Garrett was off the log and behind her in a second, turning her around and enfolding her in his arms. Beyond them, water rippled in the distance.
“Shh,” he said. “It’s okay now. It’s fine. You’re safe, and I’m not offended. My world, all of this… It’s a lot for a human to take in.”
She looked up at him, eyes still slightly watery. “Is it normal for your mate to be human?”
He wiped away her tears with the pads of his fingers. “Of course.”
“I don’t want you to miss out on a cool bear lady. I could never protect you at all…”
He laughed, brushing her tears off her cheek again. “Just let me do the protecting, okay? I feel like the best person in the world when I can protect you.”
“Best bear?” She smiled up at him.
“Best bear.”
She rested her cheek on his chest, and despite everything they’d been through, it felt as if all was well with the world. He wasn’t mad at her for a second for how she reacted earlier. He was just glad she was fine with him now.
And that he’d gotten here and things had worked out with the wolves so well.
“So I guess I’m going to have some interesting neighbors,” she said, taking his hand and pulling him back over to the log again.
He grunted, hating that he had to let her out of his arms as he took a seat beside her. “You already had them. Now they’re going to stop messing with your stuff. Hopefully.”
She laughed, nudging him in the arm. “Either way, you’ll be here.”
He raised an eyebrow, perking up at that thought. “What?”
“I mean, you’re going to live here, right? It seems like the only answer. You’re nervous about me here alone, and you love me, so… why not?”
He nodded hastily. “Why not?”
She sighed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind one ear. “I love you. I’m not sure how it can happen so fast, and I’m still looking forward to getting to know more about you. Your life, your world. But I trust you, Garrett. You’re my family now, and I couldn’t imagine a life without you.”
He smiled. “I’m so glad you said that. I was worried…”
She leaned forward, nuzzling his nose and making him blush. “I know.”
He leaned closer and kissed her, capturing her lips gently as his hand stroked her jaw and her cheekbone, feeling the light graze of her hair.
She sighed as they pulled back, surrounded by cool forest wind. “I think we’re really going to like it here.”
“Me, too,” he said, looking at the pond.
They would finish the house and live out here, and everything he’d imagined would be perfect.
They stayed like that for a moment, hands locked, hearts full, in a beautiful clearing that just added to the benefits of their new home.
Then Dawn turned to him, a mischievous glint in her eye. “So the mating thing. How does one make it official?”
He felt blood rush all the way down to his toes. “If you want to come on a ride with me, I can show you. But first I’ll have to make a call.”
Chapter 20
Garrett parked the truck and wondered about Dawn’s reaction as he walked around to open her door.
Her eyes were wide as she stepped down from the truck and looked up at the giant luxury cabin he’d called in to book while she’d made amends with Grayson and Hunter, neither of whom were prone to holding grudges.
“Okay,” she said. “So this side of town is way nicer.”
“Apparently some celeb lived here and willed it to the town, so they rent it out for a high price.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Ooh-la-la, fancy for a bear.”
“For anyone,” he said. “But I’d rent it out every day if it would make my mate happy.”
She grinned at him. “Not mate yet.”
He smirked, sweeping her up in his arms so he could carry her up the stairs to the door at the front of the cabin. Tall pines surrounded them, forming a protective canopy. “In my opinion, you were my mate from the start.”
She flushed and settled into his arms, apparently at home there, which worked perfectly for him. “Well, thanks. I’m still getting used to it, but—”
“And I’ll be here to reassure you with every step.”
“Okay,” she said as he shifted her to one side so he could pull out the keys.
When they got inside, he set her down and immediately kissed her, pushing against the door as it closed. She lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck and kissing him hungrily.
Though they’d just been together the night before, they were ravenous.
It was different now. There was no holding back. She’d accepted his bear. She wanted to mate him.
All that was left was to be together, nothing between them, with the beautiful woods all around them and a soft, appropriately sized bed underneath.
He picked her up and jogged up the stairs toward the main bedroom that was up in the triangle-shaped loft.
The view was fantastic, with wide windows spanning all of the forest and valleys below.
There was a rustic wood bed frame with a huge, comfortable-looking mattress and soft sheets beneath a comforter.
He set down his mate and tossed the comforter aside, then extended a hand to help her onto the bed.
She jumped on, grinning up at him, and he knew he was never going to get enough of this woman.
He pounced on her, making the bed bounce, and nuzzled her nose before nipping her neck with a little growl.
“Wow.” She let out a giggle as she struggled against the ticklish kisses he placed over her shoulder and neck. “Feral.”
“Not even,” he murmured against her. “Thanks to you, I’m totally tame.”
“What I saw you do to those wolves out there was tame?” She sat up slightly.
He thought about it. “I mean, I’m glad you were there because it kept me from going crazy. Knowing they were threatening you would normally make me want to kill them, but knowing you would see that, see blood and pain, made me want to hold back. And they were pathetic enough that I’m glad I did.”
