Mending the Bear (6 page)

“It’s going to be a ten minute wait for
salmon tonight. We’ve had a rush and Joanne and Max just had the last piece of
our first batch, but more’s just about to hit the grill.”

Ian gritted his teeth. The bastard had even
taken the last piece of fish. When did cougars start liking salmon that much?

“Can I get you something to drink?” asked
Celia.

“Beer for me,” Ian said.

“I think I’ll have the same,” Eve said.

He was impressed. A woman who wasn’t
afraid to order a beer. Most of the shifter women thought it was much way too
macho. Someone started to play the piano and Ian glanced over to see Dane
sitting there as he began singing.

“That guy has a great voice,” Eve said.

“Yeah, Dane could probably get a record
contract. He sings at just about everyone’s wedding and birthday parties, too.
That’s his wife Melanie, and their little boy sitting over there.”

“So you know everyone here tonight or
what?”

“Just about.”

Celia arrived with their beers and placed
them down in front of them, along with a basket of bread. “The chef’s assured
me it will be just five minutes until the next batch of salmon is ready.”

“Wait till you try the salmon,” Ian said.
He could actually smell it grilling back in the kitchen and it was making his
salivary glands water no end.

Eve crossed her leg and while doing so
brushed his. He didn’t know why, but he reached under the table and placed his
hand on her thigh just above her knee. He half expected her to push it away,
citing that they didn’t know one another that well, but she didn’t.

He gave it a squeeze, getting what he
interpreted as ‘I like it a lot’ look from her. In fact, she licked her lips
and put her hand on top of his.

Celia appeared again, this time with two
plates of salmon and rice pilaf. “Sorry for the wait, but at least you know
it’s fresh off the grill.”

A few minutes later Eve took her first
bite. “You’re right. This is the best salmon I’ve tasted. So much better than
wearing it on your raincoat.” She nudged his foot with hers.

For a human, she was a hell of lot of fun
to be around. He nudged her foot in response while thinking about the condoms
in his jacket pocket.

****

Eve rested back on the chair and finished
the rest of her beer. A few people had joined in singing along with the guy named
Dane. Half way through their meal, Ian’s ex and her new man had finished their
meal and left, but not without giving Ian what Eve knew was as an icy stare.

She was pretty and Eve had felt just a tad
jealous, but she wasn’t sure why. Sure she’d envy some people, but jealousy
wasn’t a trait she’d ever possessed.

“You ready to go?”

Ian’s question jarred her out of her train
of thought.

“I sure am and that’s one of the best
meals I’ve had in a long time.”

Ian held the chair for her as she stood
and then they made their way outside where it had started raining again. They
rushed to her car and got inside.

Ian turned on her heater as they sat off
down the road with the windscreen wipers working double time, attempting to
clear away the sudden downpour. Eve pulled into the lot of her practice.

“Your bike’s getting wet,” she said.

“Yeah, and I don’t feel like riding home
in this.”

“I could drive you home, but then you’d
need someone to bring you here in the morning to get your bike.”

“Or you could stay the night and then I’d
have that someone to chauffeur me here.”

Eve looked at him. “Remember it’s only our
second date.”

“So you finally agree the first one was an
actual date.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Before she could say much more, his lips
were on hers. She could taste the lingering remnants of the chocolate cake he’d
had for dessert at the café. Damn, she should have indulged, too. Maybe next
time. That was if he asked her for another date. He pulled away.

“We could also go into my practice and
have some coffee while the rainstorm passes over,” she said.

“I like the sound of that,” Ian said.

They got out and both made a run for the
door. Ian took her key and opened it while she went inside and disarmed the
alarm.

“I just thought. What if it rains like
this all night?” he said.

“Then I guess you’ll have to sleep here.”

“With you?” he asked. He pulled her in
close, giving her another kiss.

“I told you I don’t get horizontal until
date three.”

“Don’t suppose the coffee counts as a
third one does it?”

She ran her fingers over his lips and then
across his cheek and touched the little bear charm on his earlobe.

“You have a quite the bear theme going
here. Your jacket and this earring.”

