Claim Me Cowbear (Curvy Bear B&B Book 2)

by Liv Brywood

  “Oh boy.” Sasha laughed.

  “Did you want some lunch?” Madison asked.

  Sasha nodded, eager to change the subject. She didn’t want to have to explain that Jack was completely off-limits—at least emotionally. He’d made it very clear that she was welcome in his bed until the end of the week, but after that, he’d be leaving for Bali without her.

  “I made pulled pork,” Madison said. “I also have leftover lasagna. Your choice.”

  “I’ll take the pulled pork.”

  “Coming right up. You can sit at the counter if you want,” Madison said.

  Sasha slid onto a barstool at the island in the center of the kitchen. As Madison bustled around pulling containers from the fridge, Sasha looked outside. It wouldn’t hurt to go check on Jack after she’d eaten. Maybe he was hungry too.

  “Um, do you think you could make a plate for Jack too?” she asked. “He might be hungry.”

  “Of course,” Madison said. “I didn’t see him for breakfast or lunch. His bear has to be throwing a fit by now.”

  A few minutes later, Sasha carried two plates filled with food to the work area behind the barn. She found Jack wearing a welding helmet and wielding a blowtorch. When he spotted her, he waved a hand in greeting.

  “Give me a minute,” he said. “I’m almost done with this section.”

  “Sure.”

  Sasha set the plates down on a nearby picnic table. She turned to watch him work. Shirtless and dripping with sweat, his scent drifted on the gentle breeze. Her bear inhaled deeply and pranced around in her chest.

  He’s our mate, her bear said.

  He can’t be. He’s a commitment-phobe.

  Doesn’t matter, he’s ours, her bear insisted.

  Sasha shook her head. As much as she loved the little beast, she was clearly wrong in this case.

  Mine. Mine. Mine, her bear chanted.

  “Hush,” Sasha whispered.

  As he strolled over, she willed the creature to stay silent. Easier said than done. When Jack reached the table his eyes lit up.

  “I think my bear might be falling in love with you,” he said.

  “What?” Her head snapped up.

  “Because you brought him food,” he joked.

  “Oh, right.” Her shoulders sagged with disappointment. Of course he’d been kidding.

  “How’s your piece coming along?” he asked.

  “Good. I’ve at least decided on what kind of sculpture I want to make.”

  “Really? What?” He shoved a huge forkful of pulled pork into his mouth.

  “I’m doing a nude.”

  “Tell me more.” His eyes glimmered with mischief.

  “It’s going to be a man. That’s all I know for sure so far,” she said.

  “Hmm, a naked man. So maybe I did inspire you after all.”

  “Maybe.” She laughed as she took a bite of food. The succulent meat melted in her mouth. She’d have to ask Madison for the recipe later.

  “I’m making a nude also,” he said.

  “I can see that.” She glanced at the six-foot-tall tangle of twisted metal.

  “I have a lot of work to do on it, but I might need a nap.”

  “It’s almost five p.m.”

  “I know,” he said. “But I took a look at the hayloft earlier and it looked mighty comfy. You should come and check it out with me.”

  “We have perfectly good beds upstairs,” she said.

  “True.” He leaned toward her. “But there’s nothing like taking a nap where you’re not supposed to.”

  “Are we still talking about sleeping?” she asked with an arched brow.

  “Maybe.” He grinned as he polished off the rest of the food on his plate. She couldn’t look away. He’d stoked a simmering spark of awareness in her core. She could hardly cram the food into her mouth fast enough. Screw looking feminine and graceful; she wanted to see that hay loft.

  When she’d finished everything on her plate, she stood. “Well?”

  “I may have eaten too much,” he said.

  Her face fell.

  “Kidding.” He hopped up. “As if that’s possible. I could eat a slab of bacon and my bear would still be hollering for more.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  As she followed him into the barn, she glanced around. No one seemed to be nearby. She’d never done anything like this before. He hadn’t even touched her and she was already hot and ready for him.

