Bear-ever Yours (4 page)

“Have you ever had a boss?” she asked, pulling herself out of the pool with his help. The past few days had been a little exhausting, and he could lift her so easily.

“No,” he said. “I’ve always been my own boss. But I’m a boss to others, and I don’t think I scare them.”

She laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you scare some of them,” she scoffed.

He thought about it. “Not like this man scares you.”

“How did you know it’s a man?”

“Call it intuition,” he said. “Animal intuition.” He grinned, as if pleased with his analogy.

“Fine,” she said, walking past him to swipe open her phone after drying off on a towel. “But intuition or not, you aren’t my mate yet, and this is mine to deal with.”

“Fine,” he said. “But I don’t like it. No one is allowed to take you from me.”

“What if I walk away from you?” she asked.

His face tightened and she realized she’d hit a sore spot. After everything she’d learned about this man in the last few days he’d been teaching her, she knew she would never want to walk away from him. He was patient, kind, smart and capable.

But she didn’t need to be controlled like that. “Just please, let me handle it,” she said.

“Why do I feel like you’re keeping a secret from me,” he said.

“You’re not my mate,” she said. “Not yet. So I don’t have to tell you everything. Plus, what about feminine mystique?”

He grinned. “Oh, there’s still plenty of that. I think as long as you’re around, I’ll never want for feminine mystique.” He gave her a long, slow, hot look up and down her body and she felt her face heat and grabbed her phone to head for the bedroom.

“I’m getting dressed,” she said. “So if you want to take this feminine mystique to lunch before our next training session, I expect you do the same.”

“Yes, mate,” he said officially.

She turned. “What?”

“Yes ma’am, I mean,” he said, grinning playfully.

She rolled her eyes but smiled as she walked away. Even when he was trying to annoy her, she enjoyed him.

Now she was just one dive away from enjoying him fully. If she could just survive it.

She looked down at the phone in her hand, at the hundreds of texts and notifications waiting for her. Not answering her boss and being away from him was just confirming what she’d known for some time but hadn’t wanted to acknowledge, even to herself.

The man was obsessed with her.

Eventually she’d need to tell Sky. But when would be right? She would just have to follow her own animal intuition and hope it guided her right, even if she was new to using it.

She walked into her room, chucked the phone and all thoughts of her boss away with it, and started to change.

L
eah couldn’t believe
it was happening. She’d had drills. She’d practiced taking her mask off and putting it back on underwater. She’d practiced breaking from her regulator while underwater in the pool. But now that she was out in the ocean, floating with Sky as he looked completely relaxed, she didn’t know if she could go through with it.

She looked below her, to the stunning corals and fish swimming in the crystal clear water beneath. This was his world, what he enjoyed above anything else, and she would try it if it killed her.

But looking at him and seeing him staring at her with adoration in his eyes, and a fierce protectiveness that only made her hotter inside, and she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

He put his regulator (the mouthpiece that delivered air) into his mouth and she did the the same. Her snorkel was attached to her mask and hanging free, and she had a second regulator clipped to her vest in case he needed to use it. He had the same. She had a black inflatable vest called a BCD, or buoyancy control device, and it clipped over her chest and waist. She was properly weighted so that once they were down, she would neither sink or float as long as she was careful.

Her heart was going a million miles per hour, but when he gestured to descend, she couldn’t help doing as he asked. She pressed the button that let air out of her BCD and kept her eyes on his as they descended. When she went fully under the water, she saw his blond hair rise up over his head and could tell he was smiling reassuringly at her even from behind his regulator. She tried to smile back but couldn’t do much with her mouth full of breathing apparatus.

They slowly sunk to about ten feet and then stopped. He reached out to hold her vest as she got her bearings, and she plugged her nose and blew into her ears to equalize before they started to descend again. It was eerily quiet under the water, and she became aware of the different way light moved in shimmering waves that cut through the blue all around them.

She looked at him, wanting to let him know how she was feeling but he just nodded and helped her go a little deeper.

They weren’t far out in the ocean, so they stopped at the bottom, only about twenty five feet down. She equalized her ears for the last time and looked around her, finally calm enough to truly take everything in. A fish swam by her, coming close enough to her mask that she could see its eyes. The colors were muted, everything washed in beautiful blue.

She felt a hand on her waist and jumped, but turned to see Sky reassuringly behind her. He let her just breathe for a moment, and then started swimming a few feet above the bottom and gestured for her to follow.