“I also have a bear tattoo.”

“Um, and that would be where?”

“You’ll find out.”

“So why bears?” she asked.

“I like them, how about you?”

“I’ve never met one.”

“Yes, you have.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“One day I’ll prove you wrong.”

“One day?”

His lips were on hers again. This time
their bodies banged into one another and then he backed her up against the
wall. “You didn’t say anything about not getting vertical on a second date,” he
said.

“You like having sex standing up?”

“You ever tried it?” he asked.

“No, I can’t say that I have.”

“Then don’t criticize it.”

“You’re sort of bossy,” she said.

“You have a problem with that?”

“No, I find it sort of cute just like your
dimples and the bear earring.”

“You making fun of me?”

She smiled. “No, definitely not making fun
of you.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

He reached up under her skirt and walked
his fingers up her thigh.

“Aren’t we going to have coffee?” she
whispered.

“You’d rather have caffeine than sex?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Good.”

Before she could get another word out,
he’d pushed the legs of her panties to one side and his fingers were doing a windshield
wiper motion across her mound.

They looked one another in the eye as his
index finger delved deeper into her curls and quickly found her clit. His
finger felt heavy and strong against the nub as he began massaging it, and
circling its very edge until it tingled.

“
Mmm
.” The sound
escaped from her lips.

He rubbed his nose against hers as he
continued to work his magic. He kissed her, masking the groan that started in
her chest and made its way into her mouth. She was going to come and very soon.

Eve put her arms around his shoulders,
widening her stance, and relaxed into her orgasm.

First time she’d had one of those, well,
at least one that hadn’t been brought about by her own fingers, in what seemed
like forever. And it had been a good one, making her cream, making her wet
enough that Ian was able to use her juices to easily slide his finger into her
pussy.

He finger fucked her, tickling the back of
her pussy and making her body hum. She kissed him. Running her teeth playfully
along his lower lip, he teased her with the bliss that was to come, and then
very skillfully pushed her over the edge. She held onto him as he removed his
fingers, took his hand away from her body, and then unzipped her skirt, letting
it fall to the ground.

Eve thought he’d take off her panties, but
instead he gave them a tug and the next thing she knew cool air was hitting her
body. Black lace lay in shreds on the floor.

“How did you do that?” she asked him.

“
Sssh
. It’s
magic. Don’t tell anyone,” he said.

“It will be my little secret.” She reached
out and touched his crotch, feeling his erection straining against his jeans.

“Do you have condoms?” she asked him.

“I do,” he said, tapping his pocket. “Does
that question mean we’re going to have sex?”

“No, it means I was just making polite
conversation,” said Eve, pulling the zipper down on his pants. It was her turn
to tease him. Yes, it hadn’t gone unnoticed how he liked to do that to her.

He grinned as he pulled out a condom and
handed it to her.

“Would you like to do the honors?” he
asked.

“You are really confident that we’re
having sex,” she said.

“Maybe I just like wearing rubbers.”

“Do you?”

He shook his head. “This is a big
sacrifice I’m making for you.”

“Hope it’s worth your while then.”

“It better be.”

She pulled down his boxers and swallowed.
She’d felt his erection pushing against her belly when they’d kissed, but she
had no idea he was this big. She swallowed and was suddenly totally speechless.
She’d heard women bragging how big their partner’s cocks were, saying how long
and wide, but never believing them for a second. It was almost like it was an
urban myth, but Ian had turned her into a believer.

“Like what you see?”

She was sure she’d blushed because he’d
obviously caught her staring. She didn’t respond, but tore open the foil
package and shook out the condom. Eve took his cock in her hand, ran her fingers,
around it and then slowly slipped the rubber onto his shaft.

He lifted her right leg, opening her wide
and then inch by inch pushed his dick inside her.

She groaned at first and not from any
pleasure it was giving her. She knew she was tight from not being fucked in so long,
and tight because she was a tad nervous, too. Having sex was a big deal for her
and she hoped that she could just look at it as physical thing and not get
emotionally involved like she always did.

