Chapter Four

Two months later…

Alton paced the floor of the small abandoned cabin hidden between an overgrowth of trees and brush outside of town. It was a miracle he’d even found the place a second time. It was also obvious no one had been there in years.

However, it was sturdy, and nothing had been left inside it to attract bugs or mice. Not that unwanted critters weren’t occupying the space when he first arrived, but they’d given up the habitat quickly enough.

Alton had no intentions of making the place livable by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he’d shoved the couch back several feet to get it out of the way, and he’d brought a pile of blankets over the past few weeks and dropped them on the rug in the center of the room.

If he ever managed to get Joselyn to meet him at the cabin, his only goal was to protect them from the elements and keep them relatively warm so they wouldn’t freeze their asses off and need to rush back down the mountain.

It wasn’t the ideal location to woo a woman, but it was better than nothing.

Alton rubbed his forehead as he paced the few feet between the front door and the small table. The only other door in the one-room cabin led to a basement, or rather a cellar. The room below had nothing but a small cot in it and a narrow window high on the wall at ground level. It gave him the chills the one and only time he’d ventured down there.

The personal fight warring in his head to let her go had lasted about two weeks. In that time, he’d even gone to the town’s one and only local bar—Tipsy’s—in an attempt to mingle and put himself out there.

The effort had been futile and repulsive. No woman managed to turn his head, let alone awaken his dick. No matter how many beers he nursed, he couldn’t shake Joselyn from his mind and replace her with another.

Meanwhile, his hand and his cock were well acquainted. He’d jerked himself off to visions of Joselyn at least once a day for weeks. Months.

Embarrassingly ridiculous was the fact that he’d never had sex with any woman. At twenty-five, he’d known Joselyn was his for over half his life. No other female had tempted him to cheat on her. It was absurd since he’d never so much as touched her, let alone dated her, but the touch of another woman had a tendency to make him cringe. So he hadn’t fucked a single one of them.

He knew Joselyn wouldn’t have, either. At least he hoped not. He had no claim to her other than what his mind knew to be true, so he couldn’t very well be angry if she’d experimented with other men in her life, but it would be painful to find out.

As if he didn’t have enough on his mind, his brewery was in the process of developing and launching a new product line that was sure to put an increased strain on the relationship he did not have with the competitor’s daughter.

He sighed, closing his eyes while he rubbed his temples. “Fuck.” It seemed like his entire world was a mix-up, like Fate played some sort of trick on him, placing him in the wrong family or the wrong providence, or the wrong century. Whatever it was, it wasn’t funny anymore.

On top of everything going on in his real life, he spent at least two hours every Sunday night standing in this dilapidated old cabin hoping Joselyn would take him up on his offer and meet him.

She hadn’t communicated with him a single time in two months. Not since the weird phone call that ended with her freaking out and hanging up on him for no apparent reason other than the possible fact that she didn’t like him calling her baby.

Did he insult her in some way? He couldn’t imagine how, but she still refused to respond to him since that night. And he refused to give up on her.

So he’d texted her the precise location of this godforsaken cabin six weeks ago and then reminded her every Sunday evening he was there if she would please join him.

How many weeks would he continue to put himself out there like this emotionally and physically?

As many as it takes.

Taking a deep breath, he froze in his spot, dropping his fingers from his temples and widening his gaze to the darkness of the room. Another breath confirmed the unmistakable scent of his mate. He inhaled slowly, his hands shaking as he wiped them on his thighs.

Holy shit. She’s here.

Nerves ate a hole in him like a fifteen-year-old boy on his first date. Except this was not a date. He had no idea what it was. There was every chance in the world she would show up yelling at him to stop texting her and leave her the fuck alone.

He would gladly face even her wrath if it put them in the same room. He was that whipped.

The door creaked slowly open as he stared at it, and he said nothing as she stepped into the small space and shut it behind her.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke. The room was lit only by the faint trace of moonlight streaming through the two small windows on opposite walls of the cabin, but the vision of a grizzly shifter was sharp enough for them to see fine.

Finally, Joselyn blew out a breath, leaning against the door.

“You came.”

“I shouldn’t have, but yes.” She met his gaze. “You’re persistent.”

“I am. When it’s important.”

“How is it so important to maintain a relationship with me? I would describe it as dangerous and playing with fire.”

“It’s both of those things. No doubt. But it’s also undeniable that I can’t stop thinking about you.” It was time to throw everything on the table and toss in his heart.

She reached behind for the doorknob, making him lurch forward to stop her from leaving.

