by Zoe Chant
He wanted to do this. He wanted to unwrap her like a present.
Charmian's chest rose and fell as she panted. Her lips were parted, her eyes dark with need.
Alec dropped her bra on the floor and cupped her breasts in his hands. The small, dark nipples stood up at attention. He licked and nibbled them, flicking his tongue across their hot nubs, and she gasped in reaction.
As he sucked first one nipple, then the other into her mouth, he dropped his hands to the waistband of her jeans and undid the button. Charmian's small hands settled on his, helping him push her pants down. Under them, she was wearing lacy red panties that matched the bra.
He trailed kisses down her belly and mouthed at her through the satin crotch of her panties. The hot feminine musk of her arousal was driving him crazy, and she was so damp she was already soaking through the thin fabric.
She buried her hands in his hair, holding him there as he opened his mouth over her satin-covered mound and flicked out his tongue. He could feel her clit through the fabric, stiff with need. His cock was so hard it hurt.
Still, he kept himself under control. As much as he wanted to just rip off her clothes and have her right here on the shop floor, he wanted even more than that to make this good for her.
***
Charmian had never responded to a man like she was responding to Alec. Her knees were water and she couldn't catch her breath.
She was glad she'd worn her sexiest underwear, seeing Alec's reaction to it.
Why fool yourself, Charmian? You know what you came up here for.
But right now, she mostly just wanted out of it. He mouthed at her through her panties, and her insides were on fire with the need of him. She was so hollow she ached. She needed him so desperately, needed to be filled with that enormous cock she'd glimpsed the outline of, straining against his jeans.
"Alec," she gasped. She hooked her thumbs into her underwear and pulled it off. "Alec. No more teasing. Take me." She turned around, pressing her hands against the wall of the shop and presenting her bare ass to him, tilting her hips up so he could see the pink folds of her waiting entrance. "Take me, now."
"Bossy," he murmured, stripping out of his jeans and underwear. His cock stood up in its nest of dark curls, the tip beaded with moisture. "Tell me what you really want, little human."
"You," she gasped. She burned for his touch. It was all she could think about. "You. I want you. Need you."
He closed on her, and she arched with anticipation, but he didn't enter her; instead he kissed and nipped at her neck and shoulder. She was on fire with need, each touch sending thrills through her. Still, she was aware when he hesitated for a moment over the soft junction where her neck met her shoulder. His lips closed over it, and there was a brush of teeth that sent little thrills through her—and then he pulled back.
She didn't understand it, but she was too aroused to care. She tipped her hips up, rubbing her crotch against his, feeling the hard heat of his erection press against her buttock.
"Now," she insisted, rubbing against him.
He laughed softly, a huff of breath against her neck. "Since you asked so nicely."
The tip of his erect cock brushed against her wet entrance. Lightning flickered through her. How could it feel so good? No man had ever been able to draw these sensations from her, but right now she felt like she could come just from Alec looking at her.
The head of his cock pressed inside her. He was trying to go slow, maybe afraid of hurting her because of their size difference. She didn't want slow. She wanted him to bang her; she wanted to be pounded. As he started to slide inside gently, she gave her hips a powerful thrust, taking him all in a single movement. She was so wet and open already that he slid inside with hardly any burn, huge as he was.
And—oh. For an instant she just stopped like that, filled with him, glorying in that perfect instant of union. She was feeling so much—if he moved, if either of them moved, she was afraid she'd explode.
Alec wrapped an arm around her front to touch her breasts, and that got her moving again, her hips snapping back and forth. With each thrust she pressed her hips into his crotch. Now he was starting to move too, slow thrusts at first, but as he gained confidence in her ability to take him, he began to pound her harder and harder.
Charmian braced her palms against the wall. Her head hung down, sweat dripping off her face. It was like a workout—like the best workout in the history of anything ever. Her whole body flexed with each thrust as she pushed back at him.
His breathing was rapid, brushing across the back of her neck with each harsh exhalation. He was getting close. His body quivered against her with the effort of holding himself back.
She was so close, mounting the wave, each thrust drawing her nearer and nearer to the edge. She was hardly in control of the noises she was making, little gasps and moans. And she could feel Alec responding to them, each of her soft cries making his next stroke harder, his next breath harsher.
She wasn't even sure exactly how, but it was as if she could feel his pleasure along with her own; she could feel exactly how close he was to his own climax, and could time her thrusts perfectly so that ... the next time he ...
White heat burst through her, and he arched back and came in the same instant. She shuddered with the explosion of light and heat, and shivered through the waves as he pulsed rhythmically inside her. Surge after surge of pleasure filled her, until finally she began to relax, tingling all over.
Alec eased his softening cock out of her. Wordlessly Charmian raised her hand and caught his arm, still wrapped around her front. She didn't want him to let go. Sensing her wishes, he held her gently, and lowered his head so his forehead rested against the sweat-damp back of her head.
So huge, so fierce ... but so gentle. She would not have thought him capable of this kind of tenderness, any more than she would have expected to fling herself into his arms without reservation.
