by Terra Wolf
Fighting back a pleased grin, she said, “Thank you. Come in, I’ll go put these down, grab my coat, and we’ll be ready to go.”
After placing the flowers in the center of her coffee table, where she’d be able to stare at them when she got home, Reagan grabbed her coat and purse and headed back toward the door. When Blaze reached for her coat to help her put it on, her body warmed with pleasure.
“Thank you,” she said again, then locked up when they walked outside. By the time she turned to head to the truck, Blaze was already standing next to it with her door open. Reagan placed her hand in his palm and allowed him to help her into the truck. Once she was settled, he shut the door and she watched him round the front.
Once they got to the steak house, it was more of the same. Blaze opened her door and helped her down, then made sure to get to the entrance first, so he could let her inside.
Reagan wasn’t sure what had overcome him, but she really, really liked it.
When he beat the host to holding out her chair so she could be seated, Reagan looked up at Blaze and commented, “Such a gentleman.”
She could have sworn she saw Blaze’s cheeks get red at her observation, and Reagan wanted to make sure he realized how much she appreciated it, so she said, “Thank you, I really like you being a gentleman. It makes me feel special.”
Blaze took his seat, reached across the table, and laid his large hand gently on hers.
“You are special,” he replied gruffly, and Reagan could swear there was a marching band playing across her heart.
How did she get so lucky? It was like winning the shifter lottery!
They ordered a bottle of red for the table. Blaze ordered a ribeye, while Reagan ordered the salmon. They’d been friends long enough that there was no awkwardness or lull in the conversation, and Reagan appreciated how easy it was to fall for someone you already had a relationship with.
The chemistry didn’t hurt either.
Anytime Blaze touched her hand with his, or accidentally brushed his knee against hers, sparks of electricity shot through her and caused her body to hum.
Deciding to test him and see if he was as affected by their touch as she was, Reagan toed off her heels and gently touched his ankle, then ran her foot slowly up his calf.
When Blaze lifted his eyes to her, they were molten.
Reagan’s voice was low and throaty when she stated, “I guess you feel it too…”
Before he could answer, Reagan noticed a shadow over their table, and they both lifted their heads and turned to see who had approached.
“Hey, Reagan, I thought that was you.”
It took Reagan a minute to focus, she’d been so intent on exploring her pull with Blaze, but when she did, she stood with a smile.
“Capri, how are you?” she asked, leaning in to give the petite brunette a hug.
“I’ve been really good,” her old friend answered with a grin. She was obviously dressed up for a night out, in a pretty purple dress with a wide belt, her dark hair pulled back into a sleek knot.
“Capri, this is Blaze, my… boyfriend,” Reagan said, amending herself before saying mate. Things were so new, she wasn’t sure how to introduce him or quantify their relationship. “Blaze, this is Capri, she works for Outdoor Bound in marketing.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Blaze said as he stood and took Capri’s hand in his.
Reagan watched her friend’s eyes widen as she looked up, then up further, and took in all that was Blaze.
“Holy, moly,” Capri said under her breath, to which Reagan giggled and mouthed, “Right?”
“It’s terrific to meet you too,” Capri told Blaze. “Any friend of Reagan’s…”
“So, what brings you to town?” Reagan asked. Her friend lived and worked in Anchorage, where Outdoor Bound was headquartered.
“Scouting some areas for the summer catalog.”
“Are you here by yourself?” Reagan asked, scanning the room for a glimpse of some of her other coworkers.
“Yup, I had to beg and plead, but they finally agreed to let me scout on my own. I decided to treat myself while I’m here. I rented a beautiful cabin on the water, am enjoying nice meals, and even have a massage scheduled for tomorrow. I’m calling it a mini-working vacation.”
“Nice,” Reagan began, then asked, “But does that mean you’re dining alone?”
“Yes, and please, before you ask, I don’t want to interrupt your date any further, I just wanted to say hi.”
“Are you sure?” Reagan prodded, because inviting Capri to join them was exactly what she’d been about to do. “We’d be happy to make room.”
She looked to Blaze, who nodded, even though Reagan knew he may be uncomfortable with changing their date into a threesome.
He’s such a good guy, Reagan thought again.
“I’m sure, promise,” her friend replied with a smile. “I rarely get a night all to myself. I plan on getting an expensive glass of wine and a big steak, and enjoying every second of it.”
“Okay,” Reagan said when she saw the way Capri’s eyes lit up at the thought of enjoying a night alone. “But you have to promise to call me so we can get together before you leave.”
“I promise,” she said, giving Reagan another quick hug, then she looked to Blaze and said, “It was lovely to meet you.”
Blaze just nodded and smiled, then took his seat after Capri left them alone.
“So, where were we?” Reagan asked as her foot found Blaze’s ankle again.
“Check please!” Blaze called, causing Reagan to throw her head back and laugh.
Fourteen
Blaze
“I was thinking about suggesting to Reagan that I move into her place,” Blaze said, smiling when his brother started choking on his beer.
