“I can’t wait anymore, Mia,” Drake said gruffly, and any resolve she had left crumbled at his obvious need.
Chapter Four – Drake
He could barely string words together, that’s how badly he wanted, no needed, to make Mia his… finally. His bear was trying to take over and render him unable to do anything but claim his mate.
The feel of her. The smell of her. The sounds she was emitting. They were all driving Drake wild. His dick had never been so hard in his life, and he knew if he didn’t try to keep hold of at least a little control, he was going to fuck her like the wild animal he was.
He stalked toward his oversized bed as Mia writhed in his arms, her mouth seeming to be everywhere at once.
Drake could smell her desire, which only fueled the need raging through him.
He threw her back on to the bed and flipped her, her feet hitting the floor as she bent in half over the bed. Drake’s hands tore her at clothes as she bucked and moaned beneath him. Once she was successfully naked, he put his hands on her fleshy hips and pulled her back, her naked ass brushing erotically against his jeans-clad cock.
One hand snaked around to cup her full, hanging breast, while the other moved over her ripe ass cheek, then lower, until he found the spot that made her moan loudly.
“God. Yes. Drake,” she cried, making him feel like the king of beasts.
He eased two fingers inside, pumping furiously while his thumb moved in little circles over her clit. At the same time, he pinched her tight nipple and pulled.
Mia started pushing her hips back, fucking his fingers as she tried to reach the orgasm that he could hear building within her. Her breath came out in quick little pants, with a sweet throaty moan emitting every few seconds, and when her breath caught and her head dropped, he knew she was there.
His pants were off in a flash. Drake pushed Mia’s back slightly, urging her to bend further, which caused her ass to tip up to him. She spread her legs wider as he ran the head of his cock from clit to ass and back again, lubricating his dick with her arousal. Each time he hit her tiny bundle of nerves, Mia rocked back and begged him to fuck her.
Unable to wait another second, Drake sheathed himself inside her hot, wet channel, sliding in until his balls hit the back of her thighs.
“Ahhhh, Drake,” Mia managed to say, as she dropped her cheek to the mattress and balled her hands in the comforter. “Fuck me. Hard.”
That was all the invitation his bear needed.
Drake held on to her hips as he pounded. In and out, as hard and fast as he could. Mia’s screams were driving him out of his mind, and when he felt her body clench around him and start to pulsate, he wrapped his arms under hers to pull her up, so she was almost standing as he fucked her. Her body shook as she rode out the crest of her orgasm, and her hands covered Drake’s over her breasts, as her head fell back to rest on his shoulder, leaving hers exposed.
The smell of sex filled the air, and Drake breathed in deep as release hit him. Pumping furiously, he bared his teeth, then bit down on Mia’s shoulder as he filled her, claiming her as his mate for life.
Mia cried out as she came again, her voice hoarse from calling out her pleasure.
Drake kissed his teeth marks, nuzzling her as she came down.
“You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” he murmured in her ear. “I knew we’d be magnificent together, but I had no idea we would be this good.”
Turning her head, Mia kissed his cheek and gave him a tired smile.
“I did.”
Drake smiled as he slid out of her, hoping she realized exactly what his claiming her meant, even as the bear within him hoped she’d become pregnant with his cubs and never leave him again.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he said gently, then took her hand and led her to his massive shower.
With full body jets, two shower heads, and an adjustable side bar, the shower was one of Drake’s favorite toys in his house.
“Oh my god,” Mia purred as hot water hit her from all directions.
Drake lathered his hands with body wash and slid it over her silky skin, washing her thoroughly as his hands memorized every inch of her body. Next, he squirted the shampoo in his hand and spread it over her long dark hair, lathering it as he used his fingers to massage her scalp.
Once she was clean, totally relaxed, and halfway asleep, he guided her out of the shower and toweled her off, then pushed her gently toward the bed and eased her inside, covering her up as her eyes fluttered closed.
Since he was the one who spoke with her father after her mother had been rushed to the hospital, Drake knew Mia had been in Milan just a few short days ago. He figured with the exhaustion from her travel, coupled with the news that her mother had been shot, that Mia was in need of a serious nap.
He probably should have waited to claim her, instead letting her get rest and giving them a chance to go over the questions they both had for the other, but once he’d had Mia in his lair, there’d been no chance of him waiting.
It just wasn’t possible, after so many years apart, to resist the temptation of claiming his mate once and for all.
Drake drew the covers over her and kissed Mia gently on the forehead, smiling as he inhaled his scent on her.
Knowing she’d be hungry when she woke, he threw on some basketball shorts and went downstairs to see what he could forage in his kitchen.
Chapter Five – Mia
Mia woke up feeling refreshed and limber. She stretched, reveling in the feel of the cool sheets against her naked body and the delicious aches that were letting themselves be known.
She couldn’t help but smile. That was the best sex she’d ever had in her life, bar none. In fact, she’d never imagined that the joining of two people could at once be totally primal and forge such an intimate connection.
Mia now knew what the expression rode hard and put away wet meant.
