by Chant, Zoe
She tried to sit up, but he picked her up instead. “I’ll get you warmed up.”
He carried her to the shower, thankful that his family believed in hot water, even if they didn’t believe in central heating. Hal stripped off her clothes. They were wet and stiff, frozen near-solid in some places.
Then he stepped into the shower, still holding her in his arms, and let the warm water wash over them both. Under the cascading warmth, Ellie’s skin went from pale to pink, and she stretched happily in his arms.
“Oh, this feels good,” she murmured.
Hal gritted his teeth, not enjoying it nearly as much. The water burned and stung as his skin prickled back to life. He’d been numb from cold before, but now everything hurt: the cuts on his face, the deep bruises on his chest, the wounds in his side, and the soles of his feet. Especially his feet. They hurt so much, he could hardly stand up.
They could sit down under the water, but he was afraid that once he took the weight off his feet, he wouldn’t be able to get up again. So he held his mate in his arms, feeling like he was balancing on razor blades, until he was sure that she was as warm as the water could get her.
She blinked up at him, looking more awake. “You’re bleeding.”
“I couldn’t see very well. A bunch of branches hit me in the face.”
“Put me down. I’ll patch you up.” She squirmed to get down, but Hal tightened his grip.
“It’s nothing. You need to get under some warm blankets, and drink some hot tea.”
“So do you,” Ellie retorted. “You carried me here, didn’t you? Naked through the snow.”
Hal shrugged. “Well, yeah, but—”
“Is there a first aid kit here?”
“Yeah.”
“Then bring it to the bed. With hot tea for both of us.”
“You’re bossy,” he remarked.
“So are you.”
They grinned at each other, amused rather than annoyed.
Hal turned off the shower and dried Ellie off first, then himself. Then he carried her to the bed, piled blankets over her, and went to the kitchen to make tea. While it was brewing, he got one of the disposable phones he kept in the cabin and called Rafa.
“Hal!” Rafa’s yell made Hal pull the phone a little away from his ear. “What the hell is going on? Three of Nagle’s hit men are dead in your garage. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. And Ellie’s fine. But I could use some help. I think Detective Kramer’s working for Nagle.” Hal filled Rafa in on what had happened, including his suspicion that Kramer had hidden a tracker in Ellie’s purse.
“Shall we set up a sting?” Rafa asked.
“My thought exactly,” Hal replied. “Give Nagle a few days to think we’re dead and relax. Then call Kramer and tell him I contacted you. Tell him Ellie and I are in a safe house, and give him an address. Bug the hell out of it, and take the team to stake it out. See who shows up to kill me, and record whatever they say. Hopefully we’ll get enough evidence to implicate Kramer and get Nagle held without bail.”
“Will do. I’ll call the team now. We were all worried about you, Hal.”
A day or so, Hal would have brushed that off, uncomfortable with the idea of his team feeling protective of him. Now, he said, “Thanks, Rafa. Tell everyone I’m fine, and I appreciate it. And that I know they’ll do a great job.”
He hung up the phone, poured out the tea, and stirred lots of honey into it. By the time he returned to the bedroom with the tea and the first aid kit, his feet hurt so much that he couldn’t stop himself from limping. It was a tremendous relief to crawl into bed, press his body up against hers, and drink the hot tea.
Ellie’s sharp gaze clearly didn’t miss a thing, but she didn’t comment until she’d finished her tea. Then she said, “I know we haven’t really talked about the future. And I know it’s ridiculously soon. But I feel like we do have one.”
“We do. Shifters mate for life.” They were both sitting up, leaning back against the headboard. Hal put his arm around her shoulders. “The moment I saw you, I knew you were my mate. You’ve got me for as long as you want me. I hope that’s forever.”
Ellie leaned her head against his. “I’ll always want you, Hal. You walked naked and barefoot through the snow for me! And then you brought me tea in bed. Forever it is.”
