Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
C arly watched as Ryker shifted back, and up close, the process was even more amazing. One minute he was an animal, and the next he was a man. Her man. She had so many questions, but right now, she only wanted one thing.
"Please tell me you have condoms in that bag," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
She was on the pill, and hadn't been with anyone in almost two years, but they hadn't talked that much about his past. She knew he never dated anyone in town, and that he'd only had one-night stands over the years, but they hadn't gone into the details about any of that yet.
"I do," he nodded. "I haven't been with anyone in over a year, but I always use condoms and then get tested after. You're safe with me, sweetheart."
"It's been almost two years for me, and I've been tested as well. I'm also on the pill."
He growled and then slid his hands under her ass, picked her up, and carried her to the sleeping bag. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and was surprised at how carefully he laid her down on the soft bedding. Instead of kissing her like she hoped, he started untying her shoes and then moved to the button on her jeans.
When he started pulling the fabric off, she glanced the entrance of the cave and a sliver of fear washed over her. She'd never had sex outdoors before, and they were in a cave. What if someone—or a real bear—decided to come inside?
"This cave is too high up on the mountain for any of the tourists to reach, and the bears stay away because they know it's mine. Plus, I have a really good sense of smell, and can tell if anyone is nearby, or has been inside. No one has ever entered this space except for me and you."
"Not even the boys? Or Hattie?"
"No. Our animals are territorial, and they've always known this space is off limits."
"Thank you for sharing it with me," she said, sitting up and removing her top. She was wearing a dark, navy blue lace bra and if he ever got her pants off, he would see the matching panties that barely covered her ass. She laid back down on the sleeping bag, and snuggled into the soft fabric.
"Mmmm... This thing is so soft and comfy. It doesn't even feel like we're on the ground."
Ryker growled again, and she looked up to find him staring at her. She'd always embraced her curves, but the fact that she was half undressed and he still hadn't removed her pants made her wonder if he didn't like the view. So far, they'd only kissed and touched with their clothes on, and maybe he hadn't realized how many curves she actually had.
"What is it?" she asked. Her head was resting on one of the fluffy pillows, so she could see him perfectly without moving, but she glanced at her top, happy that it was still within her reach. If Ryker changed his mind about her, she could grab the garment and cover up easily.
"You are so beautiful," he growled.
"Thank you," she smiled. She was glad that he liked the view, but she didn't want him staring at her, she wanted him fucking her, and he was taking way too long to get her pants off. "I'm also very wet."
She watched him inhale, and then he started tugging on her jeans. Once her body was free from the fabric, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her mound. She spread her legs, showing him her damp panties, and he inhaled again.
"Fuck, you smell good."
Without another word, he grabbed the strips of fabric covering her hips and ripped the lace off of her body. Holy hell! She'd never had a man literally rip her panties off, and she liked it. A lot.Her pussy started convulsing, and liquid heat seemed to gush out of her core as she spread her legs wider.
"So pretty," he said, dragging one calloused finger around her plump lips. "And so wet."
He slid his finger into her core, and her hips shot up off the ground.
"No," he shook his head, and draped a meaty arm over her hips."You have to stay still."
He was strong, and she liked the idea that he could pick her up—or hold her in place—more than she should, but right now she needed to come, and she wasn't above begging.
"Ryker, please..."
He growled again and added a second finger to her hole. She felt full, but it wasn't enough, and she grabbed her lace covered breasts and started rubbing the hard nipples through the fabric.
"That's it sweetheart," he said, moving his fingers faster. "Squeeze those pretty nipples."
She was so close, but she still needed more.
She was about to tell him, but then he sucked her clit into his mouth and she was lost.
The orgasm raced through her body at lightning speed, and she screamed his name as he continued to lick her clit. The way he feasted on her was too much, and the way his beard scraped against her inner thighs only added to the sensations racking her body. When she thought there was no way she could take anymore, she grabbed his head to push him away, and pulled off his beanie instead.
The long strands of his hair tickled her skin, and when she treaded her fingers through the locks and tried to bury him further into her cunt, he added a third finger to her pussy and sucked on her clit again. She screamed again as another,stronger, more intense orgasm raced through her and seemed to go on forever.
