One in a Bear-llion (Polar Heat Book 3) (4 page)

But that was silly.

“What are you thinking?” he asked hoarsely, staring at her from his chair. His long legs were propped up on the windowsill, and his expression was pensive.

“I’m thinking maybe we should be lovers,” she said quietly.

His gaze snapped to hers. “Lovers?” he scoffed. “That’s too polite a term for what I’m thinking.”

“Oh?” she asked, watching his expression darken.

“Yes,” he said simply.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone who made me feel good. As long as I’m here, and you’re willing, why can’t it be with you?”

He stood in the blink of an eye and started pacing again. She wanted to pull off his pants and take him in her hands. Bad Mara was out, and she liked it.

He’ll hurt you
, a voice inside her said.

Yes, but I’m already hurt
, she answered.

“Look, why are you doing this?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips, which only served to make him look sexier somehow. “You were brought here as part of a scam by my matchmaking dad and then were blown off by me, and you’re on the run from something huge and trying to heal…”

She scooted to the edge of the bed and reached out, catching his waistband. She jerked him forward, and he let out a low growl as she dug both hands into his pockets, holding him there. “Maybe this is part of trying to heal. I want to just live for a while, you know? Do the things I’ve been missing.”

“You mean you want to do
me
,” he said warily. “But what am I supposed to do when my father chews me out for breaking your heart?”

“Who says I won’t break
your
heart?” Mara asked.

Scott just laughed at that. Not a good sign. Still, if he just gave her the best sex of her life and helped her with her stalker issue, he’d be giving her more than anyone else had. So why not?

“I’m a big girl,” she said, tugging him closer. “I can take it.”

His face was stern, but she could see his resolve wavering. Underneath that controlling asshole was a good man, and she could see him weighing whether this was actually good for both of them.

But she didn’t care. She was tired of men running her life. She was ready to take charge. She slowly pulled down the zipper of his dress pants and took his cock in her mouth.

Damn, the feel was velvety smooth, and he was huge. She licked and then released it and looked up to see him on the verge of losing it. Jaw tight, hands clenched into fists. Was he angry?

Slowly, he pushed the pants down and backed her up onto the bed, making her very aware that she was still naked.

“Tease,” he said, reaching into the drawer at the side of the bed for a condom. Apparently, the hotel stocked them in the suites.

It was important to use protection. When two shifters did it without, it resulted in claiming.

He opened it with his eyes locked on hers and then slid it over himself. “As good as your mouth feels, what I really want is to be inside you.”

She nodded, arching luxuriously back on the bed. “That’s what I want, too.”

Still, he didn’t immediately go for it. Instead, he ran his hands worshipfully down her body, caressing every curve, heating up her body and the room. He ran a small circle around her ankle and trailed back up to play between her thighs. He touched her soft stomach as if memorizing each curve and roll. He made her feel utterly beautiful, and he was totally silent.

Then he leaned forward and kissed her, hard, his lips crashing against hers like waves on a beach. He settled into a rhythm, caressing again and again, and then he stroked deep with his tongue as his fingers dipped to test her entrance.

Damn, she was wet and ready for him.

“So hot,” he growled, readying himself at her entrance.

She ached in anticipation, and when he didn’t immediately come inside her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in with one hard thrust.

She winced because he was so much larger than she was used to, but immediately, the pain started turning into an unbearable pleasure, like he was hitting every spot inside her without even moving.

She bit her lip and tried to remember how to breathe and looked up to see him patiently waiting, a slight grin on his face.

“I should never have thought you meek, should I?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m a brazen artist,” she said, teasing. Damn, he was driving her crazy. Now if he would just start to move.

“Fine, I’ll let you take the lead this time, but next time, it’s all mine.”

“You’re… not the only one… who likes… being in control,” she said, gasping as he began to slowly move in and out, setting off lightning intensity inside her. Her whole body shook in anticipation, and he settled a large, warm hand over her stomach to calm her.

She writhed, needing more. “Faster,” she said. “Harder.”

He thrust into her, giving her what she needed. Almost too much, but that was just what she wanted. It wouldn’t last forever, so it needed to be this good every time. She rocked with him, trying to take him deeper and deeper, until they met at the hips with each move.

He looked so handsome, his face tight, hiding any emotion, his muscles flexing as he focused on pleasuring her, his bright-blue eyes burning and intense. She grabbed onto his arms as the build continued.

It was so much stronger than the escalation in the shower. Damn, she liked the feel of him inside her. It felt like home, like she never wanted to be empty again. She just wanted to keep him there, filling her with pleasure.

His breathing came quicker now, and she could tell she was also close. She reached down between her legs to feel herself, but he shoved her hand away and did it himself, tweaking with each thrust. It felt better when he did it anyway.

