Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan 3) (8 page)

They spent another hour going over all of Ginny’s photos. There were pictures of the fires at Beltane, although no one went into what actually happened. Antonia felt a shiver of apprehension. If she left here on bad terms with Sam, she wouldn’t be able to come back for the Rites. Which meant Kayleigh would go through it without her.

Would she be able to attend if she wasn’t “one of them”? It all added to the confusion reeling around in her head. But she knew she couldn’t settle down with Sam for the sake of Kayleigh. All that would do was make them all unhappy.

What she didn’t know was that Sam was working out how exactly to make her stay for the right reasons.

He was so nervous he nearly burned the sauce. Rescuing it from the stove, just as it began to burn the bottom of the pan, he poured out what he could and put the pan into soak. Normally, he was a good cook, with a cool head. However, these last two days had tested the endurance of his nerves. He felt exhausted trying to keep it all together.

It wasn’t just Antonia, although she preyed on his mind constantly, it was the wedding too. He wanted it to be perfect for Kayleigh and Daryl. With them holding it here at the farm, pressure was bearing down on him. If something went wrong, he would feel responsible.

On top of this, he had his normal chores to do too. Animals needed to be fed and the cattle needed to be moved to a new pasture. As soon as the wedding was over, he would have to get straight out and harrow a couple of the fields.

His thoughts drifted off, onto what needed to be done around the farm. He always found solace in the everyday chores that occupied his time and energy. The farm was the most important thing in his life, or at least it had been until Antonia had arrived in town.

Now he used it as a refuge for his mind. So that when Antonia knocked on the door, the dinner was ready, and edible, thank goodness, and his mood was lighter.

He was feeling like his old self until he opened the door and saw her standing there. She hadn’t dressed in a provocative manner, which relieved him, but he found her incredibly sexy all the same. She wore a loose summer dress with a wrap, which he was sure he had seen Kayleigh wearing before, around her shoulders. The evening carried a slight chill in the air and she would need the wrap when she went home later. If she went home later.

“Come in.” He stepped back so she could walk past him, and he couldn’t resist breathing in her scent as she passed by.

“Something smells good,” she said.

It most definitely does, he thought. Closing the door, he followed her into the kitchen, noting the way she kept fiddling with her purse and then her hair. She was nervous. Possibly more nervous than him, but he doubted it. So much hung in the balance. This was more than a first date; this was possibly the first night of the rest of his life with his mate.

“I hope you like chicken. It seemed the safest thing to cook. Do you want me to take your wrap?”

“Chicken is good.” She removed the wrap and handed it to him. He couldn’t resist letting their fingers touch. He craved to feel her skin against his, the more the better as far as he was concerned. As they touched, her eyes flew up to his and he knew she felt the same way. It was like pins and needles. Starting at the point where their fingers touched, it built into a buzz that spread throughout his entire body.

He should have simply taken the wrap and let her go, but he didn’t—he maintained the contact between them. Stroking her hand with his index finger, he waited for her to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she seemed to be as curious as he was. Her hand turned over, so that he could circle his fingertip around the inside of her palm. She swayed slightly, her body leaning into his. He slipped his big hand around hers, swamping it. Then he lifted it to his mouth and kissed the place where his fingers had ignited her desire.

Dinner was all but forgotten. He was glad he had removed it from the oven and set it to cool, or else it would have spoiled. Now they fed a different hunger that was desperate to be sated.

From the moment he opened the door, she had been consumed by a need she couldn’t fathom.

“Do you want to skip dinner?” His words were blunt and cut straight to the point.

Did she want to sit with him, talk to him and get to know him? Or go straight upstairs? Maybe he was thinking of taking her here, in the kitchen. Perhaps over the kitchen table.

Her stomach lurched, her nerves getting the better of her. She didn’t want to appear too easy. Was she being too easy? After waiting all her life to have an intimate relationship with any man, she was simply going to give herself to him. A man she had just met.

