by Layla Nash
By the time he wrapped himself in a towel and returned to the bedroom, Zoe had finished all of the fish and most of the eggs and avocado. Simon raised his eyebrows, impressed in spite of himself. Maybe they needed to take another trip to the river. "Do you want more?"
She groaned and sprawled across the bed, arms and legs akimbo, and patted her stomach. "I might burst if I eat another bite."
"We can't have that," he said. He finished off the rest of the breakfast, pleased she was well-fed, and left the tray outside the door to deal with later. He toweled off his hair and slid into the bed next to her, pulling her close to spoon. She fit against him perfectly. His bear grumbled, content.
Her bear made an answering noise. Simon kissed the back of her neck, listening to the steady drumming of her heartbeat. "Will you stay here, Zoe?"
Her hand stroked his forearm where it draped over her side, and for a moment she stretched and wiggled and then settled back against him. She sounded half-asleep already. "There's no where else for me to go."
Simon stared at the wall past her shoulder, his own pulse racing. She was right, of course, but her feeling like a prisoner of her circumstances didn't make for a happy relationship. His arms tightened around her reflexively, wanting to keep her close. "That's not true. If you don't want to stay here, we can find a place you do want to go."
She pulled away enough to lay on her back and look up at him. "Do you want me to stay?"
"So much I almost can't breathe." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her.
Zoe made a contented sound and turned toward him, resting her head on his bicep as her fingers drifted up and down his side. "One more stray for your little group?"
"You're not a stray." Simon pulled the blankets up higher and tucked them close around her before pulling her against his chest. "I've been waiting for you my whole life. I never thought Tate would bring the other half of my soul back to me."
She yawned and stretched again, then sighed. "I have to learn how to be a bear, right?"
"Yes. But you're off to a good start already." He chuckled without meaning to, and she looked up at him with a drowsy smile. Simon kissed her again. "You growled at Ethan when he wouldn't give you food. That's pretty bear-like."
Zoe snorted, patting his side. "No, that's more Zoe-like. Don't get between me and dinner."
"Good to know." Simon laughed and shook his head, playing with her hair. "I can't believe you used 'Simon says' against me. I haven't heard that in years."
"It seemed like a good way to tell you what to do." She smiled. "Simon says you should go to sleep so you can catch me more fish later."
Just the thought of her earlier words, telling him to kiss her, reignited his desire. His cock hardened and pressed against her stomach. Zoe glanced down between them and then looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "Simon didn't say anything about that."
He laughed, hard enough to jostle her, and rolled to his back, bringing her with him until she straddled his hips and his cock stood up just in front of her neatly-groomed slit. "Well, Simon says this is the best idea he's had all week."
Zoe chewed her lip in that adorable uncertain way she had, and her soft hand tentatively gripped his base. She stroked him once, then again, and Simon groaned, his hips lifting in response. She studied him and Simon wanted to immediately roll them back over so he could plunge into her welcoming warmth. But he waited, holding his breath.
Zoe lifted herself up and wobbled, almost fell off him entirely, and flushed. "I haven't done it this way before."
And again he almost reversed their positions in a desperate need to have her. To take her. Waiting to feel her surrounding him, gripping him, drawing him in was pure torture. Pure agony. But he concentrated on her as he petted her stomach, teasing her center until her head fell back and she made indecent noises. They had plenty of time. He couldn't rush this. Couldn't rush her.
Simon gripped her thighs and helped guide her. "Just like this." He gritted his teeth as the head of his cock slid against her center and Zoe moaned, and Simon held back even though he wanted to impale her. She sank slowly down on his length and he couldn't take it, lifting his hips to meet her until she gasped and gripped his shoulders for balance.
She stared down at him in surprise, green eyes wide, and gave a tentative rock of her hips. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened, and she sighed. Did it again. And again. Simon was lost. Utterly lost. He lay back as her fingers dug into his shoulders and she moved faster, deeper, wilder.
If heaven existed, this was it.
