by Claire Ryann
Harrison found a wash cloth and soaked it in warm water under the bathroom faucet, washing away the tears and the snot and the stress from her face with gentle motions, "So what happened at the doctor's office?"
She couldn't help but snort, "Isn't a bear fight with your brother more interesting?"
His face contorted into a grimace, "No."
She raised an eyebrow in disagreement.
"Clay just got under my fur," he said as he re-wet the cloth for another run over her tired eyes, "he's not very good at knowing when to back off and-- well-- it's been a tense week for me too."
"Did you really throw him off the boat?"
He laughed, "No. Luke broke it up before it got too far. He has a pretty strict no bears on the boat rule." Harris twisted his arm to inspect the gashes again, "Big brother got in a good swipe when I wasn't looking though."
Jessica gave his arm a worried look, "So, is that going to heal up?" She looked up at him with a serious face, "Do you guys fight a lot?"
"Not so much anymore. When we were younger we fought a lot. It's just part of being bears." He laughed, "and boys, I guess. Yes. Yes, it will heal. We heal fast. Now tell me about the doctor's."
"The ultrasound showed no sign of pregnancy. Another test came out negative. They said 100% not pregnant and that I should start taking my birth control again as usual this Sunday. Oh, and that I need to use a backup method for the next month because I've been off it for a week now."
"Jessica," his hand held her chin lightly, his thumb tracing tiny circles against her cheek as he looked her in the eye, "I meant it. I meant it about you being my mate. About getting married and having kids."
"Harrison, I don't understand what you mean when you say 'mate,' it sounds so...serious."
His head was nodding slowly, "My people mate. Our bears do-- we all have someone that we are waiting for, someone we're destined for. And when we find that person, our bears bond to them. We mate for life."
"Harris, bears don't mate for life."
"We do."
Jess gave him a lopsided smile that was somewhere short of belief.
"You're my mate, Jessica, the bear knows."
Harrison saw his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth, the way the hope washed out of her face and the sudden downturn of her lips.
"I know, Jessica! I know you're my mate," he reiterated, with new emphasis, "I know you're my mate and the woman I love and I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children."
That was better. He loved the way the light came back to her face, the soft blush of color that rose in her cheeks, the twitch at the corner of her lips where a new smile was taking shape.
He kissed her, starting out soft, asking permission. When her head tilted upward and her lips softly parted against his, he became bolder, his hands reaching to embrace her curves as his tongue claimed her mouth.
"I need you, Jessica," his growled against her throat as his hands tightened their grip on her hips, pulling her against him where she could feel the hard honesty of his words.
Jessica's tears were a distant memory, her shock at discovering his bear, her confusion about being his mate, all moved far away into the back corners of her mind, replaced with only hope for the future he insisted she was a part of.
A moan made its way past her lips as Harrison's lips burned along her neckline.
Her hands gripped his broad shoulders for support so she wouldn't fall against the bathroom vanity.
"Let's get to a room with more room," he said with a touch of humor nearly concealed by his throaty growl as he lifted her so that her legs were wrapped around his waist and carried her out of the bathroom up and up the stairs to the master bedroom.
She was trying to catch her breath as he laid her gently on his king size bed and covered her with his body, lighting trails of fire across her skin with his mouth as he worked his way over every inch of her body.
Jessica arched her back, hungry for the feel of his body against hers. A soft moan escaped her throat as his mouth landed at the apex of her thighs. His tongue expertly dipping into her folds, pressing lightly against her clit to send sparks firing through her, turning her next moan into a gasp.
The last week had been so nerve-wracking, both of them timidly dancing around the possibility of starting a family they hadn't discussed beforehand. Both of them so tense about doing the right thing, saying what they thought the other wanted to hear, worried about what the future held-- and abstaining from the amazing sex life they'd been enjoying.
The tension between them had gotten so awkward, they hadn't even explored the variety of options available while she was off the pill.
Jess needed this release.
She hadn't realized how terrified she'd been. Not of being pregnant, but that being pregnant would drive Harrison away. That it would have meant the end of a relationship that she only just realized was everything she wanted her future to be made of.
Feeling his hands wrapped firmly around her waist, his mouth working against her sex to coax her to climax with a urgency that assured her that she wasn't the only one who'd been terrified of losing what they had together, she felt herself fall into his touch. She left the stress behind her, she let the worry slip away.
Watching the man she'd fallen in love with turn into a bear in the living room somehow came in last when she organized the things that had stressed her out in her life from least to greatest. The revelation of what he was seemed trivial compared to the stack of childrens' books she'd found on the table.
The bear was nothing compared to the way her heart had soared at the discovery of how much preparation he'd done for a baby, at the truth that he'd been secretly excited to begin a family with her.
