by Ruby Dixon
He gives me an impatient glare. “You only get one mate. Don’t screw up.”
With those not-very-comforting words, he disappears. I walk back to the fire where Caro has gone from confused to a mite angry. She probably wants an explanation, and I’m not sure what to say that won’t have her running into the woods. Oh, by the way, I’m a shapeshifting bear and you’re my mate. Hope you don’t mind.
Chapter Four
CAROLINE
“So…who was that?” I frown at Leo as he returns to the fire, without our new visitor.
This is all so strange. I went from camping in a remote spot with my ex Bill, to no Bill and two hot guys dropping by my campsite. I’m starting to feel like the locals are messing with me, and the fact that both men are wearing clothes that don’t seem to fit them properly isn’t helping.
But Leo’s gorgeous, and his smile is friendly as he returns to sit across from me at the campfire. He flops down on the grass and crosses his legs like he camps with strangers every day, and begins to spit the brats on one of the sticks we’ve prepared. “That’s just Mal.”
“Did he want to stay for dinner?”
“Nope. He just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I soften a bit at that. This town seems to be full of friendly people. “That was nice of him. You sure he had to go? I thought he said something about a mate.”
“Date,” Leo corrects quickly, and hands me a spitted sausage to turn over the flames. “He said he had a date tonight.”
“I’m pretty sure I heard ‘mate’—”
“Date,” Leo affirms. “You have mustard?”
My brows draw together. Is he trying to change the subject? “I don’t think so.”
He grunts and twirls his brat in the flames, crisping the exterior. “Guess I’ll have to bring some next time.”
Next time? This is all feeling very strange to me. I brush a lock of hair back from my face and scoot closer to the fire, since it’s getting later and the biting bugs are coming out. “Look, Leo, I really appreciate you coming up here to help me, but I’m fine now. I think I can handle things if you’re ready to go home. I’m sure this is annoying for you to have to spend your day fixing up my campsite for me.”
He snorts and turns his stick with a twist of his wrist. “Not bored in the slightest. I like the company.”
“You…do?”
“Yeah.”
I try to remember what-all we’ve talked about. Families, future children, and tents. Those aren’t exactly hot conversations for sexy single men. Actually, the ‘future children’ conversation should have made him run for the hills like his buddy Mal. “Really?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” He grins at me, and I immediately feel all flushed and bothered. It’s just strange to think of this gorgeous man enjoying hanging out with me.
“Because we don’t know each other all that well.”
“That’s an easy fix.” He moves over to my side of the fire and takes my stick from my hand. “Here, let me do that. You’re holding it too far out of the fire to cook it.”
“Oh. Sorry.” I’m not really paying attention to my dinner at all. I’m paying more attention to Leo. There’s something about the way he moves—all easy grace despite his big form. It’s fascinating. If Bill moved his body like that…well, I wouldn’t have had to fake orgasms. Then I blush for even thinking about that.
“Don’t apologize. I’m just an expert at campout food.” He smiles at me, and I feel my entire body tingle with awareness at how close he’s sitting. Then I realize what he’s saying, and my enthusiasm deflates a bit.
“Do you come and rescue lots of ladies, then?”
“Nope. Just you.”
Somehow that makes me feel worse instead of better. “Because I’m the only idiot to get stuck in the woods alone?”
“Or could be that you’re the only one I bothered to come after.”
A warm flush suffuses me, and I feel shy and embarrassed, and okay, a little excited at the thought of Leo being worried about me. I put my hands on my knees and stare into the fire for a while to calm my rapidly whirling thoughts. I’m attracted to him, and I’m sure he’s just being nice…I think. Gosh, I wish I was better with men so I could know what he’s thinking right about now.
“Here,” Leo says after a bit. He pulls my sausage out of the licking flames—it’s nice and blackened on the outside, and juice sizzles on the skin. “Looks ready.”
“How am I supposed to eat that?” I eye the steam coming off it and hold a hand out for the stick.
