Just Ridley: Chosen Book 1

by J. D. Light

  "Have you lost your fucking mind?!" I knew that growly voice. And it was angry.

  Spinning, I met the glacier blue eyes of my very pissed off mate. He was soaking wet, his dark gray t-shirt and indigo jeans clinging to his sculpted body in a way that was threatening to distract me from the fire blazing in his expression.

  When all I did was stare at him, trying to figure out why the hell he was yelling at me, he growled, whipping his shirt off over his head and ringing it out before he reached out, still glaring to wipe at my nose.

  Oh. I was bleeding. That was kinda what happened when you smacked the water with your face at forty miles per hour.

  Suddenly realizing why I'd done an impromptu whole body flop, I reached out and smacked my mate on the arm. "Why the hell did you yell at me? You don't yell at a man when he is in the middle of a dive! You can get someone killed that way."

  Thompsyn's mouth dropped open before snapping closed. The astonishment on his face morphed into anger again as he growled, "I yelled because some idiot tried to kill himself by jumping off a fucking bridge."

  "What?! I didn't try to kill myself. I'm not some tragic teen! I'm old enough and logical enough to reason out how broken hearted my fucking mother would be if I offed myself. And what the fuck for? My cranky-ass old bear of a mate rejecting me? Not fucking likely!"

  My voice was rising with each sentence. When I was finished, I got to my feet, glaring down at my arrogant mate. Snagging the shirt he was still awkwardly holding out, I used the soaked thing to make sure all the blood was off of my face before throwing it back at his chest, enjoying the sound of the wet plop.

  I hated that my body had already started reacting to my shirtless mate. By the time I finished tracking a drop of water as it slid down the center groove of his abs, I was completely hard and sucking breath.

  Growling, I spun noticing the asshole had dragged me up on the bank on the wrong side of the damn river. "And you didn't even fucking pull us up on the right side!"

  It really was a petty thing to bitch about. At least the man had jumped in and saved my life, but since it was his fault I almost drowned in the first place, I was having a hard time feeling particularly appreciative. And I had a fucking headache from hitting the water so damn hard.

  I stomped off toward the water, planning on crossing the river so I could go up the side of the bank that wasn't straight up and down cliff face and thick thorns, but just as my foot hit the water, I was jerked around.

  Fuck was my mate gorgeous. Even when he looked angry enough to wrap his hands around my throat and take the life he'd just saved. His thick brown hair was pushed straight back from his forehead with only a few strands escaping to fall in his face. His slightly longish beard was curling and water droplets were still glistening sporadically throughout. His full lips were pursed in anger and his brows dipped low, accentuating how bright his blue eyes were glowing with his fury.

  "Don't forget, boy. I saved your life." His voice was low and dangerous.

  I shuddered and then got even more pissed because of my body's reaction. "Well," I said calmly, belying the rage rolling around inside me. "Let's just call it even since it was your fault my life was in danger to begin with."

  He jerked me close, our naked chests brushing together. The coarse but sparse hair on his chest and stomach rubbing against my nipples. "Who the fuck jumps off a bridge for fun?"

  His voice took on a different tone. Maybe still angry, but I felt like that was overpowered by something else as his arms came around my waist.

  "I do." My voice cracked a bit and I swallowed, trying to concentrate, but my eyes were drawn to his mouth. "I come up here all the time to do…uh…manly stuff. And then I take a quick swim."

  Was it my imagination, or was his mouth getting closer? I could only hope it wasn't me leaning in, but I was getting vertigo standing on the ground. So, I could very well be.

  "You are not going to be doing this anymore, do you understand me, Bennett?" The heat of his breath burned my lips.

  Growling, I jerked my head back. "I hate to sound like the petulant child you act like I am, but you aren't the boss of me, Grumpy Bear. You rejected me, remember?"

  Those beautiful eyes shifted their perusal of my lips to glare into mine directly. "I didn't reject you. I postponed our mating. You're fucking twenty. Fuck, you jump off of bridges for fun! You know what I do for fun?"

  "Partake in the early bird special?"

  "You're such a fucking smart ass."

  "And you're a grumpy old shit!"

  "I'll show you fucking old." And then I was being thrown over Thompsyn's wide shoulder and marched into the river. When he reached the edge just before the drop off, he chucked me into the water.

  Not just tossed. I fucking flew.

  Hell, I was still in shock when my body sunk below the water. But I didn't miss the arrogant smile on his face just before my head went under.

  Gawd! My mate was so fucking sexy. And strong.

  At 6' 1" and two hundred twenty five pounds, I was pretty solidly built. And not at all the type of person someone carried around and then threw.

  Thankfully, I'd had enough sense to hold my breath right before I hit the water, so I wasn't a sputtering mess when I breached the surface. I was, however, ready to drown my mate.

  Or fuck him. Gah! This mate thing was fucking confusing.

  "Did you seriously just throw me into the river?" I asked, anger billowing off of me as I moved toward him where he still stood on the edge of the drop off.

  It was funny the change that took over Thompsyn's face in that moment. He went from smug satisfaction to absolute shock. I literally watched his face contort into, "oh shit! I just threw someone in the river."

  And then he was laughing.