The bear was nothing compared to the feeling of her heart breaking for him when she had to tell him that she wasn't pregnant after all.
She hadn't realized till now, how keyed up she'd been all day since finding out for sure. How nervous she'd been that not being pregnant might have filled him with so much relief that he'd have decided to walk away while he was ahead.
Mate.
The word rolled through her mind with the first wave of her orgasm. Like the surf that hit the jetty at the mouth of the harbor; building in waves that grew higher and stronger till they crashed and broke into sea spray and foam. Her hands fisted in the bedcovers as her body rocked against Harrison's mouth and fingers.
The waves took the whole of the past week with them, smashing it into millions of fragments that fell away in a soft rain. Leaving behind only a languid calm and the truth that whatever Harrison was, he loved her and she was meant for him.
His tongue continued to lap gently against her, causing tiny shivers to course through her as her body recovered and her mind returned to the present.
Jess began a lazy roll in an attempt to change positions with every intention of returning the favor but Harrison was already kissing his way back up her body. Peppering soft nips over the swell of her abdomen, lavishing the area with extra attention while his hands ran up her ribs to caress her breasts.
She was pinned under him, the full length of his cock pressing into her inner thigh like a steel rod.
The feeling of him made her swoon. The evidence of his desire for her resting against her as he continued his journey back to her mouth for a searing kiss, which brought the tip of his thick cock to her wanting entrance.
The feel of his wide head pushing against her made her break the deep kiss with a gasp that was half pleasure, half warning, and all need.
"Condom?" she managed to rasp, even though her entire being wanted to spread her legs even wider and invite him into her.
His eyes were burning, the golden light she'd learned was some sort of mystical bear simmering close to the surface of the man glowed a deep amber as he looked down at her. His jaw was clenched, his chest rising and falling rapidly with short breaths, she could hear his heart beat. She didn't really care about the condom. She didn't care about
consequences at all at this point, she just needed to feel him filling her up inside.
Her body involuntarily pressed toward his. She caught another sharp breath, desperately straining for control while she stared back into the endless depth of his eyes. His acknowledgment was almost imperceptible. For a second she thought he might not have heard her, or maybe he didn't understand what she was saying-- or remember why-- but then he pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "No condom," his voice was barely more than a rumble through his chest, "I want to feel you, I need to feel you."
"But I'm off the pill. We just went through this, what if I really do get pregnant this time?"
His body tensed with his fight for control, but he edged a millimeter further. His eyes softened, still filled with need and the power of the bear, but also questioning, "Jessica," he breathed as his forehead dropped to hers and his lashes fluttered shut as he squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, "I'm ready."
He raised his head and opened his eyes to look at her again, the golden light still visible around the edges of his irises, but it was clear that the bear had retreated to let the man have control, "I'm ready for you. I'm ready to remodel the spare room, I'm ready to read those books," his voice had dropped to a strained whisper, "I'm ready but only if you..."
She knew what he was going to say and she knew he meant it. If she wasn't ready, he'd wait for her. If she wasn't willing to take any more chances, he wasn't going to press the issue. But she couldn't think past the feeling of his cock pressing against the gate of her desire.
Her body had answered for her, her hips tilting slightly as she angled toward him, her back arching slightly off the bed, her hands gripping the hard muscles of his ass to pull herself toward him.
The feel of him breaching the tight ring at her entrance and the sound of his sharp gasp as his head dropped into the crook of her shoulder as he plunged into her were the end of the conversation.
He thrust into her with measured strokes. She could feel his muscles tensing as he moved in and out of her, fighting to make it last.
She was still sensitive from the last orgasm and the feeling of her body wrapped tightly around his and the implications of the choice they had just made came together to create the perfect storm of lust and love. This new wave was bigger and stronger than anything she'd ever felt as it lifted her up to ride along the crest before tumbling over her, sending her spinning and reeling and gasping for air as she called out to him.
He answered with a kiss interrupted by a deep grunt as his body went rigid against hers before pushing as far as she could take him and pumping hot seed deep into her.
She lay curled against him silently, his strong arms holding her close against his chest, for a long time afterward.
His breath was warm on the top of her head, blowing against the wayward strands of her hair as his breathing returned to normal.
"I'm going to start painting the spare room tomorrow. Did you like the colors I picked?" He eventually said in a sleepy voice.
A smile quirked the corner of her lips but she didn't have the energy for a full laugh, "Aren't you jumping the gun a little?"
"Mmm mmm" he murmured in the negative as his lips pressed against the side of her face, "gonna make babies with you anyway, might as well have the room ready."
She shifted her head on the pillow of his upper arm so that she could look up at him, "You're really ready? You're that sure?"
