Bearly Falling

by Ally Summers

  She shook a finger at me. “See, it’s that point I don’t think everyone will agree with.” She folded the contract in half. “I’m sure I’m not going to be the one to break it to you that this town has some unusual diversity.”

  “You’re talking about the bear shifters.” I didn’t want to go into how I had been indoctrinated into the shifter world so quickly this morning.

  “Among some of them, yes.” She eyed me. “If I wanted to be a big-time wedding cake designer, I’d move to New York. Chenile feels the same way about her floral shop. We’re not here to make millions. We love this town and all its quirks. In theory, it sounds nice to have new residents. But the shifters have been here longer than we have. I don’t think it’s a great idea to advertise our special qualities. I don’t think everyone is as understanding. We have enough to deal with already.”

  I twisted my lips together. I liked Jackie. I knew practically nothing about how the shifters and humans co-existed here. I only knew I had a job to do.

  “It’s just for the festival,” I told her nervously.

  She opened the contract and signed her name at the bottom. “I’m happy to help the kids. I think this a good thing you’re doing, Gabi. Just be careful you don’t draw the wrong kind of attention.”

  Something about her warning shot a chill along my spine. I accepted the contract and her generous check. Was she worried about me or the shifters who lived here?

  “Thanks. It was nice meeting you. I’ll see you at the festival. And if you need anything before then, call or email.”

  “Have a good night.”

  The door jingled behind me and I stepped into the cool autumn air. I walked across the street to my last appointment: Twilight Hollow Hardware.

  The smells were such a contrast from Sweet Treats. The oil and turpentine were overpowering. The floor was dusty. I walked toward a group of men gathered in the corner. It was the first time I thought I had an instinct about shifters. They were huge men. Towering and broad. The huddle looked like something on a football field.

  One of them lumbered toward me. He wore a tight-fitted baseball cap with the store logo on the front.

  “Can I help you?” he asked.

  I smiled. This was it. My last meeting of the day, and then I could rush back to Boone.

  “Yes. I’m looking for Johnny McKierney. I’m here to talk about the fall festival.”

  He chewed on a toothpick. “Well, he’s in the back. You can go on. It’s past the paint.” He pointed to a long row of tools.

  “Oh. All right.” The farther I walked in the store, the dimmer it became. The back wall was completely dark and I started to worry I had been sent into a bear’s den.

  I knocked on the door. “Mr. McKierney?” I called. “I’m here to talk about the fall festival.” I knocked again. “I have some information to drop off.”

  I was about to turn for the register and leave the packet someone, when the door whipped open. I looked up—my nose only came to the middle of the giant man’s chest. There was a low grumble and I took a step backward.

  “What do you want?”

  I couldn’t see his eyes in the dark. I could only make out that he had a wide plain face.

  “Hi. I needed to drop off your festival packet for your booth.” I handed him the folder. “Everything is in there.” I lost my nerve to ask him to donate to the education scholarship. I thought I might be able to pivot and run out of the store, but my high-heeled boot caught on a bucket of paint and I lost my balance. Only this time there wasn’t a man who wanted to catch me in his arms. I fell on my side, landing hard on my elbow.

  The men up front ran toward me. “You all right?” they asked.

  I pushed up. “I’m fine. Embarrassed, really.” I looked up at them. They circled me, watching.

  I rose from the floor, brushing sawdust and cobwebs from my shirt. Something didn’t feel right. I wanted to leave. I needed to get to the car.

  “If you have any festival questions, call me,” I called over my shoulder as I walked swiftly to the front of the store. I could see my car parked on the other side of the street, and the soft glow of the bakery lights through the glass doors.

  I could feel them watching me walk. The air was thick and heavy. My hands landed on the brass knob. I turned and threw myself outside.

  I sucked in a huge breath, trying to look calm as I crossed the street.

  I don’t know what in the hell just happened, only that those weren’t the kind of shifters I wanted to get to know. I drove out of downtown and headed to my rental house to pack for the night.

