by Liv Brywood
As she leaned back, he rocked up to meet her. Gentle, rhythmic waves of pleasure rose up from the base of his spine. Energy tingled and built in ever increasing pulses until he growled with need.
She tossed her head with abandon, riding him with an unrestrained wildness that made his bear roar with joy. Her head dropped forward onto his shoulder. She arched and bucked and rocked until she moaned his name.
As she squeezed and pulsed around him, she screamed. He crushed his lips against her, swallowing her cries until his own cries of release melded with hers to form a perfect harmony. He shuddered as he came harder than he’d ever come in his life. Every last drop of energy spilled into her until he had nothing left.
Completely satisfied, he lay back, cradling her against his chest. He loved the sensation of being inside her. She was his in every way that mattered. In his heart, he knew, without a doubt, that they belonged together. But his mind kept getting in the way. He couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d lied to him over and over. It was something he was having a hard time forgiving and he wasn’t sure what it would take to move past it.
***
Cindy lay in the circle of his arms in the center of the bed. She snuggled up against him until every inch of her was enveloped by him. The way he could completely cover her with his body made her feel safer than she’d felt in a year. If she ended up staying with Drew, she’d never have to worry about being alone again. She’d be able to bring her daughter to a ranch where she could grow up around good people. Everything would be perfect. Too bad she wasn’t any closer to that point now than she’d been the previous day.
As she sighed, he pulled her closer. She rolled so that her butt spooned up against his hips. His arm draped across her waist, giving her a great view of his huge hand. They were the biggest hands she’d ever seen, but they didn’t look strange when you took into account his size. He towered over her by at least a foot. But unlike the lumberjack-type, he didn’t lumber around like a hulking beast.
“What are you thinking?” he whispered, startling her.
“I didn’t realize you were still awake,” she said.
“I can’t sleep with you wiggling your butt like that.”
“I’m not wiggling,” she said with a smile as she ground against his semi-erect cock. God, did the man ever go soft? Ever?
“If you want more, all you have to do is ask,” he growled in her ear.
“Aren’t you tired?” she asked.
“No. I could do this for hours.”
“You’ve done it for hours.”
“Mmm…” he nuzzled the back of her earlobe.
She rolled slowly toward him. As she gazed into his hazel eyes, they shimmered in the late afternoon light.
“We’ve been in bed for hours. Your brothers are going to wonder what we’re up to,” she said.
“I’m sure they know what we’re doing,” he teased.
She laced her fingers in his and brought them up to her lips. As she kissed each knuckle, she struggled with how to ask him what was really on her mind.
“I’m not ready,” he said.
She stilled, knowing exactly what he meant.
“What will it take?” she asked softly.
“I don’t know. Usually I’m so sure of everything. But this… I wasn’t even looking for a mate.”
“I know,” she said. “I wish we’d met some other way. I think it would have made things a lot easier.”
He stroked the edge of her arm before raising up to kiss her shoulder. As he slowly turned her toward him, she pressed her face against his chest. She fought to keep tears from spilling down her cheeks.
“Hold me,” she murmured.
He pulled her against him and dragged a blanket over both of them. She hated crying, but couldn’t help it. The stress of the last year had been too much. She couldn’t take it anymore and so she cried until she fell asleep in his arms.
Hours later, she woke to an empty bed. She stared out the window at the cold moon. Fresh tears clung to her lashes. Her heart ached for him. After the hell she’d been through with her ex, she vowed never to fall in love again. And what had she done? Exactly that.
She was completely, utterly, hopelessly in love with him and was powerless to make him love her back. But a small piece of her heart held out hope that he loved her too. Maybe he really was just afraid of letting anyone get close to him. He’d never talked about his past relationships, so she didn’t know if another woman had broken his heart.
Regardless, if she lost him now, she’d never recover. Of course her traitorous heart had chosen an emotionally unavailable man. She’d never been lucky in love, so why start now?
As a fresh wave of self-pity consumed her, she shook it off. She’d been perfectly capable of taking care of herself the last year. She didn’t need him. If he didn’t want her, then her heart would heal and she’d move on.
She rolled away from the window. Sure, maybe she would heal, but if she lost Drew, she’d never attempt to love another man again. The heartache wasn’t worth it. Maybe fate was telling her that she would end up an old maid, alone with fifty cats and an endless pile of sewing projects.
The image of her with gray hair surrounded by an army of cats was too much. She didn’t want to laugh, but she couldn’t help it. The first peal of laughter led to another and another until she’d curled up into a ball, hysterically laughing. She rolled onto her back and clutched her belly. Oh, God. Too funny.
But the laughter was short lived. She didn’t want to end up old and alone. Especially when she had a chance with someone like Drew. She could lie to everyone in the world about who she was and where she’d come from, but she couldn’t lie to herself. She’d fallen completely in love with him. If she lost him now, she’d be devastated. She’d never recover. She had to find a way to make him see that they belonged together. But how?
