by Celia Kyle
Because suddenly she was head down, ass up, over Van’s shoulder. He swung her up in one fluid movement and then turned around. He stomped, naked as the day he was born, toward his house at the bottom of the hill. Ty and Mia’s home grew smaller in her vision as they eased farther away. She spied some of the guards in the shadows, their beary faces giving her beary smiles and she wanted to hit them for laughing at her expense.
Instead, she growled and bared her very human, very non-threatening teeth.
That didn’t change their expressions, but it did cause Van to halt his progress. “Lauren?”
“Your guys are laughing at me and I don’t have claws to make them shut up.” Petulant child, party of one.
“Really.” His voice was too soft, too even, and she should have expected an outburst. But she didn’t, and her eardrums cursed her for it.
Van slowly turned, his arm across the back of her knees, keeping her in place. Once he fully faced Ty’s home, a bone-shaking, earthquake-causing roar erupted from his chest. It reverberated and bounced within her, making her teeth chatter. The birds nesting in the trees for the night burst from their perches and took to the air. Immediately following the sound, silence descended, blanketing them in quiet.
He remained in place as the sound drifted away and then just as slowly as before, turned back to his path.
The sight revealed once he faced his home tugged a giggle from her. Every bear who’d been smiling and laughing at her now cowered on the ground, their massive paws covering their ears.
And not a bear-smile in sight.
Ha!
Van stomped over the grass, each of his ground-eating steps jarring her as she bounced against his shoulder. “Ow, ow, ow, ow…” A sharp smack cut through the night, the sound reaching her ears before the pain blossomed in her ass. “Hey!”
He popped her ass again. “You’re fine.”
“I am not—” Another pop, his hand colliding with her ass in a speedy swat. “Ouch!”
The jerk did it again, only… only it wasn’t hurting too-too much anymore. No, those hints of pain blossomed and unfurled with shades of pleasure.
Of course, she would never, ever, admit that getting spanked got her off.
But then Van inhaled, drew in a deep breath and released it with a rumbling purr. “You like that.”
“Nu-uh.” She shook her head to reinforce her denial and she pretended her ass wasn’t wiggling and begging for another swat.
Van listened to her ass and not her mouth because he spanked her again, his bare palm whacking her pajama clad ass and the strike echoed into the night.
Her pussy clenched and released some of her cream, dampening her panties with her juices. Her clit throbbed, and the heat from his strikes surrounded her.
“Yeah, you do.” He stroked her abused butt, sliding his hand over her heated flesh and soothing her. “But I like it, too, baby.”
She opened her mouth, ready to tell him where he could take his liking and his babys and… And then Van clomped up his porch steps and slowly bent at the waist, allowing her to finally put her feet on solid ground.
The second she was settled, she pulled back her arm and let her fist fly. She punched him right in the arm as hard as she could.
“Ouch! What the fu—?” Lauren cut herself off before she could get herself in trouble with Mia. She did not want the Itana getting on her case right that second. As soon as she kicked Van’s ass, she was going to boink him.
Van gathered her close, tugging her against him. “Hush.” One of his hands drifted down her back, sending a shiver of desire through her body. “You liked it. There’s nothing wrong with that. Someday, I’ll bend you over.” He leaned down, his warm breath fanning her face as he whispered into her ear. “And I’ll spank your pretty ass until it glows for me.” Oh god, that sounded wonderfully naughty. Her pussy tightened, aching and pulsing with desire. “And then,” he scraped his teeth along her neck. “Then I’ll fuck you until you scream my name.”
Lauren whimpered. That was all. She couldn’t think beyond the low sound.
“You like that.” He patted her ass and a jolt of pleasure careened through her. “C’mon, baby. Lemme make you feel good. My cock needs to make friends with your pussy.”
Lauren snorted. She couldn’t help it. Right then, it was the most unsexy thing in the world and yet. “Your rooster is gonna make friends with my cat?”
She tried to stifle the next one, but it didn’t happen. Nope. No way.
