ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Mated, Bearfoot and Pregnant (Bear Shifter BBW Pregnancy Romance) (Werebear Hero Fantasy Romance)

by Leah Kent

  It was good to see how well Mandy adjusted to the new dynamic structure, but it worried Rose as well. Her feelings for Marcus grew by the day, as did the feelings she had for Mandy. Everything pointed in a specific direction for Rose, and she knew that she had a choice coming.

  She was not sure what that choice would be.

  Chapter Four

  Not every moment of Marcus’ visit was about their pleasure with Mandy. Life did not stop, and Rose had her sheep to tend to. Mandy made an extra effort to take on more work for Rose, so that she had time to spend with Marcus away from the sheep, and she was appreciative of that. Marcus himself, though, seemed to enjoy roaming the farm with Rose, talking to her as she worked, and observing the daily activities.

  Rose felt at times as though she were being appraised, and wondered if he considered this part of her training and evaluation. She supposed it could be. After all, part of her submissive’s duties were to assist her with the daily farm activities. She would have to show herself a good Dominant as well as a responsible farmer during those times.

  Marcus especially took note of the interactions she and Mandy had together, and Rose did not miss the approval in his eyes. She saw something else there as well, something that made her think of comfort. Rose tried to question him about those looks, but Marcus’ responses were vague. Whatever he was seeing or evaluating, he was not ready to tell her about it yet.

  Rose decided she would wait.

  On his last day with them, Marcus invited Rose up to visit him in Chicago.

  “I was thinking three weeks, if that’s okay with you,” Marcus said as they sat on the front porch, sweet tea in hand, and relaxed. Nancy would be arriving soon to pick Marcus up and take him back to Chicago.

  “Three weeks is fine. I don’t have anything major that needs my attention here,” Rose said. She glanced at Mandy and smiled. “With the farm I mean.”

  Mandy gave a slight blush.

  “Perfect. I’m working on a proposal that I want to present to you. I need a little more time to get everything put together.” Marcus sipped his tea.

  He would not go into what the proposal was, and Rose was nervous. She pushed it down with the questions that nervousness brought and focused on the plans instead. Mandy would be staying here to see to the farm. Rose would have Mandy drive her to the airport so that she would have the truck as needed.

  When Nancy arrived, Rose saw Marcus off, kissing him deeply and letting their embrace linger. She liked the feeling of being in his arms, the warmth and security she felt without having to give up her sense of self to him. She hated that she would be three more weeks without feeling it again.

  Chapter Five

  The flight to Chicago was blessedly quick. Nancy met her at the airport and drove her through downtown traffic and up to Marcus’ high-rise apartment. Rose rode up the elevator, expecting to see Nichole greeting her as the doors opened. Instead, Marcus pulled her from the elevator, putting his arms around her and spinning her around. Nichole took Rose’s suitcase out of the elevator and disappeared upstairs to deliver it to its destination.

  “How was the flight?” Marcus asked as he put Rose down.

  Rose caught her breath and let the dizziness from Marcus spinning her fade. He guided her to the couch to sit down. Wine was already poured into glasses and finger foods waited for her on a tray. Rose took the food first, feeling hungry after the flight and drive through traffic.

  “It was a plane. I had a three-year-old kicking the seat behind me and a sweet old woman who simply had to tell me all about crochet.” Rose picked up a wine glass and sipped. A sweet Riesling touched her palate lightly.

  “Sounds absolutely delightful.” Marcus gave Rose a grin and picked up his own glass of wine. “I keep telling you that I can put you in first class.”

  Rose shook her head. “It’s bad enough that you insist on paying for my flights up here.” She held up her hand at the protest she saw forming on Marcus’ lips. “I know you can afford a first class ticket just as easily as you can afford to replace your Armani suits every time a little dirt gets into them. That is not the point, and you know it.”

  Marcus laughed and took a drink of his wine. “I do. I’m sorry, I’m just glad to see you and it has me feeling cheeky.”

  Rose thought about him picking her up and spinning her around. It was delightful, but very unlike him. “I noticed. What is going on?”

  “Things we will talk about later. We have the week and I want to let you relax from the flight.”

  It was apparent that Marcus was not going to open up about his mysterious proposal yet. Rose let it go and enjoyed light conversation with him as they sipped their wine and enjoyed their snack together. Nichole joined them, taking her place in one corner of the living room and participating in the conversation from time to time. After their second glass of wine, Rose as feeling relaxed and amorous. Marcus took her hand, leading her upstairs to the bedroom.

  Slowly, Marcus removed both of their clothes and guided her to the bed, laying her down and kissing her softly on the lips, then down her neck and shoulders. Rose sighed as he moved down to her breasts, teasing them lightly with his tongue, and further down her stomach to her sex. Her desire built quickly as his tongue moved into the tender skin, exciting and pleasing her. She wanted to reciprocate the affection and he helped her to turn her body down the bed.

