by Kim Fox
Ava took a deep breath as she tried to read his face. Why would he drive all the way here if he wasn’t telling the truth?
“Why did your eyes turn black?” she asked.
“Huh?” he asked, thrown off guard by her question.
“When I was leaving. Your eyes turned black.”
He smiled that sexy smile of his and it melted her heart. “That was my bear bonding to you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Bonding?”
“It’s the highest connection between two people,” he explained. “It’s the process where my soul melds with yours. Do you feel it?”
Ava had felt it all week. That must have been why she couldn’t stop thinking of him, why she couldn’t even begin to let him go. “I do.”
“Really?” he asked, his face lighting up.
“That doesn’t mean anything, though,” she said, but it did. It really did.
“The marriage proposal was real,” he said as he locked eyes with her. “I want to marry you. I want to be with you forever but I won’t ask you again, at least until we lose the ranch.”
She glanced down at his muscular chest and sighed. Ava really didn’t want to be the reason why the Vega brothers lost their ranch but she couldn’t marry him. She couldn’t put herself out there like that until she was one hundred percent sure that he was telling her the truth.
“Please give me another shot,” he begged. “Please.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“Really?!?” he asked perking up like a dog who was just offered a cookie.
“But I’m not getting married to you,” she said. She just couldn’t. She would always have that nagging suspicion in the back of her mind that he was only doing it for the deed of his father’s estate.
“That’s fine,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “Thank you. Thank you,” he repeated into her neck.
When he pulled away his eyes were watering and he had a huge smile on his face. It was contagious and she smiled back. It was the first time she smiled in four days.
“Can I walk you to work?” he asked.
Ava looked down at her uniform and sighed. “I really don’t want to work the night shift at Muggy’s Coffee,” she said.
“Then don’t,” he said, his eyes a fiery green. “Come with me. Tonight. I’ll find you work on the ranch with the horses. You can live with me.”
That was a dream come true. Probably not for Alexander but she could always work on him and get Julius’ older brother to like her, even by force if she had to.
“What do you say?” he asked with hope glimmering from his eyes.
She smiled. “Fuck yeah!”
thirteen
Julius leaned forward on the stool as Ava tightened the last bolt on the motorcycle. “I can’t believe that’s the same bike,” he said, jumping off his seat. “It looks perfect.”
“It is perfect,” Ava snapped and then laughed. “Because I’m perfect.”
“You are perfect,” he said, leaning in and giving her a wet kiss. He licked his lips when he finally pulled away.
Ava had been living with him for about two and a half weeks and it had been the best time of his life. They spent the days exploring the Vega Ranch and he saw his land through new eyes, through her insanely curious eyes.
She was beautiful in every way and he and his grizzly bear had never been happier.
“Want to take it for a spin?” she asked.
“I want to take you for a spin,” he answered with a grin. He pulled her in close and kissed her once again, sliding his tongue between her soft lips. She moaned and pressed her breasts against his chest.
“I know you want to ride me,” she said smiling drunkenly in his arms. “But let’s take out the bike first.”
Julius climbed on the bike and started the engine. It roared to life like a dormant beast waking up out of hibernation. The intense vibrating brought a smile to his lips. “My father would have liked you.”
She smiled shyly. “I wish I could have met him. I would like to thank him for bringing me my man.”
“Come,” Julius said, waving her over. “Sit on my lap.”
She climbed onto the bike and Julius wrapped his arm around her. She gasped as he pulled her in tightly. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I won’t let you go.”
Ava grabbed his forearm. “I trust you.”
He thought about those words as he drove out of the garage and up the dirt road. Did she? There had been no mention of getting married since she returned. Julius truly didn’t care either way. Of course, he didn’t want to lose the Vega Ranch but he wasn’t willing to lose Ava to keep it. Hannibal and Khan weren’t happy about it but he didn’t give a shit. Either of them could have gotten married and took on mates but neither of them was even trying.
Julius twisted the throttle and the bike flew past the stables. Ava waved at Mad Max who was grazing in the field outside. She had been working at the stables tending to the horses and she was thrilled. She loved being outside and it made Julius so happy to be able to put a smile on her face like that. Things were going to change though when the deed of the ranch turned over to the state of Montana. He didn’t know what was going to happen but he knew that he’d be just fine with Ava by his side.
Soft blonde hair tickled his face as he accelerated over the rolling hills towards the river. Life didn’t get better than this. A bike, a girl, the big sky. Things were as close to perfect as he could imagine.
“You did a good job,” Julius said when they stopped the bike in front of the river. They both climbed off the bike and stretched out in the late afternoon sun.
“Time for my payment,” she said from behind him.
He turned around and grinned when he saw her leaning back on the motorcycle biting her bottom lip. She looked so sexy with her blonde hair all wild from the wind and her tempting cleavage popping out of her tank top.
“And me with no money,” he said stepping towards her. “Is there any other way I can pay you?”
