Bunny Bear - Wild Bear 02 (4 page)

“What?”

The look on her face would have been laughable if the situation were different.

“You’re not fat,” he snapped.

“Um, yes, I am, but that really isn’t the point. I—”

He stepped forward, cupped her head in his hands and covered her mouth with his. She gasped before their lips touched and he slid his tongue inside her mouth. The kiss was hard, brutal and possessive, and he needed more. When she didn’t protest or push him away, he angled her head so he could delve deeper.

She whimpered under his assault, but she met him stroke for stroke and stepped closer, pressing her breasts against his chest. He could feel her hard nipples rubbing against him and his cock throbbed with need. Her fingers folded around the belt loops of his pants, and the tray fell out from under her arm and clattered to the floor.

He moved his hands to her ass and pulled her closer, allowing her to feel his hard dick, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned. He slid his hands under her skirt and caressed her lace covered ass. He tore his mouth away from hers and left a trail of kisses down her chin and neck. God, he wanted to sink his canines into her perfect skin. He sucked in a deep breath as his teeth started to elongate, but her smell nearly drove him insane.

For once, nothing mattered except for his mate in his arms.

“You’re not fat,” he said between kisses, “you’re curvy, and sexy and hot as hell. I want to fuck you, baby, hard and fast from behind so I can see this fantastic ass as I pound into you.”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Please, Gabe.”

“What about your boyfriend?” he asked.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Please fuck me.”

Everything faded away except his need to have her. He loosened his arms a fraction and turned her toward his desk.

“Bend over, baby.”

She followed his command and stretched her arms out in front of her, gripping the opposite edge of the desk. Her skirt rose up, revealing the edge of her lace panties, and he growled.

He flipped the skirt up, exposing her ass, and his palm landed on the panty covered globe.

Smack!

Michelle cried out, but she didn’t stop him.

“That was for wearing a skirt so short your panties show when you bend over,” he said through gritted teeth.

He grabbed the lace fabric and ripped it off her body. A light pink spot colored her skin where his hand had landed moments before, and he spanked her again on the other globe.

Smack!

She moaned and opened her legs wider.

“That was for wearing these flimsy lace panties,” he said, tossing them into the garage can.

His hand slid between her legs and the wetness he found there nearly had him coming in his pants. He slid two fingers into her cunt and pumped them in and out. Her essence coated his fingers and escaped down her inner thigh.

“Oh, baby, you’re soaking wet,” he said.

He gathered some of the liquid and rimmed her bottom hole.

“Gabe, please,” she begged.

“Tell me what you want, baby. What do you need?”

“I need you to fuck me,” she said through gritted teeth. “Now.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice. He pushed his boxers and jeans down around his knees and slid his cock into her warm, wet core. Her pussy accepted all of him, and the tight fit caused his dick to throb.

“God damn, baby,” he growled. “You’re so tight and perfect.”

“Fuck me, Gabe,” she demanded.

He moved in and out of her cunt twice before he pulled out completely and cursed.

“Fuck!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

“I forgot the condom.”

He wobbled in front of her to the other side of the desk, opened a bottom drawer and took out a box of condoms. He tore into the box and ripped a silver packet from a long string of protection.

Michelle’s intake of breath alerted him to the fact that her face was level with his dick. If he moved closer, she could easily close her mouth around him. She bit her lower lip and looked up at him, her green eyes filled with lust.

“Not this time, baby,” he said. “I have to come in that tight pussy.”

“Please hurry,” she whispered. “I need you.”

Her words wrapped around his heart, and he raced back around the desk so she wouldn’t see how much he loved her. He rolled the condom on and shoved his cock into her pussy. He moved in and out slowly, savoring the feel of her warm channel, but his mate had other plans.

“Harder, Gabe,” she begged, “faster. Make me come.”

He placed his hands on her hips and tightened his grip. He waited for her protest, but it never came, and he gripped the flesh harder. Michelle moaned and tried to push back on his cock. He held her in place and pounded into her cunt hard and fast. The desk moved with the force of his trusts, but he didn’t stop or slow down. Michelle moaned and encouraged him with one syllable words until he felt her pussy tighten around him. The familiar tingling started at the base of his spine and his cock throbbed.

