Bear Seeking Bride: Travis:

by Ruby Shae

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

  She tried stepping around him to release the button, but he held his hands up as if to placate her, and stepped in front of her to block the panel.

  “Hang on. I just need a minute to talk and I’ll start it back up.”

  “Start it up now,” she demanded. “You can talk when we get to the lobby.”

  God damn, she’s beautiful when she’s angry.

  “No, it needs to be now. I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I want to clear something up before we sit down to eat.”

  “Then you can tell me in the lobby,” she reiterated.

  She kept her eyes on him, unzipped her purse and pulled out her cell-phone.

  “Give me two minutes,” he said. “It’s important, I promise.”

  “You have one, and then I’m calling the police.”

  Damn!

  She was beautiful, strong and smart. He liked the fact that she didn’t back down from him, and that she’d held her ground. She’d be a suitable match for any shifter, but she’d chosen him and he didn’t plan on letting her go.

  “Forty-five seconds,” she said, glancing at the timer on her phone.

  “I want to kiss you,” he blurted.

  That got her attention. She wrinkled her forehead, obviously confused, but before she could question him, he continued.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you since you opened the door and smiled up at me. The only reason I backed away is because I wanted to skip lunch, push you back into your room, and undress your sexy body. I know I messed up and gave you the wrong impression, but I’m not disappointed in the way you look. If we decide we’re not compatible, I want you to go home knowing, without a doubt, that attraction isn’t the problem.”

  She stared at him, mouth agape, until he turned and released the stop button. They resumed their decent, and he heard her pull the zipper on her purse closed. He faced the gold doors and stared at his reflection, waiting for her response.

  She stood beside him, and met his eyes in the distorted image. Her beautiful smile was back, and she wrapped her hand around his bicep, pulled him toward her, and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you, Travis,” she said, after she let him go and resumed staring at their reflection. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, and for the record, I’m attracted to you, too.”

  His stomach took that moment to growl loudly and they both laughed.

  “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Starving,” she replied.

  When the doors opened, he stepped out of the box, and held out his hand.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes,” she said, and placed her hand in his.

  Chapter Four

  Holy Hell!

  Whatever she’d done to deserve this man, she was glad she’d done it.

  Travis seemed almost too good to be true, but at the same time, she knew he was genuine. Over the course of lunch, he’d told her about his brothers, their construction company, and his reason for writing the ad, including a brief summary of his past relationships.

  She could admit she’d been scared when he had stopped the elevator, but deep down, she didn’t think he meant to harm her. When he confessed his attraction, she’d been elated.

  When she’d opened the hotel door to see him for the first time, and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes, she’d been lost.

  Travis stood about six inches taller than her, and his polo shirt and khakis couldn’t conceal his heavily muscled body. His brown hair was lighter than hers, and cut short in an easy to maintain style. The strong lines of his face gave him a no nonsense aura she was sure served him well in business, but when he smiled, he seemed friendly and approachable. Both looks were sexy as hell and she’d wanted him the moment she laid eyes on him.

  His apparent displeasure in her looks had bruised her ego, but she’d decided to let it go and hope it wasn’t a deal breaker. While she didn’t want to marry someone who wasn’t attracted to her, she knew that first impressions were sometimes misleading.

  Apparently, Travis didn’t care about any of it, and when he insisted on making his feelings known, she’d known she’d found a keeper.

  After lunch, they’d walked along Main Street and he showed her where she could find the grocery stores, various local shops, including the hair salon, the police and fire stations, and the hospital. They ended the evening with a light dinner on the patio of a local Italian place, and talked until the restaurant closed.

  He’d walked her back to her room, and left her with a chaste kiss on the lips.

  Throughout the evening, they’d witnessed several bears roaming the streets and he’d encouraged her to ask him anything about shifters or living in a shifter community.

  She found out that though shifters were stronger, in both their human and bear forms, they could be seriously injured or killed, and silver was the only metal strong enough to detain them. Their life expectancy was the same as full humans, and his mark would only serve to show others she belonged to a shifter, it wouldn’t turn her into a bear.

  He’d offered to shift on the street for her, so she could see his bear form in comparison to the others, but she’d opted to see the transformation for the first time in private.

  Their third night together would be spent inside his home, but first she had to get through dinner with his brothers.

  The three men had the same features, and because they were so close in age, she could see how some could mistake them for triplets. Travis and his brother Trent were the same height, and Tyler was about an inch taller, but Trent seemed shorter because he relied on his cane. The older brother was also slimmer than the other two, and his muscles weren’t as defined, but she knew he didn’t lack in either strength or power.

  Travis had warned her about his brother’s aversion to women, and overall grumpy disposition, but he didn’t bother her. She understood his reserve and disregarded his attempted insults.

  “So what’s wrong with you? What are you hiding?” Trent asked.

  “Excuse me?” Sabrina asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “Trent—” Travis started, but Trent ignored him.

