Bearly There: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (4 page)

“You don’t mind, I hope?” she asked, suddenly anxious.

“Not at all.”

In Zachary’s mind, his bear added,
Tell her who you really are, or I will.

He sent a mental growl his bear’s way and told him to shut up.

But it must have shown in his face, because Esme frowned. “I told you I see you.”

Zachary nodded, confused. Could she really understand him?

“I’ve always done what others expected of me, too. I just didn’t know what I really wanted, so for a while I was a secretary. Then my ex left me, and I couldn’t do that job anymore, not when I’d be running into him at the office every day, so I quit and found the job at the restaurant.” Esme frowned. “But I wanted to cook, you know? Not file or answer anyone else’s phone calls or e-mails. I just wanted people to see who I was inside, that’s all. So I quit and found the job at the restaurant.”

Inside.
The word echoed in Zachary’s brain, and he felt his mouth get pinched.

His bear growled again for Zachary to tell Esme what he was.

Still watching his face, Esme moved her hand to his crotch and rubbed the impossible-to-miss protrusion there. “So yes,” she said, “I see you. I see you need some attention. Someone to relieve some tension. I might know the person for the job.”

Zachary froze. Every nerve ending in his body had woken up. Her hand on him even through the various layers of fabric felt like heaven. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until she took her hand away. “Esme . . . Esme, you don’t have to do this, you know.”

Shut up
, screamed his bear, but Zachary meant it. He did not want to push Esme into anything she didn’t want to do, no matter how much he might want it.

“I know,” she said simply, and ran her fingers along his shaft. “I assume you have a bed or two in that huge house of yours?”

Zachary wanted nothing more than to grab her and throw her onto his bed. His mate, his mate, his mate. “Y-yes,” he managed to stammer out. “Come with me.”

He helped her to her feet, somehow keeping from ripping her clothes off, and guided her to the front door. They climbed a spiral staircase, Zachary’s hand on Esme’s back to keep her steady in her heels, and entered Zachary’s bedroom. It was the master bedroom of the house, extremely long and containing a four-poster bed with rustic wood. Zachary had made it himself, one of his coming-of-age rituals at age thirteen once his bear had emerged. Even though everything else in his house was sleek and new, he’d held onto the bed.

And now for the first time ever, he would allow a woman into it.

* * *

Esme trembled, both with the arousal coursing through her and simple fear. Zachary might
say
she was beautiful, but she hadn’t yet taken off her clothes. Though she desperately wanted to do that, to feel his skin against hers, to feel his cock, to feel his hands on her breasts, to kiss him all over, part of her was terrified that he would take one look at her in the buff and gag.

Who wanted a chubby woman? Didn’t the media let her know every day how much no one did? How she was a terrible person for being so curvy?

Then she saw the box of truffles on Zachary’s bedside table. It was an expensive box of truffles, gold foil wrapping. She leaned in to get a better look. Sure enough, it was Harry and David. She
loved
Harry and David chocolates.

Zachary must have been watching, because he picked up the box and held it out. “Would you like one? They’re really good.”

Esme hesitated. She was hungry in so many ways—for the chocolates, for Zachary—but the thought of him becoming disgusted with her made her want to cry.

“I like a woman who likes to eat,” Zachary said. “Like you know, I love food. I really, really love food.” He selected two truffles and offered her one, then popped the other into his mouth. “So please, enjoy. It would be my pleasure to see you happy.”

Daring to believe he might actually mean it, Esme took the truffle and set it on her tongue. The sight of her mouth open for a second made Zachary groan.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he told her. “Like a queen.”

Esme’s knees went weak, and she deliberately savored the lush chocolate melting in her mouth. She swallowed, letting Zachary watch every single movement, and before she could stop herself, she reached up, tilting her face to meet his.

