by Iris Balfour
My job quandary gave me a legitimate reason to call him. I wouldn’t have to feel like a clinging ex-girlfriend. I glanced at the clock. Eight-thirty. Not too late.
He picked up immediately. “Georgette.” His voice held only pleasure.
I felt ashamed of my doubts. I could have called him at any time. After a little back and forth, I told him my problem.
“I don’t know which job to take, Bear.”
His pleased laugh made me smile. “Which one sounds like more fun?”
“Both of them. And I liked the people at both. And both facilities are great. So you tell me. Give me some inside information as to which one I should take.”
“Pluton. They’ve got some initiatives coming up that are going to thrust them in the public eye. They’re going to need sharp people like you.”
I felt myself turning pink from his praise. “Pluton,” I said thoughtfully. “Thanks, Bear. And how are you doing?” Some of my longing escaped through my voice.
“I miss you.” The sound of a door closing came through the phone. “There, we’re alone now. I miss you, and I want to pick up right where we left off the next time I see you.” His warm, intimate voice made me tingle in all the right places. “Things here are settling down. Maybe this weekend we can get away, just the two of us. Would you like to go to my cabin for the weekend?”
“An entire weekend alone with you? Sign me up.”
His laugh sounded like a growl. “It’s a date.”
Bear
Thinking about the upcoming weekend — two whole days with my sexy Georgette — kept me hard. I was going to taste her sweet honeypot again, and this time I’d put my cock in her and claim her once and for all.
Rory sensed my distraction. Keeping him on the leash while he got used to controlling his bear nature was getting easier, but sometimes he tested me by starting arguments.
I’d been around enough new shifters to understand it was the bear inside trying to figure out the boundaries. Sometimes it came down to a physical fight, bear against bear, until the new bear figured out I was the boss.
Despite Rory’s challenging tones and aggressive postures, I was able to maintain my calm. But he’d do better if he got out of the city and into the woods for a while. He needed to get into his bear skin and soak up some nature.
I would have preferred being completely alone with Georgette, but I wasn’t willing to wait months. I wanted her yesterday.
In a phone call Thursday evening I warned Georgette that I had to bring a friend with me, but that he’d be sleeping in the apartment over the garage.
“Oh.”
Her subdued tone alarmed me. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She took a moment to answer, and I sweated it out, worrying that she’d cancel on coming.
“I’m wondering why you’re hiding this man. Did he do something illegal?”
My hand tightened on the phone until my knuckles were white. That she didn’t trust me hurt like a red-hot spike driven in my chest. But her knowing that I was holding back was part of our being mates. She knew there was something big I wasn’t telling her. I was lucky she’d trusted me so far despite it.
“No,” I said. “There’s nothing illegal going on. My friend’s in a rough spot right now, and I’m afraid to leave him alone.”
Her long sigh of relief carried over the phone. “You’re a good man, Bear.”
She made me feel guilty. I would have dumped Rory in a heartbeat if there was anyone else I trusted to see him through his first months.
But that hurdle was jumped. We arranged that I’d pick her up Friday afternoon, and the three of us would drive to the cabin.
xii
Georgette
I prowled anxiously from kitchen to living room to bedroom. Every loop through the living room I glanced out the front window, looking for Bear’s vehicle. I was excited about being with Bear. Oh, was I ever excited. I couldn’t keep the memories of his kisses and touches, of how it felt when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me up against him, from overwhelming my thoughts. My body already was responding, my nipples hard and my panties wet.
Another lap through the living room. I watched through the window as Bear pulled up in a truck, not the sports car. Both he and his friend got out. His friend was younger than I expected, and nearly as hot as Bear. I was glad I’d seen him from the window first so I wouldn’t embarrass myself by staring.
I grabbed my weekend bag and locked the door behind me before they could reach my apartment. It was time for the weekend to start now.
