The Bear's Fated Mate Read online

  Hope.

  Lara pressed her hands to the sides of his face and leaned in. “Then I choose…yes.”

  11

  He was still in control—the human him—but the bear was growing in strength. Alex wasn’t sure how much longer he could stay at the reins, but hell if he wanted his first time with Lara to be a mindless rush.

  Complications between them aside, there was no reason this had to be difficult. Hell, considering the inflammatory way they’d interacted before, he expected in the coming days they’d burn through a lot of calories and a whole lot of pleasure.

  But right now, his partner for the next week was looking surprisingly frightened.

  No. It wasn’t fear in her eyes, but concern, and the sight of her wavering was enough to knock the bear back a notch or two.

  Alex lifted a hand to stroke his knuckles over her cheek. “Thank you for your gift.”

  Her eyes widened.

  He couldn’t help it. A soft laugh escaped even as he slid his hand farther until he caught her nape. “Yes, I am capable of using pretty manners. Please, and thank you. And I have a few rules, such as a lady always goes first.”

  He leaned in closer, the scent of her body wrapping around them and making his skin twitch as if a million fireflies were brushing against him.

  Hmmmm. Alex moved until his lips caressed hers then lowered his voice to breathe out the all-important question. “Speaking of which, did you come?”

  Her breath hitched.

  And that would be a no. Especially from the flash of blood rushing her cheeks, and didn’t that kick his amusement up as well? She was shy in the bedroom.

  Or the kitchen, as it were. Alex could work with that just fine.

  “I think we’d better do something about me interrupting you.”

  “I have no objections, but can you give me a quick briefing on what to expect?” She ran her fingers through his hair, damn near petting him into submission. “I’ve never done this before.”

  He stilled. Shit.

  Her cheeks quickly heated another couple of degrees, and she hurried to explain. “I’ve had sex before. I mean I’ve never been with— You have mating fever, and I don’t know what that involves.”

  Valid question. “It means I’m going to take you a whole lot of times. Hard, soft, and everything in between. And not just fucking. I want to taste your body and tease you until you squirm. I look forward to stripping you naked and exploring you with my hands and my mouth and my cock until you’re screaming my name. And your tits—oh, yeah, I plan to spend a lot of time on them. Bears like to play.”

  She wiggled slightly as he spoke but offered a head tilt as if filing away information. “So, there’s nothing I have to avoid?”

  A beeper went off, the tone dragging over his nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

  Lara swore and slipped out of his arms, heading across the room to pick up her phone and hit a button. Each step she took away from him felt as if knife tips sliced his skin.

  She held up her phone, wiggling it in the air. “I’ve turned it off, but I have a massage booked right now.”

  An inexplicable rush of anger flared. Alex stomped to her side, catching her free hand in his. “Nobody touches you but me.”

  One of her brows rose slowly. “That would be rule number one. Gotcha.”

  As fast as it had flared, his anger faded. He lifted their joint hands between them. “I think we need to stay close. Being in contact with you calms me down.”

  “And that would be rule number two, but what do you mean you think? You’ve done this before.”

  He plucked the phone from her and laid it on the side table, stepping around her slowly. Keeping in constant contact as he trailed a hand up her arm and over her shoulder. Sliding his palm between her shoulder blades then lower. “I’ve had the mating fever before, yes, but I’ve avoided having access to any potential partners. This time is different.”

  She didn’t need to know about the pact with his brothers or his grandfather’s ultimatum.

  Plus, it was time to stop talking. He stopped his slow stalking, standing behind her. Bodies nearly touching, he laid his hand over her belly on top of the softest cotton he’d ever felt. Then he leaned in close and brushed his cheek against hers. “Seems I owe you a massage.”

  She shivered but eased into him willingly. Pressing her head against his shoulder as he ghosted his lips down the side of her neck. “I spotted extra bottles of massage oil on the counter in the bathroom.”