This is
me
time, she reminded herself as he slipped deeper and finally all
the discomfort disappeared.

He kissed her as he began a steady rocking
motion, almost like he was warming her up and bam, he thrust into her, causing
her butt to slam against the wall behind her.

They held one another, groaning and
muttering as he drove fast and hard. Eve wrapped her arms around him, trying to
get her balance as she continued to stand on one leg.

For some strange reason he stopped thrusting,
but she could still feel his cock moving inside, beating around and causing her
to go almost cross-eyed with pleasure. She opened her mouth to ask him how he
was doing that, but he shook his head.

“Just enjoy,” he whispered.

She lifted her arms and slammed them
against the wall as the first wave of her climax spread through her belly and
pussy. She came quickly and then before she could get her breath back, she came
again, and one more time until he thrust his hips again.

She held the bar on the wall where
patients could hang their coats and bit her lip as another climax hit her. Eve
then ran her fingers through his hair, pushing them through the curls until he
groaned and came.

“See you’ve still kept your tradition of
not getting horizontal until the third date. Our next one will be number three
and yes, we will be getting horizontal for that one.”

Chapter
Nine

He’d had his first sexual encounter with a
non-shifter female and he had to admit he liked it. He guessed it had something
to do with it being with Eve. As he rode his bike home, his cock still felt the
thrill of being inside her. So much tighter and warmer. And their approach to
the act a lot less demanding than a shifter. Now he could see what the other
bear shifters were raving about and why they’d opted for human mates.

However he knew Eve wasn’t his. Despite
all the good things about her, he knew his one and only was still Joanne when
she came to her senses, and she would.

Ian turned into the lot housing his
apartment and drove his bike into the underground parking ramp, while quickly noticing
that his brother’s, Cade’s, bike was parked there. He’d given both his brothers
keys to his place and they knew they were more than welcome to stop by or crash
at his place whenever they were around.

He headed up the stairs, saw the light on
his place and opted to knock on the door rather than use his key. Cade opened
it a few minutes later, standing there with bare feet and a huge sandwich in
his hand.

“Thought I’d make myself some supper, you
want one?” he asked Ian.

“No, I went to salmon night at the
Starlight,” said Ian, throwing his jacket on the chair.

Cade put his nose in the air. “I smell
human all over you. I also smell pussy all over you. Don’t tell me you’ve moved
on from Joanne with a human?”

“So what if I have?” Ian realized how
defensive he’d sounded with his response.

“The guy who I heard caused havoc in a
supermarket because his mate had been unfaithful and you’ve quickly found
yourself a new lady who just so happens to be human. Does that really sound
like my brother?”

“Joanne’s going to come to her senses
pretty soon and while she does that, I’m certainly not going to live like a celibate
bear and pussy’s pussy.” He didn’t believe that for one minute. Eve’s pussy had
been pure delight, but he wasn’t going to tell his brother that and not just
because it wasn’t any of his business.

“And she’s pretty?”

“Very, she’s a vet and has her own
practice. I’m acting as security for all the business in the area.”

“So I’m guessing as you’ve been dipping in
some human pussy that you didn’t hear about Charlie. That’s why I’m here. I’ve
called Trey, too.”

Ian went cold, Charlie was their Spirit Guardian,
the
old bear that’d saved lots of people when they’d
crash landed in Kalispell. The man who’d taken three young orphans under his
wings. In fact, he’d acted as Spirit Guardian to twelve young bear shifters. He
had to be close to one hundred years old and Ian hoped he hadn’t passed away.

“Charlie, is he okay?”

“Bear McWilliams called me to say they’d
admitted him to the shifter hospital this afternoon because he was having
trouble breathing.”

Ian grabbed his jacket. “Then let’s go and
see how he’s doing.”

Joanne would probably be working at this
time of night, but he didn’t care about running into her, Charlie was his main
concern now.

****

Eve pulled a face as she got into bed. Her
pussy had gotten some work out tonight. She wasn’t sure if it was because of
the drought the poor thing had been experiencing, or because Ian was blessed in
the dick department, but her pussy muscles ached.