  As Marcus continued to move his tongue along her sex, pushing into, sliding up to her clitoris, and alternating this attentions, Rose took him into her mouth, licking along the shaft of his cock and up to the head, flicking and then sucking on him. Her pleasure pushed through her in waves, and Rose sucked harder at Marcus, wanting to feel that same passion from him. He responded by sucking harder at her sex, and Rose gave over, moaning as she pulled him deep into her mouth, pressing her tongue against his shaft until he finally pulsed into her. She tasted him, rich and thick on her tongue before swallowing him.

  When his orgasm was through, he brought her up to him again, kissing her deeply on the lips, his tongue exploring hers as though this were their first kiss. He brought himself to her sex and pushed in, moving slowly along her wetness until he was deep inside her. They made love this way, moving in slow rhythms, their sweat mingling together as their hands moved along each other’s bodies, tenderly exploring and seeking.

  Rose met Marcus’ eyes as she felt his pleasure mounting. Her own was on the edge, waiting to spill over. As he pushed keep into her, she let go, feeling her orgasm pour through her body as he pulsed deep into her. Her eyes did not leave him. She did not know if he had trapped her or she had trapped him. She only knew that she wanted to drown in the desire and emotion that she saw there. To look away would be a small death she would never want to endure.

  Spent, Marcus pulled out of her and lay on his back. Rose snuggled close to him, running her fingers along his chest, feeling the rise and shape of his tight muscles, and breathing in the scent of him. She loved him, deeply and completely. Her mind spun with questions she did not have the answers to. She could not answer them. She could only exist in this moment, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking and feeling the closeness of just the two of them here.

  “I have been thinking,” Marcus said at last as he trailed his own hand along her back. “I’ll always be happy to teach you a new technique and things like that. The basics of being a Dominant, all of the things you need to make a dynamic successful, you have that.”

  Rose propped up her head to look at him. “So my lessons are done?”

  “Except for when you want me to show you something, yes.” Marcus kissed her. “Watching you and Mandy together, it’s amazing how much you learned and how quickly. You’re my protégé, but you are also my co-Dominant now.”

  Rose placed her head on Marcus’ chest, smiling. It felt good to hear him say that. It would change almost nothing between herself and Mandy, but she sensed that things would be changing between herself and his other submissives.

 
She was not just a student now, but she was still very much part of his life.

  Chapter Six

  Over the next few days, Marcus reviewed with Rose the protocols he used with Nichole and Nancy. He did not want to change how the dynamics with both women worked, but he did want them to obey Rose if she gave a command and for them to understand Rose’s place as his equal. Rose paid careful attention to everything, understanding each woman’s service to him and what expectations she should have from them.

  For Nichole, service was simple. She was his submissive every hour of every day. The dynamic the two of them built together was carefully cultivated, built on slowly earned trust on both sides. While Nichole had her limits, and Marcus respected them as absolute, she was otherwise in total submission to him. If he woke at three in the morning desiring her body or her companionship, she was expected to wake and provide it. She saw to all of his needs in his home, both domestic and otherwise.

  Those same considerations extended to Rose as well, so Rose was sure to understand Nichole’s limits. Rose took it a step further as well, inquiring privately from Nichole about more womanly concerns. If it was approaching that time of the month, Rose wanted to go easier on her demands of the submissive, knowing that she would be more prone to be exhausted and irritable, even if her temperament kept her from showing it or lashing out.

  Nancy’s submission to Marcus was more complicated. She did not live with Marcus the way Nichole did. She had her own apartment. She even had a boyfriend who understood about the dynamic she and Marcus shared. She was first his driver. Those duties included serving as a buffer between himself and the media and as a minor bodyguard. Nancy had self-defense and martial arts training, so she was able to take on anyone who might try to attack Marcus, not that anything had happened yet.

  Nancy was also a session submissive, enjoying scenes with Marcus from time to time, just as Nichole did. Those sometimes included sexual services, but more often involved sadomasochistic play. As with Nichole, all of that extended to Rose as well, and Rose paid attention to the limits of that play and the signals that Nancy and Marcus used with each other to indicate one or the other was interested in engaging in a session.

  The two dynamics worked very differently, but together, Nichole and Nancy helped to paint a complete picture of Marcus’ life. Mandy served Marcus the same way Nichole did, though he felt that she would primarily be Rose’s submissive, where Rose understood innately that Nichole would primarily be his.

  Understanding the full picture of Marcus’ life with his submissives filled Rose with both hope and dread. She knew that Marcus was in love with her, but gaining this very intimate understanding of his life showed her that love went deeper than she had dared to imagine it. That he was also including her into that intimacy frightened her.

  It was a lot to take in, and the information, the inclusion, and the questions they brought left Rose feeling almost overwhelmed. She stepped out onto the balcony of Marcus’ apartment and took in the cool evening air. He joined her outside, and Rose could see that he had something he wanted to talk to her about.

  “What’s the matter?” Rose asked, leaning against the side of the balcony and letting the wind pick up her hair.

  Marcus took a deep breath and stepped forward. He moved to one knee and Rose’s breath caught in her throat. As he reached into the pocket of his pants and produced a small box, Rose’s heartbeat skipped. The world moved in slow motion as he opened the small, velvet lined box to reveal a simple ring topped by a diamond solitaire.

  “Will you marry me?”

