“You should know something,” he said, “I don’t really do all that bear stuff.”
“Oh?” She could tell by the tightening of his jaw and the way his shoulders hunched slightly that she had hit a nerve. The question was, should she pursue it or leave it for now? She decided to pursue it. “Why not?”
He thought for a moment before answering, which made Simone think that what he was about to say was not the whole truth. He was deciding how much to tell her, and how much to keep secret.
“Being a bear shifter isn’t all about frolicking in the woods and catching salmon in streams you know,” he said.
So he had decided to hide the truth behind humor. If Simone didn’t push him now, she might never get to the truth. But if she pushed too hard, he would close up, and bury his secret deeper within himself.
“Look, I don’t know much about bear shifters,” she admitted, “but don’t you think that if you deny that part of yourself, you’re trying to be something you’re not?”
“That sounds very deep,” he said evasively. “I thought we were just going to eat our food beneath this not-romantic moon by the not-romantic river.”
Simone nodded as she pointed at him with a handful of fries. “Yes, we are, but we’re also going to discuss ways we can make you a better player. A lot of my work involves psychological techniques that simply won’t work if you keep anything hidden from me.”
He shrugged, his mood lightening. “Hey, what can I say? I’m busy with my career, and I don’t have a lot of time for the bear.”
Simone knew there was much more to it than that, but she wasn’t going to push any more tonight. She had to get to the truth somehow, but Brad wasn’t going to reveal anything else now, she could tell. There was no point in having an argument with him, which was how this was going to play out if she kept questioning him about a subject he obviously did not want to discuss.
“So, I have a few ideas about how we can start working on your mindset,” she said. “First of all, we can—”
“You know what?” Brad said, cutting her off, “I don’t want you to tell me. I trust you, and I’m putting myself in your hands. Throw all your techniques and methods at me, and I’ll go along with anything you think can help me. Okay?”
She nodded. “That’s fine. Do you have some free time tomorrow?”
“I have a training session with Tony before lunch, but that’s all. My next match is the day after that.”
“Are you a morning person?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “In what way?”
“I mean I know the perfect place we can begin, and if we get there early, there won’t be too many people around. You’re not going to stop turning everything I say into a sexual innuendo, are you?”
“Not unless you insist. How else am I supposed to act around a beautiful woman like you?”
Simone shook her head as if she disapproved of his compliment, but she knew Brad wasn’t just trying to flatter her. She could tell that he was attracted to her by the way he looked at her when he didn’t think she could see his eyes, and the way he drew in close to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world for them to be near each other.
She felt the same way; Brad’s closeness turned her on and set her mind racing along a trail of images that always ended up with her in bed with him, but it also made her feel relaxed, as if they were meant to be like this. Any other guy trying to get so close to her on a first date would find Simone’s knee in his groin, but she felt like she could melt into Brad’s muscular arms and everything would be just fine.
This is not a date.
That was true, but why did she feel like it was? Their reason for being here tonight was to discuss business, but that seemed like a thin mask that had crumbled, and now they were acting as if they were on a date.
“If you don’t want to discuss business, why are we here?” she asked. “What do you want to do?” She pointed her finger at him. “And no sexual innuendos.”
He grinned. “We could always take that moonlit walk by the river. In a non-romantic way, of course. It would be a shame not to enjoy this warm summer night.”
She knew where they were going to end up tonight. Brad knew it, too. They were two single people together on a moonlit night in London. Their attraction to each other was almost tangible, heating the air between them. Simone wanted Brad, and she knew he wanted her. Everything else that happened tonight was a courtship ritual.
“Yes,” Simone said, “let’s enjoy the night. In a non-romantic way, of course.”
Brad gathered up the food containers and slid them into the trash before offering his arm to Simone. In a bad English accent, he said, “Shall we take some air, my dear?”
She laughed and took his arm. She could feel his hard muscles beneath the suit jacket. “That accent is terrible.” Being close to him again gave her that feeling of inner warmth, as if they belonged together. That was crazy, of course, but there it was.
“What’s that you say?” Brad replied, making the accent even worse. “Tally ho and all that, don’t you know?”
She slapped his arm playfully. “Stop that.”
He laughed and led her along the walkway at a slow, aimless pace.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Simone said, looking up at the bright silver moon.
“It is.” He placed a finger on her chin and lifted her face to his. His lips met hers tentatively at first, then more passionately as Simone returned the kiss, her lips parting slightly to receive Brad’s exploring tongue. His arms slid around her waist, and he pulled her closer. Pressed against him, her lips tingling from the sensation of kissing him, his scent strong and intoxicating, Simone felt as if all her senses had exploded into life. A wanton heat that began at her core and spread languidly through her entire body made her shiver with desire.
“Are you okay?” Brad asked as their lips parted. His voice was deep and husky with need. “You’re not cold, are you?”
“No,” she whispered. “Can we get a cab now?”
He nodded slightly, his eyes looking into hers. They were both ready to take the courtship ritual to its obvious climax.
