“How long have you lived in Bear Creek?” she asked.
The first question he would have to evade. To say hundreds of years would make her think he was a lunatic who should be struck off as a doctor. So he replied, “All of my life.”
“And you have no intention of ever leaving?”
“No. I love my job, and all of the residents here. There is no other place I would like to be.”
“I can see that. I like it here. Each day I feel more settled.”
“I’m so happy to hear that, Beth. Was it hard to move away from where you lived before?”
He hoped he was being tactful enough, he didn’t directly ask why she had moved here. Instead, he wanted to push her in the direction where she might decide to share her past with him. He needed to know if what Daphne thought was true. Did Beth come here to escape a broken heart? If so, he might have to take things very slowly with her. Just because he could feel the pull of the mating bond did not mean that she could.
She hesitated; he held his breath, the need to know everything about her becoming an obsession. Who had hurt her? Or did she break it off? Was she still in love with another man?
“I was dating a doctor. I thought we were serious. But I was mistaken; when we talked about settling down and getting married, he did not intend to ever do that. Whereas I thought we were going to be engaged. I had told a few close colleagues at work that he had hinted at buying me a ring, which he had,” she insisted, and he could tell it was important that he believed her.
“And he dumped you?”
“Worse. A new receptionist started work in the Heart Department. He was a specialist there. And without even calling it off with me, he started dating her.” She stopped talking, her face turned away from him.
Ben felt her pain, his heart aching for her, as his heart should when his mate was suffering. Yet mixed in with this was selfish happiness. If the doctor had not treated her so badly, she wouldn’t have come to Bear Bluff. His mate would be in the arms of another man. Yet he had to be sympathetic, because he loved her.
“I’m sorry. That must have been tough.”
“It was.” She turned to him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I felt such a fool, and it was impossible for me to stay. If he had just been someone I knew, it would not have been so bad. But because we worked in the same hospital, well, you can imagine how the gossips chewed me up. So I left. I’m a coward, I ran away.”
“I don’t think you were a coward at all. And I am glad you came to Bear Bluff. Even if it was for reasons that brought you unhappiness.”
“Thank you for walking me home, Ben. I just wanted to tell you so that you would understand why I behaved the way I did this afternoon. I learned a very valuable lesson from Francis.”
They had reached her apartment. She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the key. Ben knew this was the moment where he had to give her some idea of his feelings. However, he suspected he knew what she was about to say, and he had to tread very carefully.
“Beth. Not all men are alike.”
She nodded, but looked down at her feet when she said, “I know that.” Then she took a deep breath, lifted her head, and said to him, “It just made me realise that dating a doctor is not a good idea. So that was why I was rude. I hope you understand.”
No! He didn’t understand.
“Beth. One bad experience is not enough for you to write off all doctors.”
She smiled. “I’m not so sure. But you are a good commercial for doctors.”
“So, will you consider coming out to dinner with me?” His hopes were not high.
“Sure. Why not?” She turned from him, putting her key in the lock.
He was confused. “So you trust me enough for me to take you to dinner? I swear I won’t hurt you, Beth. I want a relationship with you, a long-term relationship.” Had he gone too far?
Chapter Ten – Beth
Long-term relationship. Slowly she turned to face him. “I don’t understand.” That’s what her voice said, but her body was so attuned to his, that she knew she had got it wrong. Their bodies seemed to talk the same language, of attraction and need. He wasn’t gay; she had messed up again. He took a step towards her, his body pressed against hers, and she felt the hardness of his cock pressing against her thigh. Swallowing, her eyes darted up to his and registered the desire there. She had it so, so, wrong again. But still she had to blurt out the words, “I thought you were gay.”
His face dropped, shock registering there. “Gay?” He opened his mouth to speak again, but nothing came out.
“Yes. I thought that the reason you refused the advances of all the women in Bear Bluff and the way you were jealous of Trent, was because you liked men.”
He let out his pent-up breath, to sweep over her, igniting her desire. This was getting seriously out of hand. Her body ached for him. She wanted to lean forward and let her breasts brush against his hard chest, and her lips to kiss along the curve of his jaw.
“Beth. I don’t really know how I gave you that idea. But I’m sorry. I am a red-blooded male who likes women. Well, one particular woman. I don’t date because I was looking for my true love. And when I saw you this morning, I knew it was you.” He stepped back from her, his beautiful face creased into an uncustomary frown. “I know what this sounds like. I know you have been hurt. But I want to tell you I am different.”
“Ben. Don’t. Please. This is not what I want.”
“Isn’t it? I can read your body and it is telling me you feel the same way.”
Her voice was a whisper when she said, “I can’t do this again. I can’t be let down by you. I like it here; I want to stay here in Bear Bluff.”
“I understand. I really do. And there is a way I can prove to you that I am different, that I don’t just want a fling. I want to settle down and have a family, Beth. With you. If I can prove my commitment to you, will you give me a chance?”
It all sounded so scary. How could he prove it to her? But she had to give him a chance, because she yearned for him, for the future he could give her, which had already been cruelly ripped from her in the past by Francis.
“How?”
“Tomorrow. After work. Meet me at the entrance to the hospital. And I’ll show you.”
