Bobby Ray [Grizzly Ridge 2] (The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection)

by Lynn Hagen

  Noel glanced back toward the house, as if debating whether he should stay or go. With a growl, Bobby Ray lifted Noel off his feet and tossed him over his shoulder.

  “What’re you doing?” Noel shouted.

  “Taking you home.” Bobby Ray deposited him into the truck.

  A siren wailed in the distance. Had Bart called the cops?

  “We need to scoot,” Wade said as he climbed into the truck. “You don’t need to be arrested.”

  Bobby Ray jumped into the driver’s side and peeled from the driveway. He would’ve laughed but was still too damn angry at the entire situation.

  They made it to the access road and Bobby Ray started the climb into the mountains. Noel sat quietly next to him.

  “You mad at me?” Bobby Ray asked.

  “You tried to kill my brother.”

  “Your brother is a piece of shit.” Bobby Ray rolled his window down and rested his arm on the frame. “I might’ve done the world a favor if I’d taken him out.”

  “He might be a piece of shit,” Noel argued, “but he’s still family. Maybe he deserved being taught a lesson, but he didn’t deserve to die.”

  “Matter of opinion,” Bobby Ray murmured.

  They rode the rest of the way in silence.

  * * * *

  Noel couldn’t help smiling when, later that night, the Rising men lit a bonfire and drank, played cards, or, in Clint’s case, snuggled close to the fire.

  Noel sat on a log, his elbows on his knees, his chin resting on his fists as he watched Bobby Ray and Wade wrestle in their bear forms. As barbaric as all this seemed, Noel felt more at home with the Rising men than he ever had with Bart. The bears were a close-knit family who looked out for one another.

  Why couldn’t Bart have been that way with him?

  Noel gasped when Bobby Ray’s bear headed over to him. Even though he knew it was Bobby Ray, Noel’s heart pounded. He sniffed at Noel’s shoulder and licked the bite mark, and Noel’s body roared to life.

  Bobby Ray shifted and laughed as he pulled Noel from the log and placed him on the grass, then stretched out beside him.

  “You’re naked.”

  “Nothing gets by you.” Bobby Ray winked at him as the glow of the fire cast shadows over his face. “You still sore at me?”

  After he’d thought long and hard about what had happened, Noel came to the conclusion that he wasn’t mad because Bart might’ve died—and that should have bothered him, but it didn’t, and it made him feel lower than a slug. Noel had been ticked because Bobby Ray could’ve gotten arrested, though.

  When Noel didn’t answer, Bobby Ray ghosted his lips over Noel’s bite mark.

  “Stop that.” Noel swatted at him.

  “Stop what?” A mischievous twinkle sparked in Bobby Ray’s gray-green eyes.

  “Making me horny around all these men,” Noel whispered.

  “Darlin’,” Bobby Ray said, “I wouldn’t care if we were in the middle of a crowd. I’ll never be able to stop touching you.”

  Trigger shouted something from the makeshift card table, but Noel wasn’t paying anyone any attention. His focus was on Bobby Ray—the way he displayed his muscled body, the hot look in his eyes, and the needy smile on his face. Noel could get lost in the guy. He was lost in Bobby Ray.

  But his need faded when a bear cub ambled toward him. King nipped at Noel’s pant leg, giving tiny growls as he tugged. Noel smoothed his hand down King’s head, smiling. “Aren’t you the most adorable little thing?”

  He scratched the cub under his chin, tickled his fur, and laughed when King rolled over and batted at his hand.

  When he looked at Bobby Ray, his…mate had an emotion in his eyes Noel couldn’t discern. Was that love? No way. They’d only known each other two days, but the soft look made Noel smile.

  King sauntered back to his parents as Bobby Ray got up, then held out his hand. Noel took it and let his mate pull him to his feet. “Ready to go home?”

  Noel’s gaze zeroed in on Bobby Ray’s cock, and he blushed as he looked around. No one was paying him any attention, but Noel felt as if their eyes were burning through him.

  As soon as they entered the cabin, Bobby Ray swept Noel off his feet and raced him to the bedroom as Noel laughed. “In a hurry?”

  “To be buried inside you?” Bobby Ray grinned. “All I could think about all day.”

