***
Jeffrey watched it all from a small stand of trees that had survived the permafrost to grow. The man that he had seen at the bar transformed into the very polar bear that he had been waiting for. He was the biggest one he had ever seen. This only drove his desire to make the kill more. Jeffrey’s hunger for victory over the beast was not influenced by who he was, just what he was at that moment. As he started to stalk closer, he saw a mostly naked woman wrapped up in the bear’s embrace and fought his body’s reaction. He had to focus now in order to get the prize. She would fall for him, just for saving her, he was sure of it.
The blonde man raised the high-powered rifle and started to take aim. It was then that the two men’s eyes met and Jeffrey could see the man still within.
The bear moved to protect the woman, waking Lois up with the sudden upheaval. His body heat was warming her and she started to rouse. Conner panicked, afraid she would be terrified, and he was right. There was a moment of screaming and then she paused when he looked at her. The bear was too much like the man for her not to know. She had the same feeling that she did when they were close.
It took Lois a minute to notice Jeffrey standing at the edge of the ice bank, his gun raised at the bear. Without thinking, Lois got up and stood in front of him.
Jeffrey yelled at her to move and the polar bear even pushed her out of the way once, but she got back up and stood in the line of fire. She yelled at the man to stop and he told her to move.
Conner had heard enough and the bear jumped out of the boat. It dove into the water and then pulled itself up on the ice. The man who had the gun shook and started to back up as the beast got closer. Polar bears were known for their aggression, and Jeffrey had threatened this one’s mate.
“Stop! I know what you are! I will shoot you!”
Conner kept approaching, his black eyes fixed on the blonde man. Jeffrey backed up until a ball of ice tripped him. As he hit the ground, the gun went off, hitting the bear, then Conner roared and knocked the gun out of the man’s hands. Jeffrey was white-faced and started to beg. The pathetic display caused Conner to realize what he was doing before it was too late. The bear retreated back to the boat and the woman.
Lois was left speechless as she watched the beast turn back into the form she recognized. Her mind tried to make sense of it, telling her that she was hallucinating, but when she looked up at Conner, she saw blood running down his arm. The bullet had clipped him and caused a superficial wound.
“Oh Conner, look at you!” Her hand went to his shoulder and he turned around, expecting fear but finding only love and acceptance. She had always known that there was something about him, though she never would have guessed the truth.
“I’m fine. Are you okay? We need to get you warmed up.” He helped her into the borrowed boat and started to tug the two boats back to dock.
She looked back at the blood-soaked bank and the blonde man staring after them.
“What are we going to do about him? He is going to tell someone.”
“No, he won’t. Besides they would just think he was crazy. Everyone knows that people don’t turn into polar bears.”
Lois wanted to laugh, but her mind was still reeling. She had seen it happen with her own eyes, but was still questioning the information she had taken in. She started to put her jeans and shirt on, while he did the same. The blood from his arm seeped into his white dress shirt.
“So what are you?”
“I am a shifter,” Conner drew in a sharp breath, “and you are to be my mate.” It took several moments for the words to sink in. All of this time she had wanted to find the one, and in her heart she felt he was that one, but she could never have imagined it liked this.
“I am sorry, Lois. I know this is a lot to take in. I wish that you could have found out some other way.”
“I doubt that any way could have been less…surprising.”
He chuckled. “I guess you’re right, though if it’s any help, you’re taking it quite well.”
“Well, you are bleeding, so I have to stay calm. We need to get you back so we can bandage you up.”
“I heal fast, really, don’t worry about it.” He stepped closer, still a little fearful that she would back away from him, but she did not, and in another moment she was cradled in his arms and their lips touched gently. Before she knew it, they were back at the dock and she was unsure how to proceed.
“Can you park Fate and I will get this one hooked up?”
She agreed, kissing him again before stepping over into the small boat she loved almost as much as she loved the owner. Her eyes followed him as he drove slowly over to the other boat’s spot. He was hooked up and parked before she was and he went back over to help her. He watched her work for a moment his heart feeling like it would burst right then and there. Fate had stepped in again, answering his prayers.
Chapter 8
There was a car waiting for them and she was thankful for it. When they passed Beth’s boarding house, she looked at him with a question in her eyes.
“I want to take you home with me.”
Lois had a feeling she knew what that meant and although she was a nervous wreck about it, she couldn’t deny him when he looked at her in that way. He had a way of making her feel like she was the only woman in the world and he was the only man. She cradled her head against his chest and breathed deeply. Everything was different and she could never have imagined how just one day could change her whole life.
The car wound up a mountain and at the top it leveled out to a large house with a gorgeous view of the water. Barrow appeared tiny below them. Conner seemed eager to get inside and she held his hand as they walked up the stairs.
“It is beautiful Conner, I love the logs.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said as he squeezed her hand. This is your new home, if you will have me.”
Lois was still trying to process the overwhelming joy of belonging to Conner, she hardly knew how to respond, so she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him, softly catching his lip between hers.
