Silverback Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 10)

by Harmony Raines

  “I am. But you would be impossible if everyone thought they had to do as you ask because you were in a movie or two.” Caroline certainly was a no-nonsense woman.

  Carter slipped his arm around his wife. “You know me so well.”

  “I do.” She leaned back against him. “We would love to have you on our team, Elizabeth.”

  “Thanks.” Elizabeth turned to look across to Suzie and Kit. “I just want to see them before they leave.”

  “They look so happy,” Fiona said. “Do you remember our wedding day, Harlan?”

  “I will never forget it.” Harlan kissed Fiona’s lips. “I waited an eternity for you.”

  “We are all becoming old married bores,” Caroline commented.

  “Which is why we are going to go and dance.” Carter took his wife’s hand and led her to the dance floor. “We’ll see you soon. You’re welcome too, Dean. We can share a beer or two. In fact, why don’t you come for dinner? Next Friday.”

  “Sure.” Dean lifted his hand and waved, before Carter and Caroline were lost in among the crowd.

  “Hey, Mom.” Suzie’s face lit up when she saw them coming. “Everything OK?”

  “I’ve just been asked to go work for Carter Eden,” Elizabeth told her daughter.

  “No! Really, that is so exciting.” Suzie hugged her mom. “Did you say yes?”

  “I said I’d think about it.” Elizabeth looked tired. “It’s all a bit much. I need to think things through.”

  “Take your time, and don’t rush into anything,” Suzie soothed. “Whatever you decide, make sure it’s right for you.”

  “I will.” Elizabeth gathered the last of her energy to put a smile on her face for her daughter. Dean couldn’t wait to whisk her out of there and take her home. “Have you had a great day?”

  “It’s been amazing. More than amazing,” Suzie enthused.

  “Thanks for everything, Mom,” Kit said with a cheeky grin.

  “You are welcome, son,” Elizabeth replied. “You take care of my daughter.”

  “I will. Forever, and more.” Kit looked adoringly at Suzie.

  “Be happy,” Dean added.

  “We will.” Suzie hugged Dean.

  “Have a fabulous vacation,” Elizabeth said. “Call me. When you get to your hotel.”

  “We will. And the house is yours while we’re away if you want some privacy,” Kit said, pointing his finger at them. Elizabeth blushed at the insinuation.

  “Kit,” Suzie dug him in the ribs.

  “What? I want your mom and Dean to know they’re welcome at our house.” Kit looked up at the sound of their names being called out. “Time to leave.”

  “I love you both.” Suzie kissed and hugged them both before kissing them again.

  “Love you too.” Elizabeth hugged Suzie one last time. “Take care of her, Kit.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.” Kit looked at Suzie with an expression that told Elizabeth everything she needed to know. Suzie was the most important thing in his world and he would protect her with his life.

  Just as Dean would protect Elizabeth with his life. Because without her, life held no meaning.

  Chapter Nineteen – Elizabeth

  “It’s over.” Elizabeth stood next to Dean and watched the car carrying Suzie and Kit drive away.

  “You should be very proud of yourself,” Dean told her honestly, his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him, holding her close.

  “Yes, you should.” Karen was on the other side of Dean and overheard. “When we first met you, Elizabeth, I am going to admit I didn’t think you would go through with it. But over these last few months, you have truly blossomed.”

  “Thanks, Karen. It’s meant so much to have you and Scott support me. And everyone else who helped too.” Elizabeth looked around at all the happy faces milling around on the road as the car finally disappeared around the corner, taking Suzie and Kit to the airport.

  People who were once strangers, whom she would have avoided meeting, let alone talking to, were now her friends. This what she had dreamed of her whole life, to be part of something bigger, but she had never had the courage to take hold of it and wrestle it into submission.

  “Shall we get some coffee on?” Karen asked.

  “Actually, Elizabeth and I are going to head home. I’m exhausted.” Dean stifled a yawn, which was real. “Last night took it out of me.”

  “I thought you were having dinner at Fiona’s last night,” Karen said, her curiosity piqued.