They kissed, and then she said, “So if we’re going to be together for good, there’s something you’d better get used to. If you get hurt and it’s something I can handle, I patch you up. No suffering in silence because you’re too tough and strong to need anyone!”
Hal thought about that. It had been so automatic, trying not to let her see him limping until he could finish taking care of her. But some types of protection ended up hurting in the long run. He’d never forget the shock, pain, and anger in Ellie’s eyes as she’d realized that he’d been bleeding for hours without letting her know he was hurt.
Over-protective bodyguard bear shifter meets crazy-brave paramedic, Hal thought. We really do need each other.
“You’re used to taking care of everyone else before yourself, aren’t you?” Hal said at last. “I’m used to protecting everyone else before myself. But I do need people. I need my team, and I’m sorry as hell that I doubted them. And I need you. So I’ll take your deal. I’ll let you protect me and take care of me, if you let me do the same for you.”
Ellie’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her voice was husky as she said, “All right. It’s a deal.”
“And in token of my sincerity...” Hal handed her the first aid kit and moved to lay his feet in her lap. “My feet are killing me. Patch me up.”
She smiled at him, then drew in her breath as she looked down at his feet. He couldn’t see the full extent of the damage, but what he could see of his soles was a mass of bruises, deep gashes, and frostbite.
“Shifter healing,” he reminded her.
“Thank goodness for that. Otherwise, I’d be afraid you’d have to have some toes amputated. They look like you climbed Mount Everest barefoot.” She ruffled his hair. “Lie down. I hope you’re tired enough to fall asleep. Otherwise, this is going to hurt like hell.”
Hal lay back, letting his mate go to work. She knew what she was doing, and he trusted her. He closed his eyes, and let his mate take care of him while he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Ellie
Ellie and Hal spent most of the next few days recovering in bed. They were both exhausted, and despite Hal’s shifter healing, it was some time before he could walk without pain. They did a lot of kissing and cuddling, but neither of them had the energy for anything more. They spent most of the time dozing or talking.
She would have expected to find the time boring and frustrating, but instead she found it cozy and healing. Ellie and Hal told each other stories, revealing their pasts and detailing their hopes for their future. When she slept, she dreamed of him.
But gradually, their energy returned. They began spending less time in bed, and more in the living room watching the snow fall or cooking in the kitchen.
To Ellie’s relief, there was a stash of clothing in the attic that fit her. It mostly consisted of dresses rather than her usual jeans and blouses, but she was so relieved to have something to wear other than the one outfit she’d ruined crawling around in the woods that she didn’t mind.
“Shifters always have lots of extra clothing around,” Hal explained with a laugh. “For obvious reasons. It’s considered basic hospitality to keep clothes in sizes you don’t wear, in case a friend or relative needs an emergency outfit.”
Hal had a trunk full of his own emergency clothing as well. To Ellie’s amusement, she spotted a box of condoms buried at the bottom.
“Oh, so you’ve brought girlfriends here before,” she teased.
Hal shook his head. “I just lived in hope.”
They were in the kitchen, with Ellie chopping potatoes and Hal peeling carrots for a stew, when Hal’s phone rang.
He put down the peeler and picked it up. “Hello?”
She watched as his face shifted from interest to excitement to exultation. “Thanks. Good work, Rafa. Tell the team they did a great job. We’ll be back soon.”
Ellie already had an idea of what must have happened, but she didn’t dare believe it till she heard it direct from Hal. “What happened?”
“My team did the sting,” he said. “I was right about Kramer— he was the one reporting to Nagle. He and a bunch of Nagle’s guys showed up at the ‘safe house’ with explosives and guns. My guys caught them on tape talking about how Nagle sent them to kill us. My team took the tapes to the FBI. Kramer and Nagle were arrested, along with all of Nagle’s gang. The judge refused them bail, so they’re all going to rot in jail until their trials. Ellie, you’re safe!”
Ellie’s heart lifted and lifted, until she felt light as air. After all that stress and fear and danger, she could finally get back to her old life.
