by T. S. Ryder
Rex growled once more.
“The world is my oyster, Rex. I will crack open every head I need to in order to get what I want. You think that the world owes you a break because you’ve had it rough? Well, maybe this is the world giving me what I deserve.”
Rex opened his mouth, about to tell him that he was going to get what he deserved all right but Meyer moved too swiftly. The gun moved from Rex’s forehead, only for the butt of it to slam into the small spot of blood on his shirt.
White-hot pain swept through Rex. His knees buckled, and darkness washed over his vision. His lungs locked, his heart beating painfully even as his wounds throbbed. He dropped to his hands and knees. Sweat beaded his forehead.
“I will get what I want,” Meyer hissed. “You can be certain of that.”
His knee came up, cracking into Rex’s face. Another blow came to the back of his head, and Rex dropped. He stayed there, gasping for breath as pain raced through his body. He expected a gunshot at any moment. It never came, though. When he glanced up, his vision swaying, he saw no sign of Meyer. He crawled to his hands and knees and reached for his radio, only to find that it had gotten smashed in Meyer’s attack.
With a grunt, Rex pushed himself to his feet. Blackness washed over his vision again, but he pointed himself toward home and put one foot in front of the other.
Mindy. He had to get home to Mindy. Before Meyer got to her.
His bear snarled, leaping forward and Rex let it take over.
Chapter Thirteen – Mindy
Listening to Cynthia and Ruby was hard. Not just because of what they were saying but because of the look Rex had had on his face when he handed her Ginny and went outside. The guilt and agony clear in his eyes had pained her heart. It was clear that he regretted his actions. He told her his life was messed up, and he was in therapy. After what Cynthia and Ruby told her, she understood why.
Once the two women had said their piece, though, she leaned forward, glancing at them and looked them each in the eye.
“Isn’t what you’re saying only more proof that he has changed, though? You,” she nodded at Ruby, “said that your brother cut Rex out in part because he left his two-year-old niece for a couple of hours once. But he has always been hyper-attentive to Ginny. Every time he’s not completely certain about something that involves her, he spends at least half an hour googling, reading as much as he can. Wasn’t him leaving her more inexperience, rather than neglect?”
Ruby frowned.
Mindy took a deep breath and stood. “I understand your concerns. Thank you for thinking of my daughter and me. But the man you’re describing . . . Rex isn’t like that. Not anymore at least. He understands that he messed up and he’s determined not to make those mistakes again. And if you can’t see that and give him a second chance . . . then that’s on you.”
Cynthia considered her for a moment, then nodded. “I understand. I hope that he has changed as much as you think . . . for his sake as well.”
The two women took their leave. Mindy stood in the doorway watching them, Ginny cuddled in her arms. Yes, some of the things they had told her concerned her. But the fact remained that her past wasn’t spotless either. If she was going to judge Rex on his past, rather than the present, then what right did she have not to be judged for her past?
She had no reservations when trusting him. She might not have the best track record at following her gut, but there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted him in her daughter’s life. He would be the man to teach her the things that only a father could. And she was going to tell him that right away.
She opened the door and started marching out but stopped dead when Rex’s Cadillac pulled up to the front of the house. Calvin Meyer stepped out of it. He smirked at her as he began to saunter over. Mindy was too stunned to move.
Before she could open her mouth to demand that he leave, a roar shook the foundations of the house. A huge bear charged around the house. Meyer yelled and yanked a gun from his belt, but the bear merely mowed him down. It turned around as Meyer struggled to straigthen up, and it snatched the gun in its teeth. There was a horrible creaking sound as the metal casing collapsed.
“Rex!” Mindy cried, recognizing the bear now. Blood dripped down his honey-gold fur.
Rex snarled as he advanced on Meyer and for one moment Mindy was certain that he was going to kill the loan shark. As Meyer scrambled away, looking terrified, Rex shifted back to his human form. The bandages had all been ripped off, blood leaking steadily from his wounds. He grabbed Meyer by the collar and dragged him to his feet.