Yes, they probably should have talked first, tried to work out the misunderstandings that seemed to have occurred over the years. But she had to admit, the fact that Drake had wanted her so badly, so much that he couldn’t wait another second before throwing her down and having his way with her, did beautiful things to her self-confidence. And, if she was honest, it made her heart swell.
Could he really still love her, after all these years?
Eager to lay her eyes on him again, Mia got up, grabbing Drake’s t-shirt off the ground and pulling it over her head. As she walked down the stairs, she tried to comb her fingers through her hair and tame it as much as possible.
She heard movement in the kitchen and started that way without looking up, then smiled and said, “God, Drake, I can’t believe you just literally fucked me into a coma.”
Mia started to laugh, then lifted her head quickly when she heard not one, but two answering male chuckles.
Drake was leaning against the kitchen counter, but he wasn’t alone. He and his best friend and deputy, Tyson, were watching her approach with matching grins.
Forgetting her embarrassment, and lack of clothing, Mia grinned at the large, beautiful, black man and launched herself at her old friend.
“God, Ty, it’s so good to see you,” she exclaimed, as she threw her arms around him and hugged him close. “How are you?”
“I’m great, Mia,” he replied, his arms just as tight, then added, “Lookin’ good.”
Mia pulled back to smile up into his handsome face.
“You too!”
She heard a low rumble before Drake pulled her out of Tyson’s arms and into his own.
Ty chuckled and shook his head as Mia tugged on the hem of the shirt she was wearing and remembered to blush.
“Uh, sorry… about what I said,” Mia said, turning her head toward Drake’s.
“No problem, I thought it was hilarious,” Ty said, butting in.
Drake looked at her intensely and she felt her insides begin to quiver.
“Anytime,” he said simply, obviously unfazed by the f
act she’d just put their sex life on blast. Then her body heated when she realized he’d just said he’d fuck her into a coma again. Anytime.
“Well, I can see you guys have some catching up to do, so I’ll leave you to it,” Ty said, pushing off of the counter. “But, Mia, dinner soon, yeah?”
“Definitely,” she replied, giving him one more quick hug before he left.
Alone with Drake and suddenly unsure of herself, Mia moved out of his grasp and pointed to the full pot of coffee on the counter.
“May I?”
“Yes, of course,” Drake said, lifting a hand to brush a lock of stray hair off of her cheek. “Then have a seat, you must be hungry.”
As if on cue, Mia’s stomach grumbled, causing her to laugh nervously.
“I am,” she replied unnecessarily as she grabbed one of the mugs that was hanging off of a hook.
“Cream? Sugar?”
“No, thanks, just black.”
Mia took her coffee to the breakfast bar and settled on one of the stools, her hands wrapped around the mug as she sipped gingerly. She watched as Drake laid out a platter of French toast, bacon, and pancakes, then a bowl of scrambled eggs and a plate of toast.
With eyes wide, Mia squeaked, “Is that all for me?”
Looking adorably unsure of himself, Drake scanned all the food and replied, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made a little bit of everything. Don’t worry, I’ll help.”
Drake placed two plates and flatware on the bar and sat next to her.
“Dig in.”
Starving, and now salivating at the sight of all the delicious food, Mia helped herself to a little bit of everything. He had gone to the trouble to make it for her, after all, so she didn’t want to be rude.
At least that’s what she hoped he assumed.
After she’d dressed her French toast with butter and maple syrup, Mia took her first bite and moaned.
“Oh My God… Soooo good.”
Every bite was better than the last, and Mia let her approval be known with each savory taste.
“Mia, if you don’t stop making those noises, I’m going to have to fuck you again.”
She sucked in a breath, causing a chunk of egg to fly down her throat, and immediately started choking.
Drake hit her on the back and asked, “Shit, are you okay?”
Mia nodded as she tried to regain her breath, which was nearly impossible with thoughts of Drake throwing her on the wood floor and getting naked.
Once her breathing was back to normal, Mia took a sip of coffee and turned to Drake.
“I think we need to talk.”
Drake turned on his stool so his body was facing hers and nodded. “We do. I’ll begin… Why did you disappear without a trace?”
Mia’s eyes flew to his, confusion on her face, and said, “I didn’t. Drake, I got home from school that day and my mom was waiting for me with my bags packed. She said she was sending me to live with my dad because she didn’t think our relationship was healthy. I begged, pleaded with her to let me stay, but she refused to listen. I asked to call you, but she wouldn’t let me do that either. When we got to the airport I wrote you a letter and she said she’d give it to you. I wrote you, every week for the next two years, and never heard anything back.”
Drake’s face was tight, his anger obvious, but he grasped her hands gently in his and said, “I never received any letters, Mia. Not a one.”
“What? That’s impossible.”
“When I went to your house, your mother told me you were gone, that you were out of my reach and I’d never see you again. She wouldn’t tell me where you went, but I assumed it was to your father’s in New York… I just couldn’t do anything about it.”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I couldn’t call because you didn’t have a phone.”
“I always assumed, even if your parents were trying to keep us apart, that once you turned eighteen and graduated, you’d come to me. We were supposed to be together forever.”
Mia searched his face, her sadness at the situation evident.
