The Bear Project Read online

  He dipped his head and kissed her, and the world tilted a little more when he broke the kiss and ran his tongue along her jaw and down to her pulse point. He inhaled deeply, and his bear's growl trembled through her. The vibrations settled deep in her clit, and she couldn't help but sniff him, too.

  He just smelled so damn good. She could feel his smile in response, as he kissed a path down toward her breasts. His cock twitched against her, yet still he held himself just off her, and try as she might he gave her no wriggle room.

  "Please … Cole, I want you."

  "Sugar, hold still. As much as I want to sink my cock balls deep into your sweet cunt, I can't. My bear will claim you, if I do, and I don't think you're ready for that."

  His voice had dropped an octave, and he sounded as though he was in pain. Her heart squeezed inside her chest, and she gave into instinct and licked his neck. The very essence of hot sweaty male exploded on her tongue, and Cole went rigid.

  "I don't care. Please, I need you. I want you inside of me now. I don't care about any of that. Just do what you need to do, I—"

  Cole moved so fast that Emmi never saw it coming. One minute she was under him, a quivering mass of feminine need the next she was on her knees with his hard arm around her waist, and his whole body draped over her. Excitement coursed through her veins when he rubbed his stubble roughened cheek across her shoulder blades.

  "I'm going to take you so hard, sugar. Tell me you're protected, baby."

  "I … I am yes, I … oh…"

  Any coherent thought fled her brain when Cole pushed into her in one hard thrust. She was so wet and ready for him, that he slid right in until he was seated to the hilt, and Emmi could barely breathe. He was big, almost too big, and her body struggled to accept all of him. Tears sprang into Emmi's eyes, and she groaned at the pleasure/pain assaulting her. He held himself still inside her, giving her room to adjust whilst he trailed kissed along her neck and shoulders, and murmured to her.

  "That's it, sugar. Fuck, you're so incredibly tight. Your cunt feels like a velvet glove around my dick. I'm not going to last long at this rate."

  His hot breath puffed along her sweat slicked skin and left gooseflesh in its wake, and then he pulled out slowly and thrust back in again. The pain fled until there was only pleasure, so intense and all-consuming that Emmi struggled to draw any breath at all. She locked her arms and pushed against him, taking him deeper with every thrust. The bed creaked and the air filled with their heavy breaths and the wet sounds of their coupling, yet Emmi could only feel. Another orgasm built in record time until she teetered on the edge pleading with Cole.

  "Harder, please, I need. Oh God … yes … yes.”

  Cole swore and thrust faster still, setting her on fire. His claws ran out and sliced through the bedcovers, and then just as she was about to tumble over into bliss, he bit her.

  The white hot pain morphed into the most exquisite pleasure. It rippled through her veins like an avalanche of lust, love, and sunshine all rolled into one until it all centered in her clit, and the most intense orgasm Emmi had ever experienced burst from her.

  Wave after wave of hot lava rolled over her body as it shook in the throes of her release, and Cole grunted his own climax. Heat bathed her insides, and Emmi came again screaming his name, just like he'd said she would.

  Chapter Four

  When the world stopped spinning and her heart ceased trying to beat its way out of her chest, Emmi found herself lying face down on the bed, completely surrounded by Cole. His semi hard dick nestled against her ass cheeks and hardened further when she wriggled against him.

  "Minx, stop doing that. You're not up for the next round yet." Cole's amused tones washed over her, and she shivered when he licked the spot on her shoulder where he'd bitten her moments ago.

  He propped himself up on one arm until he could scan her face, and the concern she read in his eyes, gave her a warm glow of happiness inside. By rights she ought to be screaming right now. He'd bitten her, for fuck's sake, and she'd let him, had practically begged for his cock like a demented woman, but, heaven help her, she didn't regret it for one minute. In fact, her body readied itself even now for another round. Her breasts grew heavy, her nipples firmed, and she grew wet again, even as his seed still trickled out of her.

