Brew Bear (Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance) (Rescue Bears Book 4) (12 page)

Quinn waddled off to the bedroom, and he could see her climb under the blankets. He picked up his cellphone and began making calls to his employees to find people to cover his shifts for the next couple of days. It didn’t take that long to find replacements. The people he’d hired to work at his bar were dependable and helpful. Most of them loved the brewery almost as much as he did.

With that settled, he went to the bedroom and crawled in bed beside Quinn, pulling her close. They slept together through the night and woke the next morning to the sound of rain. It had been storming nonstop for almost twenty-four hours after several months of rain. Even a bear could get sick of rain.

When he rose from the bed and looked out the window, he could see blue sky in the distance. The clouds were slowly parting. They would have a break from the rain in a few hours. Maybe he and Quinn could go for a short walk in the forest. He loved the smell of the air after the rain and wanted to share it with his mate.

He went into the bathroom and started a shower, testing the stream for just the right temperature. Drew slipped out of his boxers and stepped into the warm water. As he was lathering shampoo into his hair, Quinn stepped into the room and dropped her bathrobe down her shoulders. She was completely naked underneath, her full breasts and round belly making him instantaneously hard.

He growled into her ear as she stepped in front of him under the spray of the shower.

“Good morning,” he growled.

“Good morning,” she breathed, letting the water flow over her swollen breasts.

She bent over in front of him and picked up the soap before rubbing it all over her body. Drew watched her wash herself over her shoulder, growing more excited with each movement of her hands. She slid the soap between her legs and that was it for him. He couldn’t stand it anymore.

He took the soap out of her hand and began to rub between her legs where the soap had just been. He could feel her clit, tight and swollen under his fingers. Quinn gasped and moaned through her clenched teeth.

“Oh, baby,” she groaned. “Yeah.”

His hands were slick with soap and water. He ran them over her body, clasping her breasts and flicking her bud with his thick fingers. He dipped one inside her wet core as he circled her clit with another. She twisted her head back, and he kissed her greedily, holding her chin to angle it toward him.

He could feel her clench around his finger. Her body went rigid, and he knew he’d made her come. Drew bent his knees and moved his cock between her legs, sliding it back and forth across her throbbing pussy.

“Oh God, Drew. Yeah.”

He growled as he angled himself to push inside her. He wrapped his hands around her breasts and hips, moving into her in smooth thrusts. She groaned, uncontrollably, her head resting against his shoulder. Her eyes rolled back and her mouth dropped open, moans escaping her throat as he thrust into her. She mewled, and he felt her pussy contract on his dick, making him profoundly excited.

He bit her earlobe as his release swept over him. Pleasure coursed through his veins like liquid fire.

“I love you, Quinn,” he whispered in her ear as he drew away.

She turned, wrapping her arms around his neck. She looked up at him with those big eyes, full of wonder and longing.

“I love you too, Drew. So much. So very much.”

He rubbed her back and looked up at the ceiling. His mind reeled with an abundance of joy he could barely comprehend. He had to find a way to make this feeling last. He had to find a way to forgive so they could be together like this for the rest of their lives.

He stepped out of the shower and toweled off before helping her out and drying her with a big fluffy towel.

“If it stops raining, do you want to go for a walk in the woods?”

“That sounds fun,” she said as they walked into the bedroom to get dressed.

After they were dry and dressed, Drew made a pot of coffee and breakfast while Quinn tried to get something on TV. He put plates of eggs and bacon on the table and asked her what she was doing.

“The satellite seems broken,” she said.

“It’s probably off because of the weather. I was able to get enough internet reception to make some phone calls last night.”

He picked up his phone and checked the internet reception. The cabin was too rural for cell reception or regular cable. The only way to stay connected was the satellite. He was still able to connect to the internet so he wasn’t too worried. He’d go up and get the TV back into alignment after their walk.

They ate breakfast, talking about nothing and everything. They were coming to a comfortable connectedness that felt to Drew as if they were finally starting to rise above the past. He took the dishes back to the kitchen after they were done, and they got ready to go out.