“Ben,” she said, still wanting to fight the feelings inside her.
“One chance,” he said, leaning in to her.
His lips were so close, she wanted to kiss him. Oh God, her breasts were fit to explode out of her dress. She was so aroused by him. So wet. He took a breath, and she swore he smelt her heat, tasting it on his taste buds. Licking his lips, she knew he was moistening them for their first kiss. He head hammered out its orders to run, but her heartbeat was stronger and her body won.
Ben lifted his hand, stroking her cheek, sending shock waves through her body. Slipping his hand around to the nape of her neck, he stroked her spine with his thumb. Her knees went weak; she leaned back against the door of her apartment. If he asked her to right now, she would open the door and invite him in. If he wanted to take her to bed, she would let him. In the moment his lips finally met hers, she would have let him do whatever he pleased with her body. In that moment, she was lost to him.
His lips pressed against hers, questioning her. Opening them slightly, she let him in. His tongue slid along her lower lip, and teased her into submission. Gently, but oh so firmly, he slid his tongue to meet hers. She had to place her hands on his chest for support, her body going limp with desire. His mouth became firmer, knowing he had conquered her.
She sighed against him, pressing her body forward, wanting to give herself to him. Ben moved his free hand and skimmed it across her breasts, making her nipples harden, eager to be touched and teased by him. Did he want her to beg?
This time his thumb brushed her taut buds more firmly. She gasped, opening her legs, wanting him to touch her there. How could he make her behave like such a wanton woman? This was his charm, he made all the women feel like
this. But she was the only one he had allowed himself to touch.
And how she wanted him to touch her.
Reaching behind her, she wrapped her hand around the door handle and let it open. They spilled backwards into her apartment, his strong arms stopping her from hitting the floor. Lifting her, he took her to the sofa, and lay her down. She pulled him down on top of her, feeling like a bitch on heat.
“Make love to me,” she begged, taking his hand and placing it between her heated thighs.
His hand rubbed her there; she opened her legs wider and he groaned with need. “I can’t.”
“Please, I have never wanted anything as much as I want this right now. I don’t want to talk myself out of this.”
“Honey, I can’t. Not yet. I have no protection. And a little cooling-off period might be the right thing for you.” Still his fingers thrummed across her sex, and her throbbing clit.
“Don’t you want me?” she asked, feeling clichéd, but oh-so-needy. What had he done to her? If she didn’t know better she would have thought he had spiked her drink. But her head was clear, it had reached an agreement with her body. The whole of her wanted this.
“More than anything in this world,” he said, kissing and nipping her neck. “But I am not going to fuck you tonight, Beth.” And then his hand reached down and began to pull the hem of her skirt up. “But there are other ways I can please you. I’m going to make you come, Beth. Are you sure that is what you want?”
“Yes,” she gasped as his fingers inched up her thigh. When he reached his prize, she closed her eyes, somehow ashamed that he would know just how wet and eager she was for him. How could she have put Francis off for so long, never consummating their relationship, and yet open her legs for a man she had only met less than twelve hours ago? Because this was right.
A soft sigh escaped her when his fingers finally pushed inside her. Her hips rose, her back arching as he stroked her inner walls. His hands, those gentle, firm hands, made her climb to new heights. His thumb pressed against her clit, stimulating it, while a second finger pushed inside her, stretching her. In and out, he slid, slowly, leisurely. When she opened her eyes, she saw him watching her face, smiling as if enraptured.
His lips met hers. He kissed her fiercely, his fingers probing deeper and then pulling out. “You’re a virgin?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. Did you think I was experienced?”
“No. I don’t know.”
“I can learn. I won’t disappoint you.”
“You could never disappoint me. And the thought of breaking in your sweet body is going to be one that will stay in my head.”
He kissed her again, his fingers inside her, gentler now. And then he pulled away from her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice a squeak. She hated the thought that he was disappointed in her. Did he think that was why Francis had dumped her, because she was useless at sex?
“I want to taste you, Beth. I want your sweet juices on my tongue.”
He moved her so that she sat on her sofa, and then he knelt before her, leaving her with no doubt as to what he intended to do. Her heart skipped, her breathing ragged. She jumped when his hands pushed her skirt up over her thighs; he looked up and smiled reassuringly. But there was nothing reassuring about the feel of his fingers around the elastic of her panties. He was going to look at her intimately, touch her intimately. With his mouth.
Belying her mortification, her sex grew wetter. Aching to know what it was like to be kissed and licked and sucked. In a daze she lifted her bottom, allowing him to pull her panties off. Then she obediently let her knees flop down, feeling his lips kissing her inner thighs, working their way inexorably higher.
When his mouth reached its prize, she struggled not to draw her legs up and push his head away. The sensations were too intense. Her clit throbbed, his mouth covering it, sucking and nibbling on the sensitive little bud. But Ben placed his arms around her and held her firmly, expertly making her need overwhelm her rational mind. She gave in, watching the top of his head as he worked his tongue deep into her sex, piercing her need until tears came to her eyes.
