“I’m better,” he said. “Hell, I’m a shifter. I get better every second.”
“So you weren’t really sacrificing yourself to save me?” She teased, gingerly running a hand up his chest where she could between bandages.
“Oh, wait. No, I’m still dying,” he said, giving her a flat stare.
She laughed. “It’s okay.”
“No, but really,” he said. “You saw the state I was in. I have no idea how it looked, but how it felt after the fight was touch and go, right before I passed out. I don’t think I’ve ever been injured like that. Not even by my dad.”
She touched his face, tracing his ear. “I’m sorry he did that to you.”
Riker shook his head. “It was a long time ago.”
“Sometimes the past really stays with us.”
“Not when you’re here,” he said. “When you touch me, it all goes away.”
She looked like she was forcing back tears as her eyes got oddly shiny. Then she let out a long, shaky breath, looking normal again. “All right. Then let me touch you a lot.” She leaned forward, kissing his forehead, and he felt an odd zing through his entire body. “Let me touch you all night, until everything is better.”
He brushed her hair back from one ear and ran his thumb over her cheek. “Just being here with you, knowing you forgive me for the past few days, it already is.”
“So we just enjoy this, see where it goes?” she asked.
His hand traced down her back. “Sounds good to me.”
No matter how scary it was that he could lose her at the end of this, he was done fighting his need to be close. To protect her. To be near her every part of the day.
He’d just have to treasure every moment and have hope for the rest of it.
Which was a very odd thing for him, because Riker hadn’t had hope for anything in a very long time.
His twisted his hand in her curls and pulled her into a long, tender, kiss.
15
He was kissing her.
He was dominant, strong, his hand gentle yet forceful in its grip and his lips firm and demanding as she opened up to him and felt his tongue swiping inside, warming her from top to bottom.
All the fear of the evening subsided, from watching him fight for his life in the med tent to doing all his stitches.
He didn’t know how close things had been. How hard her heart had pounded at the thought of losing him. How she’d had to focus on helping him and trying not to think about the fact that it was so weird that she could feel so strongly about someone after so little time.
It felt like her life was ending along with his, that she would die if she lost him.
And after only a few days, how could that be?
But then, perhaps loves were like light sources. Perhaps some people were like light bulbs and you could sit in their light unaffected for many years. And other people burned like suns, drawing you in with their heat and light and threatening to incinerate you in minutes if you got too close.
Riker was like a campfire in the darkness. Without him, she didn’t know which way to go, and she was cold and lost. And without her to tend his fire and stay by his side, he risked going out.
It wasn’t the perfect metaphor, but it was the best she could think of after all that had happened between them.
And to think, none of it would have happened if Corey hadn’t abandoned her in the mountains.
“Come back to me,” Riker said in a gruff voice, pulling back and resting their heads together, breaths mingling in the warm air of the room. “Whatever you’re worrying about, put it aside. I promise I’m going to protect you.”
Her heart gave a little shudder, like an engine almost starting but failing to turn over. Yes, he could protect her from stray bears and other men and the elements. But could he protect her from how she was feeling about him and from losing herself in his arms?
She closed her eyes and just felt his touch as his hand traced over her hairline, her ear, her neck, dipping under her top to feel her shoulder, her collarbone. His rough, calloused finger gave just the slightest whisper of feeling as he explored her skin.
Then she felt him flick open the top button of her shirt, and blood filled her face. And other areas.
She looked up at him and saw thunderous storm clouds in his eyes. “Riker,” she said. “Are you sure?”
“I told you I’ll protect you,” he said. “So whatever is putting that worry in your face, put it away. You know I won’t let you get hurt.”
“Not even by you?” she asked.
“Well, I already did my best in that way and only hurt you more. So yes, I think I can protect you even from that. Because I’m here, open to you, letting you make the choices. Willing to let you walk away from me. In my opinion, I’m taking on all the hurt in advance. So the least you can do is put all that away and kiss me.”
She kissed him, pushing down the worry in her soul as warmth spread through her, their incredible connection heightening the tension in the room.
He was right; he was putting it all on the line, and all she’d wanted the past few days was another of these moments. She kissed him more deeply, swiping her tongue inside to entwine with his, being rough with his mouth in a way she couldn’t with his body. Her hands hovered gingerly, not knowing where to go.
“I’m fine,” he growled, swiping his tongue over her lips and then reversing their positions so he was on top of her.
“If you start bleeding again, I’m not going to forgive myself,” she said, wincing. Even with the bandages on, he was so gorgeous, so huge and masculine.
They just didn’t make them like this out in the real world. From that strong jaw covered in the perfect stubble to those naturally carved pecs dusted by blond hair to the rippling abs that projected sheer strength and hard work.
They’d put him to bed shirtless to give his bandages air but left pants on, and they sat low on his lean, muscular hips, his Ken doll lines making sharp indentations just above them.
