“You had no reason to leave before,” he said.
“And now I have,” she said, turning to look at him. “Kiss me.”
He answered with his lips, pressing them against hers, his tongue sliding along her lower lip, sending shivers down her spine. Opening her mouth, their tongues entwined, and she wanted their bodies to entwine together in the same way. Before she left for home tomorrow, she wanted them to have consummated their relationship, for them to have become fully bonded.
The thought of leaving was bittersweet. She wanted to take her gran home, and yet she didn’t want to leave Jay. Not ever. Her hands clutched at his jacket, and she held him close as his hand slipped underneath her sweater and stroked her breasts.
His palms were so warm against her heated skin. Or was that the flames of desire he left in their wake? She didn’t know, didn’t care, all she wanted was to be with him, to be next to him, and for him to be inside her.
Moving to straddle him, she slipped into his lap, facing him, while her mound rested on his rock-hard cock. Slowly she began to move her hips, circling them around, increasing the sensations that were passing between their bodies. He unzipped her coat and his teeth grazed her nipples thorough the rest of the layers of clothing she wore, making her hips buck and thrust forward onto him, which in turn made him groan.
He placed his arm along the length of her back, and with his other free arm, lifted her, turning their bodies so she lay on the cold ground, and he hovered above her.
“I want you, Mae. More than anything. But it’s cold here.”
“I have you to keep me warm.” She pulled his head down so that she could kiss him, and his fingers fumbled at the zipper of her jeans.
She held her breath while he worked it down, but then there was another sound filling the air, so he got off her quickly and went to the sled. Twisting around, she watched as he picked up what looked like a large cell phone. He spoke into it.
“Yes. Yes, I’m on the mountain. Coopers Creek. I’m ten minutes away. Sure. On my way.”
He hung up and came over to her. She could see by his face that there was something wrong. “What is it? Is it Gran?”
“No. No, honey. There’s someone stuck in a crevice, I have to go.”
“OK.” She got up, and headed for the dogs and the sled.
“You should go back down, you can find the way, or at least your bear can,” he said, pulling the stakes out of the ground and stowing them in the sled. Already the dogs could sense the change in Jay; they were ready to run.
“I’m coming with you.” She got in the sled and sat down. “You might need my help.”
“Mae, I’ll be fine on my own.”
“It’s not a debate.”
“Please, Mae.”
“Don’t you think I’m capable of helping, or at least just keeping out of the way?”
“I think you are more than capable.”
“You know, just because I’m not from Grizzly Hollows, it doesn’t mean I’m not capable of using common sense to help.”
“Mae. It’s not that at all.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t want you to see what I see,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
She sat back, and looked at him, saw the worry in his face. “It will be OK. You said they were stuck.”
He nodded. “But people die up here.”
“That’s why I’m coming with you.” She pulled the blankets over her knees. “We’re wasting time.”
With that, he got on the sled and sent the dogs on their way. As they went, her confidence waned. She did not want to see someone die. But if that’s what they were about to face, then she didn’t want Jay to be alone. She wanted to be there for him, to comfort him, because that was what she was supposed to do.
Chapter Fourteen – Jay
The dogs ran swiftly over the snow. It was still frozen hard this high up the mountain, making it easier for the sled to glide across. He tried not to think about what they might find. This was the first real callout he had had since the avalanche.
The minutes ticked by, and he knew that every one of those minutes was precious. When they were close, he began to slow down. He had the coordinates tapped into his GPS, which should make finding the person easier. However, sometimes it was better to use both sight and hearing to accurately find someone. Especially when the person who needed rescuing was not alone.
There. He heard it, and so too did the dogs. “Over here.”
The voice came from the other side of a small wood, and the dogs couldn’t get through, so he stopped the sled and jumped out, getting the stakes out so they would still have a sled to come back to. He had known dogs run off on their own, and he didn’t need that to add to the problems before them.
“I’ll do that,” Mae said, holding her hand out for the stakes. “You go do your stuff.”
“You sure?” He could see by her face that she was. “Thanks.”
He grabbed the rope and his pack off the sled and then headed through the trees to where he could see a young kid, maybe thirteen, standing.
“Hi there. I’m Jay the local ranger, and I’ve come to help. What’s your name?”
“Toby. My dad is Henry, he’s stuck,” Toby said.
“It was a good thing you were here, Toby. Want to tell me what happened?” Jay asked.
“My dad fell down the crevice. It looked safe, I went across, but then when he tried, he fell.”
“Let’s take a look.” Jay carefully climbed along the banks of the old creek bed, testing the ground carefully. A river had once run through here, cutting deep into the rock over the centuries. Now it had disappeared underground, leaving deep fissures in the rock that were hidden when there was snow and ice on the mountain.
“We came prepared,” Toby said. “But not for this.”
“We’ll get him out, don’t worry,” Jay said, hoping he was right, as Toby led him to the edge of what looked like a deep hole in the snow. “Careful.”
“I tested the snow around here.” Toby pointed to the ground, where he had marked out a safe route to an opening in the ground. “This is safe; the hole runs that way.”