The reservations were creeping upon her now, a whole galaxy of afterthoughts.
This is a bad idea. What am I thinking, getting involved with a shifter? They aren't like dating human men. Especially an alpha. He'll be possessive and needy. I've got a life in town. I love my life. I can't just move to the mountains to be with him ...
All of these thoughts whirled through her head in a swirl like the snow falling outside. Snow ... She raised her head and gazed out the window at the sliver of pasture visible from this angle. It was snowing. "Look, Alec," she whispered. "The snow's falling again."
Alec rubbed his big hand across her shoulder and kissed the back of her neck. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I never get tired of watching it."
And for a minute or two they just leaned against the wall, his arms around her, and watched the snow fall. Finally she let out a little sigh and said, "I hate to break this up, but I guess this isn't the most comfortable position for snuggling."
"Yeah," he admitted. "So ... you want to see the rest of the house?"
She choked on a laugh. "We never even made it past the first room you showed me, did we?"
There was another of those soft, huffed laughs, and when Charmian looked up, he was smiling at her—really smiling, all the way, his electric blue eyes warm and bright. "Imagine what could happen if I show you the bedroom."
She burst into laughter. She couldn't help it. She just felt so good, so happy. All her second thoughts could wait for another time, when she hadn't just gotten a whole bucketload of feel-good chemicals dumped into her bloodstream. As a medical practitioner, she understood better than most people exactly what was going on with her body chemistry right now. I'm full of oxytocin and endorphins. That's why I feel so good. I'd probably say yes to anything right now.
But it didn't matter. The important thing was that she did feel good, better than she'd ever felt. Smiling at Alec, she gathered up her scattered clothing. "Yes, please show me the bedroom. I'd love to see it."
Neither of them bothered to dress, although now Charmian was star
ting to feel a slight winter chill on her sweat-damp body. Carrying their clothes, they went through the living room and climbed a flight of stairs into a hallway that was decorated with pictures. Charmian stopped to look at a few of them. Family photos, going back decades. She found that she could recognize Alec in every picture in which he appeared, without fail. It was the eyes. Even when he was a child, the intensity of those blue eyes was unmistakable.
"The master bedroom is mine," Alec explained. He pushed open a heavy wooden door. "It used to be my parents' room after the new upstairs addition was built."
"That's the same time the shop was added?"
Alec nodded. "Yeah, the original house was just the downstairs and kitchen. The old downstairs master bedroom is a guest bedroom now that we have all this space upstairs."
The master bedroom was dominated by a king-sized bed in a bedframe that looked handmade, so massively overbuilt that she would have laughed if she hadn't known it was built by and for bear shifters. Charmian set her clothes on a chair by the bed and then padded barefoot to the window. She pulled back the curtain and looked out. Through the falling snow, she could see most of the ranch from here: the cattle barns and the little house across the yard, even a glimpse of the new house that Remy and Saffron were building.
It was a perfect view for an alpha, she thought. From up here, Alec could survey his domain; he could keep an eye on all the animals and people under his care.
She was aware of Alec's presence behind her even before his big, warm arms closed around her. Like she could feel him wherever he was. He nuzzled against her neck, and she smiled.
"It's cold in here," Alec murmured. "We should probably put some clothes on."
"Or you could show me the bed. You're supposed to be giving me a tour, after all."
He smiled again—she was coming to love that smile—and kissed the side of her jaw. "Well, if you want to see the bed, it's right over here."
The bed was neatly fixed, of course, just as she'd expect from any room with Alec doing the housekeeping. Alec pulled back the handmade quilts heaping on top of the bed, and Charmian crawled into it. "Brrr," she complained. "Cold sheets."
"They'll warm up quickly enough."
Alec pulled the covers up over them. Charmian started to spoon up against him, then rolled onto her side so she could see his face. He kissed her lips lightly, but seemed distracted.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Just that it feels so strange ... I guess I'm taking a day off, aren't I?" The corner of his mouth quirked in one of those little not-smiles. "Or part of a day, at least. I never do that. Lying in bed, leaving the chores undone and the ranch account books half-finished ... it's a strange feeling."
"Workaholic," she murmured, brushing his nose with her fingertip. "But I know what you mean. I hardly ever take days off, either. I don't even remember the last time I had a vacation. Seems like every time I try to plan one, someone goes into labor."
"Guess I should probably enjoy the time off while I can get it. Calving season is starting soon, and then the whole ranch will be hopping 24-7."
"Mmmm." Charmian snuggled up against him. Nagging doubts tried to nibble on her again, but she pushed them away. "Then maybe we should both enjoy our little vacation while we can get it."
Alec began slowly petting her short hair, running his fingers through the squiggly strands. She closed her eyes.
***
The crunch of tires awakened her.
Charmian sat up. She heard the slam of a distant car door, and voices.
She felt suddenly, intensely self-conscious. It seemed hideously unprofessional to be caught in bed with a man she hardly knew.
Still, for a moment she was arrested by the sight of Alec asleep. He was sleeping very deeply, with one arm flung out and his lips parted. Seeing him so relaxed and unselfconscious made something in her go soft.
