Bear Naked Truth (Southern Shifters Book 7) (6 page)

J
essa woke
to the smell of bacon and sugar.

Mmm
. Her stomach grumbled.

She hoped that meant there were pancakes for breakfast. With fresh maple syrup to drizzle over the thick slices of bacon. She sighed. She had so much love for breakfast. Especially went it came wrapped in bacon.

Bacon...

She jerked upright, startled to see the sunshine pouring in from her open curtains. How long had she slept? She lifted her arms and stretched a full yawn accompanying the move.

Wait? She glanced at the door. Who the hell was in her kitchen cooking breakfast?

She strained her brain to remember the night before. She'd been so damned tired. As the fog cleared, she remembered everything. Calder bringing her home, seeing his bear outside her window and of course falling on her ass right before seeing the bear turned man fully naked and aroused!

She dropped her face into the pillow and groaned. How long would the mortification of her reaction hound her? Her luck it would be the end of times.

Still. She pulled the covers back and hit the floor quick. She needed to get dressed and investigate. She wasn't so sure how she felt about a man she barely knew getting comfortable in her kitchen.

She paused. It was sweet though. No one had ever cooked her breakfast like that. And she was hungry. She flung open her closet to find clothes and froze.

Instead of her rows of sweaters, skirts and pants taking up the entire length, they'd been pushed to one side to make room for...flannel?

What the ever-loving fuck? There weren't just a few flannel shirts. There were dozens and they were accompanied by jeans, at least a dozen dark t-shirts, and two leather jackets. One brown and one black.

She looked down, there were boots too. Not just her many options for mountain wear from calf height boots to her knee high stretchies that were her favorite. Nope. There were several pairs of men's heavy black boots with socks rolled up in each one.

She looked around at the one dresser near the door. She was afraid to look. If there were tighty whities in there she'd probably go apoplectic.

Apparently someone had decided to move in without telling her. Which meant he'd been creeping into her bedroom while she slept. Fucking shifters.

She grabbed the first things she could get her hands on which happened to be a khaki skirt and a pale blue sweater and dressed lightning fast. Forgoing boots for now, she grabbed a pair of slipper socks and put them on. The wood floors of the cabin were kind of cold this morning. She rushed to toward the door only stopping when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror above the dresser.

Ugh. She couldn't go out there looking like that. Being pissed off didn't make it okay to look like a raccoon. Not in her book. She'd failed to remove her make-up before bed last night and she now looked like a reject from a zombie movie.

She hurried into the bathroom, scrubbed her face and brushed her teeth, ran a brush through her long hair before piling it on top of her head in a makeshift bun, and swiped on some pink lip gloss before heading out to face one stupid bear.

Of course her resolve faltered the minute she saw him standing at her kitchen stove, flipping a pancake in the air and catching it with ease. In his jeans and nothing else.

She moaned in her head. At least she thought it was in her head until he turned around and smiled at her.

"Morning, gorgeous."

Something warm unfurled in her stomach at the sight before her. A gorgeous hunk of hard muscled man with a spatula in his hand. That made her body shiver for more than one reason.

"Hey," she said, managing the one word past the lump sitting in her throat.

"I hope you're hungry and like pancakes with bananas and bacon all drizzled in honey." He nodded toward a plate set up on her kitchen table, complete with a glass of milk and juice next to that.

Her stomach growled and for a minute, she forgot what she'd been mad about. Something he seemed to do to her a lot. The man was a first class distraction.

"I am hungry. Starved actually." She walked over to the table and inhaled the sweet scent of cinnamon and honey wafting from the breakfast plate.

"Good. I always wake up starving and was hoping you weren't one of those women who try to live off a tiny cup of shitty Greek yogurt. I don't understand how anyone can enjoy that."

She picked up a piece of bacon dripping with honey and shoved it in her mouth and nearly died on the spot. It was just bacon and just honey. Ordinary foods but when put together...holy shit. She was on the verge of a foodgasm.

"I thought I liked my Greek yogurt just fine, but oh-my-god this." She lifted her fork and dug into the soft, pillowy pancakes too. The taste explosion had her moaning mid chew.

Calder turned and looked at her, a heated expression crossing his face. "If you moan like that over food, I can't wait to find out what sex does to you."

She froze. Her mind needed a moment to comprehend what he just said. Or more particularly it needed a moment to picture him and her in a bed, his big ass cock nudging at her to let him in.

She immediately started choking and grabbed the juice to try and stop the attack before she lost her breakfast.

"I can't believe you just said that," she whispered, once the coughing fit eased.

"Why? Don't you like sex? Or you don't like the idea of having sex with me."

Jessa dropped her forehead to the table and banged it up and down a few times trying to stop the imagery filling her mind.