She felt weightless, and was careful not to disturb the bottom as they swam. As she adjusted, she started to get the feeling that she was flying. The sun from above them streamed in lazy waves over the pale sand beneath them. She looked to her right and saw corals, and then, as he made an odd hand gesture, she realized he was pointing at a large, slowly swimming green creature.

It was a turtle. She squealed with excitement into her reg and he looked at her and gave the okay signal to check if she was okay. She emphatically was. The longer she was down here, the better and more perfect it felt.

They swam together, him showing her corals and making sure she was careful, checking her air levels and her dive computer.

When they finally had to head to the surface, she was surprised to find herself disappointed. Already she wanted to come back and stay down here. Maybe she was a maritime bear after all.

He turned and could see the disappointment in her eyes, and his face seemed happy with excitement as he seemed to realize that she truly loved being there with him. They needed to go up and make their safety stop, but first, he took her hand and gently turned them both onto their backs, staring up at the sun, floating like sea otters.

She gasped in her reg as she saw the crystal blue sky and the sun and clouds all reflected at her through the crystal blue water. She felt suspended in space and time, and as she looked over at Sky, she knew there was nowhere else she’d rather be.

He’d shown her a new sky, one she’d never have been able to see without him. And she knew, mate or not, she was clearly falling in love with him.

After a moment, he helped her turn back over and they swam to the first safety stop. As they waited for their computers to tell them it was safe to go higher, he gave her a grin and took out his dive slate. He pulled out a writing instrument designed to work under water and scribbled something on it before turning it towards her.

“After this, you’re mine forever,” it said.

She nodded vigorously and reached for the slate. She started to float slightly upwards and he reached for her vest to pull her back down to him. He was much better at watching his buoyancy and he helped her let a bit of extra air out of her BCD. She wrote clumsily but when she turned it around, she could tell by the stunned, aroused expression on his face that he understood what she’d written completely.

“Damn right, I’m yours,” it said. “I want you to take me completely.”

He grinned from behind his reg and gave her the okay symbol, and she gave it right back. Then she took his hand and they completed their stop and swum for the surface. Towards happiness.

H
e carried
their equipment out of the water because it was heavy, and she didn’t complain. For once, she savored the feel of the water licking her legs as they walked out of the water along the small stretch of private beach that was theirs to use alone.

So spoiled, he had his own beach and it was fenced on either side. All she could think about was what she wanted to do to him on that sand.

“I’ll drop these off and meet you back at your room. Want to take a shower real quick?”

Heck yes she did. She could already feel the slight itch of the salt water, and she wanted to be clean for the first time they were together. “Yes,” she said simply.

“Great,” he said. “I’ll come join you, after I order room service.”

She grinned. He was pretty insistent about mealtimes and making sure she ate, despite her ample figure, so it must be a bear thing. But she didn’t mind. She loved food and she tried to stay fit but he seemed to love her body just the way she was. Simply because she was his mate.

She supposed she should be disturbed by it but she couldn’t. She waved goodbye to him and walked up to her room. She locked the door behind her and went into the bedroom to change. A few moments later she was in the shower, letting the hot steamy water wipe her stress away.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Come in,” she said, knowing it could only be Sky who had the key to her room. Gosh, a few weeks ago she’d have thought this was crazy, but now that she knew this side of her existed, it didn’t feel crazy at all.

He walked into the room, a towel around his waist, and she stepped out of the water so she could hear him better. She let him see her fully naked, steamy and soaking wet, her curls dripping around her face.

His eyes glowed intensely and a little muscle at the side of his jaw tightened. His body looked taut, ready for action.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he said, eating her up with his eyes and looking like he’d like to do the same with every part of his body.

“Then come in here and show me,” she said, pushing the shower door wide so he could join her.

He let out a little growl and came behind her, circling her body with his large arms and wide hands. He spread his palm and fingers over her stomach and then reached lower, playing in the curls at the apex of her legs. “Mmm, you feel amazing.” He dipped lower. “Waiting for me?”

She nodded, throat tight.

He dipped his fingers lower, moving one gently inside her. She squirmed against him but he braced one hand against the wall of the shower and helped her stay steady. She felt completely supported in his arms, like nothing could ever happen to her there. His finger played, delving in and out of her depths, and she writhed and moaned. Then he pulled out to play lightly just above, where she was so sensitive she didn’t think she could take it.

He gently swirled as he kissed the back of her neck, and then moved down her back, kissing over her shoulders until he was kneeling behind her. He lightly nipped the side of her hips and then came back up to stand tall and press her body back fully against his.

“Damn, you feel like heaven,” he said. “I don’t know how I ever got so lucky.”