They were having drinks at The Ridge. The last few days with Reagan had been amazing. They’d gone on dates and spent every night together, and Blaze had fallen utterly in love with her. They’d decided to spend the night with their siblings, since they’d been kind of neglecting their family members as they forged their bond.
“I thought you were taking things slow,” Hunter managed when he stopped coughing.
Diesel just looked over at him and grinned.
Blaze knew if it was Diesel, he’d already be living there. The man had no patience.
“Well, we are, with the dating and getting to know each other bit,” Blaze explained. “But, there’s no doubt she’s my mate, and we’ll be spending the rest of our lives together. We’re already together every day and night, waiting just seems… unnecessary.”
“Reagan might beg to differ,” Hunter said with a chuckle. “The woman’s been on her own since I’ve known her.”
“Yeah, but this is different, isn’t it? Any other guy she’s dated has just been a placeholder for me.”
Diesel snorted at that, then looked at his watch and said, “That’s it for me, I’m going home.”
“We’ve only been here thirty minutes,” Hunter complained. “It’s supposed to be guy’s night out.”
“I came out, didn’t I,” Diesel argued as he stood up and shrugged on his coat. “I listened to him go on and on about my sister-in-law, and you whine about being the only single Grizzly left. I did my part, now I’m going home to put my babies to bed and love my woman.”
“Gah, nice visual,” Hunter complained, but for the first time, Blaze noticed that Hunter might not be relishing the fact that he was the only single brother left. He saw something that looked like longing cross Hunter’s face.
Blaze slapped him on the back and turned back to his beer.
“So, what do you think?” he asked, trying to get back to the subject on hand.
“About what?” Hunter asked, his eyes on Diesel’s back as their brother walked out of the bar.
“Me moving in with Reagan,” Blaze clarified. “Will you be all right with it?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like we owe rent, we’ve already
paid for it… I can buy out your half and then it’ll become my bachelor pad.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Blaze said, realizing he hadn’t thought things through as much as he should have. “You don’t have to buy me out. I’m not worried about that right now.”
“Well, you should be,” his brother said, shifting his black eyes to look at Blaze. “You and Reagan are mated, looking to get married, and start a family. You’re going to need money to build your home together and prepare for the rest of your life. It’s not like I don’t have the money… I’ve got it saved, and you know, I’ve always wanted to build a room off the deck for a hot tub.”
“Really?” Blaze asked, not asking about the hot tub as much as the other stuff, but when Hunter replied, “Hell yeah, it’ll bring all the ladies,” Blaze let him off the hook.
Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about getting deep and pushing his happiness on his brother, but still he said, “You know, it’s going to happen for you too. You’re going to find your mate.”
Hunter snorted in response, but Blaze knew it was just a cover.
“Why would I want that? I am now the lone Grizzly brother. I can get all the ladies now that I don’t have to compete with your ugly mug.”
As if Hunter’s words had summoned a flock, two women in tight dresses came over and stood next to him at the bar.
“Hey,” one of the women cooed as she leaned over Hunter. “You guys want to buy us some drinks?”
“Sorry,” Blaze began, ready to brush them off.
But Hunter stopped him with a look, then turned fully toward them and told the bartender, “Go ahead and put them on my tab,” then turned to the women and said, “Go wait for me over there, once I’m finished hanging with my brother, I’ll be over.”
“Your brother doesn’t want to come along?” the friend asked, giving Blaze the once over.
“Nah, he’s got a woman, but don’t worry, I can take care of both of you.”
His alpha attitude must have done it for the women, cause they both gave him saucy smiles, then followed Hunter’s direction and headed to the corner booth he’d indicated.
“You can go with them, you know, I’ll finish up and go,” Blaze said, for the first time feeling uncomfortable about being at a bar with his brother. They’d always been each other’s wingmen and picked up women together, but now that he had Reagan, anything else just seemed meaningless.
Not that he judged his brother for still doing the very thing they’d always done, but now he had perspective, and Blaze really hoped that Hunter found his happiness soon.
“No way, man, this is guys’ night,” Hunter said, lifting his bottle in salute. “And, if I haven’t said it before, I’m happy for you and Reagan, and I’ll be there to help you when you’re ready to move.”
“Thanks, brother.”
Fifteen
Reagan
“Mmmmm, I really have to go now,” Reagan said halfheartedly, even though it was true. She did have to go. Still, it was hard to care when Blaze was kissing his way up her naked leg and getting perilously close to making her forget her name, let alone her job.
“You know, if I lived here, I could wake you up this way every morning,” Blaze offered, looking up at her sweetly.
Reagan chuckled. He’d been hinting at moving in for the last few days, but things were still so new that it seemed like a giant leap to her.
“I guess you’ll just have to convince me,” she teased, then her head fell back when he kissed her right on her clit, and darted his tongue out to give her one, long lick. “Jesus, I think I’d die if you woke me up like this every day.”
Then she could no longer speak, because Blaze was using his mouth in glorious ways.
Reagan brought her hands to grasp his hair, then frowned when her hair met with his newly shorn head. Ugh, she’d forgotten he’d gotten it cut, vowing to keep it short forever, to ensure she never confused him with his brother again.
