Bear's Gold (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales) Read online

  However, tonight was different. She took her time washing, drying, and putting away the ice cream bowls and drink glasses they’d used while watching another kid’s movie—a classic about a boy reared in the jungle by animals. She didn’t fool herself about the reason she was loitering around in the kitchen; she was waiting for Theo.

  An hour later, sooner than most nights, he returned. She heard the back door open on the other side of the laundry room, and moments later Theo was in the kitchen.

  With her back to him, she stood at the counter wiping it down, but she knew he was there. She could feel his presence even though he didn’t say anything.

  Her body responded without seeing him; increased heart rate, throbbing nipples, sex and oddly enough her wrist and shoulder were both aching. The last two boggled her mind, but she didn’t want to decipher those tonight. She had one goal and the six foot beast of a man was it.

  “You’re still up.”

  Was that disappointment or curiosity about her actions in his voice?

  “I thought I’d wait for you.” Tossing the sponge to the back of the sink, she pasted a benevolent smile on her face and turned to face him. When she saw him standing there in his old jeans and t-shirt looking sexy and dangerous, her smile faltered. She couldn’t play coy with this man.

  His gaze caressed her face. “Why?”

  Nervous, she brushed her fingers over the dangling curls of her ponytails and pulled them over one shoulder. “Talk about today.”

  “What about it?” His face set in a stone mask made it hard for her to get a read on what he was thinking.

  Dropping her hands, she rubbed her palms across her thighs. Under her right palm, she could feel the tear in her jeans from her kickball accident. For a brief second she wondered why there was no soreness there as well. She pushed those thoughts aside. “I want to apologize again for the crazy day. Uh…Fred coming and—”

  He swiped his hand through the air. “You don’t need to apologize for a man being an ass.”

  She licked her lips. “I wanted to tell you thank you, anyway.”

  He stared at her. Not moving from the spot across the kitchen floor. However, his dark eyes began to flicker gold as his gaze traveled along her frame; leaving heat in its path. “Is that the reason you stayed up? Why you’re in this kitchen waiting for me instead of being tucked in your bed behind a locked door?”

  She watched the slow rise of one of his eyebrows as he challenged her.

  Her body began to tremble and sweat beaded along the back of her neck. Feeling parched, she swallowed, attempting to moisten her mouth.

  This was the moment. She could tell him thanks and turn tail and run. Or she could do what her body craved her to do. Show him more than her gratitude, but her true desire for him. Even if just for one night.

  “Tell me, Riley…why did you wait up?”

  He took a step.

  She whimpered. The throbbing in her body, between her legs was so fierce she felt as if she would climax if he just breathed on her. It wasn’t just those mysterious gold eyes of his, or the impressive build of his body…it was each individual thing and everything at the same time. His smell, the robust woodsy male musk was so rich, deep, and potent she could almost taste it. She wanted to taste it. Run her tongue along every area of his body and drink him in; make him a part of her.

  For a moment she thought how much easier the last time they came together had been. In fact, she didn’t have to think, prepare, or talk…only yield to the raw sexual moment. But this time she would be cognizant of her choice to be with him—not swept away by mindless lust.

  “I want you.” She just allowed those three words to fall from her lips.

  His nostril flared, and she heard deep inhalation as if he too could smell her.

  Is my arousal just as apparent to him as his scent is to me?

  “Tonight.”

  She nodded. She could not promise more than that. They both had their own life to get back to. However, she would make each moment in his arms count. Each moment a memory she would never forget.

  “Usually, I shower after my checks.”

  “Take me with you,” she asked.

  Neither of them moved for a moment. They just stood in the silent kitchen staring at each other.

  Theo held his hand out to her, palm side up.

  Without hesitation, she slid her fingers over his callused skin and allowed him to wrap her in his strength and warmth with one touch. Leaving the kitchen, he pulled her behind him gently as they moved through the house.

  When he closed the bathroom door behind them, he released her. The bathroom was a nice size, spacious, however with Theo’s large frame in there it seemed small—confined. Maybe because his presence was always so overwhelming and all consuming to her.

  “Strip.”

  Not waiting for her to follow his command, he reached back and fisted his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. Before it hit the floor, his pants were down. He toed out of his shoes then stepped away from his clothes.

  She was grateful that he had led her to the bathroom where there was lots of bold lights instead of the guest room where they would be encased in shadows like before. Now she could see every inch of him that she had missed the first time. His body was gorgeous. Not in the false way that most men in the city enhanced themselves by using the right cosmetics or supplements, but in a more rugged natural way.

  His shoulders were broad; possibly spanning the length of five of her hands. The hue of his skin was only a shade paler than her golden tone. She could tell that he worked out in the sun without his shirt on a lot. Even though the weather was getting cooler, it didn’t seem to affect the people of Den.

  The light plum color disks surrounding his tight nipples made her want to lean forward and trace it with her tongue and continue along the finely sculpted muscles of his chest until she reached his thick thighs and everything in between. What hung between all of that stole her breath. His long shaft was well veined and topped by a broad crown that held a single pearl droplet.

