Bite of the Moon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance Boxed Set (51 page)

“But you want to fuck me instead, right? Come inside me like a real mate?” She used the provocative word “mate” deliberately. “You could flip me over, hold on to my hair, and pin me to the mattress while you ride me so hard and fast I scream your name. Or”—she grinned—“you could be polite about this and we’ll pretend we’re half asleep on a lazy Sunday morning. Your choice, just do it now.”

“You were born to tease.” Reaching out, Mac traced his hand across her cheek and brushed a lock of hair from her brow. “I think I’ll take you standing up. I want to look in your eyes.”

The thought of him locking his arms around her while she clung to him for dear life appealed.

“While I’m fucking you, I’m going to promise myself to become the man you keep. I’ll do whatever it takes because I don’t ever want another man touching my mate.”

She rose on her knees. The mattress flexed as she pressed herself against his chest. “Please tell me you have a condom.”

“I do, but we don’t need them.”

“Why?”

Taking hold of her waist, he drew her into his arms. With commanding ease, he picked her up and lifted her to his chest. “I’m half bear. As an enchanted being, I’m not susceptible to human diseases. I’ve never even had the flu.” Taking easy strides, he carried her toward the far side of the cabin and stopped a few feet from the radiant heat of the iron stove. He pressed her back to the wall as his solid thigh parted her knees. She wrapped her legs around his hips. The wood paneling at her back was smooth. For a moment, they remained almost at eye level. Neither blinked.

“Mac, what about me? I’m susceptible to a lot of things. For instance, babies. Someday, I’d love a family, just not tonight.”

His ropy arms supported her as she settled into his embrace. “Andi, the only way you can have a child with me is if we are both bears, and you aren’t a bear yet.”

“Oh, I see. So when I accept your final claim bite, I—”

“Accept everything and possibly, when you’re ready, you’ll become a mother to bears.”

“Bears, plural?”

“Likely twins. Expect two naughty little boy bear shifters.”

“Oh, God! How would I manage? Schedule my lobotomy now.”

With a playful nuzzle, he rubbed his face against her hair “We’ll manage as a united front.”

“Jeez. Things move fast with a bear. Agree to hot sex, and next thing you know, becoming a mother to twin boys is part of the deal too.”

With lashes dipped, he glanced away. For a split second, something like hurt or worry shone in his gaze. “If a lifetime commitment with a family isn’t what you’re looking for, say it now because, as a MacBrun, that’s all I can offer. I can’t help it. Stop me now, don’t let me fall any more in love with you than I already am.”

“Mac, when I get nervous, I say sarcastic things I don’t mean.” She stroked the edge of his chin, gliding a fingertip across the grainy texture. “Everything that’s happening between us feels like someone said, ‘Here’s the blueprint for the rest of your life, just follow the dotted line.’” With a light brush of her lips, she kissed his nose. “Mac, you’re so fucking intense. I need time to adjust. You need to learn to recognize when I’m making a joke, which I do a lot. Earlier, you stripped your pants off and turned into a grizzly bear in front of me and I didn’t run away blubbering in terror or piss myself. I deserve credit for that. For once, I’ve truly lived up to my name and been brave. Commitment? Yes, I want that too. Twin boys? I sort of like the idea, and I’ll deal with it like an adult if it happens. Is that okay, sweetheart?”

“You’re right.” He smiled as he lifted her to his hips. Reinforcing his hold on her, he pressed her hard against the wall and kissed her mouth. Her lips parted. The tip of his tongue skimmed hers.

Reaching down, he grasped his shaft. With a gliding motion, he rubbed the head back and forth against her until she was slick. Finding her warm, wet center, Mac paused. His gaze met hers.

She looked into the cinnamon sparkle of his brown eyes as he pressed himself inside. At such a steep angle, the first stretch took her breath. Tilting her hips, she relaxed as he slid deeper with ease. His palm planted against the wall and his arm tensed as if he were Atlas pushing the world away. With her hands locked behind his neck, she held tight.

