Serena
A FEW MONTHS LATER…
The inhuman noises coming from Gavin’s office—even for a bear shifter—sounded like a cross between an animal being tortured and a human cursing up a storm.
In the hallway, I blew a kiss to the shadow box that held our handfasting string before I pushed the heavy wood door open with my hip.
“Hey.” I announced myself. Not that I needed to. There was no sneaking up on my mate thanks to his shifter senses, but he’d been distracted lately. I carefully placed his mug far from the mass of paperwork covering his immense desk.
The desk was a recent addition to our cabin, along with all my surviving furniture that withstood my big, burly bear shifter. His cousin Cy from his bear clan had handcrafted the desk, the damn thing nearly the size of a dining table.
I blushed at the memory of what we’d done on his actual table. He’d said I was the best meal he’d ever eaten on there. I shivered at the memory of his large hands on my thighs, pinning me down and open, exposed to him in the early morning light in the kitchen.
Usually I just had to think about those moments, and Gavin would be all over me, scenting my arousal.
He looked up at me now, and I smiled at him. His hair was rumpled and his eyes were tired. But the second they met mine, that cinnamon red-hots glint was back. A quick grin ghosted across his lips.
He was happy to see me, but whatever thorn stuck in his paw needed to come out. This wasn’t the first morning he’d left our bed after tossing and turning half the night.
I took a sip of my coffee. If he had a problem, he had to talk about it. That was our deal. In those moments, I told him what I wanted and needed, letting myself be open and vulnerable; he had to do the same. I waited him out.
He growled. “Reports.”
“Mmhmmm.”
“Paperwork.”
Uh oh. One-word answers. “I can see that.”
“This isn’t fire fighting.”
He growled again, the rumble in his chest deeper and louder than before. This one came from his bear. Both were frustrated.
I leaned forward and patted his chest. “It’s okay, big guy.”
Gavin grabbed my hand and held it to him, catching my eye. “Are you…patting me?”
“Yes?” The look in his eye filled me with anticipation. “You—your bear—seemed like he could use a little rub.”
“I’ve got something you could rub.”
I giggled. This was one of the many things I loved about my mate. He was still a grumpy, growly, rough mountain man. But the soft sides that peeked out, the humor and affection for his family were all the sweeter, because I knew he didn’t let them out often. Mostly for me.
I’d never tire of discovering Gavin.
“Talk to me,” I said.
He plucked my coffee out of my hand, and I scowled at him. Optimism was my default setting, but caffeine gave me a boost.
“Don’t worry, Sunshine. You’ll get your happy juice back.” He pulled me onto his lap, and wrapped an arm around my waist to anchor me there, then handed me my mug.
He gulped his own coffee and grunted a thanks.
“Talk,” I demanded.
“There’s just so much fucking paperwork. Staff reports, daily logs… I don’t know how the Chief did it. I’m not cut out—”
“Do not pull the dumb fireman card with me.” I knew how intelligent Gavin was. His entire crew. There was much more to forestry service and firefighting than just brute strength and fearlessness. They paid attention to the land and the plant life, monitoring more than smoke and flame.
“I can do it. I don’t like it.”
“So quit.”
He glared at me.
I laughed. “Kidding.” I knew he’d made some savvy investments in a family business, but he loved being a hotshot. It was in his blood.
“It’s tedious.” He gestured to the papers, his normally pristine piles spread across his desk. “The reports are ridiculous.”
“What are they for?”
“Suits in D.C. want numbers.”
“Not seeing the problem. Data is good.”
“You would think that, wouldn’t you?”
“I like big data sets and I cannot lie.” I held up my mug that read, ‘I’ve got a spreadsheet for that!’
“This isn’t fire fighting.” He waved a handful of papers, but his gaze snagged on the radio scanner on the corner of his desk.
“Ahhh. And a crew went out to monitor the fire near the Corbie ranch. You’re here and—“
“They’re out there.” Another growly rumble came from his chest.
“Is it me? Am I holding you—“
“No.” His eyes grew fierce. “I would do this a thousand times over to be with you.” He sighed.
“I’d already agreed to this role, before we mated, because the Chief was retiring—and the extra time I get with you instead of being gone for weeks or months is worth it—but hotshots fight fires, we clear debris, we dig firebreaks, and hike out and—”
“And receive a paycheck, and need gear, and aerial support, and tents and food.” I nodded. “Everything costs money. Data is how you prove it to the people who are too far removed to see all you do.”