  “Why are you so desperate to get married? Do you need money? Are you a felon? A drug addict? Do you have a gambling addiction? You’re an attractive woman, why couldn’t you find a man without resulting to online dating?”

  “Trent!” Travis seethed. “Leave her alone!”

  “It’s okay, Travis,” Sabrina said. “No, I don’t need money, Trent. I make a fair living, and as a hair stylist, I can work almost anywhere. Whether or not I decide to work after the wedding is, of course, our business, but I can take care of myself if I need to.”

  “You won’t need to,” Travis said.

  She smiled at him, but continued addressing his brother.

  “I’m not a felon, and I don’t do drugs or gamble. I appreciate your compliment, even if you didn’t really mean it, and I’m not desperate to get married. When I read Travis’ ad, I thought he sounded like a nice man, and so I decided to write to him. Most of the men I meet are, unfortunately, a lot like you.”

  “Damn!” Tyler said. “I guess she told you. Sabrina, you’re awesome.”

  “Yes, she is,” Travis agreed.

  Trent studied her for the rest of the night, often staring at her blatantly, but he stayed quiet and she eventually learned to ignore him.

  Tyler, the youngest of the three, had been friendly and outgoing. In her mind, he would be perfect to bring Dawn out of her shell, and she made a note to ask Travis his opinion when they were alone. If Tyler were open to meeting her friend, she’d love to introduce them.

  Aside from Trent’s initial questioning, the evening was pleasant, and she found she liked both of his brothers. Travis hadn’t said anything, but she knew her ability to get along with his family had been important to him.

  “You were fabulous,” he said, when they reached her do
or. “They both really liked you.”

  “I don’t think Trent liked me,” she laughed, “but I liked them both. Very much.”

  “I know my brothers, and trust me, he liked you,” Travis said. “If he didn’t, he would have left before dessert.”

  “I’m glad he stayed,” she said.

  “Me too.”

  He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and kissed him back. When he slid his tongue inside her mouth, an electric current seemed to race over her skin, straight to her core.

  Too soon he pulled away, but when he left a frantic trail of kisses down her neck, she tilted her head to give him better access. He licked her collar bone, and gathered the skin between his teeth in a playful nip.

  She whispered his name breathlessly, a silent plea to continue. It didn’t matter that they stood in the hallway of an expensive hotel, she wanted more. He nipped her skin again, and then licked the teeth marks and slowly pulled away.

  She reluctantly released him, silently cursing their agreement to wait for sex until they had a chance to get to know each other. It seemed silly, considering they planned on marrying in less than two weeks, but their attraction was palpable, and they wanted a relationship based on more.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said, and slid his thumb across her lips.

  She licked the digit before he pulled it away and he groaned.

  “I want you, Bree. It’s killing me to walk away. The only thing stopping me from trying to change your mind is the fact that you haven’t seen my bear yet. I want you to see all of me before things go any further.”

  “Tomorrow,” she stated in a whisper. “I want you, too.”

  “Tomorrow,” he agreed.

  ***

  Travis held his breath when he opened the door to let Sabrina into his home. He’d offered to pick her up from the hotel, but she wanted practice navigating her way around town, so he’d given her his address, made sure her rental had GPS, and waited for her arrival.

  She parked on the street, and he watched her through the window as she surveyed the neighborhood and his home.

  She had on a different pair of jeans and a turquoise tank top, and he briefly wondered if she’d painted her toes to match again. She used the same purse, and her wavy hair looked flawless, as usual. He liked that she didn’t seem to wear make-up, but she took pride in her appearance and her confidence was definitely a turn-on.

  He and his brothers had built modest three bedroom homes. Each had two baths, a kitchen and separate dining room, a family room, a covered deck, and a two car garage. He and Tyler had opted for large backyards, but Travis had installed a pool.

  “Your home is beautiful,” Sabrina said, after he’d finished the tour. “The layout is comfortable, and I like how it’s spacious without being excessive. It’s not surprising Mallory Building is a success.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. Soon it will be your home, too.”

  “I can’t wait,” she said, and rose up to brush her lips against his.

  It wasn’t the first time she’d shown him affection, and he liked that she didn’t feel the need to act coy or shy around him. They were embarking on a lifetime commitment, and they didn’t need uncomfortable pleasantries.

  “Do you want to eat first, or see my bear first?”

  “I’d like to see your bear,” she stated.

  “I’m going to shift in here,” he said motioning around the room. “There’s no pressure, so observe from an area that makes you feel comfortable. If you’d like to touch my fur, or any part of me, that’s fine, but my feelings won’t be hurt if you need to keep your distance. Everyone reacts different to seeing a shift for the first time, so don’t worry about how you feel at first, and remember, it’s still me. I’m fully aware of my surroundings and everyone around me.”

  “Okay,” she said, and positioned herself on the other side of the room.

  He’d already explained that shifters kept their clothes on for the transition, so he stood in the middle of the room and silently summoned his bear.

