Cabin Bear Heat Box Set: A Paranormal Fantasy Bear Shifter Romance (A Bear Shifter Romance Retelling of the Billionaire Redemption Series Book 2)

by Love-Wins, Bella

  “Yes. That sounds great.”

  “Awesome. I’ll take care of the reservation.”

  “Andrew?” She called to him, and he could kiss her all over again. The sound of her voice calling his name stirred him deeply.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m glad you’re here, and that you came by.”

  “Good.”

  “So how did you find me?”

  “I have Rob to thank. I hope that was okay?”

  “Oh, of course.”

  “Good,” he said, still slightly nervous. “Believe me, I’m relieved to hear you say that. I wasn’t sure coming here was the right decision, and it was so late at night. I felt badly about ringing your doorbell so many times.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “I saw your rental car so I knew you were home.”

  “That’s fine.”

  He was tired of rambling on. He took a breath. “Abby, I’m sure you have questions, and I don’t know that I have any answers for you about why I came all this way. There is no playbook for this. I was going purely on gut instinct. I don’t know if we should speed things up, or slow things down. I’m not sure whether we’ve done things in the wrong order and ruined our shot at this. All I know is it feels right. I want to be near you all the time. I look forward to holding you, to looking into your eyes, and I know I’m rambling. I think I will let you sleep now. And we can see each other tomorrow.”

  She looked up at him. All Andrew saw was patience and tenderness in her eyes. “I think you know I feel the same way about you. I’m a little surprised to see you at my front door right now, but your being here is a good thing, I think. Maybe it’s good you’re staying at the hotel, and I’m here. We can see each other at dinner. We can go out and enjoy each other’s company. I don’t have a playbook either. I don’t think we need one. We should not judge what happened or dwell much on whether it’s too fast or too slow, or in the wrong or right order. I want to be with you. That hasn’t changed from this morning.”

  “Thanks Abby.”

  “I wasn’t finished.”

  “Oh. Sorry.”

  “I was going to say, I think you should stay for a while, if you have time tonight.”

  “Sure. I’d like that.”

  “Good. Did you drive here?”

  “Yes. No. I didn’t drive myself. I used our limo service. The driver is waiting in the parking lot.”

  “Could he come back for you tomorrow morning?”

  He liked the sounds of that, but couldn’t stay. “I’m sorry, Abby. I can’t stay tonight. I’ve got an early meeting at the hotel in the morning, and a briefing with Dr. Sansbury for a few hours in the afternoon.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “We could meet earlier tomorrow, if you’re free?”

  “I think so. I want to get on campus tomorrow morning to see what I’ve missed so far. It’s probably not that much. If you’d like to do something before dinner, I should be home by early afternoon.”

  “Great. I’ll confirm once I meet Sansbury.” He paused, noticing she was in pajamas and seemed pretty tired. “If you want me to, I can stay for a while.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe a couple of hours?”

  “Sure.” She moved back into his arms and hugged around his waist. “So, did you miss me, Andrew?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  Chapter Two

  ABBY was happy to see Andrew, but like him, she wasn’t sure what she needed to do next. The time in Lake Tahoe seemed surreal already. They were locked away from everything, and things had happened so quickly. Now, she was here in the outside world, and she wasn’t so sure about where to take it. Again, the thought of labels and definitions and societal norms crept up. Did the fact that she slept with him mean they were dating? Or not dating?

  She had told him she wanted to be his, and she meant it. She just couldn’t be sure of a clear path forward. The way romances were depicted on television, in romance novels, and all around her was laid out in a completely different sequence. Go out on a few dates, see if there’s a spark, go out some more, become intimate, decide the other person is for you, and then commit. She and Andrew had felt the spark and went straight to intimacy and commitment all in seventy two hours. So what were they supposed to do next?

  The thing she had no doubt about was her attraction to him, his kindness, and his soft heart. She needed to hold on to that. Preserving what they had required some shedding of those expectations drilled into her mind since birth about relationship progression, but so be it.