She had no concept of how much time had passed, but when she finally felt semi-normal again, she could feel Ryker's tongue gently licking her pussy. She glanced down at him and smiled at the way the strands of his hair fell downaround his face. She hadn't seen him withoutthe beanie on yet, and now she understood why he wore it all the time.
She reached down and smoothed a hand over his head, and when his eyes met hers, she was shocked by the intensity she saw there.
"Thank you," she said. "That was amazing."
"You are so fucking perfect," he growled, slowly crawling up her body, "and you never have to thank me for making you come."
He kissed her then, and she wrapped her legs around him, hating the fact that he was still fully dressed. She could feel his thick cock pressing against her clit, and she couldn't wait to feel him inside her. The kiss was hard and demanding, as if he was claiming her in some way, and she loved that his lips tasted like her.
"You have to ride me," he said, pulling back abruptly. "I have to feel that pussy on my dick, and I can't go slow."
He removed his clothes quickly, and then laid down next to her and pulled her on top of him. She immediately spread her legs and straddled him as she ran her hands over his expansive chest.
Damn! The man should never wear clothes. She knew he was big, but no one had ever manhandled her the way he did, and now she knew why. She'd never been with a man built like Ryker.
It's because he's a bear.
That thought caused her pussy to pulse again, and she reached for the bag that held the condoms. She didn't want any barriers between them, but though she trusted Ryker, she knew that something bad had happened between him and his ex, and she didn't want to push the issue. They had plenty of time to make decisions about condoms later.
"No," he said, grabbing her wrist. "We've both been tested, and you're on the pill. I trust you, too, sweetheart."
She was surprised at his decision, but she wasn't going to question him on it. Not when he was naked under her and looking so gorgeous her pussy was already soaking wet again.
She wrapped one hand around the base of his dick, and then slowly lowered herself down. He groaned when only the tip had entered her wet hole, and continued alternating between small grunts and deep breaths until he was buried balls deep.
She'd never felt so full in her life, and she needed a minute to adjust to his size.
"Take a deep breath, sweetheart," he said, sinking his fingers into the fleshy globes of her ass. "You were made for me."
She removed her bra, and started moving slowly at first, gliding up and down his cock at a leisurely pace, but when his hands moved to her hips, she knew she didn't have much time. She could feel his cock pulsing, strumming against the walls of her pussy, and she leaned forward to kiss him.
He stopped her half way and shook his head.
"I can't kiss you?"
When he shook his head again, something clicked, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Show me."
"Don't be afraid."
The murmured words slipped out right before he took a deep breath and showed her his teeth. His top two canines had grown larger than his other teeth, and while they were nowhere near the size of what they were when he was in his animal form, she understood why he thought she would be afraid.
"I'm not afraid of you, Ryker," she said, leaning down closer. "Does this always happen during sex?"
"No," he shook his head. "This has never happened before."
She didn't know what it meant, but she knew her reaction was important. She leaned down closer and kissed him gently. When he didn't respond, she slid her tongue inside his mouth, and licked one of his canines. His tongue tentatively brushed against hers, and she smiled as she stroked him again. He let their tongues mingle for less than a minute, but it was enough.
Suddenly, he gripped her hips at the same time he raised his own, and she sat back up and started rocking against him. This time she moved faster, bracing her hands on his chest, and using her knees to bounce up and down his cock. His fingers dug deeper into her hips, and she absently wondered if she'd have bruises later, but she didn't care.
She rode him hard, and when she faltered, he used his hands to move her at the pace he wanted. She was desperate to come, but she'd already had two orgasms and didn't want to go first. Shekept moving until he roared beneath her, andthen she let herself go, screaming his name.
Waves of pleasurewracked her body over and over until she'd milked him dry, and then she collapsed on top of him. One heavy armimmediately came around her, holding her close, and the other grabbed the edge of the sleeping bag and pulled it over both of their bodies. She was vaguely aware that he was still buried deep inside her—and still half hard—but there was no way she could move right now, so she closed her eyes instead.