In, pushing deep, and then pulling out to nip and kiss her clit. Over and over, he brought her to the edge of her orgasm and then allowed her arousal to ebb away, never letting her reach her climax. Eventually she could stand it no longer; she fisted his hair, pushing her mound up into his face. His mouth clamped down on her clit, sucking her, his tongue flicking over the hard bud, while his fingers worked inside her, hitting a place so sensitive she climaxed. Hard and strong, the waves of pleasure swept over her; she threw her head back, lifting her hips to thrust herself into his face.
Beth couldn’t have imagined anything so intense as this. Waves of emotion hit her, making her gasp, choking back tears. And when they passed, when she slowly came back down to earth, she knew her world would never be the same again.
Chapter Eleven – Ben
The taste of her on his tongue, the smell of her arousal filling his nose. And the sound of her cries in his ears. What more could a bear ask for, apart from being buried inside her? But that would have to wait for another day. For now, she had been taken to a place she hadn’t expected by a man whom she thought was gay.
Wow. He had missed an opportunity there, if he had played that card for the last few years, he would have had a quiet life. But his bear would never have allowed it. He was honest and true; there was no way he could ever pretend to be something he wasn’t. Ben was the last of a dying breed of men who thought that a man always had to be straight with people, no messing around and lying.
Especially with his woman. His mate. He kissed her thighs, allowing her to compose herself. Then he helped her get up from the sofa and picked her up and carried her, protesting, to her bedroom. There he waited until she was ready for bed, her nightclothes on and her teeth brushed. He helped her to get under her covers and then kissed her goodnight.
“Meet me tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said sleepily.
“After work. Promise me.”
“I promise,” she said, accepting one more good-bye kiss from him, and then her eyes closed and she was asleep.
Ben sat on the edge of the bed, the taste of her still in his mouth. Had he done the right thing, or should he have left her alone tonight? It had all happened so fast, he only hoped she wouldn’t regret it. At least he had not slept with her; at least he had not taken her virginity. She would have some time to think it all through tomorrow.
He got up and took one last look at her before he left her room, going downstairs and making sure her front door was securely locked before he left. All that time, he didn’t allow his mind to wander back towards what he had to tell her, what he had to show her. How was she going to react when she found out that the man who wanted her to marry him, the man who had pleasured her with his mouth, was a bear!
Chapter Twelve – Beth
“Oh. What have I done?” she asked her reflection the next morning. The reflection stared back, pale, dull, and mute.
Beth had no choice but to climb into the shower and try to wash away the memories of last night. An impossible feat. All she kept remembering was his mouth on her… She closed her eyes, squeezing them so tightly she saw stars, but still the images of the top of Ben’s head, moving up and down in a steady rhythm as he pleasured her with his tongue, kept appearing. How would she face him at work? What if he had gone and told everyone?
She wanted to cry, but she couldn’t let herself go; she had to hold her head up high. This time she had done nothing wrong. Towelling herself dry, she went to her bedroom, dressed, and carefully applied her makeup. Then she took a deep breath and opened the door on Bear Bluff. Everything seemed just the same.
She walked to the hospital, dropping into the store to get a cold bottle of water. People said hello to her. Everything was the same. That was what she told herself over and over as she entered the hospital. Gradually she began to relax, until Ben lo
omed on her horizon. She wanted to dive into the nearest janitor’s closet and lock the door, but she kept walking. He was talking to another doctor, who held a clipboard. They were discussing a patient; he wouldn’t even notice her.
However, Ben appeared to feel her presence. As she approached, he lifted his head and smiled. A sweet, innocent smile that gave nothing away. “Morning, Beth,” he said.
The other doctor looked up. “Morning, Beth.”
Morning, Doctors,” she said naturally. It did sound natural, right. Then she kept on walking.
She went to her locker, put her purse away, and smoothed her uniform down. Business as usual. All she had to do was get through the day, as if everything was completely normal. And she stuck to that until she came face to face with a very large bouquet of flowers.
“Look at these,” Greta said. “Isn’t this the most expensive, and beautiful, bouquet of flowers you have ever seen?”
“Yes. They are,” Beth said, wondering who had bought them for Greta. Only last night she seemed hell-bent on getting her well-manicured fingernails into Ben. Now she had a massive bouquet of flowers on her desk from an admirer.
“I always knew he had a secret crush on me.” She smiled at Beth, as if taking pity on a poor unfortunate creature who would never live up to the long legs and full pout of a woman like Greta.
“I’m really pleased you’re happy. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.” Beth picked up the notes on one of her patients and began to flick through, to get up to speed.
“Well, we’ve kept it quiet.” Greta dropped her voice to a loud whisper. “You know how it is. A doctor likes to keep his private life, you know, private.”
“It’s a doctor?”
“Not any doctor,” Greta said excitedly. “It’s Dr. Ben.”
Beth swayed slightly, but kept her outward emotions cool and professional. But inside, her mind was in turmoil. He couldn’t do this to her. She had told him of her past, and he had used her. Made her believe she could trust him, despite knowing what she had been through. Keeping her voice level, she said, “I hope you’re very happy together. I’m sure you deserve each other.”
Complete Bear Creek and Bear Bluff Box Sets: Including brand new exclusive book Best Man Bear Page 45