  Bobby Ray bent Noel over the side of the bed and worked his pants down. Noel gasped. As his jeans and underwear slowly slid down his legs, Bobby Ray kissed and licked at his ass and thighs. The light touches and soft nips had Noel hard and whining.

  “Love those sounds,” Bobby Ray said. “Keep making them, darlin’.”

  And Noel did, especially when Bobby Ray licked at his hole. The tip delved inside him and swirled, setting Noel on fire. He lowered his shoulders to the bed, stuck his ass out farther, and begged Bobby Ray to make him come.

  “Nuh-uh.” Bobby Ray nipped his cheek. “Gonna show you sweet torture first.”

  “I swear to God, if you torture me, I’ll punch you,” Noel warned.

  Bobby Ray’s chuckle vibrated along Noel’s crease. His mate flattened his tongue and gave Noel’s hole a long, seductive sweep. Noel’s legs threatened to give out. He strangled the bedding as he bounced back on Bobby Ray’s tongue.

  Screw the torture. Noel needed release. He grabbed his cock, but Bobby Ray jerked his arm away.

  “You have no patience, darlin’.” He swiped his tongue over Noel’s hole again. “But you’ll learn.”

  “You’re evil,” Noel hissed.

  “Only when it comes to sex.” Bobby Ray took mercy on Noel. Sort of. He slid a beefy finger inside, making Noel’s eyes cross and his toes curl. But it still wasn’t enough to get him off.

  Noel was ready to clobber Bobby Ray when his mate lifted him onto the mattress and set him on all fours. Yes! Noel arched his back, sticking his ass up, biting his bottom lip as the head of Bobby Ray’s cock touched his wet hole. His pre-cum bathed Noel’s bundle of muscles, and they relaxed. Bobby Ray drove into him so fast and so hard that Noel cried out.

  Stretched to his limits, Noel mewled loudly as Bobby Ray pounded his ass. He rubbed his forehead against the covers, wondering if anything in the world felt better than this. He highly doubted anything did.

  He clawed at the bed, shouted his pleasure, and thrust backward as Bobby Ray drove forward. Noel thought he would lose his ever-loving mind seconds before Bobby Ray bit his shoulder. His orgasm shook him hard as Noel cried out, unsure he would survive this.

  Bobby Ray licked the wound, then snarled as his hips moved faster.

  “Oh, yeah, baby.” Bobby Ray pistoned inside him. “Your ass is gripping my dick hard.”

  By the time Bobby Ray came, Noel was done for. He dropped to the bed, gasping for breath and closing his eyes. The floorboards squeaked, then Bobby Ray was cleaning him.

  His mate crawled in beside him and curled around Noel. As Noel drifted off to sleep, he could have sworn Bobby Ray whispered that he loved Noel.

  * * * *

  Bobby Ray glanced around the bedroom. Noel had been on the mountain for three weeks, and he sure as shit was making this place his home. His clothes were strewn everywhere, and he constantly left the cap off the toothpaste and dirty dishes in the sink.

  His mate was a slob, but he was the cleanest guy Bobby Ray had ever met. Noel took at least three showers a day.

  And he was currently in the bathroom getting sick. Bobby Ray grabbed a washcloth from the hallway linen closet and took it into the bathroom. He wet it and wiped at Noel’s neck and face. “You hanging in there?”

  “I can’t believe I’m pregnant.” Noel slumped against the tub.

  “Did you think I was shitting you?” Bobby Ray helped him to his feet and took him into the bedroom. “You want some crackers?”

  “I want to stop getting sick,” Noel moaned. “But if you’re being so generous, you can bring me a burger and fries.” He lifted his head an
d looked at Bobby Ray. “And a strawberry shake if you have one.”

  “You want a stomach pump on the side?”

  “Maybe a barf bag.” Noel laid his head back down.

  Bobby Ray was not making all that fatty food for Noel. His mate would spend the rest of the day with a solid headache and using that barf bag. Instead, he made him some toast and a cup of green tea.

  He was about to take the food to Noel when Wade sauntered in through the kitchen door. “We got problems.”

  “We always got problems,” Bobby Ray said. “Your ugly mug is one of them.”

  “Hardy har har.” Wade shoved Bobby Ray’s shoulder. “I’m serious. Clint just got a call that the cops are looking for you for putting a hurt on Bart.”

