Lost Bear (5 page)

Then she ran.

Dave stood on his porch and surveyed the forest of trees behind his home. It had been his day off, and he’d stayed home most of the day, angry and upset by Emma’s actions. Her cousin’s hadn’t been kidding when they mentioned her stubborn streak, and when she tried to force him to go out with Lynette, he’d lost his cool.

He saw the hurt she tried to hide when he initially gushed over his date with the other woman, but once her mask was in place, she didn’t let it crack for the rest of the evening. When he’d walked out of the hotel lobby, he forced himself not to look back.

If he had, he would have revealed the truth of his conversation with Lynette and they’d be right back where they started. Several times he’d picked up the phone to apologize, he’d even contemplated visiting her room, but each time, he pushed the thoughts away.

He couldn’t force her to commit to him no matter how much he wanted her, or how much he loved her. It had only been two weeks, but he knew things moved fast when a bear found their mate. He knew he belonged to her, but she refused to accept the truth.

I need to get out of this house!

He checked his watch and saw his date with Lynette should have started fifteen minutes ago. He owed the girl a huge favor for going along with his plan. Darkness shrouded the forest, but he needed to stretch his legs, so he grabbed his firearm, flashlight and handcuffs and disappeared into the trees.

Nearly an hour later, he felt a few drops of water dot his face and he looked for shelter in case the sky opened up. As the drops came down heavier, he raced inside a cave in the nick of time.

Buckets of water splashed to the ground, but he knew better than to run blindly into a cave. He stayed next to the opening while he surveyed the dark space behind him with his flashlight.

His search revealed a female grizzly with a light brown coat. She lay on her stomach with her head resting on her paws, and though she blinked when the light landed on her face, she did nothing more than glance at him. It didn’t matter if she stayed in her human form, or shifted into a bear, he would always recognize his woman.

She’s not yours!

“I’m sorry,” he said, shutting off the light. “I’ll leave as soon as the rain lets up.”

He walked back toward the entrance and leaned against the cave wall. As much as he wanted to leave and distance himself from her, the rain seemed to fall in waves, hindering his visibility. He’d be an idiot to leave the cave and jeopardize his safety.

For lack of something to do, he pulled his handcuffs out of his back pocket and twirled them between his fingers.

“You don’t have to go,” she said from behind him.

He didn’t turn back. He’d never keep his hands off her if he saw her in her human form.

The silence stretched out between them until he felt as if he would suffocate. Eventually, she broke the ice.

“How was your date?”

“Great,” he lied.

“Are you going to see her again?”

“Maybe,” he said. “It looks like it’s letting up, so I’m going to head out.” The water had only let up a fraction, but he couldn’t stand being so close to her and pretending they were nothing more than friends. He took a step forward, but her words stopped him.

“I hope she makes you happy.”

“You made me happy,” he confessed, still staring at the rain, “and I haven’t been happy in a really long time.”

“You only think that because you haven’t been dating in a long time. You just need to get back out there. You think you’re happy now, but I’m a short, chubby bear, and one day you’ll realize I’m not what you’re looking for.”

“And then what? I’ll cheat?” he spat the words and turned toward her. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t care about the bear thing. I’m surrounded by bears nearly every single god damned day, and Gage is my best friend. I don’t give a shit about that.”

“Yeah, but—”

“But nothing,” he shouted, and took a step closer. “I wouldn’t have had sex with you if I didn’t love your curvy body. You’re sexy as hell and I can’t be around you without becoming as hard as a rock. Even now, when you’ve made it clear you don’t feel the same, all I want to do is fuck you.”

He turned away, looked back outside and sighed. He needed to get away from her, and silently wished for the rain to let up. It came down harder instead.

Shit!

“Men always want sex,” she accused.

“I don’t know about the other men you’ve dated, but that’s not true,” he said, exasperated. “Some men only want sex with the right woman. Gage is a perfect example. He waited two years for Kate, and he never dated, or had sex with anyone else during that time.”

“You’re telling me you didn’t sleep with her?”

“Who?” he asked, turning back to face her.

“Lynette.”

For the first time since he entered the cave, he noticed her attire. She wore the same black dress from their date the night before, but it didn’t look the same. The material had permanent wrinkles, as if she’d slept in it, and the lace on the hem hung down loosely, as if it had been caught on something.

Could she have been more upset with his possible date than she admitted? He shook his head, reminded once again of her stubbornness, and realized his bear hadn’t been completely honest. If she accepted him, he knew his life would never be dull, and his love for her seemed to expand.

“I didn’t even go out with her.”

“She cancelled?”

He’d had enough.

“Dammit woman,” he roared and stormed across the cave. “You. Are. Infuriating.” He grabbed one hand as he spoke, and slapped one of the cuffs on her wrist. By the time she’d figured out what he’d done, both wrists were bound together in front of her.

“Da—”

He grabbed the back of her head with one hand, and covered her mouth with the other.

“Stop talking and listen to me.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t struggle.

“The date with Lynette was a trick. I apologized to her for your momentary insanity, and she agreed to go along with my plan. I. Want. You,” he said, “and not just for sex. Before you arrived in Bear Mountain, I felt lost and lonely, like something was missing from my life, and now that you’re here, I feel complete. These past two weeks have been wonderful, and I don’t want them to end. I want to marry you, and see you pregnant with our cubs. You don’t have to mark me if you don’t want to, but I hope that one day you will. I love you, Emma, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. Please trust me and give us a chance.”