She nodded. “I think it all worked out in the end.” She stroked both hands through his hair, using her nails to light up his nerve endings all over his scalp.
God, he loved when she did that.
“Oh, found something the bear likes, didn’t I?”
He smiled. “Maybe.”
She pulled him in against her, let him rest some of his weight on her (he was too scared to rest all of it), and stroked his hair a little longer.
But it wasn’t long before his bear couldn’t take much more.
He pulled back, putting a hand on either side of her head, using his body to pin her. “I can’t wait, Dawn. Can I take you?”
She nodded, dropping her hands at both sides of her head.
Garrett growled and grabbed her hands, pinning them above her. He kissed her fiercely, staking his claim, delving his tongue deep inside her, letting his other hand explore along her waist.
He no longer had to hold back the force of his feelings for her, and he let her feel the strength of his love as he kissed and licked and tortured and explored.
When she was thoroughly breathless, his lips left hers and trailed down her neck again, down between her cleavage as his hands worked at the buttons of the flannel shirt she’d borrowed from him.
When he got that off her, he grabbed the hem of her tee shirt and threw that away as well.
The bra followed soon after, and then he pulled his own shirt over his head.
He couldn’t wait to be skin to skin with her. Couldn’t wait even more to be one.
She reached up, fumbling with his belt buckle, and he helped her undo it before pulling out his belt and tossing it aside.
As she pulled open his button and zipper, he hooked a finger under her panties, dismayed when he accidentally tore them when her hand grazed against his dick.
He jumped, then looked down at
the remnants of panties in his hands. “I’m sorry.”
She laughed, grabbing them and tossing them aside. “It’s okay. Just don’t make a habit of it. Even if it was kind of hot.”
“I can buy more.”
“Okay then.” Her voice was husky, hot, filled with anticipation, and Garrett could feel his body grow painfully hard in response.
He’d never been readier to take his mate, and that was saying something, since he’d been ready from the moment they met.
He knelt and awkwardly shoved his jeans and underwear off, then got back on the bed with her, a part of him only satisfied now that both of them were naked.
His hand covered her breast, tweaking the nipple lightly, and he sighed, watching her arch, her beautiful gray eyes rolling back. “So damn beautiful, Dawn. What does a bear have to do to deserve you?”
Her eyes fixed on his, still glossy. “Be you,” she said simply, hitting straight to his heart.
He dropped his hand between her legs, touching carefully. She was wet and hot, and she let out little mewling noises and squirmed against his hand as he played among her folds and the teased up at the top where she was most sensitive.
God, he loved the way she jerked when he did that.
He played a little longer, bringing her close to the edge, savoring every second of pleasure he could wring out of her, and then pressed down with his finger just as he lowered his mouth over hers to catch her cries as she came.
He loved the muffled sound of her cries as she fought against him, against the strength of her pleasure, against the tense, wonderful feeling in the air.
When she was finished, he put a hand on either thigh, pushing them aside so he could get a good look at her.
Meanwhile, his mate who had once been shy arched back, giving him a good look as she flashed him a wicked smile.
Oh damn, no bear had ever been so lucky.
Dawn had never felt as powerful as she felt with Garrett, especially in bed together, but also in all elements of their lives.
It was the way he wanted her, focused on her with a laser intensity that scared her at times with its ferocity and then also made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t explain.
She loved watching his amber eyes fire up as she wiggled her ass at him, totally naked, enticing him to come inside.
She loved when he pleasured her with a finger or his lips, but her favorite was still when he filled her with all of his strength, made them feel like one being, completely enraptured in bliss.
She spread her legs farther and held out her hands for him, inviting him in, and with a little growl, he acquiesced, positioning himself accordingly.
She braced herself for the sheer size of him, but this time he slid right in as if her body was finally adjusting.
And oh God, he felt so good there, lighting up every bit of her insides, pressing hard against every sensitive inch of her sheath.
She squeezed against him, loving the way he grunted and tightened up, resting his hands on either side of her head to prop himself up as his whole body went rigid in an attempt to maintain control.
“God, Dawn, what you do to me…” His dark hair fell sexily over his forehead, and his beard looked wonderful in the light streaming into the cabin.
She’d never met a more beautiful man in her life.
She still couldn’t believe he was hers.
She put her hand up, brushing his hair back, then let her fingers fall down to stroke his beard, loving the scratchy feel there, the sheer masculinity of it. “You do a lot to me, too.”
“I do?”
She laughed. “Obviously. I’ve never been caught up like this before. I’ve always been cautious.”
“But you had me build you a house in the woods in the middle of nowhere.”
It was oddly natural to be talking like this while still intimately joined.
“I did, but that was a lot for me. My first big, ballsy move. When my grandpa died, I could finally reject my family. I was determined to accept living alone.” Her hand cupped his cheek, and she sensed that he was trembling slightly from the effort of holding back, so she was determined to hurry up. “But one thing I think my grandpa tried to teach me, and that I’ve learned from you and your crew, is that family doesn’t have to be who you’re born with. Your real family is who you choose to surround yourself with in your life.”