It felt like no human should be allowed to feel so much without exploding. Her whole body was on fire in a very pleasant way, but she didn’t know how much more she could take. The tension had to break soon, but her body held on, gripping him tightly for more and more of the sensation.

“Scott,” she gasped out.

“I know,” he said in a low voice. “Come with me.”

She nodded but didn’t know how to let her body go when she was so tense. He slowed his stroking and ran a hand over her belly, then leaned to place a soft, slow kiss on her mouth. Then he resumed thrusting, and she could feel the difference now that she was slightly more relaxed.

But that quickly changed as he upped the tempo, making heat rise in her as that delicious tension climbed once again. She lifted up and wrapped her hands around his shoulders because she felt it coming. And sure enough, on the next hard thrust, as his hips came flush with hers, she tipped over the edge into a beautiful, slightly painful free-fall.

Beautiful because it felt like her whole body was coming with her. Painful because she’d never felt like this and she didn’t understand why.

She felt him jerk against her and held on to him as her orgasm triggered his. She loved the feel of his wide back, his silky muscles. His spiky hair. She pulled back slightly to look at his face, closed off in pleasure as he came, but he looked away from her, and she went back to holding him, still riding out the last ripples of the orgasm he’d given her.

When it finally subsided, she heard his heavy breathing along with her own. Her heart thumped hard, her body going limp with relief.

She let go of him and fell back on the bed.

Unbelievable.

He pulled out of her and walked away to clean up, but she barely noticed. Instead, she turned, pulled a sheet over her, and looked out the window at the ocean. It was a surreal moment. The opposite of where she’d been just a few days ago.

Now she was in an amazing hotel on a beautiful island and had just been thoroughly fucked by a man from some kind of wet dream.

She sighed and felt something warm against her back. Was he snuggling her? Sure enough, his arms wrapped around her and held her against him. He was big, but his body was the perfect size to completely enclose hers, and she felt safe, warm, and happy.

It almost made up for everything else, but she wasn’t stupid enough to think this meant more than a romp in the hay for him.

She could feel his heartbeat hammering against his chest, and she was glad he was the type who didn’t insist on talking all the time. She didn’t know what to say.

After a few moments of watching the last of the sunset together, he interrupted the silence.

“So tell me about your stalker.”

She blinked. “What? Now?” She didn’t want to. Not after that.

“Yes,” he said. “After all, I feel like shit for taking advantage of you. The least I can do is solve your problem.”

S
cott knew
it was the wrong thing to say right after he’d said it, because she rolled away from him and faced him angrily. As he’d thought, her hair was curlier when wet, and it waved angrily around her face, making her dark eyes sparkle. Her skin was still glowing from the orgasms he’d given her.

“Taking advantage of me?” she asked, eyes wide as she pulled the sheet up around her. “Excuse me? What we did was between two consenting adults, and I find it offensive that—”

He put a finger against her lips, momentarily shushing her. “Wait. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… Look, I’m a man used to doing what he thinks he should do. Not losing control and doing something he feels is wrong. I feel like you deserve more than what I’m offering. But you were just so damn beautiful—”

“Were?” She raised an eyebrow.

Damn.
“Are. You
are
so beautiful, and I lost control. The minute I saw you naked, it was over. And you have to understand, losing control isn’t something I take lightly.” He stood and paced again, not minding he was naked.

She didn’t mind either.

She hoped he had lots more to think over. She could stare at him forever.

When he realized she was watching him, he reached for a sheet and draped it over himself toga-style. It made her giggle, and he pinned her with a glare and then sat on the side of the bed with a huff.

“I just… I guess I feel caught in a whirlwind, and it would make me feel grounded if there were something I could do right now. Some problem I could solve.”

“You can’t always use work to get away from your feelings,” she murmured, feeling she was finally starting to understand him a little better. He was still a huge mystery, but she was getting closer to whatever it was that made him tick.

“How about this?” he asked. “I’ll go back to my place and change and cool off. You can take a nap if you want. I’ll send room service up for you, and after dinner, we can take a walk on the beach and talk.”

Her throat tightened. Why did he have to come up with the most romantic atmospheres for spending time with her? But she nodded in agreement. “That would be nice.”

“And you’ll tell me what I need to know, and we’ll make plans.” He cracked his knuckles. Standing at his full height, he was intimidating. She could feel protectiveness emanating from him and suddenly found herself looking forward to her walk on the beach with him after all.

“It’s a date,” she said.

S
cott tossed
a pebble out into the waves pitching in front of him. It was a windy, cool night, which wasn’t saying much, because even the coldest nights on Grand Cayman weren’t too bad.

A part of him just wanted to walk out into the ocean and disappear.

