The Bear Project

by Doris O'Connor

  "Say something, sugar." Cole's deep voice sent shivers down her spine, and she shut her eyes and swallowed hard. She should have known Cole wouldn't let her get away with that.

  He cupped her chin to make her look at him, and her world tilted a little when she saw the depth of emotion in his toffee colored eyes.

  "We're having a baby." She blurted the words out, and Cole smiled and kissed her nose.

  "Yes, sugar, we sure are. In about three months in fact."

  "That's so damn soon. I haven't got the first idea about babies. Why did I ever think I could do this, and why on earth is he in such a hurry to be born? I was counting on having double that time, dammit."

  Cole flashed that cocky grin of his, and then put his hand on her abdomen.

  "My mum, God rest her soul, would have said he takes after me. Apparently, I was in such a hurry to be born, I was the quickest pregnancy in living shifter history." He grew pensive, and Emmi's heart broke a little at the sadness that seemed to envelop him. She scooted closer into his warmth, and he sighed and dropped a kiss on her hair.

  "And you will be the best damn mum, ever, to this little guy, because you're his mum."

  The rough edge to his voice spoke volumes, and made Emmi fall in love with him a little more. There was no denying it. She'd fallen head over heels in love with him, and she still knew next to nothing about him. It was crazy and unreal, but Emmi had to admit the truth to herself, at least.

  "You still miss her, don't you? Your mum?"

  Cole sighed and nodded. "Yes and no. Mum and Dad have been gone a long time. I just wish Mum could have witnessed this. She loved babies and wanted a houseful, but none of her other pregnancies took. She'd dote on you and this little impatient fellow." His hand tightened on her abdomen, and Emmi gave in to instinct and licked his neck. What possessed her she would never know, but it just felt right. Cole's bear growled, and his claws ran out. Tiny pinpricks of awareness they dug into her skin, and Emmi winced. Immediately, Cole pulled back and sheathed his claws.

  "Fuck, sorry, sugar." He ran his hands up and down her sides and shook his head.

  "It's okay, Cole. You didn't hurt me. And besides, I'm not made from glass."

  A fleeting smile crossed his features, and he ran an agitated hand through his hair. A lock of it fell into his eyes, and Emmi's fingers itched to brush that strand of hair away.

  "Tell me about her, please. About them both. I mean, we're having a baby, but I know next to nothing about you, and something Maria said … well, it got me wondering."

  "You can ask me anything, sugar. But there isn't much to tell. Mum and Dad were childhood sweethearts. Everyone knew they were destined to be together. It was expected of them to keep the bloodline pure."

  He didn't look at her when he said that but fixed his eyes on a spot somewhere over her shoulders, and a shiver of unease went down Emmi's spine. Maria had said something along those lines too, about keeping bloodlines pure.

  "Don't look so worried, babe, it's okay. They were happy, and they had me. Obligations fulfilled, and all that. You don't need to concern yourself with old shifter laws and legends. You just need to grow that little guy there, and let me take care of the rest."

  He flashed her a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Emmi might not be a shifter, but all her senses screamed at her that he was hiding something from her.

  "I do worry though, Cole. You said I could ask you anything, so I'm asking. Why does Maria liken you to shifter royalty? Who are you, really?"

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tense didn't even begin to describe Cole right now, and Emmi blinked back tears. This pregnancy was turning her into a goddamn cry baby, and she didn't like it one little bit. Not when she needed to keep her wits about her, because it was blatantly clear that Cole was hiding something from her.

  "Dammit, Cole, answer me." She glared at him, and he sighed.

  "She never should have said that to you, sugar,"

  "That's as may be, but she did, so answer me. She said other things, too, that she's asked me not to share, but she seemed downright frightened and—"

  "Why would Maria be frightened?" Cole asked, and Emmi blinked at the change in him. She could almost see his bear's fur stand on end, and she jumped when Cole grasped her by the shoulders and gave her the tiniest of shakes.

