by A. C. James
He was stroking himself faster now, and the head of his cock shimmered with precum. Cari slid her hand over her shaved mound and slipped two fingers over her clit into her pussy. She moaned deep in her throat as she spread the moisture from her pussy over her clit, rubbing in methodic circles, her breath coming faster. His eyes were wide, and he jerked his cock faster too.
Liam’s chest glistened with sweat in the moonlight. Suddenly his whole body tensed, and cum jetted onto his stomach. Oh, fuck—that was hot. She rubbed her clit faster and faster, with even more pressure. Her knees buckled, and she had a hard time holding herself up, the orgasm that rocketed through her was so intense.
Cari’s breathing slowed. Liam was washing off in the creek. The last thing she wanted was for him to catch her spying on him. That’d be an awkward conversation. She grabbed her clothes and made a mad dash back to their campsite before she got caught. Naughty peeping Tom. Cari let out another snort-laugh. Thank fuck, all the trees and shrubbery had covered her shenanigans. Maybe now she would be able to get some sleep.
Chapter Six
By the time Liam finished splashing off in the creek and shrugging on his clothes, Cari was gone. He could smell her heading back toward the camp, but when he got there she was already in her tent.
He unzipped his tent and rolled on top of the air mattress. Cari looked so fucking hot touching herself. It’d been better than his imagination, and seeing her slide that baby-doll nightgown down her shoulders and toss it over the tree branch was almost more than he could take. Soft rain drizzled down the tent, and he was drifting off to sleep when he heard Cari call out.
“Liam?”
“What is it?” Liam asked, as he opened the tent to find her standing outside.
“Uhmmm, my tent has a leak.” She fidgeted with the edge of her nightgown, and her cheeks were flushed.
Liam ran a hand through his hair. “We could go back to the house, or you can share my tent. It’s up to you, beautiful.”
“It’s okay. We can stay here,” Cari said with a shy smile.
Liam held open the flap and moved over to make room for her. Cari crawled into the tent, and the air mattress shifted. He zipped up the tent and pulled the quilt over them. The rain started to pick up. The only thing better than falling asleep to the sound of rain was having Cari curled next to him. It reminded him of the last time they’d wound up camping together. Her breathing slowed, and he could tell she was asleep. He fell asleep beside her to the sound of her quiet breaths.
The next morning he woke up with Cari snuggled in his arms. He wrapped around her even tighter, smelling her hair. It smelled like rain. He hadn’t planned things this way, but he was so glad that Mrs. Wilder had sent him Cari. Liam didn’t believe in fate or anything mystical like that: things just kind of happened the way they did. Liam was glad he’d been referred to the dating agency. He’d never admit it, but he was glad that Ky, Jess, and Mrs. Wilder intervened, or he might not be here right now with Cari spooned against him.
He’d missed her so damn much, and he never thought she’d find her way back into his life. The moment was unexpected, the kind where you run into people you never thought you’d run into in a million years. Mrs. Wilder and Jess had a hand in making sure he’d lucked out, and he was so incredibly grateful they’d guided him back to the girl he’d always loved.
Cari scooted closer, making it increasingly difficult to keep his bear in check. Her ass was right against his cock. Between his morning wood and the smell of campfire and rain in her hair, it was impossible to ignore her generous curves pressed against him. She wiggled her butt, and he stifled a groan. Liam couldn’t tell if she was still sleeping, or if the motion was conscious.
It became clear when she reached back and grabbed his dick through his boxers.
“Good morning,” she purred.
She let go of his erection and rolled over, facing him. She slid a hand down his chest all the way to his boxers, tracing her finger along the edge.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” Liam said, brushing her hair away from her face.
At first she was hesitant, just brushing his lips with hers. A contradiction from the woman who’d grabbed his cock a moment ago. It was sexy, sweet, and completely Cari. Her kiss lingered, and his tongue explored her lips. He nibbled her bottom lip with his teeth, morning breath be damned. Cari moaned. Her lips parted and his tongue delved into her mouth. Years of need and desire burned through him. Synapses fired, blood flowed and thrummed, awakening his bear.