  For now, he had shown up at her door, looking sharp in his white shirt, black slacks and a sleek leather jacket. He looked like a different Andrew altogether. All she had seen him wear at the cottage were jeans, plaid shirts, and sweat suits; and all those plush white robes. Oh, and nothing. He looked amazing then, but now he looked refined, taller, sexier, and completely edible.

  The door was ajar, and he had stepped in, and emotion clamped around her heart until she could barely breathe. Christ, where had her manners gone? He was still standing in the middle of her living room, and she had not offered him a seat or a drink.

  “I’m sorry for being rude, Andrew. Please, have a seat.”

  “Thanks,” he answered, sitting in the spot on the sofa closest to the door.

  “Can I get you a drink? Water, juice? I can put some coffee on.”

  “No. You’ve got to be tired from that drive.”

  “Well, maybe a little, but not too tired to be polite.”

  “Don’t worry about that, Abby. How about you come over here?” He held his arm out, inviting her to sit beside him.

  Abby did one better. She took his hand and settled in his lap. She wanted to feel that smoldering heat his body gave off twenty-four seven. She cuddled into Andrew’s embrace and wasted no time, nipping on his neck from her convenient spot. His strong, muscular arms wrapped around her, one around her waist and one tight under her breasts. A large hand cupped her breast, his thumb playing idly with her nipple through her pajama top.

  The tug of desire struck low, and resonated in her womb. He was playing with fire, really. They had already gone a few times that morning, but that felt like ages ago. His crazy idea to show up unannounced couldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe it had been inspired, indeed. Though, the rather unexpected twist was a bit…dream-like. She was sure he had messaged her, but sleep had taken precedent. All that didn’t matter anymore, now that she was in his arms.

  She nestled in his neck and closed her eyes as he caressed her. “I may not be able to let you leave if you keep that up.”

  “I may not want to leave either,” he confessed.

  She sat up and gave him a lopsided smile, still a little sleepy from being jolted awake by his visit. He laughed and lifted her chin, and proceeded to kiss her gently, then much harder. Her desire overtook her again. She was ready for some messy and fun lovemaking—on her turf.

  He peeked open an eyelid and groaned.

  “I want you, Abby.” His voice was at its sexiest, a deep baritone, husky, raw and so damned seductive. Abby shivered at just the sound of it.

  “Is that why you woke me up?” She moaned into his ravenous mouth.

  “Yes,” he said.

  She noticed the lift of his lips as he said it, and knew there was some levity mixed in with the joking. Sweet Jesus, the man was as frisky as she was. It was a beautiful thing.

  “Good. I want you too. Right here. Right now,” she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet. “Right here on the couch.”

  “Right here?”

  “Absolutely.” She grinned at him, sliding her hand down to his member.

  Silence answered her suggestion. She wasn’t worried. He was on board. The stripping off of his jacket and shirt, and unbuckling of his belt were dead giveaways. She gave him a moment and then started humming the Jeopardy tune. Ten chords in, and he was ripping at her pajama top, tugging at her panties to get them off. He took her hand, sat in the chair, and pull
ed her back into his lap.

  “I’m in.”

  “You’d better believe it. You can’t have come all this way for a kiss. I’d be irate if you had.”

  She gripped the backrest behind his shoulder and shifted to straddle him.

  “I’ll do my best to talk you down from irate,” he teased, eyes now fixated on her breasts.

  She lowered from her kneeling position, and dipped down so her chest met his face. He cupped his hands under each breasts and licked one after the other. It felt so good. She reached a hand down between her legs and found his cock. She took it in her hand and pumped slowly, eyes down at his lips sucking her nipples. His cock grew under her hand, and she reached the other hand underneath to cup and massage his balls. They were tight and hard.

  “I want to ride you, Andrew,” she whispered.

  She was dripping wet with need, and so ready for him. She positioned his manhood at her opening and sat on it slowly, letting its thickness penetrate and spread her aching core.