He moved with long, slow strokes that coiled the heavy muscles of his buttocks and shoulders. His breath came in short bursts. She wished there were a mirror or a reflective surface behind him, because Mac’s powerful body plunging inside her woke every primal instinct she possessed, and she knew the sight of her magnificent bear taking her by firelight would be stunning.

She’d been so busy sliding her hands across his broad shoulders and imagining what he looked like from another vantage point, it surprised her to glance up and see Mac’s gaze fixed on her. The determined line of his mouth tensed as he gazed directly into her eyes. His hands gripped her thighs and he gritted his teeth as his strokes became wilder. Wrapping her legs tighter around his lean hips, she crossed her ankles and held on. Tipping his head back, he groaned a low throaty growl. He thrust deep and stilled with his eyes squeezed shut and lips parted. Taking the last short strokes over the edge, he came with a look of searing lust branded on his face. With a ragged breath, he whispered, “Andi.” Holding her securely, he allowed himself to lean against her for support.

Their breath mixed. Heat rolled off his skin, leaving her slick. The room was too warm for her to be locked in his embrace. Standing so close, their gazes wavered in and out of focus. Then he did something surprising. With a quiet grunt, he brushed the tip of his nose to hers and then bowed his head, reverently touching the top of his forehead to hers. She sensed the affectionate gesture was the bear’s sweet way of paying homage to her.

For several minutes, they did not speak. Nothing needed to be said. The loving expression in Mac’s eyes and his gentle manner revealed all she needed to know. She simply allowed herself to relax into the miracle of falling in love with a kind man, who was also a protective, territorial bear.

Mac broke the silence. “I want to carry you to bed, but if I move, I’ll slip free.”

She kissed his mouth. “So? Take me to bed and then slide back inside.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Lifting her higher, he took a step. He did, indeed, slip free. “Damn. I knew it. We didn’t get very far, did we?”

Her thighs were sticky. “Why don’t you walk us to the shower?”

“Like this?” In an exaggerated stance, he squatted and stomped along with the grace of an ambling dinosaur. She clung fast to his shoulders. Taking exaggerated steps, he puffed his cheeks out. “Boom, boom, boom!”

Laughing, she held on tight. “You’re like the biggest little kid I’ve ever met in my life.”

Somehow, they made it all the way to the bathroom without tripping over the discarded clothing strewn on the floor. When he crossed the threshold, Mac set her down. Her feet alighted on cool tile.

He turned on the faucet. “When I saw the black bear tracking you, I was terrified you’d get hurt. I felt such guilt that I’d put you in danger and worried our story would end before it even started.”

“But you saved me. You got there in time.”

“As a bear, there will be more risks in your life. Both people and animals will react to you differently. Are you willing to face that?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to know what you’re getting into.”

Tapping his chest, she pushed past him. “First, I’m getting into the shower.”

He drew the vinyl curtain aside and motioned for her to enter. “The water’s warm.”

She moved aside. “I want to keep my hair dry.”

“Hold your hair above your head.”

Gathering her hair into a loose bun, she stood naked beside him. With her arms raised, her breasts thrust higher. “I’ll need my hands to wash with.”

“No, you won’t. Stand still and let me bathe you.” With a flick of his wrist, he adjusted the angle of the spray so her head would not be drenched. Taking her arm, he stepped into the bathtub and guided her to him. Then he drew the curtain.

The shower instantly cocooned her in a steamy spray and the heat of Mac’s gaze. “You’re staring.”

“You’re gorgeous.” He reached for a bar of green-and-white marbled soap and rolled the fresh scented oval between his hands until a thick lather formed. “I love your goddess curves.” With sudsy hands, he caressed her shoulders, slowly working lower to her breasts and the swell of her rib cage. Wet and slippery, his palms glided over her skin. “You feel heavenly.” He soaped her hips and slid his hands across the soft curves of her thighs, stopping for a moment to kiss her lips.