The home was vast, and like everything else about Conner, overwhelming. It all looked so pristine, she was afraid to touch anything.
“Do you want to take a shower?”
Lois agreed with a nod, her mouth unable to speak. She followed him into the bathroom and waited while he turned the hot water on. Steam quickly filled the room and he slowly began to help her undress. The covering of the mist from the hot water eased her shyness at being exposed with him. His hands on her body were enough to make her forget everything except him in that moment.
Conner stood behind her as he pulled down her shorts. She was facing the foggy mirror, their reflection muddled but visible. He held her like that for several minutes, his hands touching her sides, while his mouth nibbled on her neck and shoulder. A shiver ran over her and she moaned as his fingers moved down her body lightly.
“God, you are so beautiful. Your skin is so soft and perfect.” His hands moved to her breasts, cupping them from behind while his eyes stayed on hers through the mirror. Lois closed her eyes as his hands fondled her delicate skin. She could hardly breathe, she had never allowed herself to imagine anything so intimate as being caressed and admired in this way. Her back leaned against his strong body.
Lois turned around in his arms, unable to keep her lips off of him a second longer. She went to her tiptoes to kiss him and after a moment of their lips meeting he grabbed her up off the ground and pushed her back onto the countertop. She made a noise of surprise when her skin touched the cool marble. His body wedged between her thighs as they opened up to let him in. His hardness against her made her moan with desire. She knew what was next and her body ached for it.
Their kiss was intense and he held her still with a hand in her hair. Conner was trying to be gentle, but the more of her he tasted the more he wanted her right then and there. The room was completely full of steam, heating up their already burning bodies. Her legs wrapped aro
und him and pulled him closer. She wanted to feel his bare flesh on hers and when he pulled back for a moment, her hands started to pull off his shirt. She placed her hands flat against his solid chest and ran her fingers lightly down his hard abs, stopping just before the beginning of his jeans.
“If you keep touching me like that, it’ll be over before we get started,” Conner said in low sexy voice next to her ear as he kissed her neck. She giggled and continued to touch him, her inexperienced hands driving him absolutely crazy. His large hands went to hers and stopped them. He held her arms to her side as he kissed her again. Their bodies were perfectly aligned, and he started to rub against her, his fingers fondling her. She gasped and her body moved intuitively. She had never had anyone else touch her there before.
Conner rubbed, amazed by how ready she was. His need grew to desperation, he started to press his hand into her and then stopped, surprised to find his way guarded. Blood pumped hard through his body, the realization making his brain go fuzzy.
“I didn’t know…”
She moaned and grabbed him. “You’ll be my first, and I can’t wait any longer.”
Lois tried to pull him to her, but was met with resistance. She was wild with desire. Her legs wrapped around his waist, helping to pull him to her. Their mouths met and Conner was becoming unsure of his own control. His lips left hers and moved down her neck and shoulders, stopping where his hands had cupped her large breasts together. Conner tasted the tip of one of her breasts, licking and sucking softly until her body was rhythmically pounding against him. He did not move faster, but took his time, moving to her other side. Her nipples were firm when he drew back. Her eyes were closed and she waited for more.
His mouth suckled longer, while his fingers played between her thighs. His hand eventually found the spot that gave her body, if possible, an even more intense level of pleasure. His mouth moved down her quivering stomach and she gasped when he moved further, his tongue replacing his hand, pushing her closer to total ecstasy.
Her body started to shake as his tongue and then lips covered her flesh, sucking slowly. “Oh God, Conner.” Her thighs were on him like a vice and her own grip on the counter was making her knuckles white.
He sucked harder, building speed and intensity. The tight ball inside of her was ready to explode, as she felt sweat drip down her back. She moved her hips closer to the edge, and after a few moments, her hands pushed him away and she tried to close her legs to the mind-numbing pleasure. Lois had always wondered what it would be like to be with a man, but she could never have imagined this kind of sensual heaven.
“Oh please, enough,” she whimpered.
He had a smirk on his face when he finally stood up. He grabbed her face and pulled her closer. Her hand snuck down and grabbed his pants, pulling him nearer. Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with his fly, the zipper pulled taught in his arousal.
She managed to bring the front of his jeans down far enough. Her eyes widened as she stared down. He was huge. He groaned, and she stroked him, loving the way he felt in her hand. She wasn’t sure how to touch him, and found herself feeling insecure. He sensed this, and held his hand out to help her down while he let the pants fall to the ground. He stepped out of them and moved her towards the steaming shower. The marble was inviting to her, but her nerves went into high drive. The way he looked at her reminded her of his animal counterpart. She worried about how the next part would go, but knew he would be patient with her.
Conner backed her into the shower, the hot water hitting her skin. He moved towards her, his eyes holding hers.
He slid between her thighs, reveling in the feel of her softness on him. She was wet enough that he was quickly sliding between her legs with ease.
“Come on…you’re driving me crazy!” she whispered, her hands on his chest.