  “Oh God, Abby,” Andrew groaned, releasing his attack on her nipples.

  She dragged her nails across his outer thighs when he pulled her ass forward and down on him. Her pleasure grew as he pulled her in and released, and all she could do was move her hand up his chest, grip his shoulders, arch her back, and ride. He was moving beneath her and soon, a wave of pleasure ripped through her core as she came. She bit her lips and groaned a low humming sound, and before she could descend, another wave hit. He must have been in the perfect position, giving her G-spot a run for the money.

  Soon her legs gave way. He was close, but had not come yet. To help him, she stretched her arms down and around his hips to cup his ass. She dug into his skin as he tilted his hips in short, sharp upward bursts. Abby’s channel contracted again, squeezing tight around his cock as he went deeper.

  No doubt, he was close. His thrusts grew more erratic by the second. Up and in. Down and not quite out.

  “Oh God, Abby… Abby.”

  She was getting so turned on again. He jerked when she bit softly on his collarbone and she felt him driving his cock deeper and harder into her for a few more times before he released deep within her. His muscular thighs shook as the last of his orgasm flowed through him. Breathless, he cupped her face and kissed her.

  “Abby…”

  She stopped him with a finger across his lips. She didn’t want him to speak. She could guess what was coming. It was the mind-blowing sex talking. She rested her head on his shoulder and let their strength return.

  ***

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Andrew asked when his breathing was back under control.

  “Now that you mention it, yes.” She shifted her body and climbed off him. “I can make you something when I clean up a bit.”

  She started walking to the bathroom, but turned as she remembered something. “Wait. Sorry, Andrew. My fridge is probably a no-go zone. I was at my dad’s for two weeks before we got stuck in the blizzard. I had cleared it out before I went home. Anything left in there is either old or moldy or somewhere in between.”

  “Do you want to grab a bite to eat? Or I can order in for us.”

  “Sure.”

  “Or, if you’re up for it, my hotel has a steakhouse on the main floor. They’re open late. Good food. Excellent steaks and ribs. And room service. So if you’d like to stay with me…”

  She thought about it for a while. She had really missed sleeping in her own bed, and she had to be on campus.

  “How about this? There’s an all-night diner two blocks up the road. We can go have a bite there now, and stick to our dinner plans for tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good. The limo can take us.”

  “Let’s walk. I need to move around. It’s just two blocks away.”

  “I’m game.”

  “Okay. I’ll need a little time to get ready.”

  “Me too,” he winked.

  “Okay you go ahead while I figure out what to wear.” She kissed him and showed him the bathroom before going back to her room.

  Abby hurried in and made a beeline to her closet. Andrew had shown up looking so good. She wanted to dress up a little, even if they were just going to the diner. Before meeting him, she didn’t have the need for loads of dressy clothes. Hanging in her closet were two options—one very casual summer dress she wore some Saturdays to campus, and one that was too formal. She had worn it when one of her nursing classmates had gotten married. She had no idea what she’d wear to dinner tomorrow night.

  She settled for a pair of black skinny jeans, a simple pair of black flats, and a pink button-down shirt. There wasn’t much she could do about her hair either. She had towel dried it, so it fell onto her back in waves. Even if she shampooed it again it would need ages to blow dry

  Ahhh.

  She went to the linen closet for a towel. Andrew was back in the sofa, checking messages on his phone. Hurrying to the bathroom, she took a shower, and went to her room again to quickly get ready. When she was dressed, she took out her small makeup bag and put on some lipstick and mascara. After putting some anti-frizz product in her hair, she looked again at her face. It would have to do. Her eyes were still a little red from having just woken up, but she looked okay. There was also that look on her face. She was beaming. She was happy. Andrew was sitting in her living room, looking dapper, waiting to take her out on what she could call her their first real mini date.

  The thought gave her instant butterflies, and that smile; the smile that would not go away. She put on a subtle trace of eye liner and a mild pink eye shadow. A girl had to look good for her man, but more importantly, she had to feel good. Abby did. She stepped back and took in as much as she could in the mirror. She checked both off her list. She walked out to the living room to meet that wonderful man waiting for her.

