“So he’s in heat and their plan to stay away from me has to be pushed aside.” She exhaled and shook her head. That made more sense, but it didn’t tell her if they wanted her or not.
“The plan was to keep you safe, not stay away from you.” The bald man tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch. “There have been a couple very physical attacks with multiple men coming at one of us. We didn’t want that near you. On top of that, we were afraid that the violence would increase if whoever’s after us saw that we have a woman. That they’d use you as a weakness. Hurting you would hurt us far more than any physical wounds.”
“I’m not exactly helpless, you know. Nor am I reckless. If it was necessary to be escorted, I would. I’m not some stupid idiot who’ll go running alone in the park with someone potentially watching me.” She threw up her hands.
The blond grasped her hand. “We didn’t think very much about what you would do. We were too worried about what someone might do to you.”
“That’s Gable Bere beside you. The one down at the end is Maddox Strang. They’re your mates, and Micah is in mating heat. It’s dangerous for you to be away from him. He could hurt someone who just happens to be between you.” John waved his hand. “I know this is sudden.”
“I know I need to go with them.” Her stomach clenched. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be joyous. “I’ll go to my room and pack a bag. We can worry about the rest of my things tomorrow or the next day.”
She rose. The man beside her pushed to his feet, as well. Apparently, she would have an escort even though it wasn’t necessary.
He followed her out of the room and down the hall. He stopped in the doorway as she strode to her closet. Why didn’t he come all the way in and sit in the chair near the window or on the bed?
“You know, don’t you?” The man gripped her door frame.
“Know what?” She turned to him with her suitcase and garment bag in hand. What did she know? She hadn’t said anything to him or even really met him.
“You know about the meetings with the undercover officer to draw them out. The fake dates.” He gripped the frame.
Wood creaked. She winced. “Yes, I know. Don’t rip the frame off the door. My family might own this house, but they would not like that kind of damage.”
“You doubt us. Doubt that we want you.” He dropped his hand to his side.
“It’s given me pause and made me wonder. I couldn’t even imagine dating someone, much less look as intimate as I’ve heard that you two were.” She nodded. The image was definitely part of the questions she had.
“It wasn’t intimate. It was pure torture.” He grimaced. “I had to force myself to touch her hand. Even that light touch felt so wrong. She wasn’t you.”
“I know why you did it. I can’t pretend that it didn’t hurt when I heard about it.” She strolled back to the closet and grabbed some of her scrubs. In spite of the mating and the danger, she had to work.
“I thought it would. We thought it would end this so much sooner, but it didn’t work out.” Gable shook his head. “All it did was add more stress on Micah when he didn’t need it.”
Damn, the man was really beating himself up. “Look. I can’t say that everything will be simple or as if we had come together when we first saw each other. Frankly, I don’t know if this is anything more than the pheromones for you three. That makes me a little leery. But I believe in mates. I know most whyr groups are happy when together. If we give this a chance and work at our problems, we can make our mating good.”
He blinked. “That’s more than I expected after we pushed you away and the dates.”
“I’ve had time to think about it, and the plan did make some sense seeing as you three were so adamant that you wanted it finished before you drew me into it.” She put the scrubs into the garment bag. “Holding onto the anger, building it would only make me miserable.”
“That’s a good attitude.” Gable nodded.
“Oh, there’s more.” She lifted her brows and flipped a strand of hair over her shoulder. “I won’t settle for content. I want my mates to love me, because why wouldn’t they? I’m hella cute, and I’m definitely lovable.”
He laughed. “You’re definitely cute. Do you still have more to pack?”
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes and focused on her half-filled bag. As if this was all she’d be taking.
“Micah will probably ask you after he can think again, but why did you change where you work?” He walked over and sat on the bed.
She brought some jeans and skirts and put them in her suitcase. “At first, I thought about it when I was feeling hurt over that date. In the end, though, I just couldn’t stay on the ward and stay away from him. Every time I saw him, it was harder to keep any distance. I knew he wanted it that way, and I was trying to respect his wishes. It would have ruined your plans.”
“I can understand that.” He nodded. “I don’t know how Micah did it even seeing you every few days. I did like knowing where you were and that you were safe. I just don’t know if I could have walked by you and not touched you. If I’d been the one close to you every day, I don’t think we’d have made half this long without me kissing you.”
She moved to her dresser and started gathering clothing there. “How bad is Micah?”
“Not to the point where he should be hospitalized or even close, but the stress has ratcheted up his pheromones, and he could pose a danger to anyone between you and him.” Gable lifted a shoulder. “Not romantic, I know. And I hope we can give you all the romance that you deserve.”
Dixie nodded and grabbed some shirts. “I’d like that.”
“Did you need any help finishing your packing?” He crossed his legs as she went back to the dresser.
Sweet, but there really wasn’t much more to pack. Just her underthings and makeup. But to get the underthings without him watching her every move, he had to get out at least for a little while.
“If you want, you can take my garment bag out. I have everything I need in there for the moment. I thought that we could come back for the rest of the things. It would take me hours to pack all my clothing.” She zipped up the garment bag.
