Between the Bear's Sheets (Wylde Brothers, 2)

by Jenika Snow

  Shaking off his own nervousness, he braced both forearms on the table and leaned in. He wanted her, and he needed to be the dominant alpha he always had been. There was no time for him to be a pussy.

  6

  “So, Talia Landon, what brings you to Sweet Water?”

  Ford was so close to her that Talia smelled the intoxicating aroma of his cologne and the beer he was drinking. As strange as it was, the dual scents complemented each other to the point her arousal spiked, and she had to clench her thighs together.

  What was worse was the fact that she knew damn well he could smell how wet she was and what he did to her body.

  Her reaction to him was not something she was used to. Never had she met a man, human or shifter, who made her feel so… free.

  All around them, there was a plethora of scents, ones viler than others but there nonetheless. The smell of sex somewhere nearby alerted her that there were people out who didn’t care where they fucked. They were so worked up by each other they just couldn’t wait to be alone and had to relieve that ache.

  This was one of those times she actually wished she was more wanton and took what she wanted, and what she wanted was the bear shifter right in front of her.

  Licking her lips, she could only think about one thing, and that had nothing to do with her brother’s wedding or the bitch who would soon be her sister-in-law. Dirty and lewd images of her limbs entwined with Ford’s played through her mind, and her whole body flushed from the sensations coursing through her.

  His nostrils flared, and she knew she wasn’t hiding her reaction to him or the fact that her thoughts were so sexual in nature she was working herself up to the point she hurt with need between her thighs. His eyelids dipped low, and he leaned in another fraction, bringing them only inches away from one another.

  “M-My brother is getting married.” A change of subject, something that was bound to make her arousal shrivel to nothing, seemed like a perfect plan.

  His eyes were on her lips as she spoke, and that knowledge had her well-thought plan on talking about something so uninteresting that sex wasn’t even a glimmer between them seem to vanish far too quickly.

  “There seem to be a lot of weddings going on. At least, that’s what the salesclerk at the boutique told me.”

  “Mmmhmm,” he said, his focus on her mouth still. But then something covered his face, and he leaned back and lifted his bottle to his mouth, downed the rest of his beer, and motioned for the waitress to bring another round. Whatever she just said put this wedge between them, and now his whole demeanor was closed.

  She should have been happy her lust had been successfully doused, but now she just felt empty and cold.

  The awkwardness she felt initially came back full force, and she contemplated going back to where her brother sat. The longer the silence between them dragged on, the more she just wanted to leave.

  He wouldn’t look at her, and it was clear he was going through some kind of internal struggle.

  “Uh, listen, maybe I should just head back over to my brother’s table.” She went to stand, but he gently placed his hand on top of hers.

  “No, please stay. I’m sorry if I got weird just then. It’s just talk of weddings and shit tends to bring the funk on.” He offered her a smile, but it seemed somewhat forced.

  God, what if he was married or engaged or something like that? He must have read her facial expressions and figured out what she was thinking, because he chuckled and said, “No, I’m not married, nor was I at one time, and I am not about to get married.”

  He watched her over the rim. For several long seconds, they stared at each other, and she wondered what had been done to him that just speaking about weddings would throw him off. He inhaled deeply and seemed to be struggling with an internal debate.

  “Someone from my past is getting married, and I have a lot of….” He chuckled humorlessly.

  Oh. She assumed it was about a woman, but she wasn’t about to ask.

  His posture was relaxed as he threw one of his thick, muscular arms over the back of the chair and kicked one of his legs out straight. She didn’t know anything about this man aside from his name, that he was a bear shifter, and that she wanted him desperately. A switch in conversation was what they needed.

  “So what do you do for a living?”

  The waitress came by and set down two fresh beers.

  “You mean aside from running into pretty little red foxes and causing them to spill scalding coffee all over themselves?” The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “I work with my brothers in a family-owned construction business. Maybe you’ve heard of Wylde Construction?”

  So he did hard, manual labor? That explained his muscular body.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I actually remember seeing the signs in front of the construction sites on my way into town.” She finished off her drink, which was turning watery. Ford pushed over a fresh beer, and she smiled in gratitude. She wasn’t much of an umbrella drink kind of girl anyway.

  “So, where are you from, and what do you do?”

  She took a long pull from the beer and liked the hoppy flavor that covered her tongue. “I’m from California and just graduated with my master’s in education. Although looking for a teaching position in LA is like finding a needle in a haystack.” Holy hell, did she just make that analogy? Her cheeks warmed, and Ford smiled, which made her flesh burn hotter. “In reality, I’m jobless.” Talia didn’t mention she was living off her trust that her parents set up for her.

  At twenty-four years old, she envisioned something more for her life. The past six years had been filled with school and not much of anything else. Now that she was finally done, she felt almost lost. There had been this optimistic side of her that saw her getting a teaching job right after graduation, but the reality was a lot sadder than that.

  Most places wanted experience, but how in the hell could she get experience if she didn’t have a job? She hated the bigger cities and longed to settle down somewhere small, such as an intimate town like Sweet Water.