  “We did.” Elizabeth looked at Dean with equal curiosity. “What else did you get up to?”

  “After I left you, I went over to Jacob’s, to check up on the bridegroom and his best man.” Dean looked a little sheepish. Had he been sworn to secrecy over what happened next? “Neil was there too. So we went for a run over the mountain.”

  Elizabeth got the feeling there was more to it than that, but Karen was happy to let it go.

  “Bears will be bears,” Scott said.

  “If they got up to anything they were not supposed to, I don’t want to know,” Karen admitted. “The day has been perfect, and I want it to stay that way.”

  “Let’s go get that coffee,” Scott said. “Elizabeth, Dean, have a great rest of the evening.”

  “We will, and we'll be around tomorrow morning to help clean up,” Elizabeth insisted.

  “Tomorrow afternoon,” Scott replied. “I think we all deserve a rest in the morning.”

  “Tomorrow afternoon.” Dean waved to them and escorted Elizabeth to the car, his arm around her possessively. Ever since she had asked him to stay the night, she was certain he had been dying to leave so they could be together.

  As they drove home, she sat quietly by his side, trying to keep hold of her newfound confidence. Her suggestion that Dean stay the night had been buoyed along by the party atmosphere, and the excitement of the day. As they drew nearer to the house, her resolve wavered.

  “Are you OK over there?” Dean asked as he turned his truck to head up the steep road to Suzie and Kit’s house.

  “I am.” She nodded, unconvincingly. “It’s been a long day.” Was she trying to let him down gently? Or did she really want Dean to stay the night?

  “It has. Look, if the day has been too much, I’ll go on home and we can meet up tomorrow.” Dean, as usual, had picked up on her indecision.

  Elizabeth gave herself time to think before she answered. “I want you to stay. I’m just not sure I’m ready for…”

  “Sex,” Dean filled in the missing word.

  “Yes. I want to… But I’m scared,” she finished quickly.

  “Me too.” Dean’s admittance was unexpected. “I’ve been celibate for some time.”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth let that sink in. “We can take it slow.”

  “We can. I’d like to…” Dean chuckled, a warm sound that she had grown to love. “We’re like a couple of kids. It’s not as if it’s our first time.”

  “But it feels like it,” Elizabeth stated honestly.

  Dean nodded in agreement. “It does. But we have time, we have all night, and if it doesn’t feel right, we have the rest of our lives.” They had reached the house, and he parked the truck and switched off the engine. “I love you, Elizabeth McLeish, and that is all that matters.”

  “I love you, Dean Capel.” She opened the truck door and climbed out, breathing in the scent of the mountain at night, and listening to all of the night-time creatures scurrying around in the undergrowth.

  Dean joined her, taking hold of her hand as they stood beneath the stars, which wheeled above their heads in the clear sky. “It always makes me feel so small, so inconsequential.”

  “The stars?” Elizabeth placed her hand on his cheek, and turned him to face her. “You are not inconsequential. None of us are. I know that now. It’s taken me a long time to feel my own self-worth.”

  “But you got there.” Dean swung around to look at the house. “Shall we go in?”

  �
�Yeah, although it feels weird being here without Kit or Suzie.” Elizabeth took a step forward, and then another. Each one got easier, and her reservations about Dean staying the night slipped away. They were both old enough to know what they wanted, and to understand things didn’t always work out how you might expect.

  If the night ended in sleep, rather than sex, there would be no repercussions, no angst. And if they did sleep together, there would be joy that their relationship had moved to an intimate level.

  Elizabeth opened the front door with those thoughts clear and present in her brain. She used that knowledge to chase away the fear that might threaten to make her spin around and tell Dean she had made a mistake.

  “Do you want coffee?” Elizabeth offered.

  Dean shook his head. “No, not unless you do.”

  “No.” In truth she only offered coffee to be polite, to try to keep the evening this side of normal. But when Dean closed the door behind them, and pulled her into his arms, she realized that normal had been left outside, under the stars.

