Ursa Major

by Mary Winter

  “I’m fine, thanks.” Ken moved with bone-deep weariness. He sat in the chair in her living room with barely a passing nod to Liam.

  Liam stood. “I’ll be in the other room.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled at him before he ducked down the hall. Sarah sat across from her boss. Her stomach fluttered. With Bill’s funeral less than two days ago, she hadn’t anticipated receiving word about her job so soon.

  “I wanted to talk to you about your position. I’ve done a lot of work over the last week or so, and I wanted to tell you in person. Hodges & Associates is no more.”

  Sarah gasped. She pressed her fingers to her chest. “No! There’s got to be something—”

  Ken shook his head. “No. There isn’t. I’m sorry.”

  “What’s going to happen?” She reached out to him, drawing her hand back into her lap. All week she’d thought about this moment. Nothing prepared her for this. Automatically, she turned toward the hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Liam.

  “I have enough personal assets to build the firm again. Thankfully, Bill’s actions may have tarnished Hodges & Associates, but I think we can continue with minimal effect on our reputation.”

  “But we worked for Bill!” Sarah bolted to her feet. “I don’t know how much of the pressure came from you or came from Bill. But I’m not sure I want to go back.” Wrapping her arms around herself, she started to pace. She stopped and stared at her boss. “I don’t like what you did to me over that report. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t ethical. And if you’re going to build your new company to replace Hodges & Associates, then it better be neutral. I think we both know the crap that ‘fair and balanced’ can be.” She sank into the chair, her breath whooshing from her lungs.

  Footsteps alerted her to Liam’s presence. He sat on the arm of the couch, supporting her, let far enough away that she stood on her own. She loved him for it.

  Ken had the grace to look taken aback by her words. “I messed up. I’m sorry. I think that we both thought once your report came through that Bill could get some breathing room. We were wrong.”

  “So if I go to work for you, are you going to yank me around like that again?”

  Ken shook his head. “No. I want to focus on environmental issues. There’s a lot of work to be done there, and your passion, your report, made me see what kind of good we could do if people just stood up for what they believed in. I want to send you to Alaska.”

  “What?”

  Liam stood.

  “Did you just say you want to send me to Alaska?” Sarah clenched her fingers around the arm of the air. Ken’s words hit her out of the blue. “Why?”

  “Because I need you.” Ken sighed. “I think you found something in Alaska, something that most of us search our entire lives and never find. With you up there, you can be our eyes and ears. Our liaison. I’m sure there will be work in Anchorage, though there will probably be as much work out in the field. Work, that I hope, you’ll be happy to do for us.”

  Sarah closed her mouth, aware she stared at him like a frog catching flies. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

  Liam’s hand closed around her shoulder. He sat next to her, his woodsy aroma swamping her senses, reminding her of camping in the woods. Of watching the grizzly bear stare at the plane as it lifted into the Alaskan sky. “It’s a hell of an opportunity, honey. I think you’d do a lot of good.”

  “He’s right,” Ken agreed. “The tide is turning. I know there’s still talk about drilling and finding more American oil, but I think—”

  “What changed your mind?” Sarah blurted out. The words tumbling from Ken’s lips were ones she’d only dreamed about. Something happened, between Bill’s death, her report, and the truth, something had shifted and changed. She half expected Walt to show up and declare that he’d been wrong. He wouldn’t. She knew that, just as she knew her boss may have capitulated a bit too easily.

  Ken slumped in his chair. “That’s a fair question. If I tell you that I was playing along, trying to unravel Bill’s mess, I’m not sure you’d believe me. I know I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes. Maybe I want to do something different. Maybe this is where I think the firm needs to go.”

  “Maybe you think you can make money as the environmental issues move into the forefront.” Sarah frowned. Her stomach rumbled, her unease not abating. “But if I can go back to Alaska and you don’t interfere with my work, I’ll do it.” Surely Liam’s people needed a good political lobbyist. She smiled, knowing she could play those political games as well as Ken.

  “Thank you. I’ll get the details to you over the next week or so, and hopefully by this time next month, you can be in Alaska.”

  Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Something settled into place deep inside, a sense of homecoming she’d needed for far too long. She caught Liam’s smile and returned it with one of her own. He slid onto the couch next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled against him. Alaska. Home. It sounded so good.

  “Thank you. And if you need someone to take my place…”

  “Don’t worry. Senator Durwell has given your sister a very good recommendation. She won’t be starting in your position, but if she proves to be as good a worker as you, I’m sure she’ll be there in no time.”

  The clincher. The ace Ken had kept in his pocket. He could have tossed it on the table, told her if she went to Alaska her sister would have a very nice job here in D.C.. He didn’t, and his restraint made her esteem for him edge up a notch. “I’m sure she’ll be just fine.” And really, for the first time in a long time, Sarah knew it would be true.

  She started to stand.

  “Don’t get up. I know my way out. We may not see each other for a while, but if you need anything, I’m just an email or a phone call away. There’s probably no need for you to come into the office. You’ll be busy moving.”