  “That’s an incredible accomplishment. Congratulations.”

  She felt herself blush at his compliment.

  Yeah, she might have a degree, but what was the point of owning that piece of paper if she had nothing to show for it in the long run? “Thank you, but it certainly isn’t owning your own construction company. I’m sure you’re the go-to builders in your town.”

  He smirked and shrugged. “It has its pros and cons, believe me. Working with family can be a pain in the ass at times.”

  She nodded and smiled. Her father and brother worked together, and there had been plenty of times she heard them arguing about patient cases and what the other would do in the situation.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean, although not personally. My brother is a physician, as is my father. They share a practice, and I can’t count the number of times they’ve argued over things concerning the office.” Looking up at him, she swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in her throat at the look he gave her.

  His expression was relaxed, but she felt the heat come from it, one of raw, animalistic sexuality. Gone was the awkwardness that had risen from talks of weddings, and back in its place was heady arousal. A ripple passed over him, as strange as that was, and for a split second, she saw the wild bear he harbored inside. He slowly leaned in, and Talia found herself frozen to the spot.

  They were inches from each other once again, breathing the same air and passing each other’s body heat back and forth. Talia pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous habit she had done all her life. She noticed Ford’s eyes lower to watch the act, and she instantly let go.

  Her bottom lip popped out, and blood rushed to the abused area. His pupils dilated, and the pheromones that came off him saturated her. There was no denying the bear shifter in front of her wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.

  “Talia…” He said her name deep and low, and the way
his lips formed the word had her thinking of him moving his mouth all over her body while he fucked her good and hard. He inhaled deeply, and the black of his pupils swallowed the blue of his irises. “I can smell how wet your pussy is.” He slowly lifted his eyes to hers and leaned in another inch. “Tell me how wet you are for me, Talia.”

  Holy shit, did he just say that to her? Yes, yes, he did, and to her surprise, she wasn’t offended, but so damn turned on she was shocked she hadn’t burst into flames right then and there.

  7

  Talia’s chest rose and fell from the force of trying to suck enough air into her lungs. He moved in yet another inch, and everything faded in the distance until all she sensed, smelled, and saw was Ford. This whole situation was crazy, and her reaction to him was crazier yet.

  “All you have to do is tell me you want me as much as I want you.” His breath was warm and smelled hoppy from his beer. “This doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to for it to be right, yeah?” Her eyes fluttered as his warm breath brushed tendrils of her hair across her cheek. An intoxicating sensation filled her, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol she had. “And I want you, Talia. I want you under me, covered in sweat, screaming my name, and knowing it is me who is fucking you until you scream.”

  Oh God. His words alone, so wicked, filthy, and erotic, could’ve made her orgasm.

  She had never done something reckless, had never wanted to, but when she opened her eyes and stared into Ford’s bright-blue irises, all she could think about was spending one night with him, because she knew that was all it would be.

  For some strange reason, she was fine with that, because as shallow and even slutty as it seemed, she didn’t care. Why should she feel shame for wanting to explore the sexuality that slammed into her, wrapped its talons into her, and refused to let go until she surrendered completely?

  In the morning, she could go on with her life, but if she didn’t at least experience something that stole her breath, made every part of her tingle, and had her inhibitions vanishing, she would forever regret it. That was a fact. Could she actually go through with it, though?

  “All you have to do is ask me to take you home, baby.” His voice was low and laced with lust. “I need to hear you say those words.” His gaze was on her lips again, and his chest rose and fell with such force she grew dizzy from the lack of oxygen.

  She was an adult, but Luke was also her older brother and always very protective of her. Getting him to be okay with her leaving with Ford, a male she had only known for less than a day, was going to be hard as hell. He would talk her out of it, which may have been the smart thing to do, but it certainly wasn’t what she wanted.

  She would be gone by next weekend, so the awkward run-ins wouldn’t be an issue when it came to one-night stands, although she had no experience with that type of hook-up.

  Quit overanalyzing everything. Just do it, Talia.

  “Take me home, Ford.” The words were a fast, breathy whisper, and as soon as they spilled from her mouth, her eyes widened. No taking it back now. The low growl that left him had shivers working through her. It was purely animal and very possessive.

  God, was she hearing him right, smelling correctly the emotions rolling off him, and knowing he truly wanted her in a possessive, territorial way?

  Everything next happened so quickly that she couldn’t get her bearings. He downed the rest of his beer, took her hand, and stood. He was hauling her through the bar and only stopped when they reached her brother.

  The energy that coursed from Ford and Luke was tangible, and for a moment, she feared all hell would break loose.

  “What?” Luke looked between them, and what was going on finally clicked into place. He stood slowly, and a flicker of anger passed across his face. “Everything okay, Talia?” Luke asked her but kept his stare on Ford. “I’m about ready to head out, okay.” Her brother said it, but Talia knew it wasn’t phrased as a question or courtesy information on what his plans were. He was telling her what he was doing, and in the end what she would be doing as well.

