Bear With Me: Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (2 page)

Mark turned his head to whisper back, and the scent of her perfume flooded his nostrils. He went hard so fast it was almost painful.

“Do you want to go outside?” he murmured, his voice rough.

She stilled against him. He knew she could feel how hard he was, but the knowledge didn’t embarrass him as he thought it would. He waited for her response.

“Yes,” she breathed, and grabbed his hand.

* * *

JAMIE

Jamie’s heart was pounding so hard she could almost feel the blood racing through her body. She grabbed her dance partner’s hand and pulled him to the edge of the room.

“There’s a door here somewhere…” she muttered, squinting in the gloom. Her whole body was aflame, burning everywhere he had touched her. She was lightheaded with desire.

Was it the romance of the evening? Seeing Kes so delirious with happiness? Or just her own loneliness, after months of hard work back at the conservation center, where the only ones getting any action were the birds?

Whatever the cause, Jamie had never felt like this before. So reckless with desire. When she’d felt his erection press against her, it had been all she could do not to press back, brazenly rubbing her body against his.

Not on the dance floor. No. He’d had the right idea. Go outside, and then—whatever happened—at least it would happen in the privacy of…

Of where?

She found the door and slipped through, pulling him after her. The evening air was brisk and refreshing, and did nothing to cool her head.

“Where—” she began, at the same time as he said, “My truck—”

They both paused, and stared at each other. Jamie almost melted just looking at him. He was tall, and broad-shouldered. She was sure his formal suit hid strong muscles; she’d felt them, on the dance floor.

His eyes were dark, and darker still in the evening gloom. Or maybe it was just the way he was looking at her.

“Your truck?” she said at last.

“It’s around the back,” he said, then stopped. “That is, if you want to…”

“Around the back,” Jamie confirmed. “Let’s go. Please?”

They ran. Jamie wouldn’t have thought it was possible in her heels, but maybe that was part of the magic of the night. The man’s truck—hell, she still didn’t even know his name—was a rugged-looking four-wheel drive that looked as though he’d driven it straight down off a mountain. He unlocked it quickly, fumbling with the keys, but Jamie’s patience wore out before he managed to get the door open.

She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his face down to hers. His lips parted and she kissed him, first gently, then harder and more passionately as her pulse thundered in her ears. His tongue flicked out over her lips and she gasped.

Jamie moved her hands to his front and began fighting with the buttons of his jacket, loosing one, then all. The shirt underneath was thin, but still far too
there
. And it had too many buttons.

She moaned, frustrated, and the sound seemed to goad him into action. He shucked off his jacket and pulled open the back door. Jamie stepped in, fingers hooked into his collar, drawing him in after her.

She lay back across the seats as he closed the door. Big as the truck was, he filled the space. Jamie’s breath came faster as he lowered himself over her, eyes black with desire. He put one hand on her thigh and ran it up her body, every touch burning through the silk of her dress. He cupped her breast and she felt her nipples harden to peaks.

“Oh, God,” she moaned. She was so wet. “I can’t wait any longer…”

She wriggled under him, shedding the dress in a series of ungainly movements.

“Shoot—okay—wait maybe just a moment…” She half-sat and eased the silk dress over her shoulders. She threw it to the side and lay back on her elbows, staring up at him hungrily.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice soft, and kissed her. She worked her hands under his shirt and ran them up his back. He moved down her body, kissing her neck, her breasts, her belly…

“Aargh,” he muttered, and she glanced down. He smiled at her ruefully. “Ran out of room down here,” he explained.

Jamie laughed. “Come back up here then,” she suggested.

He smiled. “Just a moment.”

Jamie watched as he leaned over to the front seat and rummaged in the glovebox.
Oh, yes,
she thought as he came back with a pack of condoms in his hands.
Yes, let’s be a bit sensible about this
. She was on the pill, but he couldn’t know that—and given she didn’t even know his name, she was glad he was being responsible.

She sat back as he pulled off his trousers. Underneath, he was wearing—

“Are all the groomsmen wearing those?” she blurted out. He was wearing bright purple underwear covered in little gold hearts, with “BEST MAN—USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY” emblazoned across the front.

“Oh, hell,” he groaned. “I forgot about those…”

“Better get rid of them, then,” Jamie suggested, and he obeyed instantly.

Jamie tried and failed to hold back a gasp when she saw his cock. She’d felt it press against her on the dancefloor—and, hell, she’d never thought a guy grinding against her with his erection could actually be sexy—but hadn’t imagined how big it would actually be.

She licked her lips.

He slid the condom on and looked across at her. “Are you ready?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. God, yes,” she replied, and slid underneath him. The backseat was cramped, but they didn’t need much room. He lowered himself down onto her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. The tip of his cock pressed against her entrance, tantalizingly close. She flexed her legs, pulling him closer.

He slid into her in one slow, controlled movement. Jamie moaned aloud, closing her eyes as he filled her. He was bigger than any of her previous boyfriends, but she’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him now. It felt amazing.

He pulled out, still so slowly, and her eyes fluttered open. “More,” she murmured, staring into his eyes. “Please—don’t stop.”

Something flared deep in his eyes and he fell upon her, catching her mouth in a deep kiss. Breathless, Jamie hardly had time to gasp as he thrust into her, again and again. She clutched at his back, digging her fingers into the thick muscles there.

He groaned under his breath, and started to say something, but the words were lost in a haze of desire. The sound of his voice tipped Jamie further into ecstasy, and she cried out as her whole body was rocked by orgasm. A moment later he groaned hoarsely, the sound muffled by her hair, and she felt him come inside her.

“Oh-h-h,” she moaned, small tremors still shaking her body.

He looked down at her, a stunned smile spreading across his face. “Hi,” he said.