To avoid his touch, she jumped to one side out of the way and circled to the back of the dingy old couch, her arms wrapped around her middle.

He leaned against the door, blocking her exit, at least for a while.

“So I’m a hostage now?” she asked sarcastically.

He moaned. “Dammit, Jos. Don’t do that. Don’t act like this is all on me. Just…don’t.” Never once in all the years had he forced her to face the truth or prevented her from walking away from reality. It was time to put his foot down and insist she listen to reason for a change.

She hugged herself tighter, shutting herself off from him. “Fine. What do you need to say? I can’t stay long.”

“You know me, Jos. Better than anyone. You know I would never do a thing to hurt you. But I also won’t let you hurt yourself. And unless I’m deranged, we’re meant to be mates. I’ve known it for most of my life, and I know you have too.”

She didn’t speak, but she did cock out one hip and settled the corresponding foot at an angle.

He could smell the anxiety coming from her. In the tight space, he could sense her increased heart rate. Good.

“We have hurdles that seem insurmountable. I get that. You aren’t the only one with family and pack obligations. Mine are the same. It’s the reason why I let you walk away from me and return to Silvertip after university.

“I could have pressured you then. Maybe I should have. But I knew how much your family meant to you, and I didn’t want to be the catalyst that upset your relationship with anyone, so I let you go. Maybe I shouldn’t have. Maybe I should have insisted we run off together. Bind.”

She flinched subtly, enough to let him know he was getting to her.

“I’ve given you years to find yourself. Grow into the woman you are today. I’ve waited patiently for you to realize on your own that we were meant to be together. I’ve never broken a single promise to you to keep my distance, keep my hands off you, hold my tongue.”

She gave a sharp laugh.

“Okay, maybe I don’t always hold my tongue, but far more often than you can imagine.” He took a tentative step away from the door. “Things are not improving within my pack. I had hoped to get a feel from my family that they would lighten up on their incessant need to feud with yours, giving us the opportunity to come clean. But if anything, it’s been worse lately. Tempers are flaring.”

“Same in my pack,” she muttered.

He nodded. “I need more, Jos.” There was no way he would force her, but he would give this one last-ditch effort to convince her to see things his way. “If I’m crazy and this entire thing we have is all in my head, I need to know that. I need to prove it so I can move on.”

Did she give a subtle nod?

He swallowed and held his head higher. “Baby, let me touch you. Let me hold you. If the spark isn’t there, we’ll know. If it is, we’ll deal with it.” He watched her carefully as he used the endearment.

She dropped her hands to her sides and licked her lips. “I’m scared,” she whispered.

“I know, Jos. So am I. Frightened out of my mind. But we have to know.”

“What happens if we find out you’re right? What if the spark is there and we can’t deny it?” She took deep breaths. He didn’t interrupt her, sensing she had something else to say. She continued. “What if I find out what I’ve suspected most of my life?”

Finally. Finally, she admitted she felt the same thing he did. Headway.

“We figure it out. We deal with it.”

Pain covered her face. She lifted one hand to wipe a tear where it slid down her cheek. She turned her face to one side. Her voice trembled when she spoke again, tentatively, softly. “I don’t need to touch you to know you’re mine. I’m yours. I’ve always known.”

His heart kicked up a beat. His cock also jumped to attention, stiffening further than it had already the moment he scented her outside the cabin.

Her hesitation was palpable. Taking this leap was huge. He knew it. He’d let her keep her distance for all these years because of it, but if he wasn’t mistaken, she needed him to take charge now and press the issue further than he ever had.

“Jos.”

She didn’t move.

“Jos, look at me.”

She slowly turned her face in his direction, wiping that damn tear again. It tore him up inside to see her in so much turmoil. Shaking. Frightened. Afraid to face the truth.

“Jos… Baby, take off your coat.” He nodded toward his jacket where it was draped over one of the two ancient wooden kitchen chairs. “It’s not that cold in here.” The heat coming off their bodies from the intensity of this meeting was enough to light a fire.

She took small, tentative steps toward the table, slid her arms out of her thick winter coat, and draped it on top of his. When she turned to face him, she rubbed her arms. The long-sleeved, black shirt she wore was tight fitting and dipped low in the front, showing off her cleavage. Had she worn it on purpose?

He fought the urge to smile. “Come here, Jos.” He wouldn’t go to her, but he would insist she come to him.

She rounded the couch, arms crossed in a way that pushed her breasts up higher and made her nipples pucker. Beneath the V of her shirt, he could see the edge of a black lacy bra that made him groan inside. She never dressed provocatively. Ever. Not that this particular outfit was provocative by most people’s standards, but for her it was huge.

