“Oh, and what’s that?” she asked stubbornly.
“That we’re made for each other." He gave her a quick sideways glance. "Do you believe in love at first site?”
He pulled up the road to the ranch and saw her eyes widen at the beautiful vista in front of her. The wide swaths of green grass, the well-kept lodges, the pine-covered hills.
“We’re here,” he said.
“Love at first sight?” she murmured, hand on the door handle as she stared in front of them. “You know, I just might.”
He grinned. She might have been talking about the land instead of him, but good enough. If she fell in love with the land he’d loved all his life, she couldn’t be too much different from him.
It was a good start at least.
He got out, went around to her side, and lifted her down from the truck. Her body was soft, and he hated releasing it. She was warm, she smelled intoxicating, and it was all he could to do to resist kissing her and instead extend an arm for her to take so he could lead her to the main lodge.
Even if he hoped she’d be sleeping in his cabin tonight.
5
Jesse was out in front of the ranch when Shane came walking up with his new mate and hopefully soon-to-be bride.
Jesse’s light blue eyes glinted with carefully masked interest as he surveyed the two of them and then looked in the direction they came from.
He let out a long sigh, signed the form the man in front of him was waiting for, and then sent him away with a wave of his hand. “Maverick got up to something, didn’t he?” he asked.
“How’d you know?” Shane replied wryly. “But yes. And I need you go to down the mountain and pick up whatever she needs from her friends. Also, make sure they’re in a safe place while you’re at it. Don’t need any of the wildcats causing them trouble.”
Jesse gave a mock salute. “Aye-aye, captain.” He walked down the front drive, pulling his keys out of his pocket and jangling them in his hand. He stopped and gave them a glance over his shoulder. “You all right here alone?”
Shane frowned. “Yes.” He didn’t miss the teasing glint in Jesse’s eyes as he turned back to continue walking to the large garage that held their trucks.
The woman next to him was silent. He realized he didn’t even know her name.
“Um, let’s start over,” he said, extending a hand and thinking of where to take her next. He could take her in and get her set up in a room of her own, but somehow he thought it would be more romantic to take her to his place instead.
He just wasn’t sure if the average human woman would find that offensive.
More importantly, if this human woman would find that offensive.
“I’m Shane McAllister, and I run the ranch here. The man who botched my profile and lured you out here is my youngest brother, Maverick, and the man you just met was my other brother, Jesse. Together we own the ranch.”
“I’m Ruby Hoxton,” she said softly, taking his hand and looking up at him with an expression that appeared something like awe. “And I’m pleased to meet you.”
“You as well,” he said, clearing his throat. Her scent was stronger, warming him, tempting him. It was clear from the glitter in her pale-blue eyes that were like silky mountain cornflowers that she wanted him. She barely knew him and she wanted him.
And he wanted her as well.
He made the decision then and there, while trying not to look down the gap of her peach-colored blouse at her perfect breasts.
He would take her to his cabin. Let Jesse bring the luggage up later.
He couldn’t wait to put his hands on his mate.
“You know, given what happened with my brother, I think I better take you somewhere safer than the main lodge,” he said, turning her in a different direction, toward the towering trees that sat a little ways off in the distance. His private cabin was there, and it was the perfect place to get some time alone with Ruby.
And if she didn’t want time alone with him, why would she have come out here?
“Safe?” she asked, blue eyes widening.
Despite her pretty curves, everything about her seemed sort of fragile. From her pale, almost translucent skin to her soft, light-blond hair to her ruby-red lips that matched her name, she was made for being beautiful, not durable, and that wasn’t what you typically wanted for a partner up in these mountains.
Then again, she’d been brave enough to fly out here despite not knowing anyone in the area, and she’d gone to a bar by herself, which he still wasn’t sure if it was brave or stupid to do, and she’d tased a wildcat without much thought.
So between that and the insistence of his bear, he was pretty sure she was a good match for him, even if it didn’t seem so on the surface.
He just hoped she could come to love the raw wilderness of this place as much as he had. Not just as a vacation spot, but as home.
“Am I in danger here?” she asked softly, following him over fallen logs and crunchy dried pine needles.
He put an arm around her, noting how small she felt under his muscles. “No, of course not. Not with me here.”
“Good to know,” she said. “I know it was kind of an odd thing to do, coming out here to meet a man I’d barely even talked to, but it just felt right.”
He eyed her carefully. Damn straight it felt right. It had felt right to him from the first damn second he’d laid eyes on her at the bar, all curves and fire and sass.
But now she was so different, so quiet, and he wondered if she was anticipating all the same amazing, delicious things he was.
When they got to his cabin, he walked up the front path to the door and unlocked it, gesturing her to come in. But she paused, looking up at the trees around them, the foreboding log building where he lived, as if she were worried she was going into an animal’s lair.
Suddenly, reality seemed to be impinging on the magic of the moment.
Yes, he was expecting a woman he’d barely met to come home with him. Yes, she had no reason to.
Yet, as he waited patiently, no commands or pleading, she simply walked forward, put her hand in his, and strode into his home.
