“Oh, yes,” she breathed, kissing his neck.
He ground against her again, and the noise she made nearly drove him wild. He wanted to sink into her hot, warm center and make her scream. Dani made another noise and as it echoed around them, he paused.
The sick fuck who had tried to attack her could be still out there, and the thought of that asshole witnessing something so private turned his arousal to rage. Their first time couldn’t be shared with anyone.
“We have to stop, baby,” he said, pulling away from her.
“What? Why?”
The look on her face nearly broke his heart. He hated that he’d shaken her confidence, but she was his mate and he would protect her in every way possible.
Which reminded him of another conversation they needed to have very soon.
“Because, I don’t want our first time to be a show for anyone to see.”
She gasped, and then looked around as if suddenly realizing where they were.
“Plus, we need to report that asshole who approached you.”
“You’re right,” she agreed.
He carefully lowered her legs, one at a time, and when she was steady on her feet, they adjusted their rumpled clothes. He picked up the ax in one hand, grabbed her hand with the other, and led them back to the main road with the skills of an expert navigator.
“Impressive,” she said, as they walked to the police station. “So tell me, how does it work?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve just always had a good sense of direction.”
“Very funny,” she laughed. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” he smiled. He pulled their entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed the back of her hand. “This is the complicated part. There are some things we need to talk about tonight, but I can’t tell you everything until next Saturday.”
“Next Saturday is Christmas.”
“I know,” he smiled. “Spend the day with me?”
She hesitated briefly, and then agreed.
***
“You don’t believe him, do you?” Dani asked.
Not even a little bit. He liked that she could read him so well after such a short amount of time. Only a mate could be so intuitive, and it reminded him they had other things to talk about.
“I believe he was scared in the end, he had to be to go to the sheriff looking like that, but no, I don’t believe his meeting with you was completely innocent.”
When they’d arrived at the sheriff’s office, the man who nearly attacked Dani was already there reporting a polar bear sighting. He hadn’t changed his pants, and the smell of urine polluted the small building.
When the man caught sight of Dani, he rushed toward her, but Wade pushed her behind him and held up the ax.
The law officers didn’t appreciate Wade bringing a weapon into the building, but once they understood he wasn’t a threat, they were very interested in the man’s updated story. It seemed he’d left out quite a bit of information the first time around.
After Dani made a statement, they walked to her apartment hand in hand.
It was the first time he’d been past the entry way, and he smiled as he looked around the room. The few pieces of furniture she had didn’t match, but she had a good eye. Everything went together well, and the place looked lived-in and comfortable. He couldn’t wait to see how she would decorate their home.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, taking off her coat.
“No, but we need to talk. Let’s sit down.”
She placed her jacket over the chair and sat down on the couch. He shrugged off his coat, placed it on top of hers, and sat down next to her so their thighs were touching.
“As I said before, I can’t tell you everything yet, but there is something you need to know now,” he started.
He didn’t have to wait until Saturday, he could tell her everything now, but he wanted to make her Christmas extra special, and he wanted to talk to Santa first. Of course, Santa already knew everything, but the man in red still deserved the respect of a meeting.
Wade warred with how much information to give, and ultimately decided on the basics. The decision to stay with him forever would ultimately be hers, and he wanted her to have most of the facts before he showed her Santa’s Village.
“Wade?”
“Sorry,” he said. He linked his fingers with hers, and then covered the embrace with his free hand. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
“You don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to,” she said.
“No, you need to know how important you are to me.” He took a deep breath. “Shifters mate for life, and they can sense their mates almost immediately. The first time I walked into the club, I knew you were mine. You’re the one woman in the whole world created just for me.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
So far, so good.
“You won’t change into a shifter, but if you agree to be mine, my bite, or mate mark, will slow your aging process to match mine. We don’t live forever, but we do live longer than humans. You would be bound to me until our time on earth is over.”
“How can you be sure I’m your mate?” she asked.
God, she was amazing.
“I can’t explain it, but it’s not something you mess up. Both my bear and my human side are drawn to you, and when we’re apart, I ache. You’re it for me, baby, but I don’t want you to worry. I won’t mark you without your permission, and I don’t want you to make a decision until after Christmas. You need all the facts, and where I live and work are pretty important because if you decide to stay with me, you’ll live there, too.”
“Oh Wade,” she said, facing him. “I’ll live anywhere as long as I’m with you.”
Her words made his dick swell, and suddenly talking seemed overrated.
“I hope so,” he said, leaning in to kiss her.
Chapter Five
Dani felt Wade’s lips brush against hers and she kissed him back with the same carefully controlled movements. One minute he was promising a lifetime of love, and the next he was making her feel sexy and beautiful. She didn’t care if he lived on the moon, she had no plans on letting him slip away, and she couldn’t wait to spend Christmas with him.
