Tonight had gone well. I enjoyed Bear’s company, and I could definitely see spending more time with him. As long as we stayed nothing more than friends. In the end, I would be heartbroken, but that would happen whether we hung out or not. I might as well have this time with him now. It would be something I’d be able to keep with me forever. A good memory when things got bad.
My thoughts had turned dark again. I blew out a deep breath, pushing it all aside. I had laundry to get started on. That was a mindless enough task to start my day.
But when I reached the laundry room, I jumped, sucking in a startled breath to see Bear. He stood in the middle of the room, shoulders rigid as he stared down at my dirty clothes basket.
“Bear? Is everything...” My words ended in a gasp as Bear turned slowly in my direction. His nostrils flared wide, and his jaw muscles clenched and released.
“You’re sleeping with your boss?” His deep voice echoed in the small space, causing the hairs to rise on the back of my neck.
Swallowing hard, I licked my lips. “That’s not really any of your business.”
“The hell it is.” Though he hadn’t yelled the words, the low rumble that filled the room made me feel as if I’d just been scolded.
“How did you even know?”
A single finger pointed at my dirty clothes. “I thought he was in here. I thought maybe he’d broken in. Or maybe you were hiding him. But I found this instead.”
My lips formed an O as I blinked up at him.
“So you are interested in a relationship. Just not one with me.”
“No... I mean...” My hands twisted together in front of me. “We’re not in a relationship. Wolford and I...” Bear eyes narrowed, and I stopped talking.
“Wolford and you?” he asked.
“Um, we aren’t together.”
“You only fuck?” I winced at his crude words, but nodded yes. “Is it because I’m a Bear? Are you more afraid of me than the wolf?”
“Wolf? What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His eyes flashed gold, and I took a step back.
His head tilted, considering me. Then his words registered, and my eyes widened.
“Are you saying my boss is a wolf shifter?”
“Yes.”
“When...”
“We’ve always known,” he said. “We can smell him when you come over to Sam’s after work.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” I couldn’t believe they’d kept me in the dark like that. “I thought you were my friend. I thought you all were my friends.”
“We are. But it wasn’t our secret to tell.” Fair enough. It still stung, though. “And I’ve changed my mind,” he continued. “I don’t want to be just friends anymore.”
“I told you, I’m not ready for a relationship.”
Bear ignored my protests and stalked toward me, his eyes boring into mine, as he growled low in his throat. “You’re attracted to me. I can already smell it. You get more
aroused the closer I get to you.”
I couldn’t speak. My voice had gotten stuck somewhere in my stomach when it had dropped.
I took another step back, but my shoulders hit the wall behind me, halting my retreat. My heart pounded, and my breathing escalated. He was right. I was aroused. The inside of my thighs were already sticky with my wetness, and my nipples tingled in anticipation.
Only a foot separated us when he finally stopped. I licked my lips, and his gaze followed the path of my tongue.
“I want you, Elizabeth,” he growled, as he lowered his face toward mine.
My lips parted, but the words were still stuck in my throat. When no protest came, he pressed his lips to mine with a groan. Palms flattened against the wall behind me, my eyes closed involuntarily.
The kiss started out the same as the last. Soft, testing, teasing... but then he growled, long and deep. I could feel the vibration of it through his chest as he slammed into
me. He ravished my lips, parting them and pressing his tongue into my mouth. I allowed him. Hell, who was I kidding? I welcomed him, moaning, as the flavor of him hit my taste buds.
“Wait,” I pulled back from the kiss reluctantly and sucked in a quick breath. “We shouldn’t. This isn’t fair to you.”
Bear’s frustrated growl was filled with more than a touch of determination. “I’ll be the judge of that. Now tilt your head back, I want to taste your throat.”
