Savior Bear

by Raines, Harmony

  “There is nothing wrong with playing it safe,” Rob said, a little bemused by her confession. “And I don’t want you to rush into anything you might regret in the morning. I have waited all my life for you, I can wait a little longer.”

  “Maybe you can. But maybe I can’t.” She took hold of his hands in hers. “Let me be spontaneous. I want to do something for me. I want you. And I know you want me.”

  “Do you?” he murmured as he lowered his head and captured her lips with his.

  “Hmm,” she answered as she surrendered to him. She didn’t understand the mating bond, not fully, but she was convinced that it was a similar force of nature to gravity. He’d attracted her to his side. Fate had made sure their paths crossed, and who was she to argue with fate?

  Rob’s lips were gentle against hers, questioning whether this was what she really wanted. The answer was yes. It had always been yes, since the first moment she’d seen him in the corridor, his face filled with rage that someone dared touch his mate. He’d masked it well, but as she pictured the scene now, she recalled his fists clenched at his sides, and the look in his eyes. Rob would have ripped Evan limb from limb to protect Madison.

  To protect his mate.

  Madison slipped her hands down his back and dug her fingers into his flesh, urging him on. Their kiss deepened, their tongues entwined as they explored each other’s mouths, tastes, sensations, all flooding her veins as her arousal increased. Her body ached for him to its very core.

  Breaking away from Rob, she took his hand and breathlessly led him to her bedroom. He followed, his fingers curled around hers, never letting go.

  But he had to let go. He needed both hands to undress her, to remove every item of her clothing until they stood facing each other, naked.

  Madison had modeled low-cut dresses and swimwear that revealed her curves, she was used to people looking at her body, she was comfortable in her own skin. Yet when Rob looked at her, when his gaze washed over her, and hunger burned in his eyes, she didn’t feel comfortable at all. Her flesh burned for him, it was as if every nerve ending was on fire, craving his touch.

  The hairs on her arms stood on end as his hands glided along her skin. Her reaction to the naked man before her was more intense than when he’d shifted into his bear. If she’d had any doubts about the connection they shared, those doubts were now firmly gone. This was right. Rob was everything to her in this moment.

  And she was everything to him. The tenderness in his eyes expressed his love for her. It didn’t matter that they had only just met. All that mattered was that they had met and had committed to spend the rest of their lives together.

  Had they? Her head jolted up, and she took a step back. If she made love with Rob now, would it be some kind of commitment?

  “Okay?” His voice, thick with emotion, soothed her. He could never hurt her, right? That’s what he’d told her, and she believed him.

  “Nervous,” she managed to croak, although her mouth was dry.

  “We don’t have to go any further if this is not what you want.” His hands stilled on her skin, there was no covert pressure to go further, to make love if she didn’t want to.

  “It is what I want.” She looked down, her eyes wide as they rested on his hardened length. He was big, just like the rest of him was big.

  “Madison.” He rested his finger under her chin. “Eyes up here.” A small smile played across his lips.

  “I’m scared you’ll see this as a commitment to forever…” She met his eyes, wanting him to understand her fears. But he already did.

  “This is one night. This is not a ring on your finger. Although, if you want to get married before we consummate our relationship, I’d get in the car now and drag a judge out of bed and demand they marry us right now.” He smiled and her stomach flipped over as her need for him grew.

  “Let’s just get through one night at a time,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Now, where were we?”

  “Well, you were looking at…” He lowered his eyes and looked down and Madison erupted into giggles.

  “I was, wasn’t I? Caught in the act.” She held his gaze, while she slid one hand down over his shoulders, and lower, much lower.

  Accompanied by a sharp intake of breath from Rob, her hand curled around his hard length and she stroked him, up and down, up and down. He closed his eyes, biting down on his bottom lip as she increased the pressure.

  When he finally regained control of his senses, he cupped her breast in his hand and lowered his head, his tongue flicking the hardened nipple. It was Madison’s turn to suck the breath in through her teeth. As her arousal grew, the need to feel him inside her was almost too much.

  Letting go of him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and guided him toward the bed. They crashed down, side by side, and Rob moved to nestle between her thighs. She reached down between their bodies and caressed his hard length, guiding him toward her.

  Rob tensed as he entered her, his body rigid as he fought for control. Madison ran her fingers along his back and he shivered, his breathing ragged. Kissing his neck, she urged him to go deeper, to fill her completely.

  His need for her was evident in each kiss he dropped on her skin, each touch of his fingers as they teased her flesh. Thrusting forward, back in control of his senses, Rob made love to her. Their bodies entwined, skin against skin, moving as one toward release.

  The ache in her core grew with each thrust, each lunge as Rob flexed his hips, moving in and out. He claimed her breasts, his mouth closing around her nipple before he tortured the hardened bud with his tongue. She could lie with him for eternity and be happy, her life before Rob seemed empty and cold compared to the rush of emotions he invoked in her.

  Her old life was still there. She would never walk away from what she’d built for herself and what other people had invested in her. Her modeling career and her contract with Holly and Jones were everything to her. She was determined to work her ass off, so women everywhere knew beauty didn’t come in one image. But she also was ready to admit she needed to open herself up to more life experiences, more intimate experiences so she could grow as a person.

