Broken Bear: Unleashed Passion (7 page)

It wasn’t the right time, but there may be no other time if she walked away. Phoenix lowered his head, his lips barely an inch away from Lily’s lips. Her hot breath met his. Their eyes met. Nothing else mattered. He couldn’t hear anything. He couldn’t think. He could only react to the woman in his arms. Phoenix brushed his lips to Lily’s. As her mouth parted and accepted him in, he knew everything would be okay.

His kiss. His sweet, wonderful kiss. Lily couldn’t think clearly. Her heart melted. She couldn’t ask for anything more. His mouth was wet and warm, his lips soft and gentle. There was longing and desire in his kiss. He wanted more. She didn’t know how much she could give him, not knowing he was part bear, but his kiss… she could happily get lost in his kiss forever.

Lily was confused. Not knowing enough about shifters, how could she not be nervous? And yet, he never once scared her when she sat by his side at the hospital. They’d bonded, grown dependent on one another, and now here she was, questioning everything she thought she knew.

What if she didn’t run away out of fear? What if she stayed? What did she have to lose? Life would be empty without Phoenix. He gave her a sense of security that she’d never known. He wouldn’t hurt her; she truly believed that. But no matter how many times her head circled around the idea of him being part bear, her heart raced and anxiety twisted inside.

People are afraid of bears. Bears can hurt you. It’s not…natural to love some half-breed, part-man, part-animal. It’s just weird. Yet, Phoenix never hurt her. Her husband did. He was a human. It didn’t really matter. Humans could be just as dangerous. If only her mind would stop churning…

His lips were on hers. Her mind slowed down. Phoenix kissed her again.

Lily lost sight of anything else. All those times she sat by his side. All those moments she’d pictured being in his arms. And here she was. It was even more amazing than she could have imagined. She hoped he’d never stop.

Jett coughed, gently reminding them he was still there.

Phoenix looked over his shoulder at his friend. “Oh, right. Sorry. You can leave early today. We’ll catch you tomorrow. Thanks, as always.”

Jett looked at Lily. “Are you going to be okay if I leave?” He knew she was used to him being near her now. He wanted to make sure she’d be comfortable, being alone with Phoenix.

She looked at the bodyguard and nodded. “I’m okay, thank you.” She tilted her head up and looked at Phoenix again. “I’m safe, right?”
 

“As safe as you’ll ever be. I’m here, and I’ll protect you with my life. I mean that.” He stared intently in her eyes. “You’ve become so important to me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He stroked his hand through her hair.

She knew it was the truth. There was so much to understand, so much to absorb. When he kissed her, she knew he was all man, yet how could she ignore the fact that he was a bear? She looked away and found her courage before continuing. “And when you’re a bear? Will I be safe then?”

“I’ll be man most of the time, but if my bear should come out, which I have control of, it would protect you the same way. My human thoughts stay with me in bear form, and my human loves you. That means my bear loves you, too. I’m explaining them to you as if they were separate, but they are one in the same, Lily. My bear, my human…it’s all one. It’s me.”

“I’ve...I’ve heard about them, but…” she stopped. Talking about all of it caused her stomach to knot up. She needed time to get used to the idea. It wasn’t something she took lightly. On the other hand, Phoenix had become her world. If she left, there was nothing for her anywhere else. Everything she wanted, knew, and loved...he stood before her. In a short time, he’d become her entire focus.

Jett excused himself and said his good-byes. The couple sat down to talk. Phoenix knew she needed time. He didn’t want to rush her into anything. The idea of making sweet love to her was overwhelming, but only when she was ready. She still had fear, and that was no way to seduce a woman. When she was ready...and not a moment sooner.

The biggest challenge was knowing that the red moon would be rising soon. He knew his primal urges would come out, but he’d need to control them. He had no idea how at this point. His animal instincts would push him to mate. It was only a few weeks out. And a full moon was coming, too. The push would be strong, but still not as strong as the red moon. He’d figure out how to handle it when the time came.
 

