Her mom nodded. “Let’s go inside. Or are you seeing Jon tonight?”
“No, I know he wanted to see me, but I told him he’ll have to wait a few more hours. I want to spend time with my parents.”
They went inside. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and I’ll send your dad in.”
“Sure. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Monica. With all my heart.” She kissed Monica and then slipped away.
Monica went to the kitchen, admiring just how much work her parents had put into organizing the house since she had left. It was if they had lived here for years. It felt like home. Monica poured herself some coffee from the pot.
“I can make you some fresh coffee,” her dad said as he came in.
“No, this is great. Just what I needed after the long drive.”
“How long did it take?” her dad asked, pouring himself a cup and leaning against the counter next to Monica.
“I hit rush-hour traffic. So, longer than I planned. About three hours.”
“Not bad.”
A silence fell over them. Monica decided to fill it. “I want to say thank you. For everything. For the times you let me ride on your back, for the hours you pushed me on the swing. For teaching me to ride a bike. For all the things I never said thank you for.”
“I’m your dad, you don’t have to say thank you for everything.”
“But I want to. I want you to know you are the best dad in the world. And the only dad I need. Ever.”
He put his cup down and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head. “And I want you to know I could not have loved you more, even if you were my own flesh and blood. You are mine in every way aside from that.”
“And it’s such a small thing,” Monica said, holding him tight. “Compared to everything else, it’s the smallest, most inconsequential thing.”
“I agree,” he said, pulling back from her. “Now, tell me about you and Jon.”
“We’re good,” she said.
“Am I going to be walking you down the aisle soon?” her dad asked.
“Oh, we haven’t gotten that far yet,” she said.
“What’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he know, he should be snapping up the best girl in the world already?” her dad said.
“I think he knows I’m his. With or without the ring.”
“I can’t be happier for you. Your mom and I have been so happy all these years. I’m happy that when you have children you never have to worry about him leaving.” He dropped his voice and looked at the door, as if checking her mom wasn’t there. “Jasper broke your mom’s heart. I feel blessed to be the one to put it back together.”
“And she is so lucky you found her.” Monica drained her coffee cup, and put it in the sink. “You know, for once I am not interested in the past.”
“Good, then you can come and help us decorate the future.” He grinned. “That made a lot more sense in my head.”
“What are you decorating?” Monica asked.
“The sitting room. We needed something to do to keep us busy. Even Ethan has been helping.” They left the kitchen and went to the sitting room. “He’s a changed boy since we moved here. So much so, he is starting at the local school on Monday.”
“Really?”
“Yes, we thought we would have to home-school him. But we met some other young bears on the mountain and he played with them. No teeth, no claws. I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”
“So that means we can start on the store?”
“Already have.” He shrugged. “I told you we had hours that needed filling.”
Monica shook her head. “Stress does wonders for productivity, it seems.”
“Yes, it does.” He handed her a paintbrush. “Welcome home, Monica.”
“Where do I start?” she asked, and joined her family to decorate the sitting room.
***
Monica knew he was there. She got out of bed and went to the window, to see the bear sitting in the garden looking up at her window. He saw her, and opened his mouth to give a quiet roar. If a roar could ever be quiet.
Grabbing her robe, she left the room, tiptoeing downstairs, hoping the floorboards, which creaked under her feet, would not wake anyone up. Reaching the hallway, she padded to the kitchen, and let herself outside, closing the door behind her.
Pausing, she took in the night sky, with all its wondrous stars, and understood what Jon had meant about the city lights blotting them out. Here, there were millions, upon millions, of them. Small pinpoints shining down on her, as she raced across the garden, to where she had seen Jon’s bear—He wasn’t there.
Turning around, she scanned the rest of the garden; he was nowhere to be seen. “Jon,” she called quietly. “Where are you?”
A rustle in the bushes was her only clue, and she ran across the grass, threading her way along an overgrown path and out onto the trail, which led up to the mountain. Monica stopped. Uncertainty built up inside her. What if the bear she was following wasn’t Jon?
She took a couple more steps, leaning forward to peer into the darkness. Twenty feet away she could see the outline of a bear, he was waiting for her. The bear lowered his head and called out to her, a low rumble, filled with longing. This was Jon, she was positive.
One tentative step into the darkness followed another. The bear did not move, he simply watched her, and waited. When she drew close enough, Monica reached out her hand and wound her fingers into his thick fur, making the animal tremble. She took another step, and another, until she was level with his head. Crouching down, she smoothed his fur, and said, “Hello there, big bad bear.”
He lifted his snout and sniffed her, blowing his warm breath over her hand, then he turned and walked along the trail, with Monica following.
This was the most surreal moment in Monica’s life. Walking under the stars with a bear. Not just any bear. Her bear. It made her believe that anything was possible, that she could be anything, and make anything of her life, that she wanted.
The bear veered off the trail and she followed, ducking under a low branch, and weaving in and out of trees, until they reached a clearing alongside the stream. There, Jon had laid out blankets and a pillow. She didn’t have to ask the bear what he intended.
“Are you going to stay like that?” Monica asked, raising her eyebrow at him.
