Bear Mated: A BBW Bear Shifter Paranomal Romance (Pine Ridge BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance Series Book 2) (8 page)

She realized she was holding her
breath.
Please don’t break
, she
thought.
Please don’t break.

Miraculously, the nest touched down
relatively gently. It bounced once, then settled, the omelet-fold still
intact—and the precious gems safe. Barbara wanted to rush over and inspect
them, but she had to keep her eyes on the prisoners. What should she do with
them? Release them? They
had
tried to
kill her and Rick. She was debating it when Rick reached the bottom of the
great tree, Shifted, went to the nest and dragged it over to her. The nest was
bigger than she would have thought. Bending down, she unfolded it, though it
took some effort. Sure enough, diamonds and other jewels winked back at her
from amidst the twigs, branches and downy eagle feathers that lined it.

She sucked in a breath. “They’re
beautiful.”

“They really are,” Rick said.

How was Barb going to move the
jewels? She needed a bag or …

She sighed. There was only one way.
Shucking off her shirt—to the hooting of Rope Burn—she spread it flat against
the ground, then scooped all the jewels onto it. She pulled the ends together
and tied them off, then stood, holding the jewels in their temporary home in
one hand and her pistol in the other. Of course, now she was shirtless. Great.
So professional, Barb
. But at least she
was still the most-dressed person here.

Rick’s admiring gaze swung from her
to the prisoners, who were regarding him and Barbara coolly. “What about them?”

“Release us,” said Big Boobs.

Barbara let out a breath. To Rick,
she said, “I’m inclined to let them go.”

“Go with that!” said Bald Spot.

Rick drew Barb aside. In a quiet,
serious tone, he said, “Shifters have their own laws. I would appreciate it if
you let me handle whatever needs to be done. With them, anyway. The thief and
his woman are yours.”

She had never seen Rick so serious
before. Or at least so … mature. He wasn’t speaking on behalf of Rick Barnes,
playboy man-ho bear shifter at the moment. He was speaking on behalf of all
shifter-dom. Somehow that was quite sexy.

Hearing the rasp in her voice, she
said, “Will they honor a promise?”

“An official promise made before
witnesses? Yes, I believe so. They cleave to the old ways, like they said, and
honor will mean a great deal to them.”

She approached the netted figures.
It pained her to do this, but she addressed Big Boobs. She was the alpha’s mate
and her word would probably carry more weight than the others. The First Lady
of the Sky. Or at least of the convocation.

“I’m prepared to release you,”
Barbara said, “but only if you swear not to attack humans again.”

Big Boobs drew back her upper lip.
“Even if they invade our territory?”

“Even if.”

Big Boobs glanced to Rope Burn,
then Silver Fox. At last she swore and said, “I promise to do my best to
persuade our alpha to uphold that principle—that’s the best I can do.”

It would have to serve. “And one
other thing,” Barbara said.

“Now what? And this better be the
last!”

“It is. If you find out where the
thieves are located, you’ll inform me. I work out of the PD in Pine Ridge.
Barbara Thompson.”

“Now we know whose house to shit
on,” said Rope Burn, and Big Boobs grinned.

“Do I have your word?” Barbara
pressed.

Big Boobs flipped a lock of hair
out of her face impatiently. “Yes yes, you have my word. Those assholes don’t
deserve our loyalty anyway. Look what’s become of us because of them!”

“Very well, then.”

Barbara and Rick each took hold of
the net from opposite sides and ripped it upward, off of the imprisoned eagle
shifters. There was some grumbling and swearing as the four rose, and Barb kept
her hand on the butt of her pistol, which she’d shoved back in its sheath. No
reason to provoke them or menace them unnecessarily.

“That net stinks of fish,” said
Rope Burn, and Rick actually chuckled.

Silver Fox approached Barbara. “You
have my thanks,” she said.

Barbara inclined her head. “You
have mine.”

With that, Big Boobs Shifted, and
the others followed suit. In seconds all four brown-feathered eagles were
winging their way up toward the canopy of trees, then passing the leafy roof
and sweeping gracefully away.

“That’s too bad,” Rick said. “I
mean, it seems like Tom and
Brytha
have gotten away.”

Barbara tapped her chin, then smiled.
“Nope,” she said.

“No?”

“No. I’ve got a plan.”

“A plan,” he said, sounding both
amused and impressed. “To catch the thieves?”

“You know it.”

Barbara glanced down from following
the eagles’ progress to see Rick watching her. His eyes were still somewhat
sober, mature, but there was something else there, too. A heat. Desire was
plain in his face, but more than that. Could it really be … love? Yes, she
thought it really was. Her heart beat faster as she realized she felt it, too,
like a burning inside her.

