Bear Meets Bride (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) (4 page)

5

A rare free evening for Erin, thanks to part-time help that she could only usually secure for earlier hours, Thursday felt like an almost normal time for a date, and she had been itching with excitement at seeing Tom again, even though it was only a few more days to wait after being single for so many years. Actually, they had seen each other briefly the day before, when he and Jake had visited the bakery to fuel up with a burger (though unusually Tom had opted for a ham baguette). They had only spoken briefly, however, with Tom causing her to blush when he said he was ‘looking forward to tomorrow’, but otherwise they had remained discreet. Certainly they had not given the game away and avoided any winks from Jake’s direction that would probably be on the horizon—in fact, Jake had the temerity to flirt with her a little himself despite being so renowned as a family man.

As promised, the second date was to be far more casual, beginning with Tom picking her up after work and driving them both to his place in North Bend. The directions to his place once leaving the highway were slightly awkward and so he didn’t want her to get lost, or so he said, but if his plan was to let her get tipsy because she didn’t have to drive, then she didn’t resist in any way. Though she still felt some nerves, they had been completely overtaken by excitement and she felt far more comfortable in her cowboy boots and jeans. She was delighted to learn that Tom agreed they were perfect for her character. She was a local girl and proud of it, and who better to appreciate such sentiments than a law enforcement officer? ....though she did wonder what her neighbors were saying about her being driven off in a police car.

Dinner would be his to cook on this occasion, although, keen to contribute and take the pressure off a little—seeing as he hadn’t had all day to prepare—Erin revealed that she had cooked an apple pie for dessert. Its warm aroma filled the car on their way, and Tom grinned at her.

“I’m tempted to pull over and eat it all right now,” he said.

I’m tempted to eat all of you right now…in a sense…
Erin thought with an internal giggle.

Erin was observant, however, and did notice that Tom was carrying some kind of mental weight around with him, despite the jokes. At first she didn’t think deeply on this, knowing that he’d been at work all day and hearing him also admit to being anxious they reach his place without him having to stop and arrest anyone. Once they had reached North Bend, on the other hand, and he had excused himself for some time to freshen up while she made herself at home, it became clear that his smiles were still a little forced, and she wanted to ask him what might be playing on his mind. It wasn’t that he was giving off the impression her presence was an issue—quite the opposite, in fact. He seemed to be trying too hard and a couple of times became cut off in the middle of a sentence as if what he was about to say might be inappropriate. She wanted to put him at ease and, although apprehensive about how to go about the task, decided to take the step and ask just as he was finishing cooking their steak.

“You know, erm… I don’t mean to pry,” she began, “but I won’t be offended if you need to get something off your chest about work. It’s not like you haven’t let me yap on about my bakery.”

“Yes, but your bakery is a source of mutual pleasure, Erin. A feast for the senses before you even discover the pretty face waiting behind the counter,” he replied with a wink.

“That might be, Tom,” she said, failing to disguise glee whenever compliments were being made about her bakery, “but dare I say I feel I know you well enough already to tell when you’re anxious about something.”

She was leaning back against the kitchen work surface in order to look into his eyes as he turned the steak, hoping that her question didn’t spit up and sting like the sizzling fat that had just caused Tom to wince by landing on his wrist. Erin wasn’t worried that Tom was the type to reprimand her, but she was cautious about stepping into unknown territory.

“It’s that readable, huh?” he replied, helping her to breathe a little easier in acknowledging the fact.

“Please don’t think I’m prying,” she repeated, “but if you need to talk about something I won’t get all uppity about ruining our precious date. What’s going on up there is precious to me too,” she finished, pointing up to his head but not quite able to reach. Lord, he was tall…

“Are you freaked out by crime and violence and all that?” he asked.

“Not particularly,” she said. “I don’t think I could do your job, but hearing about it or watching a film or documentary—that’s fine, I’m pretty divorced from the actual event.”

“This is a local thing, though,” he explained, “I mean, it’ll all be out in the news soon enough anyway, but I’d hate to be the one responsible for giving you nightmares.”

“I’ll let you know…I can always come closer for comfort.”

Tom smiled at her suggestion but missed his chance of an embrace—or something more—right then.

“Did you hear about the murder up on the highway?” he asked instead. “It was just a few miles from Cold Lake.”

“I heard something on the radio earlier in the week about a body, yes. The man was saying they were investigating the remains in connection with some other incidents to see whether they were related.”