A single tear escaped from her eye, and rolled down her face, over his palm. He knew it wasn’t because of fear or pain, and hope swamped him. Maybe he’d finally gotten through to her.

His anger dissipated and his next words came out in a whisper.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, baby doll?”

She nodded her understanding.

“Good.”

He removed the hand covering her mouth, and kissed her.

***

Emma met Dave’s hungry kiss with one of her own. She didn’t protest his tactics because suddenly everything made sense. She might be an alpha bear, but Dave was an alpha man. The men she’d dated before had been weak in comparison, and she finally understood why they’d all cheated.

She just hadn’t met her match yet. Or her mate.

He forced his tongue between her lips and she stepped closer, desperate to touch him. Her mobility was limited, but she found the button of his jeans easily accessible. As soon as she lowered his zipper, he stepped to the side, out of reach and wrapped one fist in her hair. He caressed her breast with his other hand, and nibbled on her neck.

“Dave, please.”

“Please what, baby doll?”

“Please don’t tease me. I’m sorry, for everything, and I love you, too,” she whispered breathlessly. He continued to kiss her neck and stroke her nipples through the satin of her dress.

Whenever she let a breathy sigh escape, he tightened his grip in her hair, and she felt an electric shock race down her spine. Her pussy tingled with every brush of his lips, pull of her hair and caress on her body. Liquid heat threatened to escape down her thighs and she suddenly remembered her lack of undergarments. She’d had something special planned for the previous night, but after she’d foiled her own plan, the thought of underwear had been the furthest thing from her mind.

He kneeled down in front of her and slid his hands up her thighs, under her dress.

“Let’s get these panties off of you,” he said, and she stiffened.

When he didn’t find the lacy material, he pushed her dress up to her waist, and shoved the extra material in her bound hands. The cave was dark, but her eyes had adjusted enough to see his expression as he studied her bare pussy.

“Where are your panties, baby doll?” he asked in a stern voice, forcing her legs further apart. He sounded angry, and his reaction confused her.

“I…didn’t wear them,” she confessed.

“Didn’t wear them for whom?” he prodded. The whole time he spoke, he outlined her pussy with his finger. In the open position, she couldn’t stop her essence from forming a trail down her thighs. He continued his relentless teasing, while she stood unmoving.

“I didn’t wear them for you.”

“You were naked under your dress during dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a bra on?”

“No. The dress has built in support, and I wanted you to have…,” she trailed off.

“Wanted me to have what?”

“Easy access,” she admitted.

He stood back up and pulled the straps of her dress down her arms to her breasts, exposing the bare flesh, and limiting her mobility further.

“Stay there, and don’t move,” he said, and stepped away from her.

He turned on the flashlight and faced it toward a wall, propped up by a rock. It provided enough light to see him undress as he watched to make sure she followed his orders. When he’d removed all of his clothes, he spread them out on the floor of the cave and laid down on top of them.

“You want me?” he asked. “Come and get me.”

His cock jutted out from his body, firm and willing, but she understood his actions. The next move was hers and they didn’t have any condoms. She could take him, and mark him now, or she could lower her dress and ask him to remove the cuffs.

She walked over to him and lowered herself to her knees over his body. He made her work for what she wanted, and she rubbed her pussy over his cock until it was slick with her need, then she maneuvered her body so the tip lined up with her channel.

She sank down on him easily, taking every inch until they were tightly joined. She leaned forward, placed her palms on his chest for leverage, and began to move.

He placed one hand on the small of her back, and pulled her down, stopping her movements. He met her halfway for a kiss and his hand came down hard on her ass. Her pussy tightened around him, and he smiled, sexy and raw. He spanked her again with the same result, and she felt his cock throb and expand.

“Fuck me,” he said, and released her.

She slowly moved up and down his cock until she found her rhythm, and then she bounced as if her life depended on it. In a way, maybe it did, because she needed him more than she’d ever needed anything or anyone.

His fingers gripped her hips to the point of pain, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was claiming her mate.

“Dave, are you sure?” she asked.

“I’m sure, baby doll,” he said, sitting up. “Mark me.”

She placed her cuffed hands over his neck and pulled him closer. He held onto her waist as if she were a life raft. Together, they came, and she sank her canines into his neck.

They stayed joined together, even as their breathing returned to normal, and the reality of their mating rushed to the surface. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

Dave ducked out from under her arms and reached for a key. He released the cuffs, and rubbed her wrists. His care reiterated she’d made the right decision, and she met his gaze with one of her own.

“You’re mine now,” he said.

“And you’re mine.”

“Thank god,” he said, and kissed her gently on the lips.

***

Dave cracked open one eye when the sun’s bright rays lit up the cave. Knowing their location, and the direction of the sun, it had to be around ten in the morning.

Shit!

He was supposed to work at nine. Luckily, his boss would be understanding once he explained everything. He smiled when he thought about the two other times he took Emma after their mating. Once she let go, and gave him everything, their chemistry moved to a combustible level.

Emma stirred in his arms and he smiled when he saw the ripped strap on her dress. During their third joining, he’d yanked on the material and it gave up without a fight.

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

“Mmmm…,” she moaned and snuggled in closer to his bare chest.

He’d righted her dress, and put back on his jeans, but his shirt had stayed on the ground for the little protection it offered.