by Audrey Storm
Reed cringed, leaning away. “I…I guess if you think it will help undo some of the damage.”
Wiping at one of her eyes, Andrea slowly nodded.
“Very well,” Reed said tightly. With obvious hesitance, he stood up and took long but slow strides toward the windows. Once there, he quickly lowered the blinds and drew the curtains. “Please, just don’t be frightened or disturbed. I have full control over both my forms, and I mean you no harm. Truly.” He moved over to another set of windows and drew the blinds there.
A part of Andrea’s gut churned, the possibility of danger now feeling more present. Little tremors crawled through her flesh, but she tensed herself against them. More than anything, she wanted to face this—whatever it was. Excitement seared through her veins, giving her an extra dose of energy she really didn’t need; she tensed herself against that sensation, too.
Once Reed was finished covering all the windows, he walked to the center of the room and faced her. He was blinking quickly, shallow breaths puffing out of his nostrils. “Again,” he said softly, “please try to remain calm. I will not move from this spot; this is just a demonstration.”
“I understand,” Andrea whispered, her tone strained with too many emotions. At the last second she decided to lower her glass of tea back on the coffee table. “Proceed.”
Reed twitched. At first, Andrea thought he was reacting negatively toward her, but then he twitched again. And again. His arms moved out as thick brown fur sprouted from his skin and enveloped his entire body. His clothing was stretched, then torn apart, his body bulging and twisting into a much larger shape. Claws grew from his feet and clattered over the wooden, his back leg jolting back and smashing into one of the side tables. The most breathtaking part of this display, however, was the way his face changed; his eyes morphed into black, gleaming orbs while the rest of his face seemed to reach forward. Before Andrea knew it, she was staring at a massive creature with human clothing littered at its feet.
The bear blinked at her.
Andrea blinked back, unable to breathe. It was magical—terrifying, yes, but it was magical and incredible. She couldn’t look away, nor could she move. It was as if every atom of her body could no longer function.
Then, all too soon for her liking, the bear began to shrink. Its fur rapidly receded into flesh, as did its claws. In a few seconds—and in a much quieter fashion—Reed had morphed back into his human form. His naked human form.
Had Andrea not witnessed a miracle, she would have at least acted bashfully. Instead, she found herself standing up and approaching the man. “Amazing. I’ve never even dreamed of anything like this being possible.”
Reed’s face reddened, his hands scrambling over the ground until they managed to get a grip on his torn shirt. Awkwardly, he placed the clothing over his genitals. “Um, yes, well,” he said, coughing a little and flinching. “I’m, uh, glad you are not frightened, at least.”
“How do people not know about this? This is so spectacular and—” She was only a couple of feet away from him now, his blush having spread down to his clavicle. More aware, she glanced over him and felt desire flush through her. “Breathtaking.” A man so powerful yet tamed. “Very breathtaking.”
“Um, all right,” Reed said, shifting back and forth. “I am…” He glanced over himself. “I am going to get myself a new set of clothes. Excuse me.” He walked away, but she instantly followed him.
“So are you a grizzly bear?” she asked. “And how does that work exactly? Are certain people cursed as certain bears? If the first cursed man was only one kind of bear, how can there be several different species of bear-human-things?”
“Bear-shifters,” Reed corrected, glancing back at her. He quickened his pace, but she quickened hers in response. He sighed with obvious exasperation, his face and neck growing a shade redder. “And I am not a grizzly, I am a European Brown Bear. And—” When he came to the stairs, he walked up a couple of them, but then glared back at her. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” she said, trying very hard not to scan every little detail of his large body. “I am dedicated in discovering the truth no matter the circumstances. Hank didn’t scare me away; your nudity certainly won’t.”
Mentioning Hank had the desired effect, in which it made Reed clamp his mouth shut and flinch. After a few hesitant seconds, he huffed out a breath and continued his way up the stairs.
