“Riley, I don’t think I made myself clear when I told you that you were my lifemate, and I had bonded to you. That’s not just some cute thing I was saying to try to be romantic. It was my telling you, with every fiber of my being, that I am absolutely, one hundred percent committed to you. Forever. For always. Like I told you, being a lifemate is an even stronger bond than being husband and wife. I know we haven’t been together very long, but I can’t live without you. I’m bonded to you, and, for a bear shifter, that lifemate bond is unbreakable. Riley, be my wife. Be my lifemate. Be whatever term you want to use, but just be with me forever.”
Riley felt tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. Despite her best efforts, they started spilling over. “Okay,” she said.
“Okay?” Hunter repeated hopefully.
“Okay. Let’s do this. Let’s be together forever. If I’m honest, I can’t imagine life without you anymore, either.”
Hunter grinned from ear to ear, then he pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. He jumped up and pulled Riley up from the bench into his embrace, and then covered her mouth with his. Riley felt a surge of hot passion flood through her at his touch. This night had definitely not turned out the way she thought it would. She had worried that she and Hunter would end up in their first heated argument, with him angry that she didn’t want to accept a business loan from him until he was ready to commit. Instead, she was being spun around in the arms of her brand new fiancé.
“Does this mean you’ll let me help you with the pie shop?” Hunter asked. “I can’t bear the thought of you being far away from me.”
“Yes, you can help,” Riley said. As the words left her mouth, she felt a flood of excitement and relief wash over her. She was going to own her own pie shop! Her lifelong dream was actually going to come true. There was so much to do—she needed to come up with a cute name, and start planning a menu, and find a location in town that would work…But, first things first. Tonight, she wanted to focus on Hunter.
“This picnic table is lovely,” Riley said, “But maybe we should take this bottle of wine somewhere a little more private.”
Hunter smiled. “I like the way you think,” he said. “I know just the place. Come on.” Hunter took her hand and led her toward the bunk house, but they went in a side entrance that Riley had never used before. Hunter led her up a dark, dusty set of stairs and to a loft with huge windows that overlooked the runway.
“This is beautiful,” Riley said as she gazed out at the runway lights. “I had no idea this was up here.”
“Yeah, we don’t really use this room,” Hunter said. He put his arms around Riley and drew her close, pausing for a moment to let them look out the window together. Riley leaned her head against Hunter’s bare chest and sighed happily.
“We forgot the wine,” she said, although the last thing on her mind at the moment was wine. All she could really think about was Hunter’s erection, which she could feel pressing against her through his sweatpants.
Hunter chuckled. “It’s only a two minute walk back, if you want to go grab it.”
Riley looked up at him, and batted her eyelashes. “We can go back and get it in a little while. I have a few things I’d like to do up here first, you sexy bear.”
Hunter lowered his eyelids and let out a guttural growl, and then, they were off. He pushed her up against the side wall, kissing her deeply as she moaned and lifted her legs off the ground, wrapping them around his hips. Hunter spun away from the wall, never taking his mouth off of hers as he crossed over to the other side of the room where an ancient, short table stood. He set Riley’s legs down on the ground for a moment, pulling down her shorts and underwear. She grasped desperately at his pants and slid them down. Riley grinned when his huge dick sprang free from underneath the pants.
“You’re not wearing any underwear,” she said. “Were you hoping to get lucky?”
“Maybe,” Hunter said. “Don’t act like you’re not enjoying the view.”
He hoisted her up onto the table, which put her vagina perfectly at the level of his groin. Riley let out a groan of satisfaction as he pulled her shirt up and over her head, then unclasped her bra and threw it across the dark room. Riley could feel moisture oozing from her slick, wet entrance. She felt warm, and all she could think about was how good Hunter was going to feel inside of her.