And then she firmly hardened her heart. This had been very fun, but she couldn't go having wild sex with ranchers in the middle of the day. What would her clients think? She had her business to think of, and work to do.
She slithered out of bed, her toes curling on contact with the cold floorboards, and began to dress quietly. Outside she heard laughter and cheerful voices chattering back and forth, male and female.
What is Saffron going to think if she finds me up here? Unprofessional, all the way around.
"Where are you going?" Alec's sleepy voice asked.
Charmian jumped and pulled her sweater down over her head, then turned towards the bed. She'd been hoping to leave before he woke up. She could've left a note ...
"It'll be dark soon," she half-lied. It wasn't a complete untruth; already dusk was gathering outside the window. "I don't want to try to drive your road in the dark."
The almost-lie worked too well. Alec sat up with an alarmed expression. "You're right. It's not safe. I'll drive you home."
Oh no. Her head was already mixed up enough. The last thing she needed was Alec at her home, in her house. Would he stay the night? She was caught up in a terrible mix of fear and longing at the idea. "No thanks, I'll be fine. There's still some light out there. I'll drive carefully."
Alec had already swung his legs out of bed and was reaching for his jeans. "Not safe. I'll do it. I can have Cody bring your car down, so we can caravan it. Or, no—I could drive you down in your car, then Cody or Axl can pick me up tomorrow—"
"Alec!" Charmian said, and he looked up from fastening his jeans, startled by the sharp note in her voice. "You heard me say no, right? I'm more than capable of driving myself home."
"It's not that I think you aren't capable. It's that I want to make sure you're safe."
"And I appreciate that, I do, but I'll be careful and go slow. It's been a really nice afternoon, I had a great time, but there's no need for you to see me home."
Alec stood up, still bare-chested. The jeans were slung low over the points of his hips. So distracting, damn. She had to wrench her gaze upward when he spoke. "You don't know how dangerous that road can be."
"Believe it or not, I've been driving plenty of dangerous roads through plenty of winters."
"That may be, but you weren't—"
"I wasn't what?"
"Under my protection," he rumbled, crossing his arms.
Damn, but she wished that didn't make her so weak in the knees. Unfortunately it was exactly what she didn't want. "Just because we slept together doesn't mean you have to wrap me in padding. What are you going to do, drive me to every single out-of-town appointment from here on out?"
"If that's what it takes to keep you safe."
"Seriously?" She almost laughed, except now she was getting angry. "I have a job to do, Alec! And so do you. I don't need a protector."
Alec stepped forward, all up in her personal space. She could smell sex on him, and the scent of her own perfume, along with his own powerful maleness. It was impossibly hot. "That's exactly what I am now," he said seriously.
"How so? We slept together once! And the sex was great, I loved it, but that doesn't give you any claim on me."
"Yes it does." He sounded perfectly serious. "That's exactly what it does. My bear has chosen you, Charmian. That means you're mine, and my bear needs to protect you."
She had to force herself to take a step backward, out of the gravitational pull of his sex appeal, before it muddled her head completely. "That's great. Your bear can protect me tomorrow. Tonight, I need to drive myself home and get to work on all the paperwork that I didn't get done while we were playing hooky today."
"It's not something I can turn on and off."
"Okay, so what, then? You're going to follow me around all the time just in case there's something I need protecting from?"
Alec looked a little startled, and then scowled. "I don't know exactly how it works. This is all new to me, too. All I know is that I'm not letting you walk out of that door into danger without me."
"I'm not walking into danger! I'm driving home!"
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"That road is dangerous!" His voice was raised now.
"I drove up it by myself! I can drive down it by myself!"
Alec's eyes glinted. "You're not leaving without me. End of story."
She couldn't believe he was making that big a deal out of something so trivial. "Oh yes I am. You're going to have to physically stop me."
With that, she marched toward the door.
"Okay," Alec said. He stepped in her way.
She went around him and started to open the door.
He picked up her up.
"Alec!" she shrieked. She hit him in the shoulder. It was like striking a brick wall. "This isn't funny, it's just infuriating! Put me down!"
"You're my mate," he rumbled. "And I'm going to keep you safe."
"I didn't agree to any such thing!" She tried kicking him. That didn't do anything, either. "Alec, you're not helping me if you protect me from things I don't need protecting from, you're being a controlling, selfish ass!"
He set her on her feet. She had a moment's relief that he'd finally seen the light, until she saw how cool and stony his face had become. "You're acting like there's a choice," he said.
"A choice about what?"
"About being my mate. You accepted my bear—"
"No, we had awesome sex, and now," she snapped, "I am leaving."
She marched down the stairs. Alec followed her. He looked thunderous.
"And now you're running away?"
"No, I'm going home! Alone!"
"My bear—"
"Alec!" she yelled. "Shut up about your bear! I didn't realize having sex with you one time meant I was signing some kind of contract that means I can never go anywhere without you ever again. Your bear is just going to have to deal with me getting into dangerous situations without him sometimes! And this isn't even actually that dangerous."