  "I don't bloody know, do I? And don't change the subject. I asked you a question first."

  She shook his hands off, amazed that he let go of her. Cole jumped off the bed and paced the room. It did nothing to reassure Emmi. What can of worms had she opened now?

  Just as he looked as though he was going to answer her, the door opened, and the moment was lost.

  "Right, then, here is a picture of the little fellow for you, and I'll see you in two weeks' time, just so that we can keep an eye on his growth and how you're doing, Emmi. Does that sound a good plan of action to you, guys?"

  Doc Wilson smiled at them both, and Cole growled low in his throat. She was too professional to let her smile slip, but Emmi's doctor did step closer to her and handed her the picture and Emmi's notes.

  "Now, you know, Emmi, any problems, any at all, you can ring me anytime. You've got my mobile number."

  "She won't need it. I take care of what's mine." Cole's angry retort had the good doctor's wolf growling back at him, and the air grew thick with tension.

  Emmi would have laughed at the absurdity of this situation, but this was all too close to home, to see the funny side of it.

  "I'm sure you have the best of intentions, Mr. Jackson. I'm merely looking out for my patient. So, I will say again, tell your bear to back the hell off. Something has clearly happened between you two whilst I wasn't in the room, but stress isn’t good for Emmi or the baby, so sort it."

  Cole's bear growled a warning, but he did nod, and Emmi breathed a sigh of relief. Short lived as it was because Cole pinned her in place with a look so intense she didn't dare move.

  "I'll take you home," he said.

  "There's no need. I've got my car out front, and—"

  "I'll get it picked up. I'm taking you home, and I'm not taking no for an answer. Besides you wanted to talk, so by God, talk we will."

  He stepped up to her and grasping her elbow propelled her off the bed she was still sitting on and onto her feet and out of the door before she could even blink.

  Emmi briefly considered objecting to his treatment and his domineering manner, but, in truth, she loved seeing this side of him. It was more like the bad boy Cole she'd met back in Creek Fells, and had been unable to resist. The one who couldn’t keep his hands off of her and had smashed through all of her defenses. The one who treated her like a woman he desired, not just as the woman who carried his baby, and needed to be mollycoddled.

  Cole marched them through the maze of corridors that made up the medical center. Head down, and with a face like thunder, no one seemed to dare get in his way. Emmi couldn't really blame folks for literally jumping out of the way. She knew he would never hurt her—even in his anger he matched his stride to hers when she started to struggle keeping up with him—nonetheless her heart was trying to beat itself out her chest.

  They reached his Land Rover, and he clicked the alarm and wordlessly held the door open for her.

  "Get in and buckle up."

  Emmi risked a quick peek up at his forbidden face, but Cole gave nothing away. He simply looked at her with one eyebrow raised, and Emmi scrambled into her seat.

  The engine burst into life the minute Cole got behind the steering wheel, and he flew out of the little car park at breakneck speed. Emmi was so busy holding on for dear life that she didn't notice at first that they were heading the wrong way. Instead of heading into London, they were heading outwards.

  "You do know that my flat is back that way, don't you?" Emmi hitched her thumb over her shoulder and was rewarded with a grunt.

  "Did your mother never teach you that it's rude to grunt at people?" Emmi asked. The minute the words left her
mouth she regretted them. Cole tensed and shot her a look of such heat, her hormones went up in flames.

  "My mum taught me to take care of what's mine, and that's exactly what I'm doing. My dad would have already put you over his knee several times, if you were his, so do not bring my parents into this now, or so help me, pregnant or not, I'll stop this car and…"

  His words turned into a distorted growl, and Emmi clenched her thighs together as her arousal hit fever pitch.

  There was something seriously wrong with her, because this angry Cole turned her on to such a degree that she was tempted to goad him some more to see if he would make good on his threat … promise … she wasn't quite sure what to call it.