Although he could see how thoroughly Toby tested the snow, he would have to test it again. He was not out here to take any risks.
Setting to work, Jay began working in a grid from the outside in, testing the snow and ice with a pole before testing it with his weight. As he worked, Mae came and joined them, and he could see her talking to Toby, trying to reassure him.
“Right. I think we have a safe path to your dad, so I’m going to go first and assess the situation. I have a feeling that we are going to all have to work together to pull him out. Okay?” Jay looked at Mae and Toby, who nodded.
Working his way forward very slowly with a pole in each hand, he reached the edge of the fissure and looked down. “Henry. My name is Jay, and I’ve come to get you out.”
“Thanks. But I think you need to hurry, I’m not sure how long I can hold on for.”
He could hear the strain in Henry’s voice. Taking the rope, he walked closer to the edge of the fissure and took a look at how he was going to handle this. He fixed his headlamp, and then, lying down to spread out his weight, he inched himself forward until he could look down into the darkness. He could just about make out the shape of a man clinging to the sides.
“I’m going to send this rope down. I need you to tie yourself off. Can you do that, Henry?” Jay began to thread the rope down. “Do you see the end?”
“I’ve got it. But I’m worried about letting go.”
Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a more powerful flashlight, which he used to illuminate the hole in the ground. “I don’t think you can slide too much further, try and wedge yourself with your feet and your back so that your hands are free.”
He could hear Henry shuffling around. Trying to watch what was happening without shining the light in Henry’s face, he monitored the situation. He was posi
tive Henry could not slide down any further. The only problem was going to be trying to haul him out. If the three of them couldn’t manage it, he would have to call for backup, but that would take time, and he didn’t want Henry to become hypothermic.
“I think I have it.” Henry’s voice sounded more hopeful.
Jay turned to look at Mae and Toby, and waved to them to come forward. “I need you two to hold the end of the rope and pull with me.”
“Sure. We can do that, can’t we, Toby?” Mae said, giving the young boy some encouragement.
“Yes. Is my dad going to be all right?” Toby asked.
“I think so, Toby,” Jay said, moving himself back away from the edge and lifting the rope and taking the strain. “We just all have to work together as if this was a tug-of-war. It will make things easier if we work in a rhythm.”
Following his instructions, they worked as a team and slowly they moved back away from the fissure with Jay calling out to Henry, checking if he was all right. After a few tense moments where the ice began to break around the edge of the fissure, they saw Henry’s hands on the edge of the ice and then slowly the rest of him appeared.
“Dad. You’re safe.” Toby went to rush forward, but Mae stopped him.
“Just give it a moment for Jay to check if it’s safe,” she said.
Jay reached out his hand and took Henry’s, pulling him across the snow and ice until they were some way from the edge. Only when he was absolutely certain that they were on solid ground did he haul Henry up to his feet. “How do you feel?”
“Stupid.” Henry shook his head. “I should have tested the ground, but we’d walked across it in the same place a few hours ago and it was solid.”
“The conditions change rapidly up here. I think even though it feels cold, the thaw has set in. It doesn’t take much for the ice to become weaker.”
He watched Henry and Toby embrace, and went over to Mae and said, “We have a happy ending.”
“I want us to have a happy ending too.” Mae looked at him and smiled, but it held a hint of sorrow. “You belong here, Jay. This is what you do. And I can see it’s what you love.”
“What are you saying?” he asked, afraid of losing her. “I would give this up rather than giving you up.”
“No. I have to come and live here with you in Grizzly Hollows. I just have to try and explain it to my gran.”
“Only if you are sure.” He kissed her lightly, and then said, “We should get back.”
“I’m not going to talk to her about it tonight. I just want you to take me home. To your home.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Never been more sure. About any of this. We’re fated mates, right? I think it’s time I accepted my fate.”
After gathering all the equipment, he arranged his extra passengers in the sled. It would be downhill most of the way, and he would run behind to save the dogs the extra weight. He only hoped by the time he got home, he wouldn’t be too tired to do the thing he had wanted to do since he had met Mae.
He intended to take her to bed and make love to her all night. In his head, his bear roared in agreement. It was time to claim their mate.
Chapter Fifteen – Mae
They reached Grizzly Hollows to be met at the barn by her anxious gran, plus Katie and Adam.
“Are you all right?” Isabelle asked. Mae had texted ahead as soon as they knew the approximate time they would get back. “Adam has phoned for an ambulance.”
“I don’t think I need an ambulance,” Henry said.
“You need to get yourself checked out,” Jay insisted, as a small ambulance that looked more like an SUV pulled up. “You gave Toby quite a scare.”
Henry looked at Toby. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you there.”
“I’m just glad you’re safe, Dad.” Toby hugged his dad, and Mae couldn’t help watching. In her mind, her memories were stirring; she remembered going into the mountains with her own dad, and him teaching her to track small animals. They had spent ages sitting still, watching for deer high up in the hills.
“Mae,” Jay said, touching her arm briefly. “We should go too. We need to eat.”
She had forgotten how short their picnic had been, and now she was starving. “Good idea.”
