by Vivian Arend
“You’re mine,” James growled softly. “Right now, and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. I choose you.”
To hell with it. When a guy was that damn sweet, it was time to admit defeat. “Okay.”
He chuckled. “Okay?”
She fought to keep from giggling, at least until he thrust up so hard the laugh became a moan, and then she was coming again. Different, better, because she was squeezing around his cock, and his eyes were rolling back in his head, and he was making noises as if he had just won the lottery.
And as they clung to each other afterward, she had to admit it was a pretty powerful thing to be able to see James Borealis lose it.
Now she had to find the strength to make sure he never regretted it.
10
So much for going slow.
They weren’t even dried off before James dropped her on the bed. He joined her before she finished bouncing so he could ravish her all over again.
He was a gentleman, though. Mostly. He made sure he licked every inch of her body thoroughly until she was gasping before covering her and pressing his cock deep.
The third time they finished screaming in pleasure, collapsing onto the mattress like boneless cuts of meat, Kaylee flapped a hand at him and moaned. “Time out. Oh my God, please. I call timeout.”
James took a deep breath and considered. “I might be able to stop for a while.”
Something that sounded suspiciously like goddamn sex fiend escaped her lips.
He rolled, intending to curl himself around her. When his hand accidentally slipped up to cup her breast, she caught hold of his pinkie and twisted it hard until his hand slid downward. “Timeout means if you touch any of my erogenous zones in the next fifteen minutes, I’ll cut you into small pieces.”
“What if I accidentally—?”
To his amusement, a vicious growl escaped her.
James nuzzled against her neck. He kept his hand safely pressed against her belly because, well, while he wasn’t allowed to fondle any of the good bits, all of her felt stroke-worthy.
It took a long time for their heart rates to return to something near-normal. And while more sex was definitely on the agenda, when their stomachs both rumbled simultaneously, James had to admit it. “I finally need food more than I need fucking.”
“Thank God. Not that the fucking wasn’t spectacular, but I’m starving,” Kaylee warned him.
She slipped out of his arms and into the shower, and this time he let her be alone.
Food, his stomach reminded him. They could have another go at shower sex later.
Not too much later, though.
James checked his messages while Kaylee had a quick rinse, but there really wasn’t anything dire on his to-do list work-wise for the next week. Now that Cooper knew what was going on, James was sure the rest of his family would be warned he was unavailable.
Making plenty of time for him and Kaylee to enjoy themselves. Plus, time to deal with the worry that kept creeping into the delectable woman’s eyes.
He didn’t think she was even aware she was doing it. Going from smiling one moment like a cat that had caught the canary, to gnawing on her bottom lip and staring into space with trepidation.
James let his gaze drift over her as she returned to the room. Nope, plenty of time for all the important things, including convincing her she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Kaylee paused in the middle of drying her hair to stare back at him before smacking him playfully on the arm. “My God, that’s so annoying. Are you going to grin like that all week?”
“How do you want me to grin?” he asked before ducking out of range.
She was still laughing as he marched over to his dresser and pulled out a T-shirt. He tossed it at her, watching with amusement as she slipped the oversized garment over her head without removing her towel first.
Her modesty was going to kill him. “Seriously? What’s that nonsense?”
“Some of us are not exhibitionists.” Kaylee gathered up her things and headed toward the laundry room. Probably thought she was going to get to wash and dry her clothes. Well, fine, she could, but it’s not as if she was going to be wearing much of anything for the next week. Not if he had a say in the matter.
He pulled on a pair of sweatpants out of consideration, though, and also because having his junk rise and fall like a barometer in a storm wasn’t that entertaining.
While he planned on spending most of the week in bed, they couldn’t spend all week there. Certainly not unless he fed her at regular intervals.
Her quick glance as she exited the laundry room made him realize again how far they had to go in this new relationship. The tension in her shoulders hadn’t released until she’d confirmed he was partially dressed.
They’d been friends forever. But only friends—and he had to remember that, no matter how natural it felt to have stepped beyond that boundary.
But now, as he followed her into the kitchen, the need to protect was fierce. Not only to keep her safe from outside harms, but from everything inside that was making her unhappy.
As she pulled open the refrigerator door, he placed his hand over hers. He carefully guided her backward, closing the door and pulling her into his embrace. “You’re doing it again,” he said softly.
Kaylee twisted until she could rest her head against his chest. “Sorry. I’m just worried.”
“Let’s make a deal. You’re allowed to worry as long as I’m allowed to take care of you.”
Kaylee snickered. “In other words, you think you get to boss me around.”
“Only as much is I’ve ever been able to, Banks. Which is not at all.”
He tucked his fingers under her chin and lifted until he could press a kiss to her lips. Slow and intense, but brief. He gave her a tight squeeze then backed away.
“Time to grab some food. Because while I seem to be having extraordinary control for someone in the midst of a mating fever, there’s no guarantee it’s going to last.” Blunt speaking, but she’d better be prepared. “I won’t do anything to hurt you,” he said.