  Rob made her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman on the planet, no matter what she looked like. He saw her inner beauty, and as she stroked her fingers across his skin, she saw his. There was an inner radiance to Rob that excited her, each contact made between them set off an electrical charge.

  The tension in her body grew, she needed a release, she needed to come. She needed to feel him come inside her. Driven by instinct, Madison stroked his skin, pressing her fingertips into his flesh as she changed the angle of her body, tilting her pelvis upward so each thrust of his body rubbed against her mound, triggering her orgasm.

  Madison’s inner walls gripped him tight as her muscles tensed. The release was incredible, the sexual tension that had built between them since they’d first met finally unleashed. She cried out his name as he followed her over the edge into the abyss. They moved as one, a shifter and his mate finally joined for eternity.

  In the fog of ecstasy that closed in around her, she finally accepted that the mating bond was for eternity. Instead of feeling scared, she relished the idea of having a full life with Rob and growing old with him by her side, knowing that he would never leave her and never betray her.

  She also swore she would do whatever it took to make her mom show the footage of the explosion to Rob. Because the thought of his sister, Ray, living a life without this kind of love in her life left a hole in Madison’s heart.

  Chapter Eighteen – Rob

  “They’ll be here in a couple of hours.” Madison sat up, the bed covers clutched to her breasts, her eyes wide with panic.

  “Hey, it’s okay. We have a couple of hours.” Rob sat up next to his mate and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

  He paused, and instantly replayed that thought, he was next to his mate. In bed.

  Are you also suffering from
amnesia? his bear asked sarcastically.

  Oh, no, there was no way he could ever forget last night. His first night with his mate, the first of many nights with his mate. Last night they’d leaped the final hurdle to their relationship. Madison now knew about his other side and she accepted his bear and the mating bond.

  Life could hardly be better, his bear said. All we have to do is find Colm and we can all live happily ever after.

  And if they didn’t find Colm? Rob knew the answer and was grateful Madison understood the loss his sister bore. If they didn’t find Colm alive, if there was no sign he’d shifted and flown out of the vehicle before it exploded, Rob would have two families to watch over and care for.

  If Madison wanted a family. Maybe she didn’t want children. There was so much he didn’t know about her. So much she didn’t know about him. As soon as this was all over and he had a definitive answer about Colm and Madison dealt with whatever her mom was coming here for, he would suggest they spend some quality time getting to know each other.

  Although, he wasn’t sure how good his company would be if Colm truly was dead.

  “I haven’t seen my mom for over six months,” Madison confessed. “I avoid her as much as possible, and she never usually finds the time to come visit me.”

  “And that’s why you are nervous?” Rob asked, stroking his fingertips along her upper arm.

  “Yes.” Madison turned onto her stomach and looked up at him. “What about your parents? Please tell me one of us has normal parents.”

  He chuckled. “I guess they are normal.” He leaned forward and said, “For shifters.”

  “Compared to my mom and dad, shifters are normal.” She sighed. “My mother has never been the cookie baking kind. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of the career she’s carved out for herself. She’s done some incredible work, made a real difference to people’s lives.”

  “But sometimes you just want a mom.” Rob dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting your mom to yourself once in a while.”

  “I know I shouldn’t, but I do. She was out brokering a deal between two warring factions, and I wanted her to see me off to prom. There’s no competition really, she was right where she was supposed to be.” Madison pulled away from him and dragged on her robe. “I should shower and get ready.”

  She padded to the bathroom, her shoulders hunched and head down. In an instant he sprang out of bed and caught hold of her, pulling her into his arms. “Don’t feel guilty,” he repeated. “She was your mom and it’s natural to want to share these things with her and to create memories with her.”

  Madison rested her head on his chest. “Thank you for making me feel better about my feelings toward my mom. I just hope this visit doesn’t dent our relationship even more.”

  “Maybe it will strengthen it,” Rob suggested. “Your mom is coming all this way to see you and talk to you. She must have something pretty important to say.”

  “She might. I just wonder why it’s taken two attempted kidnappings to get her to come to see me and tell me whatever it is she needs to get off her chest.” Madison kissed his cheek and then turned away from him as she headed toward the bathroom. “But at least if we get to watch the footage of the explosion, it will be worth it, whatever she has to say.”

  Rob stared at the bathroom door for a few moments after Madison had closed it behind her. Conflicting thoughts warred in his head. Madison’s mom was coming here to see her daughter, to tell her something she wouldn’t share over the phone. But instead of focusing on this, Madison would be trying to get her mom to help Rob and his family. Was that fair?

  Madison’s relationship with her mom was difficult at best. His need to see the video footage of the explosion might make it worse. He might inadvertently hurt his mate and that didn’t sit well with him. Not at all. He was here to protect her, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, too.

  Coffee. He turned around and left the room, grabbing his clothes on the way. They were strewn across the floor, along with Madison’s from where he’d stripped them from her body last night. Carefully he retrieved all of his own clothes and hers, which he left folded on the bed. Once an Army man, always an Army man.

