by Sway Jones
“Yes.”
“You also know that I would never hurt you on purpose.”
“I – don’t know that Ryan.” She lowered her gaze from his, not able to look him in the eye. Her ability to trust had taken a beating through the years and it was why she couldn’t rest in his sweet promises.
“I wouldn’t,” he told her fervently. “Never on purpose. Never physically or emotionally. I’m not like those other men in your life. Please sweetness don’t judge me by their actions. Take me for me.”
She looked back up at him with astonishment. “You’re right,” she said nodding her head. “I shouldn’t judge you by the actions of others. That’s not fair.”
“I know why you do but you’re right it isn’t fair to me or you.”
“I’m not a very good cook,” she told him hesitantly. “I’m also not real good with – children.”
“We can both learn to cook and I’ll be there to help you with our cubs. I can’t believe you aren’t good with kids. Have you been around many?”
“Not really.”
“So you don’t know if you are good or not.”
“I – I guess not. I mean, I never thought about having children since I never thought I’d find a man …” Her voice tapered off into silence.
“Now you have,” he said proudly. “I’m your man and bear.”
She giggled at the thought of having both species in love with her.
“Truly?” she asked still smiling but getting used to the idea that maybe she wasn’t alone in the world anymore.
“Truly,” he answered without hesitation.
Chapter 11
By the second movie, Ryan had Waverly’s dress off leaving her only in her bra and garter. She begged him to strip out of his clothes as well but he had only removed his shirt and his boots. Anymore clothing and he didn’t think he could maintain his self-control.
Her hands on his hot flesh didn’t do anything to satiate his need for her. If anything it stoked the sensual fire he had for her burning inside his body. His bear was about to throw a tantrum because the man refused to claim their mate. Not able to reason with the animal he used brute strength of character to keep the animal in check. This was their mate and they needed to be respectful of her, not maul her like a piece of meat.
The bear whined but ultimately settled down into a frustrated lump in Ryan’s chest. The man tried to distract the animal with Waverly’s deliciousness and to a certain extent its thirst was slackened. But it wanted more. It always wanted more.
As did the woman. But Waverly learned to bide her time. She didn’t yet know her power over Ryan and his bear. She would learn the more time they spent together. But until then she let him lead and she followed.
He led her into his bedroom to a gigantic bed that looked like it could hold four people. Seeing how impressed she was with the bed, he explained that it would hold two adults and a myriad of little cubs if they were so inclined to sleep with their mom and dad. He was rewarded with a smile from her about the scenario. He was beginning to wear her down with his dreams about their future.
They settled in for the night by stripping Waverly of all her clothes and Ryan changing into some comfortable lounge pants. Considering her all laid out in his bed made his cock hard and quite discernable in his thin cotton pj’s. She caught sight of him erect and straining at his clothes and sat up to stare at his manhood as he made his way from the bathroom to his bed, their bed.
“Are you sure there isn’t something I can do to – help?” she asked demurely, involuntarily licking her lips.
“Quit looking at me like you want to devour me,” he growled lightheartedly. “It will get you nothing but trouble.”
“Maybe I want to start some trouble,” she pouted reaching out for him. He danced out of her reach and went over to the other side of the bed. Slipping in under the covers, he turned to her and held out his arms. She readily snuggled up next to him.
“That was a big sigh,” he commented wrapping his body around her.
“It was,” she agreed. “A rather big contented sigh. Ryan I had the best time tonight. I mean I know we didn’t do anything exciting but I enjoyed spending time with you on the couch.”
He chuckled. “So did I,” he responded without thought. “I don’t need to do anything but be with you to be happy.”
“You say such sweet things.”
“I mean them.”
“I’m beginning to believe you.”
“Good.”
“Thank you Ryan, for everything. You’ve given me a lot to mull over and consider.”
“Good things I hope?”
“Yes very good things.”
“Well let’s try and get some sleep. I may get up a couple times during the night to check on the animals. I’ll try not to wake you.”
“Do you need any help?”
“My brothers will be helping.”
“Oh. Ok. I can’t wait to meet them.”
“They can’t wait to meet you. I had to force them out of my home before you came so you weren’t overwhelmed by them.”
She giggled at the thought of being overpowered by three more guys as big as Ryan. “I think I would feel like a small toy dog in all y’all’s presences.”
“We are all kind of big men.”
“All bear shifters?”
“Yep. Except for Jai. He’s actually adopted. He’s a tiger shifter.”
“Really?” she asked getting excited by the thought of seeing a tiger shifter. “That’s so cool.”
“Cooler than a bear shifter?” Ryan rumbled not liking this feeling of jealousy that arose against his brother for having done nothing but be himself.
“Never cooler than a bear shifter that loves me,” she assured him snuggling deeper into his warmth. She yawned. “Can I see your bear soon?”
“Yes sweetness. Tomorrow you can see my bear. And Jai’s tiger.”
She yawned again. “Great,” she replied sleepily. “Ryan?”
“Yes baby girl?”
“Good night.”
“Good night sweetness. Have wonderful dreams.”