  Bobby Ray scowled. “That little bitch called the cops on me? For real?” He’d heard the sirens when leaving Noel’s house, but in truth, Bobby Ray hadn’t thought the cops were really coming for him.

  I guess they actually were.

  “He also heard Bart is on the hunt for Noel for payback.”

  “I’d like to see that piece of shit try.” Bobby Ray curled his lip. “First, he has to find us, then he has to get past my bear.”

  Wade tossed two slices of bread into the toaster. “What’s with that dickhead, anyway?”

  “Just like the stories,” Bobby Ray said. “Humans in Grizzly Ridge are savages.”

  “Not all.” Wade grabbed the butter. “Dane and Noel aren’t.”

  “There’re a few exceptions,” Bobby Ray agreed. “But not enough to make me want to go back there.” He set Noel’s plate and mug on a tray. “Let yourself out.”

  Wade’s mouth was full when he smiled and gave Bobby Ray a thumbs-up.

  When Bobby Ray entered the bedroom, he heard the shower going. Noel had taken a shower before he’d gone to bed last night. Did he have some kind of germ phobia or something?

  “Hey, food’s here.” Feeling frisky, Bobby Ray set the tray aside and crept to the bathroom door, then opened it. He planned on getting naked and soaping Noel up, then licking him down and sucking him until his mate was a wet noodle.

  Bobby Ray opened the shower curtain and his heart nearly gave out.

  Where in the hell was Noel?

  Chapter Six

  Noel stumbled through the woods, wiping tears from his eyes as he hurried along. If he kept going, he would make it to Grizzly Ridge by morning. He just wished he’d been able to grab his backpack. After the fit he’d thrown about his dad’s watch, Noel had left it behind.

  He knew he wasn’t thinking straight, that panic was driving him to run away. But he’d suddenly been hit with reality, that he was pregnant and mated to a bear that could change into a man. That he would be stuck in the mountains for the rest of his life.

  When he’d climbed out the bathroom widow, Noel had felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He’d been dizzy and his heart wouldn’t stop racing. He couldn’t do this. He just couldn’t. It all felt so overwhelming that Noel’s mind split in fifty different directions.

  As nice as being with someone like Bobby Ray felt, Noel didn’t know the Rising men and didn’t know their way of life. God, had he gotten so used to Bart’s abuse that living a normal life scared him to death?

  The longer Noel walked, the more he started having second thoughts about leaving. He loved how special Bobby Ray made him feel. Noel also liked that Bobby Ray’s brothers treated him like a part of their family, even though they hardly knew each other.

  It also didn’t hurt that sex with Bobby Ray was phenomenal.

  He slowed, glancing around, but couldn’t remember which direction led back to Bobby Ray’s house. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Birds chirped in the trees, but as he listened, they began sounding like angry vultures.

  “Fuck, what have I done?” Now that Noel wasn’t in a full-blown panic, he was scared for another reason and feeling stupid as hell. This hadn’t been the first time he’d allowed his fears to overtake him and make him do something really dumb. But getting lost in the mountains when he knew that wild animals roamed these woods along with animals that could change into men was probably the most boneheaded thing he’d ever done.

  Ice climbed up Noel’s back when he heard wolves howl. He thought of the one that had attacked him. What if that guy came back? What if he was watching Noel at this very moment?

  Noel ran his hands up and down his arms, scanning the woods, terrified he’d be torn to shreds for his stupidity. He jerked his head around when something snapped close by.

  Two wolves appeared on the path Noel was on. He stood there frozen in fear, unable to move or breathe. Then a growl sounded behind him. He was too frightened to turn around and see what animal was at his back. His gaze landed on a tree to his right, and he slowly moved toward it. The wolves weren’t growling. They simply stood there staring at him, as if curious. But Noel wasn’t taking any chances that they weren’t wild wolves, or that one of them wasn’t the man who had attacked him in Bobby Ray’s backyard.

  Just the thought of his mate made Noel want to cry. He should have never left, damn it. Noel got his footing and scurried up the tree, climbing as high as he could.

  “Hey, you shouldn’t go up there.”

  Noel had no idea who was talking and didn’t care. He needed to get to safety. He felt as if he’d climbed too high, and when he finally looked down, Noel became dizzy.

  Three naked men stood below him. God, his life just kept getting weirder and weirder. Neil curled his arms around the thick branch and held on. “Go away,” he shouted.