They hadn’t even been on a date. She was making herself look like a cheap slut.

“I’m not sure,” she answered.

“If you're not sure, then perhaps we should slow down and eat first.” He kissed her cheek; his fingers entwined with hers as he led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. She placed her purse on the table and sat down. He fetched a bottle of wine and opened it. Then he poured her a glass and passed it to her.

It was cold, waking her up from the daze she had been in since she had left Kayleigh’s house. She had known as she had dressed how the evening was going to end, if she let it. So she had taken ages deciding what to wear. Then her sister had come in and checked that she was alright.

It was such an awkward moment because Kayleigh was quite aware of the outcome, too. She had been supportive and even fetched a wrap that set her outfit off.

“There, that looks lovely, Antonia,” she had said, and then hugged her. “I hope it all goes well for you. Just give him a chance; he might mess up because this means so much to him, but he has a big heart that wants to love and cherish you.”

“I don’t know if I’m capable of being loved and cherished,” Antonia had answered.

“Of course you are. I have loved and cherished you as a sister forever. So just allow Sam to do the same.”

“That was different, we only had each other.”

“Well, you and Sam will only have each other. I mean as lovers.”

“I don’t know how to be someone’s lover,” Antonia had told her sister.

“He will make it perfect for you, Antonia. Take a chance. It’s the best offer you will ever have.”

Antonia had known she was right. And on the drive over here, she had made up her mind to give herself, her innocence, to Sam. Only there, in her car, it had sounded so simple. Now she was here, her courage deserted her. And so did her appetite.

“I hope you like it. The herbs in the sauce are from the kitchen garden. Everything else has been grown on the farm too. I like to be as self-sufficient as possible.”

“It smells really good,” she answered.

“Are you going to try it?” He had been watching her staring at her plate.

She picked up her knife and fork, cut a succulent piece of chicken, and slipped it into her mouth. She had expected it to taste like cotton wool, her mouth was so dry, but it was surprisingly good.

Slowly, as she ate, her appetite returned. The wine made her loosen up and she sat listening to Sam babble away. He knew she was feeling uncomfortable and he tried to make her at ease. He didn’t push her to talk, or for any information, but slowly she found herself opening up, just a little, to him. A chink had appeared in the armour she wore to protect herself from getting hurt.

“I’d like to show you around the farm properly tomorrow. If you’d like to.”

“I would. I have a dress fitting but apart from that, I’m free. I think Kayleigh might like me out of the way for a couple of hours. I know she has lots to do and I have offered to help, but she wants to make sure everything is just right. Between her and your mom they seem to have it all under control.”

He laughed, a low rumble in his chest. It made her stomach flip and she wanted to place her hand on his chest, so that she could feel the vibrations through her body.

“My mom has been planning weddings ever since I can remember.” He ate some food, chewing it before speaking again. “Every era that’s gone by, she’s looked at wedding dresses, bought a couple of mother-of-the-groom outfits too. She hung on to them until they were so dated she would look ridiculous if she wore them and then kept her eye out for another one. So to actually have a wedding happening is a dream come true for her. I don’t know what she’ll do once we’re both married. She’ll need a new hobby.”

“And do you intend to get married?”

“If you’ll have me.” He looked at her for a moment and then looked away. “I’m sorry, that was presumptuous of me.”

“These days people live together without getting married. But also, if I don’t stay, won’t another woman come along?”

He placed his fork down on his plate and looked at her earnestly. “No. If we don’t get married, or at least stay together, that’s it. No second chance, no second mate.”

“That’s harsh.”

“It’s the way it is. At first, our kind didn’t marry. It was only when living together without marriage was considered a sin among humans, that the clan began holding ceremonies. Now it’s as much of a tradition as the Beltane Rites.”

“When long life is passed to your mate?”