She lifted her hand to stroke the soft brown waves of his shaggy hair with a questioning smile.
He was nodding, looking deeply into her eyes, "I am," he said seriously, "my bear is. We are."
Oh yeah. The bear thing.
Jessica's gut tangled itself into a knot at the memory, but the knot worked itself out in short order as she focused on the depth of his brown eyes. Whatever the bear was, however this shifter thing worked, she knew it was part of the man she loved and that it was never going to be something she feared in him.
She was ready too.
"I think the paw print decals are really cute," she assured him as her fingers made their way to the ends of his tresses where small curls were beginning to form, "and you need a haircut."
Harris laughed, deep and hearty as he rolled onto his back, his arms pulling Jessica's body up and onto his chest. He kissed her passionately before dropping his head back onto the bed, "OK, but no more of that pomegranate stuff. It makes me smell like a girl."
Jess wrinkled her brows as she raised her head to look down at him, " 'pomegranate?' " She had no idea what he was talking about for a minute and then realization dawned on her, "you mean the pomade? You don't like the pomade?"
Harrison had his nose wrinkled up in disgust as his head moved from side to side, "whatever it is, it smells girly and it feels weird."
Jessica giggled, "I thought you loved that stuff!"
His head stopped the vehement shaking motion and his eyes came to rest on hers again, "No. I love you. Anyone else tries to put that gunk in my hair, they'll meet my bear-- and not in a snuggly cute way."
He tried to sound menacing, but all Jess could do was laugh at the picture in her head of big, handsome Harris turning into a bear and going on a rampage in the salon because someone tried to put product in his hair.
"You should have said something, I wouldn't have used the pomade," she said with a smile as she laid her head back on his chest.
"But then you would have stopped touching me. And you would have been done sooner. I couldn't risk it."
His hand was stroking her hair, the other holding her securely against him. His voice soft and warm like an irresistible lullaby as she drifted off to sleep to the sound of his plans for their future.
Ready. The word rolled through her head, looking for its partner, ready for a mate. Oh so ready.
Thank you for reading OSO Ready Book 2 The Boys of Beartooth Bay: Harrison
This series is short, steamy, and heavy on the Happily Ever Afters.
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* * *
The Boys of Beartooth Bay, Book 3: Clayton is coming soon!
Also by Claire Ryann
OSO Ready is Book 2 in the all new Boys of Beartooth Bay series by Claire Ryann with Eva Wilder.
Short, steamy, and heavy on the happily ever afters; it features all new characters in an all new shifter "world."
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Claire Ryann is also the author of the Sierra Moon Shifters series:
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Quest of the Alpha: Sierra Moon Book One
Return of the Pack: Sierra Moon Book Two
Mated for Life: Sierra Moon Book Three
Lion in Wait: Sierra Moon Book Four
How the Bear Stole Christmas: Sierra Moon Book Five
Bearly Sleeping: Sierra Moon Book Six
A Grizzly Discovery: Sierra Moon Book Seven
ImPAWSible Dream: Sierra Moon Book Eight*
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* Available as part of the Shifters in the Spring multi-author anthology
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Other works by Cliare Ryan with Eva Wilder:
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OSO Stubborn: The Boys of Beartooth Bay book 1: Ethan
OSO Ready: The Boys of Beartooth Bay book 2: Harrison
coming soon to Beartooth Bay: OSO Willing- Clayton
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American Tigers Series 1:
Siberian Soul part 1
Siberian Soul part 2
Siberian Soul part 3
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Outfoxing the Alpha
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About Claire Ryann
Inspired by the real lives and loves of the women that she's known personally, Claire prefers to create heroines for real life-- what we see in ourselves, what we see in others, and what we want to be.
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A little too curvy? A little past our prime? A little too picky to settle for anything less than the real thing in the right package? Claire's heroines always meet their match-- and their mate--whether it's a ruggedly handsome adventurer, or a seriously sexy alpha bear shifter, or just the new neighbor across the hall.
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Whether you prefer your happy endings with a dose of reality or in the paws of a sexy shapeshifter, Claire probably has a story for you.
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Most of Claire's books are in short story format because that's what she loves to read herself. Perfect for a bedtime story or a lunch break read.
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If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review to help others find it.
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Connect with Claire
@Claire_Ryann
claireryannauthor
www.claireryann.com
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About Eva Wilder
Eva Wilder loves shifters; everything from traditional sexy alpha wolves and the thundering paws of grizzlies to the obscure and oft-forgotten animals that walk among us disguised as humans.
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Join Eva's heroines as they discover the secret world of shifters around them... and discover love in all its shifted forms. Come along for the ride as they're captivated and seduced by wily creatures who recognize their mate and aren't afraid to claim her.