  She listened to the doors close behind him, then turned to the man sitting next to her. “So, do you think your people could use a political scientist?” She brushed a kiss across his jaw.

  Liam spanned his hand across her ribs, pulling her against him. “I think that could be arranged.” He captured her lips, kissing her long and deep. A promise of their future. “I knew when I first saw you that you’d be trouble.”

  “Oh?” She tapped her finger against the end of his nose. “And how is that, Mr. I-can-turn-into-a-grizzly-bear? I think you’re more trouble than I would ever be.”

  A low laugh rumbled through his chest. “Because you walked into my life with your sexy body and your lavender scent. I knew you were too smart for your own good, and you discovered all my secrets. Except one. I love you, Sarah Doyle. I think I lost my heart to you the moment I saw you in the airport. I love your strength, your spirit, your mind, and your body. My bear tells me that he’s found his mate. I agree.” His thumb swept across her lower lip. Shivers darted down her spine, making her wet with need. Her nipples pebbled. The rasp of the hard buds against her bra made her lean forward and press against his side.

  “Well that’s good, because I love you too.” Crawling into his lap, she twined her arms around his neck and brushed a kiss across his lip. “Even if Ken hadn’t made his offer, I’d want to go back to Alaska with you. I need to be up there, fighting for your home, for your people. I know that things are rough between you and Cameron. I hope that maybe, someday, he can accept my being there.”

  “I think he will. It’ll just take time.”

  “Your parents?”

  “They’ll be fine too. The world is changing, Sarah. Humans like you are part of that change.” He slid his fingers to the nape of her neck, pulling her lips down for a long, thorough kiss.

  Sarah melted against him. Against her sex the hard ridge of his arousal reminded her of how good they fit together. Whether it was here, or in Alaska, she knew she couldn’t leave Liam. All her life she’d put her heart and her soul into her work. Now, she knew what it meant to him, and to his people. She’d followed her heart all th
e way to Alaska where she’d found grizzly bears under attack and Liam, the man who would help her save the world, one bear at a time.

  Epilogue

  The fire crackled in its ring, sparks dancing into the air. Standing across from her, Liam’s naked body gleamed in the firelight. Though the weather turned warmer, she shivered in her thick sweater and boots, not quite believing the man she loved could stand these cold temperatures. He smiled at her, laughter twinkling in his eyes. In an instant, he shifted. His form blurred, body dropping to all-fours, his impressive form strengthening, bulking up until a huge male grizzly bear stood in front of her. He rose onto his hind feet and waved his paws at the sky. A mighty roar rippled through the air.

  Sarah shivered. The primal sound tore through her, reminding her she stood alone, a woman in this wild and untamed land that she loved. Liam would never hurt her.

  He padded on huge paws over to her, sniffing her legs, making low chuffing noises.

  She bent forward and fisted her bare fingers in the thick fur of his ruff. “Go. Worship your goddess.” She pressed a kiss on the top of his furry ears, and at the sound of his brother’s laughter, he ambled into the forest.

  Sarah watched him go. Bears were among the most powerful predators on the planet, and watching the man she loved in his other form, she believed it. “You hear anything about the biologist who is supposed to show up?” she asked, once Liam was out of sight.

  “Not yet.” The humor that had filled him was gone, replaced by a wariness.

  With her minimal contact with the Quintursa, Sarah had no idea who they’d send, only she had to admit she hoped for another woman. Sometimes being the only woman in the lodge made her think she drowned in testosterone, especially when Johnny and Blake had made it a family reunion the week she’d returned to Alaska. Now both the younger twins were gone, and it was just her, Liam and Cameron. She figured Liam’s younger twin would take off soon. Though he warmed to her, he still seemed uncomfortable around them.

  “I’m sure whoever it is will be good. The Quintursa would send no less than the best.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid off.” Cameron stared into the fire.

  Shivering, Sarah sat down next to him. From the woods, usual night sounds filled the air. She couldn’t even hear Liam. They’d hurried back from Washington, making sure they had returned in time for the full moon and his ritual. She’d been here a little over a week. Her condo was on the market. Most of her belongings were in storage. None of that mattered. As she pulled the night air into her lungs, she knew the truth…times were changing. Her being with Liam meant new beginnings for Homo interans and Homo sapiens

  She listened to the rustling of the leaves and looked at the sky. The big dipper hung full and heavy over the world. Ursa Major. The two dipper stars pointed the way to Polaris. Just like her bear had guided her home.

  About the Author

  Mary commutes between her dream home near the Mark Twain national forest in Missouri and her current residence in Iowa. She lives with a menagerie of animals including an opinionated horse and a cat that was a dog in past life. When not writing spicy tales of erotic romance, she enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy, spending time with her horse, and enjoying the outdoors. Lucky for her, her partner (hero) shares these same passions, and usually both of them can be found in their respective dens writing.

