by Sophie Stern
Obviously, considering that Colby exists.
When I was younger, there was a part of me that wondered if other shifters in town would wait, too. I thought for a long time there might be shifters who waited to find their one true mates before having sex, but now I think that’s just a myth.
I think most people like to have fun, like to relax, like to unwind. I think most people like to explore their sexuality.
I think most people like proving they aren’t uptight like me.
“Savannah?” Carter’s voice brings me back to the present, and I look up at him. “Are you okay?”
He’s paying attention to my scent, I realize. He knows my arousal just dipped and my anxiety levels went up.
“I’m okay,” I tell him.
Carter takes a step forward, then another. He moves slowly, like he’s trying not to scare me, and the feeling delights me. Carter moves like a man on a mission, like he’s about to devour me, like he needs to be closer to me or it’s going to kill him.
“I’m okay,” I repeat.
“I’m not,” he says. He reaches out and strokes my cheek, then slides his hand slowly down my neck and chest. He reaches my breast and palms it, slowly massaging it.
Immediately, my nipples are hard. I bite back a little moan. Oh, yes. This feels amazing. Carter Blair is touching me and it feels like it was meant to be. It feels like I was always meant to be touched by him tonight.
He lifts his other hand and grasps my other breasts. It fits perfectly in his palm and suddenly, having small breasts doesn’t seem so bad. I’ve always considered myself horribly average and completely normal. Tonight, Carter is looking at me like I’m choice meat and he’s going to devour me as soon as he has the chance.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he murmurs.
“Then why didn’t you?” I ask. Immediately, I wonder if I should have. Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken so soon. I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I’m curious. Carter Blair never displayed more than a passing interest in me.
We were always the very best of friends, but that was it.
“I love you, Savannah. I’ve always loved you. You’re my best friend.” He leans forward and licks my neck, then he whispers in my ear. “I didn’t want to spoil our friendship if you didn’t love me back, baby.” He bites me.
“I think you can consider our friendship ruined,” I groan, unable to handle the pressure he puts on my ear. It sends a zing straight to my pussy and I’m wet.
I know he can smell me.
Hell, I can smell me.
“What do you think, Vana?” He asks, taking my mouth, claiming me. “Worth it?”
“Mmm,” I moan. It’s all I can do. He has me completely at his mercy and he knows it.
But this is Carter.
And we’re best friends.
And best friends don’t make things easy on the other.
It’s time to take control of things, if only for a little bit. Oh, he can dominate me in the bedroom all he wants, but I’m going to make things interesting.
I’m going to make them fun.
I pull back from him and my eyes go wide.
Carter looks confused. Why did I just stop kissing him? It’s all over his face, and I try not to smile, but I do.
“Tag!” I touch his shoulder. “You’re it.”
Then I start running and jump, shifting in the air and landing on my paws, and take off into the woods.
“Oh, it’s on!” I hear him yell, and I know Carter won’t be long behind me. I don’t wait around to see if he shifts or strips first. Carter knows these woods better than I do and I don’t want to give him any advantage when it comes to getting me.
I scurry down a little hill and around a bend, careful to avoid a large boulder that’s here in the forest. I love that they have so many different areas on their property. With several hundred acres, the Blairs don’t mess around when it comes to good hiding spots.
I leap over a small creek, careful not to splash in the water, and keep moving. Soon I’m covered in dirt, mud, and leaves, but I don’t care.
It’s exhilarating.
When Carter and I were younger, we used to play tag all the time. It was usually with a group of shifter kids, but the two of us were always the best players. We knew all the best spots for hiding. We knew all the perfect places to lie in wait for our prey.
The other kids, including Carter’s brothers, didn’t stand a chance.
It’s not the time for reminiscing, though. I’m brought back to the present when I catch a whiff of Carter’s scent and I know he’s close.
Fuck.
Too close.
I don’t want him to find me just yet. I need to give this guy a run for his money. It’s been too long since we had a good old fashioned bear chase, so I keep moving.
My paws are soon covered in dirt and mud. Swiftly, I move up a hill and down another, around a bend, over a log. I keep going until my legs start to grow tired, and then I slow down just a little. It’s dark, but my eyesight is pretty good even in the woods. There are plenty of stars out and the moon is bright. Thin beams of moonlight shine through the tree branches above me.
Slowing down was the wrong choice, though. I realize this as a big brown ball of fur and mud slams against me and knocks me to the ground.
Carter found me.
He growls and we tumble together into a little clearing full of lush grass. Carter is bigger than me, but I’m feisty, and we wrestle together for a few minutes before he finally pins me.
I stop struggling and just look up at him over me for a minute. Even as a bear, he’s gorgeous. His fur is so dark and soft looking. I’ve pet Carter plenty of times as a bear, but never like this. He cocks his head, as if he’s trying to figure out what I’m going to do, and I take advantage of his confusion and push him off me.
He rolls off, surprised, and I quickly shift and stand.
“Don’t move,” I whisper. “Don’t shift yet.”
If Carter is surprised, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he holds perfectly still and lets me just look at him.