“The story of the first cursed man is just a myth, not a fact,” Reed said, no longer glancing back at her. His steps were slower though, but if it was in consideration of her or not, she couldn’t tell. “Some do think of the story in more theoretical terms though.”
“So it is like a religion?”
“Not really, no. It’s more like a debate on historical facts with little evidence to present one’s argument.”
“Sounds like a religion to me.”
He snorted, but when he said nothing more, she continued asking questions. All the while, her eyes scanned the different areas of his home. Unlike Hank’s mansion, Reed’s place contained artwork and shelves of books. In the hallway that lead—well, that Andrea assumed lead—to Reed’s bedroom, there were several small bookshelves that lined the wall with hundreds, if not thousands, of books. Andrea noticed that many of the titles had the words “meaning,” “purpose,” and “life.” When she raised her gaze to the top of these shelves, a couple of them had a figurine or two of Buddha. She also noticed there was a painting of Confucius hung right beside Reed’s bedroom door.
“Will you please wait here,” Reed said, nodding toward where she stood while he awkwardly squeezed his way inside his bedroom doorframe, his body pushing open the door in the process, “for the present time. It shouldn’t take me long to throw on some sweats, at least.”
“Are you lost, Reed?” Andrea asked softly.
Reed reeled his head back. “What?”
She didn’t want him to go inside and get himself collected; it would be like letting a knight put gather up an extra shield. Reed was giving her everything she wanted, and she couldn’t let it end if she wanted to get more information out of him. Her nails scratched into her purse, frustration buzzing through her when she thought about her tape recorder, but she made sure she expressed concern.
“Forgive me,” she said, still keep her tone gentle. “You have been very kind to me and very truthful, and I appreciate it. It’s just…I can tell there is something missing in your life, isn’t there?” She pointedly did not glance at the portrait of Confucius that hung beside him. “Your life feels exhausting and tedious, and you’re trying to understand the purpose of it all—maybe find a balance.”
Reed’s eyes widened and glistened, his jaw clenching. It was such an open, vulnerable expression that it struck Andrea for a moment. Reed truly was a much, much better man than Hank, though Hank had set the bar so low that that was true of many men. Regardless, Andrea suddenly felt a wave of doubt crash through her, and she found herself frowning in response.
“You’re right,” Reed said, shame and fear choking his words. His gaze lowered to the floor. “Being so different from most of the world—having to hide all the time—I have had questions all of my life. And they often go unanswered. I wish I did know if the myth of the first cursed man was, in fact, a myth or a factual tale. I wish I knew more about what I was, and I wish I could talk more about this with people without being afraid of their reactions. I wish I could just…”
“You wish you could just what?” Andrea asked, curiosity pulling back her guilt and making her feel nauseous with confliction. “Reed?”
He licked his lips, tilting his head to the side as he closed his eyes. A heavy breath whooshed out of his nostrils, and in the next second, the tension in his shoulders were gone. “I’m not sure. But this life is more burdensome than I care for.” He opened his eyes and stared deeply into hers, as if he was silently asking her something.
Andrea wished she could say something to help him—hell, to help her underst
and all of this. Instead, she only nodded. “Life rarely makes sense, no matter what your species, I guess.”
Reed smiled tiredly at her.
His expression stirred something within her—a heroic urge, perhaps. She wasn’t sure what to call it, but before she knew it, she was placing her palm on his shoulder and saying, “Everyone has those kinds of questions, Reed. No matter who or what you are, those questions are important to have. They hurt, but being aware of them makes us aware of the possibility of meaning—of hope.”
His facial muscles went slack. For a few seconds, he studied her with such intent that it made her shiver. She was about to pull away, but then he started to lean forward. His eyes flitted over her face, and though he was already moving with remarkable slowness, he slowed himself even further.
He was giving her the option to walk away—to refuse his request without acknowledging it. It was such a gentle, timid action that Andrea felt her heart flutter. Her flesh flushed with affection and want; it was easy to mentally shove aside her guilt and doubt and press her lips against his.