He let out a sigh of relief and shut the door behind him.
* * *
Ruby didn’t know what was happening to her. One moment she felt like she was in the middle of a bad western, with a bar fight breaking out and a gross man coming on to her, and the next she’d been in some kind of fantasy, with the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in her life whisking her away from danger and off to his cabin in the woods.
His brother had been a piece of handsome too, with his golden hair and blue eyes, but she couldn’t even really consider him with Shane around.
Shane had dark coloring, from his brows to his blackish-brown hair, and his features were even more striking in person. More 3-D. But so handsome. A long, straight nose, a straight forehead, a jaw that looked carved from marble. Lips that appeared stubborn and kissable at the same time. The faintest hint of stubble on his cheeks and jaw, as if even freshly shaven, he had a bit of a shadow. Plus an adorable dimple right in the center of his chin.
He wore a work shirt under a leather jacket and worn jeans beneath that. But under the rugged, serviceable clothing, she could tell he was a man used to getting what he wanted. Taking what he wanted.
And now she was here in his cabin.
She’d seen enough horror movies to know how stupid that was, but the same magic that had made her feel meeting him would be okay had made her think she could go in with him.
Not to mention the fact that the sight of his big, tall body was doing things to her hormones she’d never thought possible. She’d been wet from the moment he’d touched her. And his shimmering, dark-green eyes seemed to know it.
He turned to her, probably wondering what she thought of his cabin.
It was bigger inside than it seemed from outside. There were antlers mounted above the fireplace and a painting of the mountains on the far wall. There was a sma
ll kitchen off to the right and in the other direction, an open door that probably led to the master bedroom.
She felt her cheeks flame to heated life as she thought about what could happen there.
She surveyed him again, unable to keep her eyes from wandering over his impressive frame. He was more than a cowboy from one of her novels. He was a mountain man, as rough and hewn as the untamed land around him. But the intelligent, hot, appraising look in his eyes said he knew how to be gentle or rough, depending on what the situation called for.
And right now, it called for him to put his hands on her.
Ruby had never been particularly good at going slow, but this was going to set a new record for her. She walked forward and flung her hands around him, reaching up on her toes for a kiss. A slight grin spread over his gorgeous lips as he leaned down to take her, swiping inside with his tongue as they clashed in a battle of passions.
She moaned, and he swooped her up in his arms and headed for the door she’d seen open. He kicked it wide and she looked forward, and sure enough, it was the master bedroom. She let out a little squeak as he tossed her onto the bed and then joined her, licking the bottom of her ear in a way that sent shivers straight through her.
“I barely know you,” she gasped, clutching his shoulders as he nibbled her earlobe and then made his way along the shell of her ear, making her writhe all the while.
“Oh, you know me,” he said, making her squirm as his hand found her breast, lightly squeezing, testing, his thumb finding her nipple and flicking once, then twice. “My name’s Shane, and I’m your mate.”
Mate? That was an odd way of saying it. “So you really believe in love at first sight?” she gasped out.
He nodded, putting both hands over her breasts, cupping them, and making her feel safe and on fire at the same time. “I do. And you’re it for me.”
“How can you make a decision like that so fast?” she asked, shuddering as he pulled up the hem of her shirt. She raised her hands so he could pull it off, baring her bra to him.
He unhooked the clips and let it fall away, his eyes going an impossibly dark green as he studied her. “How could any man look at you and not make a decision that fast?”
“I don’t know,” she said as he grazed her nipples again, this time as they were bare. “But a lot of them do.”
He leaned forward to take one in his mouth. “Well, if you feel like you need to get to know me, feel free to ask questions. But all you need to know right now is I’m going to give you more pleasure than you’ve ever had in your life.”
She wanted to say he already had, but that seemed sad, so she kept her mouth shut, biting back a moan as his tongue lazily wound around her in circles, drawing the tension in her ever tighter.
She curled her hands into the covers beneath her as he moved to her other breast, continuing the slow, circular strokes that were driving her wild. His cabin was the perfect temperature, and she’d never been more comfortable in her life. It made no sense. Then again, many things didn’t.
Like the fact that she’d given everything for Bill only to have him refuse to commit, forcing her to finally dump him, but only after being demoted.
Like the fact that right here in this little cabin in a place farther from home than she’d ever been, she felt like she truly belonged.
Yet she was nothing like this wilderness. She liked her pedicures and shopping and cute shoes.
It was hot being topless, but she wanted to see him as well. Wanted to see if he was hairy or smooth under that shirt. Wanted to feel his muscles in her hands.
He growled as she reached for the top button on his shirt, leaning forward so she could easily undo it. She fumbled as she slipped the first one out of its hole, too excited to have much fine motor coordination.
He gave her a rakish grin and sat back, reaching for each side of the shirt with his hands. Then he yanked it open, sending buttons flying in the process. He shrugged out of the sleeves, leaving her face to face with the most beautiful chest she’d ever seen. Clean, squared-off pectorals lightly dusted with hair, tapering down to a fine line of rugged abs and lean hips with a line of hair trailing into his jeans.