Calder chuckled and turned back to the stove, dishing up the remaining pancakes onto a plate before walking over to sit across from her at the tiny table that he barely fit at.

"Stop saying sex," she said.

"I should hide that I'm thinking about it?"

She lifted her head and peeked up at him. "Why are you thinking about it?" She shook her head. "No, forget it. Do not answer that. I'd rather not know."

He ignored her and answered anyway. "Well, besides the moaning noises you make when you eat good food, you're gorgeous, babe. I've been thinking about getting my hands on you since the other morning at the bakery."

Heat crept up her neck and into her face. Yep, he was not only toying with her, he was also trying to kill her.

"Well, I'm only thinking about these pancakes." She stuffed another piece into her mouth. "Which are fantastic by the way."

"You're lying," he said.

"No really, they're amazing."

He rolled his eyes. "You know I wasn't referring to the pancakes, babe."

She did, but she didn't want to deal with anything else right now. So she chose to ignore him and finish her breakfast. A few bites more and she was feeling full. He, on the other hand, was attacking his ginormous stack with gusto.

"You weren't kidding that you're hungry in the morning."

"In more ways than one." He stared at her with such blatant heat, she nearly got lost in their blue intensity.

"Are you like this every morning? So uhh—blatant."

"You mean horny?" He chuckled.

She dropped back in her chair and sighed. He was obviously not going to let this go. And if he was going to be around any length of time—

"Oh my God. I can't believe you distracted me so thoroughly I almost forgot how livid I was when I first came out here."

He looked up from his breakfast. "About?"

"Please explain to me why my closet is suddenly being overtaken by an explosion of man flannel."

"Man flannel? You mean my shirts?"

She slapped her palms down on the table. "Duh. Of course I meant your frigging shirts. Who else's man flannel would I be referring to?"

He shrugged. "I told you yesterday I was going to move in. Figured you'd appreciate me putting my crap in your closet instead of leaving it on the floor."

His crazy logic was about to make her head explode. "You most certainly did not tell me you were moving in. I think I would remember something like that."

He put his fork down, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his rock hard stomach. Obviously he'd satiated at least part of his morning hunger. Her eyes momentarily traveled south before she jerked away just in time.

I will not look at his penis
. Nope. Definitely not.

His laugh made her scowl deepen. From the look on his face, it was as if he'd read her mind. That was not a trick she expected from a shifter.

"Are you reading my mind? Is that a thing?" If so, she was so screwed. She couldn't keep her mind out of the gutter for five minutes around him. Or apparently keep a topic going.

"Don't need to, Jessa. You have an expressive face and body. It's pretty easy to tell what's going on in that beautiful mind of yours."

She rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might dislocate from their sockets. "Read this, bear boy. I did not give you permission to move into my house. Nor did I say you could invade my personal space while I was sleeping. You and Bhric talked over me yesterday, but I still heard every word. Protection doesn't equate to moving in."

He was out of his seat and pulling her from hers before she got the last word out. With his arms around her waist he walked her backward until her back hit the wall.

"Bear boy? Does this feel like a boy to you?" He pushed his hips against her and his hardness pressed into her belly. Her hormones immediately went wild and she groaned into his chest.

"That's so not fair. I think we've established we're both attracted to each other. But that doesn't take anything away from what I said." She pushed against his chest to no effect. "A woman likes to be asked whether a man can share her space. Specifically, he shouldn't be taking over her closet while she sleeps. I'm pretty sure a jury wouldn't convict me if I'd caught you and taken matters into my own hands."

Calder laughed, a loud bellowing sound that filled her small house with a warmth that made her smile despite the seriousness of their situation.

"I'm serious, Calder. You need to understand boundaries."

He eased away from her and put some space between them. Something that both relieved her and made her bereft at the loss of his touch. She shook her head trying to figure out why her emotions were all over the map when it came to him. When it came to her beautiful bear, she seemed to have emotional ADD.

"Message received, babe. Do you want me to move my stuff back out? I can keep it in my duffel."

"I don't know. This whole moving in thing is still kinda freaking me out."

"I'm not leaving you alone. And I sure as hell am not allowing someone else to watch over you."

She took a slow breath. As much as she didn't want to come across needy or overly into him, she really wanted to know more.

"Why? Why can't anyone else watch over me?" Ashamed that the question came out so breathless, she ducked her chin and looked down at the floor.

He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head until their gazes met. "Because you're mine." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in the most delicate and gentle kiss she'd ever experienced.

His tongue licked her bottom lip and her body nearly melted on the spot.

"You taste like honey, Jessa."

"It's the pancakes," she said blindly. "And the bacon. You put honey on it all."

He shook his head. "It's more than that, babe. I've always wanted to know what a mate would taste like and now I know."