Reed inhaled sharply, his mouth quickly adjusting to fit against hers so perfectly. He was sensuous with his movements, his head angled just right for him to deepen the kiss without pushing too much into her. In response, Andrea placed her trembling hands on his neck and pressed herself against his torso. She parted her lips as an invitation, and she moaned the moment Reed’s tongue tasted the tip of hers.
When she felt his arms at her sides—his hands rubbing her back and shoulder blades—heat spiked through her. He was completely bare in front of her; he was giving himself to her—letting her take and taste and touch. The thought made her shudder.
Not parting from their kiss, Andrea ran her fingers down his throat, past his shoulders, and over his pecs. His skin was so warm beneath her touch, and when she pressed her palm right over his heart, she could feel the muscle pounding rapidly. He quivered in response, making her smile.
“I really want to see you,” she rasped over his lips, her fingers trailing down even lower. “But I think we need to make this fair first.”
“Fair?” Reed whispered, his voice sounding as hazed as he looked. His eyelids fluttered apart, allowing him to observe her further. “What—?”
Fondness blooming inside of her chest, Andrea kissed him once more before she took a step back. She glanced around her, a nervous thrill shooting through her at the thought of someone catching them. Then, her gaze still casted to the side, she moved her shoulders back and allowed her jacket to fall to the floor.
Reed was silent. Though temptation taunted at Andrea—made her insides twist—she forced herself to not look at him just yet, not until she was as bare as he was.
She skimmed her hands over her top for a few seconds before she carefully took that garment off, as well. In the back of the mind, she was stupefied by how easily this came to her; without hesitation or inhibition, she took off her bra and tossed it to the floor.
She didn’t want to think about Hank at that moment, but she couldn’t help but appreciate the…skillset he had inadvertently taught. Learning to expose oneself with ease had never seemed like a talent to her before, but she had never been able to do it so well before.
Andrea bit her bottom lip. She could picture Reed watching her—she could hear him pant wispy breaths, some of them coming out as a growl. It made her body burn pleasantly, the mere idea of him losing himself just by her stripping.
Trembling, she snaked herself out of her pants and underwear, then she kicked the clothing aside. Temptation roared at her now—nearly made her whine—but she bit her lower lip harder and concentrated on the pain rather than on her desire to see Reed’s reaction.
It wasn’t until she stepped out of her shoes that she finally allowed herself to look at him.
His chest was heaving up and down, his dark eyes even darker as they traveled over every inch of her body. His mouth hung ajar, and she could see his pink tongue move a little closer to his lower lip.
Unable to breathe herself, Andrea gave herself permission to look lower. She nearly gasped at the sight of his member, so large and already so hard for her. Her hands twitched with the eager want to touch him—to feel him pulsate. She nearly moved forward to do so, but Reed had yet to move at all, and she didn’t want to push her luck in this delicate balance.
“Now it’s fair,” she managed to choke out, her eyes still on his length. Smiling with appreciation, she looked back into his eyes and arched toward him a little. “What do you think?”
A guttural moan left Reed as he darted forward and encased her in his arms. Immediately, his mouth was devouring hers, his tongue exploring her gums.
Heat flooded through Andrea’s system. Ability to think any more began to fade away, all of her attention on the sensation of him against her—inside her. She whimpered against him, the tender flesh between her legs throbbing. She pushed her hips closer to him and grinded against him. He gasped, his head jolting upward as his cock rubbed against her.
He was so close to her clit that it was tantalizing. Almost desperate, Andrea spread her legs and angled herself so that her clit was rubbing against his length. It was a slight thing though—her folds getting in the way—yet it made her all the hotter, all the needier. Her nails clawed into his shoulders and she moaned.
“Closer, closer,” she begged. “Oh, Reed.”