“Stay away from her, or I swear I will kill you. Consequences be damned.” Rex growled, his voice deep and dangerous.
He dragged Meyer to the car and shoved him in. Meyer drove away without a word.
Mindy stood there, trembling while Ginny squirmed and fussed in her arms, wanting to see what was going on. Her legs nearly buckled.
Rex was soon by her side, panting, his face twisted in pain but his gaze sharp as ever. “Did he hurt you?”
“No. He’d just gotten here . . . He has your car.”
Rex glared after the departing taillights. “He’s an ass.”
The overwhelmingly understated insult made Mindy giggle despite herself. When Rex slumped, however, those giggles vanished. She helped him inside and settled Ginny into her swing before she retrieved the first-aid kit.
“Should I call the doctor?” she asked worriedly as she began to clean Rex up. “You keep tearing those wounds open. They might need to be stitched.”
Rex shook his head. “Stitches are only for the worst of wounds. Otherwise, the flesh heals too fast to get them removed. I’ll be fine. Just need rest.”
Mindy frowned at him for a moment, then taped gauze over one of the bullet wounds. The other one didn’t seem to be too bad, but she couldn’t help but worry about what might be going on under the surface. After she patched up that one and cleaned the blood off his skin, she gave him a light kiss. Rex caught her around the waist and pulled her closer, the kiss slowly deepening. Mindy sighed, heat simmering under her skin.
“You are on bed rest,” she told him reluctantly
“There’s plenty we can do in bed.”
“Rest. Plus, Ginny’s awake,” she said, frowning at his ashen complexion. He gave her a cocky grin, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was clearly in worse shape than he was letting on. Mindy grasped his shoulders and made him lie down, then made for the landline. “I’m calling the doctor.”
“But—”
“For my own peace of mind.” She glared at him. “And you stay perfectly still, or I’ll kick your ass.”
Rex chuckled weakly. “Yes, ma’am.”
***
Despite his protests that he was fine, Mindy didn’t let Rex out of bed for two days. Even after his wounds had become shiny pink scars, she wasn’t so certain that he wasn’t going to tear them open again. Luckily, she managed to keep him sated by lying beside him while they watched TV or cuddled with Ginny between them. Occasionally, Rex’s hands would start to wander, awakening a heat in her core but she didn’t give into her desires. Lovemaking was certainly out of the question until he was better.
Meyer didn’t come near the house during those two days, but Mindy did receive news about him through the alphas. He was living it up in Kurtis’ townhouse, making a few of the local bears act as his servants to help buy his silence. Apparently, he had tried to get handsy with one of the women, and she’d hung him out the window by his ankles. The alphas heard about it and told him that they had plenty of places to hide his body if he ever tried that again.
Apparently, the price for his silence had gone up after that, but he hadn’t tried anything since.
Mindy couldn’t help but laugh at that. He thought he could rule them all but there was only so far blackmail would take him, especially among a people as strong and proud as these bears.
She couldn’t help but wonder what sort of punishment he’d thin
k up for them, though, for daring not to fall at his feet.
“You look concerned,” Rex murmured to her as she removed the bandages from his chest for the last time, having just put Ginny to sleep.
She glanced up at him and gave him a distracted smile. “I’m fine.”
“And so am I.” Rex took her hand in his and turned her palm upward to press a kiss to it. “Thank you.”
Mindy rose a brow. “For what?”
“Not running away when you heard what Cynthia and Ruby had to say.”
Mindy paused slightly. They hadn’t talked about that yet. She knew they had to and soon but she didn’t want to see the pain in his eyes. Some things were better left in the past. However, she knew this wasn’t one of those things. Not when it was clear that he still felt so much guilt for his actions.
