After the waiter seated them and left, Quinn turned to his date. His freaking blind date. One minute he’d been alone and the next the woman who made especially for him had appeared. Just like that.
He needed to know what she knew about shifters. There was some stupid shit out there about shifters and mating. “You do know I’m a shifter, right?”
She threw him a puzzled look. “Yes. Deb told me the Blackwoods were bear shifters.”
Humans had known about shifters and other paranormal beings for years. The first few years after the great reveal had been dangerous. He’d only been a small cub and his parents had protected him and his brothers and sisters from most of the harsher realities of the integration. Shifters were myth and magic come to life and many humans had not been happy with the change in the status quo. Just as many shifters felt superior.
“We are. Dad’s a grizzly and mom’s a brown bear.” He watched her carefully as he asked his next question. “And that’s all right with you?”
She smiled that sexy smile again and he wondered what he could do to keep ‘em coming. They shot straight to his groin and he was beginning to like that feeling.
“No. I don’t mind that you’re a shifter. I was glad there was another curvy woman at the firm when I got there. It gets a little tiring when you’re surrounded by blonde-headed, stick women who look as if a strong puff of wind would blow them away. Makes a person wish they lived in the Windy City.”
It took him a moment before her dry sense of humor struck home and he laughed.
She fingered the pattern on the tablecloth and he wondered if she was nervous. He breathed deeply. She was so new to him, he couldn’t read her scent yet. Not yet anyway.
“I’ve had shifter friends before.”
“Have you ever had a shifter boyfriend?” He had to ask. He knew women compared a man to every man they’d ever slept with. Not that he believed he’d have any problem wiping away the memory of some other bastard’s touch. It was always good to know what you were up against. Bear shifters were naturally better lovers than any of the other shifter breeds, and eons ahead of human males.
The real implications of having a human for a mate swept over him, causing him to sweat. A mate for a bear shifter. What was he going to do? He wanted her. His bear wanted her. He liked his sex hard and fast and as frequently as possible. Yes, he was a considerate lover, making sure the female found as much satisfaction as he did. Again, the troubling thought popped into his mind. Paige was human. A fragile, beautiful human.
Who smelled so good. He leaned forward, focusing on her lips, wondering if she would taste as good as she smelled. Berries. And cream. Cream from her pussy—
“No.” She shook her head answering the question he’d almost forgotten he’d asked. She pushed a strand of her long, brown hair behind her small ear. The perfectly formed shell and plump lobe were just right for nibbling.
“I haven’t had many boyfriends.”
She said it without censure or bitterness. She simply stated a fact.
The waiter came with the drinks they had left at the bar, ready to take their dinner order.
Quinn nodded for her to go first, frowning when she asked for the smallest steak they had and a house salad for the side. He knew she was hungry, he’d heard her stomach growl, not once, but twice, since they’d been seated. He started to open his mouth, demanding she order something else. He closed it quickly. He had to remember she was human, not a bear sow like his mother and sisters who knew they needed to eat to keep up their strength. Instead, he placed his own order of two medium rare steaks, two baked potatoes, and a double order of green beans. He also ordered two appetizers and demanded hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven yeast rolls be delivered immediately. If she wouldn’t order what she needed, he most certainly would. It was his job to provide for her.
“I, um, guess you’re hungry.”
“I suppose I am.” The look in his eyes left her in no doubt exactly what he hungered for.
Her.
He felt his bear trying to override the man. He knew this struggle wouldn’t be over until she was claimed. She is ours his bear reminded him with a not so gentle swipe of a heavy paw across his insides. Ours. Quinn rubbed his chest as if the bear had caused him physical pain. Every minute he was aware of his animal, the second presence in his soul. The bear usually made very few demands. If he didn’t find time to shift and spend some time in the woods, the animal let him know and he became a bear to live with according to his family. Other than that, the bear was content.
Unless Quinn went too long between women. Quinn had left his parents’ den as soon as he’d turned eighteen. His mother had protested, but his father had convinced her it was for the best. He knew a young, male bear needed to fuck as much as he needed to shift.
He had noticed an increasing restlessness in his animal over the last several years as his sisters had found their mates and started their own household. Tonight the bear was alert and active, fiercely seeking to communicate with the man. To convey the animal’s needs. Which happened to mirror the man’s needs. A need for Paige.
The bread came and he didn’t give her a chance to protest that she wasn’t hungry. He tore open a roll, lathered it with butter, and thrust it toward her. “Eat.”
To his surprise, her hand wrapped around his wrist as she bent to take a bite.
She moaned at the taste.
And he silently groaned. Would she moan so deep and low when he stuffed her mouth with his cock? Before he could give in to the impossible urge to snatch the bread from her mouth and replace it with his throbbing member, his cell phone rang.
She took the rest of the bread and he retrieved the phone from his front pocket, the fabric tighter than normal thanks to the massive boner he was sporting. He looked at the screen. He wouldn’t have bothered except he’d halfway been expecting a call from one of his twin brothers, Ryland or Ryker. Blackwood Brothers Construction had been experiencing trouble with their latest project. Several break-ins had resulted in sabotage. Equipment had been tampered with and supplies stolen. Tonight his brothers were helping the night watchmen patrol the area. It wasn’t either of his brothers, however; it was his sister.