“I want you, Liam,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Fuck, Cari,” he groaned.
Liam kissed her hard, every desire he had bottled up roaring to life. Holding back had been a stupid fucking mistake. He wouldn’t waste another moment, not when he finally had her all to himself. She tangled her tongue into his kiss, matching his desire. Her hands moved up his chest and fisted into his hair.
Liam twisted out of her grasp, spread her legs wide, and kneeled between them. She had the most glorious legs. Liam loved a woman he could really grab ahold of without being afraid he’d break her. He gripped under both her thighs, digging his fingers into her ass—the perfect hand-hold. Then he kissed a slow trail down one leg, and teased her through her wet panties. He slid his lips down the inside of her other thigh. Her hands fisted in the quilt and her brow was furrowed. Cari frowned when he stopped. Liam leaned up, smiling at her frustration.
“Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop!”
Liam grinned. “God you’re beautiful, Cari. And I’m going to take my time learning every inch of you.”
Cari panted. “You’re torturing me. I need… more. Do something before I fucking explode.”
The alpha in him took over and he yanked her panties over her hips, down her legs, and flung them across the tent. He slid his finger inside her slowly, moving it in and out, swirling it around Cari’s pussy. He listened for her sexy little gasps, felt the clenching around his finger that told him when he’d discovered a favorite spot. Liam couldn’t recall enjoying someone else’s body and pleasure like this.
“More...” Cari managed to gasp.
She threw her head back and splayed on the air mattress as he plunged a second finger deep inside her.
“Mmmm… I like the way you circle your fingertips against my G-spot,” she stammered. “Just…need more pressure.”
He pressed a little harder, using expert precision to drive her wild. As Liam worked his magic, the smell of Cari’s musky juices permeated the tent. He couldn’t help but crave a taste. He was so positive that she would be delicious, he couldn’t possibly make her orgasm without a lick. Cari let out a small groan as Liam withdrew his fingers, but it quickly turned into a sharp inhale as she realized where his face was headed.
Liam used his tongue to spread apart her labia and lick around her entrance. He dove in to lap up her juices before licking upward, spreading the wetness all over her sweet spot.
He lifted his face and murmured against her pussy. “Sweet like honey.”
“Aren’t bears supposed to like honey?” Cari purred.
Liam grinned. “That we do. I especially like your honey.”
Cari gasped when he lowered his head, continuing the torture with his tongue. With Cari’s clit nice and slippery, Liam pressed his tongue firmly into it and worked it in slow circles, gradually increasing his speed. He wondered how close she was, because he’d never felt a pussy that was quite this wet.
She had her fingers tangled in Liam’s hair, her grip tightening when his mouth stopped the pace Cari needed or paused from doing what pleased her best. It went against all his usual instincts not to pin her down, to growl at her to get on all fours, to grab those generous hips and just take her. Liam ignored the needs of his bear and threw every ounce of his dominant nature out the window to keep from ruining this perfect moment, finally fucking the woman of his dreams.
The way her body trembled left little doubt as to how close to the edge his lover was
. Cari twisted her hands in Liam’s hair again, pressing her pussy into his mouth hard and holding tight. Her body seized up in her release. Liam didn’t stop for a moment as Cari orgasmed, lapping at her through every shiver. He kept going as Cari dug her nails into his shoulders. She stifled a scream, and he had to remind his bear that now was not the time to mark her as his mate. That was hard to remember when she was clawing his back. He didn’t stop until her body finally collapsed.
Cari sucked in huge lungfuls of air as her fuck-numbed mind slowly made its way back to reality. Oh my fucking God, that was good. She thought she’d be self-conscious with Liam, but she was splayed out on the air mattress in the most unflattering position.
Cari wasn’t ashamed of her body, but she held no illusions that she was a bit curvier than the average woman. She’d been with her ex for so long that she’d assumed it’d be awkward to have another man’s hands melt her like butter. It wasn’t like that. Not with Liam. With him she was free. And she needed his cock inside of her now. Right now.
