Men Love Curves: BBW Romance

by Ruby Madden

  “Show me,” Ryker ordered.

  Thunder rolled overhead and he felt the tension of the building storm. The air carried the scent of moisture and the promise of rain. He heard the screech of blue jays as they urged their mates to return to their nests. Squirrels raced into the hollow deadfalls, their jaws stuffed with the fallen nuts they’d been able to snatch.

  Another rumble of thunder and the first drops of rain fell to the ground. Ryker lifted his bear snout to the sky, closing his eyes and welcoming the cool rain. He let the water pour over him, the storm moving closer and increasing in intensity. Flashes of lightning filled the air, almost immediately followed by a boom of thunder. Soon, the storm was directly overhead. Ryker threw back his head and roared, his thick brown coat soaking up the rain. The storm was as violent as the thoughts racing through his mind.

  He and Ryland had been searching the city for weeks trying to find their mate. They knew she’d stayed on the site for over a week, living there. His bear growled, deep and low. Was she alone in the world, without the proper means to support and care for herself? That thought had driven him to start his search for her the first time he’d discovered her scent. Without telling his twin. He’d never thought they would share a mate. He was too damn possessive. He sank to his haunches. His sister, Deb, had told him he just had to have a little faith. If fate had brought his mate to Atlanta and the construction site, then fate would bring her to him.

  The bear roared again.

  Screw fate. He wanted his mate now.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Paige’s doctor appointment went well and Quinn kept his promise to take her to lunch. The quaint diner reminded her of something out of the 1950s. Padded booths covered in red vinyl and chrome trim lined the walls. The floor sported a checker pattern in black and white tiles. It even had a counter where you could order and eat your lunch. Behind the counter, a window separated the kitchen from the front. The cook wore a paper hat and white t-shirt that revealed an anchor tattoo on his arm. She expected to see a cigarette dangling from his lip. Retro was in again.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” she whispered as they slid into an empty booth. Within minutes a waitress was flipping over squat glasses and filling them with ice water. Paige smiled, loving the woman’s vintage uniform. The diner was definitely quirky and she loved it.

  Just like she loved the man beside her and the babies inside her. Her hand flew to her stomach with maternal protectiveness. Quinn had known from the beginning that she was carrying twins, having heard their first heartbeats. Today, she’d fallen a little more in love with the big alpha bear when he’d seen the 3D ultrasound image of their cubs. He’d gruffly wiped away tears when the lights had come back on.

  Quinn stopped the waitress from handing them menus with one of his charming smiles. “You’re ready to order, aren’t you, baby?”

  “Yep. A cheeseburger with everything, and fries. Oh, and a glass of milk.” Deb, Paige’s best friend and one of Quinn’s older sisters, had discovered the diner about a week ago.

  “Good girl,” Quinn praised her. Since they’d found out she was pregnant, she’d given up carbonated beverages and caffeine. Two of her favorite things. Well, besides sex with her soon-to-be husband. Despite the hard time she was giving him over setting a date, she was in no hurry to hold a wedding. They were already mated and that was the equivalent of being married in the shifter world.

  “We’ll get you a bowl of ice cream for dessert.” He winked at her before placing his order. “Give me two of the same.”

  The waitress looked at him with a raised brow. “Even the milk?”

  Quinn slipped his arm across Paige’s shoulder and pulled her close. “Yeah. Even the milk.”

  “Sure thing.” The waitress smiled again and hurried away. Quinn watched as she placed the order with the cook before pulling his phone from his pocket. Paige threw him a questioning look because he’d promised no business today. He hated that look. More importantly, he hated he’d been the one to put it on her face. He’d almost messed up the best thing in his life by being overly concerned with business. And a dumbass according to his sister. “I need to call the twins.”

  “Okay.” The trust on her sweet face quickly replaced the look of concern. He thanked the fates every day they’d seen fit to send her to him. He wanted that for his brothers.

