by Mina Carter
She groaned loudly for him not to let up, stroking and pressing, bringing his thumb into play to rub against her clit. She panted and writhed, tried to get away from him and the overload of sensation, at the same time she pushed against his hand, needing more.
“God, you’re gorgeous.” His rough whisper teased against her lips at the same time he pulled his hand free just as she was about to reach the edge.
She cried out in frustration but he shoved her thighs wider. The sound of a zipper filled the air and a second later the broad head of his cock pressed against the entrance to her pussy.
Yes. Oh God, yes. She bit her lip as he pushed forward, then stopped.
“What’s the matter?” She couldn’t help the thread of worry that wormed its way into her voice. Had he decided he just couldn’t do it with a girl her size? Had her thighs put him off? Heat of the not good type started to flare over her cheeks.
“No condom.” His words were little more than a snarl, evidence of his frustration.
She almost laughed, her relief sharp enough that she could taste it.
“Is that it? Well, I’m clean…and on birth control…” Her words trailed off. Oh, shit, had she really just said that? He’d think she was the biggest hussy out there.
A second passed, then finally, he nodded. “I’m clean. Mandatory testing in the…my unit.”
“Good.” She cupped his cheek, drawing his lips down to hers. “Then you’d better do something about this situation, soldier.”
“Aye aye, ma’am.” He grinned and pushed forward, only to stop again when her body didn’t give, his cock too big to penetrate.
“Shhh, it’s okay. Just relax,” his deep voice reassured her.
Dipping his hips, he reached between them to grab his cock, and rubbed the wide head along her slick pussy lips. Lubricating himself with her juices. When he pressed against her again, she held her breath, but after a second her body gave. He slid in a couple inches, no more, the pleasure made her eyes roll back in her head.
“Ohhh…” Her moan was lost under his grunt as he pulled his hips back, then slid forward again. A few more inches. Forward and back, forward and back, until his thick, wide cock slid all the way into her silken sheath. Right up to his balls.
He paused, big body tensed under control, as her pussy felt stretched to the limit around his shaft.
“Just breathe… Relax… Feel good in a minute, I promise,” his whisper was ragged; she could tell the control he was exerting to stay still. But she didn’t want him to. With every second that passed, her body urged her to move. The tight burning sensation eased off a bit with a delicious feeling of fullness. She rocked her hips experimentally.
“Fuck!” His curse was explosive, and his hands gripped her hips holding them still. “Don’t. Don’t move. Or this’ll be really fucking fast.”
“Don’t care. Fuck me, Reese,” she begged. “Fuck me now.”
And he did, pulling back almost all the way out of her to slam back in. She clung to him as he set up a hard and fast rhythm, one hand braced on the wall by her head. His hips pumped as he drove into her again and again, hard enough she was sure the plaster behind them would crack, but never rough enough that it hurt. She didn’t care. Sex this good…a little soreness was inevitable but felt so good.
Moans and whimpers filled the air around them. Pleasure coursed through her, driven by each wet, slick slide. It built, the flames fanned by his hard body moving against hers. Her pussy tightened, clit aching as she soared toward the peak.
“Oh…Lord…Reese, I’m…I’m…”
“Come. I want to feel you coming all over my cock. Come now,” he ordered and drove deep within her, rolling his hips at the end of the stroke to trap her clit between them.
She shattered with a scream, coming in wave after wave of hot, intense pleasure. Her pussy gripped his shaft, milking him as she rode the crest of her release.
He barked out a snarl, his thrusts speeding up. Harder, more feral. The solid slam of his body into hers over and over broke the last control she had and she gave herself to sheer sensation. Slamming into her a last time, he threw his head back and bellowed as he came. His cock jerked and pulsed, bathing the walls of her pussy with his hot seed.
Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the wall to catch her breath only to open them again when his lips brushed the side of her neck.
“I hope I haven’t worn you out,” his voice was full of wicked promise. “Because I’m not nearly done with you yet.”