He heard Deb’s voice as soon as he connected the call.
“How’s it going brother-mine?” As he'd predicted, smugness coated her voice.
He decided to torture her as long as he could. “The restaurant is great, Sis.”
Paige stilled at his greeting to his sister. Needing to reassure her he was quite happy with how the date was going, he winked. His attention easily caught and held by her heart-shaped face and the rich, brown tumble of curls streaked with gold that framed her face. His cock, having deflated somewhat, popped right back up as she nibbled at her lips. He’d already noticed she did that when she was nervous. He hated that she was nervous.
He thought of several ways he could make her feel better, all of which included his cock and her pussy and various combinations thereof.
“Yes, I arrived on time, Deb.” He rolled his eyes, making Paige laugh as she spread butter on another roll. His attention was torn between listening to his sister and watching Paige eat. Was there anything more sensuous than watching a woman enjoy her food?
Yeah, watching her enjoy our cock, the bear rumbled.
Right now, every one of his predatory mating instincts focused on the curvaceous woman sitting on the opposite side of the booth. From what he’d observed, she had no idea how appealing she was, nor how she aroused him. All she had to do was look a little lower and she’d know without a shadow of a doubt how much she aroused him. He barely resisted the urge to adjust himself as his trousers restricted once again around his rock-hard cock. He’d be lucky to leave the restaurant with his pants intact.
“So, was I right?”
“Yeah.” That’s all he said. He couldn’t very well blurt out yeah, Sis, Paige is my mate and thank you very much for finding her. He did say,
“How did you know?”
He couldn’t see her, but he’d bet a hundred dollars she just shrugged her shoulders. He sometimes gave his sister a hard time—he gave all his siblings a hard time—but he was very proud of each of them. Deb was very modest in her achievements, be it as a wife, a mother or a working professional. Heck, she’d helped a lot of shifters find their mates. Maybe she should start charging for her matchmaking abilities.
What he wanted to know was why she hadn’t worked harder to introduce him to Paige. She’d apparently had one of her feelings, something Quinn was never going to doubt again. The women had been working together for a little over a month at a top engineering firm. Not only was his mate beautiful, she was very intelligent. She and his sister held degrees in civil engineering.
He and his brothers had tried to get his sister to work for them. She’d refused, stating she didn’t want to work for a bunch of jackassed bears. They did hire her as a consultant when the need arose. Maybe they could do the same with Paige. Or entice her away from her current employer. He quickly rethought that idea. Or maybe not. He wouldn’t get a hell of a lot of work done with her around. He’d be bending her over his desk and fucking her every chance he got.
“Because you weren’t ready, baby brother.”
He needed to add mindreading to his sister’s list of skills. “And you think I am now?”
The thought of having a mate scared him shitless.
She laughed and said goodbye.
Disconnecting the call, he leaned over, taking one of Paige’s hands in his. “Okay?”
“I’ve never done this before.”
She licked her lips and images of her kneeling before him, devouring his dick like a giant lollipop flooded his mind. Get it together, bro.
“Been in a bar?”
“No, been on a blind date with a bear.”
CHAPTER TWO
OH, SHE WAS so in trouble now. It had taken Deb over a month to convince Paige she should go out with her brother. When she’d finally said yes about a week ago, their schedules had prevented a date, at least that’s what Deb told her. More than likely Quinn had said no and it had taken Deb a week to convince her brother a blind date with the chubby girl from the office was a good idea. As it was, he’d chosen to go out on a Wednesday night, not the usual day of the week for a hot date.
Over the past month, she’d seen a lot of pictures of Deb’s family, including her hunky brothers. Deb was the oldest of four siblings. There was a younger sister, then Quinn and twin brothers. In the photos, Paige had always been drawn to Quinn, even though all of the Blackwood siblings were drop dead gorgeous. Deb and her sister were two of the most beautiful women Paige had ever seen. Extra curves and all.
Paige…well Paige wasn’t the prettiest bloom in the bunch, but she wasn’t exactly a weed either. Sexual impulses—like those engulfing her right now—did not overtake her very often. Not because she didn’t want sex. Cause she did. But she wanted hot, sweaty, you-make-me-wild sex.
The two men she’d had sex with had proven less than satisfying in that department. That was why she’d been so reluctant to start dating again. Plus, it was difficult to meet men in a new city. She’d moved to Georgia when the firm Deb worked for had enticed her away from her previous employer. It had been time to move. The relationship with her last boyfriend had ended on a sour note and she needed a fresh start.
So what made Quinn the living, breathing embodiment of her ideal man?
First, he was big. Tall, broad shouldered with a trim, fantastic body—hey, big girls appreciated a fine specimen of manhood, same as the next girl. His bone structure was to die for. High cheekbones, a firm chin, and a wide brow. Native American had to be part of the bear shifter DNA. Riveting brown eyes, a mouth both firm and sensuous set in a well-shaped head and topped with sun-kissed brown hair was icing on the cake so to speak. She sighed. If he was this gorgeous in his human form, his bear must be downright beautiful.
