Bear to the Rescue (Bear Claw Security Book 3) Page 13

  As they walked out, they passed men with various bolts sticking out of them, the work of Hercules and Limes, who apparently had been content to play with their food. Hercules hated killing and liked that his bows could put people down without blasting them apart.

  Bronson sighed and stepped over the groaning men who would probably regain consciousness soon.

  As they got outside, he saw that Limes had brought his truck, and Hercules was pulling him toward it.

  He looked down the hill and saw his Charger parked off the side. Regan must have brought it. He pushed off of Hercules slightly, long enough to take off his shirt, and Limes gave him a weird look.

  “Strip show?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You still drugged?”

  “For Regan, dumbass,” Bronson said, holding it out to Hercules. “Can you take it to her?”

  He heard his brother laughing in the background but let Limes help him into the truck as Hercules went to Regan.

  “And turn around while she shifts!” he shouted, not that he needed to. Herc would be a gentleman.

  He looked for his brother, who walked up. “Where’s Michelle?”

  “In the bed of the truck. Tied down, in bear form.”

  “Good,” Bronson muttered. “Can you drive back with Regan?”

  “You trust me?” Mark asked, looking taken aback.

  “You’re my brother, right?”

  Mark bit his lip and looked away. “Of course.” He took a step back, shoving his hands into his suit pockets. “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”

  “Hey, you might make a good bodyguard someday,” Bronson said.

  Mark flashed a crooked grin at him. “Know of any openings?”

  Bronson felt something light up inside him. Work with his brother? “Hell yes.”

  “Good,” Mark said. “Because after this, I’m done with Dad.”

  Bronson nodded, looking over to see Regan had shifted and changed into his shirt, and Hercules was turned away, a blush on his face just at the situation in general.

  The next second, Regan darted out from behind him and ran over to the truck. “I’m going with you,” she said.

  “There’s no room in the truck,” he said. “You won’t be comfortable.”

  “I’m going with you,” she said again.

  Limes laughed. “I saw what happened to the last bear who pissed her off. No way I’m telling her no.”

  Mark laughed and took Bronson’s keys. “I’ll get your car home. You hug your mate. If I had a woman that would scale a building to rescue me, I’d never let go.”

  Bronson laughed and hugged Regan close as she let out a little growl.

  “What were you doing just lunging in like that?” he asked, still amazed.

  “What were you doing running off to get kidnapped?” she asked, shaking her head as her hand found his chest. Luckily, his shirt was giant on her, enough to function as a dress. Still, he put his arms around her, shielding her from view.

  “All right, lovebirds,” Limes said, shutting the door to the cab and waiting for Mark to pull out and Hercules to get in the passenger side. “Let’s get out of here safe before you start mushing all over me.”

  “You wish,” Bronson said.

  Limes snorted. “Well, you did look pretty sexy tied to that bed.”

  Bronson opened his mouth to retort, but Regan giggled. “Yeah, a bit.”

  He shut his mouth and sat back, content to just hold her, no matter what jabs Limes threw his way.

  “I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion,” she said quietly, holding his hand as the truck pulled out over bumping forest road.

  “It’s fine,” he said. “Everyone would have. I’m sorry I freaked out.”

  “It’s fine. It’s been tough on you, too,” she said.

  “Okay, so truce?” he asked, extending a pinky.

  “Truce,” she said. “If you mate me.”

  “Really?” he asked, his eyes widening as her jade irises avoided his.

  “Yes,” she said, finally looking up at him. She sighed. “After all, if I wait, another she-bear might take you.” She ran a finger over his chest. “You are pretty sexy.”

  Bronson let out a booming laugh and tickled her side, making her screech in protest. Then he just sat back with her in his arms, stroking her curls and thinking maybe everything he’d been through was worth it if it ended with being with her.

  * * *

  Limes and Hercules dropped Bronson off with Regan at his house and went back to take Michelle to the regional shifter authorities, who would know what to do from there. Different species answered to different tribunals, but all were overseen by the dragons, who worked in pairs to deal with those who went above and beyond in the “bad” category.

  Bronson was just relieved to be home with his mate. Soon-to-be mate.

  The tranquilizer they’d used on him was finally wearing off all the way, and now that they were alone, he could fully feel the excitement of Regan finally agreeing to be his. What a journey it had been.

  She was still wearing his shirt, though she walked ahead of him into the bedroom to put on some of her own clothing.

  If he didn’t know they both needed food and a rest, he’d have told her not to bother. After all, he was going to strip everything off of her soon enough anyway.

  He grinned to himself, rubbing his wrists where they’d been chained as he looked up to see her coming out of the bedroom in soft-blue, plaid pajama pants and a blue tee. She looked nervous, one arm straight at her side, the other crossing her body to hold her elbow, and she cocked her head as she appraised his position at the counter.

  “You hungry?” he asked.

  She nodded, green eyes glowing softly. “You bet.”

  He smiled and pushed himself up, but she put a hand out and crossed in front of him over the fridge.

  “I got it this time,” she said. “You rest.”

