The Bear's Reluctant Wolf (11 page)

She opened the door and took in the
sight of Trace. He stood there looking very sexy, but very casual as well. She took
in his broad shoulders and wide chest, the way his muscles pressed against the
material of his shirt, and then continued to let her gaze wander down his tree
trunk sized legs. His feet were encased in a pair of shit-kickers, and all-in-all
he was so damn attractive that she wanted to tell him to forget about dinner,
take her to her room, and get this … sexuality … out of their systems. As it
was she felt like it was eating her alive.

No, she couldn’t do that, wouldn’t just
tell him to screw her right where they stood because this arousal was insane.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled and held the door open wider.

“Wow, you look good, baby,” he said and
braced his shoulder against the doorframe. The little movements he made, ones
that shouldn’t be sexy, were so incredibly attractive. He looked her up and
down, and she swore she felt his brand right down to her toes. “You ready?” He
gave her a lopsided grin, one where she was sure had made a lot of panties
drop, but fortunately she managed to keep hers on … barely.

“Yeah, I am ready.” Even she heard the
erotic way she had said those words. He pushed off the frame just as slowly as
he had leaned into it, and stared down at her. His eyes lowered to half-mast,
and his chest rose and fell. She could smell the way his bear rose, and the
testosterone that came from him like a crack of the whip.

“Say it again, Candace.” He took a step
closer, but there wasn’t any extra space between them, and now he was close
enough that their thighs pressed together, and their chests brushed against each
other every time they inhaled. “Go on.” His green eyes seemed to glow as he
stared at her pointedly.

“I’m ready, Trace.” Her voice was soft,
but she was so transfixed by the shape of his mouth, his strong, square jaw,
and really everything else about him that screamed male, that she heard the way
she sounded when she said those three words: wanting to get fucked. For several
long seconds all they did was
stare
at each other, but
then he cleared his throat, took a step back, and held out his hand for her to
take. Candace could have used a little extra time to get her bearings, but she
pushed everything else aside, closed the door behind her, and slipped her hand into
Trace’s much bigger one. He led them toward her driveway, and she expected to
see his Harley. Of course she hadn’t dressed for it, but she was confident she
could have pulled off riding on the back of his bike. Besides, there was this
little voice in the back of her head that told her she needed to wear something
that could be construed as easy access. But there was no big ass Harley sitting
in front of her house, but a big ass Yukon instead.

“Didn’t think you drove anything
but a motorcycle.”

He grinned down at her and gave her a
wink. Opening the passenger side door for her, he didn’t give her time to climb
in, just slid his hands around her waist, lifted her off the ground easily, and
set her on the seat as if she weighed nothing at all. She might be a thicker
girl, but compared to him she felt small and petite. Once he was seated in the
driver’s side, had the engine cranked, and was driving down the road, she asked
him where they were going.

He looked at her, but didn’t smile or
give her any indication of what he was thinking. “I actually want to introduce
you to someone.”

“Your son?”

He nodded but kept his eyes on the road.
“You’re okay with that? I don’t want to rush anything with you, but I want you
to meet him, and I figure the sooner the better.”

“I’d like to meet him.”
 
She reached over and grabbed his hand,
slipping her fingers through his, and placing their entwined hands on her lap.
His arm was stretched out far to his side, so she moved as close as her
seatbelt would allow, and he gave her a small smile. It was nice, being so
close to him and it not having to be about her wanting to ease the annoyance of
her arousal taking over. Right now it was about contentment and comfort.

They hadn’t talked any more about what
he had divulged to her at the mountain, and it seemed as if something had
shifted in just the short time they had known each other. He was still so
gruff, but it was as if he knew he needed to ease up a bit, and to show her
that in order for this to work he needed to show her a softer side of him. Now,
that softer side did have him still growling out words, even acting like a
possessive male through text messages, but she found it endearing that he was
so territorial when it came to her.

For the next twenty minutes they held
light conversation, one that had her learning he was an only child, that his
mother had been a cheetah shifter and his father a polar bear.

“I grew up in Charlestown, and moved to
Sweet Water when I was twenty.”

“Is that when you met Karla?” She didn’t
miss how he tensed at the mention of his ex-wife. Maybe some females would be
upset that their mates had been married before and had a child, but Candace was
a strong believer in letting the past stay right there … in the past. Besides,
she had been with men before meeting him. It wasn’t like they were in their
twenties. Yes, he was ten years older than she was, but she was no spring
chicken, and at thirty-five she was starting to feel all the things missing in
her life—a husband and family. Was Karla still living in the past when it came
to
Trace
? Candace had certainly smelled the human’s
desire for her mate, but Trace only had disgust for Karla.

“Yeah.
I never intended for things to get serious with us. I made that clear to her,
but she also didn’t want anything serious. So it worked out good. Looks like
both of us got a reality check when she got pregnant with Liam. I was
twenty-two, and she was nineteen, and marrying her was the stupidest thing I’ve
ever done, but I thought it was the right and honorable thing at the time. It
took a long time for me to realize that a family doesn’t have to mean being
married. A loving home came be made up of a single family home, or even the
parents only living together. I’m not saying Liam didn’t need a mother, because
he did, but being with Karla wasn’t good for anyone.” The sound of his hands
tightening on the steering wheel sounded throughout the interior of the SUV. “Things
were okay at first, but Karla is not the mothering type.” He looked at Candace,
but only for a second. He was silent as he took the winding road up the
mountain. “Long story short, our marriage was a bust. She was a shitty mother
to my kid, and cheated on me with my best friend.” He was trying to make it
lighter than it was. “She left town right after the altercation. Apparently she
couldn’t stay away from Sweet Water forever, unfortunately.” He turned left and
onto a side road that ascended. “Liam was eighteen when all of that went down,
but thankfully he was off at school. I’m glad he didn’t have to see any of
that, but he still had to grow up with a mother that didn’t give him the
affection he deserved. She was never good to him, always ignoring him, and just
overall worthless. I shouldn’t have stayed with her as long as I did, and I
will forever regret that. For years we tolerated each other, but I was so
indifferent to it all I just stopped being there for her. Then again she had
already pulled away from us a long time ago.” The trees opened up, and an
impressive two story cabin sat in the clearing. A detached three car garage was
to the right, and there was a smaller building to the left that looked like a
guest house. He cut the engine, and they sat there in silence for a moment.