The warm water and Mac’s caring touch struck a chord deep in her heart. In the past, she’d been lusted after and even been loved, but she had never experienced such strong feelings that she was with the right person at the right place and time as she did now.

Turning her gently beneath the spray, he rinsed the soap from her skin. “Let me duck under there before we run out of warm water.”

She switched places with him and watched as Mac rubbed a brisk lather onto his hairy chest and between his legs, every motion swift and efficient. He set the soap down and rinsed, twisting under the spray. She got a good look at his broad back and the solid muscles of his buttocks. He glanced at her sideways, tiny droplets of water clinging to his lashes. “Now, you’re the one staring.”

The water ran cool and he quickly shut the faucet off. Reaching for a towel, he wrapped it around her and dabbed her skin dry. She stood like a child, allowing him to pamper her. When he finished, he enfolded her in a genuine bear hug and rocked her against his chest. Already hard, his cock prodded her thigh. His lips grazed the crown of her head to deliver a kiss. “Andi, I already care for you so much, and I can only see this getting better and better.”

“Me too.” Taking his hand, she led him from the bath and made a beeline for the bed. She clambered into the center of the mattress, feeling the springs flex as she glided across the sheets. Rolling onto her back, she stretched her arms above her head and grasped a pillow. Striking a provocative pose, she gazed up at him. Mac stood at the edge of the mattress, wearing an indefinable expression that looked like several of the seven deadly sins rolled into one.

“Mac, I thought about it, and I want you to do it.”

His cock lifted. “I’m going to do it all right.” He knelt on the bed and stretched out beside her, running his hand along her thigh.

Turning her face to meet his, she spoke as slowly and clearly as her racing heart would allow. “I meant claim me. Give me the final bite. I want it.”

“Andi, we can wait. There’s no pressure.”

The fire grate flooded the wall with flickering amber patterns that looked like spirits dancing on the paneling. “It’s not a logical thing that can be explained, but I know my fate and future is with you.”

“Sweetheart, I agree, but are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes.”

“Even though the first nip is still in your bloodstream?”

“Mac, what I feel for you is bigger than anything a nip of pheromones or even magic could explain. This is sacred. It feels right. I want to take the next step.”

Taking hold of her wrists, he rolled on top of her, resting his weight on his elbows. “Ursa Regina.” The words were mumbled as he placed kiss after soft kiss on her lips.

“What did you say?” Her voice faded.

He silenced her with a kiss so volatile it whisked all rational thought from her mind. His caress left her breathless as he gently parted her thighs with his knee. The tip of his cock was already wet as the head rubbed against her. She arched her hips off the mattress as he glided inside her in teasing increments. At this angle, the sensations were sharper than before, but she loved wrapping her legs around Mac’s hips and feeling every powerful muscle on his torso tense.

Entangled in each other’s grip, they moved together as one. Her breath matched his ragged gulps. Dipping his head, he took her nipple between his lips and sucked with slow, wet tugs that caused full-body bliss so sweet, her lashes fluttered. He took his time, each stroke providing a thrilling stretch. She closed her eyes and gave in to every stunning sensation offered. The pleasure built and a monster climax snuck up on her, starting with the ripple of her abdomen and ending with her toes curled.

Just as she was about to whisper his name, he bit. The edges of his teeth closed on her throat. An overwhelming tingle, like hot coals dropped on her skin, prickled her flesh. Every cell in her body exploded with blinding bright light. She thrashed in his grip, and the sting turned to a white-hot crescendo of pain. Arching off the mattress, she opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

Then it ended. The storm passed as quickly as it had appeared. Her body vibrated with a strange energy. Her heart pounded in a vacuum. Nothing felt familiar. She became so light-headed that, for a moment, she expected to float out of her body. Real worry struck, but she couldn’t rally her thoughts enough to think.

“Andi?” Mac’s voice was heavy with worry. His palm brushed her cheek.

Her eyes shut and refused to open. Too drained to move, she discovered she couldn’t even muster the strength to wiggle her fingertips.