  Rose could not speak or move. She could only stare at the ring and the way that its facets picked up the light of the balcony. Below her, the city was alive with sounds that played a strange background track to her conflicted thoughts. This was exactly what she had been afraid of, where she had seen everything moving to so swiftly and yet so logically.

  It was what she had wanted to see. Part of her wanted to leap into Marcus’ arms, showering him with kisses as she screamed yes.

  Part of her wanted to run, to go back to the security and simplicity of her farm. Chicago was a beautiful city and Marcus had a beautiful life. She wanted to be a part of it, but Kansas was in her blood and in her bones. She could not fathom leaving it behind any more than she could imagine asking Marcus to join her there.

  “You’re not answering.” Marcus looked up at her, the hopefulness in his eyes turning nervous.

  Rose tried to speak and failed. She opened her mouth again and could still not find words. Then she remembered to breathe and used that simple action to steady the flood of emotions, thoughts, and fears that tried to overtake her.

  “I’m scared.” She had not even realized that she said it aloud until she saw understanding come into Marcus’ eyes, understanding, and appreciation as well. “I need to think about this.”

  Marcus stood and took her hands into his. He placed the ring and its box into her hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. “Think about it then. I know I popped the question on you suddenly. I have more than I want to talk to you about, but I wanted to do this first.”

  Rose held the box in one hand and brought her hand up to Marcus’ cheek, cupping it. “Thank you.” She saw only understanding in his eyes, not fear, or a challenge. She did not know if he was confident that her answer would be yes or if his confidence was something else. Whatever it was, she found it comforting. “I just need to mull things over in my head for a little while. Do you think Nancy would mind taking me out?”

  Marcus took her hand and led her inside. “I’m sure she won’t mind.”

  Inside, he called up Nancy and the chauffer met him downstairs with the limousine waiting. Rose felt strange taking a thinking drive in it. Nancy glanced at Rose and the ring box she still kept clutched in her hands and gave her and understanding smile.

  “He did it, huh?” Nancy asked.

  Rose looked at the box and back up to Nancy. “He did.”

  Nancy opened the back passenger door and Rose climbed in. Nancy walked around to the front and got into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, she glanced back into the rear view mirror. “I warned him that he needed to prep you. I suppose he thought explaining the dynamics and opening them to you would be prep enough.”

  Rose laughed, fingering the ring box absently. “I saw it coming. I just don’t know how to answer him.”

  “Do you love him?”

  Rose sat back as Nancy pulled out into traffic. “I do. It’s not as simple as that, though.”

  “It never is.” Nancy checked her mirrors as she started the drive. “Marcus does not try to make things difficult, but he has a way of complicating things. You have to do what the rest of us have to do. You have to see if you can work through that complication.”

  Rose took in a deep breath. “I know.”

  She looked out the window at the city as it passed, letting things mull over in her mind.

  She loved Marcus and the thought of him not being a part of her life was as painful to her as the thought of giving up the farm for life in Chicago. She thought about Mandy as well. Mandy loved the farm. She could see it in the devoted way she worked and the attentive care she showed the sheep. Coming to Chicago would mean either taking Mandy away from something she was growing accustomed to again, or giving the farm to the submissive and expecting her to live away from her and Marcus.

  Neither prospect was appealing. She cared deeply for Mandy. Mandy was their submissive, but she was Rose’s submissive first. Rose had a responsibility to be there for her, to guide and nurture her now. It was not merely about setting up rules and tying her down to the bed to play. It was about building a solid connection between them and cementing it with shared trust. Rose understood that the dynamic she so envied between Marcus and Nichole was something she and Mandy could have.

  They had a strong basis for building it. Rose knew she could not do so if most of her time was spent away from her. She also knew that it would be di
fficult to build if she dangled the farm in front of her and then took it away.

  Marcus had to know how complicated his question would be. Just because he did not set out to complicate things did not mean he was not aware of doing so. He was far too careful and calculating in everything, he did. He would not have overlooked her and Mandy’s attachment, Mandy’s enjoyment of the farm, or Rose’s bond to it.

  If he proposed to her, then he proposed knowing all of those things. It meant that he already knew she was going to struggle with the answer. That, she thought, was why he did not look afraid or threatened when she told him she needed to think. He expected her to have this conflict.

  He would have been disappointed if she had jumped into his arms with a yes.

  He knew she would be facing the conflict. He knew it threatened a no, and yet he still loved her enough to ask her to marry him. That meant that he loved her enough to help her work through and find a solution.

  “I’m ready to go back.” Rose looked up at Nancy.

  “I’ll call ahead and let Marcus know.”

  Nancy made her way slowly back to Marcus’ high-rise as Rose continued to work through everything in her head. She had many questions about what they would do to solve the many conflicts their complicated relationship created.

  When she arrived back to his apartment, she found him sitting quietly on the couch. Nichole sat next to him, and Rose had the sense that the two of them had been involved in deep conversation. Nichole stood as Rose exited the elevator and took her normal position in the room. Rose let her eyes linger over Nichole’s naked body and the collar she wore around her neck.

  When, she wondered, would she want to present Mandy with a collar? It was something she would talk to Marcus about. She thought she and Mandy would have that conversation as well.