He turned to walk out ahead of Trina. He hadn’t been used to people around him, much less praise. She continued the expressions of appreciation all the way from John’s bedside to the entrance of her hotel.
“Do you need a ride back?” He asked after the bellman unloaded the bags from the back.
“No thanks. I’ll have a shower and walk back.”
“Get some rest. You’ll be here with him for a while. Pace yourself.”
She hugged him again after he tipped the bellman. “I will. Take care, Andrew. Thanks again. Do me one favor, will you?”
“What’s that?” He asked as he got back into the driver’s seat.
“Take good care of Abby. She’s good people.”
Andrew nodded, started the car and left. He knew exactly why he didn’t stick around for too long with John or Trina. He had become so used to being alone. He intentionally avoided people, connections and relationships. It was his way of blocking out the possibility of future pain. He had not only been sexually celibate since Emma died, he had been beyond antisocial—he was relationally abstinent. If the term wasn’t an actual psychiatric deficiency, it had to be close to some borderline disorder, one where he could be the poster boy.
Andrew got back to the cottage soon after. The second he made it to the porch steps, thoughts of Abby flooded back. He took out his phone when he got inside, and looked at the photo he had taken of her. It was the spark that reignited everything they had created throughout the house. Something memorable had happened in many rooms on the main floor of the cottage. He saw her everywhere, and contentedly reminisced as he moved through the house.
There was something profoundly different about the place, something uplifting. He could probably say the same thing about his mind. Although the torment and his downtrodden guilt had not disappeared completely, they had paused, or were in stasis. He had no way of knowing whether the tranquility in his mind was going to be short-lived or here to stay. What he did know was it was a welcome stillness.
The housekeeper would eventually come by in a day or two. He wanted to use the remaining daylight to get more firewood, and if he felt like it, to put the house back in order. Bringing the firewood inside was a breeze with the yard now cleared of snow. Soon, he started the laundry and headed upstairs to get to work. Rob had done an impressive job. The housekeeper would only need to vacuum, dust and clean the bathrooms up here.
He returned downstairs. He took stock of what he could do to pass the time. Aside from the laundry, and the Persian rug which needed a professional cleaning, the place was in pretty good shape. He went to the kitchen. A simple stir fry was exactly what he wanted for dinner, and when it was ready, he took his time to eat. As there was so little for him to do, he decided this was as good a time as any to let his animal out for a few hours before finishing some work in his office, and if he still needed it, he would hit the gym. Keeping limber and developing routines were crucial to living in solitude, although he didn’t feel as alone anymore.
It was dark, so he could leave his clothes inside to shift at the side door, which had good cover. No one was around anyway. The took one last look to make sure, and when the coast was clear, he stripped completely, walked outside, and looked down at his body while he changed to his bear form. The shift was always easier when his mind was clear. Today was easier, and there was even less discomfort than all the times before. He was not sure why.
Completely transformed now, Andrews bear lowered to its four paws and moved into the backwoods. It kept to the path it was used to, and stopped from time to time to rub its shaggy black fur against the back of a fir or pine on its way to the creek that fed into Lake Tahoe through his human’s property. It had been too long since its last shift. It dug its five claws on each paw into the ice when it got to the creek, sniffing the edge, dipping its nose into the water. It sat on its rump, then rolled onto its back, enjoying its temporary freedom until it was time to shift back.
Had it not been for the blizzard, Andrew’s bear would have thoroughly enjoyed itself beside the creek. With the deep snow and colder temperatures, it was not as enjoyable. If these dense forests still had this much snow in a week, Andrew would let his animal spend some of its time in the large unfinished room beside the cellar on the lower level. It was warmer. One thing was unusual about being in bear form this time. His animal sensed Abby. She had to be home in San Francisco by now, yet to his animal, it felt like there was an invisible tether that still connected them. It could smell her in a way that made no logical sense at all.
The temperature dropped even lower. Andrew could have used another few hours in his animal state, but this time, he cut it short. His animal padded back through the dense woods. Back near the side door, it shifted back to human form, and Andrew went inside to warm up. Still feeling the need to move his body around, he headed to the gym. Having missed a few days’ worth of workouts on top of not being able to be in animal form for long enough, he was ready to go hard. He put on workout gear and warmed up on a moderate course on the treadmill, building up a good sweat to start a circuit on the strength training equipment.
He hit all the big muscles, and pushed hardest on the racks, cages and functional trainer machines. The down side of living alone was there was no one to spot him. Using heavier free weights by himself was out of the question. He cooled down with some floor work and stretching before hitting the showers. Normally, he would shower in the gym, but tonight, he wanted to bask in the images of him and Abby in his room.
Crossing the hallway, he returned to his bedroom. He went to the bathroom and got the water in the shower turned up to a steamy hot temperature. He stripped off his sweaty clothes and had barely stepped in when Abby invaded his thoughts. He allowed the illusion of being with her take over his body. Soon enough, she was right there with him. He was hard in a New York minute.