“You were really something back
there,” he said, coming closer to her. He came so close she could smell his
slightly musky man-bear odor, along with the barest hint of sweat. “The way you
told those eagle shifters what for.”

“I,
er
…”

He enfolded one of her hands in
his. She was staring up at his face, deep into his eyes. Not only could she
smell him now, she could feel the heat coming off his body as if he were a
furnace on two legs. All that power, and with looks and heart, too.

She bit her lower lip. “You were
something, too. I was scared when you climbed that tree. It was so high. I know
bears climb, but not that high. It had to be a hundred feet up! Or more!”

One corner of his mouth quirked up,
and he ran a hand through her hair. His mouth came very close to hers and
brushed hers, just slightly. She wanted to give in. She had denied him too much
as it was. She couldn’t stand doing it again. And she had promised him that
once they resolved the situation he would finally get some more nookie. As Luke
as her witness. And it was resolved, more or less. There were still some loose
ends, but those could be tied up soon. But to make love
here
, out in the open? The eagle shifters could be watching them.

As if realizing the problem, Rick
said, “The caves aren’t far. It will be private there.”

“Caves? But … the bears …”

“Only some of them are occupied.”

Suddenly she grinned. “Okay.”

He raised his eyebrows, sounding
surprised. “Really?”

“Really!”

He laughed. Squeezing her hand, he
led off through the trees, and she followed.

Barbara and Rick approached the cave cautiously. It was
large and looked dry and clean, with a carpet of soft dirt and some dead grass
and leaves that had blown in. Sunlight streamed down from above, making
Barbara’s skin feel warm and tingly. She felt like she was glowing.

Rick moved into the cave and
sniffed, and she thought,
My man making
sure the coast is clear
. She loved seeing his protective side. She also
didn’t pass up the opportunity to admire his awesome backside, with those meaty
buttocks and strong, long legs. His broad shoulders tapered down to a slim
waist sheathed in muscle.
We’re going to
do it
! Barb thought, giddy as a college freshman. She felt naughty and
impish.

“It’s safe,” he said. “No bears
live here at the moment.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” she said,
suddenly unsure. “I mean, those poor people are still out there looking for me
…”

He took her hand and drew her
inside. “They can wait just a little longer. They’re getting good exercise.” He
grinned. “And so will we. Besides,” he added, “we’re only going to get the
chance to do this once.”

“Do what?”

He grinned wider. He had some sort
of plan, she realized. What could it be? That excited flutter inside her turned
into a hurricane.

Taking the sack that she had made out
of her shirt in one hand, Rick gripped her hand with his free hand and drew her
further inside the cave. He ushered her around a bend, then another. Now they
were deep in the cavern and no one passing by from outside (not that that was
very likely) would be able to see them. It was quieter here, more peaceful.
Barbara could hear her heartbeat and her breathing echoing off the tight stone
walls. Some sunlight bounced off the bulwarks of rock, making the turns and
illuminating the area, but it was a little darker in here. More private. As if
Rick had lit the place with candles.

Still wearing that infuriating
smile, he knelt down, opened up the shirt and spread the diamonds and opals and
pearls along the cave floor. They glittered like the eyes of dragons—heck, like
the hoard of a great dragon. His large hands moved, spreading the jewels out
even more, and they mixed with the leaves and grass that had blown inside but
still shone amongst them quite clearly.

“You better not lose track of
those,” Barbara said, but she said it as an afterthought, overcome by the
beauty and spectacle of it all.

“I won’t,” Rick promised.

He took her hand again and brought
her down beside him. They were on their knees in the romantic cave, and the
scant light twinkled off the diamonds and other jewels majestically all around
them.
Talk about barbaric splendor,
Barbara thought, moved by the romance of it. Her breath caught in her throat as
she inclined her head up to Rick, and it caught again when she saw him staring
down at her, still smiling slightly, but more serious now.

“A nest of diamonds and rubies for
my queen,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and cupping the
side of her head. “I can almost see why Tom wanted to make one for
Brytha
.”

Barbara held his hand against her
face, leaning into the contact. “Yeah, I can see it, too. It was still wrong,
though.” She eyed the glittering jewels all around her again, then turned up to
Rick. “But yeah, I get it. Oh boy, do I.”