12
Zoe
Zoe didn't know she could feel like that. Didn't believe anything she'd read that every part of her could vibrate with need, could ache to feel him moving inside her, until it felt like she would explode. Until she did explode — stars filled her vision as she ground down at him, using him to push herself past that edge of pure bliss until she seized up. Froze, completely helpless.
Her nails left bloody crescents in his skin but Simon didn't seem to mind. She collapsed on top of him, sweaty and shaking and at his mercy. He remained inside her, and it even felt like his cock grew as her muscles clutched him deeper. Simon made a grumbled hungry sound as he stroked her back and down to her butt, teasing the backs of her thighs and down to where their bodies met until she twitched. Aftershocks of her climax rolled through her and tried to drag him closer, and she started to sit back.
His arm looped around her back to keep her breasts crushed to his chest, and Simon nibbled on her shoulder. "Where are you going?"
"Don't you want to — you know? Finish up?" Heat flushed her cheeks and she felt like an idiot.
Simon chuckled and squeezed the soft area where her thigh and butt met, and Zoe rocked forward once more as she groaned. It felt so good her brain short-circuited and she couldn't think. Could barely breathe. He kneaded her butt to encourage her, so Zoe remained sprawled across his chest as his hips moved and she moved, and in a matter of heartbeats she climaxed again. Cried out and drove herself down on him as he filled every inch of her. Simon thrust up at her in short little jerks, driving through her spasming channel, until his arms locked around her and he groaned. She barely noticed as he grunted and slowed to a gentle rocking, as his body softened and slipped from hers.
Her breathing slowed until she wasn't panting like a desperate fool, and Zoe closed her eyes. She knew she probably should slide off of him, but he was like sleeping on a furnace. And the steady drumming of his heart felt like home. She sighed and closed her eyes, pressed her forehead against his neck until the beard tickled her cheek. He smelled like her lavender body wash, an incongruity that made her giggle. He'd used her soap.
Simon kissed her shoulder and smiled, though his eyes remained closed. "What's so funny?"
"You smell like flowers."
"Good." He held her tight and made exaggerated snuffling noises against her skin and hair, until Zoe laughed and squirmed. "So do you."
"Silly bear," she said, drowsy and sated and warm. She felt — content. For the first time maybe ever. She didn't want to lose that. Didn't want to lose him. She pushed away worry over what would happen in a month, if the feds got her files and wanted to prosecute Castellano. There was always the chance they would send her into hiding to protect her. Maybe Simon could go with her. Or maybe she could hide with him. A grizzly bear would be more than a match for Castellano. She pushed the thought away and slid her hands under his shoulders until she could tangle her fingers in his hair.
Even his snoring sounded more like a purr, and she drifted off to sleep with the rattle of it in her ears.
She woke at least once in the afternoon or night, confused about where she was and why there was a snoring mountain next to her, but as soon as she moved, Simon woke up to sleepily interrogate her on whether she was cold or hungry or uncomfortable. When she managed to stutter she felt cold, he immediately pulled her close. Which mean, of course, that he squeezed her butt and just as immediately grew hard again. Zoe would have lau
ghed at him — clearly an ass man — but he kissed her and rolled her under him and everything else in the world disappeared. After they'd both finished, he yawned, patted her butt, and muttered something about "Simon says go back to sleep." So she did, still smiling.
The next time she woke because Simon got up, extracting himself from the nest of blankets and sheets and her, and he paused to kiss her forehead. "It's seven. Time to get up."
Zoe pulled the blankets over her head but had to admit she was wide awake. Considering they'd slept almost two days straight, she could make an exception for getting up that early. She winced as she sat up and wiggled out of bed, all her muscles sore from the unfamiliar exertion. Zoe flushed as she wobbled into the bathroom to shower and get ready, particularly as she heard Simon practically whistling and singing in the bedroom. But she smiled as she lathered up with her lavender soap and knew that Simon smelled like her.
He'd dressed already in jeans and a sweater, but waited as she crept out of the bathroom in a towel. Simon grinned, kissing her quickly before tilting his head at the door. "I have to head down to greet the guests, Cooper just drove up. Breakfast is ready when you are."