Jamie couldn’t help bursting into giggles. “Hi,” she replied, and bit her lip. The giggles made her tense around his cock, and although she had felt it soften after his orgasm, now she felt it harden again inside her.

I guess we just missed our chance to make introductions
, she thought without any regret, and pulled him down for another kiss.

*

Early evening festivities had worn on in to late-night celebrations, but now, even the most determined of the wedding guests had abandoned the dancefloor for their beds. It would be hours before the new day began to stagger to its feet.

Which was good news for Jamie, because all her plans at the moment required the cover of darkness. She scrambled around the back of the truck, trying desperately not to wake the snoozing heap of man-meat who was lying across the seats.

God, he was so good-looking. Especially now she was taking the time to actually look at him. This whole thing might have been a complete error of judgement … But at least her bad judgment had landed her with a guy who was pretty damn nice to look at.

White starlight leached the color out of his mahogany hair, but did amazing things to the cut muscles of his bare chest. And his bare legs. And…

A rush of heat flooded through Jamie at the memory of those muscles under her hands. That strong body under her. And over her.

It was almost enough to make her want to stay.

No chance.
She had to get moving before the sun rose and woke everyone else with it.

God, this is so embarrassing,
Jamie thought.
Trust me to spend five years as basically a nun, and then celebrate my best friend’s wedding with a walk of shame.

She slipped her dress back over her shoulders, and hunted around the seats. Bra, panties, check, check. Shoes—one…

Oh, shit.

The moonlight caught a silver leather strap, just visible under the sleeping man’s muscular thigh. There was no way she would be able to grab it without waking him up.

“Sorry, Kes,” Jamie muttered. Her friend had gone to a lot of trouble to find shoes her bridesmaids would be able to wear after the wedding, but … Well, it wasn’t like Jamie’s lifestyle called for anything more delicate than hiking boots most of the time.

Goodbye, stupid silver sandals
. Jamie blew them a kiss and, biting back a giggle, eased open the back door and slipped out.

The moon had set hours ago—Jamie had been too, uh, occupied to notice exactly when—but the wedding venue was far enough out of town that the sky was brilliant with stars. Jamie took a deep breath and got her bearings.

So. Car. That meant … Parking lot. Which meant the grand old house where they’d had the ceremony and reception must be that hulking shadow over
there
, and the accommodations building would be … That-a-way.

Jamie set off on tip-toe, desperately trying to remember her room number. She thought it might be seven … Something? Or something-seven.

Hmm. Maybe she should just bunk down in the foyer.

As she made her way towards the shadowy building, a soft voice broke the midnight silence.

“Jamie? Is that you?”

Jamie froze, one bare foot raised. “Um … No?”

She winced as a dark shape separated itself from the shadows and stepped towards her.

“Oh my God, Jamie, you liar! It is you!”

A warm arm snaked out of the shadows and slipped around Jamie’s waist. Jamie groaned as she recognized the other woman. Lynda Caversham was another one of Kes’s bridesmaids, and one of Jamie’s oldest friends. They’d met at school after Lynda’s family moved to the States from London.

She was also the
last
person Jamie wanted to see right now.

“I can’t belie-e-e-eve this,” Lynda whispered into Jamie’s ear. Jamie could smell the champagne on her friend’s breath—and the pinot. And what was probably a variety of unmentionable cocktails.

“Babes! Does this mean what I think it means?” Lynda pointed gleefully. “No shoes. Underwear distinctly not-under and not-being-worn. Blissed-out expression. Is the man-drought finally over?”

Jamie grimaced and thwacked Lynda with her one remaining sandal. “Keep it down!”

“Blissed-out expression beginning to look more pissed-off … Oh-h-h, Jamie, you little hussy!” Lynda squealed with excitement and squeezed Jamie tight, then took her by the shoulders and looked at her seriously. “I just want you to know, I am so, so proud of you…”

“Oh, shut
up
,” Jamie hissed, rolling her eyes. “Like you’re one to talk.”

“Babe, admit it. There is a difference between
moi
shacking up with some guy for the night, and
you
doing it. So, who was it?” She began counting off on her fingers. “One of the groomsmen? God, I don’t even know what your type is. The blond one? Ooh—that guy with the eyepatch? You can tell me if you have a secret pirate fetish, Jamie, I will not tell a
soul
.”

Jamie shook her head. “Geez, Lynd,
no
.” She racked her brains, trying to remember if she’d seen the guy before he asked her to dance. She’d been so focused on not tripping over in her high heels during the ceremony, she’d barely noticed anything else. “He was at the bridal table for dinner, so I guess he was one of the groomsmen. Brown hair, dark eyes, bit of a tan … Not ringing any bells?”

Lynda snorted. “Oh, you’re kidding me. The best man? Jamie, you stole my dance, and then you ran off with him?” She laughed at Jamie’s confused expression. “The best man’s meant to dance with the maid of honor, you idiot. But he ran over to you like I didn’t even exist. What was his name…?” she wondered aloud, looking to Jamie for confirmation.

Jamie covered her face. “I, um, didn’t ask?”

“Nooo!” Lynda flung her head back in mock horror. “Jamie Sullivan, you tart! I can’t believe it!”

Jamie groaned, her face still in her hands. Lynda poked her in the ribs.

“Sooo…? How was it?” she prompted.

“It was, um, fine. Really fine.”
Really, REALLY fine
.

Lynda leered and jabbed Jamie in the ribs again. “Aw, my little girl, all grown up. So,” she continued, and Jamie’s heart sank as she recognized the signs of Lynda switching from Party Girl mode to Let Me Organize Your Life For You mode. “Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Spanksome Best Man, name currently unknown. This is great! I’ll make sure Kes knows to seat you next to each other at the brunch tomorrow—”