He didn’t make her wait long. He took his hands and spread her knees wide, giving him open access to thrust his rock hard dick deep inside of her. She gasped as he filled her. His large size still came as a surprise, and her skin tingled as he lunged into her over and over, back and forth. Beads of perspiration from the excitement formed on Riley’s forehead. She closed her eyes, and leaned her head back, using her hands to brace herself against the table as Hunter slid in and out of her, rubbing the sensitive skin of her clitoris with unrelenting friction until Riley couldn’t take it anymore. She exploded into a cascade of pleasure. Then she cried out loudly as her internal muscles clenched and relaxed, then clenched again, bringing warm, tingling sensation with each spasm. Hunter roared again, then stiffened as he shot a pulsing hot stream into her body. He sounded like a beast. A sexy, passionate beast.
Riley wrapped her arms around him and enjoyed the moment as they both panted, coming down from the incredible high they had just experienced together. Hunter pulled Riley off the table, letting her feet hit the solid ground as he planted a soft kiss on her lips.
“I don’t even have the words to describe how incredible you are,” he whispered. “I’m so lucky I found you.”
“I’m lucky you found me, too,” Riley said. “I wouldn’t even be here anymore without you. You saved my life. And now, I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Hunter smiled. “I can’t think of anything that could possibly make me happier,” he said. “Come on, let’s get dressed and go have a glass of that wine. We have a lot of business plans to make. Don’t think for a second that I’m gonna let you slack off on getting that pie shop going.”
Riley grinned. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I can’t wait to get started.”
Riley took Hunter’s hand as they headed back down the stairs to the picnic table, where he poured her a glass of wine and they toasted to the future. He kissed her forehead and sat next to her, making her feel warm and happy as she sipped her wine and glanced over at him. She hadn’t in her wildest imaginations thought when she left for her wilderness trip that she’d end up with a sweet, sexy fireman. Or that he’d be a bear shifter and help her fulfill her lifelong dream of opening her own pie shop.
But she couldn’t imagine anything being more perfect than her life in that very moment.
A BURN TO BEAR
Chapter One
Luke Griffin shoved a bite of blackberry pie into his mouth and moaned in approval.
“These pies are better than sex,” he said, savoring the way the tart flavor of the berries mixed with the sweet, flaky crust.
Trevor Hayes raised an eyebrow in Luke’s direction. “Dude, when’s the last time you got laid? I won’t argue with you that these pies taste better than pretty much any dessert I’ve ever tried before. But I can’t agree with you that eating pie is more amazing than sex.”
Luke shrugged. “At least the pies don’t break your heart. They just sit there, all warm and gooey, waiting patiently for you to gobble them up.”
Luke shoved another big bite of pie into his mouth and moaned again, louder this time. From behind the large front counter, Riley Hughes looked up from the dough she was mixing and glared at Luke.
“Hey, buddy. I’m glad you like my pies, but can you keep down the orgasmic moans. This is a family friendly restaurant.”
Luke shrugged apologetically at Riley and quieted down, although he didn’t really see why it mattered what noises he made, since he and Trevor were the only customers in the restaurant at the moment. He didn’t want to upset Riley, though, since she was his best friend Hunter’s lifemate. Riley had o
pened the doors to her pie shop, The Sweet Crust, just last week—and she spent most of her time worrying about whether business was going okay for the bakery. Everyone in Luke’s clan, the Burning Claws Smokejumpers, kept telling Riley to relax and give the bakery a little time to establish itself and build a reputation. Riley, of course, refused to listen to them. She overanalyzed every customer and sale.
Luke and Trevor fell silent as the bell above the door rang, and a tall, slender woman entered the shop, letting in a refreshing blast of cool October air. The woman had her dark brown hair pulled into a sensible bun, and she wore a navy v-neck sweater over a pair of blue jeans. Tan leather loafers graced her feet. Her outfit had obviously been chosen for comfort, not fashion—but she did wear a pair of chic-looking black framed glasses. They made her appear smart and sophisticated, despite her toned-down outfit. Her blue-gray eyes darted around the room nervously, resting briefly on Luke’s face. Luke gave her a friendly smile, and she averted her eyes quickly. She seemed embarrassed to have been caught looking at him, and hurried quickly to the front counter.