The bear seemed to chuckle, before the air filled with static electricity and he shimmered out of this world. The figure that materialized in its place, was that of a man. Tall, strong, and every inch hers. And she wanted to touch every inch of him, kiss every inch of him, and tell him how much she wanted him.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much,” she said, going to him, and wrapping her arms around Jon’s neck. Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him, their lips meeting and melding together as their passion flared.
“Have you missed me?” he asked.
“Can’t you tell?” she asked. She took his hand and placed it over the center of her arousal, and he slid his finger along the length of her sex, pushing the fabric of her panties aside, to dip it inside her wet sex. She clung to him, small gasps escaping her mouth when he pushed deeper, before withdrawing his finger, and sliding it over her clit, which throbbed in need.
“I think I might need to do a more thorough examination.” He stood back from her, and stripped his clothes from his body impossibly fast. The evidence of Jon’s arousal stood proud and erect before him, and she closed the space between them, her hand coiling around his hardened length.
“I may have my own examination to perform,” she said, stroking his length and feeling him tense beneath her touch.
“Examine away.” He lowered his head and kissed her breasts, her nipples hardening into two taut buds, which he sucked into his mouth one at a time, his tongue rolling over each in turn. Monica struggled to keep her concentration. She willed herself to keep her hand moving along the length of his cock, but her rhythm faltered when he grazed his
teeth over her tortured nipples.
Jon chuckled, knowing the effect he was having on her. In one fluid movement, he bent down and picked her up, cradling her against his body, before he lowered her down onto the blankets. Making sure she was comfortable, he then used his hands to press against her knees, opening her up to his gaze.
“Beautiful,” he sighed, and then slid down between her thighs, his tongue lapping at her clit, while he pushed two fingers deep inside her sex, thrusting them in and out.
Monica balled the blankets up in her hands, the intense sensations he drew from her almost too much. She didn’t want to come yet, she wanted him to feast on her flesh for a while longer. A good while longer.
Jon licked and sucked her clit, his fingers pushing deeper inside her, stretching her. She arched her back, and offered herself to him completely, small whimpers filling her ears, which she barely recognized as her own. In and out, his fingers causing incredible friction against her inner walls, and then he hit a spot inside her, which made her explode. She cried out, and he moved his fingertips in a tight circle, around and around the same spot, until she climaxed, hard and intense.
Wave after wave of pleasure swept over her, lifting her up to new heights, before she plummeted back down to earth to lie completely spent on the blanket, under the stars with her bear between her thighs. OK, so she took it back, this was the most surreal moment of her life. Surreal and incredible.
Jon moved, his body covering hers, his weight resting on one elbow while he guided himself into her. The head of his cock entered her, and then he pushed deeper, moving slowly, deliberately, allowing her oversensitive body to experience every single movement. Monica closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to wash over her. It was as if each flex of his hips was a moment in time never to be repeated, and never to be forgotten. With immense control, his thick, hard, cock slid deeper inside her, inch by slow, calculating inch. She moaned, needing him to fill her, but even when she placed her hands on his butt and urged him on, he resisted.
When he finally filled her to the hilt, Monica’s sex felt incredibly stretched, her nerve endings on fire. Jon didn’t move, he simply lay there inside her, letting her muscles go into small spasms of ecstasy at the invasion. That was when he kissed her. His lips pressed against hers, his tongue probing for entrance, and she opened her mouth to let him in. Jon teased her, sliding his tongue in and out, in a rhythm that mimicked lovemaking.
He teased her, while her sex sheathed his hard length completely. She ached for him to move, to experience that exquisite friction of two bodies moving against each other. What did he want—for her to beg?
Monica had another idea. She slid her hand between their bodies, lower, and lower, until she could cup his balls in her hand. He jumped, moving inside her. She squeezed again, fondling him, her nails dragging across his skin, not hard, but enough to make him gasp. Monica was breaking his resolve, one squeeze at a time.
And then she broke him, and his body tensed, his weight shifting. Jon placed his hand under her knee, lifting it up, changing the position of their bodies, so that when he moved, he circled his hips, his body grazing her clit.
Hard. He plunged in and out of her, his resolve now gone, and an urgency filled him. He moaned, his voice growing in intensity, as her own orgasm rushed toward her. With a strangled cry, he came, lunging deep into her, his hot seed filling her. She couldn’t hold on, and his climax picked her up and carried her with it, their voices entwined as they cried out into the night air.
Afterward, when they lay together, utterly spent, their satisfaction was finally complete.
Chapter Eighteen – Jon
Monica lay in Jon’s arms under the stars, his body heat keeping her warm. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so many words of love he longed to share. But he was very aware of the short time they had together, until she went back to the city, and her job at the museum, unless he could persuade her otherwise.
His goal was to make sure that when she returned to the museum on Monday, it was to hand in her resignation.
“I spoke to Zoe,” he said, stroking her shoulder.
“You did?” Monica asked, sounding sleepy.
“Yeah.” He shifted his weight. “If you want, we can talk about it tomorrow.”
