by Marie Mason
He pressed deeper into her mouth, trying to devour her essence. She went boneless and he turned their bodies so that she was against the wall by the fireplace and he could lean into her warm, abundant curves.
Her mouth opened wider and he made a needy, greedy noise. Spurred on by the sound of her desire, Jagger pushed his hips against her, letting her feel his cock. He was hard, hot, and wanting. “Feel what you do to me, baby.”
His hands pushed underneath her soft shirt, wanting to feel the warmth of her curves. Her startled gasp was music to his ears and a balm to his bear’s soul. She wanted him. Wanted them. He softly ran his fingertips over her, tweaking one rosy peak as he stared down at her. When he brushed it again, he felt it pucker tight against the pad of his thumb. Desire and lust pounded in him. He bent down to take one sweet-berried nipple between his teeth. Her head fell back and her lips parted as he continued to touch her, tease her.
His chest felt like it would explode as he tasted her. Gorgeous. Her curves were perfect for him. For his bear. He wanted a woman he could feel beneath him, not some bundle of skin and bones he was afraid to touch. Right now, his bear was hungry for a taste. It had been months since he’d had a female. Not since the day he’d realized his mate had walked into his town. And stolen his heart.
“Too many clothes. You have on too many clothes.” His pushed his hands beneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms, easing the soft fabric over her hips and down her thighs. They puddled at her feet.
“Jagger.”
Her vulnerability lashed out at him. The only way he knew to convince her of her desirability was to touch her. He crouched in front of her. Lifting one leg and then the other, he drew her pants off and threw them aside. “Spread your legs.”
With one hand, he drew small, lazy circles on the inside of her left thigh encouraging her. His gaze followed his fingertip, tracking the design as he drew. “Further.”
Again, she moved until the swollen skin between her legs was revealed. She had dark hair there, trimmed and soft. And wet. He took a deep breath, memorizing the scent of his mate’s arousal. His middle finger slid between the two swollen lower lips. When he pulled it away, he saw the pearly sheen of moisture coating it. He lifted it to his lips and licked it away before fingering her again. This time he pressed upwards, disappearing inside her. He pulled back out and another finger joined the first. She moaned as her hips moved to accept this intrusion.
Ally’s mind started to spin at the rough intrusion of Jagger’s fingers in her pussy. They were big and strong… and felt like heaven. Just as she thought her knees would buckle beneath her, he tumbled them to the floor. He lay on top of her, his heavy weight pressing her against the braided rug she’d placed in front of the fireplace. He’d covered it with the quilt she kept on the couch, protecting her from the rough fabric. His cock nestled between her legs, legs she had instinctively parted as they’d fallen, hoping to keep him inside her. It had failed, he’d pulled his fingers away.
“No,” she moaned. She wanted every inch of him. Every white-hot inch of him inside her.
She forgot almost everything when his mouth latched onto her breast and he started to suckle. The pain was exquisite, like thunder and lightning rolled together. Her hands sought him, her fingers exploring the tight muscles of his back. She felt the pump of his blood beneath his skin, and heard the catch in his breath as she touched him. For so long she had wanted this. Wanted him.
His eyes glittered in the darkness as he pulled away from her touch, the power of his bear nearly breaking through the controlled surface of his human façade. She gasped when he tore her shirt over her head and stripped his jeans away. She lay before him, her great mountain of a beast shuddering above her. All the walls were down. They were male and female. About to join together as only lovers—mates—could.
He knelt before her, his gaze raking over her body. Over her curves. For a brief moment, she thought of how she must look. Spread so wantonly before him. Her curves exposed. One look at his face told her that he was enthralled by her and her curves. His fingers stroked down her face, across her shoulders, her neck, down to her breasts. He took the hardened nipples between his fingers and thumbs, pulling and squeezing. The pain was exquisite she thought as she arched her body toward him.