For her, coming to meet him in a remote cabin in the woods was beyond huge.

He wondered how long she had pondered the decision to wear the particular bra and shirt combination and how many clothes were on her floor at home.

She stood two feet from him, facing the floor. Her usual ponytail fell around the sides of her head in thick gorgeous locks.

“Look at me, Jos.”

She was pale when she lifted her face, tipping her head back to meet his gaze. She wasn’t a short woman. She was six feet tall. Most grizzlies were taller than humans. But she was still five inches shorter than him. Her throat worked as he watched her swallow several times.

He could scent her arousal. Stronger than any time in the past.

Was he doing the right thing pressuring her like this?

Yes. He had to believe this was the right thing to do. Later they would sort out the complications. For now, what they both needed was confirmation. Assurance they were not mistaken. Not that he had doubts. Nor did she. But proof would tip the scale. Proof they would have as soon as they touched. Skin to skin.

“Jos… Touch me.” The words slid easily from his mouth now, empowering him with every utterance.

She stiffened as more of her arousal filled the room. “It’s a bad idea,” she murmured.

He knew the war that raged inside her was fierce. He also knew she wouldn’t have come to this cabin tonight—wearing that shirt—if she hadn’t already decided to give an inch.

He lifted one hand between them and held it out, palm up. “Take my hand.”

She stared into his eyes for several more moments before she lowered her gaze and lifted her hand. It was shaking hard. Her fingers looked so small and dainty next to his.

As she eased her reach forward, he knew this would be a monumental moment in both their lives they would never forget.

The second her fingertips hit his, a zing of excitement raced through him. Heat. Arousal. Electricity. Need. A consuming desire to strip her clothes off and devour every inch of her body from head to toe.

He didn’t move a muscle, letting her smooth her hand over his until their palms touched. And then he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought her palm to his face, tipping his cheek into her hand.

She gasped but didn’t pull away.

He grabbed onto and held her gaze.

Oh yeah. The last shred of doubt fled the cabin.

Joselyn Arthur was his.

∙•∙

Joselyn flattened her palm on Alton’s smoothly shaved cheek and stared up into his chocolate eyes, opening her mind just enough to let him see how much he affected her.

She could see into his mind too. She so entranced him that it cost him a tremendous amount of effort to remain still and allow her to move at her pace. The deep feelings she’d had for him for several years grew even more intense at the realization of the level of his restraint. Restraint he’d carried with him all this time.

Not to diminish her own restraint. It had put stress on her for the same number of years, but she knew now it didn’t compare to his. Because he was male? Or because he was…dominant?

Not that every male member of her species was dominant. Not by a long shot. But for all these years, she had called the shots with a man she now saw through new eyes.

Alton Tarben had worked hard to hold back his natural alpha tendency to dominate her nearly their entire lives. It humbled her to see this in his mind. It also made her pussy cream.

How far would she let things go here tonight in this dingy cabin in the middle of nowhere? The test had been for her to touch him. Now she was touching him, and it wasn’t nearly enough. She needed more.

She stuffed her ever-present doubts down deep and reached with her other hand to hold his face. A heady sense of power washed through her as she smoothed her palms down to his neck, thumbing the pulse point where she could easily close the distance and bind him to her for all time.

She stared at the spot where his shoulders and neck came together. In two seconds, she could close the distance, press her teeth into the tender flesh, and allow her personal serum to flow into his bloodstream, binding them together.

She wouldn’t, but she had never been more aware of the power to bind that could consume a couple. It would drive them mad in no time. “Kiss me,” she blurted, jerking her gaze back to his.

He licked his lips, his damn tongue stroking across first the full bottom lip and then the fuller top one. Lips she had fantasized about for years. She needed them on hers. She needed to feel them all over her body. She needed to do the same to him.

“You’re sure?” he asked, his voice gravelly.

“Never been more sure of anything,” she replied.

At the same time his lips captured hers, his hands landed on her waist. He gripped her firmly, angling his head to one side to lick the seam of her mouth, demanding entrance.

She opened for him, tasting him for the first time, an experience ten times stronger than touching him. Her knees threatened to buckle and might have if he hadn’t been holding her up by the waist.

When he slid one hand around to her back to drag her against his body, she knew he would support her. His palm trailed up her back to tangle in her ponytail, tugging her head gently to one side so he could gain better access to her mouth.

He tasted exactly as she imagined, the scent of his pheromones that always filled a room warning her of his flavor.