  At the same time, the three men looked over their shoulders, then shifted into wolves and trotted off. Noel was shocked they’d listened to him. For a second, he’d feared they’d climb up after him.

  Then he saw the real reason they’d left. Four bears ambled toward the tree. From up high, they didn’t look so big, but Noel had seen them up close at Bobby Ray’s and knew they were humungous.

  The closest bear shifted, and Bobby Ray glanced up at him. “Why on earth are you in a tree?”

  He’d expected Bobby Ray to be steaming mad. After all, Noel had taken off. From the way Bobby Ray had acted—all protective and dominant—he should’ve been yelling at Noel.

  “Great view,” Noel answered.

  “Climb on down, darlin’.” Bobby Ray waved for Noel to join him on the ground.

  “No.”

  Bobby Ray placed his hands on his hips, pursing his lips. “I’m not mad at you, Noel. You just scared ten years off me by runnin’. Whatever’s wrong, we can work it out.”

  “I can’t come down.” Noel dug his fingers harder into the bark.

  Bobby Ray chucked a thumb over his shoulder. “Is it because my brothers are here? You’re seriously scared of bears still?”

  “No.” Noel shook his head. “It’s because I’m too afraid to climb down. I’m stuck.”

  Noel had climbed the tree in panic, but he was afraid of heights. Now he was too terrified to find his footing and work his way down. The mere thought was dizzying.

  “Then why’d you climb up there if you can’t climb down?” Bobby Ray asked.

  Hadn’t the bears seen the wolves, or at the very least, smelled them? “Because I’m an idiot,” Noel called down.

  Bobby Ray’s deep chuckle made Noel want to cry. His emotions had gone haywire, and he thought he may be losing his mind. He’d gone from happy at Bobby Ray’s, to panicked, to angry, and now feeling like a complete fool.

  “You’re not an idiot,” Bobby Ray said. “Just pregnant and emotional.”

  “That just it!” Noel squeezed his thighs against the branch when the wind blew through the branches. The image of him falling and breaking his bones made him close his eyes. “I became overwhelmed. Too much has happened too fast. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.”

  “Let’s get you down from there and we’ll talk.”

  Noel cracked one eye open and watched as Bobby Ray climbed the tree. He moved with ease, as
if he’d been born to do this. When he reached Noel, he touched Noel’s leg.

  “I can’t move,” Noel said.

  “Let me guide you down, Sugar.” Bobby Ray moved Noel’s legs onto the branch below, helping him find his footing. The problem was, Noel was too afraid to uncurl his arms from the branch.

  “You gotta work with me, darlin’.”

  Noel’s heart thrashed as he slowly made his way down with Bobby Ray right in front of him, spotting him. Wade turned human and stood below, as if he would catch Noel if he fell. Once Noel was close enough to the ground, Wade grabbed him around the waist and lowered him to his feet.

  “Woo-wee!” Bobby Ray chuckled. “Ain’t climbed a tree since I was a cub.”

  All Noel’s fears melted away when Bobby Ray pulled him into his strong arms. He didn’t care that he was hugging a naked man while three men stood around him. Noel was just glad to be back on solid ground.

  Bobby Ray rubbed Noel’s back, then placed a kiss on his head. “Let’s get you home, you little rebel.”

  Noel tilted his head back. “You’re seriously not mad?”

  “Scared that you took off. Happy that you’re safe and sound. Perturbed that you put yourself in danger. But no, I’m not mad.” Bobby Ray wrapped an arm around Noel’s waist and guided him through the woods.

  “I only went up that tree because three wolves surrounded me.”

  Bobby Ray stopped and stared down at Noel. “Come again?”

  His brothers had shifted back into their bear forms, and they snarled at Noel’s words.

  “I heard howls and then three wolves appeared.”

  “I heard the howls, too,” Bobby Ray said. “But I didn’t know they were after you.” He sounded ready to rip someone’s heart out.

  “They didn’t come after me,” Noel clarified. “More like watched me with curiosity.”

  Bobby Ray’s good mood seemed to vanish as they made their way home. Noel kept expecting his mate to yell at him, but Bobby Ray never did. In fact, when they entered the cabin, Bobby Ray drew Noel a bath, made him something to eat, then settled him on the couch before he got on his phone and walked into the kitchen.