She made a noncommittal sound before her breath evened out and she was fast asleep. Ryan squeezed her to him once and then settled himself into the fluffy mattress that couldn’t rival Waverly’s softness. But if he ensconced himself into her suppleness, he would end up fucking her and she wasn’t quite ready for that step in their relationship.
Yet.
Chapter 12
“ ‘Bout time you decided to join us,” Jai grumbled as he checked the heater in the water trough located outside the barn. “Couldn’t leave that warm bed huh?”
“Not especially since it is being warmed by a gorgeous young lady,” Ryan replied conceitedly.
“Hell yes man!” Hank exclaimed. “You claimed her already?”
“No! Don’t you think two days is a little early to be claiming a woman?”
“Not if your bear is in agreement.”
“It’s not my bear who isn’t in agreement,” Ryan said grudgingly.
“She doesn’t want you to claim her?” Jonathan exclaimed as the four men came to huddle together in the cold night next to the barn so that the frigid wind didn’t fly down on top of them.
“She isn’t sure yet,” Ryan answered honestly. “You know humans. They feel the mating bond but not as strongly as we shifters do. It’s taking her some time to get used to being with a shifter and a man. Evidently she hasn’t had much good experience in that department.”
“Why not?”
“Because human men are stupid. They all want cookie cutter women. They can’t stand a little variety.”
“You always did like exotic women,” Hank teased. “So what’s her story?”
“I don’t know. Asian I think and some other people. She looks Samoan or Hawaiian. Gorgeous caramel skin. Long black hair. The biggest brown eyes. Stunning.”
“Curvy?” Jonathan asked curiously. All four brothers had the same
taste in women so he wouldn’t be surprised if this new woman in his brother’s life was luscious and thick.
“You know it!”
All four brothers laughed. They did know.
“So when do we get to meet this beautiful lady?” Hank asked turning toward the barn to lead this brothers back in there to see how the horses and dogs were doing.
“When we’re done here.”
“Did you wake her?” Hank asked disappointed in his brother for disturbing the woman’s sleep.
“Yes, but she wouldn’t go back to sleep. She said she would get up and make us something warm to drink when we were done.”
“Not coffee I hope,” Jai whined. “I’d really like to get in a couple more hours of sleep before getting up for the day.”
“Nope. I told her we usually took a nap before actually getting up. So she said something about hot chocolate.”
“Mmm. Sounds and feels good already,” Hank sounded eagerly. “Let’s get this done then.”
Chapter 13
“So you and my brother are mates,” Jonathan said bluntly after all the introductions had been made and everyone had their mug of hot chocolate in front of them. Since there were only four chairs at the kitchen table, Ryan pulled Waverly onto his lap to sit.
The blush that appeared on the woman’s face astounded Jonathan. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw a woman go red with innocence and that surely was what it was, naiveté. It was refreshing.
Most women the brothers met only wanted them for their land and cattle. They saw dollar signs when they found out they were Garrison men. Ryan seemed to have found the one woman in the county who didn’t know about the Garrison fortune. Jonathan was happy for his brother.
“I – I guess,” she stumbled around. “I mean we – are.”
“You don’t sound all that sure about it,” Jai said honestly. “What makes you doubt that you are mates?”
“I – uh well, he’s so – wonderful and I’m so – not,” she said timidly not able to look any of the men in the eye, afraid of the affirmation she would see there.
“How are you not wonderful?” Hank asked confused. Admittedly Ryan didn’t have the best track record with women, having falling in love with several that couldn’t handle him being a shifter, but this thing with Waverly had seemed pretty genuine.
On his brother’s part at least.
“Well … I mean that he’s so handsome and smart. Owns his own business. Has a family –”
“What do you do Waverly?” Jai asked interrupting her.
“I work in IT security for the federal government.”
“So you have a job. You make enough to take care of yourself.”
“Oh yes.”
“That’s what Ryan does. Makes a living. We aren’t gentlemen farmers here.”
“No of course not. I didn’t mean to imply …”
“Jai take it easy,” Ryan growled softly in warning. “Waverly knows I’m a dairy farmer and it doesn’t bother her.”
“Oh God no! It doesn’t bother me at all. I didn’t mean to make you think that it did. I was only trying to say that we come from two very different – economic backgrounds. He should be dating princesses or debutantes, not a working girl.”
“He has,” Hank popped in quickly. “He didn’t really enjoy it all that much,” he hastened to add when he saw her face fall from that revelation. “Nothing against them but Ryan generally needed someone a helluva lot smarter than those girls were.”
“They were entertaining,” Ryan explained, squeezing her hip. “But had no opinion about anything. They were trained to be conversationalists but not share anything of themselves. I need more than that.”
“That would seem boring,” Waverly agreed looking at him trying to gauge his sincerity. “I don’t need to talk but I would like it that whenever we did talk it would be meaningful.”
“Exactly!” Ryan exclaimed. She graced him with a small smile happy to have made his point for him.
“Do you not have a family?” Jai asked returning to his interrogation despite Ryan’s cutting fierce eyes at him to make him stop.