He pressed her back against the wall with the bulk of his weight and took her lips with a fierce and stormy kiss this time. One that went so deep she was confident he could look into her soul and see all of her deepest and darkest fears.

She had a well of them she kept hidden. It wouldn't do much good to let them out now though so she slammed her mind shut and focused on the great kiss.

If she tasted like honey, then he tasted like a man. A virile, strong one that seemed to know what he wanted and how to go after it. Who was she to try and stop what felt like fate?

Had everything she'd been through these past few months simply been a precursor to this? He sucked on her tongue and she lost her train of thought.

His hands sifted through her hair and tugged at the strands of her bun. Her hair tumbled down and he moaned as it covered his hands.

Jessa squirmed as heat gathered between her legs. She wanted him so damned bad. To the point being with him felt as necessary as breathing.

He broke the kiss and brought his forehead to hers, his heavy breaths caressing her face.

"This isn't supposed to happen yet," he said. "But you're so perfect and beautiful and you want this. It isn't in me to deny you."

"Then don't," she whispered.

C
alder's bear
pushed at his mind. He wanted control and he wasn't going to have anything to do with this denial shit. He wanted his mate.

He let his hands drift down Jessa's side until they gripped her hips and pulled her tighter against his body. He was hard, harder than he'd ever been in his life and to deny it would hurt.

"I need you," he whispered against the edge of her ear.

"I need you too." She kissed his neck and the last thread of his control snapped.

He palmed her ass and lifted her until her legs wrapped around his waist. Their mouths met in a frenzied kiss and he rubbed his cock against her heat.

Even with the clothes between them, her warmth seared him and clogged up his brain. Instinct took over and everything else fell away.

Shifting his hips up and down, he stroked Jessa's core with his dick. She moaned louder when he hit the top and he smiled, pleased with her response.

"More," she urged, panting for breath. "It feels so good."

"You think that's good, baby. Wait until there's nothing between us but skin."

She shook her head, jerking her hips in rhythm with his. "Better might kill me."

Using the wall and one hand to keep her in place, Calder slid his other under her shirt to palm a breast. With only a flimsy silk bra to impeded his progress, he pulled the material aside and flicked a taut bare nipple. "Lift your shirt, babe. Let me taste more of you."

Despite the glazed look in her eyes, she hastily complied, lifting her shirt and bra to give him unfettered access to her lush ample breast.

The creamy white color of her bare skin beckoned him as he licked his lips and dipped his head. "Taste like honey, smell like sugar. This has to be heaven." He sucked the nipple into his mouth and laved the tip with his tongue.

Her hips jerked sharply and he smiled against her flesh. Her continued frantic moves made it clear she was getting close. Except this wasn't how he wanted it to happen. He wanted to feel that exquisite honey flow over his tongue when she exploded.

Without letting go of anything, he turned and faced the table. He shoved the dishes to the side and gently laid her on the solid wood surface. The table might be on the small side, but it was solidly built.

"Please, Calder. Please."

He released her with a pop and smiled down at her. "Need to come, beautiful?"

Not that he had to ask. Her tiny claws scratching at his shoulders and hot pussy frantically rubbing against him were all the signs he needed.

"God yes!" she cried.

"Not like this, babe. We've got to get these off." He pried her legs from around him and lifted them over his shoulders as he knelt down on the ground bringing his face to the perfect level for the rest of his breakfast feast.

He curled his fingers under the thin fabric of her panties and tore them away, giving him full access to what he wanted the most. And god damned she was fucking beautiful.

Hunger ripped through him to the point he feared losing all control to the beast inside him. He wanted inside her to the point he ached under the confinement of his jeans. So he did the only thing he thought he could--fed the frenzy.

He dipped down and stroked her with his tongue, lapping at her soft flesh from bottom to top where he curled around her clit and sucked.

"Oh, my—" Jessa's vocal cords froze as she jackknifed forward where she grabbed his hair and tried to bury him between her legs. Too late, he was already there. He watched her stomach muscles clench and her mouth open in shock before she let loose with a wild, frantic scream.

Honey flowed and he swallowed it all, making sure not to waste a single delicious drop.

When she collapsed back against the table, aftershocks shaking her legs, Calder looked up at the look of pure bliss crossing her face.

His woman. His mate. He'd made her scream and he needed to hear it again. This time with his name.

He reached down and freed his cock, pushing his pants out of the way. Standing, he grasped himself and began to stroke. "You ready for round two, babe? Cause I need to be inside you."

She smiled, a sated but still needy expression on her face. "Please," she whispered.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her stomach, bringing his hips forward until he nudged at her entrance. He loved that she was soft and pliant. And still eager for more.