  Thirteen

  Boone

  The cub slept for hours. I was grateful she was so tired. But she woke up before Gabi was back. From my office, I heard her cry—small, but heart-wrenching. I knew she was terrified, waking up alone in a strange house.

  Holden popped his head through the door. “I’m not on kid duty, am I?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You’ll scare her to death.”

  He laughed. “You’re the one with the ax man beard.”

  I rubbed it. It probably was the reason she was scared. I looked like I’d spent years in the woods.

  “If you can handle everything else, I’ll take care of the cub.”

  “I’ve got it. Don’t worry about the farm.” He winked. “Have fun tonight.”

  I growled. “You can go.”

  He laughed. “You seem grumpy for someone who is getting ready to claim his mate all night.”

  I was about to defend my mate’s honor, but Willa cried out again and I had to get to the guestroom.

  “Just go.”

  He headed for the garage and I hurried in the opposite direction. When I opened the door she was huddled under the covers. I turned on the light.

  “Hey, little cub. It’s me. You’re ok.”

  She sniffled beneath the quilt.

  “Gabi will be back soon. She had to pick up some clothes. So we’re going to hang out together.”

  Willa let the sheet fall enough for her eyes to peek over the top and she squealed.

  “All right. That’s it.” Holden was right. I looked burly and scary. “I need you to help me with something, little cub. This is getting ridiculous.” I gathered her up with the quilt and carried her up the stairs to my master suite.

  I placed her on the window seat in the corner of the bathroom. She had a full view from there.

  “Ok. Watch this.” I picked up my razor over the sink. “See?” I held it up. I lathered my hands and face with shaving cream. I stared at my reflection. I couldn’t fucking believe I was going to do this, but it would grow back.

  She watched my reflection as I led with the first stroke. “See?” I faced her. There was a wide smooth swath where my hair had grown.

  She dropped the blanket farther from her face as I ran the razor over my cheek again. By the time I was finished my skin was almost shiny. It had been a long time since I had been clean-shaven. I turned to face Willa.

  “Better?” I asked.

  She nodded and started to giggle.

  “Well at least you won’t be scared of me anymore. Come on. Let’s go get a snack and wait for Gabi.” I hauled her downstairs on my back, realizing how fresh and light my cheeks felt.

  Willa was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when Gabi’s headlights shown through the front of the house.

  “Wait here,” I instructed her. “I have to help Gabi for a minute. Ok?”

  Her brown eyes widened, but she nodded. It was ok that she didn’t talk. She understood me and that’s what mattered.

  We had managed to kill a couple of hours downstairs, drawing in my office, watching cartoons, and rummaging through the pantry looking for things Willa liked to eat.

  Gabi parked outside the garage. I met her at her car.

  “How was your day, honey?” I teased.

  She blushed immediately. “I don’t think we’re close enough for pet names,” she answered.

&nbs
p; My arm circled her waist, causing her to drop a heavy bag to the ground. “We’ll be closer than that in a few hours. Just wait for what I call you once I get you in my bed,” I growled, taking her mouth with a hungry kiss.

  She sighed as I nipped at her lips and thrust my tongue inside her mouth. My hands roamed her body on the outside of her clothes, tugging and pulling, wanting to explore the softness of her skin. I pressed my mouth into hers, feeling the newness of her touch on my cheeks.

  Waiting for my mate like this was torture. It was a cruel game we had to let the sun go down.

  Her palms pressed lightly into my chest. “Your face.” Her eyes were round with questions. “What happened to your beard?” She traced the outline of my jaw.

  “Thought it might help the kid if I was less scary.”

  “Oh? How is she?”

  “Little cub? She’s good.”

  Gabi’s shoulders relaxed. “I worried about her the entire time.”

  I slung a bag over my shoulder and lifted the other two in my hands. “She was safe. How did your meetings go?”

  I led her through the garage and up the stairs to the mudroom.

  “My last one was…” She stopped at the bottom stair.