  “I can still—”

  She gave him a smirk. “You’re going to need your energy.

  Damn.

  He sat back on the chair, allowing himself to relax. They were both safe. They’d eliminated the main danger, and if anyone else came after her for her hacking, he’d be by her side all the time, watching out for her.

  “So you’re going to bring your brother into the business?” she asked as she pulled a plate of leftover pancakes from the fridge and began heating them.

  “Yeah,” he replied. “If nothing else, he can help with the business end. But since he has my size, he should be an excellent prospect for bodyguarding.”

  “It’s really weird seeing someone who looks so much like you,” she said, shaking her head. “At the same time, as soon as I saw him in person, I could see the differences in demeanor. The way you hold your faces.” She shrugged. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t handle it better,” he said. “I guess seeing her just brought a bunch of things back, and I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “Well, that and I was torturing your bear with my lack of commitment,” she said, handing him a plate along with butter and syrup for him to use as he wished. She pulled a yogurt out of the fridge and ate that instead.

  “That you were,” he said. “You definitely don’t make it easy.”

  She nodded. “Not on myself, either.” She licked the yogurt spoon in a way that made him twitch. “I think I knew you were my mate on a subconscious level long before I admitted it on a conscious one. That’s probably why I gave you such a hard time.” She put aside her yogurt. “You know, it’s funny. Sometimes you have this perfect plan for your life, and it just doesn’t go that way at all.”

  He reached over the counter and took her hand, pulling her around to sit on his lap so he could wrap his arms around her. The pancakes still smelled amazing, but she smelled even better.

  He rested his nose in her short curls and sighed.

  “Stop that,” she said, giggling. “You need to eat.”

  �
�I need you,” he said. “I can eat later.”

  She looked up into his eyes seriously. “You’ve been through a lot. Are you sure you want to do it now?”

  “I thought you insisted,” he said, narrowing his eyes, hoping she wasn’t going back out on what she’d promised.

  “Of course,” she said. “I can hardly wait. But once we got home and I thought about what you’ve really dealt with so far today, I didn’t know if it would be right. I mean, that woman…”

  He tilted up her chin, bringing her lips closer to his. “Erase her,” he said. “If she was close, then get closer.”

  She pressed her lips together. “I wanted to kill her.”

  “I know the feeling,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to kill the guys after you for a while now.” He ran a hand over her short curls and behind her ear, grinning as he felt her body tense slightly, a small smile at the corners of her lips.

  He was already learning just how and where she liked to be touched.

  “You know, once we’re mated, I’m going to be even more overprotective,” he said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight without a damn good reason.”

  “I guess I’m good with that,” she said with a shrug. “I think I’ve had enough alone time to last a lifetime. As long as you let me work.”

  “Of course,” he said. “I know how important it is.”

  “Good,” she said. “Hey, now that there’s no one following us—at least that we know of—can you show me the backyard? I keep seeing you look toward those windows, but you’ve never taken me back there.”

  His eyes widened. Of course. In fact, that was the perfect place to take her before he claimed her. He took her hand, helped her off his lap, and then tugged her toward the back door.

  “I was probably overdoing it,” he said. “I mean, there’s a tall fence all around the property and no houses overlooking mine. But I just didn’t want to give anyone a chance in case they had a weapon or something. Call me paranoid.”

  She nodded. “I get it. But you think it’s safe now?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “The guys working for her will scatter now that she’s in custody. They’re hired hands. Without her to pay, they’ll find the next employer. And the online trolls? I doubt they would know where to find you.”

  “I haven’t had any email threats lately,” she said. “So since it wasn’t them stalking me in person, I think we can pretty much write them off at this point.”

  “Good,” he said, opening the door to the back and pushing her gently through.

  She gasped as she walked down the three steps to the patio and took a long look around. “It’s beautiful.”

  The backyard had a white fence with tall trees all around it, making it feel even more isolated. There was a little pagoda to the side of one of the groves of trees. The grass was lush, green, and well kept, and there were several small sections of flowers and smaller plants growing in front of the trees.

  Regan let out a happy sigh as she took it all in.

  “I wanted it to be a sanctuary,” he said. “For me and my mate, so we could have quiet time whenever we came here after a long day of work. After all, I’m always going to be in this business. I can’t seem to stop rescuing people.”

  She grinned up at him, squeezing his hand. It was amazing how much her walls had come down, allowing him to truly see the warm, kind woman on the other side. “I guess I should be grateful for that, since it was your insistence on white-knighting that made us hook up in the first place.”

  “That wasn’t my goal, but yeah. I’m glad it happened the way it did.”

  “Even the kidnapping?”

  “Hey,” he said, “I probably would have been caught by her at some point anyway. At least this way, I had a rescuer.”

  “I’ll rescue you any day,” she said, reaching up to touch his face.

  He laughed. “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I think I’ll need to rescue you about five times before I get over being the damsel in distress.”

  She laughed and looked out at the yard. “Can we go to the gazebo? I’ve never been in one.”