  Alex had taken only half a step before an unzipping sensation shivered over his skin. Screw that.

  He caught her under the knees and lifted her in his arms, snuggling her tightly as he strode through the enormous suite. “Nice digs, sugar.”

  “I won a getaway and got a free upgrade. In case you’re wondering how I could afford this place, because I can’t.” She was stroking him again, fingers running through his short hair as if she was mesmerized.

  He stopped beside a neat row of bottles filled with shimmering liquid and waited for her to scoop them up. He hadn’t even considered how outrageously expensive the spa was since he’d seen the invitation—which was another thing he wasn’t telling her about at the moment.

  “Grab a towel,” he ordered.

  The instant she obeyed, he marched onward and through the massive arched entranceway into the next room.

  The master bedroom was a work of art, with another fireplace and a wide window view overlooking the river. Center stage was a king-size bed with burgundy sheets and enough pillows to stage an epic battle.

  It took a moment to organize everything the way he wanted it, and his bear thought he was out of his mind for not getting down to business, but when he finally curled a finger at Lara and motioned for her to come forward, the heavy-lidded expression in her eyes made it worthwhile.

  Anticipation had clearly set up house in Lara, and every bit of her body quivered as he checked her over slowly.

  Alex sat on the edge of the bed, knees wide, as Lara stood in front of him. “We’re going to need to get rid of those pyjamas, sugar. Plus, we need to decide which massage oil we like best.”

  He handed her two of the “suitable for consumption” options, one for each hand, then twisted off the tops and put them aside.

  Lara watched with amusement. “You make a mess and I’m giving you the cleaning bill,” she warned.

  “Then don’t make a mess,” he returned. “Your job is to keep those bottles steady.”

  “Piece of cake…” Her bold statement died off into a throaty moan as he caught hold of her pyjama top and slid his hands under it.

  Palms pressed to the side of her body, he skimmed up her torso slowly. Slower still as his fingers teased her back. The higher his arms rose, the more the fabric bunched over her breasts. Lara raised her arms to the side, lower lip trembling. The heels of his hands brushed the outside swells of her breasts, and she whispered a soft curse.

  “A massage is supposed to be relaxing, Borealis,” she complained.

  “We’ll get there.”

  He stared at the naked skin he was slowly exposing—her belly, the dangling edge of the shirt teasing higher. Her nipples were taut peaks, the bottom edge of fabric catching briefly on them as their deep pink slowly came into sight.

  He sped up, lifting the fabric and raising her arms along with it. Her fists were clenched around the bottles, but somehow even with her arms stretched over her head, she kept the liquid from spilling as he flipped the material off her wrists and tossed the top aside.

  She breathed heavily, chest rising and falling, those beautiful breasts on full display as she stood with her hands overhead.

  His palms teased the soft skin of her forearms.

  “Didn’t spill a drop.” Pride tinged her voice.

  “Good for you. But we need a little spillage.” Alex tightened his grip on her wrists. He changed the angle, tilting both bottles so the contents cascaded downward.

  She gasped a
s oil splashed over her upper arms and torso. Rivulets of the heavy fluid pooled along her collarbone.

  One line of liquid rolled over the top of her breast, coming to a stop at the very tip of her nipple. Moisture gathered until the perfect droplet formed.

  His own modern art piece splayed with delectable finger paintable perfection.

  Alex took the bottles from her hands and tossed them aside, holding her gaze as he exposed his hunger. “Now to decide which flavour I like best.”

  One finger. Just one, tracing the side of her neck and along the ridge of her collarbone. Following the line of wetness downward… downward…until he could swirl his fingertips in the oil and press his palm over her full breast.

  A low rumble filled the room, and Alex smiled.

  The sound came from Lara, her eyes closed, head falling back as he caressed her. He pressed her arms to her sides, skimming his palms over her limbs and rubbing in oil as he worked. His thighs supported her as she stood far enough away that he could tease and touch exactly the way he wanted.

