by Vella Day
Chapter Twelve
‡
When Brian’s footsteps stopped, Jillian spun around. He was bent over, causing her heart to crack. She rushed over to him. “Are you okay?”
Jillian worked hard not to sound disappointed because Brian really wanted to shift.
He stood and held up a hand. “I’m fine. I don’t know what happened. Maybe my bear is too deep inside me.”
The angst in his voice tore at her, and she rubbed his back. “It’s okay. James warned us that you might not succeed on the first try. Let’s grab our jackets and get out of here.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry for anything. For thirty-eight years, you’ve denied your bear access to your mind. You can’t expect him to suddenly jump out and go for a romp.”
“Yes, I can.”
She grabbed his hand, and together they walked across the field to where they’d stashed their clothes. Neither of them said anything more. Clearly, he needed time to process what might have gone wrong.
Once they donned their jackets, they returned to the truck. “What do you think happened? Were you distracted?” she asked. As much as Brian would want to forget he’d even tried, it wouldn’t solve anything. Facing the problem head on was the only solution.
“Don’t know.”
O-kay. “You pictured yourself as a bear and—”
He jammed the key into the ignition and then faced her. “Yes. Yes. Yes. I did everything right. I really believed it would happen, and I did keep trying and then—nothing. I guess it’s not meant to be.”
His frustration cut through her. “Don’t say that. We can try again.”
Brian put the truck in gear and took off, his focus straight ahead and his jaw clenched. He was headed toward Dalton’s, but she had another idea. “I think I know what happened.”
“What’s that?” he said with too much bitterness.
“Your muscles were too tight. Do you stretch a lot?”
He glanced over at her. “Stretch? Fuck no. I lift wood all day. That’s all.”
“Then that’s the problem. Let’s go back to your place. I’ll give you a good massage to loosen up your muscles.”
Yes, she’d made that up, but Brian was hurting. Besides, once she had her hands on him, she bet she could get him to relax by using a more loving way.
“You think that’s the problem. I was too tense?” She swallowed a smile from the hope in his tone.
“I had a law case once that I really wanted to win, mostly because I yearned for a promotion. I’d won four straight cases in a row and the case that mattered the most? Yup, I lost it. I had all of my questions prepared, but I didn’t listen to the defendant’s answers closely enough. I was not paying attention to the most important part of the case.”
“So you’re saying that wanting something too much could botch it up?”
“Yes, if you focus on the wanting part more than the feeling, it can. Maybe you haven’t learned how to listen to your body. Remember the first time I came to your apartment?”
“I’ll never forget it.”
She bet. “I wanted to convince you so badly that you were a shifter that I ignored what you were telling me. I didn’t listen to you.”
“What was I saying besides asking if you were crazy?”
He had accused her of that. “That you weren’t ready to accept that much change. It was stupid, or rather egotistical, of me to shift on you. I just wasn’t thinking.”
He turned onto the main road and headed toward town. When he pulled behind the Blooms of Hope shop, Jillian’s tiger went wild.
It’s just a back rub, she told her anxious animal.
You aren’t a very good liar.
Why couldn’t Jillian hide anything from her suddenly overly active tiger? This time she would take it slow. Brian was tense. If relaxing his muscles would help him shift, she was all for it. However, if he became a little more amorous, she certainly wouldn’t turn him down.
He parked, and when he led her upstairs to his apartment, one of the steps near the top creaked.
“That’s my alarm system,” Brian said with suddenly more humor in his voice.
Jillian smiled, happy he was able to joke at a time like this. He let them in, flicked on the living room lamp, and tossed off his jacket. “You want something to drink?”
“Have any wine?” She wasn’t in the mood for a beer.
“Just so happens, I picked up a bottle of Chardonnay today.”
Her favorite. She wondered who he’d asked. “Fantastic.”
Oh, crap. Maybe he’d bought it to celebrate his shift. Well, darn. While Brian poured them a drink, Jillian removed her jacket and then kicked off her shoes. She was wearing a baggy shirt, one that she’d painted her living room in, and a splotch of khaki still resided on the lapel, despite its many washings. It was the only junky top she’d brought, in case she needed to shift.
Carrying two glasses of wine, he met her in the living room and handed her one. “Here’s to the fickle world of shifters,” Brian said.
While he wasn’t smiling, Jillian was pleased he wasn’t throwing things across the room. “To shifters. Even though your first attempt did not go as planned, don’t give up. After a Jillian Garner rubdown, you’ll be so relaxed you might wake up your bear.”
He widened his eyes. “Let’s hope not. I want to be able to control the beast.”
She laughed then drank half the glass. It was smooth and rich. “Ah, the perfect drink on a cold night.”
After tossing back some of the golden liquid, he set down his glass and then slipped hers away from her fingers, placing it next to his. His eyelids lowered and his mouth parted. “If you need warming up, I have just the thing.”
Jillian wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him, her heart pounding hard. “What do you have in mind?”
“This.”
