“How can I possibly decide now?” she asked.
“You’ve seen my bear. You know me as a man. And since there’s some bear in you, I suspect you already know inside how you feel about me, even if it feels a little ridiculous.”
She did. She swallowed, embarrassed he could see it. She pulled the covers higher.
His gaze bored into her. “So I’ll tell you again. What I told you the other night, that you seemed to be okay with. I love you, Janna. You’re it for me. I know you think it matters that I’m a billionaire, but it doesn’t. As far as you’re concerned, I’m just a dumb bear who has found the bear for him and will have his heart broken if you say no.”
She looked up at him, her heart welling with love.
“So, Janna, what’s your answer?”
Chapter 17
Her frozen heart was melting all over the place, and she resisted the urge to reach out to him as love started to overflow. She wanted to hear everything he had to say first. He could be so sweet when he wanted to.
She reached up and touched the dimple in his cheek, rubbed a thumb over the slight cleft in his chin, and smiled at him.
He blushed, right over his cheekbones. “So, Janna, do you love me? Will you take this crazy step and say yes to spending your life with me? You now know I’ll do anything to protect you. I’ll fight anything that threatens you. I’ll always be there for you. The rest are just details. We can make a life together if you just say yes.”
She looked up into his eyes. “But where would we live?”
“Anywhere we want. If you want to live here and stay by your friends, I can work remotely. I kind of like the idea of raising a family here.” When he saw she was about to interrupt, he raised a hand to her lips gently. “Even if that family is just you and me.”
“I can’t make any promises,” she said. “What if one of us changes our minds?”
He drew back and rose to his full height. Commanding, powerful. “I’m never going to change my mind because my bear has never felt like this. And I know from my father that he never will. And the human in me sees even more than the bear does. Knows rationally what the bear can’t explain. You’re smart. You’re beautiful. You’re giving and cautious, but you keep on trying and putting yourself out there. You’re warm and loving and awesome in bed. I love your body. I love everything about you, Janna. Time won’t change that.”
She swallowed, closed her eyes, and listened deep inside herself. She could feel the forest. When he’d said she was part bear, she’d been too stunned by everything else to ask about it. But it made sense. Was that why she’d been so intrigued by the thought of coming out here? If there was bear in her, it was just very slight. But she could still feel that part calling out to him, telling the human part of her to listen. That this was a mate that was one in a million, and she should snap him up and work out the details later.
And anyone looking at Ryder Hart or who knew anything about this probably would say the same thing.
“Yes,” she said, standing up to hug him. His strong arms enclosed her in a tight hug, and she coughed. “Now I know why they call it a bear hug,” she gasped out.
“Yeah,” he said, not letting go. “Although, you know in the wild, a bear hug is an awful thing. Clawing, fighting…”
“Shhh,” she said, hugging him close, luxuriating in his warmth and the fact that although this should have been too good to be true, she knew it was actually true. She knew it deep inside herself, with that instinctive part she’d never listened to before. She’d definitely not had that feeling about Scott.
No part of her worried about things with Ryder. She knew he’d take care of her and she’d care for him, and the rest was just getting to know each other.
“So you’ll really accept this bear who’s a billionaire?” he asked, running a hand through her hair, placing a kiss to her neck, holding her tightly around the waist.
“I suppose,” she said. “What’s next?”
He stepped back. “I hadn’t thought about that. I mean, I know you’re going to be mine. But the timeline can be flexible. I just needed to know you’d be an eventual mate, because only humans who are mates can see us in bear form. Otherwise, we’re supposed to wipe their memory.”
“How do you do that?” she asked fearfully.
He pulled her in tight again. “Don’t worry. I’m not letting anyone do that to you. But I would definitely have to leave and not tell you any more about our customs. And that would break my heart, so thanks for not making that necessary.”
“No problem,” she said, laughing. “Thanks for rescuing me from a life of boring solitude.”
“Ha!” he said, teasing her. “I doubt your life could ever be boring. That’s part of what I like about you. You seek adventure. You just do it in different ways from other people. After all, you agreed to go work with a billionaire for a week.”
“I did.”
“Even though you probably suspected the billionaire had fairly… untoward motives.” He dipped his head to kiss her neck again and then her ear, and a little thrill shot through her.
“So this mate claiming process,” she murmured as he licked along the inner shell of her ear. “Does it involve actual mating?”
“It can, but not exactly. Do you want to know?” he asked quietly, his lips tickling her ear. Her knees went weak and he held her up.
She nodded.
He laughed, a low, husky voice that affected her down to her toes.
“All right.” He whispered it into her ear, and her eyes widened.
“That’s it? Seriously?”
“Hey, it’s pretty complicated when you factor in the whole telling a human you’re a bear thing. The rest is easy. Well, if they don’t run away screaming first.”
“I can do that,” she said. “I could do it now if you wanted.”
He shook his head. “There’s something I want to do first. The human part of me.”
“Okay,” she said. “What’s that?”