Van narrowed his eyes at her and snared her wrist, dragging her into the house with a continuous growl. She kept giggling, he kept growling, and they kept moving around furniture and down the hall until they came to his bedroom. Their bedroom.
He released her once they crossed the threshold and nudged her toward the bed. “Okay, baby, let’s see what we can do about those giggles.”
Still laughing, she turned to face him and… damn. Just damn. During the trek she’d forgotten her mate was nude, bare from head to toe. And aroused. Holy shit, her mouth watered at the sight before her. Van was long, thick, and more than ready to get the job done.
Yes, he wanted her.
All thoughts of roosters and cats fled her mind as she watched him reach down and encircle his shaft, stroked his dick from root to tip and back again. A droplet of pre-cum formed at the tip, a small bit of pearly fluid that she wanted to lap up. Salty? Or sweet? Both?
“Lauren?”
“Huh.” She blinked and tore her gaze from his dick. She didn’t really want to. Not when it was so close and practically begging for her mouth. She’d lick and suck him in that sweet spot below the head and— “What?”
Van grinned at her, the one that said he knew exactly what she’d been thinking and he knew she was a naughty, naughty girl. “If you like those pajamas, you should start taking them off. The bear and I have been waiting for this, baby.”
She focused on him through the dim light of the room and saw what he meant. Van’s brown eyes were pure black, his animal barely hiding behind his skin. While it should have scared her, it encouraged her. It was so close because of her. Her.
“Then come and get me,” she taunted and stepped away.
Slowly she eased her thin top up, sliding it over the curve of her stomach and along her rib cage. With each step, it went higher, exposing more of her. She continued to put space between them until the initial four feet became five, then six, then seven…
She rounded the edge of the bed and lifted the fabric past her breasts. She whipped it over her head and reveled in Van’s need. His skin darkened in a slow ripple only to lighten back to the tanned hue she was used to. Yes, the bear liked her topless.
“Lauren?”
Lauren let the top drift from her fingers and fall to the bed. “Hmm?”
She turned her back on him, making way to the other side of the bed. She wanted the piece of furniture to separate them. As she moved, she hooked her thumbs into the waist of her pajama bottoms. The long pants were baggy and comfortable. It wouldn’t take much for them to fall from her body.
“Lauren?” More than a little of his beast lurked in his voice.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and wiggled her ass, pushing at the cloth until it barely clung to her hips. “Yeah?”
“You should…”
She jiggled her butt and the pants fell, sliding over the final flare of her hips to pool on the ground. “I should…?”
Stepping out of the pajama bottoms, she faced him. Gaze trained on him, watching the shift in his expressions, she cupped first one breast and then the other. She kneaded them, rubbing her thumbs over her nipples as he usually did. It was nothing like his touch, but it sent another bear-tinged shudder through his body.
Lauren placed one knee and then the other on the mattress before falling onto her hands. She crawled across the familiar soft surface. They’d spent night after night in this bed making love without taking that last step. Now, here, she realized how stupid she’
d been. From the moment she’d agreed to let Van court her, she belonged to him. Period.
“Van?” He tore his attention from her swinging breasts to focus on her face. Her mate was such a sucker for tits. Well, those and her ass. Finally, in the middle of the bed, she pushed back until she knelt once again. Slowly, she turned her body, shifting until he could see her backside. “Is my ass still red from your hand?”
His gaze flicked to her ass and back again. “Lauren…” the big man whimpered.
“C’mere, Van. Come see. Come feel how hot I am for you and then you’re going to claim me fully. Nothing’s stopping us now. Not even me.” Heated indecision coated his features, the man and bear parts of him fighting and struggling with her words. She’d created this in him with her lack of commitment and it made her sick. “Van, I want you.” She was going for the jugular. “Claim me before I find someone else.”
Not that she would. Ever. But it got her the desired result.
The size of his body increased, muscles bulging, and chest expanding ever so slightly. “Mine.”