Damn, did she want to see what was waiting even lower.
“Sorry about your shirt,” she said, pulling him closer to whisper in his ear even as her hands wound their way over his strong, bare shoulders and his hard chest. Could all of this really be hers?
She wanted to think so.
“I’m glad you approve,” he said. “And as for the shirt, you can always sew me another.”
Her eyes flew open, glaring at him, but he simply kissed her, a grin on his handsome lips. “A joke. I live in the mountains, but I don’t really expect my little woman to do my sewing.”
She sighed in relief as his hands squeezed her breasts and then moved to undo her jeans before sliding them down, revealing the black satin panties she’d worn on their date.
“Nice,” he said. “I like it.”
“Good,” she said. “I wanted you to see them.”
“Don’t get me wrong, though,” he said gruffly. “I can be very old-fashioned in other ways.” He toyed with the edge of her panties before teasing them down low 'till she was all but uncovered. His lips kissed the edge, right over her hips, and she squirmed.
“Oh? How so?” she gasped out.
He pulled them all the way off, and she had only a second to feel the cool air before his mouth found her, kissing warmly over her center in a way she'd never been kissed before.
Bill had always wanted blowjobs, but he’d never been interested in returning the favor.
“Old-fashioned as in I like doing everything for the mate in my life. I want her to just relax and enjoy things. I don’t want her straining herself.” He grinned and licked over her, flicking playfully over her clit, and she groaned and arched back.
“I can deal with that I guess,” she said, her hands finding his hair and tugging on the dark tresses as he went back to kissing her senseless between her legs.
How could anything in the world feel so good? It was a sin to feel so good so easily. But she’d sin all the time if it meant this kind of pleasure.
“Good,” he said, flipping her onto her stomach as his tongue stroked her again, from a different angle this time. His hands found the curves of her ass and held tight. “You have a gorgeous ass, you know that?” He ran a hand over it lovingly. “I could touch it all day.”
“I’m glad you like it,” she said, wiggling it teasingly.
“Careful,” he said. “I’m on a tight string here. Keep that up and I might just take you right here, and I was kind of hoping for a romantic dinner before I take you all the way.” He sat up and held her ass against him. “Then again…”
“Screw dinner,” she said, hungry for him, tingling to have him inside. “Take me. Like this.” It felt almost animalistic how badly she wanted him to take her, from behind, roughly. She’d never had anything like it, and she could already imagine it, her holding the headboard as he knelt behind her, thrusting in from behind.
“All right,” he said gruffly, pulling something out of his pocket that sounded like a condom. She wished she could turn around and see him slide it on, but she liked this position. Bared to him, achingly wet, waiting.
The next moment, she heard him roll it on and felt something warm and impossibly wide at her entrance. His hand on her hips tilted her up, trying to give them more space, as he started to fill her.
She bit her lip at the size of him. She reached back a hand to touch it, stroke it. It was even bigger than she’d thought. She spread her legs more and let him guide her, holding her body as he found his way in.
It was incredible, stretching her in every way as he settled himself in her wet heat. Her body screamed that it was too much, even as it clenched around him and refused to let him leave. She took deep breaths and felt his hand stroking her back as she waited for her body to adjust.
As it did, as it stopped rhy
thmically clenching in shock, he started to move. Sensation shot through her with each slow stroke. He was being careful, but because of his size, it was more sensitive than the roughest, hardest sex she’d had with anyone else.
Satisfying was the only word for it, but it was more than satisfying. It was exquisite, and she couldn’t help moaning and moving back against him, going in time with his thrusts. As her body grew even wetter and more relaxed, he moved faster, his breathing getting hoarse as she felt intense pressure building in her body, a new kind of sensation she’d never felt before.
It almost felt like the build to a clitoral orgasm, but stronger, deeper, like it was physically impossible, like she’d die if it happened. The build was intense. Each time she felt she’d have to go, that the feeling was too strong, too pleasurable, it refused to kick over, leaving her on a delicious plateau that she desperately wanted to leave and stay on at the same time.
Then, with a hard thrust, it finally let go, and she felt the strongest orgasm of her life surge through her, shaking her whole body, lighting up every one of her nerve endings. She screamed out, calling his name as the pleasure flooded her, almost feeling like a death in its own way, as if she would black out from the exquisite feel of it, from it being too strong to take.
She heard her name, low and uttered in the darkness, and then he jerked inside her, going even deeper as his orgasm claimed him. She growled and pressed against him, milking every last bit of pleasure from him as he went, loving the feel of his member inside her tight channel, already craving the next time he came inside her even as the monumental orgasm she’d had was fading, leaving her spent and exhausted.
When he’d finished, he gave her breasts a loving squeeze and pulled out, rolling her gently onto her back and then stepping off the bed and into an adjoining bathroom to clean off.
She lay on her back, her hand over her chest, listening to the beat of her hammering heart.
She’d never felt anything like that before. He’d been right. All she needed to know was he was going to give her more pleasure than anyone ever had.
Mountain Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Bear Haven Book 1) Page 4