“I’ll feed you,” he says, and before I can protest, he pulls out a pocket knife and nips the end of the sausage, cutting off a slice. He holds it out to me, the bit of meat neatly tucked between his thumb and finger.
I stare at him. A low pulse begins to build between my legs, and I press my thighs tighter together. Is he…trying to feed me? Really?
I fight the urge to lean forward and lick the juices off his fingers. The mental image of that is vivid and sends another bolt of desire rocketing through me. Hoo boy. I imagine if I do that, Leo’s going to sorely regret coming on this rescue mission.
I pluck the bit of food from his fingers and pop it into my mouth, chewing briskly. “Thank you.”
He arches an eyebrow at me, and then offers the knife. “Guess I should have suggested you could cut it yourself.” He pauses. “Not much fun that way, though.”
A small chuckle escapes me, and I take the knife from him. “Isn’t it every man’s fantasy? To be fed by a woman instead of the other way around?”
“You’re right.” He points at his mouth. “I’ll take a bite, then.”
I should have known better than to tease this man—of course he’s going to call my bluff. I’m blushing as I cut a chunk of my sausage off and offer it to him. There’s grease on my fingers, and I don’t have any napkins. Somehow, I don’t think it matters.
The moment feels strangely intense as Leo leans in. He looks directly at me and instead of taking the bit of sausage in his hand like I did, he plucks it from my fingers with his lips and tongue. I can’t help but freeze in place as he chews, watching his every movement. I feel pinned in place by his gaze, and when he grips my wrist and then licks the grease off my fingers?
It feels like he’s licking me…everywhere.
I gasp and jerk out of his grip. “Um, you want a drink?” I shove the knife and the sausage back at him and briskly jump to my feet, heading to the cooler.
I could swear I hear a sigh on his breath. “Yeah. Sure. What have you got?”
I get a couple of beers and offer him one, then take one for myself. Whatever weird, tense thing was happening between us is gone now, and the conversation turns to easier things. We talk about Canadian beer versus American beer. We talk about the local wildlife and the weather, and he tells me a funny story about hunters he ran into last spring. The conversation devolves into a discussion about hockey, and I spend a good deal of time ribbing him about the poor performances of his favorite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is a gleam in Leo’s eye as we joke, and I feel so easy with him. So comfortable.
It’s fun to needle him too. He doesn’t lose his shit and get mad. He laughs at my jokes and pokes a few of his own, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed a conversation so much.
Actually, I can’t remember when I’ve had a more fun night. We go through several more beers and hours of conversation, and before I know it, the crickets are chirping and the night sky is full of stars. Our fire is down to nothing but coals.
Oh, no! I’ve kept Leo here so late he can’t possibly go back to town tonight. Even as I feel a stab of guilt, I also feel a bit giddy with excitement that this big, sexy man is stuck up here with me. I finish my last beer and put my can in the garbage bag I’ve brought for the mess, and wobble on my feet.
“Hey now,” Leo says, and his voice is warm and husky and flows over my skin like honey. He is suddenly right behind me, his big bo
dy dwarfing mine. “Did you drink too much on me?”
His chuckle makes me press my thighs together tightly again, and the mental image of him licking my fingertips goes through my head, over and over. “I’m just sleepy, that’s all.” I yawn to demonstrate. “And I kept you too long. I’m so sorry, Leo. Were you planning on heading back to town?” I squint up at his big body. He smells so good—like the woods and something else I can’t identify.
“Leave you out here by yourself? Nah.” His teeth flash white in the moonlight.
“But…won’t someone be waiting for you back at town?”
“You asking if I have a girlfriend, Caroline?”
“Of course not,” I say primly. But I’ve also got several beers in me, so I add, “But if you did, she’d be waiting for you, right?”
He laughs. “She would, and I don’t, Miss Nosy.” Leo leans in. “And if you want to know anything about me, all you have to do is ask.”