“Yes. It’s so that we can live the same number of years. Some of us are lucky and marry others that have a long life; others are not. So with the help of an ancient druid who was mated to one of us, the Beltane Rites were created.”

“Do you think of yourself as being unlucky to have a mate like me, who is only human?” It was another reason she figured he had lucked out having her as his mate.

“No. Not at all. Don’t ever think that.” His hand reached out for hers, covering it with his warmth and strength.

“But do you wish that I was like you? I guess it would be a lot more fun if your mate could change like you do.”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t care about anything other than your happiness.”

“Not even your own?”

“If you are mine, then I am happy. It’s simple.”

That was how he made it sound, simple and completely within the realms of reality. Part of her yearned to just let go and embrace that simplicity. Her life had been hard and complicated, now he offered her an escape from that. To be here with him, loved and protected, never having to worry about where she was going to live next. Up until now, she had never experienced stability. And she was tired, so tired, of being alone. She wanted what he offered with every fibre of her being.

As if woken by his words, she twisted the hand he held, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. He stiffened with the knowledge she had somehow accepted him, and the attraction they shared. His gaze was questioning, searching her face for an answer to the question that beat in her own heart and drummed in her head. Was she willing to take this one last step with him?

“I’ve never ... you know. With a man.”

“It’s OK,” he said, his voice rough with raw emotion. “We’ll take it slow.”

She rose from her seat and picked up her purse, her half-eaten dinner forgotten on the table. Sam stood and came around to her. Holding her close, he rubbed her back with the palm of his hand, feeling the tremors passing through her. She had never been more nervous in her life. But never so sure, either.

He took her hand and led her through the house, and to the stairs. She had developed tunnel vision, no longer capable of seeing the house around her, the house that would be her home.

One-step at a time, she went with him to his bedroom. Standing in the doorway for one moment, the big bed loomed in front of her. Her breathing became ragged as she imagined what was about to happen between them.

“OK?” he asked.

She nodded and went to him, standing in front of the big beast of a man who wanted to claim her and make love to her. He swallowed and she knew he was as nervous as she was. That gave her some courage. This man, who must have made love to countless women throughout his long life, was scared too.

His fingers traced the line of her jaw and then he tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing her lips. She parted them, ready for his kiss, and he lowered his head, his tongue tracing along her lower lip before he pressed his lips to hers. Sighing against him, the final bit of reservation left her. He was so gentle, his soft lips belying the size of him. Placing her hands on his arms, she steadied herself and let her senses take over.

Her mouth moved against his, thrills of desire permeating every cell in her body. Stroking his arms before sliding them over his hard chest, she took in the contours of his body. Braver now, she undid the first of his buttons, her fingers stroking the smooth skin as it was revealed. Following her lead, he unzipped her dress and it fell to the floor, leaving her half-naked in front of him. She wanted to cover herself up, hide her curves. Before she had a chance, he unclasped her bra and his hands cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples, until her brain couldn’t process any coherent thought. To him it didn’t matter if she wasn’t stick-thin. He loved her for what she was, voluptuous and curvy.

His shirt now open, she pushed it off his shoulders and he shrugged it off. She gazed at his broad chest and then pressed her lips to his taut skin, breathing in the scent of him. He smelt of the outdoors, of forests and the herbs from his garden. It all mingled together into an irresistible natural cologne that was all man, all him.

Somehow, they ended up lying on his bed. She couldn’t remember moving because he had captured her nipple in his mouth and short-circuited her brain. Now his fingers traced along her sex, the fabric of her sopping-wet panties the only barrier stopping him delving deeper inside her. She kissed along his collarbone, exploring him with her lips while her hands roamed his body, working their way ever lower.

When she stroked his cock through his jeans, she was amazed how hard he was and how big. How would he ever fit inside her? It would hurt. She knew it would, but she didn’t care, not when his fingers pushed her panties aside and entered her. His thumb brushed her clit and she gasped with shock; it was so much more intense than she would ever have expected.