  His bear chuckled. Not anymore. There is no way we could ever go back, not now that we have our mate to watch over. I believe that even if the threat to Madison might have passed now that Evan is in prison, there is always a chance someone else might attempt to hurt her. Mrs. Singer has likely made plenty of enemies in her career.

  Nice, reassuring thoughts, Rob replied. So, I guess our place will always be at her side.

  Not that he intended to return to the Special Forces unit where he’d served the latter part of his Army career. He was no longer top of his game. He’d grown soft protecting movie stars and various VIPs.

  “Oh, that smells wonderful.” Madison appeared in the kitchen twenty minutes later, her wet hair bundled up in a towel and a robe covering her luscious curves.

  Pity.

  “Coffee.” He placed a cup down on the kitchen table and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “The coffee isn’t the only thing that smells wonderful.”

  Her cheeks flushed with pleasure as she slid her hand around the nape of his neck. Rob turned his head and kissed her lips. “Even better,” he murmured.

  A beautiful smile crept over Madison’s lips, and her whole face lit up. “I could fall for a man like you, Rob.”

  “I thought you already had.” He pulled away from her and leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee.

  “Shh, it’s a secret.” She laughed as she drank her coffee. “I am starving.” She placed the cup on the table and got up, heading for the fridge.

  “We did work up quite an appetite last night.” He turned around to watch her. He loved the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. He could eat her for breakfast several times over.

  “Stop drooling.” Madison glanced over her shoulder at him, a smile on her lips.

  “I can’t help it. You know when you see something you really want to sink your teeth into.” He pushed himself off from the counter and prowled toward her.

  Madison straightened up and turned around to face him. “As much as I want you.” The color deepened across her cheeks. “And I really do want you…”

  “That’s all I needed to know.” His hands encircled her waist and he pulled her close.

  But Madison put her hands firmly on his shoulders and pushed him away. “I have to eat and then dress. I want to be prepared for when my mom arrives.”

  Rob kissed the tip of her nose. “I guess I can wait.”

  Madison turned back to the fridge. “This condemned woman needs a last breakfast before my mom comes and shatters my life.”

  “You really think it’s that bad? Whatever she’s coming here to tell you?” Rob asked, his own concerns for Madison deepening.

  “My mom has missed practically every memorable event in my life. If she’s flying in to speak to me, then it has to be bad.” She grabbed a collection of ingredients out of the fridge. “It’s okay, whatever it is, I can take it.”

  “I just hate the idea of you getting hurt.” Rob settled down in a chair and watched Madison as she made pancakes. “Is there anything you need me to do?”

  “No, I’m fine. Cooking takes my mind off…things.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m a big girl, I’ll be okay. But I appreciate your concern.”

  They ate together and then Rob showered while Madison did the dishes. He offered to help, but she insisted she could manage. It was as if she were pulling down the shutters, shutting off her emotions as the meeting with her mom drew closer. Rob decided to take a step back and let her handle this her own way. Madison didn’t need him pressuring her.

  However, he would make sure she knew that if she needed anything, he was there for her.

  “How are we going to do this?” he asked as he joined her in the kitchen, wearing a fresh shirt under his da
rk blue suit.

  “You mean are you my bodyguard or my lover?” Madison dried her hands and put the plates away in the cupboard.

  “Yes. Whatever works for you is fine with me.” Rob kept his distance, while Madison thought it over.

  “I don’t want to get you or Bear Creek Protectors in trouble. If my mom thinks you have behaved unprofessionally, she will make life difficult. Making life difficult for people is her thing.” She gave him a small smile. “But part of me wants her to know. I don’t want you to feel as if I’m ashamed to tell her.”

  “Listen, let’s keep it neutral until we find out why she’s here. We don’t want us to make what she needs to say to you any more awkward.” Rob hugged Madison, soothing her as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest.

  “Thank you for being so understanding.” Madison stayed in his arms, which was exactly where he wanted her. Forever. But they both had lives to lead. And so reluctantly, she stepped away from him. “I should dress. I need to find something my mom will approve of.” She gave a mischievous smile. “That was a joke. I stopped trying to please my mom a long time ago when I realized it was never going to happen.”

  “You know, one day she might surprise you,” Rob told her. “People do change.”

  “I’ve been thinking that my whole life and it’s never happened yet. And that’s okay. My mom is her own person, she lives her own life. I live my life the way I want to lead it and I’ve never changed who I am because my mother doesn’t approve. If I had, I’d never have taken my first modeling job and I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

  “And you think you should give your mom the same freedoms as you’ve given yourself,” Rob finished for her.

  “I do. The same will work for our children. They will take their own paths and do things we might not always agree with.” She shrugged. “The only difference is, we will support our children. And I promise I will be there for every single recital, school play or any other event that is important to them. I am not my mom.”

  “No, you are not.” He caught hold of her robe and pulled her toward him, slipping his hands beneath the fluffy pink fabric. “You are your own woman and I’m proud of you. You could have taken the easy route and tried to win your mother’s affection.”