And below that…
She licked her lips, and he watched her, feverish. Then he took her hands in his and pinned them at the sides of her head, taking her lips again. This time, his tongue was in control, swirling, pleasing, tantalizing with all the promise of how he was going to take her when she was warmed up.
Not that it took long to warm up for him. It felt like all it took was a glance at her to ruin her panties.
He growled against her mouth and gently bit her bottom lip. “You don’t have to be gentle with me. You fixed me up. I’m not going to break.”
“I know,” she said tentatively. “But I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I’ve been through worse,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’m damn near unbreakable.”
She laughed. “No one is. But with that attitude, I guess I’m going to be fixing you up a lot, aren’t I?”
His eyes dipped to look at himself. “Definitely something that needs fixing right there.”
Her eyes widened at the sheer size of him, straining against the front of his pants. She yanked her hands free and pulled on the waistband, freeing him, and her mouth watered at the velvet texture and the way it would feel to have him stretching every angle when inside her.
She gave a little shiver, releasing the tension as he pinned her back down and made love to her neck, shoulders, arms, popping the buttons of her shirt as he pulled off her pajama top. He kissed her belly, her sides, her love handles, touching her in a way that was different from the last time.
That had been exploring, hot, trying to figure everything out for the first time during an experience that was never planned.
This was intentional, as if he’d been thinking in their time apart of all the things he wanted to do to her when they were together. He was voracious, as if he’d never get enough of her, and every touch, every soft suckle or bite, set her body more and more on fire.
She’d never known making love could be like this. She wasn’t sure it even should be this go
od. How did people ever leave the house and act like adults if it was?
One of his hands twisted in her hair again, making her arch slightly as his lips found her nipples. First one and then the other, he tortured them to stiff peaks and then licked, his tongue warm and rough, his hands insistent as they squeezed her breasts, captured them, owned them.
She shuddered and writhed, unable to move as he released her hair and pinned her hands again, this time in one of his.
“I could sense you wanted it rougher tonight. It makes sense. I’ve made you doubt me. I haven’t let you see how much I want you. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to do that now.”
She nodded. Hell yes. She was too turned out to see straight, and the thought of him just going nuts on her turned her on more than she thought possible.
He held up his free hand and flicked out a black claw, gleaming in the lamplight. Then, with a wicked grin, he reached down and yanked her pants away from her, tearing them with his claws, leaving her nearly bare.
He toyed with the panties a little, tracing over them with his finger, feeling the intense, concentrated wetness there, letting his eyes close as if it pleased him.
Then the panties were torn away as well, and she felt her legs shoved roughly apart as he took his place between them on his knees.
He seemed completely unaware of any injury as his free hand dipped between her legs. He was so tall, so large, that it was no trouble to keep her restrained completely as his hand lazily explored. She felt the cold, new sensation of something metallic tracing along the inside of her thigh and then over her clit.
“Is that—”
“Only the back of it,” he said. “I’d never risk any part of you, least of all that.”
“It’s an odd sensation,” she said.
“Cold,” he said. “I imagine.”
She shivered. “Yes, and hot.”
His claw retracted, and she felt hot, rough fingers playing in her folds, exploring, dipping into her wetness. “I thought it would take longer to get you ready. I’ve been thinking of this moment for so long.”
“We only did this on—”
“Shh,” he said, putting a finger to her lips. “Even a minute without you feels like forever.”
She sighed. “And then you say stuff like that and I don’t even know what to do with it.”
His finger worked against her, soft and then rough, tracing in circles, wider and then narrower, letting her thighs struggle uselessly. Her hands tugged to get free, but he kept her pinned, and that turned her on most of all.
That he wouldn’t let her go.
A finger dipped in, and he let out a groan. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever feel them again. If you don’t stay on my mountain with me, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Her eyes flew open and she almost retorted, but then his hand found her clit again, stroking over her and nearly bringing lightning down.
“It’s not fair to say that now,” she choked out. “You make it feel this good, and I don’t know how anyone could leave your mountain.”
“You’re everything,” he said, increasing pressure and speed as pleasure built within her. Just as she was poised on that intense precipice where it’s so good you don’t want to fall over but so strong you can’t help it, he pressed down directly on her, and she dropped.
She screamed, twisting against his hand, helpless as the pleasure went through her like electric shocks, making her body move and jerk.
And the whole time he watched her with those flashing storm cloud eyes.
“You’re really something,” she said. “How can you know just how to—”
He took her lips in a kiss and then pulled back so when he spoke, his lips brushed hers. “I just do. Everything in me just wants to please you. If it makes you want to stay, I’ll do this to you every day. Every minute.”
She sighed. “I don’t know if I could even take that.” She raised an eyebrow, her whole body weak from his onslaught yet begging for more. “I mean, I guess it sounds like a huge sacrifice on your part.” She teased.