All I have to do is ask, hmm? He’s leaning so close that I can see the glint of firelight in his eyes, the hint of beard stubble on his chin. I have to fight the urge to lick it just to feel the rasp on my tongue. Oh, man, I have never been this oversexed with Bill.
Actually…I kinda hated sex with Bill. The times we were together were not good. A burst of pure relief flares through me, and I clasp my hands together so I don’t fling them around Leo and thank him for coming back for me instead of demanding that Bill return. “Thank you,” I tell Leo.
He tilts his head. “Thank you?”
“For offering to come and rescue the damsel in distress, even though I wasn’t in that much distress.”
He laughs. “No?”
“Nope. I’m all good.”
“I’m glad,” is all he says, and I feel that warm flush move through my body again.
Tension and silence hang in the air, and I fight the urge to lean in and see if he’d meet me halfway if I try to kiss him. I’m not sure if that’s the beer talking, or if I’ve suddenly grown bold, but I love the thought of it. I glance over at my tent.
“You should go to bed,” Leo says, voice low and husky. “I’ll bank the fire.”
I swallow hard. “Where are you going to sleep?”
“I’ll throw a sleeping bag on the ground. Don’t worry about me. I’m used to roughing it.”
The night air is crisp and cold, and there’s a hint of mist. It’s not bad in my warm clothes, and my sleeping bag will be cozy, but out here? I can’t imagine it’ll be comfortable. “You could come sleep with me.”
“Oh?”
That syllable carries a ton of meaning, and I feel flushed and excited all over again. “There’s room for two sleeping bags.” And I wonder what will happen if I cuddle up next to him in my sleep. Will he push me away, or push me down onto the floor of the tent?
I feel my nipples harden under my shirt, and a shiver moves over my skin. And I wait to see if he’s going to turn me down or accept my invitation.
Chapter Five
LEO
My mouth is suddenly dry, and I feel like a cub on his first foray into the wilderness alone.
Fuck.
The woman is my mate. I’ve never really had sex that mattered. It was all fun and games and of no more importance than shitting in the woods.
But if I don’t get it right, if I hurt her, turn her off, don’t make her come, then I’m doomed. I’ll have failed my mate before I can even get her to form a bond with me.
“If you’re sure,” I say. My voice sounds like I swallowed ten frogs from one of the nearby creeks.
A slight blush highlights the apples of her cheeks, but she doesn’t hesitate to nod. “I’m sure.”
My cock swells to about five sizes bigger than normal. Stiffly, I walk over to the tent and pull the flap open.
“After you.”
Her tight nipples are pebbling against her top, and the desire to rend her shirt into a dozen tiny pieces so that she’ll never be clothed again gallops through me as she saunters toward me. Her fine breasts sway and bob under the fabric in a way designed to torment all males, but me in particular.
The tent is small and she has to duck to enter, which places her round ass sun-up for my perusal. A nice guy would avert his eyes, but mine are glued to those curves. Her ass is round, a definite handful. Perfect for my big paws.
I bend down and crawl inside after her. The scent of her arousal fills the small space. It’s hard not to jump on top of her. The need to devour her, to taste every inch of her gorgeous body consumes me.
Mate. Mate. Mate.
The word thrums through my blood. I cup her cheek, smoothing my thumb over the pink flesh to feel the bone underneath. This is Caroline. My Caroline. Softness over strength.
I place a small lantern in the corner, and take a moment to appreciate the vision before me.
“You’re too beautiful.”
“Too beautiful?” She laughs self-consciously and turns her face slightly to hide against my hand. “I don’t think there is such a thing, and even if there was, I’m not it.”
“You are to me. Look, my hand’s shaking, I’m so crazy in lust with you right now. I’m so hard right now I could come in my jeans.”
My hand is trembling. It’s a combination of lust and a little bit of fear. She’s not ready to hear she’s my mate, so I don’t tell her. There are so many things that she doesn’t know, but if I tell her that the two of us having sex means that she’s bound to me for life, I have a pretty good feeling she’ll run from the tent screaming.