This big, soft, furry bear I’ve grown to love is just sprawled out in the grass, and I want to touch every part of him.
I walk over, not trying to sway my hips or be seductive. There will be time for that later. No, right now I want to explore Carter Blair in a way I never really have before. I kneel next to him and stroke his head. He lets out a tiny growl, but it sounds good to me. It’s a growl of pleasure, not a growl of anger.
“You like that, bear?” I ask, scratching behind his ears.
Carter wiggles.
I stroke his chest and his tummy, rub his sides. He’s so soft and sweet like this. I will never tell him that. If I used the words “soft” or “sweet” around Carter, I imagine he’d pull me over his knees for a spanking. There are just some words you don’t use around shifter men.
Those are two of them.
Is this what I look like when I’m a bear? I’ve seen my twin in her bear form plenty of times, but I’ve never looked at Selena this closely before. Why would I? We’re sisters. We look exactly the same. Somehow, I’ve never been that curious about what a bear’s fur feels like against human skin until now.
Now I can’t get enough of Carter and I’m petting and stroking his soft fur until suddenly, he’s not a bear anymore.
Suddenly I’m stroking skin.
“Savannah,” he grunts, and I meet his eyes. “Stop.”
Immediately, I jump back, embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly, cringing. Fuck. Did I completely freak him out with my weird petting? I know Carter isn’t a dog. I know he’s not a pet. I just wanted to touch him. I wanted to feel all of him.
“Don’t be,” he shakes his head, sitting up. “It’s not that.” Carter’s skin is tan even in the moonlight. I’ve seen him naked many times, but never like this before. Not ever like this.
“What is it?” I ask. If he’s not offended
, why did he want me to stop?
“No one has ever touched me like that before, Savannah.” He turns to me, his eyes meeting mine. “I’ve had plenty of girlfriends. You know that. Not a single one has ever touched me like that while I was in bear form.”
“Why not?”
“Because they didn’t love me, darling. Not like you do.”
I choke back tears because I don’t want to cry. Carter knows I love him now. He knows.
And I got to share something special with him that no one else ever has.
“Maybe you can pet me next time,” I whisper, and he chuckles.
“Is that why you rubbed on my fur? You wanted a massage?”
I nod slowly, even though we both know it’s a lie.
“I’ll give you a massage, cinnamon.” He points to the grass. “On your back. Close your eyes.”
My mouth goes dry, but I rush to obey his instructions. Carter’s hands on my body? Yes, please! I would be an idiot to say “no” to that.
“Do you want me to shift?” I ask quietly.
“No. I like you like this, baby.”
I lay in the grass. It’s soft against my skin and after a quick peek at the stars, I close my eyes.
“Fuck, Savannah, you’re so beautiful,” he murmurs. Then Carter begins to touch me and all of my fears melt away.
Chapter 12
Carter
I’ve never been as nervous as I am tonight.
Oh, I’ve made love to plenty of women before, but never like this.
Never when I wanted to spend the rest of my life making love to her and only her.
Never when I wanted her to be the mother of my child.
Never when she was my best friend in the whole world.
Savannah is on her back with her arms at her side, and her eyes are closed. Her soft, dark hair is sprawled out in the grass, and I start there. I can’t stand to just look at her. No, there has been plenty of time for looking. Tonight is about touching.
Tonight is about devouring.
Kneeling beside her, I begin by running my fingers through her hair. She moans a little and arches her back, lifting her breasts up. The moonlight shines off them and I bite back a gasp.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen Vana naked, but I’ve never seen her like this before. I’ve never seen my best friend looking so wanton or needy. I’ve never seen her with her nipples all hard and pebbled from arousal. I’ve never seen her with her slick pussy juices scenting the area like a beacon of lust.
I kiss her.
Her mouth opens automatically and I take control. Her lips are soft against mine and she tastes so sweet. I’ve dreamed about kissing her for so long. She absolutely lives up to my fantasies.
Hell, she blows them out of the water.
I place one hand beneath her head, gripping her scalp. Not too hard, but hard enough to show her I’m in charge here. With my other hand, I slowly trace circles on her abdomen.
“Carter,” she moans. Her eyes are still shut.
“Yes, baby?” I move my fingers up and circle her nipples. They’re hard and tight and I can’t wait to taste them, but we have all night.
“I need to tell you something.”
“Is that so?” I pinch her nipple softly with my finger. Then I repeat the treatment on the other. “What is it, cinnamon?” I massage her breast with my handle, gently rubbing it, loving the way it fits perfectly in my hand.
“I…it’s…” Suddenly, the scent of her arousal starts to fade, and I pull my hand away. Savannah doesn’t seem excited now.
Now she seems…
Scared.
What the hell?
“What’s wrong, baby?” I lift her up so she’s sitting, then pull her into my lap and wrap my arms around her. “What’s the matter? Tell me, so I can make it better.”
She takes a deep breath, nods, and then whispers, “It’s just that this is…”
And then I realize what she’s nervous about.