“We don’t have hours. I’m surprised that Micah has lasted this long without calling us.” He rose to his feet and lifted the garment bag. “I’ll get your suitcase when you’re ready.”
As soon as he walked out, she strode over and gathered some underwear and nightclothes. She could always use the nightclothes before she dressed. Casual clothes, work clothes, a nice outfit or two, bras, nightclothes, and panties. That should be everything. Except for makeup and jewelry. She shook her head and went into the bathroom. She bagged up enough makeup to last for a while. With the person after them, they might wait to move her belongings. She zipped the large makeup bag. On the way back, she grabbed her jewelry box. All right, that was it.
She dropped the bag into the suitcase and zipped it up.
“It’s zipped. Are you finished?” Gable stopped in the doorway.
“Yes. I’ll carry out my jewelry case and get my purse and phone on the way out.” She nodded.
“Good. Did you have a laptop or computer you want to take? We can get that while we’re here.” He strode over and picked up her suitcase.
“I have a laptop. It’s in the living room, still in a bag.” She shrugged. The laptop didn’t get as much use as her phone, but it was nice when she wanted to sit and really watch something. Much better than a tiny screen.
“I’ll have Maddox grab it.” Gable nodded and led the way out of the room.
“I’ll need my car. I have to go to work.” She clutched the box a little tighter.
“I thought you might. We can go home in that and let John go back to his family.” He turned back and smiled. “I put your bag in your car.”
“You think John would agree with that? He did bring you here.” She laughed.
“Well, if one of us was the one in mating heat, probably not
, but since we’re not, I don’t see a problem with it.” He strolled into the living room.
“Do you have everything you need?” John rose to his feet.
“For the moment, this should be enough for about a week.” She nodded. “I’ll need my car. Gable suggested them coming with me so you can go back to Leslie, Archer, and Judge.”
John tilted his head. “Do you feel comfortable with them? Are you afraid of them?”
“No, I’m not afraid of them. They’re my mates, and somehow, we’ll work all of this out.” She smiled.
The only problem was this mysterious person coming after them. How much damage would he cause before they caught him?
Chapter Eight
Dixie strolled up to the large two-story, brick-and-wood house on the edge of town. Nice place. Lots of room and no neighbors in sight.
“Your house is pretty.” She smiled.
“It is. We’re installing a garage, and there will be space for your car.” Maddox slid his hand over her back.
“Good, because I might have to kick out someone’s vehicle if there wasn’t. No storm will damage my baby.” She glanced back at her Lexus.
“You obviously take good care of it.” Gable nodded.
“Yes, I love my car. It’s always there for me.” She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. That car took her where she needed and as long as she made sure it was maintained, it took care of her.
Maddox snorted. “Now, I feel a little bit jealous, but come on. Micah is probably going crazy in there. Hopefully, he hasn’t wandered.”
“Gable said he wasn’t that bad.” She frowned. That would have changed things. She would have only grabbed the necessary clothes if he’d said Micah was that stressed.
“He wasn’t when we left, but he hasn’t called, and we texted only once when we arrived. So he might be a little concerned.” Maddox shrugged and unlocked the door. “But it is a good sign that all the doors are intact.”
She laughed. Intact doors were always good when it came to bears. “Well, let’s go find him and see if we can settle the bear just a little bit.”
“Maybe by the end of the night he’ll be somewhat settled.” Gable slipped his arm around her. “He was in the living room.”
“You think he went to sleep waiting for Ms. Goldie?” She raised her eyebrows. Now, that would be a letdown.
“Definitely not.” Micah stepped into the room.
“Hello, how are you doing?” Dixie stiffened and turned to him. Damn, he just popped out of nowhere.
“I’m better now that you’re here. Are you feeling comfortable enough to come to me?” Micah held out his arms.
His scent drifted to her, citrusy and alluring. He wore a white shirt and dark slacks. Maybe what he’d worn to the hospital today.
“Yes, I’m comfortable. I didn’t realize you felt the heat. When I didn’t feel much change, I thought maybe the kiss wasn’t long enough.” She strode across the kitchen. Her shoes squeaked on the tile. She glided her palm over the thin fabric covering his chest. His heart thudded beneath her palm.
“Apparently, it was enough.” He folded his arms around her. His brown-black hair stood up as if he’d run his fingers through it. “Are you all right with this?”
“Yes, I’m good with coming here. I wasn’t expecting it, and we have things to work through, but I’d say we’ve made progress. A week ago, and we couldn’t even hug.” She smiled. So solemn. Yes, he’d kissed her, but at least they were moving forward now.
He pulled her close. “It is progress. I’m sorry everything hasn’t gone as it should.”
“Look. After we mate, we can get into a hash of how everything should have been and how you feel guilty about dragging me into possible danger. But right now, the mating comes first.” She ran her hand across his chest.
“But we haven’t talked. We haven’t even taken you out on a date.” Micah shook her head.
“Look. I’m not as clueless about you as you think. I know you’re a doctor and are way too accustomed to people following your orders.” She poked his chest.
“So what do you know about us?” Maddox ambled up beside her.
“I know that one of you is starting a motorcycle shop/garage, and the other is looking for office space for something to do with accounting.” She lifted a shoulder. Actually, not much, but it was more than she’d started out with.