  Hence, the reason for the call. He promised himself he’d tell Paige all about it later tonight. He didn’t dare do it now with the sensitive shifter ears that might be listening. He didn’t want to be the one to spook the cat and perhaps cost his brothers another day without their mate.

  “Damn it,” he muttered. Naturally, Ryker refused to answer his phone. Some days he doubted the bear even carried it. He smirked as he dialed Ryland’s number. Ryker’s attitude would change quickly once he mated. Or had a mate carrying his cubs.

  He felt his knees weaken at the enormity of what was about to happen. He was going to be a father. To twins!

  “Hey, bro, what’s up?”

  Unknowingly, Ryland’s upbeat tone did much to settle his nerves. His parents had raised twin bear cubs without too much drama and both of the men had turned out fine. Well, for the most part. His bear was still sore at the way they’d teased and tormented him about his mess-up with Paige. Now, he felt a little older brother smugness. They had no idea what awaited them. “I think I found something you’ve been looking for.”

  Silence followed his announcement and Quinn was rethinking his decision to tell his brother over the phone that he’d found his mate.

  “Really? You think you just happened to stumble on her after Ryker and I have been searching the Goddamn city for over two fucking months!”

  Quinn hadn’t expected the outburst. Not from Ryland. “Watch it. Paige is sitting right beside me.”

  Ryland resisted the urge to crush the phone in his hand. He’d searched by himself last night when Ryker had decided to go for a run instead. His ego was still in a wad because he couldn’t track their mate as well as Ryker. And now, his older brother had just happened to stumble upon her? Damn it, he had the right to be upset. A bear’s ego could take only so much.

  A small smile curved his lips when he heard Paige scolding Quinn for the harsh tone he’d used. Today, Ryland was on the top floor of the building, supervising the drywall crew. From this height, he watched Ryker supervise the men working the concrete being poured for the sidewalk that would wind around the front of the building. He knew he should tell Ryker about Quinn’s phone call, but didn’t want to get his twin’s hopes up. If it was another false lead, he didn’t know if his brother could stand another disappointment. He decided to check it out for himself.

  “Where?” He didn’t think he could manage to say much more.

  “At the diner. I’m with Paige.”

  “The same diner Deb just happened to tell Paige she needed to try? Give me the address. Now.” In the shifter world, his sister was gaining a reputation for her matchmaking abilities. She’d set Quinn up on a blind date with Paige and the rest was history. If she’d withheld the location of his and Ryker’s mate just to torment them…

  Quinn allowed himself another grin when he heard his brother’s commanding tone. Ryland was always giving him hell for his alpha behavior around Paige. He knew the man wasn’t conscious of the fact that he was now using the alpha male power all bears had. He rattled off the name of the diner and the street address. Before he could say anything else, his brother hung up. The twins had yet to say which bear was the true-mate of the mysterious cat shifter. If she turned out to be Ryland’s, his baby brother was in for a real eye-opener. The man thought he could charm his way in and out of every situation. He’d learn soon enough that mates could be as stubborn as hell and no amount of the Blackwood family charm would get them to obey.

  Paige had overheard enough of the conversation to understand what was going on. “So you think the cat shifter the boys have been hunting for is here, ri
ght now? Do you think she’s one of their mates?”

  “Yeah. I think so. They’ve both been closed-mouth, but if I had to guess, I’d say she is Ryker’s since his bear seems to get more agitated than Ryland’s around her scent.”

  When the waitress brought their milk, Paige placed a straw in hers and took a sip. Slowly. Was he a total jerk for imagining her mouth closing around his cock the same way it did the straw? His body hardened at the thought, so yeah, he was a jerk. A total horn-dog jerk. He just couldn’t get enough of his mate.

  He took a long drink of water. Anything to calm his libido. He shifted on the padded seat of the booth, trying to maneuver his dick into a more comfortable position.

  “Do you know which woman it is?”

  “No, just that she’s very close or I wouldn’t be able to scent her. The twins never let me or Jason near the tracks except once or twice.” Jason was their brother-in-law, married to their sister Deb and a Kodiak bear. His tracking skills almost ranked up there with Rayker’s.