“Oh, they’re related all right,” Tom told her. “We’re biding our time a bit with the press—a bit too much, in truth, because the details are a bit sensitive. There’s a serial killer out there, that’s for sure. Don’t go walking out away from town on your own, take it from me.”

“So have they not told the public they’re in danger?”

“There are signs up asking drivers to be cautious about stopping; rest areas are cut off and certain footpaths are being patrolled by armed rangers, who are also advising people about keeping away from wooded areas.”

“But we’re safe in the towns, right? Like when in our houses and…in the bakery?” Erin asked, her breath hitching a little in her throat.

“In front of people, yes. That’s where you’re safest actually, but there will be other announcements very soon. I suspect the news channels will very soon be putting the fear of god into locals—like our own Son of Sam.”

“My god!”

“Yeah, so that’s why I’m finding it pretty tough to switch off this week,” he explained. “Sorry to bring the atmosphere down. Usually once I’m out of uniform I’m as laid back as they come.”

“Not at all. Sounds like this case is extreme by anyone’s standards. I wouldn’t expect you to go about as normal. I know you have confidantes at work but if you need one outside too, then…”

“To be honest, Erin, rather than a confidante, what I need is a distraction. I think I would’ve gone crazy this week if I didn’t have this evening to help me put up with the whole affair. I’m sorry I’ve been a bit mistaken about being able to leave it all on the road.”

“No, that’s my fault for bringing it up,” she insisted. “But now that I understand, let’s not talk about it anymore and just try to relax. Those steaks look fabulous, after all.”

Seeing that he looked quite relieved by this suggestion, Erin was optimistic that he might be able to relax well into the evening and also talked him into having a beer or two. At first he resisted, not wanting to risk having to drive her home while under the influence until she said, “You have a spare room, don’t you?” and proceeded to open up a bottle for him. “Besides,” she continued, “I like your idea about watching a movie when we’re done eating. I can’t relax into that if I know I’ve got to scoot off—and that steak would be a waste without a nice cold one to wash it down with.”

He grinned. “Erin, you’re disturbingly persuasive,” he told her, but gave in without much of a fight.

As they ate, Erin couldn’t help but ask about something else that surprised her on seeing Tom’s place. This was because, although Tom happily described himself as a throwback, having embraced Montana life as if he had family there going back years rather than actually being a New Yorker, there was nevertheless a surprising amount of gadgets and devices about. Indeed, far more than would be necessary for someone addicted to gaming and surely not required for police work. On this, Tom had a bit of a confession to make.

“There’s no point trying to keep this one secret, Erin,” he said, once she had asked if all the devices did different things. “Truth is, I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to new technology, especially anything that relates to the online world.”

“Really?” she asked, not looking to hide her astonishment. “I’d never have guessed.”

“I know, it’s strange. I think it goes back to an open day at this college expo we had back at school,” he explained. “We walked in and there were these students typing away and showing us all this stuff that I never knew existed. It must have made me paranoid or something.”

“Paranoid about what?”

“About the world moving on but no one tells you about it. You know, everything’s online now, but there are poor folk who couldn’t even log on to a PC if you asked them. They’ve done nothing wrong with their lives but the world has moved on from them anyway.  I told myself ‘Don’t let that happen to you’ and it kick-started something of an obsession.”

“So you don’t think you’ve learned enough about it yet?”

“That’s the problem, though, it’s always evolving. I have this thing now,” he went on, trying to look a little ashamed but failing, “about looking out for the next new advances and reading up on them before they’re even on the market, so they don’t take me by surprise someday by catching me out.”

“Now I know where to come if my laptop breaks,” said Erin.

“I hope you don’t think it’s too weird—I know it looks like a contradiction.”

“Of course not. Just means you’re a fully rounded human being.”

“So,” said Tom, “I’ve disturbed you about my work and I’ve confessed to being a nerd and you haven’t run away screaming yet.”

“Nope! Secret’s out of the bag but I’m still here. It’s been a hectic week, why not pick us that movie, and then we can chill out on the sofa with another drink?”