  He kissed her. Kissed her like she had never been kissed before. Which wasn’t hard, since he was the only man who had ever kissed her with love. A love that was real, and true, strong and everlasting.

  Elizabeth stroked his arms through the jacket of his suit, but she wanted to feel his skin under her hands, and so she set to work. First, she pushed Dean’s unbuttoned jacket off his shoulders, and then she fumbled her way to undoing his shirt buttons, while he tried to distract her with his lips on hers. Not to mention his hands, which roamed her body, touching, caressing, until she thought she would explode.

  “Shall we take this to the bedroom?” Dean asked, as she triumphantly pushed his shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

  “Yes.” She took his hand, and led him upstairs to the guest bedroom. Luckily she’d left it clean, all her clothes hung up, no dirty laundry on the floor.

  Not that Dean would have noticed. He was too interested in her body, and the removal of any clothes that covered her body. She giggled nervously as he unbuttoned her dress, thankful that she’d made an effort to buy new lingerie to wear under her wedding outfit.

  “I like a lady in lace,” Dean said, as he ran his fingers across the swell of her breast. She sighed, closing her eyes, allowing her other senses to drown in his touch. Then he unclasped her bra, freeing her breasts. “But not as much as I love a naked lady.”

  Elizabeth burst out laughing, her breasts jiggling as she tried to stop. “That is some sexy talk.”

  “Isn’t it?” he asked with a wide smile. “I think I need to practice some more.” His hand cupped her breast, his thumb rubbing across her nipple, making it harden into a taut bud. “But not tonight.”

  Her laughter died as he sucked her nipple, the sensation exquisite. Dean rolled his tongue over the taut bud, sending shockwaves through her body. She cradled his head against her, holding him close, while he grazed her nipple with his teeth. Between her thighs, heat pooled, and her knees felt weak, it was all too much.

  In one swift movement, Dean scooped her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed. Covering her body with his. Ducking his head, he licked her naked flesh. Her skin tingled, as he nuzzled her neck, working down over her shoulders to her breasts. He didn’t stop. Lower. His hands found the buttons of her skirt and undid them before dragging it down over her curvy thighs.

  Hooking his fingers in the elastic of her panties, he pulled them off her legs, along with her skirt. She was naked. In bed. With a man.

  But not just any man. Dean was her mate, the one who loved her, no matter what.

  Elizabeth took comfort in this thought as he spread her thighs open, and lowered his head to kiss her most intimate places. His mouth was like heaven, all kinds of wonderful rolled into one.

  He kissed her, sucked her, nipped her soft flesh between his teeth, until she writhed beneath him. One finger, then two, stroked along the length of her sex, pushing inside her. She was wet, so wet.

  Her arousal built, a tension in her belly that spread out, taut, tight, a pressure that finally gave way to an incredible orgasm, that rocked her world. She didn’t care how clichéd that sounded in her head. She could not deny the earth had moved. Along with every other star and planet in the universe.

  “What are you smiling about?” Dean asked when at last he’d kissed his way back up her body.

  “How incredible that was.”

  “I’m happy to be of service.” He chuckled. “I sound like a vacuum cleaner.”

  Elizabeth reached down between their bodies, and tried to undo the button of his pants. “I think my brain has stopped communicating with the rest of my body.”

  “Then let me help you.” He slipped off the bed, and she watched as he stood beside her, and undid his belt, then the button of his pants, before he pushed them to the floor. Stepping out of them, he rejoined her on the bed, his cock hard as he moved.

  Elizabeth coiled her hand around his length, and stroked him. He groaned, pushing his face into the pillow next to her head. “I want you,” he said, as he turned his head to murmur in her ear.

  Taking her courage in both hands, she shifted her body, Dean slid between her thighs, and she guided him toward her sex. He paused, and used the head of his cock to stimulate her sex, before he inched forward and entered her.

  Elizabeth held her breath as he slid deeper into her. As he moved, her inner walls gripped him, holding him tight. Inch by slow inch he thrust deeper, until he was inside her, buried up to the hilt. Only when he pulled back out, did she let her breath go.

