Page 58 of The Bear's Blooming Mate

As she lay there, gasping for breath, Philip pressed a gentle kiss to her inner thigh before moving up the bed to gather her in his arms.

“That was...” she trailed off, unable to find words adequate to describe the experience.

“Just the beginning,” he promised, his voice rough with restrained passion.

Elsbeth clung to him, her body still tingling with aftershocks. She could feel his hardness pressing against her hip, a reminder that his need remained unsatisfied. With newfound boldness, she reached between them and stroked his hard length.

“Make love to me,” she whispered against his ear.

“Now, that is a request no shifter could ever refuse his mate,” Philip said as he slipped his arm around her waist. Then he whispered, “Kneel for me.”

Chapter Eighteen – Philip

Philip was impossibly hard as Elsbeth obediently followed his command, slowly rolling over onto her stomach before gradually lifting herself onto her hands and knees.

His breath caught at the sight of her. So vulnerable, so trusting, so beautiful. The curve of her spine, the soft swell of her hips, the way her still-damp hair cascaded over one shoulder, leaving the nape of her neck exposed. It called to something primal within him.

He swallowed hard, his fingers twitching with the desire to trace the curve of her spine from the nape of her neck to…

“You’re staring,” she murmured, turning her head to look at him.

“Can you blame me?” He bent forward, pressing a line of kisses down her spine while he caressed the curve of her hip before stroking her bottom, inching his hand lower.

She gasped as he slid one finger inside her, then two, stroking her inner walls. When he curled his fingers just so, Elsbeth dropped her head with a gasp, pushing back against his hand to take him deeper. The sight of her seeking her pleasure so openly made his hardness throb with need.

“Philip,” she whimpered, her voice breaking. “Please...”

He couldn’t deny her—or himself—any longer. Positioning himself behind her, he guided himself to her entrance, teasing her with gentle pressure without pushing inside.

“Please, what?” he asked, needing to hear the words.

“Claim me,” she breathed, looking back over her shoulder with eyes dark with desire.

With exquisite control, Philip eased forward, penetrating her inch by torturous inch. The sensation was overwhelming. The way her inner walls gripped him so tightly, he had to grit his teeth against the urge to thrust deep and hard.

Instead, he moved with deliberate slowness, savoring every sensation, every small sound she made.

When he was finally buried to the hilt, he stilled completely, his hands gripping her hips as he fought for control. He’d waited a lifetime for this moment, and he wanted to savor it, commit it to memory…

He sucked in a breath as she tensed her inner muscles around him, and he fought once again for control as she moved her hips in a circular motion.

Then he began to move. With firm hands, he gripped her hips and withdrew completely, drawing a desperate whimper from her as she tried to follow his movement. Holding her still, he watched her tremble with need before sliding back into her fully, this time with more force than before.

Her gasp of pleasure vibrated through his entire being, but he withdrew almost completely once more, leaving just the head of his length inside her.

Elsbeth’s breathing became ragged, her body trembling with anticipation as he hovered there. Then, unable to deny either of them any longer, Philip thrust into her harder, his hips flexing as he began to build a steady rhythm. Each stroke went deeper than the last, his pace gradually increasing as primal instinct took over.

He slid his hand from her hip, reaching beneath her to find the sensitive bundle of nerves between her thighs. As his fingers found their target, stroking in time with his thrusts, Elsbeth made a sound that was half-moan, half-whimper. Her arms trembled beneath her, and he watched in awe as her breasts swayed with each powerful thrust, the sight driving him to the edge of his control.

Philip could feel his release building, the tension coiling tight in his belly. The sensation of her tight inner walls gripping him was almost too much to bear, but he clenched his jaw against the mounting pressure. He wanted—needed—to feel her come around him first.

With expert precision, he pinched her sensitive bud gently between his fingers, applying just the right pressure as he continued to drive into her. The effect was immediate—her inner muscles clenched around him in rhythmic pulses, squeezing him with such exquisite pressure that his control finally shattered.

Philip let go with a guttural groan, his essence filling her in hot spurts as she cried out beneath him. The primal side of him surged to the surface as he jerked his hips forward hard, once, twice, three times, each thrust punctuating the waves of pleasure crashing through him as she continued to come around him.

Time seemed to suspend as they remained locked together, bodies trembling in the aftermath of shared ecstasy. Slowly, carefully, Philip leaned forward, pressing his chest against her back as they both struggled to catch their breath. He wrapped one arm around her waist, supporting her weight as her arms finally gave out.

With careful movements, he eased them both onto their sides, still joined intimately as he cradled her against his chest. His bear rumbled with satisfaction inside him, a deep contentment settling over them both as he nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent.

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