  She crawled up the ladder to the loft and joined him behind a pile of hay bales.

  “See, it’s perfect,” he whispered.

  “There’s no place to lie down,” she said.

  “Who said anything about lying down?”

  Before she could ask what he meant, he moved to stand behind her. He wrapped one arm around her stomach and the other around her chest. He nuzzled the back of her neck.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Mmm…tasting you.”

  His tongue darted out to trace a trail between his kisses. She leaned into him. Her breath quickened as liquid heat pooled in her sex. As his hands slid across her belly, she quivered. She’d never met a man who could transport her from zero to needy in seconds. She reached back and wrapped a hand around the back of his head. As she drew him closer, he pulled her shirt loose from her jeans.

  The first contact of skin on skin dissolved her fear of getting caught. The neighing horses faded into the background. The sultry essence of pure masculinity replaced the grassy scent of fresh hay. She forgot about everything but him.

  He walked her forward until her thighs touched a scratchy hay bale. With nowhere left to go, she leaned forward, placing her hands on the rough surface. His hand scraped down to unbutton and unzip her jeans. When his fingers dove below the waistband of her panties, she whimpered.

  “Shh, someone might hear us,” he murmured.

  The act of staying silent stole her breath. She couldn’t moan when he reached the soft thatch of hair. She couldn’t groan when his fingertips parted her slick folds. But when his velvety strokes settled on her clit, she cried out.

  “Shh,” he whispered.

  As if to help her, he reached around with his free hand to cradle her cheek. When she turned to suck his fingers between her lips, it was his turn to groan. He pushed her jeans down along with her panties. The swirling, parting, trembling of his fingers against her clit nearly destroyed her. She reached back and fumbled for his belt buckle. He grabbed her hand and pulled it behind her back.

  “You’ve been a very, very naughty girl,” he whispered.

  “Yes,” she agreed in a breathy tone.

  “Lean over.”

  She leaned to rest her forearms on the hay. She ignored the sharp bite of each piece. The entirety of her focus rested on the sound his zipper made as it slowly clicked down. She trembled in anticipation.

  When his jeans slipped down against her thighs, she shivered. He brushed the tip of his cock against her slick folds. She couldn’t take it. She couldn’t wait. She pushed back as he surged into her. A quiet desperation overcame her as he moved with slow, deliberate strokes. She wriggled against him.

  “More.”

  He obliged her with a quick succession of deep thrusts before tempering his pace.

  “Again,” she moaned.

  This time, he plunged into her over and over and didn’t stop. Her mouth hung open as gasping pants of reckless desire burst from her lips. The thick length of him filled her again and again, fanning the flames, stoking the blaze within.

  His hands clasped her breasts, drawing her back against him. His teeth grazed her neck before he nipped at the edge of her jaw. She cried out, unable to contain the ecstasy of being taken in a forbidden place, by a man she shouldn’t even be touching. A man this good in bed would only ruin her for anyone else. But she didn’t care. Let her be ruined. At least she’d have the memory of their carnal passion to keep her warm at night.

  “God,” he moaned.<
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  The slap of his thighs against the backs of her legs added to her increasingly wicked urge to be pounded into the hay. There was nothing sensual about this. It was pure animalistic lust that drove him. She responded with an arched back and spread thighs. She opened, taking him as deep as she’d ever taken anyone.

  Intense sparks of energy jutted out from her pussy. Her whole body closed in on itself until she focused on a single point of contact. His cock pressed against the ultra-sensitive spot that sent her tumbling over the edge. She screamed, completely unable to contain the explosive force of her orgasm.

  In a shuddering, trembling display of total release, she shook against him. He responded with even deeper, harder stroke. As a second orgasm rocked her, his fingers dug into her hips. He clung to her while frantically pushing into her.