“A surprise,” he said. “I can’t do it now. I’ll have to do it later.”
“Fine,” she said, entwining her hands around his neck. “As long as you do something I want right now.”
He leaned back to look at her, eyes flaring with heat. “Oh, really?”
“Yes,” she said, moving her hand down the front of his pants to cup him. “Really.”
He groaned and pushed her back onto the bed. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s been a rough day.”
“I know,” she said, nipping his ear as he leaned over her. “That’s why I need the stress relief.”
“Any excuse to get your hands on my body?” he asked, smirking.
She laughed. “Yes.”
“Fine by me,” he said. “I’ve been unable to think of anything else since I met you. Well, I mean, I’ve been thinking of how to keep bears off of you and how to tell you I was a bear, but I was—”
“Ryder?” she said, looking up at him.
“Yes?”
“Shut up and take me.”
He let out a curse and then grinned at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s right,” she said, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck.
And he did. Slowly, luxuriously kissing every part of her like it was the first time all over again. Like everything was new because she was his now. She’d agreed to it, acknowledged it. The lovemaking was warm with the security of commitment, with the knowledge that he’d fought for her, twice. That he’d never abandoned her, but actually been right there with her.
That he’d been vulnerable to her.
So she made herself vulnerable to him, opening completely and accepting him in. And when she did, he groaned in pleasure and murmured words of uninhibited love in her ear, which she answered without reservation.
Just two people in love, against the odds, a woman and her bear, tangled up in the sheets in the ecstasy of passion. And then it was over and they held each other close, both wondering how an
yone could ever be so lucky.
“I love you, Janna,” Ryder said, stroking her hair as she lay against his chest. “I’ll always love you. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” she said.
“And?”
She laughed and swatted his chest, which was still sheened with sweat from their lovemaking. “Yes, I love you too, silly man. You’d think a billionaire would have more confidence.”
“No man has that much confidence when it comes to the one woman who means more than anything. No man feels deserving enough.”
“I find that hard to believe,” she said, her voice still husky and breathless from calling out his name in the throes of passion.
He chuckled and stroked her hair. “Maybe so. But even a billionaire wants to know he’s closed the deal.”
“Oh, you closed it. It’s final. No going back now,” she said, stroking his skin and enjoying the way his breath caught when she did.
“Good,” he said, getting a look in his eyes that said he was about ready to close that deal again. “I don’t ever want to go back.”
She smiled at that and snuggled against him, pressing her breasts into his side, hoping for a little more from him.
But instead, she was disappointed when he stood and got out of bed. She sighed and pushed herself up to sit against the headboard. Her body was still limp from pleasure, and she felt sated and happy.
“Come back here,” she said. “Where are you going?”
“Just one last thing to do,” he said, rummaging in his bag.
“What?” she asked, unable to fight the curiosity rising in her. “What’s going on?” When he didn’t answer, she gave him a stern glare. “You know things didn’t exactly go that well last time you left me right after lovemaking.”
“True,” he said. Then he made a little noise of approval and stood with something in his hand. “My parents may not have been mated, but they were married.”
“Oh?” Her heart gave a double thump as he walked forward, a small box in his hand. It couldn’t be…
He got on his knee. “Will you marry me, Janna?” He took the ring out of the box and held it out. It was an enormous marquis diamond in a platinum mounting with diamonds at the side. “It’s my mother’s ring, given to me as the oldest child. It would mean everything if you’d wear it until I can claim you for real.”
She stared at it for a moment, and he squirmed uncomfortably.
“It’s not exactly comfortable on the ground here, Janna,” he muttered.
“Oh, I’m sorry! Yes!” She took the ring and threw her arms around him, joining him on the ground. “Of course!” She slid it on her finger, loving the feel of it.
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her cheek and smoothing her hair. “Thank you.”
“So when do we do this mate claiming thing?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I have to talk to my brothers, see if they know any more than I do about any rules regarding it.”
“Well,” she said, looking down at the sparkling ring on her finger. “Just let me know. I feel like I could do it tomorrow.”
He picked her up and sat down on the bed with her curvaceous body over him. “I’m glad. But I want to make sure it’s done right. And when the mate claim is done, then we can get married. Until then, you have my ring and my promise.”
“Do you want to be engaged?” she asked. “Do bears need to?”
“Bear shifter,” he said. “I’m still a man, too. And I want my ring on your finger. I want to keep both bears and humans away.”
“Aw, come on,” she said, teasing him and tickling his chin. “Who would dare mess with Ryder Hart’s woman?”
He growled in response. “Hopefully no one.”
“After all, it’s probably not smart to piss of a bearllionaire,” she said, biting her lip to try and not break out into laughter at his look of disgust.
“You didn’t…” he said. “You did not just turn me into a pun!” He groaned.
“I did,” she said gleefully.
“How long have you been thinking it?” he asked with a long sigh.
