Her Bear for Life
By
Meredith Clarke
Her Bear for Life
Copyright 2015 Meredith Clarke
Published Dec 2015
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chapter One – Mia
As the plane landed on the small landing strip of the Spring Creek, Montana airport, Mia’s stomach erupted in a flurry of nerves.
It had been twelve years since she’d left this sleepy town for the bright lights and madness of New York City. Not that leaving had been her choice. At fifteen, madly in love, she’d been dragged out of this very airport, kicking and screaming.
Convinced that Mia and her boyfriend, Drake, were way too serious, too young, her mother had called Mia’s father and told him he’d better come get their daughter before she ended up impregnated by the local bad boy before her sixteenth birthday.
Mia had written Drake to tell him what had happened, and then sent countless other letters, professing her undying love and intent to return as soon as she turned eighteen… But she never received a letter in return.
In her case, absence hadn’t made the heart grow fonder. Hurt over Drake’s lack of response, Mia had started to believe her father’s insistence that her small town boyfriend had been too intense and too overbearing a partner for a girl so young, and that she was better off without him. Free to spread her wings and become the woman she’d grown into.
Mia Carter, the jet-setting, plus-sized model, who’d traveled from New York to Dubai and everywhere in between. She’d been scouted at eighteen and had spent the last ten years cultivating a career that most women her age would die for, then early last week, she’d received word that her mother was in the hospital.
Mia had spent the last week flying from Milan back to her shared apartment in New York, finishing up her latest project, and gathering what she’d need to come and stay with her mother until she recovered.
She hadn’t allowed herself to think about Drake until the last leg of her trip.
Would he still be there? Would he remember her? Why didn’t he write back? And the one that plagued her the most, was he married?
Needing to use the restroom and freshen up, Mia went directly to the bathroom after getting off the plane. Though she’d been back in the United States since Monday, Mia was still feeling a little jetlagged, and hopping right on another plane after gathering her things in New York wasn’t helping.
Luckily, one of the first things she’d learned as a model was to look the part, even if she wasn’t feeling it, so she was confident that no one who saw her would know she’d kill to have a nice warm bath and a big comfy bed to sleep in for the next twelve hours or so.
Satisfied that her long dark hair and expertly applied makeup were holding up, Mia left the restroom intent on heading straight to the hospital.
Her father hadn’t told her exactly what had happened—the man always seemed to be purposefully vague—but at least he’d told her that her mother was in the local hospital and that the sheriff was keeping an eye on her until Mia arrived.
Anxious to see that her mother was all right for herself, Mia rushed out of the airport with her head down, and therefore didn’t see there was someone in front of her until she ran smack into him.
Large hands grasped her arms to steady her, and Mia brought her head up, having to keep craning her neck further back to look into the face of the man who caught her.
At five foot ten inches, with plenty of hips, ass, and breasts to spare, Mia was no shrinking violet, but the man holding her made her feel as delicate as that flower. He had to be six foot five if he was an inch, with a powerful build and a well-groomed beard. The entirety of him would have been intimidating, if it wasn’t for those eyes. Like hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, they soothed her even as they warmed her from the inside out.
Mia hadn’t forgotten those eyes, the effect they had on her, or the tenacity with which she’d loved the boy they belonged to. But the owner of those eyes was no longer a boy… No, Drake was all man.
A man whose intensity hadn’t dimmed in the slightest; if anything, it had increased, and Drake was looking at her as if he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to throttle her or throw her down right there in the airport lobby and claim her.
One look at his face, one second back in his arms, and Mia was already hoping for door number two.
It looked like neither time nor distance had changed Mia’s feelings for Drake in the slightest. Before she had a chance to wonder what to do with that realization, Drake spoke, his deep rumbling voice causing her blood to heat, even as his words caused her to flinch.
“It’s about time you fucking got here. Jesus, Mia, are you so fucking selfish that you can’t leave your high profile career for five minutes when your only mother’s been shot?”
Mia felt the slap of his censure and pulled her arms out of his grasp, then what he said penetrated.
“Shot? What do you mean she’s been shot? My father said she was in the hospital sick, not wounded, and I thought the sheriff was looking out for her. What happened?”
Drake’s eyes searched her face, as if looking to see if she was telling the truth.
“She woke up to the sound of someone in her house and went downstairs with a baseball bat. She caught the robber by surprise and when he jerked back, his gun went off. I’m sorry, Mia, but she hasn’t gained consciousness yet. I don’t know why your father told you she’s sick. I spoke with him myself and told him what had happened.”
“You did?” Mia asked, utterly confused. “But I thought he’d spoken to the sheriff.”