His mouth crashed down on hers and the kiss felt out of control. Just like her bear shifter. His cock settled against the apex of her thighs. The hot throb of his body burned her where they touched and he hissed as she rocked against him. The moisture from her pussy coated his cock. He broke off the kiss, his mouth leaving a path of heat as he moved down her body. He stroked the soft skin of her stomach with his tongue before spreading her legs further apart. Then his mouth was on her, his tongue tasting her, and she was lost.
“So damn good.” The words were a dark growl and the sensation vibrated through her pussy as he licked and thrust his tongue inside her. He moved his touch higher and she jumped when he stroked her clit for the very first time. She about came unglued when he wrapped his lips around the needy little nub and sucked.
“Jagger,” she screamed as she grabbed for his head, tangling her fingers in the thick, silky locks. He sucked harder, silently urging her to the edge of insanity. When his teeth bit down, she fell over the edge.
As she came back to her senses, Jagger stretched out above her, grinning as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Damn, you taste as sweet as I always knew you would. Now let’s see if you feel as good.”
He thrust his hips forward and she felt his size, his strength against her entrance. She swallowed. She’d been waiting for this moment her entire life, but her experience with men hadn’t prepared her for someone like Jagger. Panic slightly dulled the edge of her desire.
“Ally?” His eyes were dark orbs in his tense face.
“I,” she stuttered to a stop.
He braced himself on one arm, running his hand along her side, cupping her bottom in his big palm. “There’s no hurry, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear as he moved against her folds, the path slickened by her release. He stroked against her, making sure the head of his cock hit her clit each time. Pleasure streaked through her. In minutes, the tension left her body and a demanding pleasure took its place, reminded her that her aching, empty pussy needed to be filled.
“You’re so ready, baby.” He explored her folds with his fingers, thrusting two fingers inside her. When he added another, she felt a burning sensation as he stretched her, preparing her for his possession. His fingers slid in and out and the sensation twisted the tension in her body in a completely different way. Her hips arched against him as needy desire washed over her. Ally’s breath caught, the band of heat that had gripped her pussy broke, and bliss shook her body.
Jagger watched Ally climax, holding himself, and his bear under strict control. The feel of her wetness, her pulsing pussy spiked his lust to new and dangerous heights. He needed to bury himself inside her. He wanted to consume her with a hunger that was as startling as it was hard to keep leashed. More than that, he wanted to mark her. His fangs dropped.
Not yet, he pushed his bear back down. The bear settled and he realized why. He’d said not yet. The animal knew Jagger was fighting a losing battle to keep Ally at arms’ length. The animal knew, when the time was right, the man would set the bear free and allow it to claim the woman moaning beneath them.
He fitted himself against the entrance of her pussy, gritting his teeth as his cock touched her searing, wet heat, knowing that even after her climaxes it wouldn’t be easy for her to take him. She was that damn tight. He moved his hips and her cunt clenched around him.
“Relax, baby.” The words were meant for him as well as her. A warning to keep from letting go and plunging into her. Her breath came in little pants as he kept up the slow, slick slide inside her, gripping her hip when she tried to move away. “A little more, Ally.”
He ached to bury himself to the hilt, have his entire length surrounded by her silken hea
t. His body shuddered against the agonizing sensations he experienced as he slowly possessed her. The scent of her arousal rose, making him feel lightheaded. He canted his hips, thinking to ease back, thinking to cool himself down. Then Ally lifted her mouth, joining it with his. Her sweetness tasted so good, so damn good. The last of Jagger’s control flew out of reach as he thrust his tongue into Ally’s mouth and his throbbing cock deep into her pussy.
Wild pleasure seared him as he took his mate, fully, for the very first time.
He pounded into her, heat pumping through his body, pleasure teetering on the brink and then Ally was climaxing again, her inner muscles tightening around his cock, strangling him. It pushed him. Over. The. Edge. He stayed deep inside her as he finished, his cock pulsing and jerking as it emptied his essence into her womb. There was no turning back now. She was his.