“I do. My mom and dad. They live in Raleigh so I don’t get to see them very often. We aren’t very – close.”
“Why not?”
“Jai,” Ryan now verbally warned his brother to stop digging.
“They had me late in life,” Waverly continued, wanting to be up front with his family about hers. “I was a ‘surprise’ baby. By the time I went to college, they retired and went on all those vacations they had put off while working and then raising me. So they may live in Raleigh but I don’t usually know where they are on any given day. They would never say it but I kind of cramped their style for eighteen years. Once I was legal, they were done with me.”
“That sounds cold,” Hank remarked frowning.
“Maybe,” she conceded hesitantly. “But like I said I was a ‘surprise’ to them.”
“So? You are a human being, their daughter.”
“That’s how Ryan and I are different as well. You all seem very close-knit. I mean you all live next to each other, help each other out. I can tell you all love one another so much.”
“What does that have to do with you being Ryan’s mate?” Jai asked still not getting her point.
“You all may – not … like me,” she said with quiet reluctance.
“So?” Jonathan asked not getting it.
“So of course he would choose you all over me.”
“I wouldn’t be so quick to think that,” Hank interjected. “A good woman is hard to find and even harder to hold onto. Something tells me we would have to arrange our personalities around yours.”
“That’s terrible!” she exclaimed really not liking that idea, having been one who had to do that all the time. “I would never make Ryan choose me over you. Y’all are brothers, much more important than a good fuck.”
“Wait a minute,” Ryan finally said, exasperated by all the assumptions floating around the conversation. “First of all,” he continued, pulling Waverly in tight with both arms cocooning her with his body. “You are more than a good fuck. Second, I don’t have to make a choice because the guys are going to love you. Third, even if for some god-awful reason my brothers didn’t like you, I would choose you over them every time. That’s what mates do for each other. Have each other’s backs.”
She looked up at him with those big brown eyes so full of wonder and surprise at his every word it seemed. “You would do that?”
“Yes I would.”
“But –”
“No ‘buts,’ ” he interrupted her fiercely. “You are my mate and while you may be able to walk away from this relationship I can’t. I won’t. I don’t want to.”
“I’m sorry for making this hard on you,” she said softly, embarrassed by her behavior but not able to change it. “I still can’t believe you – love me.”
“Ryan you did explain the whole ‘mate’ thing to her didn’t you?” Hank asked exasperated with this little brother.
“He did,” Waverly answered for Ryan, now considering Hank. Her blush heightened as she took in his confused look. “I know about the mating bond. I guess I haven’t actually – accepted it yet. Not because I don’t want to, I do. I just can’t believe your brother – wants me.”
“For a mate?” Hank asked softly seeing her own frustration at the situation.
“Yes. I mean he’s so everything I’m not. He could find a woman much better looking, sexier, nicer, smarter, and richer than me. Someone more suitable to his status.”
“Fuck status!” Jai exclaimed, dismissing her words with a hand wave. “That doesn’t mean anything. I’m surprised it means that much to you.”
“Only because I don’t have any and your brother has a lot to offer a mate,” Waverly confessed. “I could care less if a man or shifter has status but …”
“But what sweetness?” Ryan asked when she went silent.
“But I care so m
uch for you Ryan,” she said is a breathy whisper. “I only want the best for you.”
“Oh sweetness, you are what is best for me,” he replied, hugging her closer. He sighed when she melted against him, giving up trying to maintain some boundary between the two of them.
“No I’m not but I’m afraid you may be stuck with me,” she murmured into his chest.
“I am and I couldn’t be happier.”
He was rewarded with a chuckle. He smiled at hearing her lighter side instead of her serious side that wouldn’t let her conceive of the mere idea of the two of them.
“So Waverly,” Jonathan interrupted their moment before they started kissing. “What do you like to do for fun?”
Chapter 14
After their “naps,” Waverly treated the boys to a big breakfast before they went back out into the cold. As each one left, he thanked her for the food and kissed her on the cheek. Something Ryan didn’t take too kindly too, if his growling was any indication. The men seemed to enjoy teasing their brother.
Ryan gave her a hot passionate kiss on the lips before he left. He told her to make herself comfortable. That his laptop was in his office down the hallway if she needed to get online. Thankfully it was the weekend and she didn’t need to check in with work.
A long hot soak in Ryan’s huge tub, which actually allowed her to fit all of her curves under the water, took up an hour of her morning and reminded her of how tired she was. She hadn’t been able to nap like the boys had. She and Ryan had stayed up and made out some more. The man was insatiable. He told her that he was never like this with other women, only her.
With every word he said to her she fell in love with him a little bit more.
She sank into Ryan’s bed for a nap before lunch. She had promised the boys something to eat. Generally Hank was the one who cooked for all of them but his skills seemed to be pretty basic. Not that hers were all that spectacular. Yet she had the time to look up some simple recipes on line.
Waking up refreshed she went to Ryan’s office to look up something for her to cook. When she opened up his laptop, it came right on with no need for a password. Opening up his internet browser, she came face to face with this mate.com account, which was also open and running. Evidently the man didn’t believe in logging off applications.