  She reached up to touch his bite mark, and his expression darkened. His eyes bled to his bear's, and her stomach hollowed out at the fierce determination on his face. Illuminated only by the light of the full moon shining in through the window above his bed he looked every inch a savage animal, and when he smiled she could see the teeth of his bear.

  Emmi could almost see his bear prowling under his skin.

  "I shouldn't have done that, sugar, but I couldn't stop myself, and I sure as fuck don't regret it. You're mine now, and every shifter and Were around will know that. No one messes with what's mine, Emmi. I'll keep you safe, always."

  The sincere words settled perilously close to her heart, and she turned around to face him fully.

  "Do you really mean that?"

  She couldn't help the huge grin that spilled from her at his simple nod.

  "Why? You don't know me, not really?" she said.

  Cole nuzzled her neck in answer and licked her wound again, taking away the last remnants of pain, and she trailed her hands over his chest. Soft skin met her tentative exploration, and as though he sensed her need, Cole rolled onto his back to give her better access.

  He watched her from under hooded lids, his increased breathing and the muscle twitching in his jaw the only outward signs how much it cost him to hold still. His cock reared up and he groaned, and a drop of pre-cum coated his slit, when she let her fingers trail down toward his thick shaft. Velvet-covered steel it called her to taste, and Cole growled low in his throat when she scooted down and licked that drop of moisture away.

  Spicy and salty, his essence coated her tongue, and she bit back a moan when he grabbed her hips and lifted her until she straddled him. His hot breath blew against her wet slit, and Emmi gasped.

  "Cole."

  "Yes, sugar?"

  "I … I…"

  Cole licked along her pussy and spread her ass cheeks to give his tongue access to her little puckered hole, and Emmi froze when he licked around it.

  Again and again he repeated the process until Emmi was once again just a mass of quivering nerve endings, and the evidence of her arousal trickled down the inside of her thighs.

  "Hmm, I love the way you taste. I could eat you out all night." Cole's grumbled words into her swollen pussy set her on fire, and she cupped his cock and balls, determined to pay him back.

  His musk called her, and she closed her eyes and took as much of him as she could into her mouth. Cole swore under his breath, and his hips surged upwards, causing her to gag, as his thick head hit the back of her throat repeatedly.

  He stepped up his assault on her quivering cunt at the same time, and Emmi saw stars. The more he pushed her toward another mind blowing release the faster she suckled, and he fucked her mouth with his cock as his mouth and lips fucked her cunt.

  He came before her, with a growl loud enough to shake the caravan, and the vibrations against her clit send her, too, tumbling into bliss, as she swallowed jet after jet of his delicious cum.

  Emmi collapsed on top of him, a boneless mass of thoroughly fucked woman, and his chuckles against her core elicited no more than a distant moan from her. He picked her up, settled her into the crook of his arm and kissed her nose.

  "I could keep this up all night, sugar, but you need your rest."

  She shook her head, but she couldn't stop the yawn that escaped her, and Cole laughed. It was a deep belly laugh that shook the bed, and happiness popped inside her like bubbles of fizzy drink, until she couldn't stop grinning at him.

  He licked her wound again and then grew serious.

  "We need to talk about what that means, but it can wait until morning. Rest now, sugar."

  There was so
mething else she was going to say, something important, but exhaustion claimed her before she could voice it. Emmi simply gave in to temptation and snuggled into his incredible warmth. Like her very own electric blanket his heat and strength surrounded her, and even the distant howl of a wolf didn't pull her out of that happy place. Emmi drifted off to sleep with Cole's steady heartbeat under her ear.

  ****

  Cole held his precious bundle and simply watched her sleep. Her soft snores filled the room and all the empty spaces in his heart he'd never thought to fill. Seeing his bite on her filled him with pride, and his bear huffed his approval. He inhaled deeply and smelled himself mixed in with the sweet scent that was all his Emmi. His chest swelled, and his heart beat faster at the realization that she was truly his. Come what may, she was his mate now, and there was no going back for him—ever.

  He meant what he'd said. He would gladly die for her, and he would do everything in his power to keep her with him until his involvement in Creak Fells was concluded. Then he could reveal who he really was.

