We were mates and he was using words like forever. There, wrapped up in a pretty package of hard abs and sexy dimples, was the gift I’d been missing. The man walking to his truck in front of me was what I wanted and needed. He was what I desired when I was alone in my bed at night and my thoughts drifted back to Kyle, it was never Kyle I’d longed for, I knew that. I’d longed for the things that I’d always hoped would come with Kyle, being loved and cared about. Kyle had been crap at it, but I knew in my gut that Sam wouldn’t be.
What was I doing? I didn’t want to take it slow. My entire speech to his bear had been an embarrassing request for him to explore with me, sexually. I thought he got it, but then he put his pants on. I wasn’t being clear, evidently. I had been embarrassed by what I’d been trying to say to him, still under the cloak of Father’s shaming.
Suddenly, I wanted the cloak off of me. “I want to have sex with you!”
Sam stumbled and then turned to face me. “What?”
“That’s what I meant. That’s what I had been trying to tell your bear—you. I want to have sex with you. Wild sex. I want to learn things with you. Things that I’ve never done before. I need help learning things, though. Other things, too. Simple things, like skinny dipping and painting and hiking. I don’t know. Fun things. I’ve lived in a backwards hole for my entire life and I’m out now. I want to live. But, before, I meant sex.” I sucked in a breath. “I want to be with you and I want to have sex.”
He just stared at me open-mouthed.
My face flamed and I tossed up my hands. “Never mind. Just forget it.”
Sam caught my arm when I tried to walk by him and pushed me against the side of his truck, immediately holding me there with his body pushed against mine. “There’s nothing I want more than to fuck you senseless, Presley. I just need to be sure you’re sure. I don’t want to push you.”
Frustrated, I reached between us and yanked my shirt over my head. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Do I have to beg?”
He grabbed my sides and lifted me onto the hood, dragging my shorts down and nearly dragging me with them. “Nope. No begging. Not today. We can try that out another day, though.”
The promise of another day and something dirty made me moan and I covered my mouth with my hand when I realized how loud it’d been.
Sam paused with his hands in the sides of my panties and tugged them halfway down my thighs. “No covering that. That can be the first part of us exploring. Be as loud as you want to be, baby.”
I glanced around. “We’re out in the open, Sam.”
He finished pulling my panties off and slipped them into his pocket. “One of the benefits of being a shifter is that I can hear if anyone’s coming. Right now, there’s no one for miles. We’re safe. Be loud. Yell, scream, moan, let me hear how good I make you feel.”
Sam lowered his mouth between my legs, and I let him hear how amazing he felt. The first exploration was eye-opening.
“Take your clothes off.” Sam grinned wickedly at me and pulled his own shirt over his head. “Now.”
I looked around and shook my head. “No way! Sam, this is crazy.”
He stopped with his hands on his belt buckle and stared at me. “I’m just going to remind you that a few hours ago, you were spread eagle on my truck, naked as the day you were born. This isn’t different and it’s on your bucket list.”
My cheeks were bright red. We were in the woods that surrounded the town, alarmingly close to the bar as well as all the houses that surrounded the center of town. “There are people close by!”
He moved nearer to me, his eyes darker than the night sky, and grabbed my hips. Pulling me into his body, he leaned down and brushed his mouth over my ear. When he spoke, his voice was dark and gruff. “Get naked, baby. I won’t let anyone see you.”
Lord have mercy, my heart pounded in my chest, but there was a more demanding pounding south of my belly that called louder. Sam was exploring with me, letting me experience something wild. I did want it. I had to let myself go.
Shedding my clothes from my trembling body, I stood in front of the creek with Sam watching me. He was naked and his body was responding to me in a big way.
“And now?”
His smile was that of a predator and it turned my blood to lava. “Now, we swim. It’s the point of skinny dipping, right?”
It wasn’t exactly what I wished the point of skinny dipping to be. I wanted to touch Sam again. I couldn’t get enough of his body. I couldn’t get enough of him. “Sure.”
He walked into the water up to his waist and looked back at me. “Come on in.”
I stepped in and gasped. “It’s freezing, Sam!”
He nodded. “Yep.”
I shook my head. “Too cold.”
He moved towards me. “Don’t make me come get you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Before I even had the chance to really run, he had his arms wrapped around my waist and was dragging me into the water. He dunked both of us and came up laughing when I tried to climb his body to get out of the water.
“You’re a mean bear.”
He showed me his teeth and then playfully bit my shoulder. “That’s me. A big, bad bear. And you’re my Rapunzel. We’re mixing up fairytales.”
I wrapped my arms and legs around his body and shivered from the cold water. “What do you know about fairytales?”
He wrapped an arm around my back and cupped my face with his free hand. “They never had enough sex.”
Giggling, I laced my fingers behind his neck. “That’s because fairytales are meant for children.”
Sam kissed me, easing his tongue into my mouth to taste me while his hand tangled in my hair and pulled. He tasted like the chocolate cake we’d shared after dinner.