“I am the sheriff, Mia, have been for the last three years. Of course, you’d know that if you ever bothered to come home.”
Chapter Two – Drake
It was taking every ounce of his control not to throw Mia over his shoulder, take her home, and fuck her until she could no longer walk.
The man in him was pissed. Furious that she was walking as casually back into his life as she’d walked out of it. Like she hadn’t taken his heart with her when she’d so callously left him behind.
His bear just wanted to finally claim his mate.
The look of her. The smell of her. The touch of her.
Shit, he was practically vibrating with need.
The girl he’d fallen in love with had been beautiful, sweet, and everything he’d ever wanted in a girl, but this woman… with her luscious curves, gorgeous face, and fuck me eyes, this was the woman who was made to complete him.
Now he just needed to make sure she never left again.
> “We’ll talk later,” he said gruffly. He needed to get Mia to the hospital so she could see her mother, then take her home so he could finally find out why she’d left all those years ago, and why she’d never come back. “Let’s go.”
Drake led her out the door, giving himself a second to check out her ass before following her, finding it suddenly necessary to adjust himself in his jeans.
Fifteen had been too young for either of them to do much more than kiss, and Drake had spent the last twelve years of his life wondering what it would feel like to finally claim his mate. Now that she was before him, and well above the age for them to be together in every way, Drake’s bear was quite impatient.
When they got to the hospital, Drake let Mia go in to her mother’s hospital room without him, figuring she’d need some privacy. As far as he knew, this was the first time she’d seen her mother since she left, and he could tell she felt some guilt over seeing her this way. Unconscious in a hospital room.
Drake busied himself by calling in to the station and speaking with Alice, his dispatcher, before calling his deputy and best friend, Tyson.
“She here?” Tyson asked when he answered the phone.
“Yup.”
“How’s she look?” Ty asked, needling his friend, then laughing when Drake growled in response. “That good, huh?”
“Let me worry about Mia,” Drake said in response. “You worry about finding the shooter.”
All teasing gone, Ty replied, “The neighbor ended up being a dead end, but I had someone new come forward and say they may have seen a blue Ford pickup tearing down Main Street after midnight the night it happened.”
“All right, let me know if you find anything.”
“Will do. And, Drake,” Ty called before Drake disconnected. “I’m glad she’s back.”
Drake didn’t respond, just turned the phone off and slid it in his pocket.
“Um, can you drop me at my mom’s house? I’d like to unpack and take a shower before coming back,” Mia asked as she stepped out of the room.
Drake shook his head, then bit his lip to hold back a smile when her expression turned insolent.
She’d always been quick to anger, his Mia.
“Well, fine, I’ll just walk then. I don’t suppose this town has ventured into the twenty-first century and started a taxi service.”
“I didn’t mean I wouldn’t give you a ride, I meant you’re not staying at your mom’s.”
“Why not?”
“Because, Mia,” he said, fighting to remain patient. “Your mother was robbed and shot in her living room. There’s no way I’m letting you stay in that house, especially with the guy still out there somewhere.”
Drake could tell that made an impact, but he found his patience waning when she asked, “Okay, can you take me to a hotel?”
“You’re not staying in a fucking hotel.”
Mia’s eyes widened.
“W-why not?”
“You’re staying with me.”
“Um, no, I’m not.”
Drake clenched his jaw, breathed deeply in and out through his nose, then looked down at Mia and said, “Yes, Mia, you sure as hell are. I can keep you safe, and we need to talk.”
“About what?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her question would have further pissed him off if she didn’t look so damn cute.
“You know what we have to talk about. Your leaving without saying anything, for starters, and… you not coming back until now.”
He could tell she wanted to argue, but she noticed the look on his face and thought better of it.
Then she surprised him when her mask slipped and her pain became evident.
“You never came after me.”
Drake brought his hand to her chin, lifting her face so her eyes were on his, and he begged, “Don’t do that. You knew I couldn’t come after you, and you knew why, even if you never put it to words. You know, Mia.”
Mia closed her eyes, then nodded, and it felt like all the years drifted away.
She was here, his girl, and they could finally get on with the life they were meant to have. Still, they had some things to get off their chests first. Drake didn’t want any baggage holding them back when he finally got her where he needed her.
“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” he said, holding his hand out. When she placed her hand in his, he felt the rumble from within, and knew things were sliding into place.
Chapter Three – Mia
Something’s not right, Mia thought, as she sat silently on the drive to Drake’s house. Why did he say he didn’t know why I left, and why I hadn’t come back? What about my letter?