What if you really do kiss like a cow and suck in bed?
God, she hadn’t had sex in two years, and the last time apparently didn’t go so well. What if her ex had been telling the truth? Was that the real reason Wade wanted to wait? If she performed bad, would he find someone else to love? Could he? Or would he be stuck with a cow for a mate?
Fear and shame swamped her, and then a whole new wave of doubts surfaced.
What if he hated her body? He knew she was curvy and round, obviously, but once their clothes came off, there would be no where to hide. What if he hated what she looked like uncovered?
“Hey,” Wade said. “Where’d you go?”
“Nowhere,” she lied. “I’m just going to get the lights.”
She stood, but he grabbed her hand.
“Leave them,” he said. “Come here.”
He pulled her down hard, and she had no choice but to straddle his waist. She could feel his thick, hard cock against her clit, and she desperately wanted to grind against him. Instead, she stiffened and tried not to move.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she lied, again. “I just thought it might be nice if the lights were out.”
“Why don’t you want to see me, baby? Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, of course not,” she said. “You’re perfect. It’s just that I…”
“I can also see in the dark.”
“Oh,” she frowned.
Fuck me!
His chest became blurry as her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“Baby, look at me.”
She obeyed, and one drop of water escaped and rolled down her cheek.
“You
’re pretty perfect yourself,” he said, wiping away her tear. “I know you’ve been hurt in the past, but I’m not him. You have to trust me, baby. Give me a chance to show you how much I love you and all of your curves.”
He grabbed the hem of her shirt, and when she nodded, he slid the material up her torso until she had no choice but to raise her arms. He pulled the fabric over her head, and threw it across the room. He reached behind her, undid her bra, and slid it down her arms.
When her breasts came into view, he growled, and the sound sent a shiver down her body. She ground her hips against his cock and he smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
His big hands moved from her hips to her breasts, and she felt branded by his touch. His thumbs caressed her nipples as their mouths came together in another kiss.
This time she didn’t hold back. She moved her hips against him as their tongues dueled, and jolts of pleasure raced from her nipples to her core.
Wade broke away from her mouth, and kissed a trail down her neck. He grazed his teeth along the juncture of her neck and shoulder, and then gently sucked on her collarbone.
She whimpered when both of his hands left her breasts and rounded her back, but when he latched onto one of her nipples, he was instantly forgiven. Her hands automatically rounded her ample flesh to give him better access, as she leaned back into his capable hands.
He sucked the sensitive flesh into his mouth, swirled his tongue around the areola, and then swiped it across her nipple multiple times. Liquid heat drenched her panties, and she cried out when he gently bit the hard pebble before releasing it and moving to the other one.
He pulled her back up and peppered kisses over her shoulders and neck before he found her mouth again. Dani threaded one hand through his hair, while she tugged at his shirt with the other. Wade unfastened her jeans and slid his hand over her covered mound.
“God, you’re so wet, baby,” he said. “We have to get the rest of these clothes off.”
Without warning, he slid his hands under her ass and stood. He supported her as if she weighed nothing, and though she tightened her arms around his neck, she didn’t protest when he carried her into the bedroom.
He set her down, sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled her between his legs. He kissed her stomach, and for the first time in her life, she didn’t push a man away for giving her belly attention. He pushed her jeans and panties down her legs, and then helped rid her feet of the confining material.
“Turn around,” he said, and again she obeyed without question. He marked her everywhere with his hands, and then he covered the large globes with kisses. “I love this ass.”
He moved to her back and shoulders, dotting her skin with his lips and declaring his love. She could feel his hard cock pressing into her lower back as he kissed her ears, and she desperately needed to feel his cock between her legs.
Wade wouldn’t be rushed, though.
“Get on the bed,” he said. “Lay down on your stomach.”
She followed his directions, and as she crawled to the center of the mattress, his hand came down hard on her ass.
Smack!
The skin stung where his hand made contact, and liquid heat flooded her pussy. She turned to question him, but stilled when she noticed his bare chest.
Damn!
His clothing hid so much, and she couldn’t wait to see all of him. He pushed his jeans and boxers down his legs, and when he stood upright again, his long, thick cock bounced against his lower abs.
Her pussy fluttered and more of her essence escaped, coating her inner thighs. She’d never been with a man so big, and she briefly wondered if he would fit inside her. If he did, would she be able to please him?
“Don’t worry, baby,” he said. “It will fit. You were made just for me, remember? Now lay down before I spank your luscious ass again.”
It was only a second, but he didn’t miss her hesitation.
Smack!
He spanked her again and more essence gushed from her pussy. He inhaled deep and joined her on the bed.
“I knew you’d like that, naughty girl,” he said, kissing the area where his hand had reddened her bottom. “The first time was for making me wait two weeks before letting me touch you. I was going insane being your friend.”