He stroked the inside of her mouth forever, suckled her tongue, flattened his on her teeth. When he finally released her lips to trail kisses down her neck, she gasped for oxygen.

“Alton…” His name slid off her tongue like a balm. Her tone was new to her ears as well as his.

He slid his hand farther up into her hair and tugged the band restraining it until the thick locks fell around her shoulders and down her back. His other hand flattened on the small of her back, his pinky touching the sliver of bare skin between her shirt and her jeans.

She wanted more. She wanted him to strip her down and fuck her right there in the cabin. To hell with the consequences.

Her awareness of his power doubled when he flicked his tongue over the sensitive skin of her neck and scraped his teeth along the tendon. Part of her willed him to do it. Bite her. Put an end to this insanity.

But she had enough brain cells left to know better than to act so hastily. “Alton,” she warned into his mind. She had rarely spoken to him telepathically. For one thing, they never needed to. When they were together, they could speak their minds out loud. When they were apart, they were usually at a distance that didn’t permit such intimate communication. Unbound couples could not communicate into each other’s minds when they were separated by more than about fifty yards.

He slid his lips farther down to kiss her cleavage. “Baby, I would never seal you to me without your permission. Relax.”

His words calmed her. Of course he wouldn’t. Obviously, he was a man with far more restraint than she’d ever given him credit for.

When his lips hit the upper swell of her breasts, she shuddered, leaning back to give him more access.

Alton groaned, separating his mouth from her skin for the first time.

He met her gaze, his brow furrowed. His pinky was the only thing moving, drawing small circles on the small of her back. Did he have any idea what that did to her?

If so, he didn’t care. He certainly didn’t stop. “Well, that answers that question.”

“Yes,” she agreed breathily. “But—”

He shook his head, cutting her off. “Don’t give this a but yet. Please. I just confirmed what I’ve known in my heart for most of my life. Give me a moment to enjoy holding my mate in my arms for the first time before you drag reality back into the equation.”

She nodded. He was right. It felt so good.

Forever they stood there, drinking in each other’s gazes. Her arousal increased by the second, as she knew his did at the same time.

Suddenly, she was falling backward. She grabbed his waist with both hands to keep from hitting the floor. But he had her firmly in his grip. He lowered her onto her back over a pile of blankets and settled himself on his side next to her.

He leaned his face in his palm, never breaking eye contact. His other hand smoothed down from her shoulder to flatten between her breasts and then lower. He then gripped her waist, fingers spread wide enough that his thumb rested against the underside of her breast and his pinky returned to torture that same inch of exposed skin at the small of her back.

She breathed deeply, each inhale drawing more of his essence into her system.

“We could walk away,” he finally said.

Her eyes widened in confusion.

He gave her a wry smile. “I don’t mean forever. I mean we could leave here now without having sex.”

“Would it make a difference?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“No. It would change nothing. Touching you for the first time changed nothing. Kissing you for the first time changed nothing. Making love to you won’t, either. None of those things will alter the fact that you’re mine.”

“None of them will fix our problems, either,” she pointed out.

“This is true.” He lowered his face to lightly touch her lips with his again. “If we walk out the door right now, we will leave completely unsatisfied and unable to sleep.”

She smiled against his mouth. “And if we have sex first, you think you’ll be fully satisfied and sleep like a baby?” she teased.

“No.” He sighed. “It’ll be worse. I’m sure.”

She chewed on her lip for a moment, knowing already in her heart she would let him take her tonight. She’d known it before she left the house. It was the reason she wore her sexiest bra and panty set and told her mother she would be late. “What do we have to lose?”

He grinned again. “My virginity for one.”

She gasped, swatting at his forearm. “You think I gave mine away to someone else?”

His smile widened. “I had hoped not. But I wouldn’t blame you if you had.”

She shook her head. “No. Of course not. It’s always been yours to claim. Even when I was in total denial, it was yours.”

His face lit up. “Good.” A twinkle in his eyes teased her. “This will take about six seconds, then.”

She giggled while her nipples puckered to stiff peaks and her pussy clenched tight. “Maybe if we get this out of our system, we can walk away.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Sure. We can go with that story if you want.”

She shuddered, changing the subject. “It’s freezing in here.”

He nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t think we’ll feel it.”

“You’re right.” They’d be glad the room was cold as soon as they touched skin to skin.

“I brought blankets.”

“Several loads of them, it would appear.” She patted the floor at her side.

“Yeah. I carried more every time I came. That couch makes me cringe. I’m sure it’s a pullout, but I’m not willing to touch it to find out. And the only other surface in this cabin is a cot in the basement. Not going there, either.”

“There’s a basement?”