  I lowered the bags inside, peeking around the corner to make sure Willa was eating at the counter. Her face was covered in jelly.

  “Do you know the shifters at the hardware store?” Gabi asked.

  “The McKierneys? Yeah. I know them. Weird clan. Why?”

  The door closed behind us. Gabi shrugged. “I didn’t like it there.”

  “Did something happen?” I turned around quickly. “Are you ok? Did they touch you?” If they had laid a finger on her, I’d demolish every inch of that place.

  “No. No. Nothing like that. It was more of an eerie feeling. Like something was off with them.”

  “There’s only maybe one or two she-bears in the whole clan. There’s definitely something not right over there.”

  Gabi and I entered the kitchen. As soon as Willa saw her she squealed and hopped off the bar stool.

  “Hey there.” Gabi pulled her into a hug, ignoring the fact that she was now covered in jelly.

  The sun was all the way behind the trees. The cabin was blanketed in a sunset glow. It hadn’t felt this way inside the house since I was a boy and my parents lived here.

  I didn’t know how in the hell I was going to make sure that it always felt this way. But looking at Gabi and Willa, I knew my bear was going to do everything in his power to try.

  Fourteen

  Gabi

  I wasn’t a rash person. I never had been. I was organized and driven. I was a planner. But what I was getting ready to do was the opposite of how I always lived my life. And honestly, I didn’t care. I’d wanted Boone McScott since the instant I laid eyes on him in the orchard.

  Willa was finally asleep. I didn’t know how, but while I was gone Boone had acquired a baby monitor for the guestroom so we could hear her if she needed anything during the night.

  I walked into the living room, clutching the parent unit. The fire blazed in the darkness. There was a glass of red wine on the coffee table.

  Boone turned from the mantle. His eyes were lit with mischief. “Success?”

  I nodded. “I thought she’d never fall asleep.”

  He handed the wine to me and I took a few gulps. It tasted sweet, almost as if there was a hint of apple.

  “I was going to rescue you, if I had to.” He grinned.

  I bit my lip. “Is that something you do? Rescue?”

  He pulled me into his arms, setting the glass out of the way. “Where my mate is concerned, yes. The answer is always yes,” he growled, as his lips crashed into mine.

  I moaned as the kiss instantly became reckless and furious. I clutched at his shoulders, pressing my body into his. I wanted every part of my frame aligned with his. His lips tasted like the wine. I inhaled his clean-shaven scent. I loved looking at his face. Touching it. Kissing it.

  He scooped my legs under his strong arms and lifted me against his chest. I knew exactly where we were headed, without him saying a word.

  My body tingled and trembled. Boone took the stairs slowly. I didn’t know if he was savoring the seconds or trying to make me spontaneously combust in his arms. Maybe it was a little of both.

  He kicked the bedroom door opened. I gasped at his strength. I’d never met a man like him.

  He lowered me to the bed and I watched in awe as he peeled the T-shirt from his body. I reached forward to trace the cut lines of his torso. He was hot to the touch.

  I raised my arms as he threaded my shirt over my head. I shivered at his growl. His eyes landed on my breasts. He pushed the lace out of his way as his head descended toward my chest. I whimpered when he inhaled my nipple, sucking and flicking his tongue over the bud until it was hard and pointed.

  He growled again, moving to the other side. I ran my fingers through his thick hair, urging him to suck harder. He nipped the peak between his teeth.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispered, laying me back on the bed. His unbuttoned the top of my jeans, sliding his hand beneath the denim. His eyes flickered. “And you’re so wet. So ready to be claimed.”

  I bucked when his fingers dipped beneath my soaked panties and began to strum between my slick folds. He circled my clit and I let out a cry. I’d never felt so much desire so quickly.

  “C-claimed?” I whispered as he worked my zipper free and wiggled the jeans off my thighs. The panties were next and I lifted my hips, anxiously waiting for him to touch me again.

  “My bear wants you, Gabi,” he growled, planting a kiss on my stomach. He lowered to his knees, spreading my legs wide. “And you want him too.”

