Page 28 of Bear In Mind

“Earlier you asked if I shifted into an actual bear, and I do.We are two spirits and two minds in one body that shifts, but, even when I am in bear form, the human mind reigns supreme.His thoughts will never overpower mine, even if he does manage to force a physical shift.I know that may be hard to understand.Logically, it doesn’t make sense, but it’s how it is.All you need to remember is that while my bear and me are two separate beings, whether I’m in my human form or my bear form, you will always be dealing with me.I’m the dominant.”He wrapped his arm around the front of me, resting his hand on my left hip.“And I meant it when I said that neither of us would ever hurt you.Ever.You’re the one person on this Earth we couldn’t live without.”

Biting into the pizza, I mulled over his words.I tried to wrap my head around sharing a body, but having two minds in one body was out of my reach.The only thing I could think of was the bookThe Hostby Stephenie Meyer.

When I remained quiet, he pressed.“What else do you want to know?You have to have questions.”

Working my bottom lip, I considered him.“What do you think it is about me in particular?”

“All I can tell you is what I love about you.”He searched my depths.

I continued eating, thinking; well, trying to think.He made sense, yet he didn’t make sense.Shaking my head negatively, I struggled with the logical, sensible part of myself.“Why do you love me?Howdo you love me when you don’t know all that much about me?”

His gaze remained steady on me.His breathing was rhythmic, a calming cadence.He grazed his fingers along the strands of hair closest to my face.“I watched you for five years.I memorized every conversation we had and replayed it over and over again in my mind.”

My heart skipped a beat.I’d done the same thing, but, with time, the information faded into the abyss of my mind and the generalizations were all that remained, the topics and vague important details.

“You interacted with every customer as though they were your best customer, even if you were tired or having a bad day.You rarely took your scheduled break, and kept things running smoothly.Before that, you dropped out of school to take care of your mom until she passed away.Those things tell me that you’re a leader, but one who doesn’t need the title.You’re what we call a gentle alpha.You don’t boast about what you’ve done; you simply do it.”His gaze intensified.“You take care of everyone else before you and ask for nothing in return.”

I stiffened, hearing the disapproval in his tone.

He pursed his lips.“I saw you pay for Harry’s breakfast the first time he came into the shop after his wife passed away, and I was there when you slipped Annie fifty dollars to buy her kids a Christmas gift last year, even though you couldn’t afford it.”

Another piece of the puzzle came together.“You were the one who stuck that envelope in my door.”I narrowed my gaze on him, my lips parting.I’d assumed Annie got a bonus at work and had simply returned the money.But it was Bear.

His expression darkened.“I should have done more for you over the years.”His upper lip curled in disgust.“I should have taken better care of you.You were always mine, even without my mark.”Pushing my hair aside, he traced the wound with his fingertips.“If you ever need anything, you tell me.If you want anything, you tell me.Okay?”

Stuffing the last bite of my pizza slice in my mouth, I chewed and swallowed.“Thank you, but all I want is you.”I smiled up at him.

He gave me a charming grin.“Well you have me, honey.Forever and ever.”

Leaning in, I kissed his cheek.“I think I can handle that.”

“Good.”He jerked me tighter against him.“Because I’m not letting you go.”

“Ever?”I quirked a brow.

His eyes glittered, dancing with mischief.“Ever.”It was a single, definitive declaration.

Warmth spread through me as he flexed his muscles around me.“What about work?”I smirked.

He pretended to think it over for a second.“You’ll have to earn time off.”

I laughed.“Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

He growled playfully, maneuvering me to straddle him.He tore the blanket away from my figure and tossed it aside.“Are you contesting me, honey?”

Biting my bottom lip, I fought back a smile.“My, my, Mr.CEO, such a big word.”I ran my hands up and down the hard plains of his chest.

His nostrils flared around a snarl, all humor gone this time.Abruptly, he stood, holding me tightly to him, kicked the coffee table away and stalked to the closest wall, pushing my back into it.His hands molded to my rear asset as I locked my legs around his waist.“You want me to make you scream a big word?”

Securing my arms around his neck, I kissed a trail up to his ear.“Do your best, honey.”Who was this vixen and where did she come from?I felt wanted and wanton; I felt confident and sexy.I felt all that he made me feel, including loved.

With a single jerk of his shorts, he freed himself.He drove into me, smothering my cry with his lips.He set a rapid pace, furiously fucking me, furiously assaulting my nerve endings.

I arched into him, riding him, meeting his every upsurge.Gone was all embarrassment; vanished was all uncertainty about him enjoying my curves.No man had sex this many times in a span of eight hours without being attracted to her.The edge was taken off the first time.The rest was pure indulgence, pure desire to experience me again.

Pleasure licked every pore, delighted every nerve ending as he took me roughly, rapidly.I was moving, but he was a blur, my glasses fogged from our heavy breaths.

His nails dug into my flesh as he grunted around each smack of his balls against my slit.He thrust to the hilt over and over, never slowing.“You’re so fucking sexy.”He ground the words out through gritted teeth before sucking a single nipple into his mouth.

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