I moaned into his kiss and pouted when he pulled away. I was opening my mouth to complain when I heard it. People were walking through the woods, laughing and talking. My eyes went wide and I dug my fingers into Sam’s shoulders. “We’re going to get caught!”
He shook his head. “Not shifters. They won’t smell us and if we’re quiet, they won’t hear us, either.”
I bit my lip. “This was a bad idea.”
Sam dipped his head and flicked his tongue over the mark on my neck. “No, it’s a good idea and it’s going to get better. Make sure you stay quiet this time, Presley.”
I gasped as he suddenly filled me. My core squeezed tight around him and my body was instantly already too close to a blissful orgasm.
He gripped my butt in his hands and settled us lower into the water. Using his hands, he forced my body up and down his length. With his mouth next to my ear, his roughened voice was barely audible. “There are people walking by right now and all they’d have to do to see us is turn and look in this direction, and maybe take a few steps closer.”
The idea should have sent me running from the creek in the opposite direction, but it didn’t. Instead, my body clench tighter around him and I held onto him wondering if I’d lost all sense of sanity.
18
Sam
We both climaxed quickly that night in the creek and snuck back into our clothes as quietly as we could before running through the woods, back to Presley’s house, giggling like high schoolers. We fell through her front door, already halfway to making love again. That time, it lasted longer and carried us both into a deep sleep.
I woke up before Presley, but stayed in bed, watching her sleep. Her hair had dried into a wild array of twists and curls, stretching all around her pillows and then down the bed. I caught the silky strands in my fingers and smiled. She was stunningly beautiful—and sweet, caring and funny.
She was braver than she gave herself credit for, too. I didn’t know all the details of her past, but I was going to find out. My mate was a wildcat, hiding under a thin layer of fear and repression. I would take her anyway she was, but I was excited to watch her as she battled and conquered the fear. She had nothing
to be afraid of. I would always be here to look after her, no matter what.
Presley stirred and stretched. Her eyes opened slowly and she blushed when she saw me. Her lip immediately went between her teeth and she dragged the sheet up to her chin.
I sat up against the headboard and pulled her into my lap, ignoring her shy act. “What’s on your mind this morning, Presley?”
She finally met my eyes and the blush traveled down to her chest, which caught my attention and held it. Her body was beautiful and I was helpless, a slave to it.
“We got a little crazy last night.”
I grinned and turned her until she was straddling me. She had to face me that way. “We did. And you liked it. Are you having regrets?”
She nodded and then shook her head. “But I should be. We had sex practically in front of those people.”
I shrugged. “I never would’ve let them actually see you. I’m not one for sharing what is mine. And you, Rapunzel, are mine.”
Her breath quickened. “This feels… Why does it feel like I’ve woken up just like this every morning for my whole life?”
“Because we’re made for each other. This is how it’s supposed to be.”
She reached up and started gathering her hair, twisting it around and around until it was in a knot at the top of her head. “I never expected anything like this.”
I was mesmerized watching her hands work her hair around and then in awe when it just stayed on top of her head without any kind of contraption to hold it in place. I stared at it, waiting for it to fall over. When it stayed, I couldn’t help kissing her hard and long to see if it would survive a kiss. It did.
“You’re amazing.” I gently touched her hair and then trailed my fingertip down the side of her face and over her lips. I was already crazy about her. “I’m lucky to have you and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that I’m good enough for you.”
“Good enough?” Tears filled her eyes and she rested her head on my shoulder. “No one has ever been this good to me.”
I kissed her. “They were all fools. Now, come on. I’ve got plans for today.”
She frowned. “You do?”
“With you.”
Her smile came back and her eyes sparkled. “What are we doing?”
“Crossing more things off your bucket list.” I eased us off the bed and put her down in front of me. “Get dressed. Wear something you can get dirty in.”
19
Presley
Just one week and I already knew I was in deeper than I’d ever been before. I was head over heels for Sam. Deeper, even. He was the man I’d been waiting for my entire life, but hadn’t known to dream up. I didn’t know a man so perfect for me could exist. It was corny and dreamy and everything I’d ever prayed for. It was also edgy and steamy and everything I’d been warned against.
Sex with Sam was never boring or just so-so. It was hot and wild, every time. Each time felt hotter and better than the last. I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.
I still felt anxious at times. It was scary to care about someone so suddenly and so much. My feelings for Sam were like a locomotive, though. There was no stopping them, especially not with something as weak as willpower. Not my willpower. Not when it came to the man. The bear.
Somewhere between painting each other’s bodies and going to Dallas for a rock concert, I’d decided to throw caution to the wind. I was letting go, being free and wild. I hadn’t mastered carefree yet, but I was getting there. Sam had a list in his head of things that were supposedly on my bucket list, or should be on my bucket list, and he was working us through them. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the only real things on my bucket list were to learn to be a proper adult and to let go of the lingering hold the teachings of Father and growing up in the flock had on me. Anyway, I liked doing the things on his list. They were exciting and fun and they always ended, or started, in some insane sex thing.
We’d done things that I’d never imagined, things that made me blush to think about. Things that weren’t the least bit ladylike. I loved them. I was pretty sure I loved Sam.