“Well, more of a cellar. Not someplace I would take a woman.”

She nodded, shuddering at the idea. “Then I’m glad you amassed a stack of blankets.” They were stalling.

Silence took over. He released her waist to thread his fingers in her hair. It was a mess of curls panned out around her. “Why do you always wear it pulled back like this?”

She shrugged. “I’m lazy and always late.”

“It’s so damn sexy when it’s down.”

His words reached deep, sending a chill down her spine.

He ran his fingers through the locks, staring at them. “So soft. I’ve wanted to run my hands through your hair for as long as I can remember.”

Heat rushed up to her cheeks. She wiggled her free arm under his and flattened her palm on his chest. “I’m hoping there are other parts of me you’ve wanted to touch,” she boldly stated.

He dropped her hair to cup her face. “You have no idea.” And then his lips were on hers again.

She lost herself in the kiss and the sensation of his fingers running back down her body. He briefly gripped her waist, and then he cupped her breast for the first time.

She moaned and arched her chest toward him.

His thumb slid across her nipple, making her gasp into his mouth. “Easy, baby. You’re so damn hot.” His ability to communicate into her mind came in super handy all of a sudden. It also steamed up the cabin.

Seconds later, he slid his hand under her shirt, flattening his palm against her belly.

She gripped her knees together, imagining she might come the moment he touched her breast even through the lace of her bra.

He chuckled into her mind. “Firecracker.”

She ignored him and wiggled to one side to slide out from under him and sit up. “Take your shirt off, Alton. Stop teasing.” She whipped hers over her head with more courage than she’d ever exhibited in her life. She needed him. Now. Inside her. Tonight was not a night for foreplay.

He tugged his shirt off with one hand. She didn’t even know what it looked like. He kicked off his boots next while she did the same. When he reached for the button on his jeans, she boldly rose onto her knees and undid hers as well.

Apparently, he drew the line at their separation with her fingers fumbling at the button on her jeans. Ignoring his, he grabbed her by the waist, lifted her to her feet, and released her button and zipper seconds later. He tugged the denim down her legs and tapped her feet to get her to step out.

She held on to his shoulders, touching his firm muscles for the first time.

When he drew her toward him, gripping her hips and setting his lips on her belly, she thought she might die. “Yes,” she hissed.

He lowered his mouth to the lace of her panties and licked along the seam until her knees buckled.

Before she completely collapsed from the inability to concentrate on remaining upright, he swung her onto her back once again and leaned over her. His eyes met hers for only a second, the heat in them intense. And then they slowly swept down her body.

“Jesus, Jos. You’re sexier than I imagined.”

She couldn’t speak out loud, but she did manage to communicate into his mind. “I could say the same about you.” She lifted a hand to plant it on his chest.

Alton set his fingertips on the upper swell of her breast and then danced them across to the other side and down lower. He swung a leg over her body, straddling her. As if he had hours of experience with bras, he popped the front clasp and then licked his lips again, the reverence in his gaze heating her skin and making her nipples jump to stiff peaks.

He finally cupped the swell of her breasts and stroked the skin so gently goose bumps rose in the wake of his fingertips. The moment he made contact with her nipples, she moaned.

A smile spread across his face. He glanced at her eyes and then back down, lightly pinching the tips of her breasts.

She grabbed his biceps, impressed by how firm the muscles were. “Alton…”

“Not gonna rush this, baby.”

She swallowed. Rushing was exactly what she had in mind.

He scooted down her body, grabbed the lace of her panties, and dragged them off her. Before she had a chance to grasp her total nudity entirely, he nudged her legs apart with his knee and set it between her thighs. When he did the same with his other knee, she closed her eyes.

It was asking way too much for her to watch him looking at her so intimately.

He stroked his palms up and down her outer thighs next, his thumbs coming closer and closer to her sex.

She fought for every breath, struggling to focus on the need for oxygen while his fingers spread her lower lips and the cold air in the room made her hyper-aware of how wet she was.

“Gorgeous,” he whispered. “So wet for me.” He hadn’t touched the moisture yet, so she had to assume he could see it. Smell it.

Her face heated further.

He reached between her folds and stroked upward until he flicked the tip of his finger over her clit.

She cried out, grabbing for his waist, fumbling in an attempt to touch more of him with fingers that weren’t taking messages from her brain.

“So sexy. Come for me, Joselyn.” He used her full name, making it super obvious he was acutely aware of who he was with and what this meant to him.

She squeezed her knees together against his thighs, her instinct to close her legs taking over.

