All About the Bear (Grizzly Cove Book 1) (7 page)

“But how could we have lived here for any length of time without the truth coming out?” Nell wanted to know.

Brody sighed. “John had you vetted carefully. He seemed to think that, if you did find out, you weren’t the kind of people who would go running to the tabloids. But the whole thing was supposed to be a test run, to see if we could let more humans into the neighborhood and live among them without anybody being the wiser.”

Nell sat back in her chair, thinking. “Well, until yesterday, it was working. I had no idea.”

“Yeah, I know.” He had to smile. “It was killing me, you know? I wanted to be able to talk to you. To ask you out. But I didn’t want to start anything unless you knew the full story about me. Yesterday sort of untied my hands, and in a way, I should be thankful to that damn troublesome Aussie.”

Nell looked kind of…angelic, in that moment. The lighting on the deck was dim and yellow, to keep down the bugs. They were sitting on the same side of the table, closest to the grill. It didn’t take much to lean forward in his chair and kiss her.

She didn’t resist. In fact, she leaned closer to meet him. And then, the fire truly started. He lifted her out of the chair and positioned her on the clear end of the large wooden table, taking his place between her thighs as he had before.

He kissed her deeply, enjoying the taste of her, the feel of her soft curves against him. He liked the way her hands moved over his body, almost petting, clenching when he did something she liked, the little rounded, human nails digging into his skin through the fabric of his shirt.

And then, her fingers were undoing the buttons of that shirt, and his breath caught. She seemed so eager. Was she ready for what he had in mind? Did she want him like he wanted her? Would she let him go all the way? Was she ready for the consequences?

What if she really was his mate?

CHAPTER EIGHT

The thought stilled him. Brody lifted his lips from hers and moved back a tiny bit so he could meet her eyes.

“I want you to know…” He paused to catch his breath. “There’s a very real possibility that if we do this, I’ll want to keep you.”

The way her eyes lit up made his heart clench.

“What if I want to keep you too?” Nell countered after a moment’s pause.

“Honey, if you’re my mate, you won’t be able to get rid of me.” He needed to make her understand. “And that’s the truth. Mating is for life among shifters. So if you’re not sure about this…”

Goddess, he was going to kill himself later for being so noble. But if she really wasn’t sure and wanted out… He had no choice. He had to let her go if she asked. His honor demanded no less.

“How will you know if I’m your mate?” she asked, her fingers running up and down his arms in a playful way that made him want to growl.

“Once we make love, my inner bear will either want to claim you or be indifferent. If the bear is indifferent, there’s not much the human side can do about it.” He had to be brutally honest with her. She deserved the truth.

“So it’s all or nothing?” He didn’t like the way her eyes shifted to the side. That she wouldn’t meet his gaze told him something.

“It would never be nothing. Not between us.” He stroked a strand of her hair back to tuck behind her ear. “I admire you. I think you’re amazing in almost every way, Nell. I just want to be honest with you. I value the truth, and you deserve it. I wanted you to know that if, and when, the bear gets a taste of you and decides he likes it, there’s no turning back. If the bear recognizes you as his mate, it’s for life, so I wanted you to be forewarned.”

“How likely is it?” she whispered shyly.

Brody stifled a growl at her unconsciously sexy tone. “I think it’s very likely.”

“So mates means…what? Is that like, you’d want to marry me?” She sounded so hopefully unsure it was kind of a turn on.

“Mating is more than marriage. It’s forever. It means everything a human marriage does and more. Like building a family together, if that’s what fate has in store.”

“Children?” She seemed happily surprised. “Would they be like you? Little bears?”

“Probably,” he admitted. “Either way, they’d be loved.” He sensed her approval of his words. “The thing is, mating is not something you can end with a legal document. When I say it’s forever, I mean
forever
. I could never let you go, Nell.” He cupped her cheek in his palm. “You would be mine, and I would be yours. For the rest of our lives.”

