Page 37 of Fire Bear

Her moans filled the hushed suite. She felt her thighs begin to tremble at the onslaught of sensation. Each stroke, each gentle suck, coiled her desire tighter. Desperately, she clung to him, balancing on the knife-edge between delirious need and near-complete surrender.

When she was certain she couldn’t bear another moment of teasing, he pulled away and moved up her body, planting soft kisses along her abdomen and over each breast. The scrape of his stubble against her sensitive skin sent delicious shivers through her. She arched her back, pressing herself closer, silently begging him to keep going.

He met her gaze, his eyes dark with longing. There was a question there, a silent plea for permission, and she answered it by guiding him closer. She felt his erection press insistently against her inner thigh, and the sensation drew a breathy whimper from her lips. She needed him, craved the completion his body promised.

Slowly, he pressed forward, the tip of him nudging her entrance. Her eyes fluttered shut at the sweet pressure that followed. A broken moan escaped her as he began to slide inside, stretching her body to accommodate his. Their joined breaths caught and stuttered in unison.

Time seemed to stall for a heartbeat. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he sank deeper, filling her inch by inch. The pleasure was exquisite, an ache that transformed into bliss.

Her hands roamed his back, feeling each powerful muscle shift under her fingertips. With every thrust, he built the tension inside her higher, matching the frantic rhythm of her heart. She let her head fall back against the pillow, surrendering to the delicious friction and the heat coiling tighter in her belly.

His breath grew ragged, and his pace quickened. Her body climbed toward the edge of ecstasy with each deep roll of his hips. When his mouth found hers again, the kiss was messy and desperate.

“God,” she whispered, clinging to him as her inner muscles fluttered, her climax cresting close. He answered with a low growl, his lips sliding along her throat. The primal note in his voice skittered over her nerve endings, pushing her closer to the edge.

She felt the sudden shift in his energy and sensed him hovering on the brink just as she was. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and every sensation seemed magnified as Ash roared and found his release. Hot seed burst inside her as her pussy throbbed and clenched around his cock.

In that exquisite moment, pleasure scorched through her. Ash sank his fangs deep in her neck, cutting off her breath as he pumped the mating venom into her veins. The sensation flared hot and bright, a quick sting that transformed into mind-spinning euphoria.

Eliana was no longer in the bedroom. She was floating in a black expanse of space, a bright spangle of stars spreading across the sky. She was weightless, holding hands with Ash. They turned to each other, starlight shining in his eyes.

“This is the space of our mate bond—where we are together as one throughout all time,” Ash said.

Eliana felt a rush of connection spreading through her heart. Everything that was Ash was downloaded into her—all his hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses. His love and loyalty filtered through her consciousness with a deep and abiding reverence. At the same time, she knew that the same essence of her was downloading into Ash. She could feel the connection flowing between them as they held hands.

“Eliana,” he breathed, gathering her in his arms. “You are the most precious soul, and it is my deepest honor to be bonded with you.” With a flare of joy, Eliana took his hand and twirled with him in the infinite expanse of space.

Then, suddenly, Eliana was back in the bedroom. Ash retracted his teeth from her neck, and she drew long pulls of air into her lungs. Ash kissed her forehead and rolled away with a gasp, then gathered her into his arms. She lay on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, the soft glow of lamplight painting his skin gold.

“I never imagined it would be this close,” she said, kissing his chest. She tasted the salty sweat on his skin, then looked up into his eyes. He drew her closer, kissing her lips.

“This is more than I could have ever hoped for—better than I had ever dreamed,” he said, cupping her face in his hands as he gazed into her eyes.

Eliana lay beside him as he pulled the blankets over their shoulders. The calm, subtle warmth of their bond flowed between them in that lingering moment of infinity, a timelessness she never wanted to leave.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

SIX MONTHS LATER

Today wasAsh’s wedding day. His heart thumped as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his dress shirt. From the other side of the bedroom door, he heard people moving through the hallway. Occasional laughter and footsteps signaled the arrival of family and friends.

He secured his tie into a neat knot and felt a surge of pride. The color complemented his suit and the orchard’s pastel hues. Next, he picked up the suit jacket from the back of a chair, slipped it on, and adjusted the lapels in front of the mirror.

He paused to examine himself, seeing a faint reflection of both excitement and nerves in his eyes. This was it, the day he officially joined his life to Eliana’s. He murmured a quiet thanks to fate for guiding them here.

He heard a gentle knock at the door. “Chief?”

Kyle, his Fire Patrol crewmate and groomsman, called. Smiling, Ash crossed the room and opened the door. Kyle stood in the hallway, wearing a suit. Kyle looked him up and down.

“You look ready to face a five-alarm wedding, Chief. Congratulations. Everyone is gathering outside.”

Ash snorted. “Thank you for the update.”

Reed appeared behind Kyle. He had a playful glint in his eyes. Reed wore his own suit, with a small boutonniere pinned to his lapel. “Look at you,” he said to Ash.

Ash grinned. “Everything out there looks good?”

---