Bear Naked (16 page)

But it made me think.

Once Sara had realized I wasn’t coming to stir trouble between her and Ramsey, she was a fiery little bundle of excitement. I doubted she stood taller than five foot and probably weighed less than a hundred pounds, so it was interesting to see her stand up to massive Ramsey and lead him around with affectionate pats and groping. She chatted with me as she dragged blankets out of their linen closet and led Leif and I to a small detached house on the far end of their property. They had friends and guests stay here occasionally, she told me, and there was a faint smell of old werewolf in the tiny cabin. It was no more than a one-room cabin with a bathroom, but it would be perfect for Leif and I.

“I hate to impose,” I told her.

“Nonsense,” Sara said with a wave of her hand. “You’re Ramsey’s family. You can fill him in on what’s been going on with the bears while he’s been gone. I know he gets curious from time to time.”

“All right,” I said, and glanced out the window at Leif and Ramsey, who were unloading my car. “Can I…ask something personal?”

“Of course.” She thumped a stack of blankets into my arms.

“Are those…mate marks on Ramsey’s neck?” I saw them all over her neck, but I could have sworn I’d seen similar on Ramsey, though his hair covered most of it before I could get a good look.

“Yup,” Sara said proudly. “I figured if they can claim us, we can claim them right back.”

Oh, I liked that. I liked that a lot. “You’re a smart woman.”

She grinned.

A short time later, we were alone in the cabin. Ramsey (well, mostly Sara speaking for Ramsey) promised to show us around and introduce us to others in the Paranormal Alliance the next day so we could connect with other shifters in the area.

Leif and I talked about our plans. We’d cash out Leif’s IRA and, if we liked Texas - though if the other shifters we met were as friendly, I was pretty sure we’d like it — we’d see about putting a down payment on a house here.

It didn’t matter to me as long as I was with Leif.

I changed into pajamas and collapsed on the bed, suddenly exhausted. It had been a long day. I felt emotionally drained and as wrung out as an old towel. When Leif slid down on the bed next to me and pulled me in his arms in a languid motion, I suspected he felt the same.

But…I was ecstatically happy. I’d never imagined being so completely and utterly content. Exile? Seems it agreed with me after all.

“So,” I said to my mate. “What do you think?”

“I think I love you,” Leif said, and then touched my stomach. “And I think I love our child. Everything else doesn’t matter much.”

I smiled. “You’re easy to please.”

“I have everything I want in this bed right here with me.” He nibbled on my ear. “You know, I’d be perfectly happy if you wanted to return to Antarctica…or even back to the clan. Just as long as we’re together.”

I touched his cheek, full of love. “I like this place. We’ll see how things work out, yes?”

He nodded.

My hand slid to his neck, and I admired that tanned, beautiful skin. Sara’s comments had given me a great idea. I rolled over on the bed until I was seated atop my mate’s hips, my legs pinning him down.

“Mmm. Guess you’re not that tired,” Leif said with a grin.

“Guess not.” I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his neck.

“What are you doing?”

“I learned something today,” I told Leif, my lips brushing over the sensitive skin of his throat. I was pleased to feel the shivers of reaction my featherlight caresses coaxed from him.

“What’s that?” He sounded a bit hoarse, and his hand slid backward to cup my ass.

“That if I want something in life, I need to claim it for my own.”

“I think this sounds good. What did you have in mind?”

“The only thing that matters.” And I bit down on my mate’s neck, claiming him for myself.

His groan of pleased surprise was delicious to hear. And as his hands slid up my back, I couldn’t resist another claiming bite on his neck.

By the time the sun rose on the small cabin that was our new temporary home, Leif had been claimed so many times that no one would ever doubt again that he was entirely mine…or that I was entirely his.

** The End **

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Interested in more shifter books?
Check out the rest of the
Midnight Liaisons
series – where the paranormal go to find a date…

Book 1: BEAUTY DATES THE BEAST – Available Now!

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• Me:
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Also available in the Midnight Liaisons series:

Vixen

Miko's denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn't want to choose between both men…it wants them both.

Single Wolf Female

Alice Savage needs an alpha – any alpha – to prevent her pack from being usurped by the lecherous Roscoe. As a last resort, she signs up for the Midnight Liaisons dating service, never expecting that she’d find the alpha she seeks. She certainly didn’t expect Jackson Wilder, a laid back, sexy-as-sin outsider who claims to be an alpha.

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Speed Mating

Estrella may be going into heat, but she’s determined to remain in control. Just because she’s ovulating doesn’t mean she has to settle for just any man (or his beast). Her sexy alpha’s determined to find her a tiger to take care of her heat and father her child…but no one seems to look quite as good as the man in charge. Will giving in to her need for her alpha ruin her tenuous relationship with her clan or be a match made in heaven?