“Me neither,” she said. “I don’t even think I remember entering the contest that I won to come here.”

He smiled against her neck and planted another hot, searing kiss there. “I think my dad probably had something to do with that. He knows a lot of bear families. My guess is he was trying to do some matchmaking, since he’s bored and misses my mom.”

“I don’t want to talk about your dad while we’re in the shower,” she joked.

“Me neither,” he said. “But whatever brought you here, I’m just glad you’re mine.”

“Me too,” she said, and he resumed stroking and caressing. His hand played between her legs and then smoothed up over her belly, over her ass, her waist, her back, her shoulders, as if he had to feel all of her. He pushed away from the wall and turned her to face him and just held her against him in the hot water, slick skin to slick skin.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, making every curve of her feel loved.

“You’re so handsome,” she replied, reaching over to squeeze his taut, delicious ass in her hands. Damn, he felt good. She could feel his tight, stiff, gigantic erection between them and moaned slightly as she pressed herself against it.

He knelt in front of her on the floor of the shower and wrapped his hands around her thighs, holding her steady. “Damn, I love the taste of you,” he said, placing a kiss between her thighs, making her want to melt right down into the tile.

He licked and played and held her steady so she didn’t fall, as she moaned and cried out as his tongue worked against her. She’d never been kissed there, like that, and it was setting off a steady heat inside of her that was quickly rising in waves. The hot water beat over her body, making the whole situation even hotter and steamier, and she put a fist to her mouth to bite down on to keep from crying out too loudly.

“Let me hear it,” he growled, looking up at her with glowing blue eyes.

So she did, wrapping both hands in his hair and holding his head as he made love to her with his lips in her most sensitive area. He licked and stroked, getting more and more focused on her center until she cried out, and then he pressed down and held her as she convulsed against him, as pleasure wracked her body and she shook wildly from the force of it.

He stood and she collapsed against him, shaking from the intensity of the orgasm and her rising feelings for him. The excitement they’d had in the ocean, the wonderful few days she’d spent with him, free of stress.

She reached up on her toes and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. “Stop teasing me and take me,” she said.

He shook his head and looked down at her, hair dripping sexily, water running in rivulets down his taut, muscled body. “Not yet. Not here. No way I could control myself. Besides, when I make you mine I want it to be out there, by the ocean, under the stars. Together.”

She wanted to argue but that did sound amazing. “Alright,” she said. “But this time you’re not getting away without letting me return the favor.” She reached for him and he made a choked noise.

“There’s no need—” He bit down, cutting off whatever he’d meant to say, as she stroked her hand firmly up the length of him.

He was so thick, so hard. No need? There was absolutely a need. She needed to feel all of him. Preview what she would get to experience tonight, and see his face gloriously tight with ecstasy and need when he came. When he came for her, because of what she was doing to him.

She wanted to see him lose control.

She was going to, based on the way he cried her name and braced both hands on the sides of the shower. He groaned as she knelt and took the tip of him in her mouth, sucking and kissing before standing back up and leaning against him as she took him in both hands again. She’d just wanted to taste him, he was far too big for more, but she could tell just that moment of her lips against him had driven him wild.

His body was shaking slightly and he wrapped one arm against her and pressed his lips to the top of her head as she stroked hard, getting faster as his breathing got more harsh and ragged. “No one in the world could ever make me feel like you do, Leah. No one—” He let out a choked breath and she slid slowly up and down his length once more.

“Damn straight,” she said, feeling all the power in the world because she could make him feel this way. This hot, tall, powerful man in the palm of her hands. And she loved him. “No one could love you like I do.”

His eyes brightened and locked on hers. “Never leave me,” he said.

“I never will.”

“I’ll never let you,” he grated out.

“Good,” she said.

And then he closed his eyes tight and went rigid in her hands. He turned to the side and spurted his seed on the floor of the shower as his hands snaked around her, holding her tight. “Gosh, I wish I was inside you, making you mine. I don’t know how I can wait until tonight.”

“It’s not far away,” she said. “I can’t wait.” She gave him a final stroke, pressing lightly at the base of him, just above his balls, and he jerked once and then twice more, then sighed and sunk against her.

“You drive me crazy,” he said. “You don’t even know.”

“I know,” she said, nipping his ear and listening to his slight gasp. “Because you drive me that crazy as well.”

He laughed and caught her up in his arms and rinsed them both once more, smoothing body wash over her and laughing with her as they rinsed. Then he carried her with shaking legs out of the shower and set her down to wrap her in a soft white terrycloth robe. When he was satisfied that she was warm and safe, he did the same for himself.