  I nodded. “I do.”

  His tongue lashed out, licking my entrance and I moaned. I’d never felt anything like it. Wet lightning. Sparks and fire spiraled through my body as he drank from my heat. I lost all my senses. My hips had a life of their own, grinding toward his face, wanting to be taken. Wanting to be fucked gloriously by his expert tongue.

  The roar rippled through my body when he latched onto my clit and sucked hard enough to draw the first orgasm.

  “Oh, God.” I grabbed for the quilt. For Boone. For anything to keep me from floating off the bed.

  He pumped a finger inside me and I was lost. The climax crashed through me, tearing at my veins until I came hard in his mouth.

  He kissed the inside of my thigh then my knee before rising to his feet. I felt a warm satisfied peace wash through me. Boone yanked his pants to his ankles and the moment of contentment vanished. I saw his cock and was suddenly just as desperate and on fire as I had been downstairs. It bounded free, throbbing and thick.

  “It’s-it’s so huge,” I exclaimed, trying to back up on the bed. I didn’t know how I could be excited and scared at the same time. I ached for him. Yet, I didn’t know if it was possible for his shaft to fit inside me.

  He crawled on the bed, looming over me.

  “You were meant for me, Gabi.”

  I looked up in his eyes. “How do you know?”

  “Because of this.” He pressed the head of wide shaft to my entrance and I thought I might come right then. The instant his bare skin touched mine it was like there was electricity running from his body to mine.

  “Oh shit,” I whimpered. He wasn’t even inside me yet, and I was quivering from his touch.

  “You’re meant to be mine.” He kissed my mouth and I tasted my own scent on his lips. It was a turn on that we had already shared so much. I was thirsty for the kiss, but Boone broke away.

  “I want you, Gabi.” He kissed my throat. I felt his fangs drag along the side of my neck. I held my breath.

  “I want you too.” I tried to find the words to explain all the unexplainable things happening in my body right now.

  “Do you want my bear?” He unsnapped my bra and pulled the straps over my arms so that my breasts were naked.


  I nodded. “I do.” I wanted to wiggle, and suck his cock inside me. Pull him in the deepest part of my velvet walls. This man had incredible control to keep us held in this position without a single thrust. I tried to rock my hips forward, but he held me firmly in place.

  “Get on your knees, baby,” he growled.

  My eyes widened for an explanation. But just the words made my body flush. I was dripping wet even more. He was in such command. Yet, I knew I was safe. I knew he was right—our bodies were meant for this.

  He moved enough for me to roll on my stomach. Boone was directly behind me. He lifted my ass in the air and I cried out with need. I felt empty. Hollow. I wanted him inside me more than I’d ever wanted sex before.

  “What is it?” His hand rounded over my ass. “What do you want, baby?”

  “You,” I groaned. “Please. I want you.”

  He spread my knees and nudged them wide with his own legs so that I was exposed to him.

  “Your honey is dripping,” he growled. “You’re so fucking perfect for me.”

  “Oh God, Boone. Please take me.”

  I heard him groan. “I’ve waited to claim you, Gabi. Waited for this forever.”

  His fingers moved between my legs and I hissed as he flicked my clit until I was bouncing toward him with needy thrusts.

  I couldn’t relate to his life’s mission to claim me, but I could relate to the animalistic impulse to make it happen.

  “That’s it,” he coaxed. “Wider, baby. Open up so I can claim you. You’re so tight. So fucking tight.”

  I rocked back and forth, realizing he was getting me ready for his thick shaft. Warming up my body. Coating me with my own honey. Stretching my entrance. I panted and moaned with the intensity of the build up. It was as if he had doused me in gasoline. One touch by a flame and I would start to burn.

  As soon as his cock slid to my entrance, I knew it was the lit match that was going to ignite a raging fire in my body.

  “Say it,” he growled.

  I could barely think. His cock was nudged in the most beautiful spot. I needed him.