Wave after wave of pleasure flooded her from the inside out. Sensation began in her clit and spread into the deepest recesses of her pussy, and from there into her buttocks and legs and upwards toward her belly and breasts and arms, and finally into her head. She was bound to Calvin. She was floating free, yet tethered to him. Their souls were one, and still two.
And then the delight began all over again. Sweet kisses. Sweet rocking. Sweet bliss. They were both beyond conversation. She was limp and yet aroused. He was incandescent, focused on her pleasure, and yet sharing her pleasure, holding her safe, and yet leading her heart into peril.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Calvin~
The echoing bellow of a maddened boar bear mingling with the frenzied song of a she-bear blasted his ears. He thrust one last time, finally allowing himself to go deep. Amanda gasped and fell forward onto his chest.
His cock was squeezed by a series of strong ripples. He inhaled the heady, sexy smell of his mate. Her powerful orgasm triggered his own. He did not even attempt to suppress the triumphal growl in his throat. Together they fell backwards onto the mattress.
She sprawled on top of him, a delicious, limp weight. When he had recovered the strength in his arms he embraced Amanda and slid them both up onto the pillows. He drew the covers over her shoulders, enveloping them both in the scent of their passion. She responded by relaxing further and burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.
Had he convinced her? Were they bonded now? Sure as hell felt like a bond to him. He cupped her butt in both hands and allowed himself to drift off. He woke when she climbed off him. Turned to watch her cram herself into a bathrobe. Her lavish curves vanished under maroon velour.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To the bathroom. And then to the kitchen. I’m hungry, even if you’re not.”
He was ravenous. And not just for her. Lunch or dinner sounded good. What time was it anyway? It was still dark outside, and the windows were still rattling. But he no longer felt nervous. He folded his arms behind his head and contemplated the ceiling. He was still thinking about whether he could inveigle Amanda into a spring wedding when the phone rang. The landline. Probably the stable.
“Bascom,” he said clearly.
“I must have the wrong number,” declared a strange voice as deep as his own.
He sat up, chest swelling, wrath rising. Who the hell was calling his woman? “Who were you looking for?” he challenged.
“Amanda Arutta.”
“This is her phone. Who should I tell her wants her?” he snarled.
“Her son.”
It took him a few seconds. “José Jr.?” he croaked.
“Yeah. Listen, is she okay? For the last day and a half, her phone just dumps me into voice mail.”
“We’re in the midst of a blizzard.”
“I know that,” José Jr. said patiently. “It’s all over the news. That’s why I’ve been calling her.” His voice became suspicious. “Who are you and why are you answering her phone?”
“Calvin Bascom. I’m your stepmom’s gentleman caller. And we’re holed up together – just until the blizzard blows itself out.”
“The hell you are!”
“Afraid so. I think, seeing as I’ve compromised her and all, that we should get married.”
“Married? Mandy wants to marry you?”
“Well, I want to marry her.”
“Give me that phone, Bascom,” snarled his beloved. She snatched it out of his hand. “José?”
The phone squawked. He got up to piss. His work here was done. When he returned, Amanda was sitting on the edge of the bed, one foot swinging. Her hazel eyes narrowed. The handset was back on the phone.
“Why did you tell José Jr. we were staying here together?” she asked.
He raised his brows. “I was stirring our pot.”
“José wants to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Well, sure.” He waited a beat while she gathered herself to annihilate him. “So did he give us his blessing?”
Her brows snapped together. “Surprisingly enough, yes. He wants to meet you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course. He’ll want to be sure that I’ll treat you right.”
“You’d better.”
“Honey, I’ll even let you drive my Maserati.”
She rolled her eyes. “I haven’t said I will marry you.”
“That’s okay. When you’re ready, I’ll say yes.” He put his shirt back on. It was far from fresh, but he didn’t have much choice.
“You want me to propose to you?”
He thrust one leg into his jeans. “Sure. You like to be in control. Take control.”
“And if I decide to keep you as my boy toy?”
He fastened his belt buckle. Took a good look at her tousled curls and relaxed face. His face split with a broad white smile. “Are you threatening me with sex, sweetheart?”
“I’m trying to figure out where you’re coming from, Bascom.”
He knelt at her feet. Took her hands in his. “I’m laying my heart at your feet, dearest. You can pick it up or you can trample it.”
“Or hand it back if it doesn’t fit.”
He gazed into her clear hazel eyes. “You’ve tried it on. It fits.” He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them.
Her throat moved as she swallowed. “What if this is just snow blindness and thundersnow?”
“Feels real to me. I’ve never had a full-body orgasm with another woman. Never felt my aura resonate with another’s soul. If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.”
“Marriage is about more than sex.”
He put his hands at her waist. “You might be pregnant.”
She sighed. “Probably not. I’m too old.”
He laughed. “Then we’ll fall back on Plan B.”
“Where we steal other folks’ kids?”
“That’s the one.”
“Will being an uncle be enough for you?”
“Being a husband will be enough for me.”
She squared her shoulders. “Will you marry me, Bascom?”
