by Anya Nowlan
Her muscles sang as she got to use them. It really had been too long.
With Cisco, they never did anything this ‘uncivilized’. Though Christine had her suspicions that Cisco sometimes went out on private runs in lots specifically set aside within Los Angeles for shifters with the means to buy into them, he never revealed it to her outright. And he certainly didn’t approve of Christine doing anything of the sort.
She didn’t know how long she’d been running, just that it felt good. Too good for words, and too good to stop.
The snow felt amazing under her paws and her whiskers twitched every time they got some of the snowflakes on them as it started snowing. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she knew she had to keep running. Something was calling for her and pushing her forward at the same time.
She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what, or who, that was.
The first rays of the morning sun were starting to touch the mountain peaks when Finn took charge and led her to a clearing that overlooked a large, almost perfectly circular lake. It was covered with ice and Christine could spot signs that it was used as an ice skating rink, though most of the cleared area had snowed in again.
Finn led her to a fallen log that was facing the mountains across from the lake and then he shifted.
Watching him was like watching a piece of art being made, no matter which way he turned. His tall, strong, muscular form took her breath away every time she saw him, and even more so when he was moving from one form to another with practiced ease. It definitely came more naturally to him than it did to her, which made her insides twist a little.
She hadn’t been fair to her lynx always.
“Come on,” Finn said as he completed his change, taking a seat on the log and patting the spot next to him.
She didn’t need to be asked twice.
Christine shifted, though it was a longer process than that of Finn’s. When it was complete, she was immediately left with a chill, goose bumps rising on her skin as she sat down and threw her arms around herself. It was partially the heat of the animal leaving her, and partially the fact that she was way underdressed for this weather and still breathing heavily from all the running.
“Did you enjoy that?” Finn asked, glancing at her.
“The run? I think I needed that,” Christine admitted. “Thank you.”
The heat of a blush hit her cheeks, but it wasn’t enough to really warm her up entirely. Finn’s am going around her waist and pulling her tighter to him did, though.
She tensed up for a moment and she could feel that Finn did too. She could practically read his thoughts – did I go too far? Should I stop?
With a deep breath, she let her instincts take over instead of her overanalyzing mind, and she leaned into him. Finn relaxed immediately.
“You’re welcome,” he said softly as the sun started creeping up from behind the mountains, painting the sky orange and pink.
There was a pause in the conversation as they both watched the sunrise together. Christine didn’t know what to say, and she took the lull to get her muddled thoughts in order.
After she’d gotten Cisco’s call, the inevitable had seemed so daunting. Now, it seemed like an opportunity for something better… for something that might be right for her, instead of forced to fit as things were with Cisco.
“I’m leaving him,” she said suddenly, her gaze glued to the sky.
She didn’t want to look at Finn for the fear of finding resentment there at her notion. While younger shifters lacked some of the draconian views on engagements and marriages that their parents might have had, there were still plenty of shifters who took a commitment as something to be honored through everything.
Even if it wasn’t the right fit for either.
Instead of finding contempt from Finn, she found his other hand on her cheek, turning her to face him.
“Good,” he said, and his brown eyes were tinted dark. “Because I’m pretty damn sure you’re supposed to be with me, not him.”
Those words knocked the breath out of Christine’s lungs. Her eyes went wide as she stared at him and she could feel the lynx stepping forward, agreeing with Finn fervently.
“I think I knew when I saw you. And I think you did too.”
He said that part softly, like he was leaving room for discussion. Christine didn’t want to argue about it, though. He was right. She had known.
She’d simply been fighting the realization by throwing herself into doing something and trying to convince herself that what she had with Cisco was more than just an arrangement out of necessity and comfort.
It hadn’t worked.
“Finn,” she murmured, her heart thudding hard in her chest.
So hard that he must have heard it.
“Yes?” he asked with a sly smile, cocking a brow. “What is it?”
Christine suppressed a low groan. It was obvious that this man was going to cause plenty of headaches in her life, but they’d be the good kind. The kind that were worth heaving.
“Nothing,” she sighed with a giggle. “Kiss me, will you? I’m freezing to death here.”
He didn’t need to be asked twice.
Christine was wrapped up tight in his warm, strong arms and pulled to sit on his lap. She straddled him and threw her arms around his neck, their lips meeting eagerly. He tasted just as good as the last time they’d kissed. Even better, actually, because now the undertones of alcohol were gone, and she knew without a doubt that her reaction to him last time had been right.
She felt it now, and there was nothing clouding her mind. She simply knew that this was right. That he was right.
And there couldn’t be anything better than that.
The kiss lasted for a while, turning into more like a teenage make-out session than a grown-up kiss between two serious adults. But Christine didn’t want to be serious. For once in her life, she wanted to have fun. And she definitely wanted it to be with Finn.