  Her knees buckled. She sprawled across the hay but he didn’t stop. A guttural moan burst from his lips. He pulsed into her for several seconds before collapsing on top of her. After a few seconds, he spread wet kisses across her shoulders.

  “Oh my God,” he moaned.

  “Yeah.”

  “That was amazing,” he whispered.

  He stood and scooped her into his arms. He carried her to a spot on the floor devoid of hay where he set her on her feet.

  “Let me see if I can find something we can put down.” He rummaged through a cabinet and found a clean navy blue blanket. After spreading it out on the floor, he helped her sit. She lay on her side facing him.

  “I can’t believe we just did that,” she whispered.

  “I can.” He grinned.

  “Do you normally take risks like this?” she asked.

  “Sometimes. I like to keep things spicy.”

  “I really wish you weren’t leaving at the end of the week,” she blurted.

  “I have to.” His gaze softened as he traced a line down her arm.

  “Bali.”

  “Yeah.” He pulled her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest. “I have to admit something.”

  “What?”

  “I almost wish I didn’t already have the tickets.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I like Montana,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve been back in years. The people who live here are the kind of people I could see myself spending a lot of time with. Have you ever been to Yellowstone?”

  “Many times.”

  “I’d like to go there someday.”

  “I’d love to show you around the park,” she said.

  “Maybe I’ll come back after Bali,” he mused.

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but a flicker of hope blossomed in her heart. Even if she couldn’t date him, at least she’d get to see him again. He wouldn’t be gone from her life forever. But was she just settling for crumbs?

  The unsettling thought dampened her mood. He probably had a different woman stashed at every port. Could she actually be content knowing that he was traveling the world without her, spending time with other women?

  A single tear formed in the corner of her eye. She didn’t move to wipe it away even as it trailed down her cheek to mingle with the dampness on his chest.

  Chapter 6

  Jack kicked a pebble into the lake. As the sun set, a blood-red sky signaled the impending darkness and the end of another day at Curvy Bear Ranch. He bent to pick up another pebble.

  In the last few days, he’d spent more and more time with Sasha. The longer he stayed with her, the more he hated leaving. She’d fallen asleep in his arms the last few nights, giving him time to study every curve of her beautiful face. He wanted to memorize every inch of her before he left.

  When he’d first arrived at the ranch, he’d expected to spend a week working on his art. But instead, he’d put himself in a huge predicament. He never wanted to be tied down to any woman. But he’d never met anyone like Sasha. The thought of walking away from her pulled at his heart. His bear was livid, insisting that she was their mate.

  As he skipped another rock across the still lake, footsteps crunched through the pebbled shore. He turned to find Drew strolling toward him. Over the course of the last few days, he’d met all of the Grant brothers. He liked Drew. He didn’t seem to feel the need to fill silence with incessant talking.

  “Howdy,” Drew said.

  “Hey.”

  “Did you see the sunset?”

  “Yep.”

  “How’s everything going? Are you having a good time here?” Drew asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “If I’m interrupting…”

  “No. I’m just thinking,” Jack said.

  “You got a lot on your mind?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sasha?” Drew asked.

  “Yeah.” Jack turned to face him. “How’d you know?”

  “Nobody mopes like that unless it’s about a woman.”

  “Yep.” Jack laughed. “She got me good.”

  “So what’s the problem?” Drew asked.

  “I’m flying to LA on Saturday, and from there to Bali.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “That’s the thing. It doesn’t feel fun right now,” Jack said.

  “Because?”

  “Because I don’t want to leave Sasha behind.”

  “So take her with you,” Drew said.

  “It’s not that simple,” Jack said. “I never wanted to be tied down to one woman.”

  “Spoken like a real Casanova.”

  “Nah, nothing like that,” Jack said. “I just don’t think I’m the family type. I can’t see myself living in a house with a white picket fence and a bunch of kids. I want to be able to leave at a moment’s notice to travel to some far-off place. I want to be able to see the world without dragging a bunch of baggage with me.”