Even if he hadn’t allowed his bear to claim her.
Ally felt herself float on a plane of pleasure that she’d never known existed. She had waited so long for this, loved him so much. The desires she’d forced to remain buried had burst to the surface with such energy it had stolen away all coherent thought and forced her to cling tightly to Jagger.
Their breathing ragged, they lay there, his forehead pressed to hers, their bodies touching, joined. There was no doubt of what he saw when he looked at her with those smoldering brown eyes. The happiness in her heart couldn’t be contained. It flowed through her body with every beat of her pulse. She loved this man and wanted him to know it. Despite the doubts she’d been having, Ally knew now they had to be mates. He could never have loved her so deeply, so passionately. Her body quaked from the aftershocks of her release. Stubborn bear shifter she thought fondly as she brushed back a silken lock of his hair.
“Ally.” His voice was deep and rough and she actually heard his animal.
She tugged his head down for a kiss. There was no need for words, not right now. “Merry Christmas, Jagger.” Merry Christmas, my bear, she whispered silently to herself as she smiled. And a very Merry Christmas to me.
CHAPTER FOUR
JAGGER EASED OUT of the bed, careful not to wake the woman sleeping beside him. It was no damn wonder she was sleeping so soundly. He and his bear had been insatiable last night. Reaching for her time and time again. The tension still ran though him, his blood pulsing with need. He hadn’t had enough of her. Would never get enough of her. It had taken everything in him not to lower his fangs and taste the sweet blood flowing through her veins. It had taken all his control not to mate her.
Taking her, without talking, without asking… That wasn’t the way he wanted the mating to happen. He had bigger plans in mind.
He stood by the bed, looking at her as she slept. Smiling softly, he pulled the blanket over her shoulders, knowing she’d start to feel the cold now that he’d left.
He walked quickly to the spare bathroom, picking up his discarded jeans from in front of the fireplace on his way. In minutes, he was ready, his boots on, his gun holstered and in his bag. He wouldn’t be needing it for a while if everything went according to plan. He wouldn’t allow himself one last look inside the bedroom they had shared. He knew, if he did, he’d never leave.
Slipping silently from the house, he swept the snow from his SUV and drove into town. It was Christmas Eve and he had a lot to do.
Jagger was cursing a blue streak by the time he made his way back to Ally’s small house on the edge of the woods. This morning, before he’d made it half way into town, his radio had crackled and dispatch had reported two accidents. None involved injuries and it wasn’t his day to work, but he was needed to help clear the roads. It was Christmas Eve and no one wanted to be stuck in traffic. He’d spent the day trying to keep his bear from bursting forth and running back to Ally’s house and into her arms. Around lunchtime, he finally caught a break and immediately high-tailed it to the stores.
It took him longer than he’d anticipated to complete his purchases, but he was well satisfied with his choices. He’d also arranged for Jeff to tow Ally’s car into town. Not that she would need it for a while. It was convenient that she was on Christmas break because she would have had to call in sick for the next week. He planned to keep her by his side. And in his bed. He’d told everyone that he would be out of reach until after Christmas. He figured that might, just might, give him enough time to work off the first burning layer of need he had for Ally. The way his cock felt, hard and ramrod straight, he had his doubts.
He had enough food in the back of his vehicle to last a month, plus the makings for a Christmas dinner. He’d taken a chance and decided on a traditional meal of turkey and ham with all the side dishes he’d seen on television over the years. His mother had never made a traditional Christmas dinner. He didn’t know if Ally could cook or not. And it didn’t matter. They could look up what they needed to know on the internet. Even if it turned into a disaster, it sure as hell would be better than the microwave dinners he usual ate on Christmas day.
All that mattered was that they would be together.
Finally, around dusk, he was in his truck and on his way home. Home. He realized that it wasn’t a place, but a person. Perhaps that’s why he’d never been able to find it before. He patted the pocket of his jacket, making sure his first purchase of the day was securely inside. His palms were sweating and he turned down the heat in the cab. Then he laughed realizing that wasn’t what was wrong. His bear regulated his temperature. No, he was nervous as hell. What if she said no?