“Uh-uh.” He was shaking his head when she blinked. And then he set one hand on the floor next to her head, leaned over her, held her gaze, and swirled her wetness around her clit. He flicked it expertly.

“How do you know what you’re doing?” she asked into his mind, unwilling and unable to voice her concerns. How many women had he done this to?

He smiled and responded out loud. “You’re my first in all ways, baby. Don’t freak out on me. I’ve done my research. I know how to take care of you.”

She lifted her hips toward his touch, her eyes fluttering shut. She believed him.

“Watch me. Watch me while you come for me.” His tone was both soft and demanding at the same time.

She stared into his eyes, her mouth falling open as the first orgasm she would ever have at his hands washed through her body. Most of her muscles clenched as she came against his fingers, hard. She dug her fingertips into his waist.

He eased his touch as she came down, and for the first time in a while, she forced out a sentence. “Make love to me, Alton. Now.”

He lifted up onto his knees and shrugged out of his jeans while she watched. When his cock popped free, she gulped. It was significantly larger than she’d imagined.

He chuckled into her head. “Glad you approve.”

She flinched, realizing she hadn’t blocked that thought. It was impossible to block him while she was this aroused. Even moments after coming, she was ready for him. More ready perhaps.

As he slid farther down her body, he reached between her legs and stroked through her lower lips again. His firm length rested against her thigh.

She grabbed his waist again, urging him with her hands.

He slid one finger into her, and her eyes rolled back. Holy shit.

Sure, she was a virgin, but she’d used toys on herself over the years. She shouldn’t be that tight. Why did his touch elicit far more sensations than her vibrator?

He added another finger, and she moaned.

“You are the sexiest person on earth. I’ll never tire of watching you come undone. I’ve never seen you so…open.”

Under normal circumstances, she might have been mortified, but none of that was necessary. This was Alton. Her mate. The man she should be bound to and would if their stupid families weren’t in a lifelong brawl.

So many years spent in turmoil. Fighting it now was futile.

She gripped at his two fingers with the walls of her channel, craving more. Craving him. Craving everything.

When he removed his fingers with a slight pop and lifted them to his mouth to lick them clean, she stopped breathing. Everything he did was more smolderingly hot than the last.

“Mmm.” He moaned around her taste, and then he set his hand on the other side of her head, threaded both sets of fingers in her thick hair, and lodged his cock at her entrance. “You okay?”

“Jesus, Alton.”

He held her gaze. “Baby,” he groaned.

“Do it,” she demanded.

With one sharp thrust, he entered her, taking her breath away, claiming her so quickly and so thoroughly, she lost all ability to think. Every brain cell focused on the stretch of her pussy around him. Too tight.

She dug her nails into his waist, trying to accommodate him.

He didn’t move. She was fairly sure he didn’t breathe, either. His arms shook beside her head.

And then she realized she too had not breathed. The shock of him filling her so fast and so full froze her in her spot. The initial pain fled just as quickly, leaving her needing more. She squirmed, sucking in a lungful of air. “Move. Alton, move.”

He misunderstood her, his eyes widening as he pulled out.

She shook her head, wrapping her legs around him and holding him lodged at her entrance. “No. I mean fuck me, Alton.”

He hesitated a moment and then slid back inside. The second pass was so much better than the first, and she whimpered around the intensity of sensation bombarding her. Her lip quivered.

Alton groaned. “You okay?”

“Yes. Do it again.”

He slid back out and thrust back in, his arms shaking. He was holding back. He didn’t pull out again yet. Instead, he lowered his face and kissed her. He licked the seam of her lips, entered, and tasted her all over again.

A starving man. Desperate.

She let him kiss her, but her mind was on her pussy and how badly she needed to come again. If he would just…

And then he released her lips, pulled almost out, and thrust back inside her tight warmth.

She bit her swollen bottom lip to keep from screaming. Why? No one was anywhere near them to hear her cry out.

She was going to come. He set a pace, thrusting in and out of her faster. She tilted her pelvis toward his cock so the base hit her clit with every pass. Tipping her head back, she concentrated on how incredible it felt to be filled by him. So much better than any toy she owned.

She was ruined.

On that last thought, she came, gripping his cock and causing him to scream her name as he came right behind her.

He lowered himself over her, propping his body up with his elbows to avoid crushing her, though she wished he wouldn’t. It would be worth it for him to flatten himself over her so that as much of their skin made contact as possible.

Instead, when he finally caught his breath, he eased out of her and slid to his side next to her. One leg remained lodged between hers, and one hand flattened on her belly.

She stroked her fingers up and down his biceps.

