by Rayne Reilly
Leaning toward Bern, she motioned for him to come closer.
"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered.
He took a sip of his beer and leaned down toward her, nodding.
"I caught my boss doing coke...and I don't mean the drink. Nope, he's been shoving the ol' white stuff right up his nose. He told me he'd kill me if I tell on him. Oops," she said, raising her wine as if in a toast. Bern touched his glass to hers and frowned.
"Sorry to hear your boss is such an idiot. I think you did the right thing in quitting," he said. He felt a growing pang of concern for her. Was she in some kind of danger? Or was she just exaggerating because she'd had too much to drink? Had he just got himself into something more than he was expecting?
Nervously, he glanced around the room to see if anyone was paying attention but no one seemed to notice they were there.
She smiled back at him with a silly grin and rolled her eyes, "Of course I did the right thing...duh...I can't bear the thought of seeing his ugly face again."
She motioned for Bern to have a seat. He obliged and set his glass down on the table, raising his eyebrows as she continued.
"It's been a helluva couple months...er...what's your name?" she asked.
"Bernard. And you are?" He put out a hand and she loosely shook it.
"Amara, I'm Amara. Bernard...sounds fancy. Are you fancy, Bernard?"
He shook his head. This beautiful woman was drunk. He put his elbow on the table and propped his chin in his palm. Her blue eyes were dark and filled with pain, even though her outward demeanor said otherwise. He could see that she was hurting.
For some strange reason, he felt something for her. And whatever it was, he had never felt anything like it before.
Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she continued to speak as if she'd known him forever.
"As I was saying, this has been a helluva couple of months, Bernard. My boss has been calling me names and yelling at me...which is fine...cause he's just a junkie and I can't stand him. But I've also been feeling a bit off cause my friend is getting married to a supposedly perfect man. I've never been able to find such a guy for myself.
“I have to be in the wedding and pretend like my life isn't the damn mess that it is. You ever have times like that? Where you just wish your life could be better...and everyone else's could go to hell instead?"
Bern pressed his lips together. He could relate more than she realized. With Austin's wedding coming up and having to be his best man, he, too, felt the same envy, wishing he could have what Austin and Marcy had. He didn't respond to Amara but he couldn't take his eyes off her. He could see that she needed to talk.
As he took another sip of his beer, he listened while she continued without waiting for his response.
"There is no perfect guy anyway...No such thing. Trust me on that one." She pointed with her finger for emphasis.
"Every guy I go out with is just interested in one thing. They're too embarrassed to tell their friends that they dated a fat chick. I've had it with men."
Eyes downcast as she spoke, Bern noticed a few tears welling up. Shaking her head as if throwing off her sadness, she composed herself and took another sip of wine.
At the mere mention of men treating her badly, Bern's hackles were raised. He would be proud to be seen with her. In his eyes, she was beautiful and sexy. She had curves that made his dick twitch and those lips...he couldn't stop staring at them when she spoke. Watching her, he felt as if she kept her true self locked up pretty tight. He suspected that her tough exterior was meant to push people away.
"I'm sorry you haven't been well-treated by men. So you don't date any more, huh?" Bern asked.
"No," she said slowly, as she waggled her finger around and then took another sip of her wine. "I am single, with no prospects. I'm also soon to be broke...'cause I don't have a job, thanks to Mark," she said swirling her glass and almost spilling some of the wine in the process.
"Mark?"
"He's my boss...was my boss," she corrected herself.
"I see. So what kind of work do you do?" He was curious, since she seemed pretty outgoing.
"I was in public relations, but I have a degree in P.R. and marketing," she said. She paused for a moment, looked down at the laptop and back at Bern. Scrunching up her nose, she appeared to remember something.
"Ya know what? My friend said she knew of a job that I can apply for. It's out of town though."
Bern smiled and nodded. Could this be the woman that Marcy had mentioned? If she were, that would be an awfully strange coincidence. He was tempted to question her further about her friend and where this job offer was, but thought he'd wait until she was a little more sober. If, by some remote chance this was the same woman, he didn't want her to feel embarrassed when she learned he was an owner in the company.
"That sounds interesting. Maybe you should consider it. Go where people might appreciate you a bit more. I'm sure your friend would be happy to have you," he said with a sly grin. He certainly wouldn't complain and he would enjoy seeing her every day. Amara smacked her forehead with her palm and rolled her eyes.
"She doesn't know that I quit my job yet...Shh," she put a finger to her lips. Bern nodded and grinned. He wondered if she would even remember their conversation later. Filled with a desire to see her home safely, he spoke up.
"May I ask how you got here tonight?" he was weary about leaving her alone in her inebriated state.
"Subway and walked...why? You wanna take me home?" she grinned and narrowed her eyes slightly. Bern felt his arousal stirring and his inner bear was making a lot of noise. Given what she'd said already, the last thing he wanted was to make her feel used. He pushed aside all thought of what he would really love to be doing with her.
"I assure you my intentions are to see you home safely, nothing more." Right now.