Better than her old life— her new life with Hal.
“Guess you’re out of a job,” she teased.
His tone was light but his expression was serious as he replied, “Nah, I don’t think I’m ready to give it up. You’ve got yourself a bodyguard for life.”
Her desire for him, which had been muffled before by exhaustion and stress, abruptly rose up within her, intense and irresistible. She couldn’t fathom how she’d spent nights in his arms and had done nothing but sleep. He was standing only a few feet away from her, but that seemed an unbearable distance.
“Ellie...” Hal’s voice dropped to a low rumble.
His eyes had gone dark with desire. She could feel the heat between them, palpable as if she was standing in front of an open fire. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding, her palms tingling. She wanted to rush to him, but her own anticipation paralyzed her.
Hal swept her into his arms. She’d experienced his sheer strength many times before, but it was still startling. Thrilling. He lifted her as if she weighed nothing, raising her to bring her mouth level with his. She wrapped her arms around his muscular shoulders as they kissed. She could lose herself in the heat of his mouth, the roughness of the stubble that seemed to grow back almost as soon as he shaved it off, the silken fineness of his hair.
She could feel the steely rod of his erection pressing insistently against her thighs. Ellie rubbed against it, teasing him and herself, enjoying the game of making him tense and groan. He pushed back, thrusting against her and wringing a cry from her own lips.
“Put me down,” she gasped. “I want you inside me, now!”
Hal set her down, then steadied her with his huge hands curving around her waist. She was weak at the knees, dizzy with desire. Sweat prickled along her spine, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. He too had come undone, even in that short span of time. He was panting, his hair disheveled, his cheeks flushed.
“I can’t wait either,” he muttered.
He fumbled in his jeans pocket for a condom while Ellie undid his belt. His pants had gotten so tight in front that she struggled to unbutton them. When she finally managed it, he groaned with relief.
“I thought my pants were going to rip,” he said.
Ellie giggled. “I’m glad I’m a girl.”
She closed her hand around his rock-hard shaft, sliding her fingers up and down, enjoying Hal’s gasps. A glistening bead appeared at the head. Ellie bent and licked it, wringing a groan from deep within his chest. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed and long lashes fluttering against his cheeks, the condom dangling forgotten from his fingers.
The sight of him made her hot all over. Her clit was throbbing, making her squirm. She could feel herself getting wet and slick. The same insistence she’d felt earlier overcame her, and she could wait no longer.
She pulled her head away. “Come on, Hal!”
Hal jerked his head up and tore open the condom packet, then rolled the latex over his thick shaft. She waited for him to pull off her dress, but instead, he reached under it to tug off her panties. He dropped them to the floor, around her ankles, and she stepped out of them.
Her entire body was trembling with eagerness, her sheer need an ache in her chest. Hal again reached under her skirt and trailed one finger along the slickness of her inner lips. Ellie cried out helplessly, writhing against his hand, rubbing her throbbing clit against his firm touch. She was shuddering, halfway to a climax, and he’d barely even touched her.
Hal wrapped one arm tight around her back, holding her steady, while he rubbed between her legs. She buried her face in his chest, lost in the joy of his touch, letting him bring her to an irresistible climax. The orgasm rippled through her body, and her cry was muffled against his chest.
Ellie lifted her head, panting, the aftershocks still making her inner walls contract in delicious pulses. It had been good, but she wasn’t done yet.
“Go on,” she said, when she could speak. “I’m ready for more.”
“Me too,” said Hal. He was smiling, but his hazel eyes burned with intensity.
He was still fully dressed, with only his jeans unzipped. So was she, in her shoes and flower print dress. But he once again lifted her into his arms, raising her high.
“Lift your dress,” he said.
Excited, she grabbed the hem and raised it. She’d never had sex while a man held her in his arms before. With no sign of a strain, Hal slowly lowered her, settling her down on to his steely shaft. It slid in easily, filling her to the utmost. She gasped with pleasure. So did Hal.
