me want to nap.”
Her jaw dropped. The flame taking root in her sex, pulsing with need and awareness, fizzled out. “You were supposed to be energized.”
Braeden shrugged. “I’m in tune with my bear side—I like to hibernate. I need some rest if you expect me to last through the long nights. Gather some more wood for tonight while I take a little nap. I’ll feel more up to lessons by then. I promise.”
Kimber stood and slung her cloak back on, storming out of the cave to gather wood. She kicked snow, blasting it into the air as she slogged through the ever deepening drifts to look for deadwood small enough that she could drag back to their shelter. It occurred to her to take a log and whack him in the head and be done with him. As she came back with an armload, she ducked inside and dumped a stack along the wall with a clatter. Braeden did not even flinch, he was so deeply enmeshed in sleep. She hefted his hatchet, holding it threateningly as she eyed him then stomped back out.
A downed log bristling with broken limbs became her target. She hacked the limbs off, taking out her aggression until she’d exhausted her arms and struggled to lift them. She felt remarkably better when she carried in her next two loads of wood—less murderous. In fact, she thought taking a nap might do wonders for her disposition. She sat down, scraping the dirt from under her nails with the hatchet. Beside her, Braeden’s soft breathing enticed her to lay down and find sleep herself.
She swore she’d barely closed her eyes when his voice interrupted her dream. An odd tone infiltrated his voice. “Why are you sleeping with my hatchet?” he asked, slowly peeling her fingers from around the handle before she could open her eyes.
Kimber blinked, looking up at his face hovering over hers with a quizzical look in his eyes. “Did you have plans to dismember me?” he asked with brows drawn low.
“No,” she said blankly. “What an awful thought.”
“Remind me never to cross you again. Sit up.” He sat with his back against the wall, one knee up and one leg outstretched. He propped his forearm on his knee, watching her. She noticed he’d tacked down the covering on the cave entrance so she couldn’t tell if it was dark yet or not. She struggled into a seated position, tucking her legs beneath her butt and her dress around her knees.
The glow from the fire reflected in his amber eyes. She couldn’t seem to look away. His muscles looked golden, and the silken strands of his dark hair enticed her fingers to play.
“How much do you know of the male anatomy?” he asked quietly.
“Enough.” Kimber had actually only felt the penis inside her—never seen or lay hands on one. In her mind, it was a slender tube tipped with horns made for gashing and tearing. She sincerely hoped her next experience with penetration wasn’t as bad.
Braeden rubbed his middle finger on his thumb in a circle, watching her intensely. “If you’re going to seduce a man, you’ll need to be unafraid when you touch him. I know I’m a sore sight for your eyes. You’ll have to overcome my ugliness and get comfortable touching me.”
Kimber gulped. Heat spread through her veins. “I didn’t say you were…ugly. Just not to my liking,” she lied.
He stopped rubbing his fingers together and pulled his hand down his inner thigh until it cupped his groin, pushing his foot out until both legs were stretched toward her. “You might as well have.”
She cleared her throat and twisted her suddenly damp hands in her dress, rubbing her palms on her skirt until they were dry. “I just pictured myself with someone leaner and less hairy. Perhaps with dark skin like mine and short hair.”
His steady gaze made her belly flutter. That forbidden pulse throbbed in her sex, and moisture gathered in her lips. “Basically the exact opposite of me. Go on and say it,” he said.
She made a nervous laugh and shooed his words with her hand. She clenched her thighs tight as if that would stop the throbbing in her cleft. “No. I’m sure you’ll make an excellent mate for one of your kind someday. I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings. I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t. Come over here. Between my legs.”
She ceased fidgeting. “Why?”
He watched her, but she couldn’t seem to stop glancing at his hand where it rested on his groin. Ever so slowly, he rubbed himself. “Your first lesson.”
Had a sudden wind stoked the fire? Perhaps the temperature outside increased? Her dress felt tight around her neck and chest. Her face flamed and she touched her cheeks as if that would cool them down.
“Change your mind?” he asked in a rough voice that made her insides rub together.
Kimber forced a boldness into her muscles and crawled closer to him, until his thighs rested on either side of hers as she knelt.
“Men like when women take the initiative. They tire quickly of the frightened maiden who must be pursued in the bedroom every night to slake their lust. If you want your pick of the men, you’ll have to take him.” His hand stopped its minute movements and framed the bulge in his pants, riveting her gaze to the spot.
“What should I…do?”
“Take my cock out. Act like you want to touch it, like you need to touch it, and you’ll have your man begging at your feet.”
Chapter Five
Kimber’s mouth turned dry, and her body went rigid. “How?” she croaked.
He leaned his head back on the smooth rock wall. “With your hands. You could use your mouth if you’re inclined to be more provocative. A mouth like yours is enticing with those succulent, full lips.”
Unexpectedly, he didn’t seem as brutish as he had before. His clarity of language surprised her. She wondered what other aspects of him she’d overlooked. With trembling fingers and a fortifying breath, she slid her hands up his thick, hard thighs until they met the upper crease that marked the v of his groin. An almost imperceptible tightness made his stomach muscles stiffen in reaction to her tentative touch.
“A firmer hand, Red. Take what you want. You want this. You have to convince me that you do, that you aren’t frightened. A man knows when y
ou’re scared of him. You’re not scared, are you?”
He was taunting her, egging her on. She narrowed her eyes, tugging the leather that tied his breeches closed until the knots loosened and the flaps parted. The same thick pathway of hair on his chest and belly continued beneath the woolen cloth, but coarser. She forgot to breathe as she nudged the fabric aside and shoved her hand into the opening, feeling for his cock with the same trepidation she would feel grabbing a fanged serpent. Velvet skin greeted her--round and thick flesh filled her palm. She couldn’t seem to get her hand around it, and when she pulled it free of its fabric cage, Braeden sucked in a sharp breath that startled her.
“Oh,” she whispered once she had his man-flesh in the open. She bent closer for a better look and noticed his hands fisted by his sides. “There’s no point on yours.”
Braeden barked a laugh. “They tend to be blunt, honey.”
“I just thought…well…I felt stabbed to death the first time.” She worried her bottom lip, rubbing her fingers along his length. As she touched him, the soft curve of his shaft straightened and the bluish veins strained against the thin skin. She could feel his heartbeat beneath the silken skin’s surface. A tiny bead of moisture leaked from the mushroomed head. She touched the slippery droplet and circled the bulbous helmet and rim. It reminded her much the way her slit reacted when she’d touched herself before. Did they both create the slippery cream for easier procreation? She became intensely curious and excited to discover more.
He groaned and gripped his thighs with white knuckles. She glanced at his face, wondering what she’d done wrong. “Is this right?” she asked in a husky voice.