He leaned over to kiss her shoulder and the tips of his canines peeked out again. The urge to bite her rode him hard, but he wouldn’t condemn her to a life with a shifter. He closed his eyes and grazed the enamel over her shoulder blade.

“Yes, Gabe, yes,” she cried. “Please, do it.”

He knew she wasn’t begging him to mark her.

“Come for me, baby,” he demanded, straightening his back. He pushed into her two more times. “Now.”

Michelle screamed his name as her essence coated his dick. He pushed into her one more time, burying himself balls deep. He growled out his release, and then slumped over her.

As his breathing returned to normal, the magnitude of their exchange hit him hard. His bear demanded he mark her, but the man knew he couldn’t and his heart nearly broke in two.

He couldn’t bear to face her and risk seeing pity or disgust etched on her features.

He pulled out of her channel and disposed of the condom, and then gently cleaned up her pussy and inner thighs with a few tissues. She didn’t try to move from her place over the desk, and for that he was grateful. He needed to escape before he begged her to change her heart.

He pulled her skirt back over her ass, and kissed her shoulder blade.

I love you!

“I have to go,” he said. “I’ll lock the door so you can take all the time you need.”

He looked at her one last time, took a deep breath, and exited the room. He ignored everyone in his path as he made his way to the back door and heaved the metal open with more force than necessary. The door slammed into the wall behind him, and then swung closed with a loud bang.

He quickly surveyed the parking lot, and then shifted into his bear form and ran.

Chapter Four

Michelle listened as Gabe opened the door and slipped out of the room, locking her inside his office. Alone. The music from the jukebox, along with chattering voices from the hallway, had drifted in for a brief moment before he’d escaped, and reality shattered the coma inducing afterglow she’d almost surrendered to.

She opened her fingers, releasing the edge of the desk, and pushed herself upright. Her legs were stiff from being locked and spread open wide, and she held onto the wood as she slowly put her weight on them. When her thighs came together, the sticky residue from their lovemaking made her eyes water.

When Gabe had called her into his office, she knew he was going to complain about the skirt, but she’d never envisioned him kissing her. The way he’d adamantly called her sexy and admitted to wanting sex had her believing he wanted more.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Of course he didn’t want more. If the past year had proved anything, it was that Gabriel Turner definitely didn’t want more from her. Still, she’d hoped right up until he’d walked out the door.

She had no idea why he’d become so possessive, or suddenly cared whether or not she had a boyfriend, but as soon as his lips met hers nothing else mattered. She wanted him to want her, and as his mouth assaulted hers, the farce was easy to believe.

Idiot!

A few tears escaped as she remembered how she’d begged him to fuck her, and when he’d scraped his teeth over her shoulder blade, she’d pleaded for his bite. In the moment of passion, he’d teased her playfully, and skillfully distracted her as he took everything she’d offered.

The huge box of condoms in his desk should have set off warning bells, but instead she’d focused on his ability to remain prepared in the heat of the moment. Using a condom had never crossed her mind, and she’d never had sex without insisting her partner wear one. The skin on skin contact had felt amazing, and she’d thrilled at the intimate moment.

She grabbed a few tissues from the box on the bookcase and wiped her eyes. She couldn’t cry anymore, not here. Gabe had said to take her time, but what if he came back in wondering why she wasn’t out on the floor serving drinks? God, she couldn’t face him again.

Ever.

She dropped the tissues in the trash can, and the band around her heart tightened when she saw the torn lace panties and the tissues he’d used to wipe up her essence. His gentle touch had been at odds with his demanding, possessive, animalistic lovemaking, and she’d melted for both his rough and tender touches.

She shook her head and swore. He hated her, he always had, and his touches meant nothing more than those of any other man who’d just had a quick fuck with a willing woman in love with him.

She righted the desk, and then picked her tray up off the floor and placed it in the center of the smooth top. She emptied her pockets and quickly calculated how much money she owed the bar, and how much she’d made in tips, and then she placed the cash on the tray. She scribbled a note on her notepad, signed and dated the missive, and then placed the pad, note and pen on the tray. The apron was hers, but she checked the pockets again, and then threw the short, white fabric away.

