Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (10 page)

Timo led her off the stage. Her legs were like Jell-O, and she had to take care not to stumble. He took her back to her seat and returned to the stage. Caitlyn flashed her a quick grin over her shoulder.

The final scene came. The guys stood poised at the front of the stage, bent down and pulled their underwear off. But when they stood up again, Raven was startled to see that Timo was still wearing his. And, as she watched his face, he gave an exaggerated wink right in her direction, and blew her a kiss. She caught it and held her closed fist against her chest.
I’m yours, and only yours
, he seemed to be saying.

As the show ended and the guys bowed to the audience, the noise was deafening. Raven leaned forward and squeezed Caitlyn’s shoulders, bursting with excitement.

“That was even better than the first show,” Caitlyn hollered above the yelling and clapping.

“You’re telling me!” Raven hollered back. Just then, Timo appeared. He’d pulled on a pair of jeans and he was still buttoning up a blue denim shirt. The women in the seats nearby gawked at him openly. The volume of noise fell as the Hope Valley mayor came on stage and greeted everybody. Timo took Raven’s hand and pulled her to her feet, then he stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Wow
. All her life, she’d dreamed of feeling protected like that.

The mayor thanked everyone for attending, and explained that the strippers had been on tour in the neighboring states for the past couple of weeks, working hard to earn as much money for Hope Valley as possible.

“It hasn’t been easy to raise the money we needed to fight off the corporations wanting to turn our lovely little community into yet another faceless development. But, I’m delighted to say that we’ve managed it. Thanks to these boys, we’ve not only hit our target, but earned some extra money, which we’ll set aside to help people to renovate their businesses and start new endeavors. Please put your hands together and thank the incredible, generous and so-very-talented, Bear Heat Strippers!” The crowd went wild again, and Raven glowed with pride for Timo.

“Shall we get out of here?” he rumbled in her ear, his breath hot on her neck. She tipped her head back so she could see him.

“Yes, let’s. I’ll just check that Caitlyn’s okay.”

“Of course I am. I’ll drive home, as I’m guessing that Timo will give you a ride later. Go have fun!” she said.

“Thanks!” Raven said, planting a kiss on her cheek, then Timo took her hand and they hurried out of the hall.

“Dancing on the stage sure gives me an appetite,” Timo said, as he and Raven snuggled into a booth at Loretta’s Grill House.

“That’s a coincidence, because watching you dance gives me an appetite too,” Raven said and giggled. Timo flashed her a half-shy, half-dirty look that made the tiny hairs on her arms stand up. She didn’t know how she was going to get through the dinner, when all she really wanted right now was for him to take her to bed. Abruptly, he reached across the table and took her hand.

“Raven, I can’t believe that we’re really together right now,” he said, his eyes full of emotion.

“Me neither. For a while it felt like fate was keeping us apart.”

“I think it was just giving us a run-around, testing us out to make sure we wanted to be together badly enough,” he said with a grin. “Although, it was so lucky that you were on Shiftr. I would’ve had a much harder time finding you otherwise. I’d probably be lost in the middle of some small town in Arizona now.” Raven laughed. She’d actually forgotten about the events leading up to them finally meeting.

“Lauren kind of tricked me into signing up to it, so I’m not sure how much luck had to do with it!” Timo nodded.

“She’s a smart lady. She must’ve heard that I was looking for you, and put two and two together.”

“Yes!” Raven said, eyes sparkling. “I guess she was taking an educated bet on us being a perfect match as well. Imagine if you’d been nowhere near the top of the list.” Timo looked at her seriously, and she wondered if she’d said something wrong.

“That wouldn’t have happened, Raven. I knew you were the one for me, from the moment I first saw you.” Little starbursts of happiness lit up inside her.

“But how could you be so sure?” she asked.

“We bear – we have a very strong feeling about these things.”
Did he say bears or something?

“What were you going to say?” 

“Oh, nothing. Just that the guys and I trust our instincts more than the average person. Our ancestors were the same, and it’s a tradition that’s been passed on through the generations.”

“That’s cool,” Raven said. She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but she decided she’d ask him more once they’d ordered some food.

She opened her menu and scanned it fast.

“I think I’ll have the chicken breast with mushroom sauce,” she said. “How about you?”

“Steak all the way,” he said. “Kinda boring I guess, but it’s the one thing I always crave.”