  “So she’s baggage?” Drew asked.

  “No. I mean yes. But...God, that sounded bad.”

  “Don’t let her hear you say it,” Drew said. “I know what you mean though. I never wanted to be saddled to one woman. I used to be a bit of a loner. I tried to push Cindy away, but I couldn’t. She was my mate.”

  “My bear thinks Sasha’s our mate,” Jack said.

  “And you don’t agree?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Jack said. “I never thought I’d find a mate. I never thought of myself as a family man.”

  “Who says you have to have a family right away? Maybe she’d be okay with the jet-setting lifestyle,” Drew said. “Besides, there’s something to be said for having a big family. I can’t imagine life without mine.”

  “I’m not close to my family. Not anymore.”

  “Why not?” Drew asked.

  “They blame me for something that happened a long time ago. It wasn’t really even my fault, but they can’t seem to let it go.”

  “Have you tried talking to them?” Drew asked.

  “A few times, but they don’t want to listen.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  “Yeah.” Jack rubbed his chest to keep his bear calm. The beast had been clawing at him for days, demanding that he take Sasha as his mate.

  “Bear acting up?” Drew asked.

  “Yeah. He’s stubborn.”

  “They all are. A piece of advice?”

  “Shoot,” Jack said.

  “Don’t ignore your bear unless you want to invest in a lifetime supply of antacids.”

  Jack laughed.

  “Anyway, dinner bell should be ringing soon. I’m heading back,” Drew said.

  “I’ll be there soon.”

  Jack gazed out over the peaceful lake. He hadn’t told Drew everything. It was more than just an unwillingness to settle down. He wasn’t sure he deserved a mate. Maybe his parents were right. Maybe his selfishness really had killed his brother. Sure, it wasn’t his fault the plane had malfunctioned, but they wouldn’t have been on that flight if it weren’t for him. Did he even deserve to live a life filled with love when his
brother had never had the chance?

  He shook his head. No. If he’d been the one to die, he wouldn’t have blamed his brother. He would have wanted his brother to keep living, to find love, and to have a family. He wouldn’t have wanted his brother to put his life on hold out of a misplaced sense of guilt.

  Still, he wasn’t sure he was ready to settle down. There was still so much more he wanted to do. So much he wanted to explore and experience. He couldn’t ask her to uproot her life to travel with him. She had a business to run. She had a life to live and maybe it didn’t include him.

  He sighed. The more he tried to approach the problem logically, the more confused he became. His heart ached from the struggle. Maybe now wasn’t the time to be thinking about making a drastic choice that would affect the rest of his life.

  As he turned back toward the B&B, his bear sniffed the air. The scent of Sasha’s bear drifted on the wind. His bear snarled until he relented and shifted. In bear form, tracking her would be easy. Their bears hadn’t met yet, so maybe they wouldn’t get along after all. Maybe all of his frustration was for nothing. There was only one way to find out.

  ***

  Sasha bounded through the forest. Her paws dug deeper into the thin layer of snow with each leap. She shook her head and chuffed as she scampered over a log. After shifting into bear form, she’d spent the last hour racing through the woods in an effort to calm her frustration. Although she’d made a lot of progress on her sculpture, she hadn’t been able to enjoy it.

  Instead of being happy, she struggled to make it through five minutes without thinking about Jack. It was just her luck to fall for an emotionally unavailable man. They’d spent the last few days laughing, talking, and playing both in and out of bed. She’d never met anyone who could speak to her soul the way he did. And she was going to lose him.

  Her bear didn’t seem to grasp the concept. She’d insisted that they’d found their mate and that he’d realize it sooner or later. Sasha wasn’t convinced. But her bear didn’t care. Obsessed with his rippling abs, taut thighs, and perfect cock, the creature couldn’t wait to pounce on him again.

  As she rounded a large Rocky Mountain juniper, she spotted a bear across a small meadow. She skidded to a halt and sniffed the air. Jack!