Finally, she pulled away from him slightly and looked at him, still perched on his lap. He was a ruggedly handsome man and she couldn’t help but admire him. The thought of getting to wake up next to him every morning of every day, even if it happened to be in a trailer, was incredibly inviting.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, probably noticing the devious thoughts Christine was thinking.
“Race you,” she said, slipping off his lap.
The look she gave him couldn’t be misinterpreted. The bear knew exactly what would happen once they got back to the trailer.
For a moment, Christine worried that she’d be the one doing the chasing as they both shifted.
All she could think about was getting back to Finn’s trailer as fast as possible now.
10
Christine
Christine practically flung her phone across the trailer as she stumbled in there with Finn. The only detour they’d made since emerging from the forest was to run into the house so Christine could grab her phone and shoot off a quick email to Cisco, explaining the situation the best she could and calling off the wedding.
There would be caterers to cancel and parents to explain things to, but right now, Christine only had enough attention to focus on the man before her.
“You sure about this?” Finn asked with a growl as the door to the trailer slammed shut behind him and he practically pinned her against the cupboards.
“Yes,” she said, breathing heavily and wrapping her arms around his waist.
He was wise enough not to stop and ask for explanations.
Instead, Finn kissed her deeply, his hands grabbing for her. He pulled her to sit on top of the kitchen counter as his mouth ravaged hers and Christine moaned into the kiss, her palms running down the length of his muscled chest and carved abs. Her hands went to work removing his plaid shirt and undershirt, while Finn pulled off her sweater and shirt.
She could feel heat pooling between her legs as she looked at him with wide eyes, her whole body as if electrified by his
touch. The hungry way he looked at her made her purr and pull him in for another kiss as he undid his belt buckle and unzipped his jeans. He was busy unhooking her bra when Christine’s hand curled around his thick cock, making both of them moan at the same time.
He wasn’t just big, he was really big. And really ready for her.
Christine’s mouth fell agape as she looked down at her hand grabbing his cock, and then back up at his face. Finn was smirking down at her, but before she could object to his smugness, he picked her up, making her let go of his cock. The whine that erupted from her throat was part protest, part longing.
“Shh, kitten. Just a moment,” he whispered, carrying her into the bedroom area and tossing her down on the bed.
She scrambled up on her knees quickly, the bra falling off her chest. Finn stood in front of the bed for a moment and looked at her, his pupils dilated and his face a picture of appreciation. His gaze rowed over her and she could feel the heat of it all over. It made her sit up a little straighter and slowly, she ran her hands over her soft stomach and up to her heavy breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingertips.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” she said, teasing him.
The work day was beginning in the house, but she couldn’t care less. Right now, she just wanted to have her time with Finn. Then, after that, the world could go to hell as quickly as it damn well pleased.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Finn said, shucking off his pants and boots and revealing himself completely to her.
All of Christine’s sass disappeared in an instant as she got to stare at the pure physical perfection that was the werebear before her. He was sculpted from stone, his body a show of brute strength and savagery. She wanted to run her fingers through the dark hair on his chest and to wrap her lips around his pulsing cock.
When she spotted the tiny bead of precum on the tip of it, she couldn’t help herself. Scooting forward on the bed, she poked out her tongue and licked the head of his cock, getting a taste of the salty precum. Her eyes rolled back a little in her head as her body hummed in anticipation.
“Shit, Christine,” Finn groaned, his hands going to her hair, undoing her ponytail so he could wrap his fingers around her locks instead.
She couldn’t wait to have him inside her, filling her up, but first she wanted to have some fun with him. Really make him squirm.
Seeing the way he shuddered when her tongue slid over the head of his cock, she knew exactly how to do it. She sucked the head into her mouth and let her tongue swirl over the delicate skin, teasing him. Making herself look up at him, she reveled in the way he looked down at her, like she was a revelation and he’d never seen anything as beautiful as she was at that moment.
She’d never felt quite so empowered and in control, while subsequently giving up the control she had.
Bracing her hands on his thighs, she sucked him in deeper, starting to bob up and down on his cock and coating the shaft with saliva. He was so big that her lips strained around him and every time she took him in, a jolt of need went through her, seemingly right to her pussy. Wet and needy, it took all the self-control she had not to pull back and beg him to fuck her.
He pushed her down deeper, making her almost gag on him, but it felt so good. He hissed in a breath and she could see the way his muscles tightened every time her mouth tortured him, begging for his cum.
“The things you do to me,” he said with a heavy sigh, finally pulling out of her mouth. “Take your pants off,” he commanded, taking a step back so she couldn’t entrap him with her mouth again.
Christine licked her lips and leaned back, kicking her legs over the edge. She’d landed in the bed with her boots, but it hardly seemed to matter at this point. She kicked them off quickly and then wiggled out of her jeans and panties. Scooting back on the bed, she leaned against the pillows, spreading her legs for him slowly.
Her pink pussy was wet and waiting for him. Running a hand down her chest and stomach, she let her fingers then dip into her pussy, spreading the wetness.
“Please,” she whispered, breaking Finn from his trance. “Fuck me.”