She laid her hand flat against his warm skin. “I listened to them. I heard what they had to say. And in the end, I know that you’ve changed. You’ve accepted that what you did was wrong and you don’t want to be like that. You’re working to make yourself more aware. You’re not trying to make it out like it wasn’t your fault. And I love that about you.”
The worry on his brow faded, replaced by a look of peace. A smile crossed his face. “Thank you.”
His fingers traced her cheekbone, then moved down her neck and traced her spine. All the desires she’d been fighting for the past two days flooded her. Her fingers started to inch across his healed skin, moving over the shiny scars. He’d healed nicely. His breathing was back to normal, and the scars looked like they were weeks old.
When she met his eye, she found the same heat in them that was tightening her core.
“Well, Dr. Davidson?” Rex’s hand continued its journey until it was resting on her ass. “Am I off the rest part of bed yet?”
Mindy cocked her head, listening. There was no sound from where Ginny was sleeping. With a grin, she straddled Rex and moved her other hand to his chest. “Maybe some light exercise would be useful.”
“Light?” Rex frowned, apparently offended. “What do you take me for?”
She began to grind very gently on him. Both his hands clapped to her hips, and he grinned at her. Mindy smiled back, her fingers still stroking his hard muscle and warm skin. Her core tightened, and heat swirled through her. The skin where his hands were clasped tingled and tightened. She leaned over him, kissing up his torso before she got to his neck. Rex groaned, his hands now moving down her ass to her thighs and then moving up her back.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Mindy whispered to him. She licked his collarbone, nipped at his throat and then pressed a deep kiss to his mouth. She tried to put all of her feelings into that kiss. Words seemed so inadequate.
The sizzling heat sparked deeper inside of her as she moved her hands to his waistband. Luckily for her, he was only wearing boxers. She eased them off of him, breaking the kiss only so she could move down his body, trailing kisses in her wake, until she tossed the boxers to the floor. Then she nudged his thighs apart with her knees and rested there, taking him into her hand. Rex’s heated gaze practically glowed as she stroked him gently.
“I want you to lie there, perfectly still,” she whispered huskily. “Doctor’s orders now.”
“I want to rip your clothes off.”
Mindy winked at him. “Not this time. You just lie there and relax.”
Rex grumbled, but the grumbling trailed off when she climbed off the bed. Her clothes felt too tight even as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Once that was done, she undid her jeans and eased them off. She wasn’t wearing particularly cute undies, but that was fine. Next, she took off the unbuttoned shirt. With a wink, she started spinning around, quickly unfastening her bra at the front when she was facing away from him, then tearing it free on the next spin.
When she stopped, facing him while striking the Wonder Woman pose, he chuckled. “We’ll have to get some of those big feathery fans. Oh, and maybe those tearaway pants with a cop’s uniform.”
Mindy turned back around, a grin weaseling its way onto her face. “I’d like that.”
“And I’ll take dance lessons to seduce you.” He winked and held his arms out to her. “Now come here and let me ravage you.”
Mindy stripped off her underwear and climbed back onto the bed. When Rex reached for her, though, she pinned his hands above his head.
“You’re injured. I’m the doctor, let me take care of you.” She punctuated the last word thrusting her hips against his, letting him move between her legs.
He grunted, whether in pleasure or agreement she didn’t know. Mindy trailed down his body, soft kisses ghosting over his hip and down to his knee before she moved up his inner thigh. Rex shivered under her touch, making Mindy grin. She moved down the other thigh as his body jerked spasmodically, her hands all over him. His head fell back to the pillow when she finally took him into her mouth. He actually twitched against her tongue, and she took the opportunity to take him deeper.
“Mindy,” he groaned. The sound of her name on his lips made the fire inside of her grow all the hotter.
She continued her ministrations, watching his face every time she took a break. His eyes drifted half-shut, his chest moving in rhythmic pants. The sight of him filled her with desire, her core aching to be filled. As she concentrated on him, she couldn’t stop herself from sliding a hand between her own thighs, finding her clit. She stroked herself gently in time with her motions on Rex. Shivers moved down her spine, and she let out a soft gasp.