Chapter Six
As was usual in Bobbi’s world, the next day dawned bright and early. For a moment, she lay there and tried to will herself back to sleep before the alarm had a chance to go off. Even though she wasn’t a morning person, somehow she always woke just before the shrill cacophony of sound that announced her day had to begin. It still took coffee, a brisk shower, and a couple of hours before she was fully mentally alert.
The joys of running a motel and diner. It wasn’t even her choice of career. It had been her parents’ dream, one they poured heart and soul into before their lives had been cut short by a set of faulty brakes on a vehicle that wasn’t even theirs. She only kept the place going because it was her last link to those she loved so much. The parents who’d found a little orphan girl in need of a home and taken her into their hearts as well.
The early morning light reached through the cracks in the blinds at her window, making her scrunch her eyes closed. With a sigh she reached out to grab a pillow. Just five more minutes, and she’d be good to go.
Her hand collided with a warm body and her eyes snapped open. Shit… She turned her head to find Reese stretched out full-length beside her, his large, male body taking up most of the space on the queen-sized bed. It was a good thing she slept scrunched in a little ball or there wouldn’t have been any room for her.
Heat warmed her cheeks as she remembered the night before. To say Reese had been insatiable was an understatement, and combined with the stamina he had to have gained from active service… She was sore in some very pleasurable places. He’d... oh, hell…and she’d. Then he’d had her…
Her cheeks properly burned at the thought of the kinky things they’d done to and with each other. She wasn’t inexperienced by any stretch of the imagination, but last night with Reese had broadened her horizons in a way no amount of reading erotica could ever rival.
She turned on her side to study him. In sleep, he seemed peaceful, and even more handsome. A recumbent angel with the face and body hot enough to lead any woman into sin. He lay on his stomach with his arm stretched above his head and she could just read a bit of the tattoo on his side.
CONNOR
Reese J.
307-77-1057
A Rh. POS
Ursanthrope
She frowned, wondering what the J stood for, and traced her finger over the word at the bottom. It seemed familiar, but she wasn’t sure what it meant. No surprise there, her mental faculties were never at their sharpest this early in the morning.
Her cell buzzing caught her attention. She rolled to pick it up as she slid out of bed, padding from the room before she answered so as not to wake Reese. Her smile was automatic as she read her brother’s name on the screen, and she swore.
“Oh shit! Sorry, Danny,” she apologized as she answered the call. “I meant to call you back last night, but kinda got sidetracked…”
She let that sentence trail off. Her brother didn’t need to know the reason she hadn’t called back was that was she was too busy jumping the bones of one of the motel’s hot guests.
“Hey, kitten. No problem,” he drawled, his pet name for her making her smile. When she was little, he’d once made her mad and she’d spat like a mad kitten at him. Since then, he’d always called her that.
“Everything okay? You don’t normally call me that late at night.”
“Uh-huh. All good.”
She made it to the kitchen on autopilot, and flicked the kettle on. The rattle
it gave told her it was empty. Crap. Wrinkling her nose, she grabbed it and started to fill it from the faucet. She could not do without coffee in the morning. Not unless she wanted to snap the heads off half her customers before noon, and since the diner was the only thing keeping them afloat at the moment she could do without pissing off loyal customers.
“Sure?” Danny didn’t sound convinced, the big brother protective act in full swing. She was sure, if he had the opportunity, he’d make sure she was wrapped up in cotton wool for the rest of her life. “No trouble recently?”
“Hmm, nope. Nothing doing. Really boring.” She gave him her best innocent act, injecting a note of boredom in her voice, suggesting he was being overprotective.
“Good. So, did Reese turn up?”
She froze at the question, mug from the cupboard in her hand. Danny knew Reese?
“Reese?” The words left her mouth on autopilot.
“Yeah. Reese Connor. Tall, British dude… Used to be one of my team before he retired a couple weeks ago. I asked him to look in on you, make sure things are okay there.”