He breathed heavily into her ear. “You’re mine.”

She smiled. “I’m yours.”

She didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep or notice when he covered their bodies with one of the blankets, but suddenly she was wide awake, bolting upright. Sweating.

The dream.

She twisted to one side to find Alton next to her, reaching for her. “Baby, you okay?” His hand landed on her arm, tugging her across his chest.

“Yeah. Nightmare.” She sighed as she snuggled against his side and flattened her palm over his pecs. “Not the first one. I have the same one often. I don’t even know what it’s about. It evaporates the moment I wake up. But every time I’m left feeling like you’re gone.”

“Gone? I’ve never even been there before.”

“I know. It makes no sense. But I reach for you. You’re never there.”

“I’m here now.” He held her closer, chasing away the demons as he kissed the top of her head. His hand roamed up and down her back.

For how long? “What are we going to do?” she whispered to his chest.

“I don’t know yet.” He squeezed her tighter.

“What time is it?”

“Late. After midnight.”

She drew circles on his chest absentmindedly. “I feel like I’m going to hyperventilate. I can’t lose you.”

He cupped her face, tilting her head back and searching her eyes with his deep brown penetrating ones. “You’ll never lose me.”

“You can’t know that.” She grabbed his forearm with her hand as if she could hold on to him and keep him from slipping away. “When I leave here, I won’t even have any way to communicate with you.”

He lifted a brow as if to insinuate she was to blame for not insisting they bind together immediately.

She rolled her eyes. “Come on. Don’t make me the bad guy here. You know as well as I do we can’t bind right now. Our families would freak out. Why do I have to be the voice of reason? You can’t seriously tell me you’d enjoy starting World War III.”

His shoulders fell. So did his expression. “No. You’re right.” He set his forehead against hers. “But I hate knowing how much you’re hurting. And I can’t stand the thought of not having constant contact with you.” He kissed her lips softly, a feather’s touch.

Joselyn climbed over his body, emboldened, straddling him. The blanket slid down to expose her chest. She went from sad and concerned to aroused in a heartbeat. As she slid her hands down to his waist, she deepened the kiss. “Need you again,” she muttered against his lips. She had no idea what the future would hold, but she was here now, and she intended to have him again.

“Me too, baby.” He released her face to run his palms down her body.

Wetness flooded her pussy at the way he looked at her. And the way he kept calling her baby in that soft, reverent tone of his.

“Don’t move.” When his gaze roamed down to her chest with a serious expression, she glanced down also. She gasped. Her full breasts were heavy, swaying between them. No wonder he licked his lips. The visual was sexy even to her.

“Alton…”

“Please, don’t say anything. Let me have this. Let me memorize every inch of you. I’ll need it to get me through long, lonely nights without you in my bed.”

She swallowed, fighting the tears that wanted to leak from her eyes at the reverence in his voice.

With his free hand, he trailed one finger up her torso and between her breasts.

Her nipples jumped to attention, begging for more, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.

She watched as he slowly spiraled her breast, circling around and around as he drew closer to her nipple. Willing him to touch it didn’t affect him at all. And she knew he was inside her head listening to her every desire, or at least the thoughts she permitted him to see. She could allow him all the way inside her mind if she wanted, but she held something back, as if not entirely willing to give him complete access.

Instead of flicking his finger over the swollen bud, he switched to the other breast at the last second to give it the same treatment.

She shuddered. A tear fell.

He didn’t glance up, but he knew anyway. “Don’t cry, sweet Joselyn. Not now. Not while I make love to you. Happy thoughts.” His gaze remained locked on her breast while he spoke.

She swallowed hard and arched into him. “Please…” she pleaded in her mind.

His response was barely audible. Deep. Sensual. “Do you know how much I love to hear you beg?”

As if on cue, his cock swelled against her sex. His finger left her breasts without making contact with the two points most craving his touch. It trailed down toward her sex, angling to one side at the last second to trace the crease between her thigh and her pussy. Again, not enough direct contact.

Joselyn lifted up slightly, needing him to reach between her legs and stroke her clit.

He ignored the movement, tracing a line back over her hip and around to her butt. “You smell so damn good.” He inhaled deeply. “I want to memorize your scent too.”

Another unnecessary statement. He would never forget her scent. As shifters, they knew the scent of dozens of their kind without seeing them. Whenever they met someone new, their brains remembered their scent even before their name.

It came naturally. But she knew what he meant. The bond between the two of them was different. They were meant to be together. The imminent separation they were about to endure wasn’t natural. It would be painful.