Zoe wondered if she would always blush around him, if every time she watched him smile she would think of his mouth against her skin. She cleared her throat before her imagination got too out of control, and flapped her hand at the pile of clothes spilling out of her suitcase. "I'll be down in a minute."
Simon winked, patted her butt one more time, and went whistling out the door. Zoe slapped her forehead and flopped back onto the bed. She still couldn't believe she'd slept with him. It felt so natural, so right, and yet... completely unlike her. Totally unlike her. She stared at the ceiling, trying to think. Simon mentioned her bear might influence her actions, her thoughts, for a while. Maybe the bear gave her the confidence to walk up to him and start unbuckling his belt.
Zoe groaned and lurched upright, toweling furiously at her hair. It had to be the bear. Just the thought of sauntering up to Simon and saying something about "Simon says kiss me" made her guts quake and her cheeks burn. She didn't think she could do it again if someone offered her a billion dollars. And to just pull off his clothes!
She shook her head and dug through her suitcase for something that might match and didn't make her look like a teenager. Zoe dawdled as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail and laced her tennis shoes, but eventually she eased the door open and peeked into the hall. Nothing. The great room in the lodge looked empty, so she braved the stairs and found Ethan in the kitchen.
He shook muffins out of a pan, offering her one as he raised an eyebrow. "You feeling better?"
Her cheeks ignited. Zoe took the muffin but couldn't meet his gaze. "Wh-what do you mean?"
He opened his mouth but then snapped it shut, a matching flush rising in his tanned face. He laughed, though, and turned away. "I meant because of the accident. Not because of anything — else. That may or may not have happened."
Zoe wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor. He knew. Of course he knew. Did Simon tell him? Or had Ethan heard them? She covered her face and thought she might explode from sheer embarrassment.
Ethan laughed more but it had a nervous quality to it, as if he couldn't stop. "It's okay. Don't be embarrassed about anything. Really. I'm just going to go now and hide in the office, if anyone's looking for me."
He retreated. When Zoe gathered her courage to look around, she was alone in the lodge. So she finished putting the fresh muffins in a nice basket, bracing herself for more scrutiny as the main door opened and a group of tourists piled into the lodge. Zoe stayed in the kitchen as the other guys hauled in luggage and started showing the guests around. She didn't know what to do other than smile at the guests, but then Simon appeared and caught her hand. Before she could ask or pull free, he dragged her outside to sit on the swing on the far end of the wrap-around porch.
Simon sprawled across the bench and hugged Zoe to his side, contentment rumbling through his chest. Even though Cooper and Finn kept unloading bags from the back of one of the trucks, Zoe relaxed against Simon and closed her eyes. She hated mornings. Simon played with her hair and started to rock the swing. "We're booked up for the next two weeks. All fishing trips. Things will be busy around here. Can you help out with some of the cooking?"
"Sure." Zoe drew her legs up on the swing and breathed him in, the lavender and musky male scent mixed with fresh pine and a hint of exhaust from the old farm trucks. Her head rested on his shoulder and she smiled. "I'm not very good at it, though."
"There's always weeding the garden."
"We both know that's not a good idea." The gentle sway of the swing and the warmth of him next to her lulled Zoe into near-sleep, and the anxiety that gripped her faded away. "So you just run hunting and fishing trips?"
"Well," he said, fighting back a yawn. "Yes and no. We have plans for more. Some of our neighbors want to sell their land — dozens of acres of forest and rivers and mountain. Great land, some of it adjacent to the national parks. I'd like to buy as much of it as I can, otherwise a mining company might snap it up. They've been sniffing around here, trying to talk everyone into selling."
"So you want to buy more land? For what?"
"I'd like to build cabins for people to rent, to start. Maybe run a program for kids from the city to come out here and stay for a week or two, so they can learn about nature and animals and build up some confidence. Maybe in a year or two, we can run adventure camps or team-building retreats with ropes courses and survival training and things like that." He sighed and rocked the swing back with more energy. "But for now, we work with the game wardens and park rangers to track migrations and predator numbers, and we help out with tracking and tagging some species. Finn hires out as a tracker as well. The hunting and fishing trips are our bread and butter until we can get enough profit to re-invest in the rest of the business."