“So…um…how does the bear know?” she asked, moving closer to him, almost breathing her words against his lips. “I mean, you’ll be human when we…um…”

He thought he knew what she was driving at, so he helped the conversation along. “I will only make love to you in my human form, since you are human. Frankly, doing it as a bear has its limitations, so I won’t miss it. Though it might be fun to play chase with you occasionally. The bear likes to hunt.”

Her eyes widened, but he didn’t let her talk anymore. The important things had been said, and she hadn’t run from him. No, she had stuck by him through the awkward revelations. She had seemed more intrigued and hopeful than fearful. There was nothing more to say. Now was the time for action.

His words gave Nell pause, but not enough to want to stop. She’d never responded so completely to a man, never wanted a man so much. She felt in her heart that Brody was someone special to her, even if he was a being totally outside her previous experience.

The whole concept of shapeshifters still kind of blew her mind, but she’d known Brody for a while now, and in all that time, he’d always been a man she could admire, respect, and definitely want to get to know better. Now was her chance, and she was going to reach out and take it with both hands.

She was going to reach out and take him with everything she had. The need building inside her would not be denied. And, somehow, she trusted that the future would take care of itself. If they were supposed to be together forever, it would happen.

She liked the idea a lot. Brody was the kind of man a woman could build a life with. He had all the qualities she admired in a man—and then some. The whole bear thing… Well…even though it was still a little scary, it was also kind of a turn on. All that leashed power was very attractive in an uncivilized, throwback sort of way. Nell hadn’t realized she was so old fashioned, but something about Brody holding all that magic and strength inside him was incredibly attractive.

He wasn’t hard on the eyes either. Muscles on muscles, Brody had the kind of physique women drooled over. In fact, she and her sisters had noticed how well most of the men in the area were built. It had been the topic of conversation between them, for weeks now. They’d put it up to the rustic setting, and the fact that most of these men worked hard at physical jobs and tasks around town and on their properties. Now Nell knew another facet—they were all shapeshifters who could turn into bears.

Her sisters would never believe her if she tried to tell them. Smiling inwardly at that thought, she didn’t resist when Brody moved closer. And then, she didn’t have any truly cohesive thoughts for a very long time as he showed her how a shapeshifting man could worship a female body.

More than that though, she felt like, of the few men she’d been with, Brody was the first one to think more of her comfort than his own. He undressed her as if she was made of some priceless, fragile substance. And when she pushed at his shoulders and fisted her hand in the fabric that still covered him, he took the hint and quickly removed the offending material.

His skin was hot and only slightly rough against her palms. For a guy who turned into a bear on a regular basis, he wasn’t all that hairy. She loved the feel of his muscles moving under taut skin, and his big hands were as patient with her as she could have dreamed. He was a considerate lover, which was something she’d always looked for in a man. A gentle giant.

Exactly like Brody.

She gasped as he cupped her bare breasts, his fingers rubbing her nipples. He teased her skin with deliberate touches that drove her passions higher. Each little lick of his tongue over hers, and his fingers over her breasts, made her want more.

His mouth moved downward, over her jaw, into the sensitive hollow of her neck and then, lower. His palms positioned her breasts for him to lick and suck. Little noises of pleasure issued from her throat without her conscious volition.

He lay her back on the table, coming down over her, blanketing her with his warmth. Her remaining clothes disappeared as if they had melted away, and her mind spun as he kissed a trail down over her abdomen and into the warm crevice between her thighs.

Never in her life had she felt such sensations. Brody played her body like a master, and she suddenly realized that any other sexual experiences she’d ever had could never compare to this moment…to this man. Brody was unique.

“Mmmm,” he rumbled against her most sensitive spot, making her quiver. He paused and looked up at her, meeting her gaze from between her thighs. “Know something bears really like?” he asked rhetorically, pausing a beat as their gazes held. Then he smiled. “Honey.”

Leading with his tongue, he renewed his gentle assault, driving her higher until she shattered. She came, and he rode her through it, gentling her and drawing out the climax.