“When I didn’t hear from you, I figured you’d moved on. I was heartbroken, Drake.”
Drake’s brown eyes were soft on hers when he answered, “So was I.”
Chapter Six – Drake
He could understand the heartbreak Mia had felt when he didn’t answer her letters. He’d felt
the same way when she vanished without a word. But he couldn’t help but be disappointed that she’d given up and chosen to travel the world instead of come back to him.
“I wanted to tear the country apart to try and find you, but I couldn’t,” Drake said, and he knew Mia understood his censure when her lips turned down.
“I know that, Drake, I do, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I trusted my mom to tell you where I’d gone. I should have known that you wouldn’t just ignore me… but it’s easy for the head, and the heart, to give in to the negative thoughts. My dad warned me that I was too young, and that a man like you wouldn’t suffer being alone for long. I believed him.”
Drake lifted his hand and caressed the soft apple of her cheek.
“I’ve never wanted anyone but you, I can promise you that. And, as much as I wish you’d come to me when you turned eighteen, I won’t lie and tell you that I didn’t feel angry and betrayed. That’s what kept me from contacting you once I joined the sheriff’s department and had the ability to locate you myself. I wanted you to come to me. I needed it to be your choice. And though it wasn’t your choice, I’m still happy that you’re home.”
Bringing her hand up to cup his on her cheek, Mia responded, “Me too. And, I swear, Drake, if I’d known what my parents were up to, I’d have come to you. But with the way things were, I just needed to get away from it all and prove that I could make it on my own.”
Drake dropped his hand and shut his eyes briefly, thinking of all they’d missed. Hell, they could have been married with a den full of cubs by now.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“I will be,” he responded, offering her a small smile before amending his answer. “We will be.”
Satisfied that they’d resolved enough for now, they cleaned up the kitchen together.
“I have to go in to the station for a little while, do you want me to drop you at the hospital?”
“Yes, please, that would be great. Let me run up and get ready.”
Once there, Drake parked in front of the hospital to drop Mia off.
“I should only be an hour, two at the most, will that work for you?” he asked.
“Yeah, that should be good,” Mia said, looking at the clock. Though the nap had helped, she was still exhausted. A couple of hours with her mom, then bed, sounded perfect.
“Okay, give me your phone,” he ordered, taking it from her and typing in his number. “Text me so I have yours, then let me know if you need me earlier.”
“Okay,” Mia replied.
When she didn’t immediately open the door and get out, Drake asked, “You good?”
Mia turned to him, her long hair flipping over her shoulder and revealing the tip of his mark on her. At the sight of it, Drake felt his bear rumble possessively and his dick immediately harden.
Oblivious to Drake’s desire, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth.
“Thanks,” she said, leaning back and looking in his eyes. “I’m happy I’m back too.”
Still smiling, she pushed open the door and climbed out, leaving Drake gripping the steering wheel.
He couldn’t wait to get her back in his bed.
Taking a deep breath, Drake pulled away from the curb and drove to the station, parking in his sheriff’s spot right out front.
He wasn’t surprised to see Tyson still there, but his dispatcher, Alice, was usually long gone by now.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he walked toward Alice’s desk. Ty was leaning over the back of her chair, and they both had their eyes locked on the computer,
so Drake rounded the desk to see what had them so captivated.
“I got a call from Earl,” Alice began. Earl was a PI from a couple counties over who had a crush on Alice, who was sixty if she was a day, and had been happily married for forty years. Still, his infatuation sometimes worked in their favor, when he caught cases that intertwined with theirs. “Apparently, some hoighty toighty big shot up in Upstate New York hired a guy to find this really expensive artifact.”
He looked to the screen where she pointed and saw what looked to be an old clay bowl or vase or something, probably an artifact from one of the local Indian tribes.
“What does that have to do with us?” Drake asked.
“Well,” Ty answered, easing back to standing. “The thug that was hired fits the description of the robber from Mia’s mom’s.”
“You think he was looking for that?”
Ty shrugged one shoulder and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Mia does have Sioux in her blood, on her mom’s side. Wouldn’t surprise me if something like this was in Ms. Carter’s hope chest or something.”
“It’s not like we can ask her,” Drake replied, running a hand over his hair. “I’ll talk to Mia, see if she’ll give us permission to search the place.”
“And maybe we should have Ricky keep an eye out, just in case this guy tries to come back and toss the house,” Ty said, referring to the retired sheriff who lived across the street from Mia’s mom.
“Yeah, call him. And have Mika drive by a couple times during his shift tonight,” Drake told Ty, speaking of his sergeant who preferred to work nights, as he moved over to his desk and slid in. “Tell Earl to send me everything he’s got on this Upstate character and on the thief. Mia’s at the hospital, she needs some time with her mom. I’ll try to get us into the house first thing tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” Ty replied. “Just shoot me a text and let me know if you want me to meet you there.”
Drake grunted in response, already caught up in emails and searches. If this guy was still in town, they needed to find him and get him in for questioning before he hurt anyone else. If there was one thing Drake couldn’t abide, it was a man who harmed women and children, and he knew his clan felt the same way.
Her Bear for Life (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Second Chance Shifters) Page 2