“Why Kyle?” Sam’s voice drew me from my thoughts and back to him.
I looked up at him from where I was resting across his chest and smiled. He was beautiful to look at. “What?”
“I asked why Kyle. What made him so special?” There was a trace of annoyance in his voice that I’d come to understand was jealousy. He had the same tone whenever we were around Sterling, which wasn’t often.
I hadn’t thought about Kyle. My mind was full of Sam and happy things. “He was the only outsider who came to Macon’s Edge, I guess. I’d only been out of Macon’s Edge a few times before he started asking me out on the sly.”
He stroked his hand over my hair. “Do you miss it?”
I sighed. “I miss my sisters. I don’t miss anything else. How could I? All of it was just get up, do whatever Father ordered, go to church where I listened to Father some more, go to bed. Get up, do it again. And if I ever strayed from anything Father taught, I got a swift crack across the face. He rules everything there. He’s mean and judgmental and I could never miss him.”
Sam growled. “Say the word and I’ll take care of it.”
I rolled onto my stomach and walked my fingers up his chest. “I like when you’re the big, bad bear. You don’t have to be about this, though. It’s over. I’m not there anymore. He can’t boss me around. I wish my sisters would leave, but they’re stuck, brainwashed. They won’t even write me back.”
“We could just go and see them. There’s nothing stopping you.”
I sat up and shook my head. “There’s a whole world stopping me. If they want to talk to me, they’ll write me back. I’m not going to start anything. The only way Dad will have me back is if I’m crawling back with nothing to show for myself and then I’ll have to do penance for the rest of my days. I don’t plan on any of that happening any time soon.”
“Anytime ever. You have a home with me now.”
I grinned. “Say it again.”
He grabbed me and pulled me on top of him. “You have a home with me now and you’d better get used to it.”
20
Presley
Sitting at the bar with Ophelia, Georgia, Veronica, and Allie felt strange. A part of me felt like getting up and getting out of there. I couldn’t figure it out at first. Not until Allie noticed and shook her head.
“It’s Sam. Well, it’s not having Sam nearby. After you find your mate and get together, especially for the first couple of weeks, any time spent apart is weird. It’s slightly painful and very unnerving. We all went through it. Even Georgia, though she’ll deny it.”
Ophelia sighed. “Are we implying that I’m not still going through it, because I am.”
Veronica nodded. “Me too. Not so much uncomfortable, but like one of my limbs isn’t functioning properly or something.”
I frowned and ran my finger over the sweating glass of alcohol in front of me. “It just all happened so quickly.”
They responded with nods of agreement. Allie scowled, like she was remembering something unpleasant. “Too fast. I remember my head spinning, if I’m not mistaken. Thorn was awful. He didn’t want a mate. He ran and hid from me.”
“Hutch was even worse,” chimed in Veronica. “You don’t seem to be getting much resistance from Sam.”
I was getting zero resistance from Sam. It was almost too easy. He was perfect and that scared the hell out of me. “He’s…too good to be true.”
Ophelia made a cute face and noise at me.
“No, I mean too good to be true. There must be something there that’s wrong. He’s too good. He cares about me, he’s open with how he’s feeling, he does things in bed that I can’t even pretend to complain about. He’s everything I always said I wanted. And I do. I do want it. It just…doesn’t make sense that it exists. Everything I’m describing is amazing, but it doesn’t exist in one man. I’m waiting on the other shoe
to drop and I hate it. I haven’t had good experiences with the men in my life. There has to be a problem.”
Ophelia winced and shook her head. “My brother did a number on you, huh?”
I grabbed her hand and held it. “Father outshines your brother any day of the week. Kyle gave me some wounds, but I’m always holding my breath, waiting for Sam to be like Father, not Kyle.”
Georgia tossed back her drink and glared at the empty glass. “I know all about daddy issues. Your daddy dearest might take the cake, though. Mine was a checking account, at the end of the day, but he never laid a hand on me. I think you need to clear the air between the two of you. At least say your piece. Gain some closure. We need to go pay a visit to your dad.”
Alarm surged through me. “That’s a horrible idea. That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard. That’s the Olympic gold medal of bad ideas.”
Georgia was undeterred. She shook her head so hard that her ponytail slumped to the side of her head. “No, you need to confront him and handle your issues, Presley. Now, while he’s still alive. He’s keeping your relationship with Sam from progressing. Sam is a good guy and you’re terrified of him. That doesn’t make sense.”
“I’m not terrified of Sam.”
“You’re terrified of him. I’ve seen the way you look at him. There’s a whole lot of lust, sure, but there’s also this side glance you give him. You watch him for signs that he’s going to suddenly snap.”
I opened my mouth to argue but they all gave me looks that said they agreed with Georgia. I didn’t think I watched Sam for that reason. I was wary, of course, but I didn’t think it was to the point of it being an issue in our relationship.
“And if that isn’t proof enough, you were just telling us that the fact that Sam isn’t full of flaws is a problem.”
Bears of Burden Complete Series Box Set Page 46