Grizzly Flying Free (Air Bear Shifters Book 2) (11 page)

“Please,” she gasped. “Please, I need you.”

At the pleading sound of her voice, Anderson lost control. The combination of her desperate tone and the feeling of her dripping wet entrance all over his fingers was too much for him to take. He needed her now.

“Get up on your hands and knees,” he ordered, his voice a deep and demanding growl. Lexi did as she was told, sliding up so that she was on all fours in front of him. Anderson couldn’t hold back a primal groan at the sight of this beautiful woman, positioned right in front of him and ready for him to make love to her.

He slid up right behind her, reaching out his hands so that they were holding on to her body by her breasts. His big palms covered her ample breasts, and he squeezed tightly. Lexi moaned at his grip, arching her back as he held on to her. Anderson closed his eyes and paused for just a moment to relish the experience. Then, with one swift, powerful movement, he slid his dick into Lexi’s body from behind. She screamed out his name as he entered her, his powerful shaft probing deep into her kneeling body. She trembled as he used her breasts to brace himself and thrust against her. He slid, out and in, growling fiercely and showing no mercy. She was his now, and he was going to show his woman what it felt like to have him take her. His dick continued to throb, and his movements were smooth as her juices covered him in slick heat. She threw back her head and arched her back again, which only served to give him further leverage to push himself inside of her. He stopped thrusting and just held himself there, deep inside of her, as she arched and moaned, unable to hold back the pressure of his dick filling her. In the next instant, she exploded around him. He felt her inner muscles grabbing him, squeezing tight over and over as she cried out in a long, ecstatic scream. Her whole body trembled as she gave in to him.

He held her there for a long moment, letting her body spasm around his, and then, he allowed himself one last, giant thrust, out and in. He came into her, stiffening and letting out a roar as he filled her completely and fully with himself. He felt an intense heat spreading through his body, reaching all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes. He felt the flames of his passion reaching his heart and burning down the wall he had built up around it, melting away the chains of guilt.

He was overcome with a feeling of deep love and gratitude as he slid out of Lexi and collapsed on the bed next to her. Was it possible that, after all this time, he was truly, finally free? Would he finally be able to live life again without a constant shadow of pain hanging over him?

He pulled Lexi into his arms, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair gently as she trembled beneath his touch. For several minutes, neither one of them spoke. They just lay there together, enjoying the feeling of bare skin against bare skin.

“I feel so warm,” she finally said, still shaking slightly. “Like I’m on fire from the inside. It’s the weirdest feeling.”

Anderson nuzzled her nose with his. “It’s the lifemate bond,” he said. “It’s the same idea as a soulmate. What you’re feeling is destiny, telling us we were fated to be together.”

Lexi smiled up at him, seeming to accept this explanation at face value. “Lifemate bond,” she said. “I like the sound of that.”

Then she closed her eyes and snuggled up against him. A few moments later, Anderson felt her breathing take on the rhythm of sleep. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out deeply, trying to simply wrap his mind around how much his life had just changed for the better.

Lexi blinked a few times, trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. Her stomach twitched with pangs of hunger, which was likely what had woken her up. She turned her head slightly and glanced over at the bright red numbers of the alarm clock on Anderson’s nightstand. The time read 20:27. No wonder she was so hungry. She hadn’t eaten lunch, and now it was after 8 p.m.

Lexi sat up slowly, shivering a bit as the blanket covering her naked body fell away. Next to her, Anderson’s chest rose and fell in a perfectly timed cadence. Lexi admired the profile of his chiseled jawbone for a minute. His eyes fluttered under his eyelids, and she wondered what he was dreaming about. Her, maybe?

She smiled and slipped quietly out of the bed, searching around in the darkness for her clothes. This whole situation was pretty crazy, but, after all, she had never liked for things in her life to be ordinary. She found her clothes and slipped on her underwear and pants, then quickly fastened her bra on. She had just reached for her shirt when she was startled by Anderson’s deep voice.

“Hey, there, sexy,” he said.

She looked up at him to see him half-sitting up in bed, his hair mussed up adorably. He winked at her when she met his eyes.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?” she asked. “I was trying to be quiet.”