“Mmm, now you’ve said that, I’m craving it too. Maybe I’ll rethink the chicken.” She scanned the steak menu and picked out a filet.

“Shall we have some wine?”

“Uh, I’m not drinking right now,” she said. He frowned.

“Are you sick or something?” he said in a concerned tone.

“Oh, no. I’m just not in the mood –”

The server came to take their order. While Timo was speaking to him, Raven watched him through her eyelashes. She had to tell him the truth.

“Timo, I have something to tell you,” she said, as soon as the server walked away with the menus.

“I have something to tell you too. But you go first.” She bit her lip, tongue-tied. She was so nervous of his reaction. She took a deep breath, opened her mouth to speak. And nothing came out. It was too soon. She needed to spend a little more time with him first, to understand if they had a bond.

“Actually, would you mind if we talk about this later? There’s no real rush.”

“Okay,” he said, his intelligent eyes running all over her features.

“You can tell me your thing though, if you want?” He grinned.

“No, it’s ok. I’ll put it on ice too.”

Their food arrived, and they both tucked in.

“You’ve got to keep your strength up,” Timo said, attacking his own steak with gusto. She opened her mouth to make some comment about her weight, then closed it again.
He’s attracted to you. And he’s right – you need to make sure you eat right while you’re pregnant. Although, who knows why he came out with that comment.

While they ate, he asked her all about her decision to move to Hope Valley.

“I just kind of fell in love with it when I came here for the party,” she said. “It’s so different from my hometown.”

“I know,” he said, with a kind smile.

“Oh, you probably know it as well as I do by now.”

“You must have been like a desert rose in that place. So different from everything around you.” She blushed. 

“I don’t know about that, but I never felt like I belonged there. And when I went back after that weekend, I just couldn’t forget Hope Valley. It was as if I’d left a piece of my heart there.”

“I think Hope Valley has that effect on people. The only way I could tear myself away from it was to raise money to save it, and to look for you.” He said the words in such a tender way that she tingled all over.
Damn.
The food was so good but she wished they weren’t eating now, because all she could think about was feeling his lips on hers again, his strong arms around her waist.

“You were born here, right?” she said, to distract herself while she finished up the last few morsels of her food.

“Yes. Nearly all of us who live out in the park have been here for generations. There are also plenty of waifs and strays though. Anyone who shares our way of life is welcome here.”

“It’s so great what you guys did, giving up all your time to save the town.” He shrugged.

“It wouldn’t have happened without Lauren’s input. Apparently women like our physiques, and she had the bright idea of trying to make some money out of it. None of us guys thought it would work. We practiced the dances night after night, but we totally believed that we’d be performing to an empty hall on our opening night. To tell you the truth, when I took a peek through the curtain and saw all those women waiting for us, I had an attack of stage fright, and almost didn’t make it at all!” Raven laughed.

“No way! But you looked so confident.”

“I think I knew the routine so well that I kind of clicked into it. And I kept thinking that if I didn’t do my absolute best, then the hall would probably get bulldozed, and there would end up being a Walmart there instead.”

“That would’ve been so sad. Did all you guys find it hard to go on stage?”

“Yeah, I mean, we’re not natural show-offs. Getting naked was the easy bit, but being out there performing was way harder.” At his reference to being naked, the ache between her thighs that had been there all night, turned into a throb.

Mercifully, they’d finished eating and the server swept their plates away.

“Do you want dessert?” he asked.

“No, I’m good. You?” He shook his head, and took her hand, playing with her fingers, as if he wanted to get to know them intimately.

“Shall we go?” she said.

“Yes.”

He paid the check, despite Raven’s protestations, and they walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand.

On the sidewalk, they stood facing each other, the tension between them seeming to crackle in the air.

“Would you like to come back to my cabin?” he said.

“Yes,” she said simply, and his mouth was on hers, kissing her hungrily.

“Let’s go,” he whispered, and he led her around the corner, where his truck was parked.

*

The drive felt excruciatingly long, but at last, they pulled up in front of a large cabin that looked similar to Lauren’s.

“How far away do I live?” she said, not yet knowing the lay of the land.

“About ten minutes that way,” he indicated right.

He opened the door and she stepped into a rustic but very cozy space.

He started to lead her over to a sitting area, where a couple of vintage leather couches were arranged, but she saw the fire in his eyes, and knew it matched her own.

“Do you want to take me to bed?” she said. He let out a growl that sounded more animal than human.