He nodded. “That’s what I believe.” He lowered himself to kiss her forehead and nuzzled into her as well. “And you better believe I intend to surround you.”
She smiled. “I can’t think of anything better.” And she wrapped her legs around him, squeezing gently, her signal that it was fine for him to move.
She would never be prepared for the amount of wet, hot pleasure she felt every time he stroked inside her. The delicate way he pulled back, the strong way he plunged back in, filling her with achingly sweet joy.
She loved that there was nothing between them so she could savor the feel of his velvety skin. She felt tension build quickly inside her, a fiery heat that only he could put out and only by stoking the fire higher and higher inside her.
“Garrett,” she murmured. “I love you. I love you so much.”
He thrust into her over and over, his beard grazing her cheek as he leaned forward so they could be close. “I love you, Dawn. I’ll love you forever. I’ll never love anyone as much.”
She came then, on that idealistic, hopeful note in her heart that believed him. That she’d found a safe haven, a new future, a life of her own.
Pleasure and light burst through her unlike anything before.
Garrett followed shortly after, his whole body tensing as he released with hot spurts, filling her completely.
Could she get pregnant? Somehow, it didn’t matter. She knew that whatever happened was meant to happen. That Garrett would be with her. That they had each other.
She held him as he finished his release, as they both fell into sated disbelief at the wonderfulness of their situation.
He pulled out gently and went to the bathroom to grab a towel, and after quick cleanup, they fell into bed together, entangled in each other’s arms.
He kissed the top of her head as they enjoyed the view together. Trees and lakes and hills as far as they eye could see.
“I really love it here,” she said.
“I’m glad.”
She pushed up onto his chest and looked into his eyes carefully. “And you’re sure that you’re willing to stay here?”
He laughed, rolling them over so he was the one on top. “Willing? I’ve been trying to earn my place here since the first day I showed up. The whole time I’ve been building that house, I’ve been thinking of being inside it. Making a life with you.”
“Silly bear,” she said, stroking his beard again.
He growled lightly. “That’s me.”
Light streamed in, making the scene utterly perfect.
“I’m excited for my house, but I have to admit this one is perfect,” she said, staring wistfully out the window.
He let out a grunt as he sat up, gathering her up in his lap trapped in sheets against him. “Yours will be perfect as well. I guarantee it.”
She smiled. “I’m sure because I’ll be there with you.”
He looked taken aback, and a slow smile spread over his face, making him look almost radiant. “Well, all right, then.” He cuddled her against him. “And don’t worry. My first order of business will be ordering a huge bed.”
“Oh, of course. We have to have priorities,” she said seriously.
He stared at her, and then they both laughed, looking off in the distance, filled with thoughts of their future and a warm little home that was built for their love.
Mine Furever
Mine Furever
Grumpy alpha wolf Grayson Carver is determined to help the ramshackle local wolf shifter pack while his friends play catch-a-mate. When researcher April Nielson shows up to study recent wolf findings, Grayson knows he should sen
d her away. Instead, his wolf has other ideas. Like mating the sexy little human as soon as possible, kissing her under the stars, and fighting off anyone who might threaten her.
Chapter 1
“Mommy says I shouldn’t trust you.”
Grayson groaned inwardly at the interruption and turned to see one of the wolf children that was often running around in the dirt at the encampment where he was trying to help out.
About a month ago, Grayson’s friend Garrett had mated a woman who owned land in pack territory, and in order to keep the peace, Grayson and his friends had offered their construction skills to help an obviously struggling pack.
Something he was regretting almost every day now.
“Put your ears back in,” Grayson said gruffly. Not that there wasn’t something oddly adorable about a five or six-year-old with wolf ears and a tail to go with their sparkly brown eyes, but he was supposed to be helping these wolf shifters adjust to society.
Going around half shifted, even as children, wouldn’t help that.
The kid grumbled but closed his eyes to focus. Letting the fur retract, he looked like a normal human kid, except for the slightly longer canines that showed when he bared his small teeth.
“You aren’t part of the pack. You can’t tell me what to do.” The kid folded his small, scrawny arms, and Grayson waved for him to come join him.
“Come here and help me with this.”
The kid’s expression brightened, and he came closer curiously.
Grayson handed him a tool he’d been using to fix a loose running board on the outside of one of the trailers. “This is a screwdriver.” He pointed to the half-driven-in screw. “You take that and insert the pointy side here and turn.”
Grayson helped hold on to the tool, and the kid’s eyes screwed up in concentration as he turned the screwdriver clumsily a few times before stepping back in satisfaction. “There. I think it’s done.”
Grayson couldn’t help smiling as the kid nodded with pride at the crooked screw. “Nice job. What’s your name?” He couldn’t remember with the dozens of children running around out here, mostly covered in dirt and debris.
Built Fur Love Box Set Page 16