The only thing holding her to the building was her purse and keys in her locker. She couldn’t go out into the main bar and risk seeing Gabe again, but she couldn’t get home without her keys.

There was only one thing she could do.

The inter-building phone was a way for the staff and Gabe to talk without leaving their stations. She dialed the three digit number for the bar and prayed Isabelle picked up.

“Hey, what’s up?” Izzy asked.

“Isabelle, it’s me,” she said, and cringed when her voice cracked on the last word. “It’s me, Michelle.”

“Hey, I was wondering where you’d disappeared to. Is everything okay?”

No!

“Yes, but I need you to do me a favor.”

“Of course,” Izzy said. “What do you need?”

“Can you empty out my locker and meet me by the delivery door in two minutes?”

There was a long pause on the line, and Michelle could feel her panic rising. Was Gabe with Isabelle? Would she be loyal to her cousin and tell him her request?

“Sure, but…,” Izzy started. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can come back there.”

“No!” That was the last thing she wanted. The room smelled like sex, and the moment Isabelle walked in, she’d know Michelle had fucked their boss. “I mean, no, that’s okay. Everything is fine, but I have to leave and I don’t want to walk across the bar or come back inside.”

“Is Gabe with you?” Isabelle asked.

“No, he’s not,” she barked, and then softened her tone. “I mean, no, and I don’t know where he is.”

“Okay, what’s your combination?”

She rattled off the numbers, and then hung up the phone.

Her friend knew her well, but she was confident the woman would follow through and bring her belongings. Now all she had to do was leave the office, walk down the short hallway while avoiding the stares from the women waiting in the bathroom line, and push open the heavy metal door leading outside.

Easy as pie. Right.

She took a deep breath and exited the room with more confidence than she felt. She locked the door from the inside, and after checking her handiwork, she hurried down the hall, ignoring all the curious gaping in her direction.

Once outside, she ran around the building and got to the door at the same time Isabelle and Lucky stepped outside. If she’d been thinking clearly, she would have known the giant man would accompany her friend, but Lucky’s rule had slipped her mind.

He stayed by the door, and Isabelle ushered her a few feet away. The worry was evident on her friend’s face, and in person it was hard to stay strong.

“Is this everything?” Isabelle asked, handing her the small purse and keys she’d left on top of the bag.

“Yes,” she said, looking down at the now blurry items.

“You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“I’m sure,” she said, looking up to her friend. “Thank you for your help. I… You’ve been a good friend to me, and I’ll miss you.”

“Did Gabe fire you?” Isabelle roared.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Michelle said, placating her. “I quit. It’s time for me to move on, that’s all.”

“Did something happen between you two?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Izzy said, catching her in a surprise hug. “Anything at all, and don’t be a stranger. Call when you don’t need anything, too.”

“I will,” Michelle agreed.

“Good. Lucky is going to walk you across the lot.”

“No,” she said, pulling away from the woman. “Please have him just watch from the door. I need to be alone right now.”

“Okay,” Isabelle nodded.

“Thanks again,” she smiled, and then turned and hurried toward her car.

Once inside the safety of the vehicle, the tears threatened to fall again, but she knew if she didn’t drive off right away Lucky would come and check on her. If he found her in tears, he’d drag her back inside to talk to Isabelle, and that couldn’t happen. She could never go back.

She started the car, and drove home in the darkness by rote. For the first time since her parent’s deaths, she felt truly and utterly alone. She also didn’t have a job, and thanks to Gabe, would never be able to find one in Liberty.

She let herself into her dark apartment, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the showerhead. She stripped off her clothes and threw them all away. It was bad enough her skin felt branded by his touch, and her memories were crystal clear, but she didn’t want any physical evidence of their one night together.

When the water was warm enough, she stepped into the spray and let the tears fall.

***

Gabe stood by the bar and scanned the room. He rolled his shoulders and silently dared anyone to challenge him. It had been a week since he’d ordered Michelle into his office, made love to her over his desk, and then ran out on her. He hadn’t gone back to the bar that night until an hour before closing, and that’s when he’d found the note she’d left him.

I quit.

The two simple words had mocked him every day and every night since.