“I do. I want you so much Raven. I want to do things to you all night long; to take my time to explore that beautiful body of yours.”

His arms wrapped possessively around her body, and he took her upstairs.

He slipped her shoes off slowly, pausing to admire her calves and ankles, before carefully unfastening the ankle straps.  Then he laid her down on her back. As she gazed up at this big, powerful man towering above her, he stripped off his shirt, then unfastened the zipper on his jeans.
Now. I have to tell him
, she realized.

“Timo, wait.” He froze.

“What is it?”

“That night. When we were –” He ran a fingertip over her face, caressing it softly.

“It’s ok, Raven. Just tell me.” His eyes were understanding, his voice low and husky.

“Timo, I’m pregnant. With your baby,” she blurted out.

He stared at her. And then he flung his arms around her.

“Oh, Raven, baby,” he murmured.

“Are you happy?” He drew back and laid his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with delight.

“Are you kidding? This is the best news ever.” Tears sprung to her eyes, and she wiped them away.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! I’m sure!” he said with a laugh. “It’s a dream come true. I just knew it.”

“You did? But how?”

“I picked it up from your scent.”

“Do you have a crazy strong sense of smell or something?” His expression turned serious.

“Kind of.” Then he pulled her into his arms again and embraced her tenderly, planting kisses all over her face. “Raven, my beautiful mate. You’re going to be the most loved and pampered pregnant woman ever.” She melted into his arms, overcome by his words.

“I can’t wait for our cub to be born. I hope it’ll look just like you,” he murmured.

“Cub?” she said. His body stiffened.

“Oh. That thing I have to tell you.” She ran a finger along the stubble of his jaw.

“Tell me.”

“I – the guys and I – we’re all bears.” She pursed her lips in incomprehension.

“I mean that we’re only half human. We shape shift into bears sometimes. All of us – all the guys you saw on stage.”

“Including Lauren’s husband?”

“Yes.”

“You’re serious? This isn’t some kind of sexual role play?” He stifled a laugh.

“I know it sounds crazy, but you’ve already seen me as a bear.”

“I have?”

“Two days ago, when you were walking in the forest. I was going for a much-needed run. I wasn’t able to shift the whole time I was looking for you, which was really hard on my bear. So I was out, feeling the earth beneath my paws, and I picked up your scent. I couldn’t resist looking for you, and I guess I got too close. To be honest, I didn’t expect your eyesight to be so good. Humans are usually not so observant.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“I could tell that you’d spotted me, so I left.” Raven narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his face. While this was all consistent with what had happened so far, it sounded more than a little crazy. But Timo was looking at her like he couldn’t have been more serious.

“What was I wearing?” she asked slyly.

“A dark red t-shirt and black jeans. Your hair was tied up in a green band.” She gasped.

“You weren’t stalking me, were you, as a human, I mean?”

“Raven, I know this is a pretty intense thing to deal with. But I’m not some crazy fantasist. I am a bear. And I felt terrible that I probably scared you.”

“No, I wasn’t scared,” she said thoughtfully.

“That’s because you’re my mate. Your body recognized me for who I was, on a deep, primal level.” Her eyes flickered all over his face and body. She wanted to believe.

“I’ll shift for you. Just quickly.”

“Okay, she said slowly. He got up from the bed and left the room. A minute later, a long, black muzzle nosed around the door. She stifled a scream, as adrenaline charged through her body.

“Timo?” she said in a quavering voice. The door opened wider and a bear’s entire head emerged. Its jaws parted and it gave a long purr. It came right into the room, and lifted its forelegs up, onto the bed. She saw its long, gleaming claws, which looked capable of ripping a large animal apart. It lowered its head in an attitude that she recognized as submission. Trembling, she stretched out her hand toward it. She was rewarded with a lick from its long, pink tongue. She giggled. It was soft and tickly. Growing more confident, she reached a little further and stroked its head. Its fur was so thick and luxuriant, with a silver hue.

“I know that fur,” she murmured, remembering his photos on Shiftr. He’d included a photo of himself in his bear form, of course. It all made sense now. “Ok, I believe you,” she said. The bear purred again, and it backed off the bed. This time, it didn’t leave the room, but she watched as a dramatic change began to overtake its body. It seemed to contract in on itself, its fur receded, there were all kinds of crunches and snaps, it shot up onto two legs, with a particularly loud snap and a whoosh. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to take it all in, and when she opened them again, Timo was standing in front of her, naked.