  Dean thrust forward, impaling her on his cock, before pulling back out again. Over and over he slid deep inside her, the friction between them incredible. She finally got control of her limbs, and wrapped her legs around him, while her hands stroked his back, his arms, and his face. She kissed him, their lips meeting, his tongue pushing inside her mouth, sliding in and out in an act that mimicked the rhythm of his hips as they thrust deep inside her. She sucked his tongue, her teeth grazing it, and his hips bucked in response.

  Dean thrust harder, long lunges that took them both to incredible new heights. She wasn’t a virgin, obviously, but when she finally came, she knew that what she’d experienced before was sex, pure and simple. This was making love. Deep, soulful, passionate love.

  Chapter Twenty – Dean

  Dean lay awake listening to the birds. They were singing of their need for a mate, and to warn others of their species that this was their territory. He was glad those days were over for him. His mate lay beside him, his territory, or at least his house, Sunnyside, the perfect place to raise a family. And damn, did he want a family.

  He rolled over and put his arm protectively around Elizabeth, listening to the sound of her breathing. “You’re awake.”

  “Busted.” She rolled over and looked at him, reaching out to stroke his face.

  He kissed her fingers. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning to you.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Will you have breakfast with me?”

  “Of course.” She looked at him quizzically. “Are you OK?”

  “Yes. I’m going to go and buy us breakfast and grab a change of clothes, I’ll be back here in an hour.” He got out of bed, and dressed quickly.

  “Dean, are you sure everything is OK? There’s plenty of food here.” Elizabeth sat up in bed, the sheets pulled tight to her chin, which had the smallest of trembles.

  He went back to the bed and kissed her lips, smoothing her hair back from her face. “I’m not running out on you. But there is something I need to do.” He strode quickly to the bedroom door, before he left, he said, “Dress warmly.”

  “What the hell is going on?” she called.

  “It’s a surprise.” He turned back around to face her. “Do you trust me?”

  “I did.” She looked upset.

  “I love you. I want you. And I will be back in an hour. It’s something you’ll like.” He nodded.
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  “Go on,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll be ready.”

  He ran out of the house, jumped off the porch, and climbed into his truck. Checking the time, he swung the truck around, giving a silent promise to Elizabeth he would be back in an hour.

  ***

  Fifty-four minutes later, Dean swung his truck onto the path leading up to the house where he hoped his mate would be eagerly waiting for him.

  As he stopped the truck and got out, she met him at the front door. Elizabeth did not exactly look eager.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “For a ride.” He smiled enigmatically.

  She returned his look with a frown. “This had better be good.”

  “It is,” he promised, looking up at the blue sky, with its warm spring sun a pale yellow disk.

  She went around to the passenger side of the truck and got in. Dean didn’t hang around, he was in his seat, with the engine running, before Elizabeth had put her seatbelt on. Turning around, he drove back along the path and turned the truck toward the mountain.

  “Are we going to Fiona’s?” Elizabeth asked, sounding disappointed.

  “Nope, it’s just you, me, and the mountain.” He grinned. “I know you liked the trek up there the other day, I thought breakfast on the mountain would be romantic.”

  Her expression cleared. “So why the secrecy?”

  “Sorry. I thought I’d surprise you.” Dean focused on the road, hoping he wasn’t going to blow this. When he woke up this morning with the idea in his head, it had sounded great. But maybe it was great to his bear shifter, but not to Elizabeth.

  Oh well, too late now.

  He accelerated, and drove along the empty road, through the early morning to the place where he’d parked the truck before. Elizabeth undid her seatbelt, and waited for him to fetch the pack with their supplies in it.

  “It’s a gorgeous day.” She slipped her hand into his, and he relaxed.

  “It is. And I’m sorry to drag you up here, but I wanted this morning to be special.”

  “You aren’t dragging me up here. I like the mountain, you know that. I just wish you’d told me.” She tightened her hold on his hand. “I was just scared you were running out on me.”