He was obviously brooding, so she decided to wait until she’d showered the trip off of her to delve into the topic. Drake had always been a champion brooder. She’d learned pretty quickly to let him have his space whenever he got the look on his face that he had now.
That was fine. She was content to sit back and watch him warily out of the corner of her eye. He was so handsome that she literally ached, and she worried that her attraction to him was still so intense.
When he’d gotten all bossy with her, rather than be offended and mouth off about taking care of herself like she’d normally have done, Mia had found it oddly thrilling. It was Drake after all, and he’d always taken charge of any situation. He was a natural born leader, and it didn’t surprise her at all that he was now the sheriff.
What did surprise her was the house they parked in front of after driving down a secluded gravel road. Rustic, beautiful, and charming. Those were the adjectives that popped in Mia’s head as she took in the two story log cabin in front of her.
With a smile, she turned to see Drake watching her intently.
“It’s gorgeous,” Mia admitted, as her hand went to the door handle. “Did you have it built?”
“Tyson and I did most of the work, but we contracted what we couldn’t do,” he replied, surprising her.
“No you didn’t,” she said, the awe she felt apparent in her voice. As she rounded the car, she realized what he said and asked, “Tyson? He’s still around?”
Drake and Tyson had been inseparable, and when Drake and Mia had started dating, Tyson was often the third to their duo. Mia had never minded; she’d loved Tyson like a brother. He was always cracking jokes and having fun, while Drake was more serious. She’d missed him over the years, and realized just how much she’d lost when she’d left Spring Creek.
“Yeah, of course,” Drake replied, as if it was a foregone conclusion that Tyson would stay in town, and Mia guessed that it was. She’d always known Drake was a bear shifter and had assumed Tyson was too. It would only make sense that they’d stay to be with their clan. “He’s actually my deputy.”
That made her smile. Mia was happy that some things hadn’t changed and that the two men were still as close as ever.
“C’mon, I’ll show you around,” Drake said, holding out his hand.
Mia looked at it for a moment, her stomach a battle of nerves as she wondered just what she was getting herself into by staying at Drake’s house, before placing hers gently in it.
Sparks flew at his touch, as if they’d never been apart. Mia took a deep, cleansing breath and let him guide her up the stairs of the porch.
Mia gasped when she walked inside, her eyes trying to take in everything at once. The open floor plan was perfect: you could see the kitchen, dining space, and living area, as well as the stairs that led to the second floor. Big, plush recliners bookended a large sectional sofa, which made her yearn to curl up with a good book. The fireplace looked warm and inviting, and the kitchen was a cook’s dream.
Drake’s hand moved to the small of her back, shifting until it touched her skin, which caused Mia to jump as if she’d been burned. She turned her head to ask him what he was doing, but as soon as her lips were in range, his mouth closed over hers.
Jolted and riddled with memories, Mia opened for him, eager to feel the heat that only Dr
ake had ever been able to stoke within her. Even at fifteen, she’d known that the way she melted whenever he kissed her was not normal. Over the years, the truth of that had only become more glaring. No man had ever measured up to Drake.
As she reached around his back, Mia explored the contours of his massive deltoids and admitted that even Drake from her youth couldn’t measure up to the man that held her in his arms now.
His tongue delved into her mouth, and Mia whimpered unabashedly as she moved in closer, trying to become one with him.
Drake’s hands seemed to be everywhere. Her ass, her breasts, even gently cupping her face. The fire stoked into a raging flame, and Mia began to wonder if it was possible to come from only a kiss. Her body was that revved up.
Drake tore his mouth from hers, his hands at her ass, cradling her, pushing her up against his hard length. Mia rocked uncontrollably against him, reveling in the growl that erupted from deep within his chest.
“I’m taking you upstairs,” Drake declared, leaning down to bite her lower lip between his teeth, then pulling gently.
“I thought we needed to talk,” Mia replied, trying to shake the fog out of her head. She also remembered that she needed a shower; she couldn’t imagine that she smelled all that great, and she wasn’t sure if she’d shaved that morning or not.
“Later,” he bit out, surprising her by lifting her up as if she weighed nothing.
Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his waist, as her arms came around his neck.
“I’m too heavy,” she argued, self-conscious of how much she weighed.
Chuckling, Drake moved toward the stairs; it was obvious carrying her wasn’t a struggle at all. As he moved, Drake bent his head to press his lips against her neck, so Mia tilted to give him better access, desire pooling when he nipped her there, then nuzzled.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, Mia tried to redirect him once more.
“I really need a shower,” she breathed, and when he rocked against her, his cock as hard as steel, she forgot why she cared.
Her Bear for Life (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Second Chance Shifters) Page 1