by Zoe Chant
"Can you afford it?"
"Well, my clan sure can't. But Tara offered to have her family's nonprofit buy it for us. She likes the idea of turning it into a sanctuary for shifters. I'll have to get my old clan on board with that idea, and I don't know how much they'd like it, so we'll see." He paused, walking for a few moments in silence in the dark. "Daisy, it's not weird to you, is it ... hearing me talk like this?"
"Why would I think so?"
"The whole clan keeps teasing me about it. It's friendly, of course, but I guess ..." He shrugged. "I've spent the last ten years just living up in my cabin, reading stuff and soaking it up. It's like all those words I didn't speak for a decade are bursting out of me now."
"It's obvious that you're smart, Gannon. I'm sure your clan knows it. They're just used to you being a quiet guy who lives off in the hills." She raised his hand to her lips and kissed the fine dusting of dark hair on his knuckles. "They need a little time to get used to the new you. But to me, you're the only you that you've ever been."
"Same here. Maybe you think you aren't the same person you used to be, but as far as I know, you're the only Daisy there is."
They were standing still now on the last stretch of hillside below the cabin. All around them, grasses rustled in the wind.
"It's so quiet here," Daisy said softly. "That's what I missed most while I was gone, I think."
"Not me?" Gannon teased.
She rolled her eyes and leaned against him. "Of course I missed you. I missed you like a part of me was gone. But you know what I mean. I missed the ranch in an abstract kind of way, but mostly I just wanted this peaceful feeling. Up here, I feel like I can breathe."
"Me too," he said quietly. "That's exactly how it feels."
When she tipped her head back, he was already leaning down to kiss her.
They kissed and kissed under the stars, with no witnesses but the wind-ruffled grass and the softly whispering pine trees. It started gentle, with soft sips at each others' lips, but quickly grew more heated as Gannon's kisses awoke a flame of lust that curled in her belly. The claiming mark on her neck tingled in response. She wrapped both arms around him, pressing her hands against his broad, well-muscled back.
Gannon steadied her with one hand and slid the other under the waistband of her skirt, just enough to run his callused fingers along the top of her hip's swell, above the lacy edge of her panties. She gasped against his mouth and felt him smile.
"Tease," she murmured.
"Does it count if I'm not teasing?"
His hand went lower. One finger hooked into the elastic of her panties. Now her breathing was starting to come faster, and she could feel the crotch of her panties getting damp.
Like their first time, the unfamiliarity of making love out of doors made it exciting; every touch and sound seemed to be heightened, from the tickle of her hair as the wind lifted it off her neck, to the rough brush of Gannon's fingers moving lower on her hip, sliding into her panties. They were exposed on the hillside, but there was no one near enough to see them except perhaps a curious cow or two. It was only the two of them, the trees, and the stars.
When the tip of his finger dipped between her folds, she jerked with reaction. Her whole body was a live wire. It had been growing all evening, the sweet torture of being near him after being gone so long, unable to give in to what she needed so much. Now all that pent-up lust burst from her, and she practically climbed him, wrapping one of her legs around his and pressing her body upwards against his.
"My passionate momma bear," he murmured.
Even in the height of her need, she couldn't help choking on a laugh. "You need more practice at dirty talk," she managed between kisses.
Now it was his turn to laugh, a low chuckle that rumbled through his chest and ignited a trail of heat going straight down to her groin. "Guess I need to practice more, don't I?"
"Yes," she agreed breathily. His finger was now stroking in and out of her, each stroke sending a bolt of electric pleasure jolting through her, while his thumb brushed tantalizingly over her clit. Her erect nipples pressed against the fabric of her blouse. She pushed against him, needing to get closer. The hand that was not currently teasing her pussy curved around one buttock, lifting her halfway off the ground.
Oh God, she was suspended between his two hands, one on her ass and the other buried knuckle-deep inside her. His kisses bypassed her brain and went straight to her molten core. She felt like she was floating. The world began to fall away; nothing mattered except the rising heat driven by the perfectly timed thrusts of his finger, one after another, bringing her closer and closer ...
Her orgasm swept her away in a blaze of white heat. He held her as she shuddered through it, relaxing against him as the throbbing aftershocks began to fade. She pulsed against his finger, until the shudders began to fade and he pulled his finger out with a wet pop.