  He pulled her forward, loving the feel of her hand in his and the knowledge that he never had to let go if he didn’t want to. “Of course. Anything you want.” And he really meant it. He couldn’t believe this woman was going to be his mate.

  They crossed the yard hand in hand, and when they reached the pagoda, she stepped up into it and took a seat on one of the lush, oversized lawn chairs he’d put inside. He’d wanted a gazebo big enough for both him and his mate to rest inside and just listen to the birds and watch the shade move across the lawn, fresh air all around.

  She leaned back on the lawn chair and put her hands over her head. “Ahh, that’s nice.”

  He took a seat on the chair next to her, watching her for a moment, curves outlined in the beautiful evening light streaming through the gazebo as the sun moved over the trees. “Yeah, it is nice.”

  She looked up at him just as he reached over and touched a button that adjusted her chair to a flat position. Her eyes widened and then softened as he came over her, sitting on the side of her chair and resting a hand on either side of her. Luckily, he’d bought chairs that were big enough to hold the weight of two if needed.

  He couldn’t think of a better way to claim her than here with the sun setting over the trees and the country breeze blowing around them, lifting her little black curls slightly.

  She gazed up at him tenderly and reached for the hem of her shirt. He helped her take it off and started to undo the buttons of his. Her impatient fingers helped, stripping him bare.

  When her hands stroked over his chest and squeezed lightly on his pecs, he exhaled harshly and came forward to claim her lips with a kiss that promised forever.

  Her hand found the back of his neck as they kissed, and he lost himself to the feeling of being so close to her.

  “Regan,” he murmured against her lips. “If I don’t claim you, I’m going to break.”

  She just laughed.

  Chapter 16

  Regan loved the feeling of being there with her big, brawny bear. His tanned, perfect body was partially bared to her, golden in the waning sun. It was the perfect temperature outside, just completely beautiful all around, and she was glad he’d initiated their claiming out here because she couldn’t think of a better place to be one with him.

  All the fear she’d felt was gone. It was like the moment you dip over the edge of a coaster and fall into the most fun ride of your life, all the anticipation and fear far behind you in the past.

  She kissed him deeply, her hand grazing the stubble on his jaw as her other hand wrapped his thick neck. He opened deeper and his tongue swept in to claim hers, reminding her, even though he’d been helpless and tied to a bed earlier that day, he was all man and preferred to hold his own in the bedroom.

  Still, one day, she might ask if she could see him tied up again. It’d be kinda hot without creeper in the picture.

  She clenched her legs together as the ache there increased while Bronson kissed her just the way she wanted him to. He knew just how to swipe deep inside, filling her, thrilling her, as his hands supported her waist and back, his large body pressing close to her. He slowly pressed her back into the soft cushions of the chaise and kept kissing her as her head hit the pillow. Then she felt him straddle her—there was just enough room on either side of her thighs on the oversized lounger—as his kiss became even more heated and his hands found her breasts, giving them a firm, possessive squeeze.

  The feel of his taut thighs surrounding her, his rough hands holding her, and his tongue caressing her was already enough to put her close to the edge. But the ache, the need inside her said only one thing would satisfy her at this moment. She pulled back from the kiss, gasping, and he immediately moved to her neck, placing love bites there that made her arch against him, trapped by his hips.

  She squirmed at the sensations building inside her as his hands roughly cupped her brea
sts again and his hips ground into her, taunting her with the feel of his hard length trapped behind his zipper.

  She groaned and reached for him, feeling his outline and aching for him to fill her in the place that was so hungry for him. She couldn’t wait to see how he felt with nothing between them.

  He growled and looked down at her, handsome face feral and taut, ocean-blue eyes glowing, long lashes lowered as he looked over her like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, from head to toe.

  His long perusal only made her wetter.

  Every single encounter between them felt like magic. But there was something more there, too, that got better every time. A closeness, a tenderness that was there despite the intensity or the roughness or the passion of the lovemaking.

  She reached for his zipper and tugged it down, and he stood and stepped out of his pants. She let out a low whistle as he dropped his briefs as well, letting his giant member spring free.

  He jerked off her pajama pants with one smooth movement and then pulled off her panties in the next. Then he leaned forward, pressing a kiss on her that made her jump slightly. She was already so aching and wet for him; he didn’t need to tease her anymore.

  He knelt over her once more, and she stared at him, memorizing the moment in her mind. He was all hers, from this moment on. Nothing between them.

  She caught her breath, wondering what the actual mating was like. But then she realized it didn’t matter because as long as this man was hers for the rest of their lives, she would be fine with however that had to happen.

  “Bronson, I love you.”

  He spread her legs, eyes moving over her hungrily. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  Then he plunged into her, and she relaxed into it, hoping to ease the fit that had been so tight inside her. This time was more comfortable, which just meant the time it took to change from tension to pleasure was that much faster.

  She gasped as she could already feel something building inside her before he even started to move.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, pressing in deep, making her feel filled to the top of her head in the most pleasurable way. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, her fingers and toes trembling in anticipation. He withdrew, and she felt empty until he pushed all the way in again, stretching her in every way as she put a fist up to her mouth and bit it.