His face bent closer to hers. His
lips brushed hers going one way, then swept back going the other. Suddenly, he
shoved his lips against hers and kissed her passionately. She kissed back, playing
her tongue against his, then biting his lower lip. Her hands pressed against
his firm abs and tight
pecs
, feeling them jump
beneath her fingers as he gathered her in his arms. Her breasts mashed up
against him, her nipples hardening. His cock had stiffened instantly and was
angled up against her belly. She felt it throb once against her navel and
shivered in delight. She still wore her pants, but Rick’s hands flew to the
zipper and began helping her out of them.

“Let’s just take care of these,” he
said, kissing the side of her face.

“Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”

She stretched out on the bed of
grass and leaves and winking jewels and let him pull her pants off, then her
panties, which were soaked. His nostrils twitched, obviously smelling her
arousal, and she felt herself blush. His look of ardor only intensified, his
eyes going intense and flickering with lights of their own. Partly lifting
herself up, she unclipped her bra and sent it sailing onto the pile containing
her pants and panties. Now they were both naked.

He kissed her ankles, first one and
then the other. His lips trailed up her right calf to the soft flesh of her
inner thigh, and she gasped and squirmed. Her hands found his head and she ran
her fingers through his soft brown waves.

His lips trailed closer and closer
to her crevice, and she felt heat pool in her center.

“Are you … are you really … ?” she
started to ask, but then he thrust a thick finger inside her.

She gasped again and arched her
back. Trying to breathe more regularly, she spread her knees, giving him space.
Oh,
this
was living! Having a
confident, sexy bear-man kneeling between her legs—a man who loved her and
wanted her as his mate—it was making her more turned on than she could ever
remember being. And all those diamonds and pearls glinting in the romantic
dimness around her only made it better. She felt like the barbaric queen of
some fantasy tale being seduced by the kingdom’s greatest knight atop the hoard
of a dragon he had just slain in single combat. Only no dragon had had to die
for the pleasure she was now experiencing.

“You like that?” he said, teasing.
Obviously he knew what he was doing to her.

“Uh-huh,” she said, nodding, unable
to speak.

He thrust his finger in deeper,
then kissed her clit. His tongue lapped it, sending a thrill throughout her,
and then lapped it again and again, faster now. She cried out and squeezed her
thighs against his head, loving the feel of his soft, lustrous hair. She locked
her ankles behind his back, pinning his face against her moist cleft. He thrust
in a second finger, shoving and widening her. She bit her lip and squeezed a
breast, then flicked her nipple.

His tongue made circles around her
nub, and she shuddered and gripped his hair tightly. His fingers plunged in and
out, in and out.

“Oh,” she said.

At last he pulled back, and she
reluctantly unhooked her ankles to release him.

“Is your back okay?” he said, and
she could see her own moistness on his lips.

Blinking, feeling sweat on her forehead
and cheeks, she nodded. “Plenty of grass,” she said. “I’m fine.
Ooo
, let me look at you.”

She’d been trying not to stare at
him all day, but now, finally, she had license took all she wanted. And she
would!

There was more than enough light to
see him by, some of it winking from the gems. It illuminated that tall,
dark-haired bear man on his knees before her, towering over her, with those
broad shoulders and powerful hands gently gripping her knees. Sweat glistened
on his muscular neck and ran down the hollow between his mighty
pecs
, trickling down to those awesome washboard abs. His
cock stood up, huge and hard. It was clear going down on her had turned him on,
as his cock gave a throb and a bead of white gathered on the tip.

“Like what you see?” he said, one
corner of his mouth going up.

She nodded wordlessly.

“I like what
I
see,” he said, and the amusement left his face. Hunger burned in
his eyes as he added, “You’re beautiful, Officer Barbara Thompson.” He raked up
eyes up and down her body, and she had to stop herself from twisting in
embarrassment. It was so obvious that he liked what he saw, though. His cock
throbbed again, and more moisture gathered at its tip. “You’re the most
beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And the bravest.” He nodded, as if to himself.
“My bear picked the right mate for me, that’s for sure.”

“Mate,” she echoed, still amazed by
the word. Just the same, looking up at Rick, she knew it was right. It just
felt
right, as if she and he were parts
of a puzzle that fit together but had somehow never known they belonged
together.
Joined
.

Well, they would be joined now, by
golly.

“I want you inside me,” she said.

Amusement returned to his eyes, but
his desire only intensified. “I can arrange that,” he said, and with some light
pressure on her knees spread her legs wider. She let him, eager for what would
happen next.

He rubbed his cock along her cleft,
sliding it up, then down, then up again so that his huge balls, swollen with
cum, smacked her opening. She gasped as his shaft caressed her clit and sent
waves of pleasure throughout her. She grew even wetter.