“Prove it.” She couldn’t help but taunt him.
*
Prove it.
Van had never been so fucking hard in his entire life.
Prove it.
Two words that made his bear crazy and his dick throb with the need to be buried deep inside his mate. He let his gaze wander her body, take in the lush curves of her frame and… damn… the red hand prints that covered her perfectly plump ass. The globes were bright red, glowing in the room like a kinky beacon.
She’d enjoyed the spanking even if she wouldn’t admit it. The first spank had been a surprise, but by the third, her pussy was so sweet and wet for him. He didn’t need to touch her to know that. Her scent surrounded him.
Now, she waited, taunted him, and stared at him expectantly.
He wasn’t about to disappoint. They’d been working up to the point for days. Now she had his permanent mark on her shoulder and his handprints on her ass, and she was his.
Without waiting another moment, he pounced. Cats didn’t have a monopoly on the move and Van took advantage, tackling her, and forcing a squeal from her lungs. He took her down to the bed and rolled until he straddled his mate’s hips. He stared down into her flushed, smiling face and saw nothing but love filled her features. Her scent told him she wanted him, but her expression, her open gaze filled with pure truth, revealed the real story. Despite their problems, she truly desired him as her mate.
Fuck if that realization didn’t make his heart hurt and his cock harder than steel.
“I think we’ve got things a little backward.” She wiggled beneath him, his balls sliding over her stomach.
“Maybe,” he smirked and mentally ran through all of the wicked things he wanted to do to her body. “Maybe not.”
Her gaze strayed to his cock and she licked her lips, her tiny pink tongue coming out to play. That move reminded him about how wonderful it’d been to slip past those plump lips and into his mouth. And that had his cock throbbing with the desire for a repeat performance. His balls, snug and warm against her stomach, tightened and hardened, more than ready to come. Now.
“Van?” Her arms twitched, drawing his attention, and he noticed she clutched the blanket as if fighting herself. Again she licked those lips. “Van?” she whimpered.
“Yeah, baby?” He palmed his cock, stroking his dick, and even more pre-cum escaped. “What d’ya need?” A whine came from her and he smiled. “Gotta say it.” Even if he knew what she desired. Even if he wanted it as much as her.
Lauren nibbled her lower lip, her attention never slipping away from his hand’s travels. “I want to…” She drew in a long, slow breath, her breasts jiggling with the move. “I want to suck your cock.”
“Uh-huh?” He pinched below the head, squeezing a hint too hard so that a spike of pain joined his arousal. Fuck, it hurt so damned good. “How, baby?”
Indecision and unease sprinted across her features and he was quick to take the lead. He’d gotten her to this point, he had her in his bed and asking for what she desired, he could help her with the rest.
“Do you want me to scoot up and feed you my dick?” Her arousal dimmed at that question as he knew it would. Maybe someday they’d do that, when they’d built a firmer foundation of trust between them. “Or do you want me on my back and at your mercy?” That brought her need flaring back to life.
Without a word, he rolled to his side and flopped onto his back. He stretched out, hands behind his head much like the first time they’d become intimate. Except this time, he spread his legs wide, giving her room to settle between his legs.
“I’m all yours, baby.”
All hesitation fled her, his sweet mate immediately crawling between his thighs, her gaze on her prize.
Lauren scraped his legs with her small nails, digging them into his skin as she traveled along his shins to his knees. From there, she scratched her way along his thighs, leaving a pleasurable burn to follow in her wake. Finally, she circled his cock, those abrasive fingernails easing near his shaft, but not touching. Though, God knew he wanted her touch.
Her nails teased the very edge of his dick, the very base of his shaft. It caused a pleasurable ache within him, and he fought between the need to pull away and the desire for more. Damn it, he was a little like her. He didn’t mind a bit of an ache if it meant getting off. Was this how it was when he spanked her moments ago?
“Lauren…” he growled a warning and his mate laughed. The pain in the ass laughed.