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  Ghost Redeemed

  By Mary Winter

  Available Now from Pink Petal Books

  Shay’s stomach flip-flopped. Looking at Kyle standing just outside her bathroom door, a boyish grin on his face, made her wonder what would happen if she invited him to join her. She’d planned on taking a shower, figuring that would be the easiest way to wash the wound on her back. But with Kyle there, she wouldn’t need to go to such lengths. Then again, maybe she would anyway.

  She stepped back and opened the door, suddenly nervous about her plan. “I guess you’re right,” she said, trying not to sound too eager. “I will need some help.” Turning from him, she pulled her shirt over her head. She swore she heard Kyle’s swiftly indrawn breath. She glanced into the mirror and saw the angry red gash start just below her shoulder blade to disappear beneath her bra clasp. She reached around her and unfastened the hooks. Her peach lace bra hung loosely on her shoulders, and she noticed Kyle trying hard not to look at her breasts in the mirror.

  She slipped the lingerie from her shoulders. “The peroxide and some antibiotic ointment are in the medicine cabinet.”

  Kyle opened the mirrored panel. She watched, noticing the light glow surrounding his skin. If it weren’t for that, he’d look completely normal standing in her bathroom, reaching for the brown plastic bottle of peroxide. He grabbed several cotton balls and turned his attention to her back. His movements seemed slow, as if he had to think about each action.

  “This is going to sting a little. There’s not much I can do about that.” He unscrewed the lid of the peroxide bottle and doused a cotton ball. “Are you ready?”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said. His fingers brushed her skin, and tiny shivers darted from the touch. Her nipples pebbled, and she resisted the urge to cover her breasts with her hands. A soft fizzing sound filled the bathroom, and then the wound stung. Shay sucked in a quick breath and gritted her teeth.

  “I’m sorry.” Kyle continued to dab the cotton ball on the wound.

  “It’s okay,” Shay ground out. She reached in front of her and wrapped her fingers around the towel rod on her shower door. Clenching her fingers around it, she focused on breathing in and out to distance herself from the sting of disinfectant on her wound.

  His motions slowed, and she heard the soft clunk of the bottle on the counter. The trash bag rustled as he tossed the cotton ball into it. The room closed in. She became aware of Kyle standing behind her, his body just inches from her. The thudding of her heart sounded loud in her ears. She longed to turn around and see him, but didn’t, afraid of the desire she would see in his gaze. Keeping her eyes down, she waited.

  He touched her. His fingers slid across her shoulder, a feather light touch against her skin. Tiny sparks danced at the contact. Telling herself he was a ghost did little good, as heavy warmth filled her limbs. His hand skimmed her side, barely touching the side of her breast. She wanted more. Him. His cock. Her lips parted.

  “Kyle,” she breathed.

  “Shay.” His other hand reached around to palm her breast, a light touch that soon had him standing against her. The ridge of his cock pressed against her buttocks.

  Her knees went weak. She leaned against his strength, not wanting to get used to his warmth surrounding her. The fact he was a ghost mattered little. Some part of her mind rebelled, but she refused to listen. Right now, still aching from the fight and heart-sore from her best friend’s death, she wanted his warmth, his strength surrounding her.

  She shifted her weight. Her ankle protested, and she quickly moved her weight to her good foot.

  “Let me help you.” His hand slid down her back, to her hip. “Turn around and wrap your legs around me.”

  Shay started to turn. “But you’re
a gh—” Words died when she saw the naked hunger in his eyes. He wanted her, his gaze sweeping over her bared breasts.

  “Perfect,” he whispered, covering one with his hand. He brushed a thumb across a distended nipple, and Shay closed her eyes. His free hand slid over her back, down to her ass. Pulling her against him, he urged her to wrap her leg around his waist.

  She complied. The first touch of his hard cock against her coaxed a low moan from her throat. She wrapped her arms around him and brought her other leg around his waist. He easily lifted her, carrying her out of the bathroom.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” He glanced down the hall, before looking back into the living room.

  The Purrfect Man

  By Mary Winter

  Available Now from Pink Petal Books

  “I’m sorry.”

  The masculine words sounded truly remorseful, and it took Althea a moment to realize she was dreaming. “It’s okay,” she automatically replied, though she knew not who this man was or why he apologized to her. In fact, she couldn’t really see him. Instead, it seemed as if she still lay in bed, though the edges of the room seemed fuzzy. An effect of the sinus medication, she wondered, but she’d never had dreams like this before.

  Gradually, her surroundings became visible. A man sat on the foot of her bed. Though he didn’t move, she sensed an inherent lithe grace in his form.

  “Wha--?” she asked, coming out of a medicine-induced fog. “Who are you?”

  Tawny hair crowned his head and feathered over his shoulders. His brilliant blue eyes held warmth. A straight nose divided his face, leading to the fullest, most sensuous pair of lips she’d ever seen on a man. He wore no shirt, and the view of his chest nearly took Althea’s breath away. Matching tawny hair dusted his pectorals, and then arrowed over a work-hardened set of abs and disappeared beneath the waistband of a gray pair of sweat pants. His feet were bare.