“Hello?” she called out. “Is anyone there?”
Riley appeared from behind a refrigerated shelving unit near the front counter.
“Hi,” Riley said with a bright smile. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m River Bennett. We spoke on the phone and I placed a special order for some pies.”
“Oh! River! So nice to meet you. I have your pies in the back refrigerator. Let me go grab them. Do you want a cup of coffee or anything while you wait?”
River shook her head no. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
A few minutes later, Riley reappeared holding a stack of five large pie boxes, which she set on the counter. “Okay, I’ve got two apple, one blackberry, one key lime, and one coconut cream. Is that right?”
“That’s right,” River said, pulling out her credit card and handing it to Riley.
Luke watched as Riley chatted with River while she rang up the purchase. River had the kind of understated beauty that Luke appreciated, and, for the first time in a long time, Luke felt his bear stirring within him with desire. He hadn’t answered Trevor’s question about how long it had been since he got laid, but the answer was years. Luke’s heart had been broken by a woman named Sara, whom he’d thought was his lifemate. He’d given Sara several good years of his life, only to have her throw the time in his face and run off with another man. Luke hadn’t wanted to risk loving another woman after that, and so he’d embraced the bachelor lifestyle. He didn’t need a woman in his life, complicating things and making him vulnerable to heartache. So he threw himself into his work, determined to be the best firefighter he could be. And he was a damn good firefighter, jumping fearlessly out of planes to parachute directly into the most remote wildfires.
But, as he watched River, he found himself forgetting his “no women” vow. He felt drawn to her. Her sweet smile lit up the room, and tugged at a part of his heart that he’d thought had been shut down for good. Luke watched as River struggled to balance the five boxes of pies on her arms, and he made a split-second decision. He stood up abruptly and walked to the front counter, leaving Trevor behind without an explanation.
“Let me help you with those,” Luke said, reaching out to take three of the boxes from River. Luke headed for the front door, and easily opened it with one arm while balancing the pie boxes on the other. River gave him a grateful smile as she walked through the front door. She looked even more beautiful up close.
“Thanks. It would be awful if I dropped one of these and someone at my book club tonight had to go without pie,” she said, a hint of laughter on her voice.
“Book club, eh? I’m not much of a reader, but I would definitely read a book if it meant I got to enjoy one of Riley’s pies. Where are you parked?”
“Across the street. The red Jeep,” River said, pointing in the direction of the vehicle. “And it’s a shame you only want to read for pie. There are lots of really amazing books out there that are their own reward. No pie necessary.”
Luke shrugged. “I guess school turned me off to reading. I never liked any of the books that my English teachers assigned.”
“That doesn’t mean you don’t like reading,” River countered. “It just means that you haven’t found the right books yet.”
“You seem like quite the book lover,” Luke said.
“Well, I’m a librarian, so that’s no surprise,” River said. “I run the adult literacy program at the Red Valley City Library. I also lead a few book clubs. Tonight’s club is a romance novel reading group. You’re welcome to join. It’s not very macho, but there will be pie,” River said with a smirk.
“Tempting, but I think I’ll pass,” Luke said. He let River add the two boxes of pie she had been holding to the pile on his arms while she fished for her keys and unlocked the Jeep. He’d intended to ask her out to dinner with hopes that she would be swayed by his chivalrous pie-carrying gesture, but he suddenly felt self-conscious. He had just confessed that he didn’t like reading, but River obviously adored books. Besides, as lovely as River was, Luke’s palms were getting sweaty at the thought of inviting another woman into his life. His ex had seemed beautiful and fun, too, until she broke his heart into pieces. How could he know that River wouldn’t do the same thing? Luke would just carry her pies for her, call it his good deed for the day, and leave it at that.
River opened the back door of the Jeep and started loading the pies carefully onto the backseat.
“So, Mr. Too-cool-for-books, do you have a name?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m Luke.”