He bent to the side and his large
hand scooped up some small items. Then he laid a diamond in the hollow of her
navel and placed several others on her stomach. He picked up two more and
placed them on her nipples. They stiffed even further, almost knocking the
jewels off. She really
was
like a
queen now, bedecked in glittering jewelry. But a barbaric queen who ruled out
of caves and had bear shifter knights. Why not?

“My queen,” he said, as if thinking
the same thing.

She smiled back at him. “Your queen
says, ‘Enough foreplay, already!’”

She reached down, gathered the
pre-cum off the tip of his cock and rubbed it down his shaft, slicking it, then
positioned it at the opening of her crevice and wrapped her legs about his
middle. She was so impatient to have him inside her that she would impale
herself on him if he didn’t do it first!

Laughing a little, he said, “My
lusty mate.”

He bent forward, placing his palms
flat on the cave floor to either side of her, and shoved the tip of his cock
inside her. She moaned and moved against him, taking in more of him. She wanted
it all. He pushed in deep in one sudden rush, shocking her and filling her with
his hot shaft. Tingles of joy radiated all throughout her body, and she gasped,
then rocked her hips, loving the feel of him inside her. He shoved deeper,
stretching her and filling her even more. His manhood throbbed inside her.

“My queen,” he said again.

He pressed his belly against hers,
holding the jewels between them. One of his hands lifted up, took one of the
diamonds off of her nipple and lightly made a circle around it, then again. He
squeezed her nipple and she cried out, bucking against him. She didn’t care
about the jewels on her body anymore. She just wanted him. She gyrated against
him, and he thrust inside her, deeper and faster, deeper and faster. They found
a rhythm and worked together, building toward an awesome climax.

This was amazing, she thought.
Making love to a hot bear shifter, her mate, in a cave on a pile of diamonds
and opals and pearls and rubies, with more jewels adorning her body. But maybe
…

All of a sudden, she grinned.
Twitching her thighs, she indicated that she wanted to reverse positions. Still
joined, they rotated. She unlocked her ankles from around him and planted her
feet to either side of him.

“That’s right,” he said. “Let the
women do the work, that’s what I say.”

“Shut it, Winnie.”

“Yes, ma’am, Officer
Hotpants
.”

She moved up and down, loving the
feel of his huge member inside her. She took a moment to admire Rick lying
beneath her, this huge bronzed badass bear shifter who had taken on a whole
convocation of eagles for her, surrounded by glittering gems as the sounds of
their lovemaking echoed off the cavern walls. Then she remembered her plan. She
reached down with one hand and selected a diamond with a flat back, obviously
once part of a diadem or necklace or something, and with the other reached down
to the base of Rick’s cock and gathered some of their mixed juices, then
applied it to the back of the diamond.

As if crowning a king, she solemnly
bent down and placed it on Rick’s forehead, right in the center, and with their
juices creating a seal it stuck there. Shining resplendently, it blazed from
his forehead, and she grinned down at him.

“Not a knight anymore,” she said.
“A king.”

“Oh yeah?” he said.

“Yeah. It’s a little gross, I know,
but it’s totally awesome.”

“Fine. But you have to be my
queen.”

“
Wha
… ?”

He found another diamond, also with
a flat back, applied their juices to it, then affixed the shining jewel to her
forehead right in the center. She thought it would fall off, but nope, it held
tight. She laughed in delight.

“Now we’re king and queen, all
right,” she said.

“King and Queen of the Cave,” he
said.

“All Caves.”

“Kind and Queen of All Caves.
Everywhere. All bears owe us a tithe.”

“A tenth of every fish they eat.”

He wrinkled up his face. “I’m part
bear, and not even I could eat that much fish. I think we ought to throw some
honey in there, too.”

“Fine. A tenth of all their honey.”

“We have spoken.”

“We have spoke—”

She broke off as he pumped into
her, once, then again, harder. She moaned and arched her back, moving against
him. He cupped one of her breasts and squeezed it gently. Then he propped
himself up and kissed the opposite nipple, running his tongue in circles around
it, then flicking fast-fast-fast. She yelped. A lovely burning heat enveloped her,
and golden wings carried her up and up.

Now that his torso was lifted off
the ground, she wrapped her legs around his middle again. He kissed her breasts
and trailed kisses up her throat, lingering on the soft flesh there. Their lips
met, and he played his tongue against her seam, then thrust inside. She ground
against him, faster. His face became taut with passion, his eyes like brands.
The diamond shone like a star from his forehead.