  “Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know I’m leaving… with Ford.” Her heart thundered behind her ribs as she waited for her brother to respond.

  Luke’s expression went thunderous as he looked between her and Ford. “I hope you don’t mean what the fuck I think you mean.” When she didn’t answer, his face started to turn red. “You don’t even know him, Talia.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her. “You’re not going anywhere with him.”

  “She knows me well enough.” Ford took a step closer to her, and the way he positioned himself had him slightly in front of her.

  She had to intervene before there was an all-out shifter brawl going on. She didn’t want to verify what her brother already knew, because hell, it was no one’s business. Talia wasn’t a child and wouldn’t be bullied by Luke. The fact that her brother would know anything that had to do with her sexual life had a major ick factor settling inside her.

  Moving out from behind Ford, because really, that was ridiculous he felt the need to somehow shield her from her brother, she looked Luke in the eyes and said, “Luke, I understand your worry, but I am an adult and you aren’t Dad. Besides, we are just going somewhere quiet to talk.” It was a boldfaced lie, and she was actually pretty proud of herself for not flinching when she said it.

  Talia had never been very good at twisting the truth, and even if Luke knew she was lying, which he did, going by the look he gave her, she wasn’t about to admit she was going home with Ford to do the opposite of talk.

  Her brother clamped his jaw and ground his teeth. For several long moments, no one said anything. His two friends, William and Lincoln, squirmed behind him, obviously thinking a fight was about to break loose.

  “Luke, I’m going to go whether you like it or not, but I’d like for you not to act like a lunatic.” He didn’t move, just continued to grind his teeth. “I told you I’m leaving as a courtesy, not for permission. Please understand I’m smart enough to make intelligent decisions when it concerns my safety.” Of course this was the first time Talia was going home with a man she didn’t fully know, but then again, she trusted her instincts, and they weren’t sending off warning bells.

  After a prolonged moment, Luke sighed heavily in defeat. She looked at Ford, anxious to get out of this situation, but instead of leading her away, he was reaching into his wallet and handing Luke a business card. “Here is my business card. It has my full name, phone numbers, and address.” This whole situation was starting to go from sexually electrified to awkwardly professional. “You can ask anyone here about me. They know me and my brothers.”

  Luke opened his mouth to say something, but Talia grabbed Ford’s hand, waved to Luke, and hauled ass out of the bar. That conversation had gone on far too long as it was. Once outside, she let go of his hand and looked up at him.

  “What?” He smirked, and she had the urge to scowl at him, but instead she smiled back.

  “What the hell was that about?”

  He looked over his shoulder at the front door then back at her. “What do you mean, Talia?” From his smile, he knew damn well what she was talking about.

  “Ford—”

  He held up his hand, and she snapped her mouth shut, wondering what he was doing. He gripped her around the waist and spun her around until she felt the hard, cold brick of the building meet her back. Ford pressed his chest against hers and claimed her mouth with his.

  At the first touch of his tongue sliding against hers in an almost brutal way, she instantly felt marked by him, claimed in the most elemental of ways by his dominance and severity. It was an act of possession, one of wild, uninhibited lust, and it was everything she wanted and needed.

  He broke away, his mouth wet and slightly swollen from the force of his kiss, and stared into her eyes.

  “Say it again.”

  She licked her lips, tasted his flavor coating them, and nearly moaned. “What?” That
lone word was low, but he heard her nonetheless. His cock was hard and pressed against her belly. It was like a living entity, and she knew she had never felt anything as large as what was between Ford Wylde’s legs.

  “Say my name again.” Ford lowered his face to hers until his lips brushed lightly against Talia’s. “When you say my name, it makes me think of my cock buried deep inside you.” He dragged his tongue along her bottom lip then whispered, “It makes me think of you screaming my name as you come all over me.”

  Oh. My. God. He was going to have her climaxing from his filthy words alone. He kissed her again, hard and fast and so very alpha that her toes curled and her heart raced. The noises from the bar filtered around them, but he had them strategically placed so they were situated against the side of the building where the shadows wrapped around them and no prying eyes could see.

  Ford Wylde gave himself to her, but it wasn’t soft and romantic, but hard and demanding, and wanting everything she was. Filth and drunks surrounded them, but right here, right now, it was just the two of them, and nothing else mattered. He ground himself against her belly, and even through the rough denim of his jeans, she felt him swell even further.

  “When I get you under me, I’m going to explore every inch of your body with my tongue. There isn’t going to be any part of your flesh that I don’t memorize.”

  Her pussy was so unbelievably wet, and her pulse beat in her clit. She couldn’t lie and not say she didn’t like being pressed against the side of a building with his dirty words filtering around her, but what she wanted the most was to actually have him deliver on all these promises. He gave her one last deep, penetrating kiss and grabbed her hand.

  They made their way briskly to his truck, and after he helped her in and was seated in the driver side, they headed down the road. They didn’t speak, but the heat and electricity that filled the interior wrapped around her in an intimate, scalding way.