The door cracked open. She tangled herself up in the sheets as she tried to sit up. Drew strolled into the room. He carried a tray with two plates on it.
“You’re awake,” he said. “Can I turn on the light?”
“Sure.”
After he flicked it on, she blinked a few times. Clad only in a pair of jeans, his bare chest clenched as he set the tray on the bed.
“I brought you dinner in bed,” he said. “Spaghetti and meatballs with chocolate cake for dessert.”
“I thought you left me,” she whispered.
“No.” He dropped his pants before sliding into bed beside her. “I don’t want to leave you. Not right now. I don’t know how I’ll feel about all of this tomorrow, but I think we’ve had enough excitement for today without making any major life changes.”
“I can accept that,” she said. He hadn’t said yes, but he hadn’t said no either. So there was still a chance he wanted her to stay. “Drew?”
“Hum?” he asked as he handed her a fork.
“I—I don’t want to lose you.”
He leaned across and gave her a soft kiss. “You haven’t lost me. Just give me time, okay?”
“All right.”
As she speared a meatball and brought it to her mouth, she took a deep breath. Time. It was the one commodity that she could give him. For now. But she couldn’t wait forever. Her daughter needed her. They’d already been apart far too long. If Drew didn’t decide soon, she’d have no choice but to leave him.
Chapter 11
The next morning, Drew followed Cindy into the shower in an effort to speed up their appearance at breakfast.
“If we take a shower at the same time, then we might have a chance at getting down there before everyone else does,” he said.
“They’re all going to know that you spent the night with me,” she said. “I don’t think we’ll be fooling anyone.”
“True.” He grinned. “So maybe we should linger here a bit.”
He dipped to kiss the plump softness of her lips. He couldn’t get enough of her. Although he couldn’t decide what to do about their rela
tionship, his bear was one hundred percent sure—he wanted her in every position in every room of the house.
Drew chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“I was just thinking about how you bring the animal out in me.” In more ways than one.
“I have that effect on you, huh?” she asked.
“You do,” he admitted, without telling her the whole truth. “You make me want to maul you.”
“Sounds kinky.”
“It could be,” he challenged.
“As kinky as sex in the shower?”
“You call that kinky?” He arched a brow.
“I guess it’s not that unusual.”
“It could be.”
He backed her against the wall, grabbed her hands and pinned them overhead. Her breasts heaved as she took deep breaths. The enticing visual was enough to get him harder than granite. When he shoved a knee between her thighs to part them, she whimpered.
“You’re going to make us super late,” she said in a breathy voice.
“For breakfast, maybe. But not for lunch.”
She squealed as he grabbed her under her thighs and pushed her up against the wall.
“You’re going to drop me,” she shrieked.
“Nope.”
“I’m too heavy.”
“Light as a snowflake,” he countered. He teased the tip of his cock against her soft folds. “But… if you want me to stop…”
“Don’t even think about it.” Her gaze narrowed as her voice dropped to a low, sexy timber. “Show me what you can do.”
With her legs wrapped around his waist and her back against the wall, he was in total control. He loved that she trusted him so completely. Trust was the single most important aspect of a relationship. And although it was clear that he had her trust, he hadn’t given her his yet. But he found himself wanting to trust her. The more he analyzed why she’d lied to him, the more he understood why she’d done it. But that final leap of faith, that was the one thing holding him back.
“Stop thinking and make love to me,” she murmured.
She didn’t have to ask twice. As he slid into her moist heat, she moaned. He couldn’t get enough of that sound. He couldn’t get enough of her.
What started as a slow, steady rhythm picked up tempo. His thighs strained as he thrust. His arms quivered as he held her. Water cascaded down his body, rippling across every clenched muscle before running down his legs.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “Harder.”
He pushed into her, angling his thighs so that she was pinned between him and the wall. The half-squat lasted until his body tensed. Erotic longing rose up to consume him. He couldn’t wait another second for her to become one with him.
He released one hand and reached between them to flick a thumb over her clit. She went wild, bucking and writhing. She slid sideways for a moment before he caught her.
“Stand up,” he growled.
When she did, he turned her toward the wall. He grabbed the back of her hands and pressed them over her head.
“Spread,” he commanded.
She tossed a salacious glance over her shoulder as she stepped her feet wider. Her sassy smile shot bolts of pure lust straight to his groin. He couldn’t wait to take her again.
As she arched her back, he gave her butt a little smack.
“Oh,” she gasped.
He wrapped an arm around her waist before plunging back into her. She cried out as he drove into her again and again. He’d never been so rough, so feral, but he loved it. When she dropped her head between her arms, he slowed the tempo, moving in and out with deliberate rolls of his hips.
“Oh, God. I’m so close,” she groaned.