Bear met me on the walkway. Instantly I was swept up in his arms, our mouths pressed together. As we kissed, the last few weeks faded to nothing.
Eventually he set me down. Somehow my bag had ended up in his hand, and his arm was around my waist, and his amber eyes were probing mine, checking that I was okay.
He was different from any boyfriend I’d ever had. None of them had ever taken the time to really look at me and see how I was doing. Bear made me feel protected and special.
Apparently reassured, Bear turned to the man standing a pace away from us. “Georgette, this is Rory.”
Rory held out his hand.
I took it, slightly reluctant. He had some of the same physical charisma Bear had, a physical presence that made it almost uncomfortable to be around him. He was still hot up close too, enough that I wished Becky were there to watch me drive away with the two of them.
But he wasn’t happy. Bear was right, he was in some kind of trouble. Impulsively I said, “I’m really glad to meet you. Bear hasn’t told me much about you, but you must be a good friend of his.”
Rory looked taken aback, his blue eyes flashing from Bear to me. “I’m happy to meet you too.” His gaze went back to Bear. I don’t know what I said, but it affected him somehow.
Bear threw my bag in the back of the truck, and we all climbed in. I got to sit between the two men. I liked sitting close to Bear, but having that animal magnetism on both sides of me was a strain.
Friday night traffic was heavy, so I left Bear to it. Turning to Rory, I asked, “Are you from this part of the state?”
“Actually, no. I grew up near Bakersfield.”
“What brought you up north?”
“A compulsion.” He smiled bitterly.
Oh. I tried to rescue the conversation. “How do you like it here so far?”
“I haven’t seen much.”
I changed tack. “The scenery around Bear’s cabin is wonderful.”
“That’s nice.”
Giving up, I lapsed into silence. We stopped once to tank up on gas and stretch our legs, then it was straight on to Bear’s cabin in the woods. I smiled at the sound of it, thinking of fairy tales about remote cabins. But there weren’t any wicked witches or hungry wolves or bear families where we were going, just Bear, his friend, and me.
We turned off the main road to a rutted lane and followed it until we reached the cabin. It was a black rectangle in the dark of the night, lit only by our headlights. Bear pulled up in front of the garage, hit a button on the remote clipped to his windshield visor, and pulled inside.
“We’re home.” He smiled at me, and his gaze shifted to Rory.
Without saying a word, Rory got out. I slid across the seat behind him. Before I could jump down Bear was there, taking me by the waist and lowering me to the ground. I guess I could get used to that.
Rory stood outside the garage, staring out into the trees and sniffing. At first I thought maybe he had a cold, but he hadn’t sniffled at all during the ride. Watching him out of the corner of my eye, I was certain he was just smelling the forest. It smelled good to me too, but there was an intensity in his actions that was, well, strange.
Bear was watching him also, which was kind of worrying. Why should Bear be concerned about the seemingly simple actions of his friend?
Bear grabbed my bag from the trunk. Taking my hand, he led me across the small open area between the garage and
the cabin, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll be right back, Rory.”
Rory started, as though he’d completely forgotten there were other people there.
We went up the five steps to the wide front porch, and Bear unlocked the door. He dropped my bag just inside the doorway, then he swooped me up into his arms and carried me inside.
Surprised, I clung to him, aroused at feeling the beat of his heart so close to me. I wound my arms around his neck and raised my lips for a kiss.
He gripped me tighter, his mouth latching on to mine. We kissed for a long, long moment that I wanted never to end.
But Bear set me gently down on the floor. “I’ve got to get Rory settled in. I’ll be right back.”
Sighing, I watched his broad back go back down the steps before turning to investigate the cabin.
The front door led to the living room. It was furnished with a couple of low couches, heavily built and upholstered in creamy leather, and surrounded by tables and lamps. Windows on three sides looked out onto the front porch and to both sides. A door on the wall without windows led to a hall with stairs leading up. Another door in the hall went to the kitchen. And there was a bathroom. I used the facility and washed my face and hands, and Bear still wasn’t back.