  And what he wanted was to work the oil into every inch of her skin. Her shoulders glistening, the pulse beating at the base of her neck shining with every pump of blood through her. Breasts smooth and silky against his palms, nipples dragging his skin with their sharp need.

  He briefly covered her belly then swung his hands to her back, easing upward as he brought her even closer. Because the only thing that would make this better?

  He stared at her tits while raw satisfaction swirled. “Taste test, sugar. Brace yourself.”

  Firm pressure between her shoulder blades brought her forward, and he wrapped his lips around her nipple.

  12

  Pleasure rode her nerve endings hard enough Lara lost her breath.

  What had been a teasing, almost silly moment with her standing half naked had taken a turn for the erotic so fast she still wasn’t sure it was real.

  But the drag of his mouth over her sensitive skin was real. The crisp jolt of pleasure as he slid his teeth over her nipple was real.

  She was there, with him, and they were going to have sex, and she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

  Alex pushed at her pyjama pants, shoving them and her panties to the floor, and the next thing she knew, he’d lifted her. His back hit the mattress and her knees landed on either side of his shoulders. His hand braced her belly to help her catch her balance while his eyes, blazing with desire, stared up at her.

  “I want to taste. I want to touch.”

  Before she could protest or ask for clarification—frankly before she could think—he’d slid down the mattress far enough that his mouth was in line with her hips.

  At that point, any chance of using her brain was impossible. All that remained was sensation. His tongue slipping through her folds, circling her clit, stabbing as deep as he could go. He feasted as if he were a starving man, holding her tight against his eager mouth. No chance of escape—not that she was stupid enough to move.

  Not when tension coiled harder inside her, dragging anticipation off the back burner and onto high heat. Simmering became a hard, rocking boil where her orgasm was the top blowing off the pan and the contents exploding all over the stove.

  “Alex, oh, yes.”

  He was still staring, still driving her pleasure train, and she ground down on his face without thinking. Demanding every bit of satisfaction possible.

  A rumble of amusement shook against her core in the brief second before Alex upped his game. And while she might have just come, that didn’t matter to him as he assaulted her senses even harder, sending her reeling toward a second orgasm.

  When she began to shake, body tightening around emptiness, the room whirled. She landed on her back, Alex rising over her as he rapidly stripped his clothes away. Desperation showed so clearly in his expression that she didn’t have the heart to tease him.

  It was a moment to be thankful for shifter genetics. No sexual diseases to worry about. And the other matter?

  She laid her hands on his shoulders to get his attention. “I’m on birth control.”

  “Thank you,” he breathed out in a rush. “I’m sorry. I just can’t—”

  He shook himself again as if trying to regain control, but Lara figured he only had so much of a leash on his inner beast. The fact he’d gotten her off twice already was a minor miracle.

  From the grimace of pain on his face, he wasn’t having a good time arguing with his bear.

  Time for her to take control.

  He wasn’t expecting it, which was the only reason she got enough leverage in spite of his heavier weight pinning her. The slight give of the mattress helped as well, and the next moment he was under her and she was straddling him, rising on her knees and reaching down to take hold of his cock.

  She stroked him. Once, then again. His eyes rolled back in his head and his jaw went slack.

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” she teased. “You can show me more of your big bad bear moves later, but right now, I want this.”

  She tucked the broad head of his cock between her folds then slid down over him. Inch by delicious inch speared into her body and filled her to the brim.

  Utter silence filled the room.

  Lara’s eyes were closed, and sometime in the last moment she’d forgotten to breathe. That had to be the reason why her head felt light and all her nerve endings were tingling. A lack of oxygen—it was the only logical explanation.

  She dragged her eyes open and leaned forward, planting her palms on Alex’s chest. His face was completely relaxed, the corners of his lips turned upward into the most self-satisfied smirk she’d ever seen.