She knew Ryker would keep her safe, and a second later she felt himkiss the top of her head and mumble something, but sleep had already called her.
She had no idea what the whispered words were.
R yker cursedas hishand slipped and he broke off anotherbolt under the hood of the truck he was working on. He'd been having trouble concentrating on work for more than a week, andthat was because all he could think about was Carly.
They'd had a couple of dates since that Sunday in the cave, and she'd come to dinner with his family again the night before, but they hadn't had sex again. They'd even visited the cave again a few nights ago, and though they'd made out and done a lot of touching, he hadn't wanted to take things further.Luckily, Carly had seemed okay with just hanging out with him, but his bear was going crazy.
The animal wanted to mark her—to claim her—and it didn't like being denied its mate.
Honestly, he wanted nothing more than to be buried deep inside her perfect pussy, but the fact that his canines had started to elongate while she rode him had scared him half to death. What if he had marked her by accident, and bound them together for the rest of their lives? Carly would hate him for taking her choice away, or worse, she would leave him forever.
As much as he wanted her in his life, he still wasn't ready to mark her. Once a shifter marked their mate, a mating bond formed that could only be severed by death. It came with the ability to communicate with one's mate telepathically,and his ex had taunted and teased him through that bond for the final year of her life.
When the other woman finally died, all he'dfelt was relief, and he never wanted to be bound to another person in that way again.
Still, he knew he could only go for so long without having sex with Carly, and that meantthat he had to tell her the truth—or at least some version of it—and find a way to get his animal under control before he touched her. He hadn't had the problem when they were just touching or making out, and maybe it was just being inside her with no barrier.
The bond was formed when he bit her while being inside with no protection, so maybe that had been the problem. Maybe if he did wear the condoms—and took a long run before he touched her—then he could keep his animal under control.
Of course, that was a big maybe, but he had no other options.
The bear growled beneath the surface, but he ignored the beast and turned back to his work.
He also ignored the ache in his chest. The feeling had disappeared the day he'd met Carly, but this morning it had returned full force.He rubbed his chest, but the ache only intensified, and his anger grew. He'd thought that meeting Carly had put an end to the pain that had plagued him since last summer, and now that it was back, he wanted to question everything.
She was his true mate—he could feel it in his soul—but maybe she wasn't supposed to be his.
The ache intensified, but he pushed it away when he heard the twins laughing in the lobby.
"Hey, dad," they said in unison when he stepped out from behind the truck.
"Hey, boys," he said, looking between them. They might be grown men, but he could still tell when they were up to something. "What's up?"
"Where's Carly?" Noah asked. "Doesn't she come over to visit you after work?"
"Not every day," he said, narrowing his eyes, "but she is stopping by today. Why?"
"We wanted to take you guys out for dinner tonight," Rhys chimed in.
"Why?" He growled.
"What do you mean, why?" Noah questioned.
"You guys just saw her last night. What do you want?"
"We don't want anything except to spend time with you guys. What's wrong with you?"
Fuck!
Noah was right. What the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't unusual for any of his sons to join him for dinner out of the blue, and this time they wanted to include Carly. They accepted that she was part of his life, and even though she'd joined them for the past two family dinners, they still wanted to spend time with her. He knewthat he should be ecstatic that his boys liked Carly so much, but he was in a grumpy mood, and for some reason their acceptance just pissed him off.
"I'm just in a grumpy mood," he said, shaking his head. "Dinner sounds great."
Ryker moved back under the hood of the truck, knowing that his boys would keep talking. He'd practically raised them in his shop, and it had always been this way between all of them. Even Hattie.
"Good, because we really like her," Rhys said.
"Yeah," Noah added. "Do you think she'll let us call her mom after you guys get mated?"
He could hear the teasing in his son's voice, but something inside him snapped. He left the truck, and turned to face them.
"We are not getting mated," he growled.
"What do you mean, you're not getting mated ? She's your mate, isn't she? Why wouldn't you mark her?"