  He kept a careful watch on Bree as he quickly transformed from man to beast. Though the shift was smooth and quiet, it wasn’t instantaneous. In the span of thirty seconds, she would see his skin sprout fur, his nose turn into a muzzle and his hands form into claws. The magic would bend his body onto all fours, and complete the shift into his bear.

  The shift back did the same in the opposite direction. Many bears walked into town from the canyon wall, and then sifted into their human form in four strides. Shifting in the open was common in Bear Canyon, and it was something she would need to get used to. They’d seen many bears in town over the past two days, but she hadn’t seen any of them actually shift forms.

  When the process was over, he sat down on his hind legs and winked at her. She stayed across the room for a long time, but he didn’t stare her down, or move toward her. Instead, he licked his paws and waited. She had to come to him on her own; he couldn’t force her to accept him.

  “Travis?” she asked.

  He looked up from his paw and waved to her with his other hand.

  She laughed and moved closer.

  “You’re beautiful,” she said, when she stood in front of him.

  He grunted and she laughed again.

  “Okay, okay. Handsome then.”

  He nodded once and she reached her hand out and tentatively touched the paw he’d been cleaning. He showed her the padded bottom, and she spread out her fingers and placed her palm onto his. He gently folded his claws over her fingers, and she smiled.

  She pulled her hand away, and walked around him, getting to know his animal. She ran her hands down his back and thighs and touched the claws on his feet. When she stood in front of him and tugged on his ears, he backed away and shifted back into his human form.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked.

  “No. I just need a minute,” he said, and started pacing.

  Damn!

  It wasn’t everyday he invited people to touch him in his bear form, and he wasn’t sure a woman ever had, but feeling Bree’s hands all over him had made him as hard as a rock. He had desperately wanted to shift back, fuck her, and mark her on his living room floor.

  Deep breath in, deep breath out.

  She needed an explanation, but lust rode him hard and he couldn’t speak. He’d never experienced the raw, primal feelings before, and they were a little jarring.

  “Travis, you’re making me nervous. Did I do something wrong?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. He stopped pacing and stared at her from across the room. “You didn’t do anything wrong, in fact, I’d say you did everything right. Your touch made me want to shift and take you rough and hard. I’ve never experienced anything like it, and it startled me. I pulled away so I wouldn’t shift back and attack you. I want our first time to be special.”

  “It doesn’t matter if it’s rough and hard, or slow and sweet,” she said, closing the distance between them. “Our first time will always be special.”

  He placed one hand on her waist to stop her from moving closer, but fisted the other in her hair. She linked her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans and looked up at him with her beautiful, light brown eyes.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.

  “I’m not afraid.”

  “I…,”

  Can’t. Shouldn’t. Want you more than anything.

  Everything sounded too ridiculous to say aloud.

  The bear urged him to claim his woman, but the man fought for a shred of sanity.

  “Kiss me,” she said.

  The bear won.

  Chapter Five

  Sabrina felt Travis tighten his grip on her waist a second before he pulled her head back and pressed his mouth to hers. Pain mixed with pleasure as he wrapped her hair around his hand a second time and plummeted her mouth with his tongue. He ravished her mouth, and liquid heat drenched her p
anties.

  Unlike the other kisses they’d shared, this one was rough and animalistic. Though he didn’t leave any physical evidence, his possessive lips branded her as his. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she wasn’t afraid, and she wanted more. Travis pulled her body against his and growled when her soft curves slammed against his hard chest. She felt his hard cock against her stomach, and she couldn’t wait to feel him inside her.

  He tore his mouth away from hers and slid his hands under her top. He gathered up the material in his huge hands and pulled the garment over her head. He reached behind her, undid her bra, and pulled the satin straps down her arms.

  He growled again when her breasts came into view. Her hard nipples ached for his touch, and she moaned when he grabbed the soft mounds of flesh in both hands. He brushed his thumbs against the hard pebbles and she whimpered, begging for more. He lowered his head and sucked one pert nub into his mouth, and she was gone.

  “Travis,” she cried, and slid her hands into his hair.

  His tongue scraped against the sensitive flesh and her pussy wept, aching for more.

  He switched sides and she felt her pussy contract. She’d never come from a man’s mouth on her nipples before, but Travis wasn’t an ordinary man.

  “Travis, please,” she begged. “I… I need more.”

  “Soon, baby,” he said.

  He pushed her breasts together and licked a circle around each areola, and then across each nipple before he let her go. The cool air from the air conditioning swept past her, tightening her nubs, as he ripped his shirt off and kneeled in front of her.

  For a moment, she could only stare at his perfect physique. She’d known he was muscled, but he had dips and sculpted lines in places she’d never seen on another man. His body packed more power than she’d expected, and she wanted to touch him everywhere.

  She rubbed her hands over his shoulders, the only place she could reach, as he undid her pants and pulled them down her legs. He carefully helped free her of the intrusive denim, and then she stood before him in nothing but her white satin panties.

  “I like this color,” he said, motioning to her electric blue painted toenails. He slid his hands up her calves and thighs to her ass, and then he leaned forward and kissed her covered mound. “I like these, too.”