He leaned forward, capturing the side of her neck in a biting kiss. She pushed back, impaling herself all the way. His eyes rolled back as he dragged his teeth across her shoulder. Pure instinct took over. He thrust harder and faster until she screamed and throbbed around his cock. She continued to vibrate and moan as he mashed her against the wall. His jaw clenched as her wet skin slapped against his abs.
Darkness encroached from the edges of his vision. He lost complete control. Thrusting, pounding, driving into her until he exploded with a roar. His body jerked and twitched as he filled her with every ounce of his desire. And when the last pulse faded, he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.
“I never want to let you go,” he murmured without thinking.
“I never want to go,” she replied.
She turned slowly to face him. Her lips found his and coaxed him into a soul-searching kiss that left him breathless. They were so damn good together. What did he have to think about? Wasn’t he ready to forgive her and move on?
His legs trembled as she washed him with a bar of pine scented soap. Each stroke of her hands comforted him in a way he’d never experienced in his life. By the time she finished washing him, he felt as if he’d been reborn.
As they stepped out of the shower, he reached for a towel. He turned and dried her off before sluicing water from his hair. He toweled off and followed her back into the bedroom. She didn’t speak as she slid into the bed and held the blanket up for him. She didn’t have to. There was no way he was going to leave her now. Not after such incredible sex.
She drifted off to sleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. As he watched her sleep, he realized he never wanted her to leave. Yes, he was still afraid that she might lie to him again in the future. But he was willing to take the risk. He couldn’t imagine letting her go now.
He leaned over to give her a soft kiss. She stirred and rolled to spoon her butt against his hips. He looped an arm across her waist and curled against her. He could get used to this. Waking up with her, going to bed with her, and making love to her were just added benefits. When he stopped fixating on the lies, he realized how much he liked just being with her. He could talk to her about things he couldn’t talk about with anyone else. She seemed to understand his need for silence and time alone. To her credit, when he’d asked for time to decide what to do about their relationship, she’d given it to him.
And wasn’t it time to finally let someone into his heart? He’d spent so many years alone. His brothers were all happy with their mates. He hated admitting it, but he was jealous. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful woman by their side? Someone to love and protect. Someone who wanted to build a life with him.
His bear nodded frantically. For once, he listened to the creature. His bear had been right all along but he’d been too stubborn to see that she really was his fated mate. He’d have to figure out a gentle way to introduce her to his bear, but she’d get over it.
An hour later, she stirred. She rolled toward him with the brilliant smile he’d come to love.
“Hey,” she said. “Was I out long?”
“Not too long.”
“Did you get any sleep?” she asked.
“Not really. I’ve been thinking…”
“Oh.” She bit the edge of her lip. “About us?”
“Yes.”
“And have you come to any conclusions?” she asked.
“I want to meet your daughter,” he said.
“You do?” Her eyes went wide and filled with glistening tears.
“I do. There’s still a lot that we have to figure out, but I’d like to meet her.”
“Thank you.” She wrapped him in a tight embrace. When she pulled away, a single tear slid down her cheek.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered. “You should be happy.”
“I am. I just wasn’t expecting this.”
“Why not?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“You kept talking about how much you hated liars and I lied to you. A lot. I wasn’t sure if you could forgive me.”
“I’m stubborn,” he said. “But I also know when to admit I’m wrong. Promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Promise me
that you won’t ever lie to me again,” he said.
“Never again,” she said. “Never again.”
***
Cindy’s fingers trembled as she dialed her parent’s house. They were going to think she’d lost her mind. How could she possibly explain everything that had happened in the last few months? They didn’t know anything about her plan to meet Drew.
“Hello?” her mom said.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Cindy, honey, where are you? We’ve been worried sick. Are you ready to come home now?”
“I’m not coming home. I’m moving to Montana.”
“You’re what?” her mom asked.
“I met someone.”
“Another man?”
“Yes. But he’s nothing like Liam. Drew’s sweet and kind and patient.”
Silence.
“Mom?” Cindy asked.
“How do you know you’re not falling into the same trap? Liam was charming and nice in the beginning. It took him years to show his true colors.”
“Drew’s a good man,” Cindy said emphatically. “If you don’t believe me, then you should come meet him.”
“Do you think that’s safe? We could lead Liam right to your door,” her mom said.
“You’re the one who keeps telling me that I need to face him. What difference does it make if I do it here or in L.A. Besides, he’ll never find me here. We can change our names and—”
“Brooke is settled in school. You’d be uprooting her. Taking her away from her friends.”
“She’s six. She’ll be far safer with me than she would be if she stayed in L.A.”
“She’s been perfectly fine the last year,” her mom said. “I don’t think he’s really going to come looking for you. After a year, he has to have cooled off.”
“I don’t know...” Cindy flashed back to the look of rage in his eyes. He’d sworn he’d chase her until he died. He wasn’t going to give up after such a short amount of time.
“Come home so we can talk about this,” her mom said.
“She’s my daughter. I want her here with me. Please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be, Mom. Please.”