“I will.” He picked her up and swung her through the air. “Yippee!”
From his hip pocket, his cell phone began to play bells.
“What the heck is that?” Amanda yelped.
He set her down so they could look at the screen together. “It’s midnight. Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas, Calvin.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Amanda~
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. She enjoyed the wild darting of his tongue against hers and the feeling of mingled peace and passion that being in his arms gave her, but eventually, even that delight had to end.
“Do you hear that?” she broke the kiss.
He listened with his head cocked to one side. “It’s only snow falling off branches. Nothing to be worried about. Probably just the storm coming to an end.”
“Let’s go check,” she said.
He picked up his cell phone and looked at the weather report while she rolled her eyes. “They’re calling for clear skies around about now.”
“I meant we should go outside and see what the world looks and smells like.”
“White.” His tone was curt but his brown eyes were wary.
She suppressed her smile. “I should hope so, Bascom. Let’s go celebrate Christmas in our bear skins.”
“That’s a good way to get shot, Amanda.”
“We’ll stay in the back yard, behind the fence,” she coaxed. “Who’s going to see us? Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“We could have fun right here,” he leered at her and indicated the bed.
She was tempted. But her mate couldn’t be afraid of his inner bear. “This is important,” she said. “I’m a bear. You’re a bear. Our paranormal nature is not just a frill. It’s a true part of ourselves, maybe the truest part.”
> He sat down on the bed and looked defeated. “You actually believe that our humanity is just a veneer on our primitive natures?”
She nestled beside him and took his hand. “What makes you think that your inner bear is primitive?”
“All it thinks about is beastly stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Sex.”
“Give me a break. What else?”
“I wanted to rip José Jr.’s throat out when he called.”
“I hate to have to be the one to explain this to you, Bascom. But you were in human when you answered my phone.”
“My sentiments weren’t.”
“Jealousy is perfectly human. Let’s go play, big boy. If you get overcome by your inner beast, I’ll sit on you.”
He cleared his throat. “You don’t understand, Amanda. Remember that night I got shot?”
“Yes, indeed. Comedy gold, big boy. What about it?”
“I was waiting for that snake shifter. Fully prepared to rip him to pieces,” he confessed.
“And?”
“You think it’s nothing that I was prepared to kill him?” he roared.
His big shoulders were hunched. Her mate was prepared for rejection. She put her arm around his naked waist. “As it happened, he got killed anyway,” Amanda returned dryly. “Which was about the best outcome – for Amber.”
“You don’t mind that I have the soul of a murderer?”
“I make a distinction between someone prepared to kill a rogue shifter and someone driven by blood lust. Come on, Calvin. I was there. You didn’t try to kill Prescott or Steve or me. You’re no homicidal maniac.”
“Ya think?”
“I know. I trust my inner bear and she tells me that you are protective, possessive, and like to be in charge. Those qualities can be used for good or evil, my bear believes you use them for good. Now get your ass out of bed, and let’s go have some fun.”
He trailed after her to the mudroom. The side door opened to a wall of snow imprinted with the door panels. What the hell? They were totally trapped. She swallowed hard. “Can we dig ourselves out?”
“It’s probably not as bad as it looks,” Calvin said easily. “We didn’t get eight feet of snowfall. This is just blown snow. Beyond this it probably tapers off fast. There may even be bare patches.” He picked up her broom and grinned. “Take a photo for the homefolks.”
“Huh?”
“Take a picture.”
She went for her phone. When she returned, Calvin was still standing in front of the snow wall with the broom in his hand, the snow wall untouched.
“Aren’t you going to take photos?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Who would I show them to? Daddy and Laura have seen this before.”
She took a handful of shots. “Okay. Show me what you’re going to do with the broom.”
He chuckled. “Not much.” He pushed the handle into the snow. It went in easily. The snow immediately began to slip. Calvin reversed the broom and swept snow off the floor.
The breach in the snow let in a draft of frigid air and Calvin closed the door. “We should check to make sure the furnace vent isn’t blocked,” he said. “And eventually we should dig out the garage, but other than that, we’re good. Of course, we have to wait for the snow plows. Still want to play in bear?” he asked.
“Certainly.”
“Ladies first.”
She hung her robe on the mudroom hook. Calvin stepped smartly out of her way. “Hang on. I’ll open the door again.”
Amanda positioned herself in front of the open door. The icy breeze made her hurry through shifting. She dropped to all fours and let her thick fur grow. It didn’t take long before she could barrel through what was left of the barrier of snow.
As Calvin had suggested, the wind had blown the snow up against the house, but the steep drift merged smoothly into much less deep snow. As her mate began to moan, she turned to look at him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Calvin~
Amanda changed rapidly from a woman into an enormous grizzly. He had seen her in bear just yesterday, so he wasn’t surprised at how large she was. Just at how fast she could morph.
His own shift took much longer. Waves of pain battered him as the bones of his face and jaw deformed and remade themselves. He set his jaw but a groan escaped.
His whole body prickled as his fur came in, and his legs and arms ached as the bones grew thick and heavy and muscles reconfigured. No wonder he hated shifting. It fricking hurt.