“No.” She turned over, resting her chin on her hands, and looked at him. “Tell me now, because the more time I spend with you, the harder it is for me to think about leaving. But I don’t want to move here and be a burden to anyone.”
“You can never be a burden to me,” he said. “Never. I would give you my world.”
“Which is why I want to be self-sufficient.” She put her hand on his lips when he frowned at her words. “Try to look at it from my side. We’ve just met, and you have these feelings for me that I can’t reciprocate. Not fully. Not yet. I love you, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t just cast away all my inhibitions and let you support me. I want a job. I need a job.”
His face cracked and he smiled. “All I heard from that was, you love me.”
Monica pushed him away playfully. “Tell me your plans.”
“Zoe is interested in opening a museum, and having her gallery in the same building. It cuts down on costs and also means she will get eyes on the artwork she displays.”
“She’s smart,” Monica said.
“She is, and very generous with her time and money. The only thing is…” Jon began.
“Ahh, it sounded too good to be true,” Monica said.
“It’s not really bad.” He sighed and then spilled the rest of what he had to say, “It’s going to be a family concern. Zoe will set the museum up, along with the gallery, with you. Then my Mom wants to set up a café within the museum, and Jeremy, Zoe’s stepdad, will likely be involved.”
“Not to mention Lynn can sell her alpaca products there as well.”
“You’d be OK with that?” Jon asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I think it’s a great idea. The more of us involved, the more energy we create, the more ideas we exchange.”
He laughed. “I spend too much time on the open prairie it seems. I thought you would hate the idea. More of a too many cooks spoil the broth type of thing,” Jon said.
“Not at all. Lots of cooks add to the seasoning,” Monica replied.
“Then you’ll hand in your resignation on Monday?” Jon asked.
Monica rolled onto her back and looked at the stars. “Wow. Just like that, my life has changed.”
“That’s how it happens, especially when you are the mate of a bear shifter.”
“I can see that.” She sighed contentedly. “You’ve made me see that blood is not the most important thing when you are talking about family. It’s more than that. It’s the emotional connections we make.”
“It is.” He leaned over and kissed her lips. “We will make our own family, and it will be part of a bigger family.”
“I like the idea of that.” She smiled and then wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling his head down for a kiss, while murmuring “I have an idea for an exhibit.”
“What?” he asked.
“It’s a surprise.” Then they kissed, and made love again under the stars before he carried her back to the house in his arms, liking the feel of her head resting against his chest.
“My parents have agreed to build a house for us on the Williams Homestead,” Jon said, as they reached the bottom of the trail.
She slid out of his arms, and stood facing him. “We’re going to live on the Homestead?”
“In our own place. Tomorrow, if you want, you can come over and we can discuss it with my dad. It would be great if your family came too. It’s time they all met. They have a shared history.”
“They’d like that,” she said, kissing his lips. “Until tomorrow.”
He groaned, and caught her in his arms, holding her close. “Until tomorrow. Which cannot come soon enough.”
“Patience, my big bear,” Monica said and pulled away from h
im, running across the grass, back to the house. Before she went inside she blew him a kiss, which he pretended to catch, and place by his heart, where he would treasure it forever.
As he walked back up the trail, he thought about his life, and how quickly it had shifted into something new, something exciting. Something better than he could ever have dreamed of.
Life was perfect. Every day would be more perfect. Monica would move here to Black Bear Ford, and they would open the museum, and then have kids of their own. And live happily ever after.
Epilogue
“Thank you all for everything,” Monica said, feeling self-conscious as she stood in front of a temporary curtain that covered her favorite exhibit. It was also the cheapest exhibit, thanks to Zoe’s artistic talents. “I especially want to thank Zoe and Jeremy for being so generous. The exhibits are some of the finest I’ve had the pleasure to collate.”
“If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly,” Jeremy said.
“Thank you for loaning us your medals too, Grandpa,” Monica added.
“It’s nice to see them displayed. Although I think the exhibit makes me sound like more of a hero than I ever was.”
Jordan put his hand on the old man’s shoulder. “You were a hero. You are a hero, and you always will be. Take it from one who has been there.”
“Soldier to soldier,” Judy said, with a tear in her eye. “You are both so brave.”
“It’s nothing, Mom,” Jordan said.
“Now who is shying away from the praise?” Skyla asked.
“Point taken.” Jordan put his arm around his wife, and kissed her.
“I’d like to thank you individually, but I think Judy has made some incredible cakes and pastries, and I’m sure you want to get to them, rather than listen to me drone on,” Monica said. “So, I’ll do this quickly. I want you all to know you have a place in my heart, and in my life. We are all linked in so many ways, and I wanted to celebrate that.” She pulled the curtain and it came down, revealing a tree, which had been painted on the wall. Each branch was a part of the Williams family, it showed how they were joined by blood, or marriage, or those who had been adopted, such as Monica. She had even included her Grandpa, who was now an honorary member of the family. Marvin had moved into an annex of the house Russell and Judy had built for Monica and Jon. His life had been transformed, and Monica could not imagine him not being part of her future.
Cowboy Bear's Fate (Cowboy Brother Bears Book 3) Page 10