Lily sat with her hands in Phoenix’s. His massive fingers and hands dwarfed hers. Shifting, she leaned into him. He lifted his arm to accommodate her. Lily liked being in the nook of his arm, her head against his chest. She felt safe and warm near him. The bear talk made her nervous, but it was hard to put in perspective when she’d only known him as a man.

When Jett did that thing earlier...it was as if her mind couldn’t grasp it as reality. She wasn’t sure how to convince herself this was a very real concept and not just a fantasy. And Peter, the mailman… he was a bear? And yet, he was a man. Was everybody in town like that? And Phoenix’s brother and friends...the bodyguards...and wow, they were probably like that as kids, too. Her mind swam in circles. Better to push it out of her brain for now. It was too overwhelming.
 

Phoenix wished he could make it all better, but he was a realist. The entire reason he wanted to confront this situation head on was because he knew it might get a little tense. It was only fair to get it out in the open.

Screeeeeeeech! Car breaks tore through the air, the sound echoing.

Cocking his head, Phoenix jumped to see what happened. “I’ll be one minute.” He ran to the door to look out. “There’s a kid down,” he yelled over his shoulder. He was out the door in seconds. Lily was right behind him, though a little slower as she was still getting all her strength back in her legs.

A woman got out of the car, crying. “He came out of nowhere. I just called for help.”

The boy’s bike was crumpled, the tire rim bent. Lily’s nursing training kicked in. She was already checking his breathing, feeling for a pulse, and talking softly to the child to see if he could hear her. Coming out of a fog, he started to cry as the pain and fear kicked in.

The siren called out in the background as the ambulance made its way to the scene.

“Should I move him out of the road?” Phoenix looked to Lily.

“No, wait for the medics. They’ll put a cervical collar on him and backboard him in case he’s injured his spine.” She heard police in the background as a new set of sirens turned off.

Kai and Matt Stryker, two police officers, spoke to the woman who was driving the car.

Phoenix watched Lily in motion, talking with the medics. He was in awe seeing her in action. She was calm, soothing, and so good with the child. The boy was frightened, but she had a way with him. Lily reached down and squeezed his hand as the medics started to transition him. “You’re going to be okay.” She let him know that they’d make sure his parents were being notified, and if he wanted, she’d go to the hospital with him.

And then he said it, his small lip trembling. “I’m okay. I’m a big bear now. My dad says so.” He smiled. “Are you a bear, too?”

She shook her head. “No.” Then with a soft smile, she pointed to Phoenix. “He is. He’s a big, awesome bear, just like you.”

It all happened so fast, but after giving their statements that they didn’t actually see the accident and only heard it, they were thanked for their time and sent on their way.

Lily took Phoenix’s hand as they walked back into the house. “He’s a bear, you know. He says he’s a big bear. His dad says so.” She smiled at him. “He asked me if I was a bear. I told him I wasn’t, but you were.”

“We’d make awesome cubs together.” Phoenix grinned.

Lily blushed and looked down. What struck her more than anything was that he saw a future with her. He had no intention of hurting her. He wanted to spend his life with her, have children, and be a family. He wasn't going to maul her in her sleep, and he wasn’t going to cook her for dinner. He was simply going to love her, just as she loved him. She found a tiny bit of acceptance. Maybe she could love a bear after all.
 

The adrenaline of the day caught up to her. Sitting on the sofa, curled up against Phoenix, Lily finally relaxed enough to doze off. Waking from a cat nap, she looked over. He was watching her. He smiled as she opened her eyes.

“You look like an angel when you sleep,” he said quietly.

“It’s been an interesting day. Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” She stood to stretch.

“I loved every minute of it. All those times you sat in the corner of my room, reading your book, I wanted nothing more than to feel you against me.” He watched her as she twisted this way and that, getting in a good stretch.

“Are we, umm…” She wasn’t sure what to say. She swallowed her embarrassment and simply came out with it. “Are you sleeping here with me tonight?”

“I intended on it, but if you’re not comfortable...I can sleep out here on the sofa, or even go get a hotel room or something.”

“No, no, that’s not necessary. It’s just, well...I’ve never slept with a bear before. I’m kind of nervous about that still.” She shrugged. Could he blame her? He was a freaking bear.