She rested her head on the pillow and
looked up at the ceiling. Not that she was complaining in any way. The orgasm
he’d given her. No, make that plural. Had been like the ones she’d read about
in books and magazines but never thought they existed in the real world. How
he’d done the cock-vibrating thing she didn’t know. In fact, she didn’t care
because once her muscles recovered, she wanted more.

She turned over onto her side, grimacing
as she did so. Would each post sex encounter hurt this bad? She didn’t care if
it did because the pleasure part was so worth any discomfort. He hadn’t asked
her for another date. After they’d fucked he’d kissed her, simply pulled on his
pants, said goodnight, and left.

She flipped over to her other side. She’d
already fallen into the trap of having sex once and becoming anxious about him
calling again.

Shit, when would she ever learn? She
grimaced again. She was guessing wherever he was right now, whatever he was
thinking, it wasn’t about them having sex and definitely not about calling her
for another date.

****

When Ian and his brother arrived at the
clinic, Bear was at the front desk, just about ready to head home.

“How’s Charlie?” Ian asked.

“He’s resting comfortably, but Cole and
decided it’s best if he stay at the hospital for a few days to make sure he’s
okay. Charlotte’s on the night shift and she said she’ll keep a close eye on
him.”

“Can we go visit with him?” Cade asked.

“Sure, but don’t tire him out too much.
He’s in room five.”

They walked down the hallway and to their left,
where through the glass window they saw Charlie sitting in bed with his eyes
closed. They tiptoed in and Ian thought maybe he was asleep. He suddenly opened
his eyes and looked straight at them. “Boys what are you doing here? It’s
almost ten.”

“We came to see you,” Ian said, perching
himself on the side of the bed. He lifted Charlie’s hand and sandwiched
it
between both of his. Poor Charlie’s arms and chest had never
fully healed from the burns he suffered the night they’d landed here. He’d been
so brave, saved so many, and tried to save a whole lot more who sadly didn’t
make it through the night. Even in his bear form, fur was still missing in the
spots where he’d been so badly singed.

“You feeling okay?” Cade asked.

Ian saw they were giving Charlie oxygen
through feed a tube in his nose. He wheezed slightly as he took a deep breath
to answer them. “A lot better since they got me here. Guess old age is creeping
up on this bear.”

“You’ve still got lots of years ahead of
you,” Ian said.

“I’d like to think that, but I have to prepare
for the inevitable. No creature, shifter or human is immortal.”

Ian knew that Charlie was the oldest bear
shifters. He was their sage, the person everyone went to for advice. What would
they do when he was gone? Who would take over as head Spirit Guardian?

“So my young bear, I hear you ran wild in
Goodsen’s
supermarket.”

When would people forget about that?

“Yeah, bit of a crazy day for me, but
Joanne’s a sensible bear. She’ll come to her senses.”

“Is that what you want? Because a little
bird told me you’ve been seen dinning with a human. I didn’t raise you to be
dating one woman while you’re trying to win back another. That’s not what
you’re trying to do, is it?”

Both Charlie and Cade looked at him. It
was just like sitting in front of the shifter board all over again. When would
people get off his case?

“Joanne is my mate,” he said.

“Ian, a true mate wouldn’t do what she
did. You know that just as much as I do. Max
Goodsen
is her mate. You have to accept it and perhaps this human is your mate. Have
your sensed that in any way?”

He wasn’t sure. He did enjoy her company
more than he could ever have imagined, but was that enough?

“Wouldn’t you feel that I’d let you down
if I picked a human mate?” he asked, knowing that Charlie was the most
traditional bear he knew.

“It’s not for me to say, but fate. You
know how these things work. Many of the bear shifters are picking human mates
and I think it’s a smart plan. Our genes will eventually die out. We’re having
trouble reproducing among ourselves and this way it ensures our species lives
on. Look at all the wonderful hybrid babies being born. Have you ever seen
anything so beautiful as a child with a bear father and a human mother?”

While he wasn’t into babies and all that
cute stuff, he had to admit some of the babies who’d been born to shifters like
Aiden, Christopher, and Dane were beautiful. Not to mention the triplets that
Trent’s human mate had produced for him.