  The thought of how they could fill their nights made him smile, and he pulled her closer into him. Taking a deep pull of her intoxicating scent into his lungs he shut his eyes and allowed himself to sleep.

  Morning came all too soon, and Cole instinctively tightened his hold on the female in his arms when Emmi tried to pull away. He grunted his annoyance and propped one eye open. The sight of a deliciously sleep rumpled Emmi brought him instantly to full wakefulness. With her hair a delightful mess and clutching the sheet to her bosom as though her life depended on it, she looked good enough to eat. His bear panted his agreement with that suggestion, content to have his mate in arm's reach.

  She didn't look at him, however, and heat rose in her cheeks, as she looked around the caravan.

  Cole inwardly winced at the state of the place. In an effort to fit in and live up to the persona he was portraying the place looked in a far worse state than he would normally keep his living conditions. Cigarette butts and empty beer cans littered the floor, and dirty washing piled up in one corner. He really needed to make a trip to the launderette.

  Emmi's lips turned down as she looked around, and she pulled away from him slightly. The tiniest of movements, yet her disapproval hit him square in the gut.

  When she finally looked at him, he could almost see the walls going up around her. Damn it, he should have just grabbed her and fucked her silly, as had been his first notion.

  She fidgeted, and heat rose in her cheeks when he noticed.

  "The bathroom is through there, sugar. It's tiny, and I prefer to go outside, but it's clean and it works."

  She breathed a seeming sigh of relief and tried to scoot off the bed whilst holding the sheet to herself, but Cole's bear was having none of that, and neither was Cole. He held firm onto the sheet, and after several seconds of a silent tug of war, during which Emmi swore under her breath, she finally gave up and glared at him.

  "Sugar, I've already seen you naked, and I love your curves. There's no heed to hide from me. You're beautiful."

  ****

  His reverent tones settled on her like a physical caress, and some of her embarrassment fled. In the bright light of day, all the things she let him to do her seemed downright dirty. Careful as to where she placed her bare feet, Emmi negotiated the little clean floor space there was and made her way to the toilet. Much to her surprise and true to his word it was clean, if tiny, and the urgent demands of her body taken care of she just sat there, head in hands for a while.

  How on earth did she end up in this situation? She was in the middle of nowhere with a man who could shift into a huge grizzly bear, surrounded by more of his kind, and others, who apparently wanted her harm. He'd sworn to protect her, had given her the most awesome sex she'd ever experienced, and she didn't know a thing about him, other than this completely unreasonable attraction she felt for him. He just had to look at her, and she melted. His voice turned her insides to mush, and his scent … Lord, if she could bottle that, she'd make a fortune.

  He was altogether too male, too virile, too dangerous, and she just had to get away from him. She couldn't stay with a drifter, for that was clearly who he was, and besides her job, her life, was back in England. Emmi wouldn't throw that away for any man. No sex was that good, no attraction so strong it was worth risking everything for. His bite marked throbbed as if to remind her that she'd already risked far too much. Why on earth had she let them do that, and what did it mean for her?

  She didn't feel any different, and surely if she was to turn into some freak then she would feel something?

  A knock on the door had her scrambling to her feet with such speed the room spun.

  "Are you all right in there, sugar?"

  The door creaked open, and Emmi made a grab for the hand towel by the sink in an effort to cover up. She smiled grimly at her stupidity. As he so rightly pointed out he'd already seen it all.

  "I'm fine," she said. "I'll be out in a minute."

  The door opened a little more, and his tanned hand appeared, holding a toothbrush still in its packaging. Emmi stared at it as though she'd never seen one before, and Cole chuckled.

  "I thought you might want to freshen up. The shower in there works, but I would suggest the pool. That's where I'm heading now, and then I'll rustle us up something to eat. You must be hungry."

  She hadn't been, not really, her stomach too much in knots to realize she hadn't eaten in hours. Right on cue it rumbled, and she could hear Cole's smile in his next words.