She blinked as Danny’s words sunk in. Reese hadn’t stopped out of the goodness of his heart. He’d been sent here. By her brother. What the fuck? Had he seen her as some kind of easy lay? His best mate’s fluffy chick sister… Just right for the plucking and desperate for any man that came along.
“Did you really?” Anger swirled up from the center of her being. “Why? You think I can’t run this place now? If that’s what you think, then perhaps you should get your ass back here, instead of sending a bodyguard!”
Pulling the phone from her ear, she ended the call with a savage jab of her thumb. Not as satisfying as slamming the phone down, but it would have to do for now.
“You okay, sweetheart?” Reese’s sleep roughened voice sounded behind her. She spun to pin him with a hard gaze.
“Yeah, I’m just fine and freaking dandy.”
His eyes narrowed at her tone and he straightened a little in the doorway. Wary. Watching her. Ha! As well he should. Fucking men and their lies. Clad in just his boxers, everything female in her wanted to pay attention to the big, hard body, but she ignored it. That was how assholes like this got around women like her. By flashing their muscles.
“When were you going to tell me? Huh?” She would not cry. Hot tears prickled her eyes, but she held them back. No way. No how. In front of an asshole like this.
“Tell you what, sweetheart? Who was on the phone?”
That did it, her temper boiled over. “Don’t you fucking sweetheart me, and you know full well who that was. Danny. My brother. The one who sent you here.”
His eyes widened a little, but she didn’t miss the guilt that flitted across his features before disappearing. “Ah.”
“Yeah. ‘Ah.’ So what was it? An easy booty call?” She demanded and slammed the mug down on the counter. It was that, or pitch it at his head. Since it was her favorite mug, she slid out of harm’s way.
“No! What kind of man do you think I am?” His voice rang with anger, and he took a step forward. She stopped him with a raised hand.
“I don’t know. That’s just my point. I’ve talked about my brother, about Danny, and you didn’t mention jack shit. So what else you hiding from me? What else didn’t you think to mention?”
He opened his mouth; she could practically see the cogs working behind his eyes. She huffed. “You know what, fucking forget it… This was a mistake. I’m taking a shower, then going to the wholesalers. Be gone when I get back, okay?”
And with that, she swept past him and stomped to the bathroom.
***
Shit. He really fucked up things with Bobbi. Reese watched as she stormed out of the house after her shower, still without talking to him. He growled and went to slam his fist into the wall before he remembered he was in Bobbi’s house and plaster didn’t stand up well to ursanthrope strength.
“FUCK!” he yelled instead, turning in a circle before rubbing both hands over his close cropped scalp and closing his eyes. He was an idiot. Why the fuck hadn’t he told her that he was Danny’s friend? What harm would it have done?
Her scent surrounded him, teasing the man and making his bear growl in frustration. Erotic memories replayed through his mind on continuous repeat. Last night had been the best night of his life. He’d never known sex could be like that. So…earth shattering. Every touch, every stroke. He’d never felt so connected to a woman. Ever. Never felt that soul-deep connection with anyone, anything, other than his bear. To have that with someone else.
He sighed and opened his eyes. Now he understood why male bears would do anything for their mates. Anything. She was the only thing that mattered. His life had gone from concern for international safety, down to the wellbeing of one small, curvy woman. And he’d move heaven and hell to make sure she was happy.
Later. Because right now she was pissed as hell at him. He had to make it up to her. Turning, he walked toward the door and opened it to leave before he realized there were no keys.
“What the hell?” he looked at both sides of the door before realizing Bobbi must have taken them. Leaving him without a way to lock up. “Well, shit.”
He wasn’t going anywhere. Not yet. Crime rates in Banford weren’t at inner city levels but he still wasn’t comfortable leaving Bobbi’s home unsecured. Turning, he walked across the small space and flicked the kettle on.
A couple of minutes later, coffee mug in hand, he strolled into the main room. Last night had been a bit of a blur, so he hadn’t taken in any details. Now he paid attention, looking for clues into his little mate’s character.