“You must have talked to my realtor. That’s how he refers to what I’m looking for.” Gable nodded.
“And we’ll talk more about what exactly we do later. You can ask us all the questions you want to. And we’ll learn everything about you, too.” Maddox nodded.
“What are you in the mood for, Micah? Bed, table, couch, me riding you like a cowgirl?” She raised her eyebrows. Maybe that was a little too much of a taunt. The last wouldn’t happen unless he was really afraid of his bear at the moment. “Oh, and by the way, I’m on birth control.”
“Baby, I’ll be riding you tonight.” Micah tightened his arms and lifted her off her feet. He carried her out of the kitchen, through a living room, and up a flight of stairs.
He put her on her feet in their bedroom. A huge bed sat on one wall. A deep red spread topped it.
“It’s nice and soft, but we’re not going there.” He brushed his fingers across her cheek.
She glanced up. “Then where?”
“Right over here. I want to watch you as I claim you. I want to see those breasts bouncing as I drive into you.” He pointed to a dresser with a mirror. A dark mahogany brown, it gleamed as if freshly polished.
“Sounds delicious.” She stepped over to him.
“It will be. Take off your clothes. I don’t want to rip them.” Micah worked at the buttons on his shirt.
Definitely a good idea. With limited clothing, she couldn’t let these get ripped apart. She pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it onto a chair. Micah’s gaze followed every move. She unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down the zipper. She hooked her fingers in the waistband, but she stopped. Damn, shoes. Good thing she was wearing slip-ons. She toed them off and kicked them away before pushing down her pants.
“I love these curves.” Micah glided his fingers over her hips.
“Well, I’m glad you do, because I’ve always had them.” She smiled. The appreciation in his eyes warmed her.
“Let me lift you up here and explore a little before we get to the more intense part of the night.” He tightened his fingers and circled his thumbs on the bare skin at her waist.
“Micah, if you promise me intense, you better deliver.” She tilted her head. That big bear better not try to hold back. She wanted it all.
“I’ll deliver, sweet Dixie.” He lifted her onto the dresser.
“Just don’t play too long, or you’ll have to start all over.” She drew her fingers over his shoulder. Shivers raced over his body. Maybe it was a good thing she hadn’t seen him in a little while. If she’d encountered him with his scent this strong and enticing, she’d have pushed him into the nearest closet regardless of where they were or what they had to do.
“Normally, I wouldn’t mind that. I don’t think I have the patience for it today.” Micah’s lips trailed over her shoulder. “I’ll enjoy learning everything about you.”
“Definitely after the pheromones in the air have died down a little. Yours are making me crazy. Feel.” She grasped his hand and glided it up her thigh. That scent. Citrus with a little lemongrass. He’d always been attractive. She took a deep breath. With that scent, she came close to climbing him.
He slipped his fingers up to her mound, cupping it, and pushing between the lips. “Nice and wet for me.”
She rolled into the touch. His fingers bumped her clit. A jolt shot through her, and her inner muscles clenched. If he didn’t have patience, hers was fast running out.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want.” His teeth grazed her nipple.
“Well, I want more than teasing.” She tugged at his hair. Darn
man was taking his time about it.
“You’ll get more than teasing.” He pushed two thick digits into her.
She tensed, and her nails sank into his scalp. He slid his fingers deep. A searing rush sliced into her. So good, but not enough. She needed his weight, the press of his thighs against her, and the pressure of his teeth piercing her flesh.
He closed his lips on her breast. “I want to taste these before I take you. Every time I saw you at the hospital, I wanted to peel you out of those scrubs and discover the sweet curves hiding beneath.”
“I really like my job, so we’ll have to not do that there.” She chuckled. Damn, it sounded delicious, even if it would get her fired.
“I’ll remember that.” He nipped at her breast.
Raw ache pulsed through her. She drew in a hissing breath. He swiped his thumb over her clit. A bolt of hunger flashed through her. She jerked. He sucked at her breast. Each strong, hard pull lanced through her. She arched. He thrust his fingers deeper into her.
“That’s it, Dixie. Those muscles are clenching.” He pulled back and drew her off the dresser. “You’re ready.”
He put her on the floor. Fuck, yes, about time. She needed her mate. His scent, the heat of his body, the way he touched her, everything drew her. She turned to face the mirror, bracing her hands on the gleaming surface. He eased in behind her.
She drew in a slow breath. Her heart raced even as an echoing pulse thrummed in her core. His hands skimmed over her hips. His cock brushed against her thigh. She licked her lips.
“Come on, Micah. I want to feel you. I’ve waited to touch my mates for too long.” She gripped the edge of the dresser. A wildness whipped through her, the demand to join them nearly overwhelming. “My bear is going crazy here.”
“It’s been too long for me, too.” His cock nudged against her entrance before slowly pushing in.
Her inner muscles stretched as he advanced. She gasped. A delicious tingle sizzled through her. She pushed back into him, taking him deeper. Yes.
“I won’t last long, but I have to feel you moving and the way you grip at me for a little longer.” He drove into her.
In Her Bears' Arms Page 6