She raised her finger to her lip and bit down on her fingertip. “I can think of one way.”
He stepped up to her and kissed her in a crash of lips and a tangle of tongue. When he released her they both ripped off their own clothes as fast as they could.
Julius groaned as Ava leaned back on the seat of the bike. She was completely naked as she spread her legs for him.
“Ever get fucked on a motorcycle?” he asked as he knelt down in front of her.
She grinned. “Ask me again in a few minutes.”
Her scent always drove him crazy and he descended his lips on her, devouring her until she was bucking on the bike and reaching for the handlebars to keep her balance.
The sun began its slow descent as he stood up and wiped her juices off his chin. “Ready for payment?” he asked, holding his hard dick.
“Just swipe it into the slot.”
He held her, supporting her on the bike as he fucked her. The river was flowing beside them and birds flew overhead as they came at the same time.
Julius held his mate until her legs stopped shaking and her breathing returned to normal. He would have held her for longer but she wiggled out of his arms.
“Thank you, Mr. Vega,” she said. “Do you have any other motorcycles that need to be refurbished? I would like some more payment later.”
“Oh you’ll get it,” he said, handing her, her clothes. “I still haven’t given you a tip.”
They climbed back on the bike and headed back to the main house. Khan was cooking up some steaks for dinner and they didn’t want to miss it.
When they returned there was a black car in the driveway that Julius didn’t recognize.
“Who is that?” Ava asked.
Julius grumbled. “Not sure.” Strangers arriving usually weren’t a good sign at the Vega Ranch. The last time a stranger arrived it was the United States Government requiring them to ‘volunteer’ for the Special Shifter Forces.
He drove the bike bac
k into the garage and walked to the house with a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.
“Oh crap,” he said when he walked into the kitchen. Their lawyer, Mr. Collins, was sitting at the table looking as nervous as ever. He had a stack of papers sitting in front of him.
“Who’s that?” Ava whispered.
“Hello, Mr. Collins,” Julius said, shaking his hand. “This is Ava. Ava this our lawyer.”
“Oh,” she said in a gasp.
Mr. Collins looked at Ava in shock. “Can I assume that you-”
“No,” Julius snapped. “We’re not getting married.”
Mr. Collins looked to Hannibal and Khan who were standing against the wall. “And you gentleman haven’t-”
“No,” they both said at once.
Of course, Alexander didn’t even bother to show up. Julius had hardly seen him since Ava moved in. ‘You must be my lucky charm,’ Julius always joked to her about it.
Mr. Collins cleared his throat. “And the fourth brother?”
“No,” all three brothers said at the same time.
“Well then gentleman,” he said, turning to the papers. “If one of you doesn’t get married in the next four days than the Vega Ranch gets turned over to the state.”
Julius felt his heart breaking. It wasn’t nearly as bad as when Ava left but it still sucked.
“The state is planning on building a mini-mall on the land along with an amusement park,” Mr. Collins explained.
Hannibal dropped his head into his hands.
“They can’t do that,” Khan exclaimed.
“They can,” Mr. Collins said, “and they will. It will be their land to do whatever they want with.”
Julius felt sick to his stomach. He stumbled to the kitchen table and dropped down onto a chair. His father had some good intentions, and Julius didn’t blame him, but this was a shitty ending.
“Actually,” Ava said. “Julius and I are getting married tomorrow.”
Julius jerked his head back to look at his mate. She was smiling wide.
“Really?” Hannibal asked, raising his head.
“You are?” Khan asked.
Julius raised his eyebrows in hope. “We are?”
She nodded with an enthusiastic smile on her lips. She looked even happier than when he proposed the first time. “If you still want too.”
“Of course,” he said as he rushed across the kitchen and scooped her up in his arms. “Do you mean this?” he whispered. “Because if it’s because of the deed you don’t have to worry about it.”
Ava shook her head as she gazed into his eyes. “It’s not. I want to marry you. I want to marry my mate.”
He kissed her long and hard as Khan and Hannibal cheered.
Julius’ heart felt so light that he was worried it would float up out of his chest. “We’re getting married!”
epilogue
“Thanks, Dad,” Julius said as he knelt in front of his father’s grave. “I was pissed at first,” he said with a laugh, “but I should have known that you knew what you were talking about and that you knew what was right for us. You really were the best dad and I miss you terribly.”
The warm breeze blew over the land and Julius held his face up to it and breathed in. It was probably just the weather but he liked to think that it was his dad giving him a wedding day hug.
“Alright, Dad,” he said, standing up. “I’m off to marry my mate. She’s a real keeper. You would have liked her and you’d freak out if you saw how she fixed up Grandpa’s bike.”
Julius kissed his two fingers and touched the warm tombstone. They buried his father in the family cemetery. It was on the corner of their property, about a ten-minute walk from the main house.