“Huge,” he said, using his claw to cut his own pants off. “I mean, look at the clothes I’m going to have to go to town and buy.”
“But worth it?”
His eye roll was severe. “As if you even have to ask. I’d risk my life for you. Giving you my dick? Yeah, that’s easy.”
She grinned. “Speaking of which…”
He released her hands and grabbed her thighs, wrapping them around his waist. “Hold on.”
She loved how small she felt next to him. Curvy and feminine but in a way that was wholly perfect rather than something that needed to change. In this moment, she didn’t need to be thinner, to change her hair, to think about anything but how beautiful she felt with this man about to go inside her.
She moaned as he touched her entrance, the huge, sculpted head of his cock teasing and swirling where she was already wet and ready for him.
She locked her legs around his back and pulled them closer together, and he gave her a mock glare and then grinned, sheathing deep inside her with a groan.
As before, she felt a tremendous feeling of fullness and pressure and had to take a few short breaths to wait for her body to settle and adjust. But once it did, she felt perfect.
Like he’d been made for her. Like despite his life up on these mountains and the people who’d hurt him and the ones who’d hurt her, there was nothing more important than the fact that they were there, together, at this moment, joined as one with pleasure threatening to overwhelm them.
Being with him was like looking into a sky of beautiful stars. It was enough to make her wonder what her place was on this planet and how anything between just two people could feel so very important. So… meant to be.
And in his dark, stormy eyes, as he fought to stay calm while she adjusted, she saw the same thoughts reflected.
Like this was something too wonderful to question yet too wonderful to believe.
She let out a breath, relaxing, giving his wrist a squeeze, and he nodded and began to move.
Every inch felt amazing, leaving her empty and on fire as he withdrew and then at home and warm and full as he returned, stroking up against a spot inside her that sent pleasure coursing through her.
He began to move quicker, holding under her hips to support her as they moved together, her breathing heavily as she thrust up to meet him.
Every time they came together, their bodies touching, melding, the heat rising, she gasped again, feeling the tension build in her more rapidly than ever before. She wanted to make this last, but her orgasm was too fast for her to run away from, and she screamed out as it hit her like a freight train, knocking her breath out of her as her whole body tensed around him.
“Riker, oh, Riker,” she gasped out, thrusting against him as the release took over. But release was the wrong word, because when he was giving her this kind of pleasure, she was more like his prisoner.
Unable to say no. Unable to run away. Unable to want to.
He let her relax slightly, breathing heavily, and then started moving again.
It was stronger, moving inside her aching body still rippling with aftershocks. But the build soon took over, and she screamed again, embarrassed at her inability to hold back and last longer. He was just so large, so deep, so expert, like her body was made for his pleasure.
And his face, so handsome. His body, so big. His eyes, so sexy.
“Never feel bad for going,” he said. “I want you to go over and over ‘til you can’t move. ‘Til you can’t think about even crawling away from me. ‘Til you need me to breathe.”
“You’re everything,” she said. “No one else could ever make me feel this way.”
“Damn straight,” he said. “Never. I’d kill them.”
It was raw and possessive, yet she understood it was how he’d been all along. What he’d been trying to hide from her, protect her from. It was him.
“I’m yours,” she said, putting a hand up to his face. He turned and kissed her fingers, sucking one into his mouth and biting on it. She jerked back, shuddering. “You’re shameless.”
“When it comes to your pleasure, yeah,” he said, moving again. “Now let’s send you over the edge a few more times.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against her ear. “And when you can’t take it anymore, I’ll go with you.”
She nodded, eyes closed tight, and then opened them as he proceeded to do precisely as he’d promised. Working inside her, feeling her with his hands, trapping her against him as he thrust deeper and deeper, harder and faster, until her body was shaking from release after release and she felt she’d have to sleep for days just to recover.
And when her body felt it could pull into a million pieces from all the sensations pounding through her, he went with her, murmuring words she didn’t understand in her ear as he jerked inside her.
He held her tight as they went together, as her body spent the last of her energy and she screamed into his shoulder in release and pleasure and even fear at how good this man could make her feel and how much it would ruin her for anything else.
Here in this cabin, with night all around them, they were the only people in the world. Nothing else mattered, and it felt like the entire universe had shifted back to leave them alone.
She held on to him as he jerked, filling and warming her as her body returned to pulsing exhaustion, happy and sated and overwhelmed by just how good the previous moments had been.
She couldn’t believe how many times she’d come, how long he’d pushed her, and how pleased he’d been by her pleasure.
He pulled back from her and stared down, still joined with her, and gave her a full, wide smile. It felt bright enough to light up the night sky.
He pulled out and nuzzled against her, pulling her body to spoon against his huge one, ignoring his bandages as if the need to have her close overrode everything.
“Ana, I love you. I’m going to make it up to you. I promise.”
Sheltered by the Bear (Trapped in Bear Canyon Book 1) Page 13