Brian dipped his head and sucked on her bottom lip. The slow, sensual pull ignited her from head to toe, and his earthy scent stimulated every one of her human and shifter senses. Jillian had to work hard not to rip off both of their clothes, wanting more than anything to press against him naked. Rushing him would be a mistake though, which was why she cursed the groan that had just escaped.
As he hovered his lips over hers, their breaths mingled. What was he waiting for? Did he want her to make the first move? If so, she was more than willing to oblige. Jillian latched onto his lips with hers and kissed him fully with all of her being, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy her inner animal. She needed to taste and touch him, too. Running her tongue along the seam of his lips, she begged for entrance. When he opened up, the room’s lights seemed to dim, encasing them in their own world, and their first touch had blue sparks shooting off her forearms. Holy hell.
He wrapped his arms around her waist then dragged his hands up her back, pressing strong fingers against her body. Brian must have been in his own world because he didn’t freak at how her body was reacting, and his oblivion encouraged her. She wanted more. Tongues entwining, they probed and explored, and soon his taste became one with hers. She could almost feel the bear inside him vibrate with desire and passion, and she couldn’t wait to explore all of him.
Breaking the kiss, Brian lowered his arms. “It might be faster if you shift and then return to your human form right away.”
It took her a moment to understand his intent. “Are you asking me to get naked?” Please say yes.
Brian dragged a finger down the middle of her chest. “Would that be such a bad thing?” His voice came out so low and gravelly that she wanted to purr at the delicious sound.
“Not unless I’m the only one.” Her fingers found his pants, and she undid the top button. One metal tooth at a time, she lowered his zipper. Click, clack, click, clack…
Keeping his gaze on her, Brian undid the top two buttons of her shirt. His slow movements turned her on more than if he’d been in a hurry. Foreplay was a powerful aphrodisiac. Sti
ll working on her buttons, he toed off his shoes. Once he finished with her shirt, she stepped back.
“My turn.” She eased off her paint-splattered shirt and let it drop to the floor.
“What happened to your br…bra?”
She looked down and pretended to be surprised she didn’t have one on, but then relaxed. “I didn’t want to ruin another one.”
He smiled. “I really like how forward thinking you are.”
“Were you as forward thinking?” she asked, nodding to what he wore under his pants.
“Did I go commando, you mean?” She nodded. “Why don’t you look?”
Brian had been shy when she’d first met him, but he was becoming more confident—at least with her—and she loved it. Whatever it took, she would try to keep him that way. For her, it didn’t matter what happened in the field. The fact he seemed willing to accept his failure made him more of a man in her eyes.
Jillian moved closer, hooked her thumbs in his waistband, and eased his khaki pants over his hips, revealing black boxers. “You tease!”
He grinned. “If you were a man, you’d understand that running without support would be painful.”
She cupped her tits and gave him her best pout. “These babies bounced around like crazy. Don’t think for a moment that was fun for me.”
Brian finished taking off his pants then eased her hands away. “It’s my fault that you had to run for so long. Let me make it up to you.”
Yes! Her ploy worked. When he rubbed his thumbs over her distended nipples, his rough fingers created the right amount of friction, and sparks of need shot through her. Goddess, that felt divine.
Wanting to watch, or rather needing to watch, she glanced down just as he twirled both nipples then pulled them taut. “Oh, yes. I like that,” she cooed.
When he released the hard peaks, her chest glowed blue, something she’d never seen before.
He flashed a quick smile. “So I see. It’s cool that you can’t hide your feelings.”
She dragged a finger down his covered cock. “Neither can you.”
Brian laughed, and she arched her back to give him better access. He stroked the tips until each nipple puckered fully. His gentle touch was sure, and he seemed to know the perfect pressure and speed. Wanting to give him some satisfaction, she reached out and cupped his balls.
He stiffened. “Jillian, you’re playing with fire.”
“I like fire.”
“You might get burned. If I can’t shift, we can never mate.” His voice nearly cracked.
She had something more pleasurable in mind. “Let’s worry about that later. My tiger is about to claw out my insides if I don’t get a taste.”
“I wouldn’t want to piss her off. I could never defend myself against your tiger. I’ve seen those claws.”
“I admit she has really long nails.” Jillian scraped her human nails down his chest, and when she tugged off his briefs, her eyes widened at his size and girth. “Holy shit. You are a bear of a man.”
His eyes shone. “After you test drive him, you can tell me if he’s too big, too small, or just the right size.”
“I like a good Goldilocks challenge. I think a long taste would help me decide.”
“Be my guest.” He slipped his forest green T-shirt over his head. Nice. His shoulders were wide and ripped with muscles from all the lifting he did on the job.
Feeling dowdy in her sloppy pants, she slipped them down her hips then stepped out of them. Thankfully, her undies were pink cotton—not fancy, but not shabby either.
Brian whistled, and as he reached out, she stopped him. “Uh-uh. Me first,” she said in her most sultry tone.
Before he could change her mind, she dropped to her knees. Reaching around him with her left hand, she drew him near. Taking a long inhale, she let his earthy scent travel down the length of her body, familiarizing her with his essence. As much as she wanted to draw him deep down her throat, she had to make sure he was comfortable with her loving ways—assuming she could keep her tiger in check.