“Hey,” I tilt her chin up to me and stroke her cheek softly. “Is this about the virgin thing?”
She gasps.
“You know? What? How do you know?” Her voice almost comes out as a whine. I can’t help but smile. Did she really think she could make it this long and have me not know she was a virgin? I’ve been keeping tabs on Savannah’s boyfriends her whole life. Not because I was jealous, but because she was my best friend. I had to make sure none of those guys went crazy over her.
I had to make sure none of them hurt her.
I’ve always watched out for her and if any of them had so much as tried to fuck with her body or her heart, I would have taken care of the problem.
“Sweetie, of course I know. We’re best friends.”
“But, but I’ve had boyfriends before.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Hot ones.”
I frown.
“Yes, I know.”
“I could have had sex with them. You don’t know!”
“Baby, I’m glad you didn’t have sex with them. Why are upset that I know?”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Why is it embarrassing?”
“Because I don’t know…I mean, you’ve been with…and I’m not…I don’t know what I’m doing.”
I stroke her hair softly as I search for the right words because Savannah is precious to me and I need to show her that.
“I have never wanted you to be anything other than what you are,” I whisper.
“I don’t know as much as the other girls.”
“None of them hold a candle to you.”
I kiss her again, softly this time, touching her body gently as I hold her. She’s a little skittish, but that’s to be expected. Savannah hasn’t been touched this intimately before. I’m surprised and pleased with how well she’s doing. When she professed her love for me, I knew we’d have to take things slow.
I don’t want to take things slow, but it’s the right thing to do.
Slowly, the scent of Savannah’s arousal fills the air again, and I deepen the kiss. She lets out a moan and arches up, pressing her breasts harder into my chest. Her nipples rub against me and if my dick wasn’t already so fucking hard, it sure as hell would be now.
Gently, I lower her back to the grass and begin touching her again.
“Close your eyes,” I whisper. “Feel.” She looks at me with a flicker of hesitation before she complies, and I see her breathing begin to even out. My little sugar is nervous, but I’m going to make her forget all of that.
I pluck a blade of grass and start touching her body with it. She flinches for just a second, then realizes what I’m doing, and relaxes.
“Good girl,” I murmur, tracing her belly. Seeing Savannah like this is a new experience. She’s always been such a spitfire. She’s always had so much passion. One of the things I love most about her is that she’s always going. She always has so much energy and excitement.
This also means she rarely gets to relax and just be.
That’s what she’s doing now.
She holds her body perfectly still as I trace her nipples, her breasts, her belly, and slowly move down to her legs.
“Carter,” she murmurs, and slightly lifts her pelvis up. I don’t think she even knows she’s doing it, but I know what she wants, and I smile.
I can’t wait to taste her.
I toss the grass aside and begin to kiss her knees. One side, then the other. I move slowly up, kissing the outside of her thighs, until I reach the top, then I slide to the center of her body.
“Oh,” she starts to tense and tries to wiggle away from me, but I grab her hips and hold her in place.
Savannah looks down at me with questions written all over her face, but I shake my head.
“Don’t hide from me, cinnamon,” I tell her.
“But I’m…”
Dirty?
Weird?
Gross?
What nonsense does my sweet girl have rolling around in that
head of hers? It’s all garbage. Anything she’s going to say to finish that sentence is going to be wrong, so I give her new words to fill her head.
“Tasty,” I swipe my tongue across her slit.
“Delicious,” I swipe again.
“Perfect,” I lick once more.
Her protests are forgotten and I know I’ve won when she relaxes back into the grass and spreads her legs to give me easier access. Now we’re getting somewhere. I settle between her legs and raise them up so they’re over my shoulders, then I go to town.
“Oh, Carter,” she groans as I lap at her, but I want more from her. I want her screams. I want her growls. I want my name on her lips until she forgets her own. I want everything Savannah has to offer me and then I want more.
I want all of it.
I nibble her lips before licking her center again. I take my time and cover every part of her, but I can feel her thighs tensing and I know her orgasm is building quickly. She’s going to explode. Good. I want to taste her when she comes. I want to know I’m the one who made her feel this way. I want to be the only one who ever makes her feel this way. I want Savannah to be mine and I want the whole world to know it.
She grips my hair and starts to wiggle beneath my lips, pushing up, silently begging for more, and I give it to her. I sweep my tongue up to her clit and suck hard. Then she comes, throbbing and twisting in the grass, crying my name, shaking like this is the hardest she’s ever come before.
I slide up next to her and wrap my arms around her, kissing her. I know she can taste herself on my lips and the knowledge turns me on even more. She’s a ripe little peach and there’s so much more I have to show her.
“Carter,” she murmurs. “That was so perfect. I’ve never…never thought it could be…it was so good.”
“I’m glad you liked it, cinnamon,” I murmur, kissing her more.
Then suddenly, I’m the one growling, hissing, aching.
Suddenly I’m the one wanting more.
I look down to see her tiny hand wrapped around my cock and I bite back my groan.
“My turn,” she murmurs, and starts to move.
Chapter 13
Savannah