  If I had been enamored with my mate before, when he was a grumpy asshole, watching the man laugh bumped me into a whole new level of smitten. I hadn't thought the man could get more gorgeous than his perma-scowl. That was panty melting enough. But the bear entered into sell your soul territory when he laughed.

  Once I was directly below him, I had to stop for just a moment to admire a sight probably unheard of by most. I allowed myself to be besotted like the young naive person I'd been a week ago.

  And then I lunged out of the water, hooked my hand in the front of his jeans and dragged his big ass––head firs–– into the water.

  As soon as his feet disappeared under the water, I made a run for it, swimming as fast as I could for the other bank. I might be wet behind the ears in his eyes, but I was far from stupid.

  This man had retaliated once by picking me up and tossing me in the river when I was mouthy. I didn't think I should stick around for this one.

  I had just pulled myself up onto the ledge on the other side, when a massive paw––in human form––latched onto my ankle, making me squeal like a little girl.

  Regardless of everything that had happened up until that point, I actually didn't want to hurt the strange man. So, I didn't kick him directly in the face when he started dragging himself up on to the ledge, never letting go of my foot and scowling into my eyes the entire time.

  "Clearly, I'm going to have to teach my mate some manners." His voice was calm as he flipped me onto my back in the three-inch water and slowly slid up my body, covering me.

  I had no doubt he could feel the ridge of my hard cock, just as I could feel his as it dragged along my thigh and then settled along mine, while he loomed over me.

  Because I have no ability to reason where the man is concerned, I spread my legs, making room for him. "Not your mate, remember. You don't want me." I arched up into his hips, gasping when that slight pressure pushed me a little too close to orgasm. "Why don't you save your lesson in manners for someone else."

  My words and my actions obviously weren't in sync.

  "Is that really what you think?" He growled, pushing back. "I never said I don't want you. Does this feel like I don't want you?" His words were punctuated by ano
ther thrust and a moan on both our parts. "I just think we should wait until you're older."

  I growled my frustration with him and our wet, restrictive clothes and reached between us to fumble with the front of his jeans. Once I had him undone, I pushed my hand in under his boxers to wrap around his very impressive cock.

  Now that I could feel the heavily veined shaft covered in velvet against my palm, I was dying to see it. But more than that, I really needed to feel it against mine. So, I pushed my shorts down past my hips, not missing that he was raising his hips so I could get access to us both.

  Clearly, I wasn't the only one being presented with too much temptation to allow logic and reason to step in.

  When naked skin met naked skin, Thompsyn nuzzled against my throat with his nose and then lips, groaning into my sensitive flesh. As soon as my hands wrapped our two cocks together, he started thrusting, while sucking a nipping at my neck, ear and jaw, growling and moaning.

  I completely lost the topic of conversation as the friction of our combined thrusts drew embarrassing whimpers from my throat. I felt my canines grow and knew by the way the world around me sharpened that my eyes had shifted. When Thompsyn drew back, his face too was a beautiful mixture of human and bear.

  His eyes were so dark, they looked black and his canines were three, terrifyingly sexy, inches. I wanted to lick them. Maybe suck one.

  That would have to wait, though, because as the thought struck me, so did my orgasm. I shouted, arching my body while still holding on to our dicks for dear life as warm cum shot up between us.

  My mate was right behind me, letting out a deep growl just before more warmth settled against our stomachs.

  I'd just had the best orgasm of my entire life, and it was from rubbing against another being like a horned up teenager.

  Flopping down into the shallow water beside me, my mate sprawled, his amazing body and barely deflated, beautiful cock on display. He was absolutely gorgeous and my dick actually twitched like it was thinking about going again.

  I groaned, because we were both breathing too hard for that shit. And also realization was starting to set in, ruining my after-glow.

  "Wait?" I asked indignantly, picking up the thread of conversation lost when my need took over.

  I didn't even bother reaching down to pull my shorts up and cover my spent cock. I was fairly impressive myself and really too lazy at the moment to bother.

  "What?" he more growled than asked, turning his head slightly to look me over. "Fuck, Bennett," he said, letting his eyes run the length of my body. "You're sexy as fuck."

  "Don’t get off topic," I bitched, even though that compliment did feel good. Especially from my mate. "Wait until I'm older? Like how much older? A couple hundred years so I can catch up with your old ass?"

  "Bennett." There was warning in his voice. "

  I hoped to hell he didn't think that was going to deter me. I might only be twenty, but I would not be reprimanded like a child.

  "Don't even try it old man." I sat up, wiggling my ass back into my shorts. "I am not sitting around for the next century waiting for you to get your head out of your ass."

  "Bennett." Another warning.

  Again, ignored. "You just want me to sit around like, like…some kind of lady in waiting?!"

  He sat up and leaned back on his arms, still not putting his pretty dick up. "You don't know what a lady in waiting is, do you?" The corner of his mouth twitched, telling me he was getting amused again.

  Well, that was fucking distracting. "No."

  "It's kind of like a maid for the queen. She does––"

  "I don't fucking care what a lady in waiting is! You only know that shit because you're like a gazillion years old!"

  I needed to be serious, but his fucking smile was distracting the shit out of me. And damn it, his dick was getting hard all over again. And so was mine.