“I’d like to see them out here, to know what it’s like to race a fire across a field, digging as hard as you can so it doesn’t rip through a family’s entire livelihood.”
“Everyone does their part. That’s what makes the world go around.” I smiled. “Your reports are the closest they’ll probably get. You guys go out and do what you do best.”
“Oh, Sunshine,” he smirked at me. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure it is.” I stuck out my tongue. “Or at least it should be. It could be.” I swung my leg a little, warming to the idea. “You could pretend that’s the way it is. Just for a little bit.”
He glowered at me.
“What if the reward for doing all this horrible paperwork was more…immediate?” I rocked a little on his lap, gratified by his growly response.
“What did you have in mind, mate?” He settled back in the massive leather office chair, another custom item from a shifter-owned company.
“Something you won’t find in any SOP manual,” I said, and began kissing along his hard jawline, scratching my nails through his beard, his full body shiver making my own nipples tighten. I would never tire of this man and the connection we shared.
He grabbed my wrist and put his mouth to mine. “You’re playing with fire.”
“I know.” I kissed him until the true dominant force in the room took over, and he held my face in his hands, moving me just the way he wanted.
My lips were puffy when I pulled back, panting. “For every report you finish, I’ll show you how proud I am of you—on my knees.”
“Serena,” he breathed my name. But our bond was all kinds of lit up, and I knew my mate was on board.
“Gavin,” I mocked back, loving the way his eyes narrowed at my sassy tone.
We’d been together for long enough that I’d begun to discover all the ways I could earn a punishment.
Which I did, as often as possible. I almost didn’t recognize myself some days.
Except every time we were together, I saw the love in Gavin’s eyes.
I could be naughty, but still my usual sunny self, a concept I was just beginning to embrace.
“On your knees, then, sunshine.”
I hopped up and clapped, happy he’d taken me up on my offer—totally forgetting I was supposed to be playing the part of seductress—to reward my man for a job well done. I shivered at the idea of doing a great job on him.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” A faint smile hovered on his lips with the question, but the look in his eyes was one of awe.
“Yes, I do. And I love you, Gavin.” I kissed him, this time with the same passion as before, but putting my soul into each tender kiss, each soft lick along his lips.
I had never felt such love in my entire life.
It surrounded me, just like the first time, a golden glow of warmth filling my heart and soul with love and belonging.
I didn’t just feel happy to have found my soul mate.
Gavin had a way of making me feel seen and loved.
I sank to my knees in front of him. I reached for his zipper, but he beat me to it.
“A few rules, Serena.” He gave me that serious, growly look that always made my pussy clench. “If you make me come before I complete this report, you’ll pay the price for distracting me.”
I bit my lip, attempting to keep up the charade, but really, either way I won.
“No hands.”
Oh my god. He was too big to go hands-free.
“And no touching your pussy until I say so.”
I pouted.
“I love that look on your face. Almost as much as I love to see those red, puffy lips on my cock,” he growled.
He pulled himself completely out of his jeans, and I swallowed. He wasn’t even totally hard yet, but a drop of pre-cum beaded at the tip showed how much this little game turned him on.
I licked my lips, and leaned forward. I started with a few small licks, as he gritted his teeth and returned to filling out the reports.
Every so often he would mutter “fuck me, fuck me” as his hips bucked his length deeper into my mouth.
I swirled my mouth around the head, as he’d taught me, before sliding him further back into my throat the way I knew he liked it.
But this was the first time I’d used only my mouth, without the aid of my hands to control the depth of his thrusts. I was a teensy bit scared of doing this right.
“Fuck, Serena, your mouth is so hot, so perfect.”
I would have beamed at the compliment if my mouth wasn’t so stuffed full of cock.
I wanted him to be happy and to get the reports out of the way, but the noises he was making, and the salty-musky taste of him made me want more. But I couldn’t use my hands on him, or myself…he didn’t say anything about boobs.
I untied the bow at the top of my cami, the soft sleep-material giving way easily as I pulled the neckline under my full breasts. I never changed my pace, just continued to suck and lick, getting just a little sloppier with each bob of my head, increasing the pressure.
Pushing my breasts together, I released his big cock with an audible ‘pop’, anticipating his reaction.