Tom had no objection and so they proceeded to discuss films, although as Erin was the guest he insisted that she choose. Narrowing down possibilities proved easier than expected considering that they both viewed all the best movies as coming from the eighties. Upon realizing this, it was decided that a classic they both knew they liked but had never enjoyed together would be better than opting for something new and so, after Erin had chosen five options and asked for a number from one-to-five (the films only existed on some hi-tech device she had never seen before so she couldn’t physically shuffle them like with DVDs) they both agreed that the dear old
Terminator
was a fine choice. It was only after pressing play that Erin wondered if the plot was not a little close to home for Tom’s kind of work, but he showed no sign of discomfort and taking such a fantastical a plot to heart would probably have been a little self-indulgent.

Of course there was a slight missed opportunity there, which Erin only really clued on to when seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger walk naked across the screen. Not only was the sight enough to make even a beefcake like Tom feel inadequate, but her mind should have really been working on a different level and opted for something a little lighter, or even romantic.
Ghost
, perhaps.

Then again, the more the film progressed, the more and more Erin realized what a romantic and touching film
The Terminator
actually was—either that or she was just horny regardless of what was on the screen—but Sarah Connor was a damsel in distress after all, and she’d forgotten how good the love scene was between her and savior Kyle Reece. It was a damn good movie, with an escalating sense of peril from one scene to the next, the stress of which suddenly detoured into a private and personal moment in which the two characters realized their love for each other. At the moment Michael Biehn lowered fellow actor Linda Hamilton onto the sheets, his hands cupping her breasts, Erin’s own awareness of the physical contact between her and Tom then escalated into something uncertain. From early on in the film she had rested her head on his shoulder, to which he had reciprocated by taking her hand in his—the first hint of lovers contact between them, but still nothing more than teenagers might have attempted…until now.

Anticipating that he might feel the same way, despite the fact that he’d made no moves yet, Erin began to turn her head slowly to face him. Was it their breathing that had changed, or some subtle quickening of the pulse our desires react to without telling the brain exactly why? Analyzing the instincts there and then did not matter; all that mattered was that they were shared.

Once their eyes met, only a machine gun wielding cyborg from the future could have stopped them from falling into each other. Simultaneously they leaned close and kissed, a sensation Erin hadn’t felt for far too long and one that she knew she wouldn’t look to withdraw from unless he did.

It was finally happening…

6

Caught up in desire, Tom had just enough wits to realize—as the two of them were about halfway through undressing each other, all the time kissing, nuzzling and stroking as more and more irresistible skin was presented—that Erin might prefer their first time together to be in the comfort of his bed, rather than the fiendish environs of the living room with cyborg chases going on in the background. The rest of the film played out without an audience, excepting the empty set of clothes thrown on the floor which was only missing underwear.

As soon as he reached the bedroom with Erin in his arms, Tom placed her on the bed and pounced. His lips were on her neck only seconds later, and his skin tingled wherever her fingers touched as she stroked him. His hands moved to her breasts as his kisses moved down the curve of her back, and then he couldn’t hold back any longer. Their underwear disappeared in a fevered sweep of hands, and Erin straddled Tom as he lay back on the bed, stroking herself over his cock in slow glides.

He grabbed her breasts again and fondled them, tweaking her stiff nipples with his thumb and forefinger. Erin moaned softly. “Oh…Tom…”

There was the sound of a foil packet ripping as Tom opened a condom and slid the protection down over himself, and Erin curved her body into his hands, moving herself closer to where she wanted to be the most. Then she lifted her hips and grabbed his rock hard cock with one hand.

She placed him at her entrance, and he pulsed in her hand, hot and already slick with her arousal. Looking straight into his eyes, she pressed down, and she let out a gasp as he groaned. With every inch of him that slid into her, their bodies burned even hotter, and Erin dug her nails into his shoulders as she clung to him, using his strong body for leverage.

Tom matched her gaze, and a whole world of communication echoed between the two without a single word. His hands slid down from her breasts to the curve of her hips, and he held her as she bounced up and down on him, crying out from the delicious fullness. The feeling of being stretched soon overwhelmed all her senses, and Tom’s thumb gently stroked her clitoris, driving her further and further towards a climax.

Suddenly Erin was on her back, stretched out along the bed, and Tom was slamming deep into her from above. She gasped as he thrust into her harder and harder, and he groaned and pressed his lips down to her neck, kissing and nibbling at her delicate skin before pulling back. The hard thrust that followed left her whimpering breathlessly, and she gripped his muscular arms, digging her nails in again.

Tom nipped at her collarbone, grazing his hot mouth over her cool skin. “Mm…yes,” Erin moaned. “More!”