“Fuck me, dammit!”
Liam laughed and sank two meaty fingers into her pussy, and she moaned like a bitch in heat. Cari didn’t care. She wanted him.
“You’re very wet,” Liam murmured.
“Only for you,” she purred.
“Do you know how hard you make me?”
Cari smiled. “Why don’t you show me?”
Liam pulled out a gold foil square that wrinkled as he tore into it and then rolled the condom on.
“Get on all fours,” Liam growled.
Cari had never moved so fast to obey before. Hell, she’d never been this wet before. His thick fingers stretched her eager pussy, making her groan. His thumb pressed against her tight, puckered asshole, and she shuddered. Liam let his thumb press deeper, just barely breaching into her ass, and guided his big cock to her soaking-wet cunt. He pressed his hips forward, easing the tip inside.
“Oh fuck!” Cari gasped.
He was huge. Cari groaned loudly as he grabbed her hip with one hand and buried his entire cock inside her. Liam began to thrust, balls slapping against her sex. His dick was amazing—rock hard and huge. She’d never been overly concerned with the size of a man’s dick, but after Liam had stripped and shifted she’d seen how huge he was. Her sex-deprived mind had wondered what it would be like to have his generous cock inside her. It felt fucking incredible.
A knot formed in her belly. She panted and moaned with each thrust. A stream of unintelligible profanity poured from her lips, the knot inside her tightening with each stroke. Jolts of pleasure-pain shot through her each time he bottomed out, her legs quaking. Her whole body began to shake, her urgent cries filling the tent.
Cari came hard as Liam’s thumb penetrated her ass even more. Her body convulsed wildly and a loud, guttural scream rose from her chest. Liam pounded hard. His breathing became labored and his cock grew bigger, harder. His cum surged against the condom, filling it with warmth.
She face-planted onto the sagging air mattress. At this point it was practically flattened. Sweat soaked her body, and her hair was damp. Her chest heaved and she fought to catch her breath. Her body quivered—she’d almost blacked out from the ferocity of her climax. Was it always like this with shifters?
Liam had rolled off of her and was propped on his elbow, giving her a lazy smile. “Well, this was a nice way to wake up.”
Cari laughed and flopped onto her back, satisfied and uncaring whether she looked like a hot mess or not.
“Are you hungry?”
“Ravenous!” she admitted.
“Good. We’ll pack up and you can shower or soak in the tub while I make you breakfast.”
They took down the tents, which had already dried in the morning sun, and rolled them up. Cari helped him pack the camping stove and cooking gear, and in thirty minutes they were hiking back to the house. She couldn’t wait to tell Jess about the camping date Mrs. Wilder had set up.
Maybe the best way to bounce back to her badass self was to forget about her abusive asshole ex and move the fuck on. It beat sitting on her sofa snarking at romance movies and throwing popcorn at her TV. Maybe it was time to stop analyzing, stop trying to figure out exactly how she felt and what to do about it. To stay in the moment instead, and just see what happened. Cari mulled this over as they hiked up the hill, her eyes glued to Liam’s ass. She couldn’t stop smiling. She’d have to thank Mrs. Wilder—that old cougar really knew what she was doing. This was the best date she’d ever been on, hands-down.
Chapter Seven
“So how was it? I want to hear all the details. Don’t hold anything back,” Jess said as she stirred her drink with a straw.
It was Monday night, and she and Jess were at their favorite little Mexican restaurant, in the next town over. They had the yummiest food, and ginormous margaritas. You only needed one of those suckers—two and she’d be scraping Jess off the floor. Maybe vice versa. Cari hadn’t had a drink in a while. She frowned into her glass, taking it slow. Now that she had her life back, she could do whatever she wanted, but she kept it to one drink anyway. She’d quit drinking socially when she was with her ex, first because she wanted to support his efforts to give up alcohol, and by the time she left she’d decided she needed a clear head around him.