Mate. Ours. Forever. He took comfort in the words of his bear.
The snow from last night still lay thick on the ground. The roads had been plowed but little of the surrounding white landscape had been disturbed. As he pulled into Ally’s driveway, he saw her outside lights were on, flooding her yard. He’d been too preoccupied last night to appreciate them. She had lights around her roofline and on almost every bush and tree around her house.
Grabbing the dozen roses he’d laid on the passenger’s seat, he got out of the truck. The groceries would be fine for a little while. Or however long it took to convince Ally to be his mate. He knew he’d given her the on and off signals for the last six months. His bear had recognized her the moment he’d spotted her. The man had fought it–hard.
Bounding up the steps, happier than he could ever remember being, he unlocked the front door, loving how that felt. He’d taken her keys with him so Jeff could tow her car. A loud thud had him turning the doorknob and barreling inside. He stopped, pulled up short by the sight that greeted him. Ally was lying face down on the floor the huge evergreen toppled over onto her legs.
He rushed over, throwing the roses on the couch. “Ally, Ally, baby, are you okay?” She raised her head, and he could see her eyes were red rimmed. Had she been crying? Was she hurt? How long had she been lying there, trapped? He should never have left her this morning.
Giving an exaggerated sigh, she blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Well, just don’t stand there, help me.”
A rare smile formed on Jagger’s lips. He didn’t think she was hurt so his bear settled down. The man decided to enjoy the moment. His mate at his mercy. He crouched down beside her, surveying the scene. Surprisingly, most of the ornaments had stayed on during the tree’s tumble. There were some shattered ornaments around her head and he brushed them away. He hoped they hadn’t held any special sentiments. He didn’t know that much about Ally’s past, just what the local gossips had spread. He usually took anything he heard through the grapevine with a grain of salt. All that mattered to the bear was that she was single and available. Not that it would have mattered if she’d moved to town with a husband or boyfriend. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he would have gotten rid of any competition.
“Jagger.” She said his name with rising impatience. Another smile crossed his face.
He pulled her from the tree, righting it so that it stood up once more. “What happened?”
“I was rearranging some of the decorations and bumped into it
.”
“Oh.” Jagger had no idea how to respond to that. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said as she brushed pine needles from her hair and clothes. “Just my pride is damaged.” She gave him a narrowed eyed look. “But then I should be used to that by now, shouldn’t I?”
He flinched at the dig. He had damaged her pride when he’d refused to acknowledge what had grown between them. Refused to acknowledge her as his mate. He cupped her face in his hands, tilting up her chin until she had nowhere else to look but at him. “I don’t know what you expect from a man who is a bear—”
She placed a finger on his mouth, stopping his words. “I expect love and commitment. Kindness and understanding. Everything I will give to the person I love. Will I get those from you, Jagger?”
“Yes. You’ll get all those. It’s the other things that I’m afraid you’ll want to walk away from.”
“Like what?” Her eyes were bright with acceptance.
“Anger, jealousy, possessiveness. You are my mate, Ally. My bear’s mate and he is a very possessive creature.”
One fine brow rose. “And you’re not?”
He nodded his head almost glumly. “Maybe more than my bear.”
“Oh, Jagger. I’ve always wanted to be wanted. I have no family and I’ve been on my own for a long time. I want to be here by your side. Put down roots. Start our family.”
“But what if—”
Ally had felt devastated when she’d woken up that morning, alone in the bed. But the longer she had lain there, tears pouring down her cheeks, she’d realized that she couldn’t change fate. Couldn’t change who she loved. Or who loved her. Now, she was so touched that this man, this big, bear of a man, wanted to please her so badly. She cupped his face now. “There are no guarantees in life. But, we can’t be afraid to take a chance. To grab what life has to offer and run with it.”