Tempted by the Bear - Complete (9 page)

L
ucy

W
hen Tori told
me about her tattoo, I got nervous. I’m sure that’s the sign the Le Roux use to call human women to their clan so they can bear children and continue the bloodline. Being the daughter of the Robichaux alpha, I have an in on the politics of the three clans that make up the Northeast Kingdom, and the practice of turning humans into werebear didn’t sit well with the other clans when they heard about it.

But once one of the humans turned out to be my mother’s daughter, things changed for Mom. Now Carly Le Roux is the alpha successor to our clan as well as the prima for hers. Yeah, that wasn’t a big hit with my father. Not that my mother cheated on him or anything. She had Carly before they got married. No, it was more because he had high hopes for my twin Luke to take over.

So when I discovered Tori had been called by the Le Roux, I wasn’t sure who to tell. I don’t want to reveal that I’m a werebear before she’s ready to know, and I sure don’t want to tell Tori she’s part shifter and freak her out. Since I finally decided to let my stepsister, Carly, train me as a tattoo artist, I figure she’s my best bet. I push open the door to Ink It, where she works, and Sierra glances up from a laptop. Her eyes are big in her face, and they’re accentuated by her super-short jet-black bangs cut in a straight line.

“Hey. I’m glad you’re here. I have a proposition for you.”

Uh-oh. Sierra has triplet boys, and I’m afraid she wants me to help. “I’d make a terrible babysitter.” My coat peels away from my sweater and crackles with static electricity.

“That’s not what I was going to ask. Carly and I would like to hire you to work the front desk.” She holds up her hand as if I’m going to object. “It’s not usually busy between clients, and it would give you plenty of time to practice. Plus we’ll work around your class schedule.”

I wouldn’t mind hanging around the tattoo parlor, so I say, “Sounds good to me. When do I start?”

Sierra shakes her head as she grins. “Well, that was easy.” The laptop clunks on the counter, and she types a bit before turning it toward me. “Just fill in the hours you can work, and I’ll let you know what we can do.”

The keys click as I type my name into the right slots on the calendar before me. When I’m done, I ask, “Where’s Carly? I need to talk to her.” I reach for my bag and lift out my sketch pad.

“She’s at Kick It watching a new warrior, but she’ll be back soon. Can I see what you’ve got?”

I glance at the notebook in my hand and realize Sierra probably thinks I want to show Carly my latest designs. “Oh. Sure.” I pass it to her. Sierra’s a talented tattoo artist, and I value her opinion as much as my stepsister’s.

It makes me nervous to watch someone look at my work, so I ask, “Mind if I go over and find her?”

A page of my sketch pad flips, and Sierra speaks without glancing at me. “Sure. Go ahead.”

I wander toward the sound of shouts and grunts. Ian notices me and smiles. He’s totally hot, and my cheeks heat up a bit, because I definitely have a crush on him. Carly set me up with him as a personal trainer a while back, and I look forward to our weekly sessions. Right now he’s working with the tallest woman I’ve ever seen. She’s also a damn good fighter—she beats up a punching bag as if it were a feather pillow.

When she turns, I notice the white-blond ponytail is attached to a stunning girl. Jealousy tweaks at me, but there isn’t much I can do, so I approach Carly instead.

She notices me and says, “Hey.” She nods her head toward the blonde. “Pretty amazing, huh?”

I nod. “Who is she?”

“A polar bear from the Arctic.” Carly turns away, and we walk toward Ink It. She says, “I’ve got some pig skin for you to practice on.”

“Cool. I need to ask you something.”

“Sure. What is it?” We’ve turned the corner, and the noise of the gym fades. We stop at the drink station, where Carly grabs a plastic cup.

I take a mug instead, and the ceramic handle is smooth in my fingers. “You know Tori who came in for a bear-paw tattoo?”

“Yeah. I remember her.” Water splashes in Carly’s cup.

“Well, she’s my roommate, and that mark is because she was called, right?” I fill my mug with coffee and pour creamer in. I swirl the contents instead of dirtying a spoon to mix it.

“It is. Did she ask you about it?”

I shake my head quickly. “I haven’t told her anything. But she saw the guy she dreams about the other day, and now she’s kind of stalking him.”

Carly gulps her mouthful of water. “How so?”

“She went to where he works and somehow got an internship. The thing is, I think he’s old, like—” I almost said “like you,” and Carly’s smile tells me she knows it. “Well, too old for her.”