“You don’t have to say those things to me, pretty it up, I mean,” she explains at my confused look. “I want to have sex with you.”
She blushes again, in direct contrast to her straightforward words.
God fucking damn, she is so adorable. I have to have my mouth on her. I can’t wait another second.
“I feel like I should warn you that if I have you, I’m probably going to get addicted. You aren’t going to be able to shake me after I get a taste.”
“You don’t have to say things like that.” She dips her head and draws a circle on my knee. My whole body tightens. I swear my control is completely gone, and so am I.
“No, I do. You need to know what you’re in for,” I say hoarsely.
“Maybe it’ll be me hooked on you,” she informs me.
“I hope so.” I’ve given her every chance, I reason with myself.
Her palm comes up to smooth the hair that always falls into my eyes. “If you do get addicted, I give you full permission to stalk me.”
Groaning, I capture her mouth. Her sweet essence fills my lungs with every breath I draw. She tastes better than wild honey, and I can’t get enough. I push her backward, angling my head to get deeper access.
Her hands come up to clutch my shoulders and pull me closer. I slip my hands up her top to cup her ripe breasts. Her nipples poke into my palms and beg for my mouth.
She moans, a needy, erotic sound.
“Your nipples sore, baby? You need me to suck them?” Her answer is to reach for the bottom of her shirt. Together we draw it over her head. “Oh, shit. You are the hottest thing this side of the equator.”
Her rosy breasts are covered with light green lace, the color of new spring. Under the lace, her nipples strain at the fabric.
“You say the most outlandish things,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a man like you.”
No, you haven’t. Because I’m not a man. A twinge of guilt tugs at me. I’m going to make this so good for her, she won’t care what I am.
“Caroline, telling the truth about how hot your body is and how much you turn me on isn’t crazy.” But maybe her experience hasn’t been full of this. Bill came off as a self-absorbed prick who wouldn’t be able to see past his own nose to realize what a prize he had in Caroline.
She shifts on the sleeping bag. “I’m just saying you don’t have to say these things. I…I want you, too.”
“I have to say them.” I flash her a
quick smile. “Because I believe in speaking the truth and nothing but the truth. This is the most gorgeous set of tits that I’ve had the privilege of viewing, and my mouth is fucking watering at the prospect of sucking those bits into my mouth.” I lean forward and let my breath wash over said tits. She braces herself on her hands and arches upward like the sweetest offering nature can provide. I suck at one breast through the lace and then the other until her nipples are diamond-hard peaks.
“Ohhh,” she says, “that feels good."
“Only good?” I mock growl. “Is that some kind of challenge? Because if so, I accept.”
I reach behind her and undo the clasp of her bra. She watches me with careful eyes as I unwrap my new present. Her tits bounce playfully as they escape their lace bindings, celebrating their freedom. I dive right in, latching onto one tit and thumbing the other. Like I thought, the taste of her bare flesh is like a drug. I’m never going to have enough of her.
I slide down her body, kissing a line from the valley of her breasts down to her belly button. Her waistband is a reminder of all the clothes between us.
“These need to come off.” I tug at her shorts.
“Yes. Yes,” she pants. Together we unsnap, unzip, and push her shorts off her legs until all she has on is a pair of lace panties, the same color as her bra.
An unhappy thought occurs to me. “Did you wear these for Bill?”
She looks up, surprised. “My underwear? No, I just like nice stuff. Bill doesn’t really care about this. He’s too busy—” She breaks off.
“Getting his own rocks off,” I guess.
She shrugs unhappily. “We didn’t have the best sex life.”
I cover her mouth with my hand. “Only rule I have is that you can’t talk about sex and another man with me. Got it?”
She purses her lips to hide a smile. “Got it.”
“Good, now lie back because if I don’t get my mouth on your pussy in the next second, I’m going to explode.”