He drove back in, deeper and deeper, harder and harder…faster and faster. With each movement, his body rubbed against her throbbing clitoris, and harsh, short breaths burst from her lips as she crept closer and closer to the edge.

Tom lowered his head to kiss her again, his tongue brushing over her lips before sliding into her mouth and entwining with hers. His whole body ached with a desperate need for release, and he groaned as Erin moved her hips up and down in tandem with each plunge of his thick cock inside her. She seemed as if she was even closer to the edge now, and Tom’s pounding movements turning harsher and faster. He was lost in a hazy world of heated lust, and suddenly it was threatening to explode out of him, making a white hot light seemingly flash through his mind as heat rushed up his groin.

His hands moved to the side of Erin’s head, holding her and kissing her as she cried out with delight from her own climax, and her muscles tightened around his cock, making him pull away and growl.

“You’re gonna make me come any second now,” he groaned.

Another loud moan rushed up Erin’s throat in response as the waves of pleasure flooded through her, and the whole world seemed to slow to a crawl around her as Tom’s thrusts began to slow. His eyes met hers, and then he threw his head back and groaned as his cock pulsed deep inside her. Then he collapsed onto her, and the two stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity, trying to catch their breath.

“So…” Erin said once she’d regained her composure. “Again?”

Tom grinned. “I was just about to say the same thing.”

Spurred on by neglected desires that refused to rest, the two of them continued to roll around with joy, enjoying each other in multiple ways they both knew they liked but had never enjoyed together until, naked and entwined, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, caring not to set any alarm to coincide with the morning light.

***

Waking to sunlight through the window pane, the lovers’ motion slowly brought them into closer proximity one more. Sensing that Erin had curled up in his embrace out of shyness for having her breasts exposed, the effort only served to ensure they were now resting against him again, and Tom was reminded of their desirability even more than by watching them rise and fall to the streaming light. Morning also served to reignite his ardor; something that, in such an embrace, he was unable to hide from her.

He wasn’t about to pester her for more sex after she’d made his dreams come true so thoroughly last night, but he didn’t need to. Erin put a hand on his shoulder, indicating he should lie back, before straddling him once more and welcoming him to a new day by unhurriedly bringing him to orgasm, then lying down beside him again. Though he was unable to recall seeing the color of her dark green eyes during the entire lovemaking, she then opened them and, as if on cue, made sure her stare was accompanied by a naughty smile. Suddenly he was the shy one and wanted to cover his body, except she had stolen the duvet.

“Any chance of some of those blankets coming this way?” he asked, sporting a tired smile. “Or even the sheet?”

“No, I’ve just earned them for myself,” she replied.

“Oh, is that what that was?”

She laughed. “Yes, and a morning coffee too.”

“Oh right, that too? Here I thought you actually liked me…”

“Well, if you wanted me to make the coffee, you would’ve had to go on top.”

“I’ll have to remember that. Do you always play games without telling your opponents the rules?”

She stretched out happily and smiled. “Only in the morning when there’s a handsome man in the bed who can potentially make me coffee.”

“Just so I know for next time.”

“You coming back for more then?”

“Erin, you’ve got me hook, line and sinker. What a night!”

“Speak for yourself,” she replied with a wink.

“I give in,” he said. “I’ll go and make the coffee.”

When he returned, Tom also brought bacon and toast, having planned to make breakfast all along.

“We’ll have to watch the rest of that film sometime,” he said as they tucked into their first bite of toast.

“You think?’” Erin asked. “Not sure I’ll ever get past that scene again.”

“Perfect place to leave it I guess. They looked pretty happy together for a change. Anyway, I was wondering if I might have jumped second date etiquette?”

“How do you mean?”

‘You know… jumping your bones and everything before I’d even asked you on a third date. A little rude perhaps.”

“Yes, I’ll have to punish you for it,” she replied, still with those naughty eyes—he wasn’t quite sure she was completely joking.

“So, what’s next?” he asked. “I feel like treating you to something special…”

But there wasn’t a chance to wait for suggestions. The phone rang, and as soon as Tom heard the tone of Jake’s voice on the other end, he knew that the distraction Erin had so superbly provided had nevertheless come to an end.

He had expected to hear more from the case of course, but was dismayed that it was so soon after the last body. The rate of attacks were now accelerating.

There was already a fourth victim.