“Yes. Let’s get going.” Isabelle and Katie thanked Adam once more, and they all climbed into Jay’s truck.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in ages,” Isabelle said.
“I’m pleased you enjoyed it so much,” Jay said, grinning.
“Now I need a siesta, after some dinner.”
“I think I might have something brought in. What are you doing, Mae?”
She blushed bright red, as she said, “I’m going back to Jay’s house.
“OK. Well, try not to wake us when you come in.”
“I wasn’t planning on coming home tonight.” She winced as the words left her mouth, to be met with silence.
They had reached the hotel, and the four of them sat there, with Mae feeling mortified. But then Katie said, “We will see you in the morning.”
With that she got out of the car, pulling Isabelle with her. “Wait,” said Isabelle. “I don’t want you to think I don’t approve.”
“Thanks, Gran.” She smiled at the two older women, and watched them go into the pub, Isabelle turning to give her a brief wave, before the door shut behind them.
So this was it, she was alone with him, and had made it clear she wanted to go back to his house and make love. She had made it clear. Hadn’t she?
Such a lot had happened today, and she was tired both mentally and physically, but she wanted this. She needed to know what it was like to be with her mate, because tomorrow they were going home. That meant, before she left, she had to make a decision about her future.
“Penny for them,” Jay said as he glanced sideways at her. They were heading back to his house, which took all of about five minutes.
“I’m just trying to get my head around everything,” she said.
“I think that will be easier once you have some food inside you.” He parked the truck outside his house and went to the trunk to fetch the pack with the remains of the picnic. “You know, we should have a campout.”
“A what?” She looked around her; it was getting colder as the sun crested the mountains.
“A campout. Didn’t you used to do that when you were a kid? Camp out in your living room?”
“Oh, yes. Gran used to make brownies, and we would sit under a makeshift tent, telling ghost stories and eating too much sugar.”
“That sounds like a perfect childhood,” he said, and then his expression dropped. “Sorry.”
“No. Don’t be. It was perfect. She made it the best she could. Between her and Joan and Katie, I never felt as if I wanted for anything, never felt as if I missed out. Although I probably did.” Her voice trailed off.
“Well, our kids are going to be equally blessed. They’ll have us, your gran, Joan and Katie, plus my family, too.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her up the steps to the front porch.
“I hope so.” She wanted to sound more optimistic, but she didn’t see how her gran would fit into the whole scheme of things. She couldn’t drive, Marillo Marsh was too far for day trips, and she got the feeling Jay was tied to the mountain.
He opened the door, setting the pack down just inside it, and then pulled her close and kissed her. “I have been longing to make love to you since I first spoke to you on the phone.”
“Then let’s not wait any longer.”
He grinned and then scooped her up in his arms, carrying her over the threshold and kicking the door shut behind them. The cabin was cool, but warmer than outside. Soon he was making her temperature soar, when he laid her down on his bed and began to remove her clothes.
First he unzipped her coat, and helped her shrug it off. Then he straddled her, lifting her sweater up and over her head to throw it to the floor next to the bed. “Won’t
be needing that for hours.”
“Hours…” Her voice came out as a squeak.
“And hours…” He lifted her thermal vest, and began to kiss the soft flesh of her stomach, causing a sudden heat to flare between her thighs. She squeezed them together, trying to ease her need. Jay sensed the movement and said, “Allow me.”
He pushed his hand between her thighs, and she eased them apart so he could rub her mound, making her clit throb with need. All the time, he kept inching her vest up, until her breasts, still encased in her bra, were revealed.
Jay let out a sigh. “You are beautiful.” And in that moment she felt beautiful, as his hands caressed her flesh and his eyes feasted on her curves.
With a groan, he pulled away. “We need to be naked.”
“We do?” she asked.
“Uh-huh.” He lifted his arms and dragged his sweater over his head, and then stopped when he saw her face. “Have you changed your mind?”
“No.” She shuffled forward, and then sat up, pulling her vest down to cover herself up. “It’s just that … well … I’ve never…”
He came back to her, kneeling on the bed next to her. “It’s OK. We’ll take it slow.”
“I just never… You know with no other shifters around, I always worried I might be … different.”
“Oh honey, you are different, but not in the way you think.” He kissed her, his tongue playing with hers, driving her senses crazy. If this was different, she liked different; he ignited her soul, making her want him so desperately it was like a physical pain.
Jay stood up and stripped his clothes off, looking like a god as he stood before her, his skin bronzed, his muscles ripped, and his cock so hard it stood erect in front of him. Swallowing down her nerves, she tried to be brave, knowing he would take care of her. She desperately wanted to enjoy this. So many times through college she had heard other girls talking, saying it hurt the first time.
Was it too much to want this first time with him to be special?
Jay came back to her, sitting her up and pulling the vest over her head. Unclasping her bra, he released her ample breasts into his eager hands and his equally needy mouth. Sucking one nipple inside his hot, wet mouth, he rolled his tongue over it, while his hand cupped the other breast, his thumb rubbing the taut bud until she thought her world would explode.
Her Choice To Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Dating Agency Romance (Fated and Mated Book 2) Page 6