Alton lifted his head and licked the seam of her lips, his tongue dipping inside to tease hers for a moment. “Your taste too. All of you.” His eyes closed as he inhaled again and then kissed her with more urgency, his hand molding around her butt cheek to squeeze.

She melted under his touch. His kiss. He consumed her so easily. Was it like this for other bear shifters? What about humans? She would never know because she would never be with another man.

No matter what happened between them, she knew that to be true.

When he finally eased away from her mouth, he continued kissing her cheek, moving across her face until he reached her ear. He blew gently on the sensitive lobe, sending shivers down her spine before he bit down on the flesh playfully.

She squirmed.

Leaving her ear, he nibbled down her neck until he came to the sweet spot where her shoulder met her neck. She tipped her head to the side, giving him better access. Holding her breath, she willed him to claim her. Take her right then. Fuck their families. She wanted him to bind them together forever. All he had to do was break the soft skin with his teeth and let the binding serum flow from his mouth to mix with her blood stream.

She knew it wasn’t good timing. But dammit, this aroused, her clit throbbing with need, her pussy grasping for him, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and let him bind them together.

She could do it too. It didn’t have to be the man who claimed the woman. Or they could both do it at the same time. Separately even.

Instead of breaking her skin, however, Alton had enough of his sanity intact to merely lick the spot and nuzzle it with his nose. He moaned against her skin though, sending renewed shivers down her body.

“Alton…”

He hesitated, teasing her skin with his breath before licking a path toward her chest. When he flicked his tongue over her nipple, she thrust her chest closer to his mouth. She sucked in a sharp breath.

“Oh yeah. Feel my touch.”

A heated flush raced across her face, but he wasn’t looking.

Alton suddenly sucked her nipple into his mouth, drawing a soft cry from her lips. Damn, he was good. She closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of his lips on her skin much the same way he was doing.

The longer he suckled her—the more aroused she got. Unable to resist, she ground her open pussy over his cock.

Alton released her breast with a pop, his hand sliding to her back. One second she was straddling his lap, masturbating against him. The next second, she was falling backward until she landed on her back. Alton hovered over her, kneeling between her thighs, his palms on both sides of her head.

His gaze was intense, clouded, serious. So much serious.

She reached between their bodies and circled his cock with one hand. She set the other on his hip. “Need you.”

“Such a hurry,” he responded through gritted teeth.

She watched as she lifted and lowered her fist up and down his length. He was so damn sexy. The velvety feel of him in her hand undid her.

When he rocked forward into her touch, she knew he was losing the battle to take it slowly.

Slow might have its place. But not now. Not tonight. Not after their first coming together and one of her stupid nightmares.

She scooted her ass closer toward him, intent on pulling him down when she had them lined up perfectly. It was futile.

Joselyn wasn’t a small woman. She was six feet tall and lithe. She worked out five days a week, priding herself on keeping her body in shape. But she was a pixie compared to Alton’s six-foot-five stature with broad shoulders and a chest that went on forever. He’d always been taller than her, even when they were younger.

“Baby, you won’t be able to control this.” His arms were firm, elbows locked at his sides where he held himself aloft over her body. Several inches separated his cock from her pussy. No amount of desperate pleading from her tight warmth would entice him. Not until he was ready.

She lifted her hips, in no way closing the gap. Frustration mounted. She needed him again. Desperately. Now.

He didn’t budge. When she felt a change in the air, she lifted her gaze to find him staring down at her. Still so serious. “Do you have any idea how I feel about you?”

She swallowed, relaxing onto the pile of blankets as she released his cock to slide her hands up his waist. “Yes.” Her voice caught in her throat. Emotions took over.

“We’ll get through this. Together. You understand that, right?”

“Yes.” She totally did at that moment. She believed him. His vehemence burrowed into her. Later, when she was no longer with him, her sanity would return, and she would realize his words were empty. But for now, she would take his promise and hold it tight. She would need to remember this feeling in the future when she found herself lonely and so very alone.

Slowly he lowered his body over her until his cock lodged at her entrance, and he rested on his elbows, his face inches from hers. “You’re the most important thing in my life, and you always will be, no matter what distance or time separates us. It’s just a bump in the road. We’ll get to the other side.”

She nodded, unable to form words. And then her mouth fell open as he entered her with a thrust that took her breath away.

As if he needed to drive home his point, he pounded into her. He lowered his face to one side of hers and set his lips on that sweet spot at the base of her neck again. In contrast to the way he thrust in and out of her pussy, he gently kissed her throat, nuzzling the spot as a reminder of what they would be someday in the future.

Bound together.

For life.