Arm in arm, they ascended the steps to Tower Bridge, and Brad waved down a taxi. Climbing in, Simone snuggled up close to Brad as he gave the driver the name of his hotel.
She hoped it wasn’t far, and that the roads were clear. What had begun as a delicious anticipation during the walk to the bridge had built to an impatient desire that wouldn’t be sated until Brad was inside her. She knew he felt the same sense of urgency; his pants were bulging so much that they were almost ripping at the seams. Tonight, she intended to enjoy the contents of those pants, the cause of that big, solid bulge.
By the time they reached the hotel, Simone was so wound up, she felt as if the slightest touch of Brad’s hand on her sex, even through the dress, would bring her to orgasm.
They entered the marble-floored, lilac-scented lobby, and walked over to the elevators, Simone’s heels clicking on the floor like long nails drumming impatiently on a glass tabletop.
The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside before the doors closed, separating them from the outside world.
Brad pressed the button for his floor before taking Simone in his strong arms. She had waited longingly for this since entering the taxi. They kissed deeply, their tongues dancing together. Simone placed a hand on the bulging front of Brad’s pants, her fingers running over the hardness beneath the fabric. Brad grunted and pulled her to him, a hand sliding down her back to the swell of her ass while the other touched the outside of her thigh before stroking inward.
Simone felt her legs buckle as Brad’s fingers traveled up beneath the hem of her dress, lightly touching the soft flesh of her inner thigh, moving toward her panties. Every nerve-ending bundled in Simone’s clit came alive, sending ecstatic sensations through her body and a releasing a flood of pleasure-giving endorphins in her brain.
Brad held her against him, his lips still
on hers, as his finger came in contact with the wet fabric of her panties.
Simone moaned into his mouth, pressing her hips down to bring her throbbing clit to his finger. When he realized he was touching her pleasure center, he circled his finger over her panties, bringing the wave of bliss that had been building up inside her to a peak.
She broke the kiss and pressed her face against his shoulder, panting raggedly and rolling her hips as her body shook with pleasure. She clutched Brad’s arms, feeling the strong, corded muscles beneath his clothing.
As her orgasm receded, she felt the strength return slowly to her legs, but she still leaned against Brad, enjoying the closeness.
The elevator door opened with a soft ding like a microwave announcing that the snack inside was heated and ready to eat.
Brad took her quickly to his room, his urgency obviously overwhelming him. Simone wanted to get him inside and get those clothes off of him as quickly as possible. Even though she had already climaxed, her need for him was still as strong as it had been before they’d entered the elevator.
They entered the room and made their way to the bedroom, Brad pulling his tie loose as they went. The bedroom was illuminated by silvery moonlight pouring in through the window and the glow of the city lights. Brad stood facing her, his tie hanging loose over his shirt. His eyes gleamed with lust as he shrugged out of his suit jacket and began to remove his shirt.
“No, let me,” Simone whispered. She unbuttoned the shirt with excited, trembling fingers and opened it, revealing his muscular chest and perfect abs. He was in top physical shape for the tournament, and tonight he would be putting all of that power, all of that strength, into the act of sex.
Simone began kissing his chest and licking his nipples while she tugged at his belt and unfastened his pants.
Brad groaned and closed his eyes. When Simone pulled down his pants, and his hard cock sprang free, he pushed his hips forward slightly, offering himself to her.
She trailed soft kisses down over his abs and groin, then over the base of his hard shaft and tight balls.
“Yes,” he whispered.
She kissed along the length of his cock before playing her tongue over the head. Brad’s breaths came faster, his chest rising and falling as he looked down at Simone on her knees in front of him.
She parted her lips slightly and took him into her mouth, pressing her tongue against the sensitive area at the base of the head. He gasped as she took him deeper into her mouth, sliding her lips up and down his shaft, his masculine taste making her ache.
As if reading her mind, Brad groaned, “I need to be inside you.”
She pulled away from his cock and stood, pushing him down onto the bed. He kicked off his pants, shoes and socks and leaned back on his elbows to watch Simone undress.
She removed the black dress quickly, eager to be close to Brad again. She stood before him in her black panties and bra, her curves illuminated by the moonlight.
“You look amazing, Simone,” he said huskily. His cock, glistening with her saliva, twitched in anticipation.
She unclasped her bra, letting her large, heavy breasts spill free. Brad licked his lips as if hungry for Simone’s dark, erect nipples. She pulled down her panties, stepped out of them, and crawled onto the bed, her legs on either side of Brad’s.
When her face was level with his, they kissed passionately. Brad reached over to the nightstand drawer, found a condom, and reached down between their bodies to put it on. Once he was sheathed in the condom, Simone lowered her hips and took him into her pussy. He felt so good as he slid deep inside her.
“Oh my God, that feels so good,” she moaned, rolling her hips to take him even deeper.
He thrust up into her, his hands on her heavy, swinging tits. He took a nipple into his mouth and sucked it, sending a tingle of pleasure through Simone’s breasts.
