Bear Trapped (Bear Creek Grizzlies #5)

22. Lauren

LAUREN

S omehow she started talking about math class and then Finn said something sweet about long division and she couldn’t take it anymore. Even though he didn’t try anything, just the heat and comfort of his weight against her, slightly over her but not intimidating, pushed her to the edge of her sanity. Even if she’d never really enjoyed sex, Finn brought a whole new level of excitement with him.

Somewhere she found the courage to whisper about taking her to the limit, not sure that he would understand, but his eyes gleamed and turned gold, and a soft growl rumbled in his chest. Her heart sped up and her stomach fluttered even as her thighs clenched. Sure, she’d enjoyed grinding on him until little ripples of pleasure ran through her, but instead of just feeling relaxed and going to sleep after he did what he wanted, she felt restless and overheated. Her core felt flushed and heavy, ready for something more, and the second he touched her, he’d realize that her panties were absolutely soaked.

Lauren had never been so embarrassed or turned on in her life.

“Well, then it sounds like it’s time for an experiment.”

She blinked as he retreated. “Do they do experiments in math? I thought it was just problems. Or proofs? Is that what they’re called?”

“A proof, then.” Finn chuckled and rubbed the outside of her thigh as he sat back. “I want to prove something. Have a little bet with myself. Want to help me out?”

Oh Lord. Any time a guy made a bet about her, it ended up with her feelings crushed or the morning after pill. She eyed him. “Maybe. What kind of bet?”

He played with where she’d unbuttoned her jeans, not unzipping them but toying with the waist until goosebumps covered every inch of her. Finn squeezed her hip gently with his free hand, then stroked his fingers between her thighs in a slow, deliberate caress. “Well, I want to know what you taste like.”

Her face burned and words deserted her. “Wh…what?”

“See,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss her throat, then between her breasts—even with her shirt still on—and down to her stomach. “Part of me says you’ll taste like honey. The other half thinks…mmm…cream.”

The “mmm” grumble lit her every nerve on fire. She almost climaxed right then just from the look in his eyes. Because it promised a hell of a night and a lot more than she’d hoped for.

But he didn’t yank at the jeans. He didn’t demand or take, even when she obviously didn’t object. He waited.

Lauren swallowed the knot in her throat and tried to breathe normally instead of panting like some kind of porn star. He made her want to moan and thrash around like a dirty movie, but she had to keep her cool. She reached for the zipper herself and lifted her hips to start shimmying the jeans down. “I guess you better check.”

And she almost died of embarrassment for saying something so unbelievable. She braced for him to laugh. Instead, Finn growled more and her jeans disappeared. Somehow her socks were gone and her pants simply evaporated off her legs, and Lauren found herself frowning at where they’d been. Had he disintegrated them with some more of his crazy magic?

Finn moved his hands under her sweater as he adjusted how he lay, and kissed her hip. “I think I should.”

She couldn’t stop the nervous giggle that escaped. He glanced up at her face, gauging her reaction, and Lauren bit her lip to keep from saying something else stupid and math-related. Those gold eyes weighed and measured, then he lowered his head again, gaze locked with hers, as he placed another very deliberate kiss just above the hem of her panties.

Lauren held her breath. He wasn’t really going to…

His finger traced under the leg hem of the thin cotton and her whole body twitched. The corner of his mouth twitched as well, and mischief lit his eyes. She braced herself but still jumped when he did it again, teasing around her other thigh, and squeaked when a glancing touch traveled along the gusset. Lauren couldn’t help herself; her hips lifted to seek out that touch, to find a bit more pressure, and her body caught fire as he chuckled.

Finn took his time with touches and teases and occasional kisses or nibbles, all while he worked the panties down her hips so slowly and casually that it was like she blinked and then they were gone and she couldn’t have said how long they’d been tossed across the room.

Maybe he was a magician, instead of being magic himself. Could he be both? Her thoughts drifted and then Finn shifted his weight and breathed against her with his mouth…

Lauren snapped back to the present. He moved her thigh so her leg draped over his shoulder and Lauren found herself sprawled in front of him like some kind of naked buffet. Her face radiated heat as Finn saw all of her, up close and personal, and she hadn’t even shaved. Oh God. She started to snap her legs together, since it didn’t matter how much a guy claimed to be all about nature and everything, he never wanted to see au naturel . “I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to…”

“Hey,” he said. Finn rested his chin on her thigh, watching her, but his shoulders made it impossible for her to actually close up shop and roll away. A hint of curiosity drew his eyebrows together, and his fingers drifted up and down the inside of her thigh as he studied her. “What are you sorry for?”

Maybe she needed to shut her damn mouth and close her eyes and appreciate whatever attention he was willing to give her, for however long it lasted. Lauren cleared her throat and dug deep for some bravery. “It’s not as nice as I would…”

His shoulders moved and Finn pressed his face against her leg, hiding his expression, and Lauren braced for disappointment. She’d given him the opening to walk away, so she couldn’t be mad if he took it. But when he looked up, the man was laughing. Laughing?