He was still thrilled and couldn’t believe that Ava had agreed to marry him. He ran back to the house with a spring in his step. They had decided to get married the next day and didn’t have time to plan the wedding so it was really small. Just the brothers, Jack from the bar, and a few of the ranch workers. Ava’s sister Elena, the famous reporter from New York, wasn’t able to come down on such short notice but she promised to come visit by the end of the summer. Julius was excited to meet her. If she was anything like Ava, he was sure that he would love her like a sister.
“Ready?” the minister asked when he got back to the house.
Julius had never been more ready for anything. He had been waiting for this moment since he first set eyes on her.
They walked to the balcony of the house where the guests were seated on folding chairs. Hannibal had built a little arch for them this morning to stand under and Ava had tied flowers to it.
Julius’ stomach was in excited knots as Hannibal, Khan and Alexander stood beside him, wearing their finest suits. “Thanks for being here guys,” he whispered.
He locked eyes with Alexander and nodded. “Thanks, Alexander,” he said.
Alexander nodded slightly. He still wasn’t sold on the idea but he was heading in the right direction. He was attending the wedding at least.
The soft music began playing and Julius’ body tightened up. Ava walked around the corner wearing a flowing white dress that took his breath away. Her blonde hair was tied up in curls and she was holding a bouquet of red roses. The sight was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
Heat radiated through his chest as she approached, trying to hide her smile. His grizzly bear was purring inside him. His bear was as happy as him.
Julius reached out for her with tingling hands as she arrived at the altar. He felt weightless beside her.
“You look stunning,” he whispered.
“You’re not supposed to talk,” she whispered back with a smile.
“I don’t care.”
The minister was frowning at them both. “Sorry,” they both said at the same time as they dropped their heads and giggled.
Julius couldn’t take his eyes off his beautiful bride as the minister blabbed on. He didn’t even register the words. At the end of the ceremony he couldn’t have repeated one thing that the minister had said but he could have explained every detail about how Ava looked; how each strand of her hair was pinned up and curled in her gorgeous hair, how her eyes were glimmering in the setting sun and how her soft lips were curved as she smiled at him.
They exchanged their rings and said their I do’s. When the minister said that he could kiss his bride he scooped her up in his arms and laid a big juicy wet one on her while the minister pronounced them husband and wife.
Julius felt breathless as her lips touched his. Ava was his wife. His mate. His everything. She was his forever. And he was thrilled.
“Hello, Mrs. Vega,” he said to her after everyone came and congratulated them and they were finally able to steal a minute to be by themselves.
“Oh, it’s the old bear and chain,” she said rolling her eyes playfully.
“Thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
“For being you, for giving me a second chance, for trusting me.” He took a deep breath and took her hand in his. “You won’t regret it.”
“I know,” she said softly. She motioned to the bar with her eyes. “I think your brothers are waiting to take a shot with you.”
Julius glanced over his shoulder and his three brothers were at the bar with four shots, five actually, Khan had two for himself.
“Let them wait,” he said, turning back to his beautiful bride. “I want to spend some time with you.”
“Go,” she said, pushing him. “We have a lifetime to spend together. Plus I have to go pee and it takes about fifteen minutes to arrange my dress so I can go.”
He kissed her one last time before heading over to meet his brothers.
“Shot!” Hannibal said, handing him a large shot glass with nasty looking green liquid inside.
Julius smirked. “One Vega brother down, three to go.”
Khan, Hannibal, and Alexander all groaned as they threw back the burning liquid.
The lawyer was in att
endance to witness the event. He approached the four Vega brothers as they had their celebratory drink at the bar.
“Congratulations, Mr. Vega,” he said, shaking Julius’ hand. “The Vega Ranch will remain under your custody for the remainder of the year. But you three,” he said, pointing at Alexander, Khan, and Hannibal, “all have to get married by the end of the year in order to keep the ranch.”
Alexander let out a primal growl at the little man and he hurried away into the house, down the stairs and didn’t stop until he was in his car and peeling down the dirt road that led off of their property.
“So who’s next?” Julius asked, looking at his three brothers.
Alexander just grunted and walked away.
“He’s going to be a problem,” Hannibal said.
“He already is a problem,” Khan said, rolling his eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” Julius said. “We’ll have to worry about him later.” He pulled out a pack of matches that he stuffed in his pocket specifically for this moment.
He pulled out two matchsticks and struck one. “The burnt match,” he said blowing out the tiny flame, “is up next. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Hannibal said, rolling his shoulders and shaking out his hands.
Julius looked to his oldest brother. “Khan?”
He rolled his eyes. “Agreed,” he grumbled.
They each pulled a match at the same time.
“Yes!” Hannibal yelled, throwing his hands in the air.
Khan crushed the burnt match in his hand and stormed into the house. Hannibal and Julius exchanged worried glances.
“He better follow through,” Julius said.
“He will,” Hannibal replied with a nod. “I hope.”
Julius dropped his head. “We’re so fucked.”
the end
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