Kodiak Moment: Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (3 page)

“Need a hand?” Nessa asked. “Seems like the least I could do after you spent so much time with me.”

“No need, sweet,” he replied casually. “You go on back and get thawed out. Although there’s a pot of soup on the stove that I’d be obliged if you’d put on.”

She saluted cheerfully and cheekily. “Aye, aye.”

James loped off into the woods, with only one quick look behind to make sure that Nessa wasn’t following him. He barely waited till she was out of sight before he let himself fall into the transformation.

If his mate wanted to see a bear, then he would oblige.

Nessa bounced out of the trees with a spring in her stride. The morning had gone well, James was an absolute sweetheart, and she wanted to jump his bones in the worst possible way. It was a sweet torture to have to work next to him, to focus on her photos. There was something about his strong physique and his quiet nature that warmed her.

And he trusted her, enough to tell her to go into his home. And by the looks that she had caught him giving her, he might feel something for her, too.

She flicked the stove on as instructed and turned the soup into a low simmer. Still too full of happiness to sit still, she headed back to the porch to wait for James. Just as she stepped out of the front door, from the forest came a huge, furred form. Nessa felt her breath catch in her chest and consciously held it, freezing in place.

In her line of work, she had a healthy respect for animals, and none more so than the predators. And here, there were no others greater than the bear. It either did not see her, or most likely did not feel threatened by her. It, probably a he, was a beautiful rich chestnut shade, muscles rippling powerfully under his heavy fur.

Cautiously, moving as slowly as she dared, she lifted her camera. The whirr of the lens extending seemed unnaturally loud to her, but apart from a light flicking of one tufted ear, the bear didn’t seem to mind.

She snapped and snapped away as the bear walked down to the lake to take a drink. It was almost, she thought facetiously, like it was posing for her, especially as after it finished, it turned and looked right at her for half a minute, before strolling off into the woods again.

Nessa took in her first deep breath and let it out in a long contented sigh.

She was still on the porch, staring into the middle distance when James emerged. She automatically raised the camera and took a snap, before starting to pay attention again.

“Am I that photogenic?” he asked once he got within earshot.

“Autopilot,” she admitted. “You didn’t run into a bear when you were coning back?”

“No, why?”

She flicked her camera to gallery mode and held it up on display as he joined her. He whistled, impressed, she thought.

“He came out of the woods as nice as you like, down for a drink, and away again. Look,” and she flicked to one of the close up shots. James nodded in appreciation.

“Nice work,” he said.

She grinned, pleased by the compliment.

“Join me for soup?” he asked.

“I’d love to.”

The soup was delicious, Nessa decided, but the company was even more delicious. She had managed not to burn it in the reheating, and James had plated it up, and served it along with thick slices of crusty bread. James was a focused eater, devoting his attention to clearing his plate. He wasn’t a messy eater either, taking neat spoons and bites.

Nessa found herself more interested in watching him than in eating herself, but applied herself after he shot her a brief quizzical look. He really was a handsome man, in a rough sculpted way. You wouldn’t find his likeness in a galley, whether in marble or oils. He might never grace the cover of any magazines. He certainly wasn’t the type of man that she would usually go for.

But there was something about him. More than just the way that he looked, it was the way that he carried himself, the way that he moved. The timbre of his voice, the way that it sent shivers up her spine even when he was pointing out features of the scenery.

His eyes were warm but guarded, and she wondered what lay in his past to make him look like that. What made a man like him so eager to live out here, away from everywhere else?

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, as he swirled a final piece of bread around his bowl to make sure he got the last remnants of the soup.

“Just thinking,” she replied.

“Nothing bad, I hope?”

“My curiosity getting the better of me,” she admitted. “Just wondering what brings someone out here. Can’t be just for the quiet life, can it?”

He frowned thoughtfully. “City girl, are you?”

She nodded. “Born and bred. I’ve traveled, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always called the city home.”

“Trying to figure me out?” he teased.

“Maybe,” she said, with a challenging glint in her eye.

He laughed. “Nothing really to figure out about me. I’m a country boy, raised out in the middle of nowhere. Tried living in the city once, too many lights, too much noise, and too many people. Out here, there’s just me, unless I want company. Out there, things aren’t as complicated as they are in the city, or they’re not as complicated as people make them.”

His bear hated the city.

“You wouldn’t even think about moving into the town?” she asked.

“Not unless there was a reason for me to. I like it out here, sweet, I suit it, and it suits me.”

“I can see that.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she blushed. “I mean, you look…” she stammered.

He laughed and let her off the hook. “I knew what you meant, sweet, and I thank you for the compliment. At least you’re not trying to persuade me to get down to the town. Dan usually tries at least once a week, when he’s not trying to set me up on a date.”

Her heart, curiously, skipped a beat. “Oh?” she asked, hoping she sounded casual enough, and he wouldn’t mind the query. “Does he try to set you up a lot?”

“Have any friends that are happily married and determined to make sure that you end up the same way?” he countered.

“No, but I take your point,” and she did. “So he’s had no luck in finding a girl to win your heart?”

“Not for lack of trying. What about you? Any special man waiting for you in the city?”

“Absolutely not,” she said firmly.

“Well, that was a definitive,” he said in surprise.

“Not many men have the patience to deal with me being away for so long on assignment.”

She could have sworn she heard him mutter, “More fool them.”

***

The more that James learned about Nessa, the more he liked. She was smart, sassy, and sensible, as if she had been designed for him. Designed to be his mate. She hadn’t tried to convince him that the city way of living was the best, as some tourists did. She had laughed at a few of the blind-date experiences he had shared, and had shared a few of her own.