  "I'm taking you back to my place." He smiled grimly at her astonished gasp. "Yes, I have a home in London. I've had it for a number of years. Council business means I have to spend a considerable amount of time here, and I prefer to stay in my own place rather than a hotel. I have a home in most places, though sometimes it's just a small flat."

  He glanced at her as the car came to a stop at a red light, and he reached across to pop her mouth shut with an amused grin.

  Heat crept into Emmi's cheeks, and she ground her teeth together to stop herself from leaning into the hand that now cupped the side of her face. Cole's eyes darkened, and he ran his thumb over her top lip repeatedly. The slight pressure proved to be the most exquisite torture, and she jumped when a car behind them beeped its horn.

  The lights had changed to green without either of them noticing, and Cole put the car into gear and drove off.

  "Then, why were you in that beat down old caravan in Creek Fells, when I met you?" Emmi asked after what seemed like a small lifetime of getting her befuddled brain to work.

  "I was undercover, sugar. You'd heard the rumors yourself. I was there to see if they were as bad as the council feared. As it happens, they were much worse than we could have ever anticipated. Point in question being, that tour bus that abandoned you. It never should have stopped in Creek Fells. Fuck it, the damn tour should have never been allowed to be put together."

  Cole's bear growled his agreement, and Emmi's clit did the hallelujah dance. Cole's nostrils flared, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

  "Damn it, Emmi, do you have any idea how many fuck me now signals you're giving out right now?" Cole groaned the words through clenched teeth and when he looked at her again she looked into the eyes of his bear. Raw heat, need, and some other much deeper emotion that made her heart turn over in her chest, all there as plain as day for her to see. Cole might hide his feelings, but his bear seemed utterly incapable of doing so, and that thought made a bubble of happiness burst inside her chest.

  "Perhaps you ought to put your foot down and get us to wherever we're going faster, so you can do something about it then."

  ****

  Fuck it, had she really just given him the green light? Cole crunched the gears in shock, and the little minx laughed at him.

  "I think you left half the gear box behind back there, Cole."

  He grunted in answer, earning himself a slap on the thigh, and he grit his teeth when she left her hand there.

  "You seem awfully tense, Cole. Perhaps I can help you with that." His already hard dick strained against his flies at her breathy voice, and Cole thunked his head against the headrest.

  "Fuck it, sugar. I'm dreaming again, clearly." Yet the hand stroking his cock through the denim felt all too real.

  "You dream of me, Cole?"

  Emmi loosened her seat belt and scooted closer to him, so close that he felt her accelerated breathing on his neck.

  "Every damn fucking night, sugar. Is that what you want to hear? That I wake up several times in the middle of the night, so damn hard and aching for you, that I have to get myself off? That I picture you in my head, the little breathy sounds you make as you reach your peak? That I imagine it’s your sweet pussy sheathing my cock, not my hand, and that I come so fucking hard I ache? And still, it's never enough."

  They stopped at another traffic light, and Cole swore under his breath and moved her hand away from his junk.

  "Sugar, I'll come in my pants like some fucking teenager if you keep this up, and besides, we need to talk."

  His bear roared at him, and Cole smiled grimly and told his beast to shut the fuck up. He could hardly believe that he was turning her down, but he knew she would regret this come morning, and he didn't want her bolting again.

  "You're turning me down?"

  Emmi tensed and scooted back to her side with such an adorable pout he was desperate to kiss it off her face.

  "No, sugar, I would never turn you down, but I don't want you to run away screaming again either, when you find out who I am."

  "Who are you? For God's sake, tell me, Cole. You keep skirting around the issue, and I'm sure it can’t possibly be as bad as I'm imagining it to be in my head."

  He wasn't too sure about that, but he thought it wisest to not voice that opinion out loud.

  "I'll tell you when I get you my place, I promise. It's at least another hour in this traffic, so why don't you just lie back and relax. You look exhausted."