But then she delivered. She wrapped her small hand around his girth while lowering her face, mouth open. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, he couldn’t come before he even got inside her. He couldn’t shoot like some teenage bear. But he wanted to. His cock pulsed with the need to release, his pleasure rising with each breath and each second she touched him. He’d come, then recover, then fuck her unconscious. It seemed like a good plan.
Except then her plump lips wrapped around the head of his cock and wet warmth enveloped him. Her tongue tapped against the slit in his cockhead, sliding along that tiny length and he shuddered. “Fuck. S’good, Lauren.”
She hummed around him, taking him deeper, only to rise along his shaft once again.
Shit, that sound against his dick. Van fisted the blanket, fighting to keep his hips still and his hands to himself.
But she scraped a nail along his cock as she took him deep and he couldn’t take it. He sifted his fingers through her strands and fisted them, holding her tight. Then, when she went down, he flexed his hips the tiniest bit, slipping deeper into her mouth.
A new wave of her scent bowled him over, bathing him in her musky aroma. Yes, his mate liked him taking that bit of control. So he continued, gently pushing her down as he rose up, softly fucking her perfect lips.
Her hand worked in time with her mouth, caressing him with every rise and fall as she sucked. Her spit slicked him, allowing him to move easily in the circle of her hand. She hummed around him again, sending a spear of pleasure through him. His cock throbbed deep within the cavern of her mouth, begging to be thrust in and out of her juicy cunt.
“Fuck. Baby. Like that.”
His dick was rock hard and ready to blow, his balls waiting for him to loosen his control for even a second. One moment of relaxation meant he’d spend himself in her mouth and he fucking refused to let that happen. He wanted her pussy, wanted to sink into her, and join with her completely.
He’d stop her in a minute.
She swirled her tongue around the tip and scraped a tooth along the spongy head.
Maybe two minutes.
Lauren sucked him deep then, falling along his length until he met the back of her throat and then—fuck!—she swallowed around him, taking him to the base. His lungs heaved, body aching to respond to the erotic sight before him.
His Lauren, his mate, had taken all of him and gave him a look of pure want, pure need, pure desire. He tensed, fighting his orgasm and
the bear at the same time. Their shared body craved release, but he reminded himself for the millionth time it’d be better in her pussy.
He hoped that happened. Soon.
Slowly she eased along his cock, revealing his wet shaft to the room’s cool air. Her cheeks were flushed pink, lips swollen and red, but there was no denying the pure sexual craving in her gaze. She got to the tip and released him, running her tongue along the mushroom shaped head.
Their gazes remained locked as she made love to his dick, her tongue dancing over the flesh, tormenting and teasing him. He wasn’t sure which was better—feeling or seeing?
Thank god he got both.
“Van?” she whispered against his cock, her warm breath teasing him.
“Mmm hmm?” He hoped she didn’t start quizzing him on something other than his cock being in her mouth. He didn’t think he could talk about anything else.
“Are you ready to be inside me?”
Okay, that he could talk about.
“Fuck, yes.” At least, that’s what he thought he said, but the bear rode him hard, urged him to flip her over, take her, claim her fully, and fill her with his cub already. The animal knew if they got her barefoot and pregnant, she’d never be able to leave.
The human part of Van figured they could at least keep her in shoes.
The bear did not get the joke.
Lauren suckled the tip of his cock once again, taking in an inch or two only to release him and lap at his slit. “Van?”
What’s with the talking?
“Yeah?” He was ninety percent sure that sounded human.
She lifted her head and placed a soft, delicate kiss to his dick before whispering two words against his wet flesh. “Take me.”
*
Lauren poked the bear. Poked it super, really, holy crap hard. Now she waited to see how he’d respond. Her heart thundered, pounding out an erratic beat inside her, and she held her breath. She wanted Van, craved him more than her next breath, and now she awaited his reaction to his taunt.
She didn’t have to wait long. In one fluid move she went from crouched between his legs, that beautiful cock filling her vision, to flat on her back.