It was hard to hold back and not bury himself with one forceful stroke. But he wanted—no needed to hear her. "Tell me, babe. If you want me to take you, you have to say the words, Jessa."

This mate thing messed with his head. He wanted it all to happen right now, but his human half knew that's not how it would work with her. They weren't quite ready for that.

"Take me, Calder. Make me yours." She grabbed his arms and dug in her claws. The pain biting into his flesh excited him even more as he surged forward and gave her exactly what they both needed.

He held his breath and tried to count to twenty in his head before he moved again. She needed time to adjust to his size and he needed to find some control to last more than two strokes.

When he finally had a tiny thread of control, he exhaled slowly and tried to gather his wits. It was then one of Jessa's inner muscles twitched, sending his whole being into crazed need.

The frenzy for more pounded through him as the sound of her heartbeat soared high too. This sense of urgency shocked him. How could it feel so good and hurt so much at the same time?

He was sliding now, both his mind and body working in tandem to one end.

Make her mine.

Jessa let out a small cry, her head falling back to the table where her hair tumbled around her shoulders. He reached forward and wrapped some of the silky strands around his hand. He loved the feel of her hair against him. Especially his hands buried in the luxury of it.

His hips rocked up as they rolled on the table in a lyrical rhythm that could only be described as neither slow nor fast. Steady, smooth, and out of this world.

Some of the frenzied cloud that had messed with his head turned clear and sharp. The idea of Jessa as his mate had been instinctual the moment he met her. He questioned it for a hot minute and then decided to pursue her.

Now, he simply knew the truth. This amazing woman had been made for him. He placed his hand over her heart and listened to it beat. As they moved together and their bodies drew slick, he decided that no matter what it took, no matter what he had to give up or who he had to take down, she would be his forever.

Calder dipped his head and touched his lips to hers. "Mine. All mine."

"Yes," she cried, her muscles clenching around him again. He drew back and thrust again, smiling when she rewarded him with a gasp. The sounds she made sent heat waves down his nerves that were quickly gathering for an explosion.

Calder's brain shorted out. Pleasure overtook him, as did the scent of softness of his woman. He thrust again and again, reveling in every gasp and moan she graciously gave him.

His groans became hers as they held each other tightly. Then their eyes met, blue to green and their worlds collided. Her cries of joy mixed with his grunts as the heat between them shoved them both over the top.

He pounded her into the table as he came, their slick bodies shuddering together as they sealed their fate. Again, the urge to take it one step further and mark her threatened to overtake his brain. He pounded the table with his fist until the urge passed and his thrusts slowed.

Calder crashed down on his elbows, holding as much of his weight off of her as he could. He needed to get up and get them to the bed before they hurt themselves.

For some reason, that idea tickled him and he started to laugh. She either read his mind or the laughter was contagious as she too started giggling.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked.

"Because you are." She slapped at his shoulder. "Because we're in the kitchen on top of a tiny table where we just ate pancakes and bacon. This is insane."

"I'll tell you what's insane." Calder slid from the clutch of her body and shoved at his jeans with his feet until he got them all the way off. He then picked her up, carried her to the bedroom and gently dropped her on the mattress. "The fact I just came harder than ever in my life and I'm already ready to go again."

Her eyes widened and a smile broke out on her face. "You shifters have scary stamina."

His brows lifted as his gut twisted. "I don't want to know how you know about shifter stamina, babe. Ever."

"Oh jeez." She rolled her eyes at him. "It's not whatever you're thinking. However, I lived with shifters and apparently women of all species like to talk about sex when the sex they are having is good. I've had plenty of moments when even brain bleach wouldn't allow me to forget some of what I've heard."

"Does that mean you'll be talking about sex with me?"

Another laugh bubbled from her throat. "Are you fishing with me?"

"Mayybbee," he drawled as he disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a warm cloth for his mate.

Jessa yawned. "I know I just woke up, but I feel ready for a nap. You wore me out." His beautiful and still flushed mate grabbed the sheet on the bed and wrapped it around her body.

He frowned. He'd only just gotten her half naked. He wanted to spend more time getting to know every inch of her.

"Don't look so put out. Give me a little while to recover and I'll be ready for more. A human girl needs her rest."

A soft growl sounded deep in his throat. He liked that she was thinking about more. "Bears like naps too."

"Perfect." She snuggled into his side and wrapped her arm around his waist. "You can keep me warm," she said, her voice growing thick with drowsiness.

"I live to serve, babe." He smiled and closed his eyes. They still had much to learn about each other and a lot of talking to do, but for now, both the man and the bear were content.

He'd found his perfect mate. Of course, in the process he had ignored Bhric's "hands off" command and there would likely be consequences for that. He had no idea what that meant and he didn't care. He'd happily pay any price to keep his woman.