“Good grief, course you won’t. Mostly because I would take you out at the knees if you tried,” Kaylee informed him primly. “I know you, Borealis. We know each other. It’s not the one-on-one time that I’m worried about.”
It should be. If she had any idea of how much he was looking forward to taking her again…
They cobbled together a meal, but when she would have put their plates on the table, he shook his head. He settled in his oversized easy chair and patted his thighs.
Kaylee raised a brow even as she made her way over to climb daintily into his lap. “What would you have done if I’d made soup instead of sandwiches?”
“Eaten very, very carefully,” he assured her.
He’d begun to figure out that odd sensation tormenting his skin was only there when he didn’t have a hand on her. “I’m going to be pretty touchy-feely for the next while,” he warned.
“I have no problem with that.” Kaylee, who had been his companion in mischief-making for far too many years to count, offered him a blinding grin. “I’m kind of living in a lust-filled haze right now. You being touchy-feely is not an issue.”
Kaylee took a bite of her sandwich, lifting a finger to catch a dollop of mustard that had escaped and clung to the corner of her mouth. He couldn’t take his eyes off her fingers as she licked them clean.
Her lips—mesmerizing.
They sat quietly for a while, fixated on the food. For good reason, since they must’ve burnt off a million calories in the past two hours.
Only when her plate was half empty did Kaylee let out a sigh and slow down.
“Is something supposed to happen?” she asked. “I mean, in terms of weird things going on.”
“Maybe? I don’t know for sure,” he admitted.
Kaylee growled softly before taking a ferocious bite out of her sandwich. “I have to say this whole cone of silence is pr
etty stupid when it comes right down to it. You’d think male polar bear shifters would be more willing to share details.”
“The only details I know guys dish about are ways to avoid getting trapped by the mating fever.” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth because she looked sad again. “Kaylee, I didn’t want to avoid the mating fever this year.” Normally he never would’ve shared this intel, but considering they were going to be together forever, she needed to know.
“Grandpa gave us an ultimatum earlier this year. Says he wants the three of us mated or he’ll sell Borealis to Midnight Inc. My brothers and I agreed we’d—” He stopped as the expression on her face changed from annoyance to concern to utter horror. “What?”
She sat stick straight and rigid in his arms. “Normally you would’ve done everything you could to avoid the mating fever. Grandpa Giles forced you to get stuck with me?”
Dammit, this was not going to end well.
“No, it wasn’t like that,” James began before he had to kind of acknowledge the truth. “Well, okay, it was like that, but he didn’t force me. Really.”
“I’m going to kill him.” The fury in her eyes said she might not be joking.
“Hey, it’s okay. I mean, yes, he was a bit of a jerk to lay down the law like that, but at the same time I’m glad.”
Kaylee wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Yeah, right, because you were just dying to end up trapped with me for the rest of your life.”
Okay, enough of that bullshit. James caught her by the chin and turned her face toward his. Glaring, he let her see every bit of his annoyance. “You do that again and I’ll put you over my knee. How many times do I have to tell you I chose this? Yeah, maybe my hand was pushed at the start, but this isn’t a disaster, and you’re not a mistake. And if you keep saying that, I’m going to get pissed off. Stop it, Banks. You’re bloody perfect, and that’s the end of the fucking story.”
He glared at her. She frowned back.
The corner of her mouth twitched. Her entire body was one tight bundle, and she looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
Guilt sauntered in. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry I shouted at you.”
Her lips quivered. Then again, harder, and he was about to apologize again when a burst of laughter hit him smack-dab in the face.
Memories flooded in of first seeing that same delight and amusement. Ten years old and thick as thieves since the moment her family had moved in next door to his. They’d become best friends overnight. Inseparable, whether playing, or fighting, or just dealing with growing up.
There was always laughter.
Like the time he’d decided he was going to shave. Which wouldn’t have been a terrible disaster, except Kaylee, his ever-present friend, somehow convinced him that shaving included armpits, arms and legs as well as the peach fuzz growing on other parts of his body.
Hey, they saw that in commercials all the time, right? Yet it wasn’t the shaving that had made her lose control and laugh like a hyena, but his screams after he’d realized the soap he’d lathered up with had been studded with cinnamon.
The memory blurred with others: years of homework, and camping in the backyard, and yard chores, and Halloweens spent together. The connection between them grew clearer in his mind than ever before.
James put their plates aside for safety’s sake, ignoring her laughter, which had devolved into giggles, slowly fading into hiccupping snorts.
He waited. A long time.
Her lips were still quivering as she placed a hand on his face. “You really need to learn how to speak your mind.”
A wry smile escaped.
“I mean, how am I ever going to know what you’re thinking when you won’t share what you’re feeling with me?” she teased.
She leaned in and kissed him, right on the tip of his nose.
He shook his head. “Nice try, baby, but that’s not good enough.”
Kaylee sighed as if hard done by. “You’ve said it clearly, so I will listen instead of arguing—”
“Can I get that in writing?”