“Naw, I think I woke up because I’m hungry,” Anderson said, glancing at the clock. “And no wonder! Look how late it is.”

“Yeah, I know. My stomach is letting me know it’s not too happy with how little food I’ve given it today,” Lexi said.

“How do you feel about frozen pizza?” Anderson asked, throwing off his blanket and climbing out of the bed. “I know it’s not a very romantic meal, but it’s quick. And it’s one of the stuffed crust ones. Not very healthy, but so good. Silver will be mad if she finds out we ate it without her.”

Lexi laughed. “Frozen pizza sounds perfect. I’m so hungry right now that anything sounds good.”

Anderson slipped into a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, then grinned over at Lexi. “Frozen pizza it is, then. Don’t worry. We’ll fancy it up with a glass of wine or something.”

Lexi laughed and followed Anderson out to the kitchen, where he started preheating the oven and then found a bottle of wine to open.

“I know I should be manlier and drink more beer instead of wine. But I can’t help it. I have a weakness for Pinot Noir.”

“No shame in that,” Lexi said with a smile as she took the glass of red wine that Anderson passed to her. “Maybe you’re just more sophisticated than the average guy.”

Anderson snorted. “You’re in for a pretty big disappointment if you think I’m sophisticated,” he said. “I’m not a total wild animal, but I am part bear, after all.”

Lexi laughed, then looked guiltily over at Anderson. “I’m really sorry I reacted the way I did when you told me you were a bear shifter,” she said. “I’m so embarrassed that I ran off like that. Here I was, ready to jump into a relationship with you, and then I acted like the fact that you had a bear within you was some sort of dealbreaker. It was pretty childish of me.”

Anderson stepped over to where Lexi stood, and put his finger under her chin, tilting her face up toward his. Lexi felt a tingling heat rush through her body from his touch. How was it possible for him to affect her so strongly by barely brushing against her with one finger?

“Hey,” he said softly. “Don’t apologize. I get it. It’s a shock for most humans to realize that shifters exist. I’m just glad you didn’t let it keep us apart for very long. Because, honestly, I don’t know how I would have handled losing you before I even had a chance to show you how much I adore you. And I do adore you. I haven’t known you that long, but you’re already so special to me. I want to spend the rest of my time here on earth proving that to you.”

Lexi looked down at her feet, unable to meet Anderson’s gaze. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she was sure he must be able to hear it. “Don’t say things like that unless you mean them,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ve had my heart broken by so many guys who promise me the world, and then leave the next day like I’m just some sort of worn out t-shirt they can easily get rid of.”

Anderson tilted Lexi’s face back up toward his. “I mean it. I’m not going anywhere. And if you try to walk away again I’m not letting you go without a fight. You’re worth fighting for, Lexi. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Lexi couldn’t hold back a smile as she met Anderson’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said, resisting the urge to follow up those two words with some sort of self-deprecating comment. She knew deep down she was a good, strong woman, and worthy of love. It was time for her to start accepting that and acting like it was true.

The oven beeped to announce that it was done preheating, and Anderson stepped over to get the frozen pizza started. Lexi couldn’t help staring at his ass as he bent down by the oven. She definitely wouldn’t mind getting to see that view more often. This holiday vacation was going much better than she ever could have hoped it would.

“What do you think Silver will say? About us, I mean,” Lexi asked when Anderson turned back around.

He laughed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. You know she’s going to be thrilled. She’s been trying to play matchmaker for quite some time now.”

Lexi nodded. “Do you think we should tell her right away, though? I mean, our relationship is really new. Aren’t there rules about how long you’re supposed to wait before announcing to children that you have a new girlfriend?”

Anderson’s face turned serious again. “Well, for one thing, there’s no way we can hide the way we feel from Silver. She’s been watching us like a hawk, and she’s not dumb. She’s going to know the next time she sees us together that something is up. And, besides that, I don’t care what the ‘rules’ say. I don’t need to wait a set amount of time to know that you and I are meant to be together, and that we’re going to last. I already know, deep down. You’re my lifemate, Lexi. That’s not just something I made up. It’s a serious bond and it’s impossible to break. My soul will be tied to yours for the rest of our lives.”