Rex jerked, his hips bucking up. The movement startled her. His hands dug into the covers beneath him as he shook his head, grimacing. “Sorry. But it’s not fair that you get to touch yourself, and I don’t.”
Mindy laughed. She leaned back on her knees so he could get a full look at her. With a teasing glint in her eyes, she increased the pressure on her clit while pinching one of her nipples. Rex growled deep in his chest, the vibrations shaking the bed, as he sat up.
“Uh-uh, nope.” Mindy caught him by the shoulders and pressed him back down to the bed. “Doctor’s orders.”
“I didn’t see any prescription. Or a lab coat.”
A flash of her lying on her back on a doctor’s examination table, wearing nothing but a long white coat while Rex thrust into her, made her shiver. “I’ll get one of those as soon as I can.”
Rex grinned. He lunged forward, making her shriek as his arms wrapped around her waist. He pulled her down over him, mouth pressing onto hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth, darting wickedly around. One arm remained latched firmly on her waist, holding her in place, while the other pulled her thigh up and out of the way so he could stroke her from behind. His big fingers found her clit, making everything shiver and spasm inside of her.
“That’s not—” Mindy panted as she ground against him, shivers running down her legs. “That’s not staying still, Rex Tesla.”
He pushed a finger into her. “I’m a bad boy who doesn’t listen to doctors.” He stroked her from the inside, making her back arch as a cry tore from her throat. He stopped suddenly, though, a concerned look crossing his face. “Is this okay?”
Mindy smiled, a warm feeling that was completely separate from the lustful heat spreading across her chest. She nodded and gave him a small kiss. “Yeah. It is. And I love that you ask me. I’ve had boyfriends before who didn’t ask me anything, just did what they wanted. It sucks.”
Rex frowned at her, a flash of guilt in his eyes. “I used to be one of those guys.”
“Used to. Not anymore.” She kissed him again, drawing him back to the present by grinding against him once more.
Rex ran his free hand over her back before he continued to work on her clit. Everything tightened inside of her, bringing her to the point of exquisite pain, as she gasped lightly. Her core ached as her clit pulsed, and she moved back to straddling him, adjusting her position until she could ease down on him, allowing him full entry.
“Mindy,” Rex breathed. His hands ran
over her hips and stomach, then her arms and shoulders as she braced herself over him and began to grind.
Their bodies connected in perfect harmony. Mindy would never tire of this, how well they fit together. She rocked gently, allowing herself to get used to his size before she started to rock faster. Her hips moved in fast circles, adding another dimension to their grinding. He throbbed inside of her, making her gasp with pleasure. Her head fell back as she continued to move, joined with him as his hips thrust upward. Fire rushed through her veins, her chest and face turning red as she fought for breath.
A cry tore from her throat as a small explosion of heat flooded her core. It seeped up through her blood, filling every muscle. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she collapsed over Rex. His arms banded around her, tightropes of muscle and he continued to thrust into her. Mindy clawed at the blankets, her teeth closing over his shoulder as she tried not to scream.
Rex’s voice grunted in her ears, as well as the slapping of skin to skin and her own muffled cries. Darkness washed over her vision, and all thought fled.
Somewhere in the mindless pleasure, she felt Rex stop moving. Slowly, she became aware of herself and him once more. Both their hearts pounded wildly as both gasped for breath. Mindy writhed silently for a moment before Rex released her, allowing her to roll off him.
They lay there for some time, aware only of the heat of each other’s bodies. Eventually, Mindy was back to herself, and she lifted herself to one elbow, listening carefully. If they had woken Ginny . . . But there was no sound, and she allowed herself to drop down next to Rex. She gave him a lazy grin as she coasted her fingers over his scars again.
“Still in place,” he told her with a grin. “All good.”