He grabbed her right leg and hiked it up. Immediately, she wrapped it around his waist.
“Yes, yes,” she said, smiling when she felt him press his length against her moist core. “God, yes, more.”
Reed nipped her nose and her cheek, then he kissed and sucked his way to her neck. All the while, he gyrated against her without fully entering her. Her entire body trembled and flared with lust, ebbing closer to the edge at a torturous pace.
“Reed!” she whined, pushing herself harder against him. She felt his cock burrow a little deeper inside of her, but then he pulled away from her. She released a frustrated growl. “Get inside me! Please.”
“Patience,” he whispered into her shoulder. A tremor went through him, a pained noise of restraint crawling up his throat. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’m so close already,” she said, whimpering. Her insides were clenching and searing, so close to a passionate conclusion. She tightened her hold on him. “Reed, please, fuck me. I’m not fragile, you won’t break me. I just need you to fuck me already, please!”
“God,” he gasped, his hips bucking toward her. Raggedly, he pushed himself inside of her and began pumping in and out of her. He lost all sense of control—all sense of caution.
Relief and pleasure rushed through with Andrea with each thrust Reed made. She arched toward him more, her leg sore yet unmoving around his waist. She felt like nothing more than a bundle of nerves, needing to be touched—existing merely to feel pure ecstasy.
The moment she gasped his name into his ear, she felt his hot seed spurt inside of her. She came a few seconds later, all but screaming his name as her pleasure quaked throughout her flesh. And even after the initial burst, pleasure continued to shoot through her veins. She panted, lulling her head against Reed’s shoulder and letting passion overtake her.
This was nothing like it had been with Hank. This was so, so much better.
Chapter 4
The following week, neither one of them talk about Hank or Monumental Press—though Andrea did manage to turn her tape recorder on for a few of their conversations. Mostly though, regardless of whether Andrea wanted to admit or not, the two of them spent most of the time dating. In the private area of his guarded property, the two had picnics, they had danced in the mansion’s ballroom—they talked about everything and nothing. Andrea always made sure to steer most of their conversations in the direction of the bear-shifters, but it was still rather nice to talk about shallow things every now and again.
“I don’t think you’re fat,” Reed said as they walked side by side in the adjacent woods. “
You’re plump, sure, but that—”
A laugh burst out of Andrea’s mouth, making Reed jump and smile bashfully.
“I’m overweight,” she said lightly. She nudged his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. “And that’s fine with me.”
“I’m glad,” he said, wincing the second he spoke. “I mean, not that I think you’re—you’re one of the most beautiful women I have ever had—I have ever—” He groaned and hid his face in his hands.
Andrea giggled, encircling her arm around his and making him expose his cute face. Affection warmed through her at the way he smiled back at her. He was so charming—so sweet—and he probably didn’t even realize the true affect he had on her.
It made the weight of the tape recorder in her pocket all the heavier. She had turned it on right before they went outside, but they had yet to actually talk about the bear-shifters. She would have found it strange how much she was adapting to this new reality—this new acceptance of a secret species—except that Reed had the made the transition from ignorance to knowledgeable gracious for her. He was always so open, so patient. Thinking about it now made self-loathing twist its way to her throat.
“You okay?” Reed asked, tilting his head toward her. “You look ill.”
“First I’m fat, now I look ill?” she said jokingly, fighting back against a cringe as looked at him.
Reed’s eyes widened with horror. “No, no, I didn’t mean—”
God, he really was too sweet for this world. Andrea pressed her lips against his cheek, and the quick action forced the two of them to stop. “I’m kidding,” she said softly against his neck.
She saw him swallow. “Oh. Good.”
The trees that surrounded them made her feel secure, their overlapping shadows like a light blanket that hid the two of them from the rest of the world. Though she could hear the traffic noises of the city in the distant, they didn’t take away from the utter sense of peace that came over her in that moment. She glanced at a few leaves that the wind was pushing along the ground.