  Quinn couldn’t imagine the hell his brothers were going through. Scenting their mate and not being able to find her. Worse, not knowing who she belonged to. Or, having to share her. Not unheard of, but tough as hell he was sure.

  He thanked fate every day for giving him Paige. Needing to touch her, he pulled her close and rubbed her stomach. He loved touching her stomach, knowing the cubs recognized his touch. He’d heard their very first heartbeats. It had paralyzed him the first time he’d realized what the whoosh, whoosh sound meant. It had been late at night with Paige sleeping in his arms. Suddenly, it wasn’t just the two of them in the bed, but four, a family.

  They had just left the doctor where a 3D ultrasound had been performed. While the babies were still in the early, early stage of development, their tiny faces had been clear as day on the black and white screen. Seeing them like that kind of freaked him out.

  “Are you sure one burger will be enough?” Tonight he would fix her a steak with lots of vegetables.

  Paige rolled her eyes. “Yes, one burger is enough. Being pregnant does not give me carte blanche to pig out for the next seven months. I’ll be as big as a house.”

  “Damn right. And I can’t wait. You are doing to be so fucking beautiful.” He lowered his head and whispered in her ear. “Your stomach is going to swell with my children. And when it does, I’ll have to take you on your hands and knees. I’ll push in so slowly, baby. So slowly.” His hand left her baby bump and traveled up her side. There was no privacy in this booth, not like the one on their first date. It stopped him from pinching her nipples. “Your tits will be like melons. So firm and so ripe.”

  Quinn growled the earthy, dirty words into her ear and Paige thought she might come on the spot.

  “And when you’re nursing, after the babies are finished, I’ll suckle you and taste that sweet milk.” He licked the sensitive skin under her ear. “And then I’ll lick that sweet cream I smell coating your pussy.”

  “Quinn!” Paige’s whisper was urgent and filled with need.

  “Do you want me to make you come, baby?”

  “Yes!”

  “You’ll have to be quiet. Do you think you can do that for me?”

  “Yes. I need it, Quinn.” She grabbed the front of his shirt, her big brown eyes pleading with him.

  Quinn eased his hand under the hem of Paige’s dress. It was new, the first of the many maternity clothes he planned on buying her. The green color brought at the lightly tanned hue of her skin and the reddish hints of color in her hair. Her legs were bare and smooth. He could smell her pussy; knew it was wet and weeping for him. His fingers touched the elastic band of her panties. He’d insisted she buy the prettiest lingerie she could find and for once she hadn’t fought him as she usually did when he wanted to spend money on her. They were a dark red satin and it had just about killed him when she’d walked out of the bathroom this morning. Her breasts had been bare and he’d wanted to rip the panties off right then, same as he did now. They were in his way.

  He stroked the line where her thigh and body met. He eased his fingers across her mound. He’d taken over trimming her once a week. Just one more intimacy he’d had to ease her into. He loved taking care of his woman and he knew she loved the thorough licking he gave her afterwards. She’d become comfortable doing just about anything with him.

  “I wish I could put my tongue on you right now, baby. I want to taste you so damn bad.” He pushed his finger inside her as he spoke and she gasped. His thumb strummed along her clit, making her breathing deepen. “You like that, don’t you?” She didn’t answer and he didn’t expect her to. Her job was to enjoy his touch and keep from screaming. Another finger entered her and her body tensed. “Relax,” he ordered her, biting her earlobe.

  “That’s my good girl,” he whispered as he continued to pump in and out. “Just enjoy the touch of your mate.”

  Quinn thrust another finger inside her and Paige had to smoother her groan. The three digits were stretching her. She wasn’t so much in pain as in ecstasy. She spread her legs, giving him more room to thrust inside her. Any minute now she was going to slump down in her seat from the pleasure he was giving her.

  “Now, Paige. Come for me now.” He sank his fingers as deep as they would go while somehow pinching her clit between his thumb and pinky. He’d discovered early, a little pain got her to the finish line damn quick.