  Unable to restrain herself, she reached a finger out to swipe along the tip but Theo caught her wrist, keeping her away.

  “Why am I the only one bare?”

  She met his gaze, now so dark that the blackness of his eyes were showing metallic. A golden color so compelling her pulse below his hand kicked up; which just incited the throbbing of her old scar under his hand.

  His hold was firm but not painful, but his touch seemed to sear her skin causing her to tug against him.

  When he released her, she covered the shocking feelings by unbuttoning her shirt.

  Once he saw she was complying with his request, Theo turned away from her and went to the shower and started the water. By the time he shifted back to her, she was just as bare as him.

  Watching him assess her high breasts, waist, full hips and thighs, she didn’t feel as comfortable in the bright light as she did before. He would see all of her imperfections, possibly judge her the way her ex had.

  Silent, he crossed the space that separated them. He lifted his hand and removed the band that held her hair and fingered it until it lay around her shoulders.

  “Beautiful.”

  Feeling revealed and shy, she started to turn her face away but he stopped her. With a gentle touch to her chin, he guided her back and took possession of her mouth.

  The kiss was electric and packing a level of passion that caused her mind to empty and her legs to turn to jelly. Over and over, his tongue swept into her mouth, he commanded her through the kiss—made her yield.

  As the kiss deepened, he pulled her into his arms, pressing their bodies together. His hands caressed her spine, traveling from her neck to her ass. There he held her, closing the distance between them until she fit perfectly along him; her sex cupping his.

  A rumbling sound came from his chest and seemed to vibrate in her mouth as strong as if she captured a growl from an untamed animal. Like a lover’s call, it made her
rub her body against him wanting to drawl that sound from him again.

  Her nipples grazed his chest and her labia parted as she gyrated her hips and enfolded the sides of his shaft; she ground into him coating him with her wetness.

  When the second growl came, he seemed to go wild. Still kissing her, he dragged her blind into the shower and slammed her into the cold tile wall. Gasping with excitement when he guided his thick, steel cock into her, she arched up, taking him deep as water rained down on them.

  As steam clouds bellowed around them, she wanted to scream at the pleasure but the sound was trapped in her throat as her whole body tightened at the precipice of an orgasm.

  Theo pulled out, until just his massive tip was inside and quickly thrust all the way in, hitting the heart of her sex in just the right way. She came. Shaking and jerking erratically, she allowed the pleasure to take over her body as Theo was doing.

  “Stay with me,” he bid her. Kisses along her face, neck, and breast, he continued to pump his hips.

  The water rained down over them as she squeezed his shoulders, and forcefully opened her eyes not wanting to miss a moment of this night. This was it for them and she wanted to burn her memory with Theo Kodiak.

  When his climax erupted from him, bathing her walls, she saw the beginning of his face contorting with the earth-shaking pleasure until he turned away from her.

  She wanted to bear witness to his joy, see what she did to him. Cupping his face, she started to turn him back to her.

  “Wait.” His voice sounded harsh, rough as if he was in pain or something.

  She started to lower her legs, thinking maybe she was too heavy for him to hold up. However, Theo didn’t allow it, he squeezed her tighter as he turned his face and pressed it snug against the side of hers and allowed her to hear the forceful breathing that came from him. She took it that he was just as overwhelmed as she was by the fierceness of their coupling.

  As he held her tight, his fingers digging deep into her flesh, her mind began playing tricks on her. Instead of the shower stall, she saw the forest around the house and before her the same golden bear she’d imagined before. However, this time it was accompanied by a big black bear with a single white front sock marking. The two bears were running through the foliage, darting between large redwood trees as they nipped playfully at each other.

  This didn’t make sense. She’d always had a fear of bears since she was younger, even though she didn’t completely understand it.

  She wanted to question what she was seeing and why it appeared in her mind at this moment when the vision faded as Theo’s body seemed to calm some and he pressed his forehead to hers. He stared into her eyes and that golden gaze was just as arousing as his member inside her removing all other questions and thoughts.

  Their desire for each other hadn’t cooled and soon they were kissing and touching again—giving and taking from one another. They bathed and fucked beneath the stream of water until the temperature turned cold. Even then she slipped down to the floor and took his strong, imposing length into her hands then her mouth. Sucking him deep, she caressed his hardness with her tongue; following the plump vein along the bottom of his scrotum. Unable to take all of him in her mouth, she used her hands to pump along his remaining length and fondled his sacs. His full-bodied flavor coated her mouth and senses, making her want to consume more of him and pushing her to draw more pleasure from him.

  When his thighs began to quiver against her, she increased the draw of her mouth, as she moved up and down along his stiff shaft. However, Theo denied her of capturing the essence of his satisfaction as he lifted her to her feet and kissed her.

  “I want inside of you again,” he whispered against her lips.

  Shutting off the water, he moved them from the shower and she soon found herself bent over with her hands gripping the edge of the sink’s counter.

  Theo kicked her feet apart and pressed her shoulders lower until her hips were high and available to him. Using the crown of his cock, he teased her. He slid around her sex, slipping through her cream and used her pleasure against her as he smoothly bumped and circled her clit.