I supposed I could go upstairs to put my bag away, but it felt presumptuous. Instead I wandered through the cheery kitchen admiring his up-to-date appliances and the lovely tile counters.
It had been a long day. I plopped myself into a seat at the huge oak table. Within a few minutes my head sank onto my crossed forearms.
“Georgette.” I felt a soft touch on my shoulder.
I lifted my head, feeling groggy. Had I fallen asleep?
Bear was smiling at me. “Sorry to make you wait. It wasn’t that long, was it?”
“Er, no. It’s just—” I waved my hands. “It’s been a long week.”
His presence revitalized me. I was very much aware it was just him and me now, alone, with nothing else to do but be with each other.
His hand was still on my shoulder, warm and carrying a current from his heart. His energy flowed through his skin and into me.
I stood, and he took me in his arms. We kissed, slowly and deeply, but I felt him holding back. His body wanted me, but his mind wasn’t completely with me.
When he pulled away, I wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, sure, but even that was tempered by my wanting our first real time together to be special.
He cleared his throat. “We need to talk before we go any further. Tonight isn’t a good time. In the morning we’ll both be fresh.”
A cold fear gripped me. Was he trying to say it was all a mistake, or that he just wanted to be friends with benefits, or what? “Bear.” My voice came out harder than I intended. “Don’t you think we should have talked before you brought me here?”
“It will be easier here. I can show you.”
“Show me what?”
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
“No, I’m ready now. You’re not going to make me wait all night.” I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the table, determined to force him to spill it now.
“No,” he said stubbornly, “it’s too important to discuss when we’re tired.”
“But not important enough to mention before you dragged me out into the sticks.” I pointedly added, “Where I can’t just call a taxi if I want to leave now, can I?”
His face showed chagrin. “That wasn’t—”
“What else am I supposed to think?”
He exploded, “That I need a night’s rest before we talk so I can figure out the right words! I’ve never had to say this stuff to my mate, okay? It’s new to me, and I don’t know how to tell the person who matters most in the whole world to me!” He frowned at me, his face twisted in frustration.
I reached out a hand and touched his face, my fingers sliding down the smooth skin of his brow into the soft curls of his beard.
I was the person who mattered most in the world to him. His involuntary declaration soothed my heart. He wasn’t trying to put me off. The most capable man I knew had difficulty communicating. What he wanted to say I couldn’t guess, but it wasn’t any of the things I feared.
“I’m sorry, Bear.”
He pulled me close to him. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Georgette. I want everything to be perfect for us. It’s just — I don’t know.”
I pulled his head down. I kissed him. He was open to me now, like he hadn’t been earlier. He hadn’t told me whatever it was, but he was less worried and more aroused.
Much more aroused.
And so was I. I felt secure that he cared for me. Whatever the issue was, we could work it out tomorrow. Tonight I wanted to feel his hands on me, and I wanted to put my hands all over him. I wanted to taste him all over, I wanted to feel his cock in my mouth.
I wanted him to eat me again.
I quivered with desire, imagining his lips on me. Imagining his cock sliding deep inside me.
I rubbed against his hard length. His arms tightened around me. The urgency licked through my veins. Parting my lips, I leaned back against his arms, letting him support my weight. He bent over me, intently focused on me. Like an ant under a magnifying glass, I burned from his focused attention.
His tongue entered my mouth, slowly and teasingly, entering, withdrawing, re-entering, sliding across my tongue, retreating. My whole body throbbed with wanting him.
“Bear,” I said softly. The sound of his name pleased me. It was so right for him, so perfect. He was big, and sometimes gruff, and always protective. My bear made me feel so safe.
“Georgette?” he questioned with a catch in his throat.
“I want you to take me. Please, Bear, I want to feel you inside me.”