He pictured her eyes, piercing his soul as they stared up at him. He could touch her beautiful breasts, and grip his hands tightly onto her hips as he rocked her. The way she would hold him around his neck, arch her back, or wrap her legs around him. God, it felt so good to be inside her when she pulsed through her orgasms.
He closed his eyes and embraced her in his fantasy, stroking himself as he imagined her moaning and grinding her hips underneath him. He got closer as he immersed himself as he thought of parting her thighs, flicking his fingers against her throbbing clit, and burying his cock inside her, to the hilt.
All the images merged, and solidified into one powerful memory that sent him over the edge. It coursed through his veins and hit his body so forcefully, he held on to the shower tile for balance as he exploded his release. His weakened body leaned on his arms as he sucked in air by the mouthful to catch his breath.
He shut off the water when his body recovered enough for him to move. After he dried off and found a robe, he went to the kitchen for his phone. Abby had mentioned she would text after she dropped the others off and got home safely. It was only after six-thirty at night, but he didn’t want to miss her call.
He returned to his room and plugged it in to charge before slipping off the robe and climbing into bed. Abby’s sweet-smelling fragrance was there on the pillow too. He turned and breathed in deeply, enjoying what was left of her in his bed as he closed his eyes.
He sat up after a few minutes. He wanted more. He needed more than just her scent, more than the memory. He got up and went back to his office, and sat at his desk. After shuffling some paperwork, he checked and replied to a few priority emails, and found one that made him realize what he had to do.
Chapter Thirteen
ABBY lugged her bags from the rental car to her main floor off-campus apartment. She was glad to finally be home. It had taken an extra hour to drop off Rob, Ruth and Barb. They lived within a few blocks of each other near their San Francisco State University campus. It meant she had to double back to get home, as she was at University of California, San Francisco.
She locked the door and smi
led as she thought of her passengers. After Rob and Barb had their lively falling out, the rest of the way was quiet, but tense. They had surprised her—first with their argument, and afterward, when they respected her demands for silence. The only sound anyone could hear for two straight hours was the hum of the car’s engine.
The part that surprised her most was when she dropped them off. They arrived at Barb’s dorm first. Rob got out and helped her remove her bag, and Ruth stepped out and hugged her—without it getting ugly. Abby had breathed a sigh of relief right then, and followed Ruth’s shining, diplomatic example. The truth was, despite the blowout in the car, they had been through a lot together over the last three days. The three of them—along with John and Trina—were also volleyball teammates. One profanity-laced spat couldn’t change their bond so easily.
She put down her things and headed straight for her linen closet to grab some towels. What she needed was a long shower, some comfy pajamas and eight hours of sleep. She looked in the mirror when she made it to the bathroom, and gawked at her hair.
And my own shampoo and conditioner!
She let the shower run while she undressed. It had to be hot, to relax her arms and shoulder muscles after driving for four hours.
She stepped in once steam started billowing out from above the shower curtain. The water was perfect. She closed her eyes and just stood under it, letting the soothing stream fall down her head and chest. As it poured down her body and over her nipples, a single frame of Andrew flashed across her tranquil mind.
Her attention transitioned from the calming water to the past three days with him. She couldn’t stop herself, and wasn’t sure she wanted to think of anything or anyone else. She reached for the body wash sponge and poured her favorite soap over it. As she scrubbed, she felt Andrew’s touch, and responded in the way he made her react every time.
Her breath hitched. She pretended his lips were teasing her nipples, his massive arms wrapped around her. Her stomach clenched and heat pooled between her legs at the thought of straddling his ripped body, and riding his thick, hard cock. She hadn’t touched herself, and already she was aroused, with nipples hard, clit swollen and needy for Andrew’s touch.
She spread her legs and glided a slippery hand between them. It was Andrew touching her now. He was moving his tongue against her, licking and sucking her clit, making her body thrash back and forth from pure pleasure. Her breathing sped up. She could hear herself panting. She lifted a leg to the side of the tub and slid two fingers inside. Letting out a groan, she called Andrew’s name, wishing it was his broad and talented fingers moving deeper inside her.
Abby was getting closer now. She stroked and pinched her nipples with the other hand. Her body writhed wildly, grinding into her fingers as they slid in and out, stimulating her tight, wet center. Without warning, she felt her channel clamp tightly around her fingers as a wave of energy exploded out from her core. She held on to the shower wall. Her vision blurred and the orgasmic ecstasy overtook her completely.
Abby stood under the water for a few minutes, letting it massage into her. Soon, her mind returned and the throbbing ceased. Exhaustion was setting in. She turned off the shower and stepped out. Wrapping a towel around her, she carried a second towel back to her room. She spread it over her pillow and went back to the living room. She had promised to send Andrew a text to let him know they had all arrived safely. Once she crafted a short message and hit send, she returned to her room and collapsed into bed. She drifted to sleep wondering what Andrew might be doing right at that very moment.
***
Abby awoke to the sound of the doorbell. It may have rung a few times, because it felt like a dream at first. It was a good thing her bedroom door was open, otherwise she would not have heard it at all. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sleeping, but it had to be late. None of her friends would show up without phoning or texting. She assumed the person might have texted. Her phone was still in the living room, so she probably did not hear it.