"Carly and I are just having fun?—,"
"Dad—,"
"No, you both need to understand this," he said, raising his voice. "I'm glad you guys like her, but this thing between us is just temporary, and I'm never getting mated again."
"Dad!"
The humor on both of their faces was gone, and they were both looking at him with a mix of shock and worry.The visual was so at odds with their usual smiling faces, that it took him a minute to realize someone else was in the room.
Carly!
He turned toward the door, and saw his mate standing there. Her hair was up in the usual messy bun she wore to work, or to paint, and she still had on her favorite light blue coat. Her hands were holding a familiar white box, letting him know that she'd stopped at the bakery on her way over, but her eyes were sad, proving that she'd heard most of what he'd said.
Fuck!
"Carly, I?—,"
"Well," she said, setting the box down on the stool next to her. "I guess that's my cue to go."
She turned and left without another word, and for a moment, he couldn't move. She was everything he'd ever wanted, and he was going to lose her because he was an idiot. Yes, he'd made mistakes in the past—and paid for them—but Carly wasn't his ex. She was his true mate, and he needed to get over himself and start treating her the way she deserved.
And part of what she deserved was a mating bond. Not because it was what he or his bear wanted, but because it was the deepest connection a shifter could have with anyone, and they both deserved to have that happiness.
He dropped the wrench he was holding and raced out of the shop. She'd parked across the street, and had just reached the driver's side door when he called her name.
"Carly!"
She reached for the door, but then paused and brushed a hand across her face before turning to face him. He caught up to her a second later, and the tears pooling in her eyes shook him to his core. His beautiful, strong mate was hurting, and it was all his fault.
"I'm sorry," he said. He wanted to touch her, but knew he couldn't. Even if his hands weren't covered in grease, he'd fucked up, and she wouldn't welcome his touch right now. "I didn't mean those things."
"Then why did you say them?"
"Because I'm an idiot. Please come back inside so we can talk. I'll explain everything."
"I can't," she shook her head. "Not right now, and maybe never. You're the one who said you wanted to be exclusive, but you've been holding back since that first night in the cave, and it's clear that we've been moving way too fast. You're obviously not ready for any kind of commitment, and I don't really do the whole just having fun thing.I think it's time for us to take a step back, and maybe even take a break."
No!
"We're not taking a break."He growled the words and took a small step closer. The only thing stopping him from kissing her was the fact that he was covered in grease, and he didn't want to ruin her outfit.
"We can talk about it later. On the phone. If you call, then I'll answer, but right now, I need some space."
He didn't want to give her space. He wanted to lift her over his shoulder and carry her to his cave, but he knew he couldn't. Not now. She wouldn't appreciateit—not even after he explained everything—and he hadresponsibilities that needed his attention. One of his customers just pulled in to pick up their car, and he still needed to finish the truck before the end of the day.
"You'd better go. A customer is waiting."
"The twins can handle it." But he did have other work to do, which was the only reason he was letting her leave. "I'll give you space, but this isn't over."
He took a step back, and she turned away and got in her SUV without another word. She started up the engine without looking at him, and only rolled down the window after he knocked on it. She looked at him then, but he almost wished she hadn't. The pools of unshed tears seemed bigger, and he hated the idea of her driving while crying.
"I'll be fine," she said, as if reading his mind. "I'm not an idiot."
"No, today I own that title."One corner of her mouth raised, but it wasn't a full-on smile, and the ache in his chest intensified."I'll call you later."
She nodded, and looked away, reaching for the button to roll up the window.
"Goodbye, Ryker."
The words drifted toward him on a whisper as the window was rolling up, and as he watched her drive away, the ache in his chest kept his feet planted on the asphalt until he could no longer see her car. Even though she'd said they could talk, her leaving felt too much like a final goodbye, and his bear roared beneath the surface.
"Dad?"
He turned to see Rhys leaning out of the shop's door, and after another quick look down the road, he walked back toward the shop even though working was the last thing he wanted to do. He had a customer waiting, and tons of other responsibilities, so he allowed those things to occupy his mind until he could talk to Carly again and try to fix the mess he'd created.
He just hoped she would answer the phone when he called.