  “Ready?”

  He stood up and looked at her intently. Taking her gently in his arms, he held her around her waist. “Damn, you look so beautiful.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Yes. I’m ready. I’ll tell the driver to wait here.”

  It was probably chilly outside, so she pulled out her spring jacket from the front closet. Andrew went outside to speak to his driver, and Abby grabbed her phone, purse and keys, and locked up. He came back to the front door, hooked her arm into his, and they left on foot to their date.

  She was glad she threw on the jacket. The night air was cool, with a soft breeze blowing. Every so often it would whip up her hair. It sent a shiver through her, but that had more to do with the man beside her. He unhooked his arm and wrapped it tightly around her body as they strolled.

  “Are you cold?”

  “No, not too much. Just enjoying the fresh air. We had been snowbound for three days, remember? To be honest, after walking through that blizzard for over an hour, I wasn’t sure I’d like being out in the elements at all anymore.”

  “I can imagine. Well, don’t worry about tonight. I’m here to keep you warm.”

  “Mmmm.” She snuggled into his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment. He smelled so damn good.

  He was protective of her as they walked. No one was around, and the streets were quiet. He kept her close, and made a point of walking on the side closer to the curb. He was a true gentleman. Like her father. Spending this time with Andrew and at his cottage was beginning to trigger so many memories of her mom and dad. This time, she remembered them walking along a small waterway in Sparks near the state park as a young child.

  For almost the entire walk, her father had held her hand on one side, and her mom on the other. Whenever they got to a curb or crossed the street, depending on the orientation, he would switch positions with her mom. Abby was always in the middle, but had been confused about why he would keep switching. She had looked up and asked eventually. His answer was, “The man is supposed to walk on the outside near the curb, Abby. A good man always does everything he can to keep his family safe.”

  “So how do you like living
here?” Andrew asked, pulling her out of her memories, and back to their walk.

  “I’ve grown to love it. It took a while. During my undergraduate years, I lived closer to downtown. It was way too loud. Out here, it’s close enough for me to run on the boardwalk, see the ocean, and it’s a lot quieter on this side of the campus.”

  “Do you enjoy going out on the water?”

  “I think so. I mean, I’m sure I would. I haven’t ever been out. Unless dipping my feet in the ocean qualifies.”

  “Well, we’ll have to change that.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, we will. My father loves the ocean. He sails a lot on the east coast. Out here, he’s got a speed boat he keeps docked at North Beach. Sometimes it’s a Fisherman’s Wharf. I’d like to take you out on it, one night when you’re free.”

  “I’d like that.” She smiled up at him, then pointed ahead. “That’s the diner over there. We can cross at the next light.

  “Sounds good. This fresh air has worked up my appetite.”

  “Yes. I’m hungry too.”

  He whispered in her ear, “I wasn’t talking about food, Abby.”

  “Mmmm.” That did it for her. His voice, and his breath on her cheek sent a pang of need straight to her core. It spread out through her body and she could let him take her right there on the sidewalk. She turned and gave him a brief kiss on the cheek. It could wait.

  He cradled her back and leaned down to reclaim her lips. With her flats on—she wouldn’t dare wear pumps so soon after her ankle sprain—he still had to bend, but not too far. No heels would ever let her meet him in height, anyway. He honed in on her neck, and her breath hitched. It felt so good, standing there in his arms. Her leg slid up and down his pant leg without her permission. It just followed the lead of her desire.

  A car drove by the quiet side street, and pulled her out of her erotic haze.

  “Let’s have some food and hurry back to my place.”

  He held both her hands and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Good idea. I may have undressed you right here where we’re standing.”

  He held her around shoulder as they waited for the lights to change. When it did, they crossed the street and entered the diner. There were four patrons inside—two men at the bar sipping coffee, and a young couple at a back table.