  “Don’t you look like the cat that ate the canary,” she teased.

  Deep, dark pools of lust met her gaze as Alex ran his palms up her thighs to grasp her hips. “I’m the bear that ate the wolf. And I’m going to do it again later, but for now, this is pretty fantastic.”

  Tracing circles in the dark hair of his chest, Lara wiggled her hips the slightest bit. Just enough to savour the sensation of his thickness inside her. “You seem a lot calmer. Maybe we should stay like this for the rest of the week.”

  His expression darkened. “The hell we will.”

  She hadn’t meant it as a challenge, but he seemed to have taken it as one. Which wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

  He curled toward her, abdominal muscles taut as he brought their torsos into contact. The oil on her skin slicked against him as he glided back and forth slowly, the hands on her hips moving her in the smallest of circles.

  A personal massage of the most intimate kind.

  He nipped at her lower lip. “Apologies for not bringing my A-game. Maybe we’ll put in a rush order for this go-round, and I’ll make it up to you the next dozen times.”

  Dozen times…

  Sexy bear. Silly man for thinking two orgasms wasn’t enough to already make her happy. Especially when she added in the parts she wasn’t ready to tell him.

  Like how being in his arms and having him look at her that way made something inside her soul very happy. Made her want to sink her teeth into him and never let go, even though she knew it wasn’t time.

  But the skin-to-skin contact was settling an ache she’d endured for the past six months, and as he kissed his way along her jaw to the sweet spot under her ear, Lara let herself enjoy every sensation to the fullest.

  It was a lie, and it wasn’t real, but it was sweet enough to ease the hurt for now.

  But then his mouth made contact with her skin, teeth rasping along her neck, and suddenly her wolf reared to the surface with a sharp inhale of anticipation.

  Instinctively, Lara tightened her fingers in Alex’s hair and jerked him back. Dear God, she didn’t want to, but she had to make this clear.

  She met his gaze straight on. “I like teeth, I won’t lie, but don’t bite my neck.”

  His bear stared back. Pondering, analyzing her words.

  His eyes widened for a second. “
Wolf secrets.”

  Pretty damn astute. She edged closer so he couldn’t see her expression, instead kissing the corner of his mouth. “No biting,” she repeated. “Now fuck me.”

  As if she’d opened the gates of a dam, Alex moved. His lips locked on hers and he kissed her frantically. Tongues tangling as he took control of her hips. Lifting slowly before bringing her down. Faster, harder.

  His fingers pressed hard enough to leave bruises, but she didn’t mind. Hell, she wanted it. Wanted it all. The heat rising between them, the building pressure in her core. The pounding demand on her sex as she used her thighs to help lift herself high enough so he could thrust upward without manipulating her body weight. Pulsating rhythm, a demanding assault on her senses.

  His hands were free to roam and tease. Lifting her breasts high enough so he could take one nipple into his mouth then the other. Sucking and licking in a way that showed he was more than pleased to have her as a playmate.

  When he slipped one hand between her thighs, thumb pressing over her clit, another wave broke. Her sex squeezed tight over his shaft as a cry burst from his lips.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, burying his face against her neck so he could suck hard. Marking her in a primal way.

  Heat in her core, heat wrapped around her from his torso, and the pulsating heat at her throat—

  Almost perfect.

  Alex slowly lay back on the mattress, legs still dangling off the bed, and Lara draped over him. He stroked his hands through her hair while their hearts pounded and their chests heaved, fighting for air.

  Lara lay there and enjoyed every second. In spite of it not being real, it was delicious, and she would take every bit of him that she was offered.

  She pressed her lips to his chest and offered a kiss before easing up far enough to look at his face. He was staring at the ceiling, hand still moving lazily through her hair.

  “So?” Lara lifted a brow. “How was your dining experience?”

  Alex smiled. “Not bad for an appetizer, but by the time we hit the main course in an hour or two, I think I’ll have hit my stride.”