The room was light and airy, despite its smaller size, and decorated in welcoming earthy tones. Warm creams and beiges, plus all the different textures, pleased his bear. It seemed den-like, the perfect place to snuggle down with his mate for the evening.
There. Were. Bears. Everywhere.
Standing in the middle of the room, Reese did a slow three-sixty, his eyes widening as he did so. Then he grinned. Bobbi Bradbury had a serious thing for teddy bears. There were bear ornaments, bear vases, bear Santas, Pooh Bear, bear stockings, stuffed bears in every shade of brown--one purple, bear light switch, bear bookends, bear lamps…even bears on the cushions.
Framed photos on the opposite wall caught his eye and he walked across the carpet. His heart, the little left of it, melted. Two baby bears cuddled each other in one picture, and played happily in the other. They were real bears, not shapeshifters, but he couldn’t help feeling a kinship with them. He looked at the certificate in the middle. Bobbi had adopted Arthur and Merlin, two bears at the Wild Pines Bear Sanctuary. More than that, there was a personal note attached to the bottom of the frame…
Thank you so much for your continued support. Your donation has allowed us to purchase most of the veterinary supplies we need for the winter. We truly couldn’t do this without you. Trudy xoxo
Reese folded his arms. She loved bears. Was it possible…could she accept that part of his nature? Then he remembered the way she’d reacted to him not telling her about Danny and his hopes crumbled. If she reacted that badly, then there was no way she’d take something as big as him being a totally different species in stride. Dismay filled him. They were doomed before they began.
Crap crap crap. Unable to do anything about the situation, Reese defaulted to standard operating procedure. Draining his mug of coffee, he headed to take a shower and dress. He’d just pulled his T-shirt over his head when his cell rang.
“Hey, Danny, what’s up?” he answered as he walked into the main room, looking out the window into the parking lot. Bobbi still wasn’t back.
“Has she calmed down yet?”
There was no need to ask who Danny was talking about. Reese sighed heavily. “No idea, bro. She was pretty pissed when she stormed out of here a while back.”
“How long ago?”
Reese checked the time. “Has to be just over an hour now. Why?”
&n
bsp; “Hmmm. And she’s not back yet? That’s not like her.” Danny sounded worried. “What did you say to her?”
He replayed the conversation in his mind. “Not much, just tried to apologize for not telling her about us.”
It was testament to how worried Danny was about his sister when he didn’t make a crack about the ‘us’ part. “That shouldn’t have had her in more than half an hour snit. There has to be something else.”
Reese’s stomach sank. Time to come clean.
“Well, she also accused me of seeing her as an easy lay. That might not have helped.”
Silence filled the line, but Reese braced himself for the storm. Sure enough, half a second later Danny’s intake of breath warned him. He held the phone at arm’s length as Danny shouted.
“What the fuck! Easy lay?! Connor, if you’ve touched my baby sister, I’ll cut off your fucking balls and feed the—”
“Danny. She’s my mate.”
The shouting stopped like a recording had been put on pause.
“What? Say again?” Like most soldiers when stressed, Danny fell back into military parlance.
“Your sister is my mate.”
“She can’t be. She’s human.” Danny laughed, but there was a little note in his voice that said he wasn’t sure.
“She is,” Reese agreed. There was no arguing about that. “But she’s still my mate. My bear…it knew right away something was different about her. Dumb fuck I am, it took me a little while longer to figure it out.”
Danny grumbled, the sound close to a warning growl. “If you hurt her…”
“You can carve my heart out with a blunt spoon, but that’s not going to happen. You know that.”
And they did. If his bear had chosen Bobbi as his mate, then he would never intentionally hurt her. He’d love, honor, and protect her as long as he drew breath. Of course, that day could come a lot quicker if Danny took exception to their mating. Because there was no way he would hurt his mate’s brother, even if the guy tried to kill him. And if Danny wanted him dead, he might as well dig his own grave. The guy was a trained sniper, so he’d never see the bullet coming.