“—and I believe you. You wanted this. And while I don’t understand exactly why, I’m glad. Because you are my best friend. I want to make you happy.”
James tapped his lips. “Then kiss me.”
One of her brows rose. She leaned in and skimmed past his mouth to press her lips to his cheek.
“Kaylee…” he warned.
“Target practice,” she insisted before covering his face with dozens of kisses. Moving along his jaw to his ear where she fucked up his mind completely by nibbling on his earlobe.
When she began working her way down his neck, James decided they’d definitely had enough to eat. It was time for La-Z-Boy sex.
11
By the third day, Kaylee had learned things she’d never thought possible. Such as:
1) Polar bear shifters could climax and then continue fucking less than thirty seconds later.
2) Bears in a mating fever fucked more than they slept.
3) Her best friend was a wizard with his tongue.
Okay, that one she might’ve guessed was possible, but finding out for sure? Pure heaven.
For kicks, she hopped on the scale during a brief moment between being ravished in the shower and being ravished up against the wall of the hallway. She stared at the numbers in shock.
“What?” James asked, running his fingers down her side. He was rarely more than an arm’s length away, which was fine by her because anytime he was farther than that she got this weird tugging sensation in her belly.
“I’ve lost ten pounds,” she told him.
“I fed you,” he insisted.
“I know you did,” she said with a touch of exasperation. “It’s all the weird bear tricks.”
“I’ll feed you more,” he offered. “I was going to get groceries delivered this afternoon. Chinese takeout? Thai? Pizza? Actually, I’ll just order all three. That’ll make things easier.”
“I want a meat lover’s pizza with barbecue instead of red—” Kaylee began only to have James wave a hand and finish her sentence.
“—no red sauce. Extra cheese, and you want a side of chipotle dip.”
They grinned at each other.
Her phone went off. Amber’s ringtone.
Kaylee glanced at James, not because she was asking for permission but because they were in the middle of something pretty intense and she wanted to respect that.
His expression softened, and he stepped in, caressing a hand over her cheek. “I bet Amber’s worried. I should’ve made sure you called her back right away.”
“She knew you’d take care of me,” Kaylee said firmly before grabbing her phone off the table.
“While you talk, I’ll bring home the bacon.” He offered her a heated leer. “You can reward me suitably later.”
Kaylee gagged at him, amused as he crossed his eyes in retaliation.
She answered her phone before Amber could give up. “Hey. Everything’s great.”
Maybe if she kept telling herself that it would be true.
Her friend’s voice played delicately in her ear. “Truly?”
The temptation to giggle was strong. “If you’re asking for details, I’m not sure—”
“No. That’s fine,” Amber hurried to dissuade her. “I didn’t expect this, though.”
“That makes two of us,” Kaylee admitted.
She’d planned on walking out onto the balcony, but every step she took was as if an elastic between her and James grew thin and taut. Uncomfortable.
Instead of fighting the urge, she returned to settle on the arm of his chair. With a hand resting on his shoulder, she rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke quietly into his phone, a half dozen takeout menus scattered on the table in front of him.
“Is there anything you need?” Amber asked. “I’ve had a devil of a time trying to get any kind of information out of the boys. All they keep telling me is to not disturb you. I’m
sorry, but I had to make sure.”
“It’s fine,” Kaylee insisted. Her fingers drifted into James’s hair. She played with it, tangling it in circles to enjoy the soft caress gliding against her palms. “He’s got the fever, and I have to admit, it’s been a lot of fun. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
An embarrassed chuckle carried over the line. Sweet Amber was such an innocent. They’d become good friends over the past couple years, and while free-love wild nights weren’t a part of either of their lifestyles, as a shifter, Kaylee was used to blunter discussions about sex than the human.
“Do you feel different?” Amber asked.
Avoiding any kind of comment about sexual wear and tear, Kaylee thought it over. Her inner cat was pretty much snoozing contentedly, happy to be warm and dry. Other than that? “Nothing. But the week’s not up yet. James doesn’t seem to know much about how this works, either.”
“I’ll do some research. I mean more. I didn’t want to dig too deep in case that was stepping over lines, but if you’re interested…” Amber left the option open.
It wasn’t going to hurt anything. “Go for it. Not much we can do at this point, anyway.”
Kaylee jammed her lips shut against making some other comment about how terrible she was going to be for James as a mate. She’d promised to try, and she was going to keep her word.
The thought of being by his side on a public stage, though, was enough to make her lose her appetite.
James was still ordering, but now he turned his attention on her and even while he was reading off an impossibly long list of items to the Thai restaurant, he slid his hand over her hip and under her shirt to rest his big warm palm against her lower back.
“That meeting we talked about.” Amber spoke softly as if worried James would overhear. Or maybe there was someone in the office she was trying to avoid. “Next week. I assume you’re going to be done with your… Done by then.”
James’s gaze drifted over her body. He slid his hand higher then scratched his nails gently down her spine.
Kaylee’s body lit up with desire, but she focused on answering coherently. “I think so. Go ahead and set it up.”