He was blatantly male, strong, self-confident, determined, and even a bit arrogant. What male shifter wasn’t?
Quinn interested her, excited her. But did she want something he couldn’t give her?
Deb had hinted that Quinn was looking for a serious relationship. Despite her friend’s encouragement, Paige knew shifters didn’t do relationships, they mated. They knew who their mate was as soon as they met them, or scented them. Quinn had given no indication that Paige was his true mate. If he had, wouldn’t he have slung her over his shoulder and carried her off to the nearest bed?
Oh, how would it feel to be this man’s chosen mate? This time her sigh was on the dramatic side and his eyebrow arched. To prevent another slip, she grabbed another roll and broke off a huge hunk. She lathered it with butter. Might as well make the most of the meal. It didn’t appear she’d be feasting on rock hard bear shifter anytime in the near future.
He’d ended the call by the time she’d popped the piece of bread in her mouth. He quickly grabbed her hand. “Honey butter. My favorite.”
She grinned at him. “Really? A bear who likes honey, who would have thunk?”
He licked her hand where a small amount of butter had fallen. Her sarcasm dried up at the first swipe of his tongue over the pad of her thumb. If someone were to have asked her how she felt at that very moment, she would have described the sensations as arrows of heat striking her womb and setting it on fire.
No, she wasn’t Quinn’s destined mate. Looking at him across the table, she decided that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy him while he searched. It was time to learn to be…if not bad, maybe a little naughty. Her pussy tingled as he licked away the rest of the butter. Or a lot naughty.
“Let’s dance,” he said once he’d cleaned her fingers with his talented tongue. Well, he didn’t so much ask as ordered. The restaurant sported a bar and dining area along with a nice sized dance floor. One corner of the large room housed a small stage where a live country and western band played the latest hits.
Paige looked at Quinn, hesitant to accept his offer. She really wanted to dance. The thought of his arms around her warred with the knowledge that she’d be exposed to everyone’s scrutiny on the dance floor. On display, something big girls avoided at all costs. Well, at least this big girl avoided it. He didn’t give her a chance to say no. Helping her from the booth, he led her to the dance floor with his strong hand beneath her elbow.
“I’m not much of a dancer,” she protested. He stopped when he reached a darkened corner and turned, wrapping her securely in his arms. Paige hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until it slid out in a long, slow sigh at the feel of his tall body pressed against hers. Her whole body went soft, sinking into his hardness.
“No worries, I’ll teach you all you need to know.”
Paige’s eyes widened ever so slightly and Quinn didn’t know if it was in reaction to the double entendre or the massive erection poking her soft belly with the strength of a metal pipe. He hadn’t been this turned on in years. He allowed himself a smile as he felt the rapid beating of her heart against the palm of his hand where he caressed her back. He wasn’t the only one affected by their closeness.
The first song was a lively tune and he knew he surprised her with his expert dips and twists. Quinn didn’t display any of his animal-in-the-wild’s large and clumsy movements. All shifters moved with an inherent grace. It was still early in the evening so the dance floor wasn’t crowded. There was plenty of room for a bear to show his girl some of his moves. Her eyes beamed with delight when the song ended.
“That wasn’t what I expected,” she laughed.
“What did you expect? The Moon Walk?”
“Well, it would have been appropriate. You are a shifter,” she glanced at him through her long lashes, a teasing look on her face. Man, the woman was sweet.
“Yeah, but I’m not a damn wolf shifter. Bears aren’t harnessed by the moon, love. We have complete power over our animals.”
/> The music changed and the band switched to a slow, languid ballad. Her laughter faded as he gathered her closer. They both groaned when she bumped against him. His erection hadn’t abated during the last dance. If anything, it had grown bigger. Her softness was a warm, shimmering heat along his front. He couldn’t wait to get her alone and naked and wet. Her scent held a slight trace of fear and he cursed himself. Too fast, Quinn, you’re moving too fast.
No, you’re not, his bear complained. It was so close to the surface he could feel the warmth of the animal’s breath. Faster, faster, it urged.
He adjusted his hold, allowing her to pull away and put some space between them. Both man and beast disliked the idea that the woman might be frightened, no matter how horny they were. He moved slowly, guiding her around the dance floor. As arousal slowly replaced the smell of fear, he tightened every muscle in his body, striving for control.
His hands ached to cup her bottom, to feel the heaviness of her body. Her tension eased and he placed both hands on the upper curves of her hip. When she didn’t protest the intimate touch, he squeezed the ripe flesh, letting his fingers splay, his hands cradle the impressive width. That earned him a small feminine glare. He didn’t know if it was because of his intimate touch or where he caressed her. He knew some women were self-conscious of their curves. She’d have to get use to him gripping her hips because he planned on burying himself inside her from behind on many, many occasions.
He wasn’t surprised that when the song ended she tugged at his wrists until he moved his hands. He was grateful she’d allowed his touch as long as she had. Entwining his fingers with hers, he moved them off the dance floor and back to their booth. He knew he was overwhelming her. That his bear, still hidden inside, was overwhelming her. He had a feeling if he let her go completely she would take the first opportunity and run out the front door.
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