“I’m River, although you probably already heard me say that back in the pie shop,” River said.
Luke nodded. “It’s a pretty name. A little hippy, though, don’t you think?”
River frowned and Luke winced. It’s a good thing he had already decided not to ask River out on a date, because he was doing a piss-poor job of impressing her.
“I guess it might sound a little hippy,” River said. “My parents just like the symbolism of water. How it’s life-giving and all that.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be offensive. It really is a beautiful name,” Luke said, silently berating himself for putting his foot in his mouth once again.
“No worries,” River said, grabbing the last pie box and placing it carefully on the backseat before shutting the door. She wiped imaginary sweat from her forehead before looking up at Luke with a grin. “Thanks again for your help, Luke. The ladies of the Hot Romance Reads Book Club will be very appreciative of your assistance with their pies.”
“My pleasure,” Luke said. River paused for a beat, as if waiting for him to say something else. When he didn’t, she climbed into the driver’s seat and then drove off with a little wave. His bear growled within him, protesting the fact that he hadn’t managed to at least get her phone number. But Luke shrugged off the feeling and walked back into the shop to finish off his pie. He had insulted her name and profession in the span of five minutes. Better to stop before he made things worse.
Trevor looked up as Luke walked back into the restaurant. “Well, well, well. Looks like someone found himself something a little sweeter than pie, now, didn’t he?”
“Shut up, Trevor,” Luke said, sitting down and stuffing a huge forkful of pie into his mouth.
Unfazed, Trevor leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So, did you get her number?”
Luke barely looked up as he chewed his pie and shook his head no.
“What? Why the hell not? She was a hottie,” Trevor said.
Luke swallowed his pie and looked out the front window to the spot where River’s Jeep had been moments before.
“She’s way out of my league,” he said with a shrug, then shoved another bite of pie into his mouth.
* * *
River sighed as she pulled up to the Red Valley library and killed the engine on her Jeep. She’d really thought for a moment that the handsome ma
n who’d carried her pies for her had looked at her with interest, but then he’d let her go without trying to find out anything more than her name. She pulled down the sun visor and looked at herself in the vanity mirror, then sighed again.
Maybe she should lose the glasses. Or wear her hair down more often. Or something. She couldn’t really complain about a gorgeous guy like Luke not taking an interest in her when she put zero effort into her appearance. River had never cared that much about her looks, but it had been a long time since she’d seen any romantic action outside of the books she read for her book club. A little lip gloss now and then couldn’t hurt. River dug in her purse, determined to find something with some color to smear on her lips. The closest thing she could find in the cavernous bag was an ancient tube of chap stick. She smeared it on her lips and eyed her reflection again. She looked the same as before, except now she had little white flecks of chap stick on her lips.
“So sexy,” she said to herself in a disgusted tone, and then snapped the sun visor back up. She needed to get the pies inside and set up before the meeting started, instead of sitting here bemoaning her mediocre appearance and wasting time.
River climbed out of the Jeep and grabbed two of the pies, then started heading for the library entrance. She’d worked at the library for three years now, and, most of the time, she loved the job. She didn’t meet many available men running this gig, but she’d made a lot of good friends. And she got to be around books constantly, which made her happy. River frowned when she remembered that Luke had said he didn’t like books. Obviously, he didn’t make a good match for her. He was probably one of those gorgeous guys who was an asshole and only went after girls to have a little fun before tossing them to the curb. She didn’t have time to waste on men like that.
River held her head high as she walked into the library. She greeted the few women who had arrived early for the book club, and then went back out to get the remaining pies. By the time she had entered the library for the second time, she had thoroughly convinced herself that Luke was a boring, uneducated man who only had his good looks going for him. He was nothing like the hero of the romance novel the book club was going to discuss tonight. River wanted the whole package—looks, brains, and a sweet heart—and she would hold out until she found a man with all of those things. Luke definitely did not make the cut, and River resolved to put him out of her mind.
Fire Bear Shifters: The Complete Series Page 18