He leaned down, and it happened before she knew it, that their lips had connected. Suddenly she was drowning in the warmth of his mouth on hers, the taste of chocolate, the taste of him. His lips parted, and so did hers, and their tongues met, swirling in a delicious dance. Heat spread through Esme’s body, leaping from cell to cell, a spreading inferno that threatened to engulf her in molten pleasure.

Her hands found their way to Zachary’s hair and tangled there as the kisses grew deeper and hotter. She was dimly aware of his arms encircling her and lifting her off her feet, but she was too lost in the feel of his mouth on hers to tell. His lips were so warm and sweet, as if he were made of melted chocolate instead of just tasting like it.

Zachary carried her to the bed, where he gently pulled her dress from her shoulders and kissed his way from her neck to the hollow of her collarbone. His hands roved over her breasts, stopping to caress and fondle her through the black lace of her bra. “You’re so soft, so beautiful,” he murmured. “How did I get so lucky?”

That was so hot to hear, Esme needed to touch him, too. She reached down and stroked his groin, which was still hard as a steel pole. Maybe even harder. Zachary threw back his head. “Oh, what are you doing to me, mysterious lady in red?” he whispered.

He stepped back long enough to pull off his shirt and pants, joining her on the bed and clad only in his boxer-briefs. Esme stared, taking in the whole delightful picture. She’d known he was big and muscular, but she hadn’t realized just how big, or just how ripped he was. Now she saw that this was one powerful man, big and strong enough to keep her safe. He was so large, so virile. He looked like he should be a male model for a gym commercial.

And yet he wanted her. He wanted
her
!

If the dark swirl of lust in his eyes hadn’t been proof enough, the giant erection straining against his orange boxer-briefs would be. It pressed hungrily against her stomach. God, it felt so, so good. A promise of what was to come, if Esme wanted.

Did she ever. She was so wet, her panties were practically soaking. She dared to imagine him pulling them down with his teeth, then blushed. What would he think if he knew the wild thoughts spinning through her head? Women like her didn’t even dare to dream of men like him. At least
she
didn’t.

Zachary reached for her dress again, then stopped. “Is it okay?” he asked. “May I?”

“Yes!” Esme practically screamed. “It’s absolutely okay. Don’t stop.”

An enormous smile spread over Zachary’s face, and he gently tugged off her dress and reached for her bra. “Black lace. I like.” But then the smile faded.

“What?” Esme cried. “What’s wrong?” It was her body. She knew it! He thought she was ugly. Her cheeks burning, she reached for the satin sheet to cover herself up.

“I don’t want you to think I do this with every woman I meet.” His handsome face was anguished. “I couldn’t stand if it you thought that.”

Esme didn’t know what to say. Didn’t he? A gorgeous man like him—why wouldn’t he have all the casual sex he could? She wouldn’t blame him at all.

“I don’t,” he continued, running one large hand through his thick blond hair. “You can’t even know how much I want you, but first, if we’re going to do this, I need you to know that I don’t do this often. I’ve slept with women in the past, sure, but I always knew they weren’t what I was looking for.” He gently pulled her hands off the sheet and clasped them in his own much larger ones. She liked how the backs of them were covered in fine golden hairs. She especially liked the way he ran his huge thumb over her small one. “But you . . . I want to be with you so much, Esme, I can’t stand it.”

Esme couldn’t believe it. He’d chosen her? Really? “I want to be with you, too,” she admittedly shyly.

Zachary’s face lit up like someone had turned on a string of Christmas lights inside him. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Esme laughed. This confident, handsome billionaire was really worried she might not think he was the best thing that had happened to her in years? “Now kiss me, would you?”

Zachary held up a hand. “Wait.”

Esme’s stomach turned. Oh, no. Had she been too forward? Now he must think badly of her. She wanted to hide.

Zachary kissed her fingers. “I absolutely plan to kiss you. But before I do, I need you to know that I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, the most amazing, and I am so happy to have you here. I’m getting the sense that you haven’t been told that nearly enough, which is just laughable. You’re stunning! In fact, I’ll even keep telling you that because it makes me happy to.”