Quinn slipped into a pair of rain boots she’d brought with her. Drew just wore the boots he’d come in. He was always prepared for the weather, being a Rescue Bear. It came with the territory.

He took her hand, and they stepped down the porch steps into the damp, fragrant air. The sun had broken through the storm clouds and cast the world in a soft yellow light. He knew there was a trail that led through the forest and along the river. They walked around the cabin and into the misty woods.

15

Q 
uinn walked hand-in-hand with Drew into the old growth forest. Being this secluded had its benefits. The forest was a magnificent collection of old fir and pine trees. They towered above the couple as they walked down the wet path.

Quinn was more than a little happy she’d brought her rain boots with her. The trail was covered with gravel, but there were spots along it that were deep with dark mud.

They circled toward the river, and Quinn looked down the ridge at the water flowing below them.

“The river is really high right now,” Drew said. “Dangerously high.”

“What do you think we should do?” she asked.

“Maybe we should go back to town.”

“Do you really want to? I thought we were going to spend some private time together.”

“I want that too,” he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

“Let’s stay here. I’m not ready to rejoin civilization yet.”

“What’s waiting for you back in town?” he asked.

“Nothing really. I did talk to Juliet. She’s so understanding. A true friend. I don’t deserve her any more than I deserve you.”

“What are you talking about? You deserve friends and you deserve love.”

“Does this mean you’re ready to forgive me?”

“I’ve been ready to forgive you all along.”

She snorted, squeezing his hand as she led him away from the river’s edge.

“Don’t exaggerate, Drew. I know you were super pissed at me for a long time. I hurt you. It was unforgivable.”

“It hurt. But it definitely wasn’t unforgivable. I’ve forgiven you already.”

“You have?” she said, softly.

His forgiveness was what she needed more than anything in the world. He leaned down to her and kissed her full on the lips. She let out a sigh as he pulled away. He had a soft smile on his face. His expression let her know he was telling the truth.

Relief washed over her. It was so intense to finally feel like she could be forgiven that she could barely take it. It was like the release of the guilt showed her exactly how much it had hurt all along. She let out a long breath, feeling herself deflate. Did she really deserve his forgiveness or his unconditional love? What could she do except accept it?

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“I still feel so guilty. Like I need to be punished for what I’ve done.”

“Oh, baby. Please, don’t.”

He took her in his arms under the heavy boughs of a Douglas fir, rubbing her back with his big hands. The feeling of his arms around her filled her with warmth. Eventually, she would have to accept that he’d forgiven her. She had to find a way to live with what she’d done and the time she’d stolen from them both.

“I’m trying. I’ll get there. We’ll both get there.”

“That’s right,” he said, smiling at her with honest affection.

The rain started to drip from the sky as the storm clouds started to move back in. She pulled the hood up on her raincoat and shuddered as the air began to chill.

“We better get back to the cabin,” Drew said, taking her hand.

They hurried back, as quickly as a pregnant woman could hurry down a muddy trail. They made it to the cabin just as the sky opened and began to pour buckets of water onto the already sodden ground. Quinn pulled off her raincoat and kicked off her boots, putting them by the door.

“Why don’t I go make some lunch,” Quinn said, walking into the kitchen.

Drew had been cooking for her since he’d arrived, and she wanted to return the favor. She might not be a top chef, but she could make a sandwich. Quinn pulled the sourdough out of the cabinet and grabbed everything she needed from the fridge. Turkey, tomato, lettuce, mustard and mayo. Her stomach grumbled. The walk had left her hungry but happy. She put the sandwiches together and arranged them on plates for Drew and herself, smiling as she carried them out to the dining room table.

Drew had started a fire in the hearth, making the cabin toasty warm. He rose from in front of the fireplace, smiling at her so sweetly it made her heart melt.

“I’ll get some lemonade,” Drew said.