With her finger, she traced the puckered rim of his cock. It jerked. She then cupped his balls and rolled them slowly in her palm, hoping he wouldn’t stop her.
Brian threaded his fingers through her hair and tugged. “If you keep that up, it won’t be long before I explode,” he said, slightly panting out his words.
Suck him now, her tiger said, clearly worried that he might go off prematurely.
This is about Brian’s pleasure, not mine, she chided. At least not yet.
Jillian wanted to show him how good it could be between them. She leaned closer, dragging her tits up his thighs right before encompassing his cock with her mouth. His quads bulged as he pressed into her mouth.
He likes it!
“That’s so fucking good,” he groaned.
Just wait until I’m done with you. She wanted this to be one of the best nights of his life.
Brian’s groans increased with each pump of her fist. Soon, she let her tiger set the pace, stroking him and sucking him deeper and deeper. The sparks of desire increased, tripping up her arms and chest, setting her skin on fire. She was so intent on taking in as much of him as she could that when his hot spray coated the back of her throat, she jerked. Swallowing quickly, she lifted off him.
Brian stepped back. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I’ve never had anything that amazing in my life.”
She couldn’t be upset after that compliment. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Enjoyed it? It was so much more than that. I don’t know what you did, but something inside me is rumbling around. If you think your tiger has claws, you should feel my bear’s claws.”
She smiled. He leaned over and drew her to her feet. Brian tilted his head down and Jillian thought he’d kiss her, possibly to give him time to recover, but a quick glance at his glistening cock convinced her he was raring to go. To make sure, she grabbed his thick shaft and squeezed. Yup, hard as a rock. That’s my bear man.
Brian clasped her hand. “Come with me. My bear would like to invite your tiger to frolic in a more comfortable surrounding.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “My tiger accepts.”
He led her into his bedroom. With no lights lit, all she could make out was a made bed and a small dresser across from it. A nightstand abutted the bed on the side closest to the closet. She expected him to place her on the spread, but instead he turned her around so her back was to the bed.
“Don’t move unless I tell you to,” he commanded.
Ooh, she couldn’t wait to see what he had planned.
Chapter Thirteen
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Shivers of anticipation coursed through Jillian, and she wanted to know where this dominant man had come from all of a sudden.
His bear is slowly emerging, her tiger said. I can feel him growing stronger with our every touch.
Then we need to do a lot more touching.
Brian stepped behind her, and when he pressed his chest to her back, every hair tickled her skin. As much as she wanted to reach around her and stroke his thighs, she obeyed and remained still.
“Lift your arms,” he commanded.
Jillian had no idea what he planned, but whatever it was, her tiger sure seemed happy, as evidenced by the pulsing blue glow. Brian brushed his callused palms across her nipples, and a wave of desire nearly buckled her knees.
Touch me lower. While they didn’t have a telepathic link yet, she hoped he could sense her desire. Ever so slightly, she arched her back for more, pressing her rear against his groin.
“No moving. That’s cheating.”
Cheating? Was he kidding? “I need you.”
“In due time.” Brian lowered her arms and stepped around in front of her.
“Can I touch you now? I really need to.” Her teeth had already sharpened, and having Brian in front of her, naked, and not being able to indulge in him was testing her resolve.
“No.”
To her relief,
he cupped a hand between her legs then pressed a finger into her wet opening. When he wiggled his digit and then pushed on her most sensitive spot, bolts of pleasure rocketed through her, forcing her to squeeze her inner walls together. “Got anything bigger?” she panted.
“I’ll let you be the judge.”
In a flash, she was in his arms and then on the bed. Jillian expected him to crawl on top and impale her with one long thrust, but instead, he knelt between her thighs and lifted her legs over his shoulders, his mouth an inch from her apex. As he hovered over her opening, she grabbed onto the knobby bedspread.
Eat me. She tried sending the message to him mentally, but either he didn’t receive it or else he chose to ignore her. Never would she have expected Brian to be so seductive. It thrilled her to think he wanted their first experience to be so special.
When he leaned over and flicked her clit, she nearly flew apart at the seams. Holy goddess almighty. Slipping a hand between her legs, he pressed his thumb into her weeping opening while he sucked on her clit. Jillian firmed her butt to help lift her hips and nearly ripped the bedspread with her now-sharpened nails. The intensity was too much, and she couldn’t control her glow that was pulsing brighter and brighter with each stroke.
“I swear I’ll shift if you don’t take me now.” Jillian rarely demanded anything from a lover, but she was desperate.
“That so?” Brian lowered her legs and crawled up her body, his gaze focused on her tits.
He swooped down and plucked the left breast while he palmed the right one. Drawing the nipple taut, he sucked hard, sending spikes of need straight to her core. Jillian grabbed his shoulders and dug her sharp nails into his skin. She couldn’t last much longer.
“What are you waiting for? I’m on the pill. Please.”
Brian moved his attention to the other tit and drew a lazy circle around the delicate peak before dragging his mouth down her belly. With each inch, her need grew. If he didn’t plunge into her in the next two seconds, she’d have to take control. Her breaths shortened and her teeth sharpened.