She reached for his hand again, the one
that he had pulled away from her when he started talking about his past. He
didn’t fight her, let her take it, and she brought it to her chest, right over
her heart. “I really am sorry, Trace.” He shook his head and turned so his
upper body faced her.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

“Hopefully that is a good thing?” She
eyed him and tried to give him a saucy smile.

He looked so serious right now, and her
smile faded. “Yeah, baby, it’s a really good thing.” He exhaled roughly and
looked down at where their hands were still pressed to her chest. “You’re too
good for me, and I am one lucky bastard to have found you, Candace.” He lifted
only his eyes to look at her, and her heart stopped in her chest. “For the last
week I’ve woken up, not knowing what I have done to deserve you, but grateful
that an asshole like me got something so good in my life.” His words were
hauntingly heartbreaking.

“We’ve only known each other for such a
short time, and I’m not even that memorable, Trace.” Her mouth had gone dry,
and her throat was tight. It was hard getting the words out.

“It has been a short time, Candace, but
that doesn’t make what is happening between us, and what I feel for you, any
less powerful or any less real. I’m not asking for your love, because I know
that has to come on its own, but I am asking for you to give me a chance.” He
took his hand back and cupped her cheeks. “I’m a pain in the ass, bossy, and
have a tendency to get into fights even if I’m not provoked. I will piss you
off, because that is just who I am, but you’re a strong wolf, Candace, and can
give as
good
as you take.” She stared into his eyes,
ones that looked as dark as the night around them.

Her wolf had no reservations, and
neither did her human side. She had already decided this was what she wanted,
that Trace was the male she wanted. Maybe this would work, maybe it wouldn’t,
but she would never know unless she tried. Oh, she had no doubts that he would
piss her off, because a lot of the things he did most of the time already did
that, but she could overlook that, because she could see goodness in him.
 
“I’m willing to try, Trace.” His name barely left
her lips before he was claiming her mouth. It was over before it started, but
it was enough to leave a very lasting impression. He climbed out of the truck,
but before she could do the same he was opening the passenger side door and
helping her out. He led them to the front door, and as soon as they entered the
smell of tomato sauce and garlic bread filled her nose.

“I hope you like lasagna.” After taking
her purse and hanging it on the coat-rack, he kept a tight hold on her hand and
led her to the kitchen. His cabin was very impressive, with natural wood
accents and intricate engraved detailing. The kitchen was huge, easily as big
as the lower level of her home. Black granite, cherry cabinets, and stainless
steel appliances greeted her. The table in the kitchen was large, easily
seating eight, although he had told her it was only he and his son who lived in
the home. He let go of her hand and went over to the stove. Candace walked over
to the table and searched the length. Everything was set for the two of them,
including unlit taper candles in the center. Trace moved up behind her and
pressed his chest to her back, but he didn’t make a move to embrace her, and
instead reached around her and set the bowl of salad and basket of garlic rolls
on the table. He didn’t move away though, and buried his face at the nape of
her neck. The sound of him inhaling deeply, coupled with the feel of him
running just the pads of his fingers down her arms, had her closing her eyes
and sighing in bliss.

“We have to stop because I don’t want
the first impression your son has of me to be that I am fooling around with his
father in your kitchen.”

He groaned against her neck. “I’d
really
like to fool around with you in
my kitchen, and besides, Liam won’t be here for another hour.” He started
moving his lips along her neck. “You don’t want to even know what dirty things
I want to do to you.” Candace placed her hands flat on the table and leaned
forward enough that her ass pressed into his already hard shaft.

“I do. I
really
do.” She emphasized the same word he had, but she also meant
it. Her body was on fire. Pussy wet, clit pulsing, and nipples nearly ripping
though her dress, all she could think about was Trace giving it to her nice and
hard. That thought should have made her feel somewhat embarrassed, but all
Candace felt was that inferno Trace had started, the one only he could
extinguish.

“You’re a bad girl at heart, Candace.”
He gripped the hem of her dress and said, “I’m going to pull this dress up, tug
your panties down, and lick your cunt until you come all over my face. And,
baby, I won’t stop until you beg me to.” He moved his mouth to her ear. “And
you will beg me, baby. I won’t stop until every part of your body is so
sensitive all it will take is a growl and you’ll come all over again.” Slowly
he started inching the dress up her thighs, proving that she wouldn’t stop him
and he could do whatever the hell he wanted. Never had she been happier to have
worn a dress than she was right now. The sound of his haggard breathing against
the side of her throat had her own respirations coming in hard pants. “I bet
your pussy tastes as sweet as the rest of you.” He said the words as if he was
speaking to himself.” Her ass was now bared to him, and the thong she wore did
nothing to hide anything from him. The vibrations that left him had her
gritting her teeth and curling her hands into the glossy wood. She thought he
might follow through on his threat, but he continued to push her dress up until
it was high on her back. Candace couldn’t worry about if he thought her ass was
too big, or if her thighs were too wide. All she could focus on was the feel of
him trailing his fingers along her side, making her flesh tighten and goose
bumps form along her body.