  "Oh, thanks, now the real reason for turning me down comes out. Is this your ever so polite version of telling me I look like the back end of the bus? I know, I've put on weight, and I'm cranky and—"

  "Stop talking nonsense, woman. You're beautiful. I give you cranky, but compared to some pregnant women I've known, you're positively a saint."

  Emmi glared at him and pursed her lips.

  "You make a habit of getting other women pregnant?"

  "Of course not." His bear huffed at him, but it wasn't a lie, per se. Cole didn’t think Emmi could cope with the knowledge of what was expected of him. He'd always thought that practice abhorrent, and he wasn't about to condone it now, not when he had his mate and their cub to take care of. That thought gave him a warm glow inside, and he must have smiled, because Emmi punched him on the arm.

  He really would have to show her what happened to bratty little girls soon.

  "What's so damn funny now, Cole?"

  "Nothing, sugar, just rest and let me drive."

  He watched her out of the corner of his eye and hid his smile at the expression on her face. Mutinous didn't even begin to describe it, as she resolutely stared out of the window. It didn't take long before her body's demands took over, however, and her eyes fluttered shut. Cole pulled over and adjusted her seat back, so that she could sleep, but he couldn't resist temptation. That rapid little heartbeat called him, and he pulled her top back to drop a kiss on the soft skin of her tummy. The tiniest bit of counter pressure pushed against his lips, and he froze. It couldn't be, yet every time he kissed her there it was. Emmi moaned and stirred in her sleep, and Cole reluctantly pulled away and covered her with the blanket he kept in the car. His dick twitched into raring to go into action mode with such speed he felt quite lightheaded, as he remembered the last time she'd been wrapped into this blanket.

  Her unique scent still clung to the fabric, making his bear salivate every time Cole got into the car, yet he hadn't replaced it. It had made him feel closer to her whilst he'd been waiting for her to come round. Cole resumed driving with a rueful grin. His father would have said he'd gone soft in the head, if he could see him now. He also would have given him a lecture about his responsibilities, not unlike the ones he'd been receiving on an almost daily basis from the council.

  He would have to explain all that to Emmi. She had a right to know, and as Maria had clearly said something to put Emmi on alert, he had to tell her tonight. Better she heard it from him than anyone else. He just hoped his mum's predictions would indeed come true.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Butterflies seemed to be having a boxing match in her tummy when Emmi opened her eyes. Held in Cole's arms she barely felt the cool draft as he carried her from his car to wherever. Emmi didn't really care where they were. She just allowed hersel
f to enjoy the moment. Cocooned in Cole's strong arms, with his heart beating under her ear, she could pretend that they were indeed a couple, looking forward to the arrival of their first baby.

  Gravel crunched under Cole's feet, which piqued her curiosity enough to open one eye to inspect her surroundings.

  Cole grinned down on her.

  "Welcome back, sleepy head. For someone who insisted they weren't tired, you sure slept like the proverbial log."

  "Phht, maybe I was just blocking out your atrocious driving."

  She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed. An intricately carved oak front door appeared in front of them, and Cole slid her down his large frame until she stood up resting against his chest. Normally speaking, Emmi would have found the carvings of various animal pairings fascinating, but something else held her attention far more. There was no mistaking the hard erection digging into her lower back, and Emmi wiggled her hips, making Cole groan into her neck.

  "Stop that, sugar. We still need to talk, not fuck."

  The way he grumbled those words whilst he struggled to get the key in the lock, had her insides tighten in need, and those butterflies took up their kick boxing again. The penny finally dropped when Cole pushed her through the front door into the oval shaped hallway of his house.

  "Oh my God!" Emmi stopped dead, and Cole chuckled.

  "I can honestly say that no one has ever objected to my place quite so vehemently before. I know I need to redecorate but—"

  "No, no it’s not that, it's just…" Emmi couldn't carry on with that sentence. Hands clutched to her abdomen she could only stand in amazement at the movements she felt under her fingertips.