He made a sound deep in his throat and picked me up. I held tight as he carried me out of the kitchen and up the stairs. He kicked open a door and laid me down on a huge bed. I sank into its cozy depths.
Bear tugged my shirt over my head and discarded it, then drew my pants down past my ankles and off my feet. He took a half step back, watching me as I lay sprawled there in my panties and bra.
Moonlight seeped through the uncovered windows, glazing his skin with silver and giving his beard and hair a blue cast. For an instant he appeared to shimmer, becoming larger and bearlike, but the illusion faded. It was Bear, my bear, his eyes glittering in the moonlight.
“Take your clothes off,” I whispered.
He smiled at me, pleased with my desire. The long sleeves of his button-up shirt had been rolled up over his forearms. Without hurrying, he rolled his sleeves, unfastened the front buttons, and tossed his shirt in the same direction he’d thrown my clothes.
His body was magnificent. His shoulders and chest were powerful without looking artificially grown. The ripples of his abs were in perfect proportion, sculpted but somehow feral at the same time.
He unzipped his trousers and stepped out of them. His cock strained against his shorts. I wanted to see it, touch it, taste it.
Still wearing his shorts, he straddled me.
“You tease!” I complained, slipping my hands under the waistband and stroking the taut muscles of his hips.
He nuzzled my neck, his hot lips tickling pleasurably.
He rubbed my breasts through my bra. My nipples felt so hard, so ready to be sucked. He grunted with disappointment when I withdrew my hands from his shorts. Arching my back, I removed my bra.
Bear immediately pounced on my breasts, kissing and licking and pinching. Getting pinched was new to me, but I liked it a lot. It made me feel daring and made my clit pulse with excitement.
I tugged his shorts down his thighs, freeing his cock. I breathed a little harder feeling its hard thick girth. It more than filled my hands. His cock would be so big and hard in my pussy.
Bear was making loud smacking noises as he sucked my nipples. The sounds made me incredibly excited. I wanted to suck Bear’s big hard cock.
&
nbsp; “Let me eat you,” I demanded.
Bear rolled me on top of him. I gave him a wicked grin and, turning so my pussy was right over his face, crouched over him. He put his big hands on my ass and dragged my pussy to his mouth. Oh god, the feel of his tongue sliding between my wet lips and dipping inside me was delicious.
With a shiver of delight, I put out my tongue and licked the tangy precum from Bear’s head. His cock was a giant lollipop, all mine, and I was going to lick every bit of sweetness from it.
Opening wide, I took in just his head. God, his cock was big. I had to keep my mouth stretched open to avoid scraping him with my teeth. I swallowed as much of him as I could, my tongue going crazy with swirling round and round and over and under his ridge. He tasted wonderful, my man, my Bear. I loved his scent, a hint of sweat and his manly musk.
Oh god, his tongue was on my clit now. He sucked and licked almost to the point of pain.
I had to take his cock deeper in my mouth. I pushed down, relaxing and taking his cock farther and farther. My jaw hurt, and I didn’t care. I wanted all of him.
I pushed my head down on his cock, and lifted up a little, and went back down again. Bear started moving with me, and then I was following his moves. He drove his cock in my mouth, and I took it. I took it deep, angling my neck so I could take as much as possible of his glorious cock. He was breathing hard now, panting, his thrusts strong and powerful. I clutched his hips, my mouth his to use.
All this time he was sucking and lapping at my clit. Having his cock in my mouth was incredibly exciting, and to be eaten at the same time… The goodness was almost unbearable.
I climaxed in a wave of spasms. Bear’s fingers dug into my hips, preventing me from arching away from his inexorable tongue. It… felt… so… good. It felt so good it hurt.
I writhed in his hands, my movements jarring his cock. He started pumping faster, more urgently, and then he came with a burst of hot semen in my mouth.
I licked and sucked and swallowed. Letting his cock fall out of my mouth, I licked up and down his shaft.
He released my hips. “My Georgette,” he groaned.