She got up and searched her dresser drawer for a t-shirt and some jeans to put on, then walked to the door. There was no peephole, so she had gotten used to peeking through the window beside the door to check. When she looked out the window, she froze. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or imagining. She took a nervous breath and scrambled to unlock the door. She wrenched the door open and stared.
“Hello Abby.”
“Andrew. What are you doing here?”
Cabin Bear Glow (Book 3)
Chapter One
ANDREW wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. He had called the helicopter service without hesitation. He had made it to the private landing strip to fly to San Francisco with no doubts. The purpose of his trip was two-fold—Abby being the main one.
After Abby and her friends were gone and he was home alone again, he had tried to busy himself with work. While he was checking on emails, one came in from Dr. Sansbury. His mentor had messaged him to ask if he could cover a med school lecture—and maybe three more during the month of January if the professor on leave did not return from sabbatical on time.
It seemed like synchronicity. He was yearning for Abby. She was in San Francisco, and then, the request from Sansbury. It made sense. He wouldn’t have to worry too much about a place to stay. They owned a chain of hotels, and his father kept two suites in almost every city for family and company use.
Abby wanted him too. This would be the perfect opportunity to see more of each other. Time at the cabin had been somewhat accelerated, and now he wanted to show her what she meant to him. He was going to pull out all stops to show her. He couldn’t wait.
Yes, he was concerned about what it all meant, and how she would take it. There was also the question of letting his animal free for at least a day sometime soon. Still, this was quite possibly the best decision he had made in a while. His hope was she would be patient with him, and he would take steps to make sure the torment of his past was truly behind him. He desperately wanted to be open about it with Abby when the time was right.
When he saw the shock on her face as she peeked through her apartment window, the doubts crept up. He wasn’t sure he had made the right decision to surprise her. Was she shocked because it was unexpected, or because she hadn’t really intended on seeing him anymore? Before she opened the door, he hoped they could pick up right where they left off just hours before.
When she opened the door and asked him why he was there, he wasn’t sure at all if he should have gone to her. He took some time to look around her apartment while she waited for an answer. It was quaint, but just like he imagined it. Bright, airy and fresh—just like Abby. The thought surfaced that maybe it might have been better to wait. They could have talked on the phone for a while, kept the connection alive, and stuck with the plan of seeing her the next weekend.
He straightened up to answer her finally. “I had to see you.”
He pulled out the arm he held hidden behind his back, and produced a bunch of flowers. It was at least two dozen pink roses. “These are for you.”
“Wow! They’re gorgeous. Thank you so much…”
“I’m sorry if I came without asking first.”
“Let me put these in water.” She took the vase from the dining table and filled it up. Andrew looked at her while she removed the wrapper around the flowers and placed them in the vase. She was beaming.
“So…how did you get here?” she asked when she returned to the living room.
“Private jet.”
She looked at him. Her features softened as he stood in the doorway, so he went with it. “I won’t keep you too long, Abby. Something else came up and I’m going to be staying at one of our hotels in North Beach. I came to tell you in person, and to ask if I could see you while I’m here. Perhaps for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes. That would be great. Would you like to come in?” She stood aside and left room for him to enter.
“Sure. Thank you.”
She closed the doo
r and looked up at him, but didn’t move in closer. “So what happened? Was this all of a sudden?”
“Yes. I got the email when I made it back home.”
“Is it anything urgent or serious?”
“No nothing like that. Just covering for a prof’s med school lecture. Maybe a few this month.”
“At UCSF?”
“Yes. Not the nursing program, so you won’t have to worry about bumping into me on campus. Unless you want to see me…”
God, why am I so nervous right now?
He took a breath and continued. “After I dropped you all off in Reno, I took Trina and John’s stuff to them right away. When I got home, well, the place was just not the same without you.” He stepped towards her and took her tiny hands in his as she looked up at him. She didn’t move away, so he took it as a good sign. “You mentioned you had a few more days off, so I thought…no, I didn’t think. I just had to see you, Abby, and now I’m here. We could spend time here in San Francisco, or I could take you back to cottage and fly you back on Sunday, if you’re up for it.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” she admitted, pausing as she seemed to weigh the options in her mind. “It was our original plan, and I was looking forward to spending time with you. If I come, this time I’ll have my laptop, and my things. Do you mind if I think about it tonight?”
“Definitely.”
He couldn’t resist his urge anymore. He made one more step toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Her body softened and relaxed into him, and Abby looked up at him with a tenderness that owned him. She stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips softly.
Hallelujah!
After their kiss, he pulled back to pull something from his pocket. “Well, it’s quite late. I’m sure you’ve got an early start tomorrow. This is the number where I’ll be staying for the next few days. I have my cell phone as well. So, we’re good for dinner tomorrow? I can pick you up at seven.”
Cabin Bear Heat Box Set: A Paranormal Fantasy Bear Shifter Romance (A Bear Shifter Romance Retelling of the Billionaire Redemption Series Book 2) Page 22