“I know. She’s been dreaming about my friend Keith. We’re trying to find her someone more suitable.”

“Oh, good.”

The odor of sweat approaches us, and I glance up to see the blonde and Ian coming our way. I smile at Ian, and he says, “Lucy. Good to see you.” He’s a shameless flirt, but it works for me anyway when he gives me the once-over with his eyes. “You look fabulous as usual.”

“Thanks.” I’ve gotten bold with him over time, so I banter back. “You look—
hot
.”

He chuckles as he reaches for a cup to get water. “Have you met Isabelle yet?”

Ian’s about Carly’s age, and I know he doesn’t think of me as dating material, but I haven’t given up hope. I eye the girl and paste on a smile. “Hi.”

She frowns at me when Ian says, “This is Lucy Robichaux.”

“Are you related to Luke?”

“I am. He’s my twin.”

Her grin is huge when she says, “I know him.”

I’ll bet you do.
My brother’s a player, and I guess they’ve hooked up. But it makes me happy, because that means she’s probably not after Ian. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

“It is.” She takes a sip of water and swallows. “It most definitely is.”

“Will I see you at his party Friday night?” My brother is on the board of his fraternity. It’s a werebear frat, and they’re known to get wild.

Isabelle frowns as she says, “No. I wasn’t invited.”

“Oh, it’s not something you need to be invited to. It’s at the Delta house.”

“Delta house?”

Ian says, “That’s a frat house at Orono.”

Realization dawns on Isabelle’s face. But she doesn’t look happy, and I wonder if she has a thing against frat boys. She shrugs. “Maybe.”

Ian says, “Break time’s over. Let’s get back at it.”

Isabelle’s cup crunches in her hand before she tosses it in the garbage, and I have a feeling she’s got plans for my brother. But they may not be pretty.

As they walk away, I say, “Maybe I should bring Tori to that party. There will be lots of eligible werebear, and she might find one she likes.”

Carly nods. “That’s not a bad idea. Because Keith isn’t a good match for her, and it would be nice if we could divert that attraction.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Carly places her hand on my shoulder. “Thank you, Lucy. I appreciate your help.”

Her gratitude makes me smile, and I’m surprised by it. When I first learned that Carly was my stepsister I wasn’t pleased. But now that she’s welcomed me into her life with open arms, I don’t mind having a sister after all.

I
sabelle

W
onderful
. I’ve fallen for a college boy. Icy wind whips around my sweaty skin, cooling me off from my workout as I pound down the sidewalk to the truck I drive. Fortunately my intense workout calmed me. I wonder if Luke’s legally able to drink. Although he did get more than one bottle of wine at the restaurant for our date. But that could have been because it was a werebear hangout, and we do tend to follow our own set of rules. The familiar rush of heat to my skin as sexual desire runs through my veins is clouding my judgment, because I’d like to ignore age and be with Luke again. That man-child sure knows what he’s doing when it comes to pleasing a woman. What are a few years, anyway?

I’ve fought the urge to call him for a couple days, because I don’t do that. Men chase me. And that’s how I like it. A growl forms in my throat, and the plastic of my phone case is slippery in my fingers when I pull it from my back pocket. I do need to chat with my contact about what’s going on with my brother, right? I send a simple text.

We need to talk.

Luke reads it right away, and his text is quick to follow.
Busy tonight?

Where and when?
I’ve reached my vehicle, and a quick double beep sounds as I unlock it.

My place whenever you can get here.

An hour later, after I’m showered and fed, I arrive at Luke’s. His apartment is too upscale for a typical college student, and it makes sense I didn’t know he was one. The building has a doorman that needs to announce me, and I pace the small lobby while I wait for Luke to come down. The carpet is red and plush. Two leather couches are set across from each other, and a gas fireplace is burning. When we came here the other night, I must have been too drunk to remember this. Funny, I’m not a small girl and can definitely hold my liquor. That was some strong wine.

I decided to be a bit more subtle about my intentions tonight, and I wore tight leather pants with a loose top that only reveals my cleavage with its low neckline. The scent of Luke reaches me before he does, and I smile, because he’s freshly bathed, too.

He bounces down the last steps and comes toward me. He’s in a wrinkled Oxford shirt that has more than one button undone, and the curl of hair that has escaped makes me want to twirl it around my finger.

“Isabelle.” The low rumble of his voice practically caresses my skin. Man alive, I’ve got to get ahold of myself.