Zoe picked up his hand where it draped over her shoulder and studied his fingers. Strong, capable hands. If anyone could make all of that happen, he could. He looked like he could build dreams with his bare hands. "But what if I said —"
She cut off as an engine revved nearby and tires bit through gravel. Simon tensed next to her, and Zoe sat up. A dirty red sedan skidded to a halt in front of the lodge, a cloud of dust and exhaust billowing across the yard and onto the porch. Zoe covered her mouth and coughed as Simon lurched to his feet.
The door burst open and a giant levered out of the car. For a split second, Zoe thought it was one of Castellano's guys and he meant to kill her. She sucked in a breath and braced herself for a knife or a gun or something awful, and tried to hide behind Simon as he seemed to get bigger and wider.
13
Simon
Simon didn't generally like cars speeding up to his den, and he liked it even less when Zoe sat next to him. They finally had a real conversation, something that could lead to a discussion of their future together, and some asshole in a rental car ruined it. Simon clenched his jaw as he got up to punch whoever it was in the face, and then Tate jumped out of the car.
Simon blinked. "What the —"
"What the hell are you doing?" Tate didn't even slow down, marching up to Simon to shove him back. "Why did she call me in a panic? What did you do to her?"
Simon stood his ground and shoved him back, wanting to get space so he wouldn't trip over Zoe. He didn't know what pissed Tate off, but Simon's bear didn't feel like being pushed around in his own home. "Chill out, friend."
"Don't 'friend' me." Tate, breathing hard, looked around him at the porch. "Let's go, Zoe. Get your stuff. I'm getting you out of here."
"The hell you are." Simon bristled, advancing on his friend. He'd fight to the death to keep her. "She stays here."
"You can go fuck yourself." Tate tried to elbow past him to where Zoe stood frozen next to the swing. "Zoe, I'm not kidding. We need to get moving. Castellano could have traced your call or he might have tracked me. I need to get you s
omewhere safe, fast."
"Isn't it safer here?"
Simon's heart sank to hear the uncertainty in her voice. He backed up to keep her close and away from Tate, and he didn't look back as the front door opened and Ethan eased onto the porch. "Is there a problem, boss?"
"Of course not. Zoe, go inside with Ethan." Simon nudged her closer to his friend, praying Ethan got the message and dragged her to safety.
But Zoe stood her ground and poked his side, making Simon jump. She looked suddenly fierce, like when she'd tried to shove him out of her room that first morning. "Don't tell me what to do."
"Exactly," Tate said. "Get your stuff, Zoe, and we'll —"
"You either." She dodged Simon's grab and strode forward to plant a finger in Tate's chest. "Just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can order me around. I'm a damn adult and you're being a jerk."
"Brother?" Simon said, just as Tate scowled and added, "You're being difficult on purpose, and you seem to be forgetting there are people who want to kill you."
"I don't know what I want to do." She clenched her hands at her sides and gave them both a dark look. "But I will let you know when I decide."
She turned on her heel and marched away, taking the path to the river. Simon started after her, hating that she was upset, but Tate got in his way. "Don't try anything, dude."
Simon scowled at him. "Did she just say you're her brother?"
"Yeah." Tate ran a hand over his short hair, staring after where Zoe disappeared into the trees. "Half-brother."
"You never mentioned having a sister."
"I didn't know." Tate looked at him and then away, shaking his head. "I found out about her about five years ago. My old man died and she was at the funeral. Apparently he'd been hooking up with her mother while he was married to mine. Her mom is a drunk and an addict, if she's even still alive. A total mess. So I took Zoe away and helped pay for her school, got her set up in an apartment, tried to keep her safe. She got mixed up in this crazy shit with Castellano, and I didn't know what else to do. I trusted you, Simon. What the hell happened?"