Finn blew a raspberry on the inside of her thigh and Lauren jumped. He winked and grabbed her hips to haul her even closer to his face. “Looks perfect from where I’m at.”

She meant to argue. She really did. But the tip of his tongue started doing the most amazing gymnastics in the exact perfect spot and everything else disappeared. Her head fell back and she braced her heels on the mattress, holding on to his hair with both hands as Finn squeezed her ass.

He took his time and paused occasionally to nibble on her thighs or kiss her stomach or knee or whatever other skin he could reach. Lauren couldn’t breathe normally. She meant to just murmur and whisper and sound all dainty and sexy as Finn sucked slowly, strongly, on her clit, but all that disappeared in a moan that worked its way up from her toes. Holy hell. Holy fucking hell.

Maybe he wanted to torture her. That had to be it. There wasn’t another explanation for why he would drag her all the way to the precipice of absolute ecstasy and then back off. He grumbled and tilted her hips up to give himself better access. “Come on, baby. Tell me what you like.”

She didn’t know. What the fuck did she say to that? What if she said something he didn’t want to do? What if he thought she was some kind of freak and…

“Come back,” he murmured. Finn nuzzled against her leg and waited, then stroked one finger down her slit. “Do you like that?”

Her thighs tensed and relaxed in anticipation. Yes. Oh, she liked that. “Y-yes.”

He grumbled with approval and repeated the move, slow and tantalizing, until she rocked back to meet the teasing touch. Finn did the same with his tongue, a little slower and a lot more intense, then paused to ask, “What about that?”

Lauren held on to his head and struggled to breathe and remember what he was even talking about. “Yes. Oh yeah. Just like…oh man.”

Finn kept it up, slow and easy with the most indecent things, and kept asking what she liked and whether it was the right spot and how much she wanted. It built and built and built until Lauren hovered on the edge of flying apart, holding on to him as the only anchor to reality, and then the pressure increased and his fingers slid against her and she shattered.

She held tight to his head as her hips bucked, as the moan she unleashed rose until no sound escaped, as pure pleasure raced through her like lightning. He kept moving, kept licking and sucking and nibbling, even though she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but feel as another crest approached. Another tsunami of need and heated relief raced up and overwhelmed her.

Lauren lost any sense of where she was or what existed in the world around her, other than the warm weight of the man between her legs. She moved against him, thrashed, struggled to stay in control, and eventually just…gave up. She let the tidal wave carry her along and surrendered to the intense throbbing pleasure as her muscles clenched and seized.

The sensations retreated slowly, fading instead of stopping, as Finn eased off. Lauren panted, stars dotting her vision, and struggled to get her shit together. She’d never felt anything like it. She hadn’t even imagined, in her wildest dreams, that such a thing was possible. Overwhelming and intense and just…holy shit.

“Well, that’s the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Finn said, chuckling with a warmth that made her skin prickle.

She wanted to stretch and roll around and luxuriate in that sound. She wanted to feel every inch of his skin naked and pressed against hers. Which was tough to achieve when she still wore a sweater and he still had his pants on. Every part of her had relaxed, leaving her not quite sleepy but…languid. Like her brain finally dropped into low gear and almost silence, and she didn’t care what else happened.

Finn slid up her body, his hand flat on her stomach, and kissed her shoulder. “Gorgeous.”

And he pulled the sleeping bags and blankets up over her. Lauren stared up at the ceiling, puzzled, then turned to look at him. Wasn’t he going to…?

She caught his arm before he moved away. “Where are you going?”

He glanced down at the obvious bulge in his jeans. “Uh, was going to take a personal break.”

Lauren’s cheeks heated. What the hell? She gestured at her naked lady busines. “Why?”

“I don’t want to pressure you,” he said.

Lauren managed to keep her voice steady, even though she wanted to wobble and thank him for being an actual good human being. Even if he turned into a bear. She figured any hint that she questioned him or sleeping together would result in Finn hightailing it to the back of the cabin. So she reached for his jeans, getting distracted by the smattering of dark chest hair that trailed down and disappeared behind the button. “You’re not.”

He groaned softly and caught her hands, bringing them up to kiss her palms and wrists and fingers. “Babe, I really, really want you. But only if you’re sure.”

Maybe she’d have to take his pants off all the way and reach in to grab him before he’d take her seriously. Lauren sat up to work the zip, which was easier said than done considering the size of his hard on. “I’m really, really sure.”

He sucked in his stomach to help her out and give her more room. Her heart thumped faster when she finally got him mostly undressed, and when she paused, Finn stripped the sweater off her too. She tried not to grin and squirm as he stretched out over her, bumping his nose against hers before kissing her. Finally. It really was a good way to stay warm.