When her body started warming up again—much to her surprise—he stood and removed his pants, the final barrier between them. The shape and size of him was impressive. She almost laughed, thinking of the way she and her sisters had been speculating about all the hunky guys in town. Based on what she was seeing here, her sisters would have to revise their estimates…up. Way up.

Brody was hung like a bear. The thought crossed her mind, and then she nearly dissolved in giggles. The only thing that saved her was that, at that very moment, Brody stepped closer once more, tugging her downward on the huge table until her splayed thighs were in the perfect position to receive him.

And then, all thoughts fled her mind once more as he joined them. Skin to skin. She would think about that later too, once her mind was out of the clouds and back on Earth. For now, though, everything was perfect. Brody was perfect. Big but perfect for her.

He touched places inside her body—and in her heart, as well—that no man had ever touched before. He filled her, claimed her, and made her his own.

Even if his bear didn’t think she was his mate, Brody the man was going to have a hard time getting rid of Nell after this. Just let him try. She could be every bit as possessive as a grizzly bear.

Then he began to move.

Sweet mother in heaven, Nell wasn’t sure she was going to survive. The pleasure built in slow waves as he began an advance and retreat, like water lapping at the shore. The gentle lapping turned into an ocean current as his motion increased and then into a torrent as they were both swept up in something beyond control.

The tempest was upon them, pushing her to the height of pleasure, demanding and giving all at the same time. She clung to Brody’s shoulders. He was her one solid presence inside the raging storm. He was her anchor and her rock. He was the one who would protect her and push her beyond all boundaries. He was her lover and, if she had anything to say about it at all, her mate.

She screamed his name as the crashing wave broke, casting her higher than she had ever gone before. His muscles tightened as her body clenched around him, and together, they rode the gentler waves of completion, held secure in each other’s arms.

CHAPTER NINE

Without saying a word, Brody carried her into the house and back to his bedroom. Something profound had just happened, but he’d be damned if he was going to tell her she was his mate while they were still wrapped up in a quickie on the picnic table. Even if it had been the most earth-shattering quickie of his life.

He lay her down in his bed, marveling for a moment at how good she looked there. Her body was luscious, curved in all the right places and a perfect fit for him in every way. Much as her personality and sharp mind seemed to mesh with his. She challenged him and fascinated him. Theirs would be a really good match, he’d thought from the first.

Now he knew his inner bear was on board. All he had to do was tell her…and hope she felt the same.

It was a tricky business, mating with a human. They didn’t have the same instincts as a shifter. There was no inner furball telling her what must be.

Brody was taking a big chance here. He was fully committed—but could she be, without the inner beast driving her? He didn’t know, but he’d sure like to spend the rest of his life finding out.

He settled in the bed next to her, his arm lying over her waist, his legs tangled with hers. He needed the skin contact even as their breathing started to return to normal.

He felt her move. He looked over to find her leaning up on one elbow, smiling at him.

“So, what’s the verdict?”

Brody wanted to laugh. He should have known his Nell would take life by the balls and face whatever would come of their joining head on. He loved the way she didn’t back down.

He levered himself over her, kissing her and aligning their bodies, reveling in the feel of her softness beneath him. If all went well, he’d feel these sensations for the rest of his life.

But he had to tell her and see what she’d say. He couldn’t put it off any longer, even if he was just a tiny bit afraid of rejection. He had to be a man and face her. If she didn’t want to be his mate, he’d just have to spend the rest of his life finding ways to convince her. He could do that, couldn’t he?

Brody lifted his head, ending the kiss, and met her gaze.

“You’re mine, Nell. My mate. Now and forevermore.”

She gasped but didn’t say anything while his heart climbed quietly into his throat. Why didn’t she say something?

Finally, she took pity on him. Her smile gave him hope as she leaned closer to whisper against his lips.

“I like the sound of that. Because you know what? You’re mine too. And I’m not ever letting you go.”