She laughed and closed her laptop, putting it in a large shoulder bag along with her purse. Looking back at him, she tilted her head, as if she was thinking to herself.
"I'm sorry that you've had such a bad day. I think maybe you've celebrated a little bit too much this evening. I hope you'll let me see you home safely?" He moved to stand next to the table.
"I don't need your pity. I'm doing just fine." She smoothed her hair down and stumbled as she stood.
"I don't pity you. I'd just hate to see a beautiful young women like you end up getting hurt on her way home."
"Me? Beautiful?" she scoffed. Her demeanor changed and suddenly, she seemed flattered. Bern wondered how she could ever see herself as anything but attractive. She was perfect.
He watched as she finished her wine, placed the glass on the table and grabbed her bag. They headed out of the bar side by side. Bern held the door open for her as they approached it. She chuckled and stepped outside. He turned to look directly into her eyes. She steadied herself by holding his arm.
"For the record, you are a very beautiful woman and I would never be embarrassed to be seen with you. Would you like me to walk you home or should I call a taxi for you?" he asked. His voice soft and low.
She bit her lip. He felt himself go hard. Damn she looked sexy when she did that.
"Let's walk," she said.
***
The night air was warm and dry. Bern felt the heat of Amara's hand as she held his arm. The further they walked, the more steady her footsteps became. The fresh air and walking seemed to be helping her sober up.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bern glanced down at Amara's huge breasts. They were jiggling slightly as she walked next to him. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to push aside the thoughts of wanting to touch her. He imagined himself running his hands up and down her body, feeling her erect nipples under his thumbs. Clearly, she had no idea how incredibly sexy she was.
They continued to walking close together along the sidewalk. He was seven or eight inches taller than she was. Just the right height to cast quick glances at her without her realizing it. They walked in sile
nce for about ten minutes. She looked up at him and back to the street a couple of times before speaking.
"You don't have to walk me home. I'll be fine," she said, sounding a little more sober then when they'd left the bar.
Bern tried to focus on anything but those sexy lips of hers.
"I don't mind. I can call you a taxi as well, if you like," he smiled as he spoke.
Unexpectedly, she looped her arm through his and pulled herself closer to him.
"Where do you live?" she asked.
Bern didn't want to mention that he was from Pleasantville, just in case this was the woman that Marcy had mentioned. He looked down at her,
"I'm not from around here. I'm here on business and staying at a hotel around the corner."
"Oh?" she said, stopping to gaze up at him. He gazed back, trying to gauge what she was thinking.
"Why don't we go to your hotel room?" she asked.
That was not at all what he expected. Bern was a little surprised after everything she'd said earlier. He didn't want to let her go so soon, but he also knew that inviting her back to his room would be too much of a temptation.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I promised that I'd see you get home safely. How would it look if I took you to my hotel?" he joked.
She tilted her head in surprise and clasped his arm a little more tightly.
"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" she asked. He could see that she was hurt by his response.
"God...no. I told you, I think you're incredibly attractive...not to mention, very sexy. I'm trying to do the right thing here," he said gently, his resolve slipping away with every heartbeat. God, how he wanted her.
Gazing deep into her eyes, he took a step closer. Her arms fell to her sides. Looking up at him, her eyelids lowered slightly. He could smell her arousal. She pushed her body up against him and stood on her tiptoes.
He could feel her breasts pressing against his shirt and wished in that moment, that they were both naked. She reached up and pulled his face toward hers. He didn't hesitate to oblige, leaning down to caress her soft, luscious lips with his.
Bern's inner bear was clambering to hold her and make her his. What the hell is going on? This isn't like me. He put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him, pressing their bodies tightly together. He gave her a long, lingering kiss before they pulled away and stared into each other's eyes.
"Now can we go to your hotel?" she asked with a sexy lilt in her voice.
Bern stepped back and ran his hands down her arms until he was holding her hands.
"Wouldn't you rather we get to know one another first? I mean, we only just met...I wouldn't want you to feel –"
Amara rolled her eyes.
"Look, if you aren't interested...just say so. Don't make excuses. I'm offering myself to you. Do you want me or not?"
Bern wanted her very much. It was all he could do to not take her right there and then. He was rapidly developing feelings for this lovely young woman and he didn't want to taint them by having sex with her right away. But he couldn't risk pushing her away either because he suspected that she was his mate.
Taking her chin in his hand, he spoke in a low voice as he tried to explain. "I want you...I want you so bad...But I also want to know that you're sure you want this too. I'm not looking for just a one night stand."
She looked less offended but still suspicious. He assumed that she wasn't used to being turned down for sex. The men she'd been with had obviously been the dogs she suggested they were. He wanted more than her body.
"This has to be no strings attached, okay?" she declared, eyeing him up and down almost suspiciously. He knew that she was looking for comfort and so was he. He wanted to hold her, kiss her and pleasure her. Bern couldn't let her just walk away and he hoped that once they slept together, he could make her realize that they were meant to be together.
Taking one of her hands in his, they walked toward the hotel and took the elevator to his room. His pulse racing with anticipation and desire, Bern felt as though he might explode.