  Quinn withdrew his fingers, easing out of her gently. He wanted nothing more than to bring his fingers to his mouth and lick away her nectar. Instead, he grabbed a napkin and wiped his hand clean. If Paige wasn’t pregnant and in need of food, he’d take her outside and order her to her knees to blow him in the alley. “Better?” he asked when her eyes finally fluttered open.

  “Umm-umm.”

  He lowered his forehead to hers. “I love you, Paige.”

  Before she could answer, a shadow fell across them.

  Ryland strode into the restaurant, his heart beating faster than normal. Had his brother found their mate? They’d told Quinn and their family very little about the cat shifter they’d discovered on the building site, only that they needed to find her.

  Not for a minute did either twin think they had pulled the wool over anyone’s eyes. The family knew the cat shifter was one of the twin’s mates. He doubted if anyone suspected she was a mate for both of them.

  While the diner looked new, the decoration was retro, sporting a 1950s theme with a soda foundation and chrome and vinyl seating.

  He found his brother’s booth, but didn’t sit down. He stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes closed as he breathed deeply through his nose trying to find his mate in the sea of smells. It was hard for shifters to discern scents in certain places, especially restaurants, where the scent of food mingled with the odors of the patrons. It was one big blur that he was having a hard sorting though.

  But he’d known the minute he’d walked into the restaurant that his brother was right and his mate was near. Just the hint of her scent was driving him wild. His bear growled wanting to pounce on the delicious smell. The man was in total agreement. But where was she? Who was she? Ryland needed to hone in on that sweet smell.

  “Hey, Ryland.”

  Paige’s soft voice broke through his concentration. Besides the food smells, he’d been trying to block out the scent of her orgasm. He didn’t think Paige would be happy to know he could smell what they’d been doing. But the sight of her rosy cheeks and obvious happiness set something off inside him. “Good going, Quinn. All I smell now is Paige. Did you do her under the table?”

  He got a chuff from Quinn as a warning he was about to step over a line.

  He opened his mouth and breathed in. Above the smell of grease and onions he found it. That sweet scent of orange blossoms and honey that set his bear on edge. It wasn’t strong. It was weak just like on the job site. But, it was there. He snarled. Yeah, the big, bad bear snarled like a dog.

  Shit
. If she’d already left, there was no way he could track her through the city. “Call Ryker and tell him to get his sorry ass over here. Now. If he doesn’t answer, call the site and have one of the men go get him.” He strode across the room, stopping at the counter to take in another breath. She hadn’t been gone long. He followed her trail through the kitchen and out back, ignoring the calls for him to stop. He was sure he wasn’t the first man to make a quick exit through the kitchen.

  The trail was faint and fading quickly. Her enticing aroma led him through a small alleyway and onto the street. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” he cursed as the smells of the traffic grew and he lost the scent completely. They’d come so close to finding her during the past two weeks. It was always the same. She eluded them. She eluded him.

  He jogged back to the restaurant, ignoring the stares and muttered grumblings as he strode back through the kitchen. He slid into the opposite side of Quinn and Paige’s booth. The waitress had delivered their food while he’d been gone. “Did Ryker answer?”

  “Yeah, he said he’d be here as soon as he could.”

  “We were in the middle of another pour.” He fisted his hands on the table. Damn it, why hadn’t Ryker answered his phone instead of him? If he’d answered, he might have been able to follow her. He knew he couldn’t blame his twin. She was mate to both of them and Ryland should have been able to find her as easily as Ryker.

  He took a deep, calming breath, realizing he had to do that a lot more lately. He was the happy-go-lucky twin, but since the cat had appeared he’d gotten a glimpse of Ryker’s life.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “Now, you want to tell me what’s going on with you two and the cat shifter?” Quinn asked.

  Ryland hesitated. Should he wait for Ryker? This wasn’t just his news to share. Share. There was that damn word again. “Better wait until Ryker gets here.”

  Paige reached over and grasped one of his clenched fists. “You know you can tell Quinn anything, Ryland. And your parents. And me. None of us will love you any less.”