Esme’s heart swelled in her chest, and tears pricked at her eyes. She wanted—no, she
needed
—to hear those words so much, but could she really let herself believe them?

Zachary kissed her left temple. “You’re beautiful.” He moved to kiss her right temple. “You’re amazing.” He kissed her forehead. “I am so incredibly happy to have you here, more than you could ever know.”

Esme trembled, but the doubts that had been plaguing her began to evaporate like ice under his warm lips.

“Let me show you just how beautiful I find you,” said Zachary, and when Esme nodded, deciding at last to trust him, he reached behind her again and finally unclasped her bra. Esme lifted her arms and flung the bra across the room. Her bare breasts swung pendulously, and Zachary swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He took her soft, heavy mounds in his enormous hands, slowly caressing them, stroking the smooth skin, teasing the nipples. He rubbed each one between his thumbs and forefingers, sending arousal shooting through her like electric currents and making her gasp. At last he moved his mouth to her right breast and began sucking and licking, his hand still playing with the left one. The feel of his tongue, so hot and wet and strong! It all sent surges of delight rushing from her breasts straight to the contracting tightness of her pussy, and she couldn’t help but reach up and grab him to pull him closer.

His erection rubbed against her belly, and she could feel its velvety, swollen head. It left a little moisture on her, like she was being marked, and she suddenly wanted to suck that off, so before she could think twice, she slipped down in the bed and took hold of his hard, veined shaft. Wow, was it ever thick! So thick, and so long. It felt amazing in her hand, like his shaft was the sword to the scabbard of her palm.

Zachary moaned hard and lifted his hand, but before he could do any more than that, Esme let her eager tongue dart out and swipe the tip of his cock, just a graze at first, enough to make him freeze. Then, slowly, lingeringly, she thoroughly explored it, loving how the head swelled with each long, wet lick and how the shaft quivered.

A shudder ran through his entire body. “Esme . . .” he murmured, his voice deep and throaty. And so very sexy.

Esme then pulled the entire shaft into her mouth, tightening her lips around it and licking as she used her hand to guide it in and out. Zachary gasped, then slipped a hand between her slick thighs to find her clit. She cried out at his touch, and a huge grin spread over his face, like he’d just happened upon a hidden treasure. Wetting his finger on her slick juices, he began to rub, first tenderly, then passionately. “You feel so damn good,” he managed to say between hard gasps. “I . . .”

But Esme was beginning to shake and shudder herself, because Zachary knew exactly what he was doing with his fingers. Pleasure shot through her in ocean waves, crashing over her each time his finger teased her. Her pussy tightened, eager to be penetrated, and aching because it was dripping but empty. It yearned to be filled, to have Zachary’s cock moving in and out of her.

God, he felt so good in her hand! So strong and powerful, and the way he pushed into her mouth was so hot. So alpha male. She
wanted
to surrender to him. She wanted to taste every bit of him. She needed him to know every part of her.

It should have been scary, feeling like this, but it wasn’t. Despite his girth, she’d never felt safer with any man. She’d never felt
better
with any man, either.

Excited, she pumped him harder, and he slid in and out of her mouth until it seemed like he was about to come. Then he suddenly pulled out. “Wait,” he said, panting. “I want to be inside you when I finish. Inside your beautiful, beautiful body.”

“I want to be inside you, too!” she cried out, then immediately recognized her mistake. “I mean, I want you to be inside me, too.”

Zachary laughed and opened his bedside drawer. A drop of sweat ran down his hairy, muscular chest, and Esme gulped, realizing it was because he had exerted himself so much with her. It made her even more impatient to feel him from the inside out. “Take me,” she begged, not caring how she sounded, just needing him. “Please?”

He found a box of extra-large condoms and ripped one open. He winced as he rolled it over his cock; even the largest size wasn’t big enough for his hard-on. “Just try and stop me,” he said at last, then rolled her onto her side and lay down behind her. “This way, I’m much less likely to hurt you.”