“Now, I want to meet this human that
you’re seeing just in case she is your mate and I don’t live long enough to
check her out and give her my seal of approval.” He winked at Ian.

“And you Cade, any chance that you’ve
found your mate, or Trey for that matter? I was hoping for spirit grandchildren
to spoil.”

“I’ve been busy looking for a place for my
motorbike business,” said Cade.

“I’d die a happy bear if I knew all my
spirit children had found their mates.”

Someone knocked on the door. Ian turned to
see Charlotte standing there in her lab coat.

“Hope I’m not disturbing anything,” she
said.

“Come in, sweet girl. I’m just telling my
boys that they need to find their mates and soon.”

Charlotte checked on the oxygen level for
Charlie and he took her hand. “I was also saying how beautiful the hybrid
babies are. Your
Bridgit
is the prettiest girl I’ve
seen.”

“And you know she’s turning two this
weekend?”

“Two, has it been that long?” Charlie
asked.

“I know it seems like just yesterday I was
in here giving birth, but it’s true. I’ll let you into a little secret. Aiden
and I are trying for baby number two.”

Charlie lifted her hand and kissed the
back of it. “Perfect time for a bear family to add to its clan.”

“Is there anything I can get you?” she
asked him.

“How about some vanilla ice cream with
lots of honey poured over it?”

“Wow, for the last three weeks that’s been
Bridgit’s
favorite thing.”

“Your daughter’s bear side is emerging, so
you’ll need to keep a watchful eye on her.”

“Really?” Charlotte asked.

Charlie nodded.

Yeah, what were they going to do if
Charlie left this world? Who knew stuff like that?

“I’ll leave you to visit with Ian and Cade
and go get that ice cream,” Charlotte said.

“Aiden chose so well, and I know both you
will, too. In fact, this woman you’re dating, I think I’d like to meet her
tomorrow if I can.”

“You would?” Ian asked.

Charlie’s eyes began to flutter.

“I think we should leave you to get some
rest, but let us know if you need anything and when you’re coming home.”

Charlie nodded and then closed his eyes.

Ian and Cade headed outside just as
Charlotte was walking toward Charlie’s room with the bowl of ice cream.

“That does look good,” Cade said as they
walked by. “So tell me more about Eve,” he said, turning to Ian.

****

Eve didn’t know how it had happened, but
she’d overslept. She didn’t feel like making breakfast, but she was hungry and
opted to stop by Starlight Café to pick up some coffee and whatever they had on
offer this morning.

She recognized Celia who’d served her and Ian
the night before.

“Hi, Eve, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s right. I thought I’d get
something to take away that I can eat at my desk before my patients start
rolling in.”

“Sure, I’ll get you a menu.”

Eve waited at the desk while Celia pulled
out a menu and set it down in front of her.

“Is Hannah around this morning?” Eve asked.

“Nope, she’s been feeling under the
weather the last day or two so she’s taking some time off.”

“I’ll let you look at that while I serve
this table over here.”

Eve looked through the breakfast items
while hearing someone else walk in. She turned around to see Ally, whose
husband had once owned the practice, walking in with a man who she assumed was
her new husband.

“Hi, how are you doing?” Eve asked.

Ally, who looked very pregnant now,
waddled over to Eve and hugged her. “I’m doing just great. Have you met my
husband, Kent?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,”
said Eve.

“Kent, this is Eve, Eve, and Kent.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking her
hand.

“Same here,” Eve said. “Guess you’re
getting excited about the baby.”

“We are,” Ally said, rubbing her belly.
“And would it be okay if I dropped by to see what you’ve done with the practice?
You’re the talk of the town.”

“I wasn’t aware of that.”

“Everyone said you have a certain way with
animals, just like my late husband did.”

“I’m happy to hear that and sure, drop by
whenever you feel like it. I’m always around.”

Celia walked back to Eve and she realized
she hadn’t even looked at the menu yet.

“How about a coffee and some waffles with
a side of sausage patties?” Eve said.