“That feels incredible,” he said.
“You’re incredible,” she replied.
Her hands clenched around his arms as he began to thrust inside of her. She wanted to close her eyes and abandon herself to the delights of physical sensation. But she loved watching Hal too, his intent yet joyous expression, his long eyelashes fluttering, the flush spreading over his skin, the pulse at his throat.
His shaft slid against her clit at every thrust, sending waves of heat through her body. Unlike the first orgasm, the second one built more slowly, allowing her to savor ever moment of its inexorable approach. She held Hal tight, loving the journey they were taking each other on.
Her orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, carrying her far away from everything but her love for Hal and the pleasure of the sensation. She lost herself, dissolving in a sea of bliss. She was only distantly aware of Hal coming too, of his deeper cry, of the warmth swelling within her.
When she returned, she found that he had slid down the wall. They lay sprawled together on the kitchen floor. Hal reached out and tenderly brushed a curl of wet hair out of her eyes.
“Love you,” he said softly.
She laid her head against his, cheek to cheek. “Love you too.”
Then Ellie stretched out beside Hal, utterly content. She wanted nothing more in the world than what she had: her life, her work, her friends, her family, and her bodyguard bear.
Epilogue
Ellie
“I call Eleanor McNeil to the witness stand,” announced the prosecutor.
There was a flurry of murmurs. The judge banged his gavel. “Silence in the court!”
Ellie swallowed. It was the moment she’d awaited for so long. She’d looked forward to it— once it was done, she’d be safe— but her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought of finally doing it.
“I never did like public speaking,” she murmured.
Hal’s strong arms gave her one final squeeze before he released her. He bent to give her the lightest kiss on the cheek as he said in his softest growl, “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever known. Put him away. I’ll be with you the entire time.”
Her brother Ethan, who had returned from whatever classified location he’d been fighting in and was sitting on her other side, whispered in her ear, “Kick his ass all the way into the electric chair.”
Hal’s love gave her strength and courage, as did Ethan’s faith in her a
ss-kicking skills. So did the sight of the entire team of Protection, Inc., who had turned out to support her. All of them were there, from tatted-up Nick to the gold-chained Lucas. Rafa gave her an encouraging grin, but she was equally grateful for the chilling stare Shane had fixed on Nagle. Curvy Destiny looked deceptively harmless, while slim Fiona radiated a coolly professional air of ‘anyone who tries to get to the witness goes through me first.’
Ellie walked steadily to the witness stand and told her story. The prosecutor had advised her not to look at Nagle in case he intimidated her, but she didn’t take the advice. Instead, she stared steadily at Nagle as he sat handcuffed in the dock, hatred in his eyes.
But he didn’t scare her any more. All his men had already been convicted, along with Detective Kramer. Nagle’s own trial was the last one. And if he tried anything, Hal would bite his head off. Literally. And that was only if Ethan or Hal’s team didn’t kill him first. Ellie wasn’t alone, she was surrounded by people who loved her and would die to protect her.
When the time came, she raised her arm and pointed straight at Nagle. “That’s him. That’s the man I saw in the alley, who ordered the murder.”
Nagle gave the slightest twitch of his hand, as if he was about to make a fist. A low, hair-raising growl echoed through the courtroom.
“Silence!” said the judge. “Who was that?”
Nobody spoke. But Ellie knew who it was. And Nagle sat still as a statue for the rest of her testimony, not even daring to look her in the eyes.
His sleazy defense lawyer tried to claim that Ellie was a liar, but she could see that the jury believed her. When she finally got down from the stand, she felt triumphant. She settled back down beside Hal on the hard court benches, and he took her hand.
“You were fantastic,” she whispered.
“So were you,” she whispered back. “Loved the growl.”
The judge banged his gavel. “Silence in the court!”
***
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” asked the judge.
The foreperson stood up. “We have, your honor. We find the defendant, Wallace Nagle, guilty of all charges.”