He kissed the backs of her thighs, knees and calves, and when he reached her feet, he guided her onto her back. Every time his lips touched her skin, pleasure shot to her core. Her pussy clenched, desperate to be filled, but he continued the slow, leisurely pace as if he had all the time in the world.
“I’m sorry, Wade,” she whispered, spreading her legs.
He kissed the tops of her feet, her ankles, her shins, knees and thighs. She could feel his breath on her pussy, but he wouldn’t put his mouth there. He kissed her belly, and she cried out when he covered her nipples with his mouth again. This time, the kiss was chaste, and he didn’t suck, lick or bite. He placed more kisses on the ample flesh, and then moved to her biceps, forearms and hands.
Every touch of his lips made her skin sizzle and she writhed beneath him like a fish out of water.
“Wade, please.”
She begged and pleaded, but he ignored her desperate cries, and continued to touch every inch of her skin with his mouth.
There was only one place left.
He placed a kiss on her clit, and then on the soaking wet entrance to her core. He rimmed the edge of her pussy with his tongue and then licked and sucked his way to her clit, pressing hard against the tiny jewel before repeating the process. When he reached her pussy again, Dani held his head and ground her hips against his face.
In response, he jabbed his tongue deep inside her pussy and she came, screaming his name. Wade continued to place soft, chaste kisses on her cunt until the noises coming out of her mouth sounded human again, and then he crawled up her body and kissed her lips.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she breathed on a sigh.
A second later, he thrust his cock into her channel, balls deep, and she came again.
He was right, he not only fit, but he filled her completely. Her last boyfriend had been so tiny, she now understood how sex with him was never anything beyond mediocre. Wade loved her, and her body, and he brought her pleasure with every touch.
“Okay?” he asked.
“More than okay,” she smiled.
Then he started to move.
Slow, carefully controlled strokes lasted only a few minutes before she felt his cock throb uncontrollably. Wade growled and pounded into her hard and fast, causing her to come again and ride the wave until he stiffened and exploded inside her.
She welcomed the weight of his body as he relaxed on top of her, but it didn’t last. He rolled onto his back, and dragged her with him. She rested her head on his chest as they laid there, still connected.
“I didn’t want to crush you,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
She placed a chaste kiss on his chest in return.
“Any more worries about us not being perfect together?” he asked.
“None,” she whispered. “That was amazing.”
“It was perfectly amazing,” he said. “As are you.”
He closed his arms around her, and they both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Six
Running late…
Stuck at work…
Will be there ASAP!
Love you! <3
Wade quickly typed a text to Dani, and then shifted into his animal form and ran out of the tunnel into the cold, icy tundra. An ice storm had moved in, and the hard, unforgiving pellets stung as they whipped against his fur.
Unlike the usual cold weather explorers, the four men who’d arrived a week ago had yet to be detoured by the usual methods, and the group was getting dangerously close to the entrance of their home. The storm gave the bears the advantage, and they planned on capitalizing on it.
Instead of looking for a way into Santa’s Vill
age, the men had been watching the bears closely all week. Their behavior, including the fact that they seemed more like hunters than their usual visitors, but had yet to fire a single shot, put everyone on edge.
There were two possibilities for their conduct, but neither one looked good for the bears, and both involved tracking the large animals.
The first was based off the premise the men were tracking the bears to note their numbers. Once they figured out what they were dealing with, the trophy killing could begin. The second scenario stood on the possibility the men had figured out the bears’ true purpose. If they knew the bears protected Santa, and they figured out the patrol patterns, they could take out the bears and enter Santa’s Village.
Either way, the men had outstayed their welcome.
In order to gain as much information as possible, and derail any tracking techniques, all of the enforcers had been working double, and sometimes triple, shifts. Wade and his band had canceled their rehearsal and performance for the week, and he’d also missed Tuesday’s rehearsal with Arctic Storm.
When he found out Johnny’s arm had healed sooner than expected, Wade was ecstatic. As much as he liked playing, the wolves’ band wasn’t really his scene, and he was too busy to leave work. He understood the band’s passion for discoverability, but he preferred to play for fun.
Also, there was Dani to think about. Now that he’d found his mate, he wanted to be with her as much as possible, preferably naked in bed, not performing for strangers in an overly crowded, stuffy club.
Wade had taken on a couple more shifts than the other men to ensure he had Christmas Day off, but he still had to work most of Christmas Eve. Luckily, he only had one more hour in his shift.
All those extra hours meant he hadn’t seen Dani in a week. Worse, he hadn’t seen her since they had breakfast in bed the night after they made love.
He’d texted and called as much as possible, and explained as much as he could, but he hated not being with her. Fortunately, Dani seemed to understand, and still seemed excited about spending Christmas Day together. As soon as he finished his last patrol, he planned on meeting her at the club and never letting her go again.
Shifter Wonderland: Twelve BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romances Page 57