He pulled away from between her legs and pushed her up against the far wall. His mind raced and he lifted her up into his arms, her legs wrapping around him.
Their eyes met and for an instant, he saw that she was nervous. She closed her eyes. He moved forward, letting her weight push her down onto his length. She cried out for the briefest moment, but his lips comforted her and he paused to make sure she was ready to continue. The pain quickly subsided, leaving her with a yearning even deeper than before. Her hips moved against him, her insides throbbing with new sensations.
He pulled out completely before pushing back in slowly. His hands shook slightly as he held her up.
She trembled, unable to hold herself up when he started to rut in and out of her faster and harder. He was close and she tightened her grip on him until she felt one last surge, and then molten heat warming her inside. His moans and final thrusts as he released brought her to the peak of pleasure, and she let out several small gasps, the tension dissolving within the feeling that reached every nerve from her forehead to her toes.
Conner’s whole body relaxed afterwards. He let her slip down and then bent to kiss her. She was slack in his arms and he carried her out and set her gently on her feet. Wrapping her in a towel, he kissed her stomach. He couldn’t wait for her grow with his children, their children. Conner had waited for thirty years to find her and now that he had, he was never going to let her go. All he could think of was starting a family and making the mating official. He knew they would face many challenges, but together, they could weather any storm.
THE END
The Highland Locket
Jessica Savage
Copyright ©2015 by Jessica Savage. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Thank you so much for your interest in my work!
’TWAS on the 9th of September, a very beautiful day,
That a numerous English army came in grand array,
And pitched their tents on Flodden field so green
In the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and thirteen.
***
All was quiet across the hillside, the air eerily calm as before a storm. The occasional sound of a horse braying or a man shouting echoed across the valley, disturbing the peace. A bright sun gleamed across the vast blue of the skies as William Stewart waited for the signal for the battle to commence. He did not know that thousands of the men and boys around him would be dead by the time the sun rose again, one of them being his King. But he could not alter history or the lineage of over 10,000 men. It was possible, however, that he could shape his own destiny.
***
Rebecca Brooke stared out the window. All week the weather had been cold and dreadful, and a low mist had hung over the valley, blotting out the wonderful view that the brochure had promised. For a summer vacation, late August in Scotland had proved to be a damp squib so far. OK, so it was a working vacation, two months working on a 16th-century archaeological dig in Scotland. It had sounded pretty awesome at the time. Cool, yes. Cold–no!
It was her first proper assignment and her first time in Scotland. She would have preferred Egypt or India, but she had been allocated to Scotland instead. Although she had been told to pack for the weather, she had ignored the advice. Living most of her life in California, she spent most of the time in shorts and miniskirts that showed off her tanned and toned legs. What she needed here was a woolly jumper and thermal underwear! She had managed to buy a few pairs of thick leggings and wore these under her shorts and socks. It wasn’t her best look, but at least they showed off her figure. Most of the other girls wore thick, shapeless sweaters over practical-looking outdoor pants that didn’t do them any favors.
Not all was lost, however. There was James Anderson.
James was the lead archaeologist on the dig, a Scotsman and an expert on Scottish history. Not only was he handsome, but he was intelligent, too–the new sexy. With his deep auburn hair and brown eyes, no woman wa
s safe. Not that he noticed her, or anyone else for that matter. By breakfast, he had already eaten and gone out to the dig, and when he returned, his nose was always in a book. At least he was eye candy.
Her cell phone rang in her pocket and Rebecca looked at the number. It was her Mom. She had only been here for a couple of days but she had already phoned twice to see if she was eating properly and if she had managed to see the Queen of England yet; it was a no to both.
“Hi, Mom.” She tried not to sound bored.
“Becky, sweetheart, how are you doing out there?”
“Same as ever. How’s Dad?”
“He’s good, sweetie. Are you eating OK?”
The conversation continued thus and Rebecca tried hard to stifle a yawn. Her Mom meant well, but sometimes she could be overbearing.
“Are you tired, honey? You sound tired.”
“No, Mom, I’m still a bit jet-lagged. We haven’t been able to go out on site yet because of the good old British weather.”
“Well, don’t forget you could check out our relations there. We do have a great Aunt, twice removed, if she’s still living. She must be at least 90 by now. Wait a minute, and I’ll get you the details.”
“Mom...” But it was too late. Rebecca could hear her Mother scrabbling around in her bag for one of her notebooks.
“Here we are. Have you got a pen handy? It’s Mrs Nora McPherson, the Old Vicarage, Selkirk. Did you get that, sweetie?”
Rebecca hadn’t any desire to visit a relative who wouldn’t know her from Adam, but agreed with her Mom just to shut her up. After she promised her mother not to fall into a Loch, the call was finally over.
Sammy, a bespectacled English girl, was walking towards her with a smile. She had done her best so far to avoid her. Sammy was a “jolly hockey sticks” type who was always trying to arrange outings and activities for the others.
STICK: MC ROMANCE NOVELLA (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 8) Page 34