Quinn slid into her chair and took a bite of her sandwich. She looked up as Drew passed her on the way to his seat. He put a glass of lemonade in front of her and placed his own across the table. Drew sat down and started eating. The two of them shared their meal, talking quietly about the future.

“We can make my spare room into the nursery,” Drew said.

“Are you going to be ready to have me and the baby in your house all of the sudden?” she asked.

“We’ll make it work.” He smiled up at her over his sandwich, making her feel more secure about the whole thing.

“I don’t remember your house very well.”

“I didn’t exactly give you a tour.”

“Where is the spare bedroom?” she asked.

“It’s down the hall from our room.”

“Our room?”

“Yes. Our room. Our house. Our child. Our life.”

“That sounds so good.”

“I like the sound of it too,” Drew said, standing from the table with his plate.

He took her empty plate too and carried them to the kitchen. When he came back out, he walked to the front door and grabbed his coat.

“I’m going to work on the satellite so we can watch TV,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Quinn went to clean up the kitchen and was finished once Drew came back inside. He was soaked from the driving rain and hung his dripping coat on the coat rack.

“I think I fixed it,” he said, going to the bathroom. He came back out shirtless, rubbing a towel into his wet hair.

Quinn sat down on the old futon and picked up the remote to turn on the TV. This time, the reception was clear. Drew sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. She flipped through the channels until she landed on a romantic comedy she wanted to watch.

“Is this okay with you?” she asked, looking up at Drew.

“Yeah. I love rom coms.”

“Really?” she said, stifling a giggle.

“You want to watch it with me but think it’s funny that I want to watch it too?” he asked.

“Okay. Okay. You have a point.”

She couldn’t help smiling as the opening credits rolled. They watched the movie together, laughing and holding each other close. Being with Drew, doing something so normal and natural, felt wonderful. She couldn’t believe that she was going to get to have this in her life all the time now. Being pregnant had changed her. Quinn used to be a bit of a party girl, but now, all she wanted was some safety and security.

Drew was giving her all of that in spades. His forgiveness filled her with hope for the future. She rested her head against his chest and felt his strong arms enfold her as the warmth of the fire filled the room.

Quinn looked up at Drew’s face and put her palm to his cheek. He angled down to kiss her. When he pulled back with a smile on his lips, Quinn felt a sharp pain in her belly. She grabbed her stomach and groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Drew asked.

“I’m not sure,” she said, breathing through her teeth. “Maybe pre-labor contractions.”

“Pre-labor? I don’t like the sound of that.”

Just as the movie was coming to a close, wind whistled violently through the forest and smashed against the cabin. The picture on the television went blank and a loud crash sounded outside.

The pain in Quinn’s belly shot through her again and she groaned. She’d had contractions before, but nothing like this. Maybe it wasn’t a pre-labor contraction. Maybe it was the real thing. She moaned again and tried to stand up.

Drew helped her to her feet and a gush of fluid flowed from between her legs to the floor.

“No,” Quinn yelled.

“Did your water break?”

“Yes,” she groaned.

“We have to get you to the hospital,” he said, helping her into her shoes.

In the time they’d been watching TV, it had grown dark outside.

“Okay,” she managed through the pain.

He helped her walk gingerly out into the driving rain and into the front seat of his SUV. She groaned as the next contraction hit. Drew looked worried, but it barely registered. The pain and worry she felt was so intense, she didn’t know what she would have done without Drew.

Drew ran around the other side of the car and jumped inside, turning the car around in a quick motion. As they approached the river, Drew stopped. Quinn could barely see through the pain. She blinked, looking at the raging water.

“Where’s the bridge?” she gasped, barely about to speak.

“It’s been washed out by the river. It’s way over the banks. Fuck.”

“What are we going to do?” she groaned, panting into the pain.

“We have to go back to the cabin.”

Quinn felt panic rising inside her. There was no way out, and she was in hard labor now. Stuck out in the middle of nowhere, her baby was coming two weeks early.

“This can’t be happening,” Quinn protested.