"Wow," she gasped.
Gannon grinned. "Need a minute?" he asked.
She was all too aware of his powerfully erect member pressing against her, tenting his pants. Even with her body still thrumming with pleasure, she had a sudden desperate need for more. "Heck no. I want you to take me right now, while I'm still wet from the last one ..."
She didn't have to ask twice. He was already fumbling one-handed with the button on his fly. Daisy reached down to help him. Together their eager hands undid his pants and pushed them down over his hips. His cock sprang free, erect and hard.
Daisy squirmed, pushing her panties down until they fell around her ankles. She hiked up her skirt and Gannon's shaft slid slowly into her wet heat, pressing against the soft secret places inside her.
He picked her up and lifted her, and she wrapped her hands around his neck to take as much of her weight as possible so he was free to thrust. She wasn't going to last long, as thrust after thrust pushing her to the edge, but she could also feel him working his way toward his own climax. He groaned, struggling to hold himself back while driving her higher and higher.
"Gannon," she moaned, and as if nothing but her voice alone had done it, his body arched and he gave a low cry—and his heat filled her, spilled into her. She tumbled after him, climaxing a second time with even more intensity than the first. There was nothing for a long moment but their shared bliss, the communion of their bodies and souls.
Gannon took a couple of lurching steps off the dirt road, into the grass, and lowered her carefully to the ground. She lay back with a breathy groan, and Gannon stretched out beside her. When she raised his head, she saw that his pants were around his knees, and her panties dangled off one ankle.
"Welcome home," Gannon remarked, playing with one of her curls.
"I've never been so glad to be back."
They lay in the grass for awhile. Daisy gazed up at the stars with Gannon's warm arm draped over her. She should learn the names of the constellations, she thought. The stars were so bright and clear here, as if she could reach out and touch them.
Eventually, as the bliss began to fade, she became aware of a stick poking uncomfortably into her back. Her inner thighs were sticky and the weight of Gannon's arm was starting to press down uncomfortably on her sternum. Sh cleared her throat. "I guess we'd better get on up to the cabin, before Cody comes along in the morning to check on the cattle and finds us like this."
Gannon gave another of those low chuckles she adored. "Hey, that's his problem."
Daisy nudged his shoulder playfully. "You may be used to running around naked, but I've still got some modesty, thanks."
Without warning, Gannon pulled her to him and rolled over, dragging her along with him, trailing a shriek of mingled delight and surprise. She ended up on top of him, lying on his chest with her legs sprawled out on either side of his hips.
"How's your modesty now?" he asked, grinning up at her.
"Doing fine, thanks." She wiggled her hips and bent down to peck his lips in a quick, teasing kiss. A big hand settled on the back of her head and drew her back down f
or another, longer kiss, lingering until her eyes closed in pleasure.
"I love you, Daisy Lennox," he said when they broke apart.
"I love you too, Mountain Bear. Now let's get home in time to catch some sleep before the sun comes up."
Gannon sat up lazily. He watched as she stood up and hopped on one leg until she got her panties back on. "You got an appointment? 'cause I have nowhere special to be. I say we sleep in and then I whip you up a good hearty country breakfast."
"Pancakes?" she asked hopefully, as she brushed the grass and twigs off her hair and out of her skirt. "With fresh-picked mountain blueberries?"
"Whatever my mate wants, she'll have."
Daisy held out a hand, and he wrapped his fingers around it. "Pancakes would be wonderful, but all I really want is you."
"Same here," he said, and his voice was heartbreakingly sincere, enough to bring tears to her eyes.
"Come on," she said, and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go home."
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be alerted by email when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list. If you'd like to contact me, my email is [email protected]. I love hearing from my readers.
Please consider reviewing Mountain Guardian Bear, even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
Baby Sebastian’s name was suggested by Antionette on Facebook, and Zeus’s name was a suggestion from Ethan. I occasionally post contest opportunities at my Facebook page to reward my loyal readers, so you might get to name a character in one of my books, or even win a cameo in a future book! Follow my Facebook so you don’t miss any of those.
Cover art: © Can Stock Photo Inc.
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