The day after their encounter, he’d walked around the bar in a daze. Both Lucky and Isabelle had tried to talk to him, but he’d blown them both off. The next two days were Sunday and Monday, and without work to occupy him, he’d slowly driven himself insane.

By the time Tuesday had rolled around, he’d channeled all of his love, desire and desperate longing for his mate into anger and aggression, and he’d been a walking time bomb ever since. To make matters worse, he knew it was his own damn fault.

He should have never touched her, never known the way their bodies fit together perfectly, as if she were made specifically for him. To make matters worse, her note had struck a chord. For the past three days, he’d teetered a fine line between tracking her down and forcing her to accept him, and going back in time and erasing every memory of her existence.

Neither were viable options.

Despite her hatred of shifters, he and his mate were created for each other. Unfortunately, he had to live with the fact that they would never be together. 

“Do you want a bottle of water?” Isabelle asked.

“If I wanted water, I would have asked you for it,” he snapped.

Izzy held up her hands and waved them in a sarcastic, sibling-like apology, but Lucky wasn’t about to let him pick on his cousin.

“Hey,” Lucky said, “you don’t need to talk to her like that.”

“What the hell are you going to do about it, big guy?”

What the fuck?

He had no idea why he was challenging his cousin’s mate, his longtime friend, but he didn’t back down from the big bear. Jared, who was usually the first in line for a fight, rounded the bar and wedged himself into the small space between them.

“Back off,” Jared said, his black eyes narrowed. “Both of you.”

They both refused to budge and he had a feeling he was about to get his ass kicked by his staff. No doubt he deserved it, but it wasn’t the kind of publicity he wanted for the
Wild Bear
.

Suddenly, Isabelle stood next to Lucky and whispered something in his ear. The man glared at him, but he took a step back and slowly returned his attention to surveying the room.

“Jared, cover for me, okay?” Izzy said.

Jared nodded and returned behind the bar without a word.

“Your office,” Izzy growled. “Now.”

He thought about ignoring her, but when he glanced at Lucky, the man raised one eyebrow as if to question his sanity. If he didn’t go with Isabelle, he’d have to fight his friend.

Damn it!

He stormed across the room toward the hallway that led to his office and Isabelle followed, hot on his heels. He unlocked the door, and she followed him inside, securing the door behind her.

“What. The. Fuck?” Izzy asked. “You’ve been in a shitty mood every day this week. What gives?”

Leave it to his cousin to get straight to the point. They’d grown up together, and the woman was a tomboy to the core. She could take him if she wanted to, and the thought sobered him. He had no desire to fight his cousin, her mate, or anyone else. He especially didn’t want to fight Jared. They’d be equally matched, but Jared’s brand of fighting would most likely earn him a trip to the emergency room.

She narrowed her eyes when he didn’t answer right away, and he knew he couldn’t hide the truth any longer.

“This has something to do with Michelle, doesn’t it?” she asked. “What happened between you two?”

He stared at her, trying to find the words, but she was too quick.

“Oh my god. She’s your mate, isn’t she? Is that the reason she quit? What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her…well nothing she didn’t ask for…but yes, she’s my mate.”

“So what’s the problem?” Izzy asked. “And by the way, ewww!”

“The problem is,” he said, “it was more powerful than I expected and I couldn’t bear to watch her walk away, so I left. When I got back, I found her note. I never thought she’d quit. I guess I just hoped that after we…you know… I thought she’d change her mind about me.”

“So you thought sex would make her hate you?” Isabelle asked, deadpan.

“What? No, of course not,” Gabe said, warily. “I know she hates shifters, but I stupidly hoped she would see how combustible we are together and give me a chance.”

“What do you mean,
she hates shifters
?”

“I know she hates us,” he said. “You don’t have to cover for her.”

“You’re crazy,” Isabelle said, shaking her head. “What gave you the idea she hates shifters?”

“I overheard her telling a table of guys a couple weeks after I hired her.”

“Have you also heard her tell them she has a boyfriend? Or that her mate won’t let her dance with anyone, or allow her talk casually to the men she serves drinks to? She lies all the time,” Isabelle said, shrugging. “It’s part of the job.”