***

“This bastard’s going to attack again very soon,” Jake said, addressing the assembled officers and giving one of his motivational speeches. “I’m sure of it if we don’t get him—if not, presume he is going to anyway. Perhaps making enough police noise around Cold Lake and any roads coming to and from might be enough to put him off if we don’t get him straightaway. Make him cautious I mean, which also means this one’s no longer under wraps, it’s going to the press, which means all manner of nasty speculation about bear shifters. There will be a state-wide curfew on any bears shifting, or going outside in bear form this evening, which means that any sightings of bears away from areas they’re supposed to be will need to be tracked down and taken seriously. So be prepared! All right, let’s go and find this site.”

The fourth kill—and by the shock of the poor individual who had reported it, it was another ferocious attack without doubt—was a little away from the road this time, meaning the team had to negotiate a few woodland footpaths in order to reach the body. Regardless of whether it might turn out to be a coincidental attack by a wild bear (something Tom wasn’t even bothering to hope for) there would be enough doubt to suppose they had now recorded a fourth victim—and two in the same week.

If the last kill had felt goading, then this next one spoke of confidence. There had been rangers out on the paths with guns, but it was virtually impossible to zero in on a certain individual who might be a bear shifter without even worse complications. Bear shifters tended to have hairier chests and broader shoulders than the average man—but that didn’t mean there was a complete lack of thick-set truckers and ranchers active throughout all parts of Montana. All it would take was for one person with a gun to start getting too suspicious or trigger-happy, and they would also have friendly fire on their hands, especially as everyone was a potential victim. So far four healthy men were dead, which meant a far more fearsome serial killer than the typical coward who waited to strike on vulnerable women or children.

Supposedly, the crime scene was out in the open somewhere, but in order to get there the team had to take the right path through thick woodland—unless they wanted to climb up a mountain and descend from there, which was what the man who reported the find had done. That man was in too much shock to return to the scene at all and would probably need therapy, so they were relying on directions only, and after half an hour, they came to the realization that they were lost.

“This is no good,” Jake said, taking out his cell phone and searching for a number. “We’ll be a laughing stock. Here, Tom…do the honors.”

The sheriff was referring to the necessary conversation with Nana Morgan, the dispatch officer from whom they would need extra directions. Either Jake had that male ego thing that prevented him from admitting to being lost, or else he thought it amusing to make Tom converse with his ex-girlfriend. Tom rolled his eyes on taking the cell phone but didn’t really mind; Nana was easy to talk to and renowned for being a cool head in a crisis. In her own way, she was as respected as Jake, though in a less visible role. Nana was the person to go to whenever you needed someone level-headed, having worked with a diverse range of community services and people in her central role.

She was the brains behind the brawn, and as the only bear shifter cop, Tom had initially been attracted to her ability to never look out of place. Although dating had not worked out for them, they had learned enough of each other to build up a strong and mutual bond of friendship. When back in the office, Tom knew that she could often tell what he was thinking, and if a colleague happened to be making a fool of themselves, tried not to look her in the eye for fear of laughing out loud.

“Hello, Jake. What can I do for you?” she said on answering the call. Her voice was clear and crisp, and Tom had often thought she should’ve worked on the radio instead.

“The famous Nana Morgan!” he responded.

“Oh! It’s you, Tom. You lost your phone?”

“No, Jake’s just glugging some water down; it’s thirsty work out here.”

“You at the site?”

“No, that’s the reason for the call. Satellite navigation isn’t at its best in these woods.”

“You’re lost, then.”

“Like a bunch of kids in a maze. Were there any real firm directions that guy gave that could help? I can’t even catch the scent at all, so I’m guessing we’re nowhere near it.”

“Let me quickly check the report,” Nana said, and Tom gave her what time she needed to produce something useful. As he waited he happened to notice out of the corner of his eye that a couple of the younger officers were staring in his direction and clearly talking about him. By the look on their faces, he thought he knew exactly what they were saying, and the content was not generous.

“Okay, looks like I have something here for you,” Nana said.

“Great!”

“First, give me a bit of an indication where you are.”

“Well we turned right off the road and have gone mostly downhill as the directions said.”

“No no, the man started off going downhill when he was running from the site, then uphill towards the road. I think if you turn back and take the first right—that’s your right—that goes uphill, you’ll find all the paths will converge on the site, more or less.”

“You sure?”