“Hey, are you okay, Car?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking…”
It was girl’s night. Cari didn’t want to ruin it. She hadn’t told Jess why she’d left Seth, only bits and pieces. She wasn’t ready yet, and she didn’t know when she would be. Some wounds were healing, while different ones, hidden by the relationship with her ex, exploded in silent, internal agony. Sometimes it made Cari wonder if getting out was really worth it.
Then she’d take one look at her phone and wince. She never expected something as innocuous as a cell phone would trigger her PTSD. She had a brand-new phone, the latest model, only because she needed to replace her old one. Her ex broke it by bashing her in the head with it until the thing shattered, despite the heavy-duty case. The guy at the Verizon store said he’d never seen a phone look like that. She mumbled some excuse about leaving it on top of her car and accidentally running it over in the driveway. Cari could tell the dude wasn’t buying it, but it cost the same no matter how it got trashed, so he didn’t press her.
“You were thinking about that asshat and his mantrums again, weren’t you?”
Cari laughed. “Okay, you caught me.”
Jess narrowed her eyes. “Look, Car, I know you didn’t want to let go of love, or what you convinced yourself was love, but you can’t keep beating yourself up over him. He’s not worth it.”
“I know that, Jess. I wish it were that simple.” Cari swallowed the lump in her throat. If there was ever a good time to tell Jess, it was now. She still didn’t feel ready, but Jess was her closest friend. “There’s no easy way to say this…”
“Just say it. It’s like ripping off a Band-Aid,” Jess said with typical bluntness.
“I left Seth because he hit me and he had a problem with substance abuse. I asked him to leave our home, and he did for a little while. We were separated. He was sober, but it didn’t last,” Cari whispered. “It never does.”
Jess grabbed her hand across the table and gave it a squeeze.
Cari couldn’t meet her friend’s eyes, not if she was going to get through this. “He stumbled into bed one night, drunk off his ass. I asked him to sleep it off in our home office, and he got mad. He’s really great sometimes, but other times he’s so angry. It’s like walking on eggshells. I don’t know why he gets like that.”
“Cari, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“How was I supposed to tell you that he gave me a black eye? I was too embarrassed to tell anyone that Seth choked me and said he’d bury me. Please don’t judge me. This isn’t the first time he hit me.”
Cari chanced a glance at her friend and caught Jessica’s wide-eyed expression. She couldn’t bear it, but at least her eyes weren�
�t filled with disgust. Cari gulped, her gaze dropping to the table. “He gave me a concussion three years ago. He’d always say he was sorry, and then things would be good for a while. Appearances are everything to him, and most of the time he’d punch me in the head, but not my face. There’d be no marks because of my hair. Sometimes I couldn’t believe it happened…because how could I stay with someone who did that?”
Cari looked up when Jess’s grip tightened.
“Oh, Car…” Tears shimmered in her friend’s eyes.
Cari shuddered. “He’d either talk me up or make me look like a ball-buster to his friends. It was really confusing for me to hear him tell his buddies how awesome I was, when that wasn’t how he made me feel when we were alone. I hid the abuse and tried to cover up his drinking and the drugs because I was embarrassed. Ashamed.”
“It’s his shame, not yours, Cari.”
Cari nodded. “I know that now, even if I have to remind myself every day. I always thought it was the drinking that made him hit me. He was hospitalized a few summers ago for alcohol poisoning, and I made excuses for him. If only he didn’t drink, maybe he wouldn’t hit me. I realize now that most alcoholics don’t go home and beat the hell out of you. Alcohol doesn’t cause it—it just makes them feel freer to hit you. It took me a really long time to figure that out.”
Jess just held onto her hand, supporting her with every squeeze.
“So I started seeing a counselor. She works at the domestic violence center. It’s free.” Cari let out a shaky laugh. “And I’ve been going to Al-Anon meetings. Anyway, I hope this doesn’t change your view of me. I hope you understand,” Cari said, the secret leaving her in a rush.