She moved her hands behind her head instead, gripping the slats of the headboard as her legs opened wider to give him better access. In no time at all, Reagan was bucking her hips and reveling in the feel of his fingers digging into her ass, and his tongue masterfully flicking her clit.
With his name on her lips, she came hard and fast, letting her head roll to the side as her body quaked.
“You can move in if you promise to quit your job, become my sex slave, and never leave this bed,” Reagan said when she finally came back down.
“Deal,” Blaze replied immediately, causing her to laugh.
“Oh, I really do have to go, I was supposed to be at the airport five minutes ago.”
“I’ll take you,” Blaze offered. “That way I can pick you up tomorrow when you come home.”
“Sounds good,” Reagan replied as she willed her body to move. “Let me just get a quick shower.”
“I’ll join you.”
“No,” Reagan said, holding up a hand as if to ward him off. “If you join me, we’ll never leave. I’ll be quick. Promise.”
“All right,” Blaze said with a grumble as she darted off the bed.
True to her word, Reagan showered quickly, grabbed her duffel, and told Blaze to get a move on as he pulled on his boots.
“I’m coming, woman,” was his reply, then they were off.
The crew was ready to go when they arrived, so Reagan had to be fast, but she turned to Blaze and leaned in to give him a kiss before hopping out of the truck.
“I’m going to miss you,” she said with a sweet smile when she pulled back.
“I miss you already,” was Blaze’s reply, which only caused her smile to grow bigger.
“Good,” Reagan said, then blew him one last kiss before going to join her crew.
The trip was short, and once again, when she hopped off the chopper, Tuck was there waiting for her.
Seeing him reminded Reagan that she was supposed to call Capri that morning, and it had totally slipped her mind.
“Shit,” she exclaimed as she climbed into her seat.
“What’s wrong?” Tuck asked, his face full of concern.
“Nothing serious, I just forgot that Capri had asked me to call her so she could get me some equipment that was needed for this shoot. I forgot.”
Tuck’s expression was comical when he asked, “Really, you… Reagan… forgot something that had to do with work. With this catalog? Are you sick? Has something happened? Have you been cloned and reproduced?”
“Shut it,” Reagan said in mock anger, but she ruined it when she laughed.
“The Reagan I know is a workaholic who would never let anything get in the way of her job, so I must know, what’s going on?”
Reagan turned to him, getting a sense of déjà vu, and grinned broadly.
“I’ve found my mate,” she exclaimed, then frowned. “Wait… can I say that? I mean, I know I’m not a shifter, so it may sound strange coming from me, but… I’ve found him.”
“Tell me everything,” Tuck urged.
“Well, his name’s Blaze, he’s a Grizzly, in name and in animal, and he’s my mate. He’s claimed me, we’re practically living together, and I’m totally in love with him,” Reagan exclaimed, that last bit coming out almost breathless. “We haven’t gotten to the I love you’s yet, but the rest of it is all on the table.”
“Wow,” Tuck began as he turned toward the shoot. “It all seems so sudden, but, having been there myself, I know it is, and that it can be overwhelming. How are you doing with it all? It must be hard, for a human, to deal with a shifter who’s ready to mate.”
“It is, and I’ve been trying to take things as slow as possible,” Reagan admitted. “Which is still super-fast for a human, but snail’s pace for a shifter.”
“Well, I’m happy for you. If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Tuck, I will.”
They got out and got right to work. She caught up with the crew on the ground, and worked on getting her shots set
up and perfect, but for the first time in her career, Reagan found she wasn’t happiest at work.
Her thoughts, and her heart, were back at home with Blaze.
Maybe it was time to stop trying to slow everything down, and just be grateful for what she had.
Sixteen
Blaze
After dropping Reagan off, he went to his place and began packing.
She’d basically said they could move in together, at least, that’s what he’d heard when she asked him to quit his job and be his sex slave. Blaze figured moving over some clothes while she was gone wouldn’t hurt, then when she came back, he could hit her up about moving the big stuff.
They’d have to rearrange some things, but Blaze was sure they could make it work. Reagan’s cabin was a decent size, although they’d probably have to build on it, sooner rather than later, to make room for the kids.
Yes, he was getting ahead of himself, but Blaze had never been so sure about anything in his life before.
He spent most of his day going back and forth between the cabins, careful to put things away neatly at Reagan’s so she wouldn’t feel disrupted by his presence. That was why it was almost dark by the time he made it back to the airport.
It was a good thing he worked for himself, Blaze thought, or else his boss would be pissed.
He was chuckling as he walked inside, which was why he didn’t hear the raised voices, until he was almost on top of them.
“Sorry, won’t happen,” Hunter was saying, his voice tight in a way that let Blaze know this wasn’t his first time saying those words.
“But it must,” the small woman argued, her hands on her hips as she glared up at his brother as if Hunter couldn’t rip her to shreds if he so desired. “This needs to get to the site tonight, or we’ll lose tons of money tomorrow.”
“Not my problem, honey,” Hunter replied condescendingly. “Guess you should have thought of that before conditions got too dangerous to fly.”