She doubted she’d ever used those words in that context, but there was no doubt in her mind. She wanted this man. She wanted him right now.
Finn practically charged the bed. He came crashing down on it, grabbing Christine by her legs and yanking her down to meet him. Covering her with his bulk, he smothered her with his kisses, while maneuvering the tip of his cock to her entrance. She ground against him hungrily, wishing he’d just take her already, but Finn apparently wanted to pay back the torture.
Instead of filling her pussy immediately, he went for her breasts. Sucking a nipple into his mouth, he let his tongue dance over the delicate nub the same way Christine had done to his cock. Her hands went to his hair and neck, scratching at his scalp when he caught her nipple with his teeth and bit down on it slightly while sucking at the same time.
“Finn!” she whined, bucking her hips against him. “Please!”
“You want it that bad?” he asked, quirking a brow as he released her nipple and moved his fingers down to her pussy.
“Yes, please,” she begged, biting down on her lower lip.
At that moment, Finn inserted two fingers, spreading her pussy immediately. Christine gasped, throwing her head back as he started stroking in and out of her slowly, while his thumb rubbed her clit. It was almost too much, because the anticipation had been killing her.
It seemed like a lifetime away that she’d seriously considered getting into a marriage of convenience with a man who would never love her. Compared to what she had now, in a little trailer with a man who looked like he was a professional solitary lumberjack, it was like night and day. Like the mountain ranges of Idaho and the bleak streets of Los Angeles.
She squirmed under his touch, quickly losing her mind. Her fingers tensed around his biceps, trying to hold herself somehow in the moment without succumbing to the desire immediately. But it was damn hard to do.
“Finn,” she groaned, and he leaned in close.
Almost close enough to kiss, but not quite.
“Yes?” he asked, his tone husky, and that hint of amusement still on his expression.
Though Christine wasn’t going to buy that he wanted this any less than she did. She could see it on his face what torture it was to hold out.
Instead of answering his question with words, she reached down again with one hand and wrapped her palm around his cock. She started jerking him off, slowly, in rhythm with what he was doing to her. Finn tensed against her, his body growing rigid during the first couple of jerks. She could see a vein on his neck start to throb as he heaved in a sudden breath.
“Fine,” he growled, prying her hand loose and spreading her legs for him.
He guided the head of his cock to her entrance and then, without any further warm-up, he thrust into her. Christine’s back arched and her hips rose to meet his, while a strangled cry died in her throat. It was like she’d suddenly been made whole, the meaning of sex getting a whole new flavor to it.
She clung to him desperately as Finn started working himself into her, each motion filling her deeper, until she felt like she was about to burst. When he was settled in her completely, he paused for a moment, looking down at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
All she could do was nod. She didn’t have the mental capacity to say anything.
Without asking for any further confirmation, Finn rolled them over, leaving Christine straddling him. She whimpered as she sunk that much deeper on him, his cock filling her almost painfully now. There was so much of him and he felt so damn good.
Gently, Finn started moving her by the hips, making her grind on him, until she caught on and took over. Resting her palms on his chest, feeling the heavy thuds of his heart beneath her hands, she started riding him. Every time she rose higher, both of them gasped, and when she sunk down on him, it was all she could do to keep herself from crying ou
t.
“Spirits above, you’re gorgeous,” Finn whispered, resting his palms beneath his head as he watched her ride him.
Christine whimpered a response, her eyelids fluttering closed as her orgasm approached. Her body tightened, the small muscles of her pussy wringing Finn’s cock. She started bucking down on him faster and faster, until they both fell into their joint release.
Finn’s hands clasped her thighs, squeezing tight as Christine lost her mind. The orgasm washed over her, taking what little sane thought she had left and whisking it away, leaving only pleasure behind. She could feel Finn’s hot cum filling her pussy, shooting into her just as she writhed on top of the peak of her orgasm, completely swept away.
It seemed to last forever and then not long enough at all. A moment later, she was tucked away safely in Finn’s embrace, both of them breathing heavily. She could feel the gold swirling in her eyes, as she knew that the darkness of Finn’s bear had to be in his.
“That was… That was right,” she said, sounding amazed even to herself.
Finn chuckled, kissing her on the neck from behind.
“What did you expect?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Not that.”
“Oh. Well, maybe I should show you again, then?”
Protests about work needing to be done and tasks waiting to be completed evaporated on Christine’s tongue as Finn rolled her around to kiss her again.
Those things could wait.
11
Finn
As a kid, Finn had sometimes wondered what it would feel like to be a bird instead of a bear. Flying seemed like the greatest thing a person could do. Now, however, he didn’t need to ponder what it might feel like, because this was as close to walking on clouds as he could ever get.
A night with Christine had changed just about everything. And he wasn’t just talking about the sex, though he couldn’t wait to have more of that as well. No, it was everything. Just being around her made life make sense to him. He could see a path now. One that led somewhere better. One that had hope.