He didn’t know why the emotions rolling through him felt so tumultuous, why some pieces of his heart felt stabbed through after making love with Mara. He didn’t know why it all felt threatening.

He was just grateful she’d agreed to change the subject. A dark resolution settled in him that felt much better than the helplessness of a moment before.

“So tell me about this man that’s been bothering you,” he said.

She sighed, and he could almost feel the air change as she considered what to tell him. He had an urge to put an arm around her and pull her close, but he didn’t.

He’d already had too much intimacy for one day. Still, he wanted to comfort her, and it was an odd feeling. After all, he’d given up his childhood trying to comfort his father and take care of his siblings, and he’d vowed as an adult he would stick to taking care of business rather than emotional matters.

Emotions were messy, awful things. He did his best not to have them.

“I guess it all started at my mother’s gallery. Back at the peak of my fame.”

“You were featured in a magazine, right?”

“Yes,” she said, but she didn’t go further. He had a feeling it was something she might have elaborated on at another time but now was just tired of discussing it.

“So anyway…”

She swallowed. “I feel like I’ve told this story too many times. And it’s never resulted in anything. But I guess I have nothing to lose by trying one more time. After all, who knows how much time I might have if I don’t?”

His stomach felt cold and he rubbed a hand over it. “Why?”

She shrugged. “It was escalating, and I don’t know… Something about it seems so hateful. People tell me it’s my imagination, to not take it so seriously, but when someone desecrates your art…”

“He what?” Scott sat straight up, staring at her in concern. All thoughts of her luscious body and the love they’d made were pushed beneath the surface as he considered the depth of the hurt she’d experienced. He wasn’t an artist, but he had a business and that was his life. If someone persistently worked to ruin it…

“He came into the gallery. Bought a piece. Was a little weird but offered to commission me to work for him as a personal artist. He was young, but I was given to understand he had the money for it. I was younger and more impressionable, but my mother knew better.”

“How old were you?”

“Twenty-five.”

He swore. “How long has this been going on?”

“Just hold on,” she said. “I’m not done. Anyway, after that, he disappeared for a few years. But then, the painting he’d bought appeared at my door. Carefully wrapped. I didn’t know what it was until I opened it.”

He swallowed, his throat tight and mouth dry. He’d seen the beautiful things this woman could create with her hands. The thought of something happening to those creations hit him at a very deep level. “Go on.”

She sniffled, and he realized her pause was due to her choking back tears. “It’s so silly. People said so, but… They don’t understand. It was one of my first pieces, so much work went into it.”

“What did he do?” he asked.

“He cut it. Shredded it. And then pasted pictures of violent pornography over it, obscuring it. You can’t imagine the shock of seeing that when I thought I was looking at my work. Just for a second, before it set in.”

“Then what?” he asked.

“I screamed. I called the police. They said they couldn’t do anything.”

“Why?” he asked, cracking his knuckles. He wondered why she hadn’t gone to her father or another alpha male. Shifters generally knew how to deal with weaklings like the stalker.

“I don’t know. Maybe because there was no proof. Maybe because he’s strong,” she said. “Has influence I mean.”

“Because you think he’s the person from the gallery?” he asked.

She nodded. “How else did he have that painting? The minute I got it, I remembered him. But anyway…”

“Yes. What happened next?”

She wiped her eyes, and his chest physically ached until he gave in and pulled her close. Surely a little comfort couldn’t hurt. And then, when he’d heard it all, he’d go end this man who hurt this beautiful woman so much.

It was the least he could do.

“It was hard to paint. Those awful images kept coming to mind, but I tried to focus on beauty rather than ugliness. But then every time a piece of mine would go up for sale, I’d worry something like that would happen again.”

“Did it?” he asked.

She nodded. “He became obsessed. Anything I made showed up at my house, covered in violent porn. At some point, I didn’t open them. I just left them on the porch. And that’s when it escalated.”

Scott swallowed against the rage that was nearly choking him. What kind of pervert wanted attention that badly? Sure, Mara was the type of sweet, talented woman any man would desire, but this guy’s way of going about it was truly disgusting.

“I mean, I’ve had some gross fans. Had some gross people I’ve had to work with in the art world. I’m not saying I’m not a sensitive person, but I’m not completely unaccustomed to harassment.”

He grunted. It was just another reason he wanted to wipe out mankind at the moment.

“But it’s like it was different. Seeing what he did to my work, feeling the raging hate emanating from it, seeing the awful acts and not being able to stop wondering if it’s what he meant to do to me. And then, as years went by, when I tried to sit down to paint, all I could think of was those images. And it felt pointless because no one would enjoy my art again. He would find them and destroy them.”

“Did you think about just not selling them?”

She shook her head. “If I can’t share them, what’s the point? I want the world to see my art. I enjoy creating and then thinking about people enjoying it afterward.”

