Page 17 of Taken Home By the Grizzly

“What do you mean?”

“Something hurt you.”

I go still, panic beating through me. How did she know?

Because mate,my beast reminds me.

Of course. She senses it because she’s my mate.

“I lost my family, all of them at the same time, when I was young—” I break off, shove my hands in my pockets. The next sentence is hard. “I felt like I didn’t deserve to be alive. I was always asking myself how come I was the one who survived, when they were all such good people.” I clench every muscle in my body, working to keep my feelings under control. “So, I’ve lived by myself ever since.”

“As penance,” she says quietly.

Damn.She gets me. I thought there wouldn’t be another soul in the world who could understand me. But here she is.My mate.

I gaze at her in wonder. Too darn head-over-heels to hide my feelings.

“You’re a good man,” she says.

I stiffen. “You sure about that?” I say, partly because I really want her to tell me again.

“Yeah, very.” She frowns. “My boss warned me to stay away from you. Right before they walked out on me and their kids.” She rolls her eyes.

“Well, he may not be the best judge of character.”

“You met him?”

“Yup. He came to my cabin unannounced.” I hesitate. I need to be open with her, so she knows she can trust me. “He had a problem with the fact that I was naked on my own property. And I chased him off.”

“Oh—” She claps a hand over her mouth and giggles.

I was worried she’d be horrified at the thought. But when she looks at me again, her pupils are dilated and that flush in her cheeks has spread to her chest. It’s goddamn beautiful.

“Think a guy’s got a right to be naked on his own property,” she says.

“Too right,” I say. Ninety-nine percent of my attention is focused on the way her eyes are running all over me. On the fact she’s thinking about me naked.

She takes a step forward. And another one. And suddenly, I’m dragging her into my arms.

I’ve never touched a woman before, but my instinct takes over. I tilt her back in my embrace and press my mouth against hers. Holy hell. It’s the softest thing I’ve ever felt. She lets out a little moan, and her sweet, pretty lips glide against mine.

Fuck.She’s not freaking out rejecting me, but she’s kissing me, too. Her arms lift up and wrap around my neck, and I’m lost. I run my hands over her hair, her shoulders, while I kiss her deeper. When I feel her lips part for me, I plunge my tongue in. My beast is taking over. It’s pushing at my skin, desperate to mate her.

I back her up against the counter, possessing her sweet mouth like I want to possess all of her. This girl is mine. My cock is rock hard, straining to get to her, to plunge inside her little pussy?—

Yaaooowww!

A spine-tingling screech comes from the living room and we jerk apart.

She touches her finger to her lips, wonderingly.

Take her,my beast growls inside me.

We listen, but the kids have fallen silent again.

Can I? My fingers tingle, desperate to pull her into my arms again.

She gives herself a little shake. “Need to cook dinner. The kids must be starving.”

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