Lexi smiled. “This is crazy. You know that, right?”

Anderson laughed. “If it is then I don’t care. I’ve never been afraid to be a little crazy.”

“When are you going to tell Silver?” Lexi asked.

“Tomorrow. I promised her we’d go get a Christmas tree and decorate it together. I’m hoping you’ll join us?”

“I’d love to.”

“Awesome. It will be our first family outing as a family of three, then,” Anderson said.

Lexi smiled, but inside she couldn’t keep the nervous knots from forming in her stomach. She knew Silver loved her, and she knew Silver had been trying to get her father to ask Lexi out for a long time. But would Silver still be as excited about it once it actually happened? It was one thing to daydream about your dad dating a new woman. It was quite another thing to be faced with actually having to share his attention with someone else. Lexi crossed her fingers that Silver would still be excited about having Lexi in her life once the reality of sharing her father hit her.

* * *

Lexi’s worries were clearly unnecessary. The next day, as Anderson, Silver, and Lexi trudged through the snow searching for the perfect Christmas tree, Anderson simply reached out and held Lexi’s gloved hand in his. It took Silver less than one full second to whip her little head around and look suspiciously up at her father.

“Dad, you’re holding Lexi’s hand,” she stated, raising one of her eyebrows.

“That’s right,” Anderson said, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“And you’re not just shaking hands this time,” Silver said, crossing her arms defiantly. “You’re actually holding her hand. You can’t deny that.”

“I’m not denying it,” Anderson replied.

Silver looked from Anderson to Lexi, then back to Anderson, then at their joined hands.

“Are you guys
dating
?” Silver asked, her tone incredulous.

Anderson smiled. “Yes, honey. I asked Lexi to be my girlfriend, and she said yes. She’s going to be staying at our cabin for the rest of her trip instead of at the guest cabin. And we’re working on ways to see each other a lot even once she’s back in Kodiak.”

“You’re serious?” Silver asked. She looked long and hard at her father, as though she thought he might burst out laughing at any moment and tell her the whole thing was a joke.

“I’m serious, honey. I wouldn’t joke about something like this with you.”

“Does she…does she know…about us?” Silver asked.

“That we’re bear shifters you mean? Yes, she knows. We’ve talked about it and I’ve explained everything to her.”

Silver looked immensely relieved, and then let out an excited whoop. She came running to Anderson and Lexi and jumped into both of their arms at once. “I can’t believe it! This is the best day of my life,” she shouted, holding them tight.

Lexi smiled, her eyes tearing up a bit. She should have known better than to ever be worried. Silver loved her, and wanted her to be part of the family.

The rest of the day was filled with laughter and joy. It was one of those days that stands out from all the other ordinary days in your memory. After they decided on a tree, Anderson cut it down and strapped it to the back of his truck to take home. They set it up in the living room, and decorated it with boxes of red and gold ornaments that Anderson pulled out of storage—along with several macaroni art ornaments that Silver had made over the years. After making sure the tree looked perfect, Lexi offered to make dinner. Silver helped her with the meal prep, and soon the roasted chicken dish that Lexi whipped up was baking in the oven. The three of them had nuts and cheese cubes for an appetizer, and when the chicken was ready they ate until they couldn’t possibly stuff themselves with another bite.

They played board games in the living room until Silver was too tired to keep playing, and she climbed onto the couch to sit between Anderson and Lexi. She quickly fell asleep, her soft snores filling the otherwise quiet room. Anderson smiled over at Lexi, warming her heart, and then reached over his sleeping daughter to grab Lexi’s hand and hold it, stroking the inside of her palm gently with his thumb.

It was only three days until Christmas now. Lexi felt her heart leaping with excitement when she realized that this year, she would actually be sharing the holiday with family. Her new family. For the first time since she moved to Alaska, she wasn’t pushing away a nagging feeling of loneliness somewhere deep down inside of her.

She knew she had finally found a home.