“That makes sense. Couldn’t they find out it was him and stop him from buying?”

“It’s not like he admitted it. And there were no prints on the paintings. Not to mention, someone sending crazy paintings isn’t exactly the top priority of a New York policeman.”

“It should be,” he muttered under his breath. After all, this was his
mate
they were talking about.

“What?” she asked. “I didn’t hear that.”

But Scott didn’t answer. He was frozen speechless at the thought that had just gone through his mind. An icy chill shot through him, reminding him of a part of himself he pushed deep below the surface.

“You okay? What did you say?”

“Nothing,” he choked out. He couldn’t have just said she was his mate. He couldn’t have. He didn’t want that. He’d seen what that brought.

Screaming. Pain.

He felt her soft, warm hands turn his face to hers. “Hey, where’d you go on me?” she asked gently.

He could feel how wide his eyes were, how tight his jaw clenched. He searched for words but couldn’t find them.

“I’m sorry if I said something to upset you,” she said, looking crestfallen as she released him. Her hurt was enough to pull him from his shocked trance.

“No, it’s nothing you said. Something just came to mind. It had nothing to do with you,” he lied. She didn’t know he was having a mild heart attack over the thought that she might be his mate. That wasn’t exactly something she’d probably find complimentary.

“Just keep talking,” he said. “Distract me. I still want to hear more about your stalker.”

“Not much to say. I haven’t been able to paint, so he hasn’t been able to do much. Oh, I was going to say things escalated when I ignored his packages. One morning, I woke up to a slamming sound against my window. When I got up and ran to look, I saw a painting with a broken frame, like someone had been smashing it against the window. The window was fractured.”

She put a hand up to her face and sighed in anguish. “I just don’t know why he hates me so much. When I moved, he found me. He doesn’t ever confront me directly, but he’s this ever-present threat. I don’t think he’s ever going to stop. All I was hoping for here was a break. And maybe to be able to paint again with him gone.”

He growled. Something deep inside him wasn’t going to let this go on for another minute. His bear was thrashing beneath the surface, and he hadn’t felt him in a long time. There weren’t a lot of threats around that drew out his animal.

But this definitely had, and based on the strength of his reaction, he’d say at least his bear definitely thought she was his mate. Dizziness washed over him again at the thought, making him literally want to keel over. He steadied himself with one hand on the sand.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Please tell me. Am I triggering something?”

“No,” he said. “I’m just… so angry. But I need to ask you to do something. I know it’ll be hard.”

“Sure,” she said hesitantly.

“I need you to paint for me. Just one thing to draw him out of the woodwork.”

“What for?” she asked, cringing away as if to make herself small.

“So I can kill him.”

She gasped. “You can’t.”

“If you say so,” he said calmly. “But in all seriousness, this has to stop. You deserve a life. Fuck, this has been going on for years. This sick—” He lost his train of thought and shook his head. “It ends now. But we need a painting. When it’s done, I’ll post about it online to lure him out here to buy it. He gets off on acquiring everything you have and scaring you with it. A painting is the best bait. Can you do it, or do I need to hire someone and have you sign it?”

She blinked and bit her lip but then nodded. “I think I could. The last day or two, I’ve been wondering if the beauty here would be enough to pull me through and help me paint. Combined with the fact that this gives me a chance to end it all… Yes, I think so.”

He put an arm around her as relief rolled through him. He stood and reached out a hand to pull her to her feet.

Then he looked into her eyes for a moment as the ocean breeze blew around them, ruffling the light-blue shirt she wore and lifting little tendrils of hair around her face.

She looked beautiful in the moonlight.

He couldn’t keep her, but he could protect her. He was going to get the bastard who was scaring her.

And then he was going to make him pay.

M
ara raised
her hand above the canvas, floating lightly, trying to decide where to start. It would be a seascape of the view from her room.

She’d never thought of painting something just to pull in her stalker, but she supposed it made sense.

That is, it made sense when she had a huge bear backing her up. Scott was in the room with her, working on a laptop. She was hoping having him close would make her feel safer. Make it easier to paint.

But every time she looked out at the dreamy colors in front of her, she just couldn’t bring herself to mix them and start painting.

It wasn’t coming. Something felt bottled up inside her. Maybe she just had to accept her career was over. Maybe in a few years, everyone would forget who she was anyway. Still, the thought of no one enjoying her art ached.

Scott had been quiet most of the morning while she procrastinated, alternating between getting snacks, sitting quietly in front of the canvas, or staring around the apartment.

“Is it that difficult?” he asked.

She sighed and gave him an exasperated look. “Yes, obviously.”

He scratched his head. “When I want to work, I can just work.”

“Well, you don’t create art.”