“Ever since you asked me to accept the bear and the billionaire. I can’t help it. It sort of goes together.”
“Except it’s impossible to say,” he retorted. “Okay, got that out of your system? Good. Never say that abomination again.”
“Bearllionaire?” she joked, running a hand down his abs. “Why not? Bearllionaire, bearllionaire, bearllionaire.”
She giggled when he growled and flipped her over, pinning her hands over her head. No matter how big he was, he couldn’t threaten her. Not now that she knew her grizzly was more of a teddy bear. Unless someone threatened her, that is.
“Say it again. I dare you,” he said.
She bit her lip and a smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “Bear—”
He cut her off with a swift kiss and then proceeded to make her forget anything about the word bearllionaire.
Except it was an excellent way to rile him up in a most delicious way.
And luckily, it seemed she’d have forever to do that.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
It was a snowy, frozen day in spring when Janna and Ryder completed the mate claiming.
Janna’s friends were finally accepting that she really was doubling down on this whirlwind romance and marrying Ryder. And her family, though doubtful, didn’t affect Janna’s excitement for the future.
She wore white, like a wedding dress, because she’d wanted to look beautiful for Ryder on this most special day. The last few months had just justified her in her decision to be with him. Each day was more wonderful. That didn’t mean there were never disagreements, but that was okay between two people who were committed to staying together and who knew the overall relationship was more important than any one issue.
More than anything, Janna knew she was happier than she’d ever been before. Ryder had said the same, on occasion. Though he still tended to be stuffy and shy when overwhelmed with emotion. It worked for him in business and was a hard habit to break.
But every once in while, he could be mushy, vulnerable, in a way that melted her heart.
She wore a white faux fur coat that was thick and kept her wool dress warm. And thick white boots lined with lamb’s wool. When Ryder approached, in his bear form, huge and magnificent but with that familiar look in his eyes that made her heart melt, she sighed and walked forward.
“This is so stupid,” Riley said, putting a hand to his forehead. “How can anyone know they’ll be able to do this forever?”
Ryan quietly stuck out an arm and shoved Riley off the top of the mountain while they were waiting.
Riley’s shout turned into a snarl, and a few moments later, he came huffing over the ridge in bear form. “What’d you do that for, asshole?”
“You’re ruining their special moment,” Ryan said. “And the scenery.”
“Mph,” Riley said. “I mean, I get Janna is awesome. One of a kind. But I’m never going to understand wanting just one woman when you can have dozens.”
Ryan shook his head in disgust, but Ryder threw back his head and laughed.
“You’ll know it when it happens to you,” he said, taking another step closer to his mate so she could complete the ceremony. He loved that she looked at him with love. That she wasn’t afraid of his bear. Wasn’t intimidated by his success nor affected by it.
She truly accepted him for him, just as he’d accepted and wanted her from the moment he met her. And in a few moments, it’d be complete for forever.
“That’ll never happen to me,” Riley retorted.
If his brother would just shut up. “Does Ryan need to push you down the ledge again?” Ryder growled.
Riley snapped his mouth shut. “No.”
So watched by his brothers, one in bear form, one in human, they completed the ritual. Janna walked forward to his bear, whispered words as she caressed his face, and placed a kiss
at the side of his face. His cheek.
In doing this, she was accepting his bear. Warmth soared through him even as a cold mountain breeze swept over the scene. After this, they would mate, as humans, somewhere private, and they’d be sealed together for life.
But more than anything, Ryder felt more accepted than he’d ever felt in his life, and as Janna pulled back and looked at him with sparkling eyes, he knew he’d found a happiness that he’d protect forever.
“I love you,” he said, transforming to his human form as his brother placed a blanket around him.
“I love you, too,” she said.
“Forever.”
“Forever.”
Riley coughed, and Ryan cleared his throat, and Ryder sent them both a glare that said they should get lost.
Five minutes later, two large grizzlies could be seen running helter skelter down the mountain.
“They’ll get it someday,” Ryder said, watching them in the distance, holding Janna close.
“Maybe.” She looked up at him. “Ryder?”
“Yes?” he said, eyeing his mate.
“Take me home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” So he did, carrying her to the cabin nearby. It wasn’t home in the traditional sense of the word because they wouldn’t be living there.
But it was home because it was a place where they could come together in a special way. Safe from the world and protected.
A little later, Ryder held Janna in his arms, warm and content to have the most important woman in the world to him finally his at last, forever.
She snuggled into his chest and said she loved him and then fell asleep.
Ryder let out a sigh of satisfaction. Janna was now his home. He could only hope his brothers found the same one day.
The bearllionaire smiled happily, curled around his mate, and fell asleep.
* * *
* * *
* * *
Thanks so much for reading. If you enjoyed Bearllionaire, I hope you’ll leave a review to help others discover it.
Also, sign up for my newsletter here to be notified when I have a new release or a sale: http://eepurl.com/3KYtH
Beary Sexy: A BBW Werebear Boxed Set Page 14