  "Are you going to take this toothbrush? Dental hygiene is important you know." He waved the offending item about, and she stepped forward to take it. Their fingers brushed, and a rush of heat enveloped her from the simple contact, and she almost dropped the damn thing.

  "Toothpaste is on the window ledge, and I'm leaving you a towel out here, plus one of my shirts to wear. It should do for a dress of sorts. I figured you'd want to wear something clean after you freshened up, and I think it would be best if you did cover up. We need to talk, not fuck." He inhaled sharply. The fine hair on her body rose in response, and much to her dismay she grew wet again. This was ridiculous. The man was just talking to her, and she was ready to jump him again.

  An animalistic groan carried through the door, and Emmi squeezed her thighs together to relieve the instant throbbing in her clit.

  "I'll be in the pool if you need me." His voice had dropped an octave, and then a door opened and shut and she was on her own. With a sigh, Emmi took care of business, and when she cautiously opened the door to the living area she was surprised to see that he'd tidied up. The windows were open letting in the crisp mountain air, and just like he promised there on a chair was a towel and one of his shirts. She lifted it and sniffed. She couldn't help it. She had to check, but just as he'd promised, it was clean. The unmistakable aroma of washing powder hit her nose and the scent that was all him. It clung to the fabric and meant she caressed the plaid shirt before she realized what she was doing.

  Oh, she was turning into a complete sap! A splash carried in from the outside and called her attention. Emmi wrapped the towel around herself, and she stepped up to the window just in time to see him emerge from the natural pool she'd noticed earlier. His muscles bunched and released, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of him naked. Even flaccid as he was now, his cock looked incredibly long and thick, and her pussy clenched in helpless need at the remembered feel of him inside her. The man was huge all over, and yet he moved with an easy elegance that belied his massive frame.

  He shook himself much as he would in his bear form, and droplets of water flew off him. He picked up a pair of worn jeans that he'd left on the rocks at the side and pulled them onto his long legs. The fact that he didn't bother with underwear did strange things to her insides, and she stepped closer to the window for a better look. The jeans fitted his ass like a second skin and stretched over his muscular thighs as he straightened up. Cole left the top butt
on undone, which meant they rode dangerously low on his lean hips. She knew the minute he clocked her watching him, because his head went up and he sniffed the air, and then he turned round slowly and smiled at her.

  In the bright sunlight she could see the faint scars marring his otherwise perfect skin, and a shiver of unease went down her spine at the reminder of his true nature. No doubt he got into a lot of fights. The fact that she wasn't scared of him, but rather for him, made her heart stutter to a stop in her too tight chest.

  She couldn't be falling for him, could she? This was lust, that's all, and all due to the fact that she hadn't been laid in far too long before he approached her.

  One simply did not fall in love that quickly. It was absurd to even consider the notion. No, she was simply scratching an itch, and what she needed to do was fuck him silly and get him out of her system.

  With that thought in mind she let her towel drop slightly and made her way toward him.

  Chapter Five

  Cole's mouth went dry seeing her sashay toward him. The knot on her towel did not look secure at all, and she made no move to hold onto it as she approached. His bear growled, and his dick hardened instantly. She smiled up at him when she got close enough to touch, and the tentative hand she put on his chest branded him. He sucked in a breath at the contact, and all his previous resolve to keep his hands off of her dissolved in an instant.

  She was wet for him, and more than that, there was no mistaking the open invitation in her moss green eyes, confirmed by her breathy voice.

  "I thought I'd take you up on the pool. It looks far more inviting than the shower in there." She glanced across at his caravan and let the towel drop to her feet.

  "Sugar, you're killing me here." He ground the words out through gritted teeth and bunched his hands into fists to stop from reaching out to her.

  Emmi approached the pool, and before he could warn her to be careful of the slippery rocks, she stepped into the water and her foot slid from under her. Emmi gasped, and she would have fallen had his fast reflexes not kicked in. He grabbed her round the waist and steadied her. The move splashed water everywhere, and her naked ass made contact with his groin.