Amanda was watching him, her big brown eyes curious. She sat on her haunches in the snow and tipped her head to one side. Her muzzle opened displaying large white teeth. She panted softly. If he hadn’t known it was impossible, he would have said she was laughing.
She bounced to her feet and shook herself hard. The dusting of snow on her coat made a mist around her huge body. In mid-bounce she turned and took off into the back yard.
The door. The fricking door. He had to close the fricking door. He pulled it behind him with clumsy paws and raced after his mate. But she had vanished. Something massive landed on his back. Sweet she-bear breath tickled his face as Amanda rolled off of him and scampered away.
He stopped thinking and set off after her. The snow was too fluffy to really bear their weight. Haw. It churned beneath their limbs. Amanda forged a path through the pine trees, ducking and weaving under the branches.
By now she was so snow-covered she was difficult to see in the dark. Somehow she circled behind him and pounced. This time she sent him rolling. Before he could stop she bounced on him. He got his front legs around her and grappled, thrusting her into the snow.
She growled playfully and nuzzled his chest with her huge face. They rolled through the snow until they were completely covered and locked together like a giant snowball. Amanda huffed. She jumped backward, landed four feet away and shook herself hard.
He stood up to do the same, cannoned into a pine tree and stood helplessly while the snow on its branches cascaded over his back and head. Amanda’s huffs grew louder. She knocked into his shoulder and bounced away.
He lay on his back, stunned. Every sense was on red alert. His nostrils were full of the scent of ripe she-bear. Every time Amanda touched him, he felt her in every cell. Her whuffles of happiness made him happy. And the sight of her brought him deep contentment.
It was as if some bottomless reservoir of joy had been uncovered allowing his soul to delight in his bear and his mate. Had he ever felt this lighthearted? Not in years. If ever. Certainly not since his twin had died.
Amanda nudged him with her muzzle and then batted him with her paw. She seemed tireless and energized by their tumbling play. He jumped up and dashed off. Two could play at this game. With her longer legs and body, she easily outpaced him. She landed on his back. His legs went out from under him. She nipped him lightly on the nape and leaped up and dashed away.
It was folly to try to outrun her. But his bear set off anyway, lured by her delicious aroma. No matter what she thought, his she-grizzly was in season. It stood to reason that by next Christmas, Kenny Luther and Lucy Brenda would have cousins.
He was so engrossed in his fantasy that he didn’t see her coming until she was upon him. She barrelled into his side, used his fallen body as leverage and shot around the side of the house. He charged after her and came to a halt.
Amanda was pawing at the foundations. Ah. The furnace air intake and exhaust were blocked. It usually made no sense to clear the foundations of snow, since the insulation kept the house warm. The exception was vents.
He joined her in her labors. This was actually a task that was best performed by hand to avoid damaging the pipes. Bear limbs were just as sensitive as human hands but stronger. It didn’t take them long to expose the vents.
But Amanda’s playfulness was gone. She stalked around the perimeter of the house, looking for trouble. Aside from the snow on the windows, he didn’t see much wrong himself, and the warmth of th
e house would take care of that before long.
On the other hand, he was perfectly willing to follow his mate to the ends of the earth, or back inside.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
New Year’s Eve
Amanda~
She shouldn’t be so anxious. Calvin had said he would be back before dark. But the weather forecast had called for more snow. Not a blizzard, but in Colorado, there often didn’t seem much difference between a snow storm and a blizzard.
That ham wouldn’t bake itself. Calvin had said he would be back. She had better make the meal she had promised him. Besides, cooking would take her mind off her fear. She glazed the ham with the red pepper jelly Rosa Diego had given her and popped it in the oven.
His helicopter buzzed the house while she was doing the dishes. It didn’t take long for her to straighten up and be ready when he opened the door to the mudroom. But it wasn’t Calvin who walked through and swept her into his strong arms.
Calvin stood behind José Jr. grinning like a fool. “Surprise,” he said.
She hugged José Jr. harder. “I thought you had to be back at base tomorrow?”
“I do. But Calvin has promised to get me there by 1800 hours.” José Jr. lifted her right off her feet. “Aren’t you glad to see me, Mandy?”
“You know I am. Take your coat off and let’s go celebrate.”
José Jr. let her go and Calvin gave her a quick proprietary kiss. “I told you I was bringing you a present,” he said.
She had been thinking of something much smaller, but she didn’t say so. “Thank you,” she murmured mistily.
“I’m going to check that those furnace vents aren’t blocked.” He vanished out the side door.
José Jr. raised his brows at her. “Was it something I said?”
“Nope. We do have to keep snow off the vents, but Calvin’s giving us a few minutes alone.”
José Jr. followed her out to the kitchen. “He says you’re getting married.”
She drew in a deep breath. “That’s right.”
“He seems smitten.”
“Does he?”
“Yup. Of course I’m prejudiced. Any bear who thinks the sun rises and sets out of you, Mandy, is going to meet with my approval.”
Snowed in with the Bear Page 8