  “Please, Theo…I need…” She was having a hard time formulating coherent thoughts.

  “Need what?” He rubbed against that tight nub causing her legs to shake violently. “Need what, Riley?”

  Her initial thought was to tell him that she needed his dick inside of her. However as the strong, generous, and protective man stood behind her commanding her body, she thought about how this was it. She would never feel his touch again after tonight. She would never experience the security and kindness he displayed to her from the moment she’d shown up on his door. How he cared for her and her heart broke a little. That small amount of pain caused an ache deep inside her and she allowed one word to hold all her hopes; things she had refused to face until now.

  “You,” she cried out. She knew that moment it was true. She didn’t just want the earth shattering sex, she wanted him. Something she couldn’t have.

  As if understand what she needed, Theo didn’t drive into her as he’d done through the rest of the night, instead he slipped slowly inside of her. He made her feel every inch of him as he stretched her sex, made her mold to him, fit him just right.

  Perfect. All the way in he felt as if he’d been made for her and her for him.

  As he continued to keep his thrusts slow and steady, he caressed her body. He traced every line and curve of hips, ass, spine, and shoulders as if he wanted to draw a picture in his mind to remember her.

  All too soon, the tide of pleasure rose up and captured them both. Theo pulled her up, pressing her back to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She stared into the mirror before her and saw his strong arms and big hands touching her stomach and cupping one breast; both of them still wet, her skin a shade darker. Dragging her gaze up, she met his in the mirror as they just stood there staring at each other. This moment she would remember. This sight would be the one her mind played back at night when she was lonely.

  He kissed the side of her neck before pulling out and stepping away from her. Getting a towel, he dried her body and then wrapped the fluffy cotton around her. He briskly wiped the remaining water from his skin then secured the towel at his waist.

  He escorted her back downstairs and to the guest room. Once he insured her bare form was tucked under a mountain of blankets to keep the chill from her body, she thought he would leave her; he didn’t.

  Dropping his towel, he slipped beneath the covers with her, folding most of the excess on top of her and he pulled her into his arms. Laying her head on his chest, she fought the drug of sleep as she listened to the powerful beat of his heart.

  “Tell me what happened to your wife.” Curiosity had played in her mind ever since the second night she had been there and she’d been in the boys’ room reading to them. The picture of a beautiful brunette woman with short blunt cut hair sitting against one of the large redwood trees of the area with a twin in each arm had haunted her. The boys looked to be roughly around a year old. Since there weren’t any other pictures in the house of the woman, she wondered if Theo had taken them down because it hurt too much to have those blue eyes staring back at him daily.

  Theo stroked her hair, and remained silent. She knew he wasn’t asleep and figured he was going to pretend he had not heard the question. If he couldn’t speak about his wife she would respect that, but it gave a jolt to her heart thinking how much he must still love the other woman. She knew she shouldn’t allow that thought to bother her, because this was just a passing thing. Calming the sexual need they both had, nothing more. However, even as she told herself that it still bothered her.

  She’d just closed her eyes, willing herself to let it go and sleep when she heard his low words.

  “Cindy and I married shortly after the fall festival five years ago.” His hand never stopped fingering her thick tresses as he spoke. “We’d grown up in Den together, as most people who foun
d mates. In Den, once two people recognized they are compatible, the courtship is fairly short. Especially because of the long extended winters, people are married on the day of the first snow fall to give couples all winter to get to know each other and get pregnant.”

  “Wow, you all take this be fruitful and multiply thing pretty seriously.”

  “You could say that. However, most couples only have two to three children in the county. A lot of the males don’t necessarily return back to Den after they go out on their own.”

  “But you came back?”

  “I did.” He sighed. “There were moments that I wasn’t sure if I would return. I was away for many years. I felt for a while that there was something else out there for me…someone else. But, I love Den and since I could never put my finger on where else my senses were trying to take me, I came home. That year I developed a bond with Cindy so it was a moot point.”

  Riley couldn’t help but sympathize with Theo and having a knowing absent feeling inside and not knowing what could fill it. “I know how you feel—searching for something. It’s the reason I’ve moved around so much since leaving college. I’ve always believed there was something for me out there and I’d know it when I found it, but I never did. Now I’m headed back home.” She sighed. “At least you found Cindy. What was she like?”

  “Sweet and gentle, but protective and determined when it came to the boys.” He fell silent and his hand stilled. Then he said, “On the day she and the boys were out for a walk and she was set upon by the wolves she managed to keep the boys from getting hurt and back to our house, even though she was badly injured.”

  Even though his voice was low, Riley could hear the pride in his words for the woman who had borne him two sons and saved their lives.

  Lying there in Theo’s arms, Riley wanted to bring him comfort as she wrapped her arm around his broad chest.

  “I’m sure it hurts to see pictures of her.”

  “More for the boys. As much as I don’t like it, I understand nature has a timetable for every living thing. I may not care for it, but I have to deal with situations. For them it seemed to take longer to heal if every time they looked around they saw her.”