They found a rhythm and she rode him while he pushed up into her. Their movements were in sync, as if they had been making love together forever and were well-practiced at giving each other pleasure.
Each time Brad drove himself up into her pussy, Simone squeezed her inner muscles around his thick manhood. Brad licked and sucked at her nipples, his hands buried in the soft flesh of her ass, helping her ride him by using his arm strength to rock her back and forth on his cock.
Simone felt an orgasm approaching, growing inside her belly until it filled her with a sudden explosion of ecstasy that made her cry out and squeeze her pussy muscles around Brad, holding him in her body while she climaxed.
He grunted at the pleasure of having her writhe on top of him, her big tits in his face, her wide hips shuddering against him.
“Oh, fuck, Simone, I can’t hold back!’ he groaned.
“Let it go, honey,” she whispered as she slowly came down from the peak of her orgasm.
He let out a growl as he came, his cock twitching inside her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of it.
When he was finished, he lay beneath her, gasping, and looking up into her eyes. They kissed long and hard, and Simone realized that whatever she had told herself about this being non-romantic, she had never wanted a man so much in her life as she wanted Brad.
This was not how tonight was supposed to turn out; she had simply wanted a bit of fun, a one-night stand. She was crazy for thinking it was anything else. Sure, the sex was amazing, and she had never felt so in sync with anyone before, but she had to put this into perspective.
But as she rolled onto her back and lay on the bed while Brad went to the bathroom, she wondered if she was already in too deep.
* * *
Brad stood with his hands on the edges of the sink, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. What the fuck had just happened? He had started this evening wanting to get Simone into his bed, but he hadn’t bargained for the emotions that would come from making love to her.
And making love was the correct description for what had just happened. It was more than sex; there had been a connection between them that went beyond mere physical attraction.
This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.
He knew that the bear had marked Simone as its mate, so why had he slept with her? He was making the bear part of himself—the part he had repressed for so long—even stronger.
If he wasn’t careful, he would be feeling The Call. That must not happen. His human self wanted to continue on in the playboy lifestyle he had become accustomed to. If the bear part of him became strong enough to make him feel The Call, that lifestyle would be destroyed.
Would that be so bad? What if Simone was the one woman he could settle down with?
He shook that thought from his head. Everything was happening too fast. He had to keep his relationship with Simone on a purely business level; that was the only way he was going to avoid The Call.
He returned to the bedroom, where Simone was already dressed and standing by the bed. Fuck, she looked amazing. Looking at the way her body filled out the dress and knowing what sensuous curves lay beneath the fabric made him ache for her.
“I should go,” she said. “We have an early start in the morning.” Her voice sounded cold and distant.
“Sure.” He grabbed a pair of jeans from the drawer and put them on.
She left the bedroom and he followed her through the main living area to the door. He wanted to ask her to stay, wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her like he had earlier. But a wall had been raised between them. He knew it was partly built of his own refusal to let himself become too involved with her.
She opened the door and tuned to face him. “See you in a few hours. I’ll text you the location.”
He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her goodbye. She returned the kiss, but it held no passion and lasted only a fraction of a second.
She gave him a weak smile, and headed down the hallway to the elevator.
Brad closed the door and rested his forehead against it. How had he gotten himself into this situation?
6
Simone stood at the western edge of Wimbledon Common, in the chilly morning air, waiting for Brad. It was almost seven thirty. She had texted him two hours ago and told him to meet her here in sweats. If he didn’t turn up, she guessed she couldn’t blame him; she had left his room last night with barely a word, and the atmosphere between them had been palpable.
She was dressed in sweats herself, because what she had in mind today was going to involve a little running. The western area of Wimbledon Common was heavily wooded, with running trails winding between the oak and birch trees. It was perfect for Simone’s plan, and the largest wooded area in London.
Last night, after returning to her hotel, she had sat up for most of the night watching the sleeping city through her window and wondering how she should approach Brad’s issues. There was something in his past that was holding him back from reaching his true potential, and he seemed to reject the bear part of his nature. Simone decided the two things were linked.
She had very little to go on since Brad was so cagey about his past, and he hadn’t explained why he shunned his bear, so Simone had decided to alter her techniques to bring out the bear in him. In turn, that should lead to a breakthrough regarding the event in his past that he was carrying around in his mind like a mental ball and chain.
He didn’t want to acknowledge his bear nature, but he was going to have to if he wanted to move forward. Sometimes the best medicine was hard to swallow.
Simone wondered what the atmosphere was going to be like between them after last night. She had tried to tell herself that it was just a one-night stand and nothing more, but her feelings told her otherwise. It was ironic that she was regarded as icy and unemotional by all the men she had ever dated, but now she was falling for Brad so hard and so fast. What had come over her?
She knew Brad was a player, and that he enjoyed his womanizing lifestyle, so she was just going to have to keep her feelings hidden and hope that they went away eventually. There was no way she was going to make a fool of herself by telling Brad how she felt about him.
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