“I’m not going to maul you in your sleep,” he said, and then grinned like a schoolboy. “Though I wouldn’t mind doing it to you while you’re naked and enjoying it.” He gave a small, playful wink.

“Phoenix!” Lily’s cheeks heated. It’s not that she hadn’t thought about sex. It’s just that she wasn’t sure what to expect. Well, that’s not totally true. She did see his amazing naked body in the hospital that one time, but she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that he was half man, half animal. It was very odd. She’d heard of such things, but she never thought much about it, and certainly didn’t plan on falling in love with one. And yet here she was, in love with a bear shifter. Truth was stranger than fiction.

Heading to the kitchen, he rustled up some food. Thankfully he had Jett and Hunter stock his home with some fresh food before they came back here with Lily. He’d been gone for so long, and had no clue what was still there.

Poking around, he looked around the side of the freezer. “Do you want to order a pizza or something? Or do you have a preference?”

“Who knew, bears eat pizza.” She teased him and laughed at herself at the same time. All of this would take some getting used to. She wanted to be okay with it now and pretend that it didn’t bother her, but she knew it would be an adjustment. Things like this didn’t happen every day in her life.

“This bear loves pizza. My mom would be…” He stopped talking and got quiet.

“Are you okay?” Lily moved closer and stroked his arm.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s hard to believe she’s gone.” He looked away. “I just need a moment, okay?”

She kissed his arm where she was stroking it, and then walked into the other room to give him a moment of privacy. It didn’t matter if he was a man or a bear. He felt things just like she did. He loved his mother. He suffered a loss. He had feelings, emotions. He was all man. There might be some bear in him, but as far as she was concerned, she’d grow to love that part of him as much as any other. She was his angel, and that meant accepting him as he was, unconditionally. She’d look after him forever.

“I ate too much pizza,” Phoenix groaned. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had pizza. I think they were trying to kill me with that hospital food,” he said with a laugh. It was so good to be home. Nothing could ruin his mood. Even with the earlier scare outside, and thinking back on his mother, when it came down to it life kept moving forward. He chose to look at the happier moments. The boy would be okay, he made as much peace about the accident and his mother as he could, and his angel… his angel had decided she was going to stay. It was a good day indeed.
 

Phoenix watched Lily as she nibbled on her pizza. She was a delicate eater, taking small bites, dabbing a napkin to her lips, and taking her time to chew her food. She was the essence of feminine. What he liked most about her was her fuller size. She had rounded hips and a padded waistline. Her arms were soft, and her breasts were swollen. When she smiled, her round cheeks gave her a cherub look. She was adorable. There was something soft and mothering about her, something comforting that made him picture snuggling up with her and growing old. When she stood to rinse her plate at the sink, he couldn’t help but notice her full, rounded bottom. It jiggled when she walked. It was mesmerizing. He was certain he could watch her walk all day long.

He felt a stirring down below. His body couldn’t help but respond to the beauty in front of him. Phoenix got up and shifted himself before bringing his plate to the counter to rinse. He stood beside her, towering at her side. What he wouldn’t give to slide his hand over her cushioned ass cheeks right now, and give her a little squeeze.

Phoenix startled and looked at Lily. She shrugged and laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You’re so damn sexy.” She had goosed him, pinching his rear! Here he was thinking about feeling her, and she just reached out and did it.

“If you’re going to be putting your hands all over me like that, you’re going to stir the beast below.”

Her eyes got wide.

“Wait! Wait! Wrong choice of words. I meant my, umm, my cock. Not my bear.” He laughed, realizing he’d said beast, and she took it to mean something else.

“Ah, awfully confident, aren’t you? Summing it up as a beast,” she teased, and then left him standing there as she walked back into the living room.

“Hey now!” He chased behind her. “I just happen to know what’s down there,” he said with a wicked grin.

“Do you remember that day you tore your hospital gown off? Or were you out of it?” She cocked her head. “Do you know you were completely naked...not a stitch of clothing on...and I was right there?” She was feeling playful, and couldn’t resist teasing him. “All I’m saying is that while you have a beautiful body, and my goodness, you do, I saw ‘other things’ too.”