Doreen shared her truth in return. Walt’s betrayal. The years of doubt. The way she’d learned to shrink herself because the alternative hurt too much. How James had overturned all of that without trying. How he made her feel… Like herself again.
“I would never hurt you like that,” he said, and it wasn’t a grand promise; it was a quiet, solid truth. From a quiet, solid man.
“I know,” she whispered, surprised by how easily the words came.
She touched his jaw, feeling the faint stubble, the warmth beneath her fingertips. His breath hitched. His eyes darkened.
“I want this,” she said. “I want you.”
Emotion rippled across his face…relief, hope, wonder. He cupped her cheek, thumb brushing gently along her skin, asking with his eyes if she was sure.
She answered with her kiss.
When he hesitated, she pulled him closer, choosing him again and again until the tension eased from his shoulders and something deeper took its place…trust.
Trust that the shock of seeing him shift and the bitter cold hadn’t addled her brain.
“Doreen,” he whispered against her lips. “I need to know you’re certain. That you know exactly what you are doing.”
She smiled softly and guided his hand to her heartbeat. “I am. And I do.”
He groaned, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as his control finally snapped. His mouth crashed onto hers with fierce hunger, claiming her with a primal intensity that sent fire racing through her veins. This wasn’t the gentle, careful James she’d come to know…this was something wilder, something unleashed.
And Doreen loved it.
Her fingers found the hem of his sweater, tugging impatiently until he broke their kiss just long enough to help her strip it away. His T-shirt followed, tossed carelessly aside as her hands explored the expanse of his bare chest, reveling in the hard planes of muscle beneath warm skin. When her fingers found his nipples and tweaked gently, he made that sound again—half growl, half moan—that vibrated through her very core.
His hand slid to the nape of her neck, tangling in her hair as he reclaimed her mouth. The blanket fell away from her body as his other hand slipped beneath her sweater, his thumb brushing across her nipple in a teasing caress that made her gasp against his lips.
She squirmed beneath him, suddenly desperate to feel his skin against hers. With a boldness that surprised her, she pushed him back just enough to create space between them,then stripped off her own clothes, her eyes never leaving his. The naked hunger in his gaze as he watched her made her feel powerful, desired in a way she’d never experienced before.
When she was bare before him, Doreen held his gaze in silent invitation. Something shifted in his expression—something ancient and knowing—as he moved toward her with the fluid grace of a predator. The bear in him seemed to shimmer just beneath his skin, lending his movements a dangerous elegance that made her breath catch.
His hands found her breasts, strong fingers caressing with surprising gentleness before he lowered his head and drew one nipple into his mouth. The wet heat of his tongue circling the sensitive peak tore a moan from her throat as she arched into him, offering more.
One hand traced a path down her body, finding the heat between her thighs. Even through the thin fabric still covering her, his touch ignited sparks that threatened to consume her. With sudden decisiveness, he pulled the blanket from the sofa and spread it before the hearth, the firelight casting golden patterns across the soft fabric.
Before she could move, he’d lifted her as if she weighed nothing, laying her down on the blanket with reverent care. The rest of her clothes disappeared under his deft fingers, leaving her completely exposed to his gaze. The cool air of the cabin kissed her skin, raising goosebumps that his hands soon smoothed away.
He kneeled between her legs, gently pressing her knees apart. The first touch of his mouth against her most intimate place drew a shocked gasp that quickly transformed into a moan of pleasure.
His tongue worked magic, alternating between gentle laps and firm strokes while his fingers joined the exquisite torture.Under his skilled attention, pleasure built within her like a gathering storm until it crested in waves that left her crying out his name, her body shuddering with release.
As the aftershocks still rippled through her, he moved up her body, trailing kisses along her heated skin. With trembling hands, she reached for his belt, fumbling with the buckle until it gave way. He helped her push his pants down his legs, kicking them aside as she guided him to her entrance.
The first slow push of him entering her body pulled moans from them both. He filled her completely, stretching her in a delicious burn that bordered on too much and not enough all at once. For a heartbeat, he remained still, as she adjusted to him.
“Doreen,” he whispered.
Then he began to move, each thrust deeper than the last, building a rhythm that had her clinging to his shoulders. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him on with breathless pleas. The pace quickened, his movements becoming harder, more urgent as heat built between them, coiling tighter with each powerful drive of his hips.
When her second climax hit, it was even more intense than the first, her inner walls clenching around him as pleasure overwhelmed her senses. With a guttural sound that was more bear than man, he followed her over the edge, his body jerking against hers as he spilled himself deep inside her.
For several long moments, they lay tangled together, hearts racing in perfect synchrony as they caught their breath. The fire crackled beside them, casting dancing shadows across their entwined bodies.
James shifted his weight to the side, careful not to crush her, but kept her close in the circle of his arms. One hand strokedlazily up and down her spine as he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.
“I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you,” he admitted, his voice a rough whisper against her skin.