“Luke.”

“Come.” He takes my arm and leads me up a short flight of stairs to an elevator. “You look lovely.”

My heels click on the hard surface when we enter. “Thank you. You like nice, too.” The door closes with a soft whoosh, and I notice only one button that says PH. I frown, because I don’t remember this. Something about a freight elevator comes to mind, along with what we did in it. I smile with the memory.

Luke notices and turns me to face him. His hands slide up my arms. “I bet I can guess what you’re thinking.”

I grip his hips lightly. “Really. What?”

He leans down to my neck and places a kiss just below my earlobe. I suck in air and tip my head back in response as he whispers, “There’s something about elevators that turns me on. How about you?”

“Depends on who’s with me.”

Luke hooks a finger in the front of my shirt and peeks down it. “Black lace. Nice.”

I reach for his waistband and pull it away from his body to look down. “Nothing. Even better.”

The elevator dings, and Luke steps away from me to take my hands as he backs into his apartment. I follow. Our gazes are locked, and he slips an arm around my waist to yank me against his chest. He asks, “Can we talk later?”

I place a hand on the back of Luke’s head as he leans in to kiss me.
I’m all alone.
His lips are smooth and plump as he nibbles at me gently, but I’m too impatient, and I take out my hunger on him to get my point across. That added to my working on the waistband of his jeans sends the message, and he starts on my clothes, too.

When Luke begins to flutter kisses down my chest, I push him away and grab his cock. “Let’s get to the good part.” Shoving his chest, I back him up to the couch, and he bounces on it when he lands. I straddle his lap to get what I want. I ride him fast as I take what I need.

When I growl out my release, a sudden urge to taste his blood overcomes me. I’m not thinking clearly, because I don’t realize I’ve done more than imagine it when a metallic flavor coats my tongue.
Shit!
I bit him.

Luke’s orgasm is suddenly multiplied, and he shatters beneath me with such force that his eyes roll back in his head. As he comes back to earth, he pants out, “That was fucking amazing.”

I lap at his shoulder where my bear teeth pierced him to seal the wound. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Luke grins up at me in his post-bite attraction. When a bear has sex and bites their partner, it forms a bond. If they aren’t true mates, it’s temporary, but for up to a few months, the attraction feels as if it’s meant to be. Handy if you want to stay with someone who isn’t your true mate, although it’s frowned upon if you both don’t agree to it. And while polar bears don’t punish for it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Northeast Kingdom has stricter rules.

I climb off of him and say, “I shouldn’t have done that.” I turn away from him and take in my surroundings as I look for a bathroom to clean up. The room is done in neutral shades with colorful paintings on the walls as artwork. My toes sink into carpet so thick that my first thought is what it would be like to lie on it.

Warm hands land on my hips as Luke grabs me from behind. “It’s okay. I almost bit you the other night.”

His cock twitches against my butt. I turn to him and break our physical contact. “No, it’s not. I’d be pissed if you did it to me.” I don’t usually care about rules, but the fear of what might happen if I get thrown out of Maine is causing me to panic. “Please forgive me.”

I stare at the werebear who I just blood bonded, and he tilts his head a bit as he smiles. “You’re forgiven. Besides, this means I don’t have to ask if you want to date a younger man.” He steps close to me, and his breath is on my neck as he leans in to kiss it. “I’ve got my answer.”

Stepping back I say, “Yeah. About that. You should have told me you’re still in college. How old are you, anyway?”

“Almost twenty-one.”

I knew it. He’s not even drinking age. My breasts are plumped up when I cross my arms under them. “You know I’m pushing thirty, right?”

“Twenty-eight. I checked.” He steps closer to trace the outline of my nipple. It hardens under his touch as tiny hairs stand up along my body. He says, “Women reach their sexual prime in their thirties, while guys tend to hit it around nineteen.” The fingers of his other hand trail down my belly to between my legs. “I think we’re a match made in heaven.”

He slips a digit into me, and I quiver as lust surges in my body. This guy definitely has good hands. Pain shoots through me as he digs his other fingers into my bottom and yanks me against his erection. He says, “I can last all night. You?”

I whimper, and he sinks his teeth into my shoulder. The bite is sharp at first, and I cry out because of it, but it’s quickly followed by heat that races through my veins as his essence merges with mine to seal our bond further. I scream with my release as he gives me the pleasure I gave him.