She had headed back over to her cabin to tidy, or clean, or do something. He hadn’t wanted to pry too much. Not after she agreed to come back over to his place for dinner that night. He wanted to make her something special, make her something as special as she was proving to be.

As he moved around the kitchen, gathering the ingredients, he wondered if it was the bear driving him, or if it was all himself. Most of the time, it was hard to tell where he ended and where the bear began. But ever since he had seen Nessa, he had felt a gulf growing between himself and his bear. His bear wanted Nessa, wanted to take her, to claim her, and make her his. His bear wanted to drive off all rivals, protect her, defend her, and love her.

What did he want to do?

Absently, he diced an onion. What did he want to do? If he forgot about his bear, and the nagging urge to claim his mate. She was attractive, intelligent, and he would certainly like to get to know her. He’d like to see if those lips tasted as sweet as they looked. He’d like to run his fingers through her hair and trail them down over her skin.

He halted his knife, before he could start slicing the carrots, and examined his train of thought.

It sounded very much like he was starting to fall for this lady. His lady.

***

Their second evening meal together had gone as well as their first, with another bottle of wine being opened to set the mood. They had talked over dinner, random, winding conversation with no real meaning other than to pass the time. Once again, they had retired to the couch after dessert, to stare into the fire together.

She was so warm next to him, snuggled up so trustingly into his side. She was a strong, confident woman, and he admired that about her. Daringly, he bent his head and pressed a light kiss against her brow.

He knew that it was a mistake as soon as his lips touched her skin. He wanted more, he wanted to slide his lips over her own, claim and plunder her mouth with the passion that seethed inside him. One chaste kiss was not enough.

Driven by his instincts, he turned his head and looked down at her, as he used his free hand to tilt her head up to look at him. Her eyes were hazy with the wine, but there was still understanding and clarity there, as she stretched upwards and kissed him.

Her lips were warm and soft, tasting of honey and wine, and she pressed herself in close to him as if to become part of him. He relaxed and let her take the lead, Without breaking the kiss, she moved from his side so that she was straddling his lap, and wrapped her arms around him.

Nessa was in heaven. He kissed better than she had imagined any man could, and he was warm and yielding. He had let her take charge without batting an eyelid. She had wanted him in the worst way since she had seen him, and the wine had given her the confidence to do something about it. She was very pleased that he seemed to feel the same way about her.

His hands slid up under her blouse, and she shuddered as his hands rested on her back. She half mumbled an encouragement as she felt the proof of his arousal pressing against her thigh. She reached her hands up and tangled them in his shaggy hair. It was just as soft to the touch as she had imagined, and he bucked his hips up off the sofa when she gave it a little pull.

The motion sent a jolt of heat through her, and she ground down on his lap in response. She felt him smile against her lips.

“Enjoying yourself, sweet?” he murmured into her mouth.

“Very,” she replied, nibbling gently on his lower lip. “Do you have a bed we can move this to?”

He chuckled and then stood, picking her up in a fireman’s carry. She laughed and began to pull his shirt out of his trousers, sliding her fingers in below his belt. His step quickened, and she laughed. The next thing she knew she was being set upright, before being laid down on top of a queen-sized bed. She twisted to get comfortable, before James knelt over her, kissing her fiercely.

She reveled in the feeling as he took control, and felt her body responding quickly, her panties dampening with the feelings coursing through her. She slowly began to unbutton his shirt, caressing every inch of revealed skin with her fingertips. He followed suit, sliding his hands beneath her blouse and fanning his warm, strong fingers over her ribs. She hissed in pleasure, arcing her body towards him, and he took advantage and leaned forward, nuzzling into her still-covered breasts.

She flushed with warmth and quickly withdrew her hands from their caresses in order to tug at her blouse, wanting it off. A button popped off as she undid the rest, and James smiled as he kissed the newly revealed skin.

“You are gorgeous,” he muttered into her collarbone, and she huffed in amusement as she turned her fingers to his shirt.

“Less talking,” she sighed.

James was happy to oblige, shrugging his shirt free and pulling her in tight to his chest. She was gorgeous, curved to perfection. She fitted into him as if she was born to be there, was born to be his mate. His bear growled possessively and nuzzled into her throat, pulling back only to cup his hands around her breasts. They were a perfect handful, just like her, and he didn’t mind the plain mint-green bra. Carefully, he unhooked the fastening and eased the bra off her shoulders.

His bear could feel and smell her arousal, could feel her excitement and desire building. Every jolt of pleasure she felt was amplified and went straight to his cock. It twitched within the restraints of his underwear, but he tried to ignore it in favor of touching his mate.

He had never given much thought to having a mate, someone to share his life with, share his secrets with. But now, she was right here, right now, and she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She seemed to have had enough of the slow build, pulling herself away from him and lying back flat on the bed. She pushed her hips up, shimmying her pants and underwear down her legs and onto the floor. At the sight of her fully exposed, his mind froze, locked on the vision before him. If he ever needed a memory to get him through the dark nights, this was it.

She stretched lithely and ran her hands slowly down her own body, cupping her sex and murmuring in pleasure. It was the most erotic sight that James had ever seen, and his cock twitched sharply again. It was the work of moments for him to shuck his underwear and jeans, while all the time Nessa was making those noises to drive him wild as she pleasured herself. By the look in her half-lidded eyes, she knew full well the effect she was having on him.