As soon as the door to his room closed, Amara handed Bern the bag with her laptop and purse. Setting it on the desk, he moved toward her, his heart pounding as he ached to be with her. Running his hands through her long hair, he brought his mouth to hers again. This time her lips parted slightly and his tongue slid into her mouth to meet hers. Hungrily tasting one another, neither of them could wait for him to be inside other parts of her.
Amara's body relaxed under his ministrations. Pushing herself up against him, she began to undo the button of his jeans. They continued to kiss, passionately devouring one another's lust. His hands slid down her head, along her silken hair to her back. She shoved his jeans and boxers down around his knees.
He couldn't have been more turned on by her taking the lead and prayed that she would remember it all in the morning.
He stood back from her, kicking off the clothing around his ankles and tossing it aside. He reached for her and began to pull her top over her head. She stopped him and pushed his arms away.
"No," she said. Her body tensed. Bern was confused at her response. Her arousal was evident, she had taken down his pants leaving his erection bobbing between them. Dropping his hands to his sides, he searched her face. Puzzled, both he and his bear ached to claim all of her.
Gazing at him, she bit her lip and reached under her top and behind, to undo her bra. Bern watched, confused as hell. She stripped off her jeans and panties, tossing them in a pile before taking his hands in hers. Guiding his palms up under her top, she cupped them over her breasts.
It seemed to Bern that she was being self-conscious and he couldn't figure out why. She was stunning. She moved his hands with hers, moaning for him to squeeze her breasts.
Pausing to look at her in anticipation of some sort of explanation, his hard-on was rapidly deflating. As it was obviously noticeable, she frowned and looked away.
Turning back to him, sensing that he was waiting for her to speak.
"I have some scars,” she offered quietly. “They aren't very nice to look at. If you don't mind, I'd rather you not see them."
She reached for him and stroked him slowly with one hand. He closed his eyes and felt himself grow hard again under her touch. Massaging her breasts, he leaned in to kiss her face and neck. He was sure that nothing about her was unattractive and he didn't care about any scars. He only cared about showing this woman more pleasure than she had ever known.
"I want to feel your nipples against my tongue," he whispered in a husky voice.
She lifted her top enough for him to see her nipples. He was disappointed that she wouldn't remove her top. Rubbing his thumbs across her hardened nipples, he leaned down and encircled one with his tongue. She moaned and moved her hand up and down his swollen erection more quickly.
Picking her up in his arms, he laid her on the bed. Moving to lie next to her, he reached down to stroke her mound. Her fragrance filled his nostrils. He wanted to taste her, to give her pleasure and show her how much he wanted her.
With his fingers, he slowly entered her wet folds. She spread her legs and bucked toward his hand. Moving so that he was kneeling between her legs, he began to kiss and nibble at her.
Slowly making his way to her apex where his hot mouth opened around her, he flicked and sucked the hard bud with his tongue. Her hands went to his head, threading her fingers through his hair pulling him toward her. Sliding two fingers in and out of her folds, he continued to suck and play with her until he felt her body quivering almost nonstop.
As his tongue teased her and stroked her sensitive spot, she squirmed and whispered his name. He grinned every time she cried out in pleasure.
"Bernard...that feels...ooh...don't stop," she moaned. He didn't intend to stop until he had left her satisfied and filled with him. It pleased him to feel her body moving under his large hands. He wanted to show her that she was not only beautiful but deserved to be well-treated.
Af
ter she had come multiple times, she begged him to be inside her and he was only too happy to oblige. Positioning himself between her legs, his heart pounded as he leaned down to kiss her, propping himself up with one hand.
She grabbed eagerly at his erection and guided it to her moist entrance. He could feel himself pulsing in her hands. He had never wanted a woman so badly before.
"I want you inside me," she begged. Her eyes were hooded, her voice sultry. He couldn't believe his luck in meeting such a sexy, beautiful woman, one that seemed to be his mate. His bear was trying desperately to come forward but Bern couldn't allow that...not yet.
Slowly, he edged his hardened length inside her. Both of them moaned, as he thrust himself even deeper until he filled her completely.
"You feel so good," he moaned as he felt his own climax building. It wouldn't be long now before he would be marking her as his. This wasn't what he had planned or intended but it's how the night had gone. He prayed that she wouldn't regret sleeping with him and he hoped that she would accept him as a mate.
Thrusting into her repeatedly, his pace quickened. He braced himself with his hands as the orgasm ripped through him. His body tensed and Amara seemed most pleased with herself when finally, he opened his eyes and leaned down to kiss her lips ever so tenderly.
He moved to lie next to her and put an arm around her. If he'd had any lingering doubt about her being his mate, it had vanished. Every ounce of him and his bear felt the connection. Watching her as she drifted off to sleep, he wondered if she had felt it too.
Chapter Three
Her first awareness that morning was of a heavy weight on her stomach. Opening her eyes, the room was unfamiliar as she glanced down and discovered a very large and slightly hairy arm draped across her belly.
Slowly, she turned her head and saw a bear of a man sound asleep beside her and looking blissfully content.