Lynn eased her eyes open, but the room was as dark as it had been behind her eyelids. Where was she? The scent of sawdust, her sheets, and Jathan eased her confusion. His hand was resting on her waist, big and strong and warm. And then she remembered the fight. She’d disappeared.

“Are you back?” he asked in a sleep-filled, rumbling voice.

“How long was I gone?”

The mattress sank behind her and the sheets ripped off her legs as he rolled over to check the alarm clock. “Six hours. That was a long one.”

“At least I didn’t Change and try to murder people. Bright side.”

Jathan chuckled, slid his hand back over her waist, and pulled her against his chest. He plucked at the back of her neck with little, biting kisses. “I packed your things,” he murmured against her skin. “I didn’t understand, but I read your letter. And I think you’re right. You went from being dependent on your parents, to dependent on Brody, to dependent on Greyson and Barret, to depending on me. As much as I don’t want you to go, I understand why you have to.”

“I’m sorry—”

“Shhh. I’m not mad. I’m proud of you.” He rolled his hips against her, and his erection pressed against her spine, causing her to arch back on instinct. “You’re so fucking sexy when I see that fight in you, Lynn. When I see you pushing to be better.” Another roll of his hips. “Badass looks good on you.”

A purr rattled up her throat as she reached behind her and clutched onto his bare thigh. “Wait.” She frowned. “Am I naked?”

“You’re welcome. It’s hot as fuck in here. I don’t know how you sleep with any clothes on.”

She giggled and wiggled back closer to him. “So, you didn’t undress me while I was checked out because you’re a perv?”

“Well yeah, I’m a perv too, but mostly it was for un-selfish reasons. You need central air, or at least a damn window unit. Sleeping with the window open isn’t cutting it, and there’s this single damn mosquito that’s been buzzing around my head all night. It took all my inner strength not to take you to my trailer so it doesn’t feel like I’m sleeping in a bonfire, but me dragging your limp body around the trailer park would look suspicious. Plus, I’ve seen you naked like four thousand times this month. You Changed so much, you are basically a nudist. Also, I didn’t figure you would mind me undressing you on account of me putting my pecker in you yesterday.”

She gave a belly laugh as he pressed his lips to her neck again. His hands were gentle, then rough, gentle, then rough. Soft touches on her hips, her breasts, her belly, and then a hard grip on one hip, and he slammed his body against hers. His touch trailed fire across her skin. Up her ribs to her breasts where he cupped and squeezed as he pulled her against him even harder.

What was he waiting for? She was ready right now, but time and time again, he got rough on her skin, then eased back and touched her soft again. She bowed her back, pleading silently, but he didn’t push into her. “Jathan, please.”

“Impatient,” he accused, and then clamped his teeth on the back of her neck like he was punishing her. This was a punishment she could get on board with, though. She froze and moaned as he bit down harder. Rough, dominant man. Did he even realize how much control he had over Monster? She was writhing inside of Lynn. In her mind’s eye, Monster was rubbing against her mate’s leg. He was making her completely devoted with a touch. Good Bear.

Rough, soft…rough, soft.

She lifted one leg and eased her ankle back over his knee, spreading her legs for him. He eased back just a little, and when he rocked his hips against her this time, the head of his cock was right there, swollen, pushing into her easy because she was so ready.

Jathan pulled out, but she chased him. “Deeper,” she whispered.

A soft growl rattled through his chest and vibrated against her back. He slid his hand around her hip, down her leg, to her inner thigh and yanked her legs open wider with a firm grasp, his fingers digging in. And then he reared back and slammed into her so deep she gasped. Reaching back behind her, she gripped his neck as he pounded into her again. Teeth on her skin. Teeth, teeth. She rolled her eyes closed and moved with him. His hand slid from her inner thigh to her sex where he cupped her as he thrust into her again. The pleasure built so fast. She was getting close. He’d worked her up so high, she was toeing the edge of release, unable to find a single word to warn him that she was already there.

As if he knew, he rolled her over until her chest was on the bed, her arms curled under her, her ass in the air. And then he bucked into her deep, hard, again and again, fast where before he’d been going too slow. His fist hit the bed next to her shoulder, and he snarled as he worked them both to that that moment of utter exhilaration. Utter release. She let go, offered her control to him, closed her eyes to the world, and let him shatter her body. Owned. He owned her body, and how beautiful that, after everything, she had the capability to trust someone like this again.

Faster and faster, he bucked into her until she was there, screaming his name. Her body clenched around him, and he drove deep pulsing heat into her as he gritted out a guttural, sexy sound. “Mine,” he snarled.

“Yours,” she said breathlessly. Always.

Jathan slowed, but Lynn kept her focus on the throbbing warmth between them. On where they were connected. On where he was drawing every single aftershock from her until she was spent and exhausted and full of him. The strange sensation in her chest was back, but it wasn’t painful.

Jathan eased out of her and turned her over gently, as if coveting her. He intertwined his fingers with hers and pressed her hands into the mattress above her head. As he eased into the space between her legs, he searched her face with the softest expression. Even in the dark, she could see his eyes were still brown. Maybe she settled his animal like he settled hers. Slowly, he leaned down and hesitated, his lips only an inch from hers. God, she loved him. Loved this. She tilted her chin up and pressed her mouth to his. He slid his tongue past her lips and took his time with each stroke into her mouth. Lynn could almost taste his devotion. Big, tatted-up, mountain of a grizzly shifter, and he went gentle and considerate with her. Only her.

She felt like a goddess.

She felt powerful and beautiful.

She felt like a badass because he reminded her that she was and encouraged her to fight. Strength didn’t intimidate a man like Jathan. Not like it had with Brody.

She was able to be herself with this man, and there was something so freeing about that. Her conviction that love would burn her to the ground wasn’t true with him.

He’d changed everything.

Fixed her most broken pieces.

